Equestria Under

I... am a fly-shadow-pony. NOT a shadow-pony. NOT a pony. NOT some slow and low unlivin' thing. No. No way. I am better than that. I can be better than that. And I WILL be better than that. I don't care what any shadow-pony thinks. I don't even care what any pony thinks! I am going to make and find my own way - no questions asked!

"I can... urgh... I can... do this... urgh..." I began to flap my wings. And when I did so, it felt like there was a ton of weight weighing them down... "Urrg!"

Uhg! I can't get off the ground, like this... Harder!" I began to flap harder.

"Harder!" I flapped harder and began to lift my self up, off of the ground.

"HARDEEER!!" A few feet off of the ground, now - I suddenly shot up into the air. Flapping, rapidly, to control myself. Finally, I steadied. Looked back down at the ground I realized I had surpassed my height of the previous ray. This ws great! And even better since I had manged to get above "the line". The line was this "area of resisting force" which I had to get through in order to reach the sky. The bad part of this? Well...actually...there is no good side. See, this invisible area of force can only be felt by fly shadow-ponies. Once we begin to even attempt to get off the ground, we end up being kept on the ground by this force of resistance". I suppose it's supposed to discourage us from flying, since word's got around that being too active is bad for you.No matter. I had done it. Again, I had done it. I had left the ground into greater heights! And since I was still here, there's no way such a thing could be bad! t leas not for me!

Sure I was still like every shadow-pony else. Trapped down in this light-forsaken land, simple and nothingful, dim and meaningless... But that wasn't going to stop me! If I am going to be a pony, I will be the first have to be shadow-pony to be a some-shadow-pony instead of a worthless essence of nothingness. I, Raindrone, am going to be what I want to be, down here, so that when I reach the surface, I will exceed even those who dwell above!

Flying through the air, high up, yet far below the dark clouds, I thought these things. I smile spread across my face as I did so... No pony - no shadow-pony was going to stop me! Ever! And no - I came to a halt in the air and looked down, below me... I saw a large, black gurgling mass crawling about. I shuddered with disgust. Those things. I had to stay away from those things. I saw what it could do to shadow-ponies and no way did I want any part of that. I was too busy being what I wanted to be, too busy trying to get free to be devoured by some monster from down here.

And what's the deal with that, anyways? I flew on as I thought. I had overheard a couple shadow-ponies talking about how they might as well give themselves to those monsters - how pathetic! THIS is why I want no part of what I am. Some frail, weak thing - not me! I was going to make the best of it! And what better way to be a rebel than with these babies? I tried my wings by flying in a circle, barrow-rolling and spiraling... "Ha! If I can do all this, I might as well already be a pony!"

"ENOUGH!" A sparking, crackling, dark ball of flame just missed my mane. "YOU INSOLENT! ARROGANT! WORTHLESS - !" I flew down to the ground, but kept a height of at least three feet. No way was I going to pass "the line" and be stuck trying to lift off, again, NO way!

I moved swiftly just over the ground, but it was hard. It was hard to have wings, only to fly so low to the ground - mare, it was frustrating! "I hate this! It's like I am some kind of lame shadow-pony who can't try worth nothing to fly." I thought, with disgust. But I had to stay out of the air, for now -  PSHEW! Another crackling ball of black flame zipped past me.

"Whoa - !" It nearly had me, but I was too fast for it!

"Ha!" I flew backward for a small while, as I watched the balls remains crackle and burn itself out and seem to melt away within into ground.

PSHEW! PSHEW!

"Uhg! Leave me alone!" I zipped and zagged, dodging the black flame balls as best I could while staying just above ground, resisting the temptation to land and run.

"NOT A CHANCE!" A voice boomed after me, "YOU ARE A SHADOW-PONY AND KNOW BETTER THAN TO BE DOING THESE THINGS! RETURN TO SHADOW-DWELL OR I WILL BE FORCED TO DESTROY YOU!"

"Catch me if you can!" I yelled over my shoulder. But I knew I should probably not mess around with this one - I had met him so many rays back and had learned two things. Number one, he was no ordinary shadow-pony, if that. Number two, he was pretty powerful... somehow. And, oh yeah, that last thing about him - other than wanting me to stop making use of my wings, he seemed to want something more from me - to help me and/or save me, or something...whatever that meant.

