Origin: Alaru

He rushed to his room, eager to get to sleep so the morning would come sooner. His room wasn’t very big but he liked it. It had stone walls like the rest of the castle and a small but comfortable bed at the far end of the room against the wall. There was also a spear on the wall along the left side. He remembered when he was first old enough to be moved to his own room and he had snuck in to see it early. He had caught them trying to take the spear down when he peeked in. The room was apparently an old storage room back when his grandfather ruled. He remembered whining and complaining about it until they finally put it back. It was his father that had given the order to leave it and he remembered it as the happiest day of his life. The spear had a rusted tip and it was apparently used in the war that took place when his grandfather’s grandfather took over.

He fell asleep quickly; tired from playing. He wasn’t sure how long he had been sleeping but something woke him up and he found himself lying in bed, staring at a figure that stood in his doorway. He nearly cried out but realized that it was only his brother when he caught a glimpse of his white fur and red mane. He remembered how his brother had used to check on him every night when Alaru was first moved to his own room because he was secretly afraid to sleep there alone. It no longer bothered him and it had been a long time since the last time Darcian had checked on him. If he had been doing it recently, Alaru hadn’t been aware of it. Alaru wondered if he was checking on him now because of what happened that day.

“I’m okay, big brother,” Alaru said without thinking about it, “Good night.” The figure in the doorway didn’t say anything and seemed to melt into the shadows. Alaru decided that he must have surprised him. Alaru wondered if it embarrassed him to be caught checking up on his little brother.

He didn’t think much about it and before long he fell into a dream-filled sleep. He was shocked with how vivid the dream was as he wandered through what looked to be a wasteland with pointy rocks jutting up from the ground but he could only make out their outline. Everything seemed incredibly dark but at the same time there seemed to be enough light for him to see by. He wasn’t sure how he could see in this kind of darkness but he decided it was because it was a dream. He felt as if something was calling out to him and started to follow it over hard, treacherous, uneven ground. It didn’t sound like a real voice and he had no idea how he thought that it was for him but he continued to consider it a part of the dream.

After a while he arrived in a clearing. It was a lot cleaner here and the ground no longer hurt his hooves as he walked over it and he realized that it was starting to go from rough earth to soft grass. It felt strange to him when the only kind of land he knew was wind-blown grass and rocky dirt roads.
A strangely familiar blue light began to shine on him and he looked up to see a full blue moon. He recalled how his father had told him and his brother that the moon was evil and a bad omen but for some reason that was oddly comforting. A sense of panic flowed through him worse than anything that he had ever felt and he wanted to run away but his legs wouldn’t budge. He pressed himself to the ground like his brother. Without further warning a huge crow appeared and alighted itself in the center of the grassy clearing. Alaru couldn’t help but look into its swirling eyes as he looked up. He had expected black, beady eyes but these were yellow-orange like his and swirled with energy.

The crow started to make a strange hissing, grinding sound and cawed a few times and all Alaru could do was cower as this happened. After a moment it stopped and Alaru felt something click inside him but he wasn’t sure what that meant.

“That’s strange,” the Crow suddenly said, “Brats usually can’t get here, especially not brats that can’t understand the language. It doesn’t matter; he’ll make a nice snack.”

A feeling of fear thrilled through Alaru. He wasn’t sure how he knew but there was a feeling that if he died here he would die in real life and that the threat was real. “No!” He finally managed to choke out and found himself standing straight as he retorted, “I can hear you just fine. I know the language.”

The crow looked surprised and he replied hostilely, “How do you know you know the language that I speak of? Perhaps you’re mistaken and it will cost you your life if you’re lying.”

“I know I’m right because I can understand you now,” he bluffed, hoping that he wasn’t wrong to begin with. “I wouldn’t be able to hear you if I wasn’t meant to!”

