Penumbra: Ponyture

I heard a knock on my door... I quickly raised myself from my bed, both confused and slightly scared. Why would somepony want to see me this late at night? Or early in the morning as you could see it.

It has been more than a week since we set out from Stableside to go south to the Boarean Tundra. We were well more than halfway there.

I got out of my bed and approached the door cautiously. I reached in front of me and opened it to a random sailor.

"Miss Sparkle?" He asked with a look of disappointment.

"Yes?" I said, both verifying I'm me and asking what he wants.

"Is this filly with you?" He questioned, moving a bit to the side to see a small filly with white filly with a purple and pink mane and sap green eyes.

I hesitated. I honestly cannot believe what I am seeing. I would believe this to be a dream if it all didn't feel so real.

"Yes. She is with me." I said, confirming his question.

"Please, miss Sparkle. It is dangerous to have such a young pony wandering so late at night." He warned.

"I understand. I will make sure she doesn't get caught outside of this cabin again." I assure him.

"Thank you. I apologize for interrupting your sleep." He said apologetically.

"It's alright." I said, assuring him no real harm was done.

He left and I closed the door behind him, I turned around to see the filly looking rather sorrowful

"Sweetie Belle." I said, trying to confirm the being in front of me.

"Yes, Twilight?" Sweetie said, assuming some form of punishment coming.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, mind blown on the current events.

"Well, I saw you sneaking out of the house, and you said I could come with you on your adventure." She said defending herself.

"But, Sweetie. I'm going to the Boarean Tundra. Do you have any idea how cold it can get there?" I questioned her.

"No?" Sweetie said, sounding intimidated.

"I'm sorry, but you can't come out there. Imagine what Rarity has been thinking for the past week." I said, moving towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Sweetie asked.

"I'm going to see the captain. Please, stay in here. Don't leave unless it's a major emergency." I commanded the filly.

I opened the door and stepped out into the hall to realize it as being too dark to traverse. I walked back inside and grabbed a flashlight. I should now be ready to find my way to the the captains cabin.

The ship was dark. It seemed to be a calm night, but the rocking of the ship was still noticeable. I honestly had no idea on how to get to the captains cabin. I decided to just walk down the narrow hallway. Hopefully I see somepony on patrol that can give me a general direction of where it is.

I took a left to the stairwell and I decided to go up. There had to be somepony patrolling the deck. Just after a few seconds of walking vertically, I made it to the next floor. I opened the door to an empty deck.

"Really? What kind of ship is this?" I asked myself.

I knew it was suppose to be a fishing boat, but I thought for a moment. I realized that I had seen no fishing equipment. No nets, nothing. I continued my search.

From the deck, I turned to my right and headed towards the back side of the ship. That general area was my best guess for where the captain would be. After a few steps though, I met a guard, who could possibly verify this.

"Hey! What are you doing up here?" He asked interrogating me as if I had done something wrong.

"I'm looking for the captain. Do you have any idea where he would be?" I asked in hopes of getting an answer

"He's sleeping at this time. You're going to have to wait until tomorrow. Now return to your room." He demanded from me.

"Are you sure there isn't any way that I could talk to him? I need to make a request." I informed him, hoping to get a different response.

"No. Now, please allow me to escort you back to your cabin." He requested, motioning towards me to give me company in my journey back under the deck.

The walk back down to my cabin was quick. I knew where to go. That, along with the guard that was pressuring me to move back down there. He wanted me there.

We both arrived back at the cabin and he nearly slammed the door behind me. I heard a click at it and I presumed that he locked me in here. I was a slight bit confused as to why he was so forceful. I had a simple question and he didn't even want me looking out of this cabin. I looked over at the bed and saw the intruding filly sleeping on the top bunk.

"Sweetie, we are going to have a talk in the morning." I whispered to myself while climbing back into my bunk. I laid my head down and I joined her in the art of dreaming.

"I love you Twilight."

*click* The door sounded.

