My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Equestria Girls

Umbral Souls

She did not know how she came to be here. She was alone in the midst of a forest of pale, gnarling trees. Bereft of any foliage, they reached for the sky, their branches contorted into little clawing hands. Beyond their reach was nothing. Looking up made one feel as if they were to fall upwards into an endless expanse of utter blackness.

The sky was the most unsettling thing about this place. There were no stars, no moon, no nebulae, nothing. Yet still she could somehow see around her at an impressive radius, like an invisible spotlight was somehow piercing through the void up above. But nothing in this impossible illumination cast shadows around her.

Looking herself over; she was adorned in her cyan yellow hemmed shirt dress, her jeans and her favorite black high-heeled boots, topped with her low-cut black jacket. At least she was clothed: The air around her felt freezing. She could not explain it, but it felt like the cold went beyond the chill that sent goosebumps up her arms; like it was saturating her to the core. The sensation made her feel… It made her feel like she was empty, hollow, like the warmth within her had dissipated into the void.

The sudden sense of vertigo and anxiety came over her, making her stumble; falling to her knees with the sounds of countless husks of leaves cracking under her. She shook her head, eyes tightly shut. For a moment she felt close to hyperventilating, or suffocating. Grasping the carpet of leaves and dirt, she breathed deeply. Urging herself to look ahead, her resolve steeled, at least for now, she stood up and continued onward. It was all she could do.

She walked forward, each step accented with the snaps of twigs and the crackle of leaves. The inexplicable ring of illumination trailing on with her, uncovering the darkness surrounding her. More gnarled trees unshrouded in her wake. She hopped over a felled one, the carpet of leaves clearing away towards approaching a stream of water crossing her path.

She squatted down besides the anemic stream, the surface reflecting the unsettling void above on its almost still surface. Looking at this first sign of life, she realized for the first time that she did not hear anything. This place was the definition of deathly silence; no rustling of leaves, no creak of branches, no wind to be heard. She stood up and looked back from where she’d come; she could see nothing beyond the illuminating field, everything behind her enshrouded in the darkness.

The feelings of dread and anxiety began to creep their way inside her again. All she could do was hug her arms in fear. What was this place? When? How did she get here? Why was she here? She almost didn’t realize the quiet chattering of her teeth. She felt something trailing down her cheek. Touching it, she felt her fingers moisten. Looking down at her hand, her fingertips stained in her tears.

“H-he-…” she stammered, finding her voice. It started as course, making her cough. Swallowing the dry lump formed in her throat, she steadied her breathing before managing to call out; “H-hello?”

Her voice felt small, almost pathetic. She looked around again. Nothing to see past the field of impossible illumination around her. First the darkness felt like it would overwhelm her, now the silence. She took another deep breath,

“Hello?!” she called out, louder this time, the unease of this place making her unwilling to be any louder. There was nothing, not even an echo to call back to her. She was alone.

Wrapping her arms around herself once more, she took a step forward, then another, her boot coming down on the little stream before her with a splash.

That’s when she saw something ahead of her, past the stream, beyond the illumination. Two white dots, just over the rim. Then there were two more to the right, then another two. Suddenly there were dozens of them, all around her beyond the illumination. They wobbled unceasingly in the darkness, staring at her. Then came the sounds. Rasping, growling, like someone trying to clear their throat in sickness.

She instinctively took a step back. She could barely yelp when something from the darkness stepped into her illumination. It was staring at her with two white, hollow spheres. Its gangly arms hung almost limply as it shuffled towards her, stopping to crane it neck, almost like, whatever it was, was scrutinizing her. For the life of her, she could not say what this thing… these things were. All she could think was that it looked almost like a human, but its entire body was dark. She could see a literal miasma of darkness exude from its very being, the eyes being nothing but cold white orbs staring at her intently.

She looked around in haste, for an escape, or something. She spotted a felled tree branch among the husks of leaves. She swiftly grabbed it and held it up in a threatening pose, gritting her teeth tightly to try and mask the absolute terror she felt. The humanoid husk lurched towards her, rasping loudly as it reached out with its gnarled fingers. She swung the branch, connecting with its head. It fell over from the impact. The thing slowly got on its knees, looking almost pathetic as it tried to stand back up. Before she could bring herself to bash it further, another one of those things rushed at her from the right, arms held out, letting out something between a pained rasp and a racking scream.

She felt the impact course through her fingers as she whacked it right upside the head. Its face planted on the ground, urging her to soccer kick it for good measure. She hurried away back the way she came, yet another one of these things, a woman, with a disheveled veil of hair obscuring her head came lunging at her. She once again swung the branch, sending it sprawling onto the ground. Another, lunged at her from behind, to which she swung with a wide, powerful arcing blow. It connected with the creature’s head, but the branch gave away and violently snapped halfway down its shaft.