The Crow was silent for a very long time and Alaru felt sick, as if he were a criminal that knew he was guilty waiting for it to be called with an automatic execution. After a moment the Crow began laughing and hissed, “I was hoping you would answer that way. In any case you’re right. If you couldn’t understand me then it would mean that you didn’t know the language. It’s the same for every shadow walker. You’re just lucky you awakened when you did. It’s no crime to destroy someone who doesn’t know the language here even if they would have learned it later but it is to kill a shadow walker that’s unaware they are one.”

“What’s a shadow walker?” Alaru asked curiously.

“The easiest way to describe it, Red Ice, is that they’re vampires. They can do things like merge through shadows and travel through the dark realm to get to places quickly. They are fast and strong and some get their power from things like blood but they’re also weaker in direct sunlight. There are real vampires that aren’t shadow walkers but they’re hardly like the definition of them nowadays that fits a shadow walker so much better. If anyone finds out what you are, more than likely you will be considered a vampire, Red Ice.”

“So I’m a shadow walker…and why did you call me Red Ice twice? My name is—

“I don’t care what your name is!” the Crow hissed angrily, “from now on, as far as I’m concerned, your name is Red Ice. I don’t care if you keep your real name in the waking world—I won’t hear it if it’s uttered by anyone in the light world—or if you decide to start using the name I gave you alone or even both but as long as you’re here don’t you dare utter your real name aloud. I am your, for lack of a more favorable term, shadow caller. That means I will guide you and teach you how to use your powers and sometimes even help you directly depending on the circumstances. Not everyone has a shadow caller as conniving as I and some shadow callers will overlook if their shadow walker accidentally says their birth name but I won’t. If I learn your birth name I will take every single advantage.”

Alaru, or rather Red Ice, gave a curt nod, trying not to reveal how disturbed he was but something told him that the Crow already knew just how disturbed he was as it began to laugh. He said to the Crow, “Alright then. Then can I at least know your name?”

“You’ll learn it in time,” the Crow replied in a sarcastic manner, “but for now you need your rest. I will teach you as you need it and I will warn you when you’re in danger; especially when you’re sleeping or in the dark.”

“Before I go,” he muttered, “What kind of moon is that? I’ve never seen one shine so brightly before. I rarely see the moon at all actually.”

“It’s a blue moon, a sign of great promise,” the crow replied, his voice fading even as he spoke. “I foresee that you will become a part of a great whole that will grace it deservingly.”

At first, when he first woke up he thought that it was only a few minutes since he had last fallen asleep but already he could sense his father raising the sun. At first he was excited, knowing that he would be able to go to town with his brother and mother today but then he recalled that he wouldn’t be able to leave so early and that he still had chores to be done. He sighed and went off to do his morning chores, wishing he knew a shadow walker ability that would be able to get it done quicker.
***

Alaru ran a bit ahead of his mother and brother. Darcian hadn’t seemed eager to come and looked annoyed as he trotted a few feet behind Rosepetal. Alaru tried not to be bothered by his brother’s bad mood, glad to just be out. He tried not to let it bother him that he wasn’t allowed to fly yet either. His mother insisted that they walked despite how the three of them were pegasi.

“Try not to get too far ahead,” Rosepetal warned. “It could be dangerous. Stay where your brother and I can see you.”

“I will but I’d be fine. I’m strong enough to take care of myself,” Alaru replied, laughing.

“I doubt it shorty,” Darcian replied crossly. “You and I are Starstin’s sons. I’m bigger and stronger than you and I don’t even want to be caught out here. You wouldn’t stand a chance if they found you out here alone.”

“What do you mean? Isn’t father the king? How would they even know who I am when we hardly ever leave the castle?” Alaru asked, pausing long enough for Darcian and his mother to catch up to him.

“Don’t worry about that,” Rosepetal told him gently before Darcian could reply and the older colt simply snorted and walked a bit quicker so he would be the one ahead. “Just stay close to us and there won’t be any chance that you’ll run into the ponywolf.”

“What’s the ponywolf?” Alaru asked curiously.

“It’s a great and terrifying beast that takes the form of a pony during the day but a wolf that walks on two legs at night. It has sharp teeth and eyes that shine like the yellow moon,” she replied in a haunted voice.