It was a sign that the door was unlocked, and that I was free to roam out of my cabin, even though that aside from last night, my only ventures outside of my cabin were to the lavatories.

The filly above me groaned as she awoke herself. I rolled out of my bed and sat down at the desk, pulling out my notebook, which was almost empty. I started writing down what I could remember of the events last night.

"Twilight?" Sweetie Belle asked me, sounding mildly intimidated.

"Yes, Sweetie?" I responded, having an idea what the question was going to be about.

"Are you mad at me for coming with you?" She asked, confirming my theory on her questions topic.

"Sweetie. You shouldn't have tried to come with me. I'm going to a place where it's freezing cold. There is no way somepony as young as you could venture out there." I informed her.

"But why are you going there?" She asked, pushing the subject.

"Well, truthfully, I'm looking for answers to my father. My old teacher said that he might have something to do with the boars that live in the Boarean Tundra, so I'm taking a book to them that is probably written in their language." I said finishing up what I was writing in my Notebook.

"But doesn't your father live in Canterlot?" Sweetie asked in confusion.

"Oh. Orion isn't really my father, it seems." I informed her while putting my notebook back on the desk.

"Oh. then why don't you just find somepony to translate?" She said asking the same questions I had.

"Well my old teacher couldn't figure it out, but it is known that the boars that roam around the Iceland like nomads have a different language." I educated her on the boars of Boarean.

"Then How do you plan on talking to them if they speak a language so messed up?" Sweetie questioned further.

"I was taught a spell that allowed me to understand other ponies. It should work on any other Intelligent being, though." I answered, not completely sure whether or not my plan was flawed.

"And can I come?" Sweetie pushed.

"No." I answered.

"Aww... Why not?" She questioned with a tone of sadness.

"As i said before, it's really cold in the tundra. Besides, what does Rarity think of me taking you?" I questioned her, wondering if Rarity even knew that Sweetie was gone.

"Well... I don't think she knows...Where I went..." Sweetie belle admitted.

"Sweetie!" I complained.

"I'm sorry..." Sweetie apologized.

"Now Sweetie. I'm not even sure how far we are into the ocean, but I really need to go talk to the captain to ask if we can turn around to get you home as soon as possible." I said, getting up to set out on a new mission.

I walked to the door and quickly looked back at the filly who was still on the top bunk, head down and looking sad.

"Sorry Sweetie. Now stay here." I ordered her.

I walked out of my cabin and onto the stairwell. From there I made it to the deck of the ship. I quickly found a sailor.

"Hello, can you please help me find the captain of this ship?" I questioned him.

"Sure, miss. He's just this way." He said as he began walking back to the stairs.

"Thank you, sir." I thanked him, glad that this encounter was better than last nights.

We walked down the stairs two levels down, and one level below mine. This level had less lighting than the floor above, and the walk through the halls just felt a little awkward next to this sailor pony. I don't know why, it just felt that way. We eventually made it to the captains cabin after an eternity of walking and the sailor opened the door, which creaked loudly, screaming for some kind of lubricant. The sailor pony stepped to the side and allowed me in.

The room was pretty well decorated. Probably about three times the size of my small cabin, it had a queen sized bed on to my right and a desk to my left. On the left wall there were a large number of cabinets that I presumed held all sorts of food. Just to my left there were metal lockers. I couldn't really think of what could be in there, because the captains clothes had to be in that dresser that was by his bed. Straight in front of me was a large window that took up half the wall. It appeared very thick for protection against anything that might hit it on a wild and stormy night. On the other side of the window, some land could be seen.

"Miss?" The captain asked sitting in a chair in front of the window.

"Yes, captain, I have a quick request." I informed him

"Yes, what is it?" He asked.

"First, may I ask how far we are?" I asked, questioning our progression after seeing the land in the window.

"We are well in the Quiet Sea. That land you see through that window is the Boarean. We are about an hour away from your drop off point." He informed me.