I could guess that was the reason for chasing and wanting to "destroy me". Tch. Right. That sure wasn't the message he preached to me when he first met. So keen on helping me and all that...then what was all this for?!

*   *   *   *   *

I walked through to the outside of my dwell... Was I sure I really wanted to do this? I mean... ever since really realizing what every shadow-pony was like, here, I was so disgusted. I didn't want to be like the rest of them, I wanted to - I want to - be different.

But then... was this the only way to be different? To use these... my wing-parts? Could there be another way? I had already gone probably all over Shadow Dwell looking for some shadow-pony who might not be like the rest, one who might have found other things to do than just walk around like some kind of dull and worthless drone. Unfortunately, I never found one. And yeah, sure I'm a shadow-pony as well, but do I have to act like it? Hoof, no!

Ever since realizing that nothing could control me, I decided that I was going to be my own self - different from every other being down here! I wasn't going to be like these pathetic shadow-ponies... I watched a shadow-pony slowly walk on by me. It made me sick to see it had wing-parts as well as I.

Had it not attended the last Gathering? Where the shadow-ponies learned about the ponies above, specifically, the ones who could fly? That, I thought, was very interesting - especially because I have wings as well as they -- and that they were obviously the most important ponies up there. I mean -- they could FLY even UP THERE!! Nothing could be better than that, nothing!

"Wow! Ponies have higher ups, too, huh?" I remembered thinking, "That's incredible - and I have wings so I must be bound to be better than every shadow-pony here!"

"And being better means being a pony." I said, responding to my thoughts from that time, "Because all I am really doing is just denying my essence, anyways."

Just then, it is seemed like something exploded within my essence. I shook all over as light seemed to come from within and through me. I could actually feel my eyes. They surged with power - my entire essence was illuminated, I could just feel it! I was full of light and energy or power. Whatever it was, by the time the luminous feeling had gone away and I had stopped shaking and my eyes... my eyes... I blinked. They felt so... there. As if... I had never really been there, until now...

"Hm... Strange." I muttered. I lifted both front hooves and then tried the back. I looked over my shoulder to my tail and flicked it. I flapped my wings and then stretched both back legs.

Why did all of this movement feel so... normal, all of sudden? It had never felt normal, before. I mean sure I walk around -- maybe even run, sometimes -- but I didn't always feel comfortable doing that. All I ever wanted to do was shake of that no-movement feeling and be different -- and now it seemed I had my chance!

I trotted away from my dwell, head held up, knowing that no shadow-pony would dare to do what I was doing. Eyes closed, I peeked around at a few shadow-ponies. A few lifted their heads when they saw me and either stared after me or blinked, and turned away... Ha! I would show them! I would show them all!

I wasn't going to just be all dull and inactive or whatever - not like all of them were. I felt some kind of.. what was it called, spirit? Ignite inside of my essence. My essence which I now chose to call my body. And why not? The ponies above did it, why not me? Besides... I felt... different, now... not... not like any of the shadow-ponies around me. The spirit which had ignited within me seemed to grow and I just trotted on.

"How about a run, now, eh Raindrone?" I asked myself. I picked up speed and began to run. As I did so, another spirit was ignited within me, steadily began to grow.

"Whooo!!" I yelled, as I ran about, aimlessly. Many heads turned to look at me. Others were tempted to follow me -- I just knew they were.

"Come on!" I yelled to the few that I passed directly by, "It's... it's... incredible! It's... awesome!!" My hollow inside was filled with the eruption of two new spirits. I was so happy, so carefree! "Must b what my spirits were acknowledging", I thought to myself.

"YIPEER" I crowed. "Such happiness - this is fun!!" I lept into the air and, using my wings, did a airy back flip, landing gently. I blinked. I had just acknowledged by two newest spirits. How I knew em'? Who cares? But what had I had just done, besides that... I tried my wings, again, flapping them.

"Perhaps there is more fun involved, here than I thought!" I lifted myself off of the ground, but only a little, and flapped, going straight, going in circles... I was trying to get the feel of using my wings-parts -- I mean wings. (Might as well call 'em, that, too). It seemed that whatever had happened to me back at my dwell didn't seem to completely erase the feeling that I shouldn't move about a lot. I still experienced discomfort in using at least my wings.

"Uhg, come on, of all parts," I grounded. But the again...this has been a bit more of a challenge before whatever happened back there happened, so...