“Garbage,” Darcian growled. Alaru didn’t think their mother heard him at first, but when the younger colt glanced over at her he saw her wince ever so slightly though he wasn’t sure if he had imagined it.

They continued walking until reaching the marketplace. On the way there Alaru wondered at the lack of ponies. Hardly any were in the streets and the ones he did see hid in the shadows or watched them from cracks in the wall and from behind cracked doors and window shades. The air crackled with tension and it made him feel uneasy. In the marketplace few ponies stood outside of their booths as they passed and many were closed or hurried to close before they noticed though it was very noticeable. Rosepetal didn't seemed bothered by it, even managing to smile a bit.

Despite his brave words Alaru now felt nervous. Things seemed different from the last time he came out with his mother and he found himself pressing against her flank. Darcian gave him a cross look and, feeling self-conscious, Alaru moved away from her once more.

Rosepetal found the shop that she wanted. It looked abandoned with boards over the front but that didn't seem to deter her. She knocked on the boards and a small pony stirred and looked through the cracks before rushing out of his shop the moment he saw her. He was a light brown pony with a dark brown mane but his colors looked even more muted in the depressing light of Starstin's sun. He looked half-starved under the bandages that covered his frame, sides, and flank. His eyes only lacked dullness because wild panic took its place once he started speaking with Rosepetal.

"Wh-What can I get you ma'am? I have many different kinds of seeds," the scraggly pony squeaked.

"Do you have any marigold seeds, or maybe morning glories?" She spoke in a soft, comforting voice though he didn't seem to be soothed and if anything he seemed more agitated as he ducked back into his shop to search for what she asked for. “Any kind of flower will do if you can’t find what I asked for,” she assured him though as far as Alaru could tell he only started to become more frantic.

Darcian walked up close beside him and whispered, “You wanted to explore and get a chance to spread your wings, right? You don’t really think mom will let us today, do you? If she intended to give us time to fly we would have left earlier since she’s not willing to stay out past moonrise. She’s a coward who now relies on Starstin to take care of her. Do you think that’s fair to us?”

Alaru found himself starting to shake his head but instead found himself getting mad at his brother. “She’s not a coward,” he growled back in a harsh whisper. “There’s probably a reason why we’re not allowed to stay out past sunset.”

“Are you sure that it’s not just superstitious nonsense our father made up to keep the villagers in line?” Darcian pressed. “I promise its fine. Father gave me these so we could slip away and practice our flying.” He pressed a small black pellet into Alaru’s hoof.

“What is it?” Alaru asked, glancing at their mother who was still waiting patiently for the seller to find something she could use.

“I was told that if we eat it then it will make clones that will last for twelve hours. If we just leave she’ll become worried and come find us but with the clones she’ll never know better and we’ll be able to spend as much time out as we want. Won’t that be great?” Darcian whispered to him.

Alaru thought about it for a moment before popping the seed-like object in his mouth and his brother did the same. A shadowy mist rose from the two ponies, matching their pelts; Alaru’s was a dark grey and Darcian’s was white. Alaru wanted to stay long enough to see the clones but Darcian hissed in his ear, “We have to get going now. If she catches us here with our clones she’ll know that they’re not really us.”

The younger colt nodded and darted away with his brother, careful not to fly above the walls of the building so he wouldn’t be spotted. Rosepetal turned around, feeling as if something was wrong but all she saw were her two sons. Darcian still looked irritated but Alaru gave her a smile. “You’re such a good boy,” she murmured, some regret echoing in her voice. She hardly noticed the flickering tail of the real Alaru disappearing around the nearby corner. As she looked back to the stall the seed seller came out of his shop with a small bag full of seeds.

He gave her the bag and she gave him a gold coin in return. He looked at it and then back at her in confusion, starting to tremble. “Th-This is far too much,” he whimpered.

“I know,” she replied kindly, “You can keep it.”