"Oh. Well then may I ask how long it will take for you to return to Equestria?" I requested, wanting to know how long it might take for Sweetie to return to her family.

"Well I would say a good two more weeks." The captain estimated.

"Any way that could be sped up?" I requested.

"Please don't tell me you've decided to return to Equestria after all of this time at sea." The captain said, probably trying to be polite and concerning himself with my decision to go so far just to turn back.

"Oh no. It's just that, there was a little filly who had followed me onto this ship without me knowing, and she needs to return home as soon as possible." I informed him on the matters I have been facing recently.

"Oh...Well that is a large problem." The captain said, looking out the window to think about how to help this case.

"I was just wondering if you could try as hard as you could to get her back to Equestria as soon as you can." I requested again.

"Well, we are going to have to make a stop at an Island in the Tapirus republic... then to the Dragmire, Visiting those two locations are very important for us, and that will take another weak, then we'll get her home. Is that alright with you?" He questioned me.

"Well, It's a bit longer than I would have hoped for, but I guess it will do." I said, not wanting to turn my requests into demands.

"Now, she's going to be in your cabin for the rest of the trip, is that ok?" He questioned.

"Yes." I confirmed.

"Ok. We will check on her every day to make sure she's alright, and we will get her back to Equestria. Where would you like us to send her after we arrive?" He said requesting more directions.

"Please, if possible, contact a mare named Rarity who lives in Ponyville. If you can't get a hold of her, I guess just send her back to that town, she'll be able to find her own way from there." I informed him.

"Ok, thank you, miss." He thanked me.

"Thank you..." I thanked him back.

I left the cabin and transcended the dark hallway. I found my way to the stairwell and I climbed them back up to the floor I was staying on, I came back to my cabin to see the filly still lying on the bed where she was last seen.

"Ok, Sweetie?" I asked to make sure she was paying attention.

"Yes, Twilight?" She responded with a tone of sadness.

"You're going to have to wait here for the next two weeks. Somepony will check in with you every day to make sure you're alright. I'll leave you some of my food. When you get back to Equestria they will try to contact Rarity and depending on what happens, they might send you back to Ponyville on a carriage." I said, informing her on how the next couple weeks of her life were going to play out.

"Ugh..." She groaned.

"Now, we're almost to the point where I get off. I'm going to get ready and leave in about an hour." I said.

I walked up to my desk and picked up my Notebook. I turned around and opened the drawer in my bedside table. From there, I pick up my flashlight and the key to the locker. I place the flashlight in a saddle bag that's on top of the table and then walk over to the locker where I use the key to give myself access to my clothes, a glow stick, and some batteries for my flashlight. I took the batteries and the glow stick out and placed them in my saddle bag. I went back and too about half my clothes and wrapped them around me to give me as much warmth as I could get from them. I went back and threw my saddle bag on. I then walked over to the chest at the foot of my bed and took about four days worth of food. I would have taken more, but I would like to leave Sweetie Belle some food to eat.

I stepped out of my door and made my way to the deck. Traveling up the stairs was a slight bit difficult with multiple layers of clothes on, but I made it to the surface of the boat. As I stepped onto the deck, the horn of the ship went off. A couple crew members lowered a large plank onto the surface of a thick sheet of ice and assured me it was safe to walk on. I believed it and stepped off of the boat and began my journey. I looked back at the boat, and I saw Sweetie Belle through a small window that was in my room. This is probably the last time that I see the Starlight, or it's crew. I turned back around and began walking.

While walking through the blizzard that had formed around me, I had realized how utterly devoted I'd been in the discovery of my fathers past. I had no idea what to expect.

Soon enough, my concerns were justified. I don't know whether I lost my orientation, or my spirit, first, but I lost feeling in my extremities soon after, and knew hypothermia was setting in. I started looking for shelter.

My head felt so numb, but I could still hear the wind of the blizzard roaring past my ears. I think I started hallucinating because it started to sound like an actual animal in the distance. I kept walking. I knew I needed to find some kind of shelter. I pushed on. I eventually came into an area where the ice formed a wall around three of my sides, the fourth side being the way I came from. I was too weak to try and climb up the wall, but it didn't matter. There was a hatch here. Sadly, Ice had formed over a section of the wheel.