Her heart sank, looking at the remnants of her impromptu weapon. As another of these dark husks came at her, the best she could do was chuck the snapped branch with all the force she could muster before wheeling around in a blink and taking off in a mad dash. Another tried to bar her way, but managing to utilize her momentum, she rammed straight into the husk with a brutal shoulder tackle, pushing it aside as she ran for her life.

What started out as deathly silence was replaced by a stygian chorus of rasping snarls as more of these human husks emerged from the darkness, like she had rattled a hornet’s nest, with herself inside. They were all after her like rapacious wolves. The ring of illumination allowed them all to see where she was… That’s when it dawned on her; she was this illumination. A tiny spark in an endless blackness. Somehow, she was the one giving off this faint shimmer within this world of darkness that followed her wherever she went.

Her lungs burned from within from the cold air. Even as her fear screamed within her to not stop, she did not know how long she could keep going. She was no athlete, and no matter where she went, she herself would be the beacon that drew these things towards her. No place to run, no place to hide.

She ran, swerving past a tree that came up ahead. As her lungs hurt, she could feel tears seep from her eyes. She dared not stop, terrified underneath the endless void up above, and of what these things would do to her. She begged in her mind for someone, anyone, to help her. So steeped in fear was she that she did not realize how the forest floor gave way to stone, and with her inability to see ahead, her foot got caught against a stone step, and she tripped.

Pain shot throughout her body as she fell against the edges of worn stone steps. Her left arm got the worst of it as her body brought it up all on its own to protect her head. With an agonized wince, she rolled onto her back and sat up. Her ring of illumination revealed the forest floor having given away to a stone path leading up to the steps she literally fell upon, and that the human husks were still coming, their soulless eyes finding her from the endless blackness of this place. One was already scrambling past the rim of her personal illumination.

She scrambled back onto her legs and hurried up the small flight, coming upon a set of sturdy double doors that had been left slightly ajar. Flinging herself into the gap in between, she forcefully pushed them shut on her pursuers. She could almost weep in bliss as she saw a hefty wooden bar held in place with iron frames against the surface of the left door. She immediately pulled it between the two, effectively sealing off her attackers, at least temporarily, she hoped.

Slumping her back against the door, she slid down onto the cold stone floor, panting profusely as she felt her heart hammer away in her chest. She gazed up at the ceiling of whatever this place was that saved her, at least for now.

As her breathing settled and she regained enough of her bearings, she could now see where she was. Past the sturdy doors began two rows of pews on both sides of the wide rectangular room. It looked like she’d stumbled into a church or temple of some sort. Down the long aisle at the far end there was… Light?

Standing up, her legs feeling slightly wobbly from the exertion, she began to slowly hobble down the aisle. Her eyes stared intently at what awaited at the end. A single, brilliant glow emitted from what she guessed would be the altar to whatever this place venerated, or used to, in the very least. She had been so overwhelmed by the daunting darkness outside that she almost failed to notice the illumination given off by whatever it was that filled the room.

As her aching legs carried her onward, almost stumbling, but managing to catch herself against one of the pews. She felt as if she were mesmerized by this glow. As she neared, she could feel like life was returning to her, like she was walking in a soothing summer breeze. The feeling came back into her digits, and coursed up into her hands and feet, and flowed up and down her body. She felt whole again. The light felt so warm, like it was dissipating the fear from her, and yet, in the back of her mind it felt so familiar.

As she stumbled upon the altar, its surface a mess, with its cloth missing, a candelabra lying on its side and mounds of melted wax dotting it, she found it. Set in the very center was… a fragment of pure, golden light. Warm and radiant, yet it did not hurt her eyes, not even strain them. Slowly, she reached out for it. Her fingers reeled ever so slightly as her palm was just upon it. She touched it with the tip of her finger; it did not burn her. Slowly, and ever so gently, she picked up the fragment of light.

She looked down at the piece of radiance nestled in her hands; it felt weightless, perfectly smooth, like the light itself had been chipped and given form. Holding it made all the fear and hollowness vanish from her entirely, her mind no longer clouded by the overwhelming void outside. She pulled her hands closer until she was holding the piece of light against her chest. She held up her head, for the first time not afraid to close her eyes as she reveled in the light’s warmth. The best she could describe the sensation was like she was being embraced, like a pair of soft, silken wings enveloped her, much like so long ago, back home.

She opened her eyes, her mind now clearer than it ever had been since coming here. Her eyes changed from bliss to amazement. Her mouth opened in surprise as she beheld what stood above the altar.

Set atop a great slab of smooth, polished white stone, was a distinctly equine figure. Whomever sculpted it must have poured their very heart and soul into it: It stood reared on its hind legs, its front legs curved close to its body, holding its head up high and proud. A long, conical horn jutted from its forehead, whilst a pair of wide, slightly arched wings arose from its back, and from its head, down its elegant, slender neck flowed down a magnificent mane. Whether it was simply her mind playing tricks on her, or her regained ability to see and cast shadows, or a little bit of both, she could have sworn the mane had flowed. While it was