The sellspony looked horrified and was shaking as he ducked back into his shop, and slammed the door behind him. She forced a laugh before leaving with the clones of her children in tow. She hated pretending that she was okay with the way things were but she couldn’t let on to how much she disliked it when it was far too late for her. She hoped that her sons didn’t see through her. Maybe Darcian but he didn’t seem to be paying attention. That was strange for him. She tried not to let it bother her though something told her something was wrong. She decided that it was nothing as they passed through the gate and back into the castle.

***

“Where are we going?” Alaru asked Darcian.

“Nowhere in particular,” Darcian answered. “You wanted to prove to me that you’re a fast flier, right? Why don’t you prove it? I’m going to fly as fast as I can and if you can get ahead of me I’ll admit that you’re faster. Does that sound fair?”

Alaru considered it for a moment before replying excitedly, “yeah! That sounds perfect!”

“Good,” Darcian sneered, “Because you’re not going to beat me!” Darcian sprang into the air and quickly took off. Alaru fidgeted, flapping his wings a bit in surprise. He didn’t expect his brother to take off so suddenly. As soon as he shook off his confusion a few moments later he was in the air as well and flying as swiftly as possible in order to catch up. He was surprised at the ease in which he was able to find Darcian but as soon as he drew closer, nearly able to fly alongside him, Darcian picked up speed, purposely waiting for him.

Alaru tried to fly faster but he was quickly tiring. He realized, a bit mortified, that he wasn’t as strong at flying as he thought he’d be. Still Alaru couldn’t just let his brother win when he was supposed to have had just as much flying experience when neither of them were allowed to fly in the castle. He felt a new kind of energy pulse under his skin as soon as he started to wish for more speed. An image of the Crow flashed beneath his vision and he started to catch up with Darcian as he picked up a burst of speed.

Darcian cursed softly and began to fly a bit faster but, to Alaru’s delight, his speed didn’t seem to increase as much as before and he seemed to be struggling. Darcian gritted his teeth as he glanced back and began to dive sharply, skimming the ground as he darted between buildings. Alaru was quick to follow, not wanting to lose sight of him. They darted through groups of ponies, mostly earth ponies though there was a unicorn and a few pegasi. His brother turned the next corner sharply and Alaru followed him but he was nowhere to be seen. Alaru landed and looked around, starting to feel scared.

He started to whimper as he started to wonder if he would be able to find his way home on his own. He could barely think straight so it didn’t occur to him that he might be able to see his brother or the castle if he flew above street level. He wasn’t sure why the idea occurred to him but he blinked a few times experimentally. The first few times nothing happened but after the third time the dim light changed to a darker light and he could see what appeared to be white plasma along with a few dimmer plasma marks. He realized that the white plasma was his brother’s trail and that he would find him if he followed it.

Alaru started to flap his wings, eager to catch up to his brother again but in the same moment he was slammed to the ground. He looked around in surprise and at first he couldn’t see anypony but as soon as his gaze focused on the one that appeared at his side they brought their hoof down hard on his side and then again on his flank, making him cry out in pain. He trembled as more and more ponies streamed into the alleyway and he recognized many of them from those his brother and him had flown by. The one that stood at the forefront that had stomped on him was a creamy yellow earth pony and he was the only one that wasn’t covered in dust to hide their faces, shades and cutie marks. He had a steel grey mane and he had a poorly shaved beard that stuck out in tufts. His eyes were a reddish-brown and were cruelly angled as he glared down at Alaru. The only thing hidden, if the young pegasus had thought to look, was the pony’s cutie mark which was covered in dirty bandages.

“What do you want from me?” Alaru cried and gasped in pain as the yellow earth pony stomped on him once more.

They could hear the ponies around them whispering nervously and the yellow earth pony turned around snapped, his voice grinding, “Don’t doubt what we’re doing here! We have to destroy these monsters before we all starve to death and our children learn to bow their heads to them. He may be a mere foal now but he’s going to grow up to be a destroyer just like his father.”