I quickly searched my surroundings for some kind of tool. to see if I could break the ice. I found a rock about the size of a lunch box. My hooves were numb, but I still managed to pick it up. I brought it down o the ice with as much force as I could spare, but I missed. I tried again, but dropped the rock. I picked it up again and tried a third time. This time, I hit it, but the ice didn't completely break off. I hit it one last time with enough force to break the ice. I quickly threw the rock a foot away and began turning the wheel. It had to be freezing, but thankfully my hooves were numb. I had to get down there soon because although it would have felt terrible touching that cold wheel, numb hooves still were a bad thing. I managed to turn it until it stopped and used as much force as I could spare to pull it open.

"By Celestia, I hope it's not cold down there." I said to myself hoping that I could be able to regain feeling in my body down there.

It was dark, but I ascended down by ladder. I regret the decision for just a second as a step broke off from under me, but I didn't hesitate to continue my journey, after I decided falling would be a better death than freezing... That was when the entire section I was on unhinged and gave way to gravity.

I awoke to the sound of ponies whispering. They conversed in the unseen darkness that surrounded me. Strange as it is, I couldn't help but think they were talking about me, though I couldn't understand a word that they were saying. I looked around for a second and they stopped, after one shushed the others.

"Oh Celestia..." I groaned, standing up.

I don't know how long I was out, but It couldn't have been too long. The temperature down in this cave was hot, but that might just be because my body is a walking ice sculpture. I looked up to see that I had fallen about fifteen feet. I'm surprised that I had survived a fall of that height. I looked forward at my surroundings. It was dark, so I pulled out my flashlight. I could see several wooden pillars, some crates, a metal fence around me, and a door at the other end of the room.

"Twilight!" A younger sounding filly yelled for me.

I looked up to see Sweetie Belle hanging on a ladder that had broken long ago for her life.

"Dammit!" I said as quietly as I could.

"Twilight, Help!" Sweetie Belle yelled for me.

"Sweetie!!" I yelled back at her.

"I'm sorry, Twilight!" She yelled back in apology.

"Just forget it. I got you. Let go!" I said instructing the Filly

A good moment passed where Sweetie could be seen fighting herself for the control to let go.

"Sweetie!" I yelled.

Sweetie Belle suddenly dropped from the broken ladder. I changed my footing to try to catch her and I was successful in my attempt. I fell on the ground because I was weak in the first place, but Sweetie Belle was safe, and that's all that mattered.

"Sweetie Belle." I said, knowing that that was all that had to be said.

"I'm sorry, Twilight." She apologized again.

"It's ok." I said standing back up and taking some of the clothing I had off of me to let the air come in contact with me.

"Do I have to go back again?" Sweetie questioned.

"No, the ship is going to be gone by now. Darn it, Sweetie, I'm going to have to teleport us back to Ponyville, now." I said, charging up my horn to try and teleport us both back to Ponyville, an act I didn't want to do, but had to be done.

My horn sparked, but nothing happened. Maybe I was too weak to perform magic, or that there was some kind of anti magic area that I was in, but I couldn't even move myself to the other side of the room with my horn.

"What's happening, Twi?" Sweetie asked.

"I'm not sure. I can't do it." I admitted.

"Oh... Then what do we do now?" Sweetie asked.

"Well we can't go up..." I said looking above me at the ladder that had broken.

"Then we try to find another exit?" Sweetie suggested.

"It looks like that is our best option. Since this place was made by intelligent life, there has to be another exit." I told the filly.

"So let's get started." Sweetie said as she started towards the other side of the room.

I picked up my flashlight, finally realizing that I had dropped it when I heard Sweetie Belle call for me from above. The batteries in it might have taken damage, or perhaps just ran out of juice, so I switched them up with a couple more from my saddle bag. I then proceeded to walk through to the other side of the room, where Sweetie Belle had been searching for things.