"Who's to say I can't over come this one?!" I bellowed, glowing with a spirit of determination. Before I could continue on with this little show of victory, I was interrupted.

"I do." A voice said.

"Hm?" I settled myself down and looked about. Even though I was settled, I could still feel a good few spirits raging around, inside of me... But now another one was rising, one I had already acquired, long before. Caution.

"Who's there?" I asked. The area around me was desolate of any other shadow-pony. I was alone, as far as I could see... I turned and turned and looked and turned, again. After turning in a complete circle, I went to turn, again, saying, "Come on, show yourself, already - umph!" My muzzle met a surface.

"Well, now. You're a very lively one." That voice said.

"Uh..." I backed up and away from whatever it was I had touched.

"Raindrone." The voice said.

I shook my head, "Wha...?" I blinked. "Who are you?" I saw, before me, a tall, black... shadow-pony? No... he was a... a stallion. Either way, he was tall, black, had large red eyes and I was getting a certain vibe from him...It wasn't a good one.

He chuckled, "You can call me... well... whatever you wish. The only thing you really need to know is that  am here to help you."

"Help... me?" I asked.

"Why, yes." He said, stepping closer to me. "You see, you've just gone through a very, very exceptional change within the last few minutes..."

"Er... minutes?... Change?" I responded, taking a small step or so backwards.

"That's right." The shadow-stallion said. A change that it very, very dangerous to you. A black aura seemed to rise up around him.

"Uhh...."

"Oh, don't worry, Raindrone. It's nothing I can't fix. The aura around him surged upwards and seemed to get stronger.

"Uh, worry?" I said, "I'm not worried about anything."

"Oh? Oh no?" The shadow-stallion asked, his face changing.

"No way!" I said, "And this change you're talking about -- you saw it, right? I mean, you saw it when I began getting all these weird feelings within me? When it seemed like I was glowing or something?"

"Yes." The shadow-stallion answered, his voice suddenly becoming one of a hiss.

"Alriiiiight..." I said, "So what did it mean?"

"Well it means that you've gotten worse." He answered,(perking up in the least bit).

"What? Worse? What do you mean?" I asked, my mind seemingly glowing with the spirit of confusion.

The shadow-stallion took a step back, "Ergh...It's just...you need to stop what you are doing."

"What?" Why?" I asked, attempting to walk up to the shadow-stallion.

He backed up, a little, his aura, like a fire. "DON'T ASK SO MANY QUESTIONS! He yelled. "JUST - listen... Listen to me... You have to stop doing what you are doing, it's... bad for you..."

"What? What do you mean?" I asked.

"All that you're doing... you are destroying yourself." He answered.

"So what?" I asked.

The shadow-stallion seemed taken aback. "Wait, no - you - uhg - look! Listen! You are destroying yourself, meaning soon there will be nothing left of you!! But I can help you --um.. I mean I will help you."

"I don't need any help." I responded. I eyed the black fire around him and noticed how it "raged" when he did.

"You do," He said, taking a step closer, "You do need help. And what about the feelings, hm? What about that?"

"What feelings?" I said, clueless.

"Didn't you ever feel bad doing what you were doing, during that time, not long ago?"

"Well, kinda, not really." I said, "I felt different... I felt like I could move a lot more than I had before that whatever it was took place... I felt... better...But the explosions... those just felt strange."

"Explosions." He said, "You felt explosions?"

"Yeah, inside of me." I said, "They felt weird, like... things just exploding inside of me... I didn't really know what was up with that..."

"Those are bad." The shadow-stallion said, "It is a sign that your essence is giving out. You need to stop being so active, before it's too late!"

"I don't get it." I said, "How can my essence be giving out when I feel like I can do anything, about now?"

The shadow-stallion sighed and said, "That's just how you think you feel. You think you can do anything because you think that your "defying your essence" makes everything better for you... and your wrong...But I can help you. I can save you. You just need to - he moved closer to me, but I jumped back.

"No way! I don't need help! I don't need saving! I don't need you - or any shadow-pony else! All I need are these, (I lifted my wings), and determination!" I felt another explosion take place inside of me and my eyes were full of power, again, only not for as long, this time.

The shadow-stallion stumbled back, and growled, his eyes turning darker and the fire-aura thingy around him surged, upwards.

I turned from him and ran off, soon lifted myself into the air, and flew away.