“I’m not going to be anything like my father,” Alaru whimpered and stifled another cry of pain as the earth pony snarled and brought his hoof down again and again in quick succession

“Well? What are you waiting for? Tie him so he can’t use his blasphemous wings to fly away. Don’t look at me like that! It is blasphemy for these monsters to have such gifts when they deny us the use of our own!” The scarred yellow pony hissed at the others.

A couple of unicorns, maybe the only two there, came forward but it took both of them to gather enough magic to move the rope though it took them a while before they were finally able to successfully tie his wings down. He was in too much pain to fight back against them. The yellow earth pony forced him to his hooves with a deft tug and hissed in his ear, “Have you any last wishes.”

“I don’t want to die!” He screamed at them, backing up until he was against the wall. Terror seized him as he saw them glowering at him, silhouetted in the light of the insidious setting sun. “I’m not what you think I am! I’m not a monster! I’m not like my father!”

“My son starved to death because of your family and you want me to believe that you don’t deserve the same fate as him?” A female voice rose up from the back.

“That’s not my fault!” Alaru cried out, tears glistening in his eyes. “It’s not—“

A rock hit him in the head and he cried out as pain shot through his temple, making his ears ring. They threw more rocks and he felt sharp edges cutting his sides and blood oozing from the wounds. It did not show well in his dark grey fur but it dripped noticeably to the ground. He pressed himself down, trying to make himself as small as possible. He pleaded for help, hoping the Crow would hear him but no suggestion popped to mind like before when he lost his brother. Aren’t I supposed to be a shadow walker? Is this all that awaits me then?

He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, trying to push away the pain but it was hard to ignore and he felt like he would slip away at any moment. The attacks suddenly stopped all at once and for a moment he feared that he was dead but he still dared to open his eyes. A pegasus colt now stood in front of him. He looked to be about the same age as Darcian and he had a rusty red fur and a steely blue mane.

His protector glanced back and flashed him a grin despite how blood dripped between his eyes where a rock had struck him. He then turned back once he seemed to be satisfied that Alaru was okay and growled, “You want to strike somepony down? Then strike me down! It would be no different to kill one of your own than to kill a foal that’s half my age, if not a bit older than half my age. How is it any different for him to be born Starstin’s son than it is for us to be born in this hell? Have you no pride at all?”

“There is a difference! It would do nothing but hurt us if we were to kill you. If we kill him there would be one less cruel stallion out to get us in a few years’ time. We can’t afford to not kill him now in any case. When he grows up he’ll come back for vengeance,” someone called from the crowd. “Even if we never attacked him he would have come to punish us for just trying to live!”

“Then maybe you should show some mercy so he has a reason not to,” the young rust-colored pegasus replied, stamping his hoof defiantly. “Do you think this cycle of hate is going to stop here? He’s not even the oldest! His older brother will be the one to rule and you all know it! If you would have helped him instead he might have stood for you rather than against you when his brother rules.”

Mutinous whispering rose in the crowd but one or two walked away. The creamy yellow earth pony did not yield, however, and stood glaring. “If we have to kill you then we will but I refuse to let a single one of them to live.”

“This was going on before you were born,” the young pegasus answered hotly. “You told me yourself. Do you think that anything will change by killing two colts instead of just one? If you kill me then it will prove my point; that it will get you nothing.”

The cream-colored pony seethed with anger but his retort was cut off by a blood curdling howl. Alaru was shocked to see the bloodthirsty crowd parting and scattering just like that. The pony that stood in front of him gave a nervous glance and firmly told him, “You need to get out of here. Get back to your castle where it’s safe and don’t think about coming back out until morning if you come back out at all.”

He didn’t wait for so much as a nod before darting away, taking off with strong, even flaps. Alaru was somewhat surprised since the rest of them could barely tie a knot, let alone lift from the ground. He heard another howl and panic began to seize him as he remembered the story his mom told him about the ponywolf.
His blood turned ice as he heard another howl, this time nearer, and tried to fly away but his wings were still firmly tied to his sides. He bit at the ropes and wiggled vigorously but the ropes and knots were sturdier than he had imagined. He pulled as hard as he could with his teeth but his grip slipped and it sent him stumbling into the wall.