"Hey, Twilight, I found this. What is it?" She questioned holding a light stick with a red cap on it.

"That's a flare." I answered.

"Oh, so this thing makes light?" The unicorn questioned.

"Yes. Here, give it to me and I'll keep it. I'll show you how it works later if we need it.' I assured her.

"Ok." She said, handing me the flare.

I tried to open the door that was on the side opposite of the ladder, but something heavy was blocking it. I rammed against it, but it wouldn't budge. I looked over to my left to see another door. I picked up a metal rod that was on the ground in front of it and opened the door while putting the rod in my saddle bag.

Boxes of ammunition for weapons were piled on an entire side of this room, there were also a couple more barrels and three book cases, two being to my left, the other opposing those two. I went to my left and picked up another flare and a hammer, which I put in my saddle bag just in case I needed it. I turned around to find Sweetie Belle looking behind the third book case.

"What's going on, Sweetie?" I questioned.

"There's a tunnel behind here." She answered.

"Step back." I commanded her as I stepped forward and grabbed the book case. I threw it down to the ground and pushed it away from the hole, which was boarded up.

I had just picked up a hammer a couple seconds ago and it already became of use. I took it back out and hit the wooden plants boarding up the hole with the hammer. It took only two swings for the board that kept the webbing of wood together to break. I ripped the boards off and went in first.

I got as low as I could get while being able to move freely and made my way through the small cave system. Just a few feet in I had to choose either left or right. I chose left and it sent me in the direction of where I came, only I was climbing a slope. After another few feet, It turned left again and I could assume I was going over the tunnel I was just in, I checked to see if Sweetie Belle was following to find her having no trouble climbing through the tunnels due to her size.

I could see an exit. In the room I could see hatch that led down into another tunnel. It was made of metal and didn't seem as though it could be pulled up. My theory of how the door couldn't go up was confirmed when Something from below it slammed into it when I stepped into the room. I stopped for a second.

"Sweetie Belle. Stay there." I instructed her before she climbed out of the tunnel.

I stepped over the hatch and looked down to find nothing. Not even a trace of what might have hit the door. I was going to have to take this careful, but down was the only direction I could venture. Since you couldn't manually move the door, I took a quick look around the room, I saw a strange box that was on top of a rod that went into the floor just a few feet away and a door with a barrel in front of it.

I attempted to move the barrel out of the way. It was heavy, but manageable. I opened the door to find the original room where I had fallen. This was apparently the door that I had too much trouble getting through.

I went back to the room where the hatch was. I walked over to the box. I noticed that there was a hole in the box that a pole could go through. I reached back into my saddle bag and took out that metal rod I had found earlier and jammed it into the hole, where it fit perfectly. I tried turning the box in several directions with it and thankfully it moved clockwise.

"That door is opening." Sweetie Belle pointed out,

I looked behind me to see that the hatch was opening up as I moved the box clockwise. The door wasn't moving up or down, but to the side.

"Ok, Sweetie. Let's go down there." I said, instructing her to follow me

She climbed out of the tunnel and joined me as we descended deeper into the structure.

Whatever I was descending into, it was a hundred feet below the ground, protected by two solid, metal hatches, located in a remote, arctic wilderness, and buried beneath the snow. I didn't know what to expect, but it made me feel something I hadn't felt since I was a child.

I'd never given it much thought before, but I realized that our entire society is a network of safety nets: Emergency services at the end of a phone line; health and safety in the work place; friends; family;lovers. All there, if something goes wrong, part of a carefully designed structure to prevent all but the most mundane of emotions.

Once again, I felt like I did when I was in school, surrounded by a closing ring of other kids, knowing anyone that might help me - friends, parents, teachers - where too scared, or too far away.

Then I realized that Sweetie Belle was there by my side. She shouldn't be there, but I was kind of glad that I didn't have to go through all of this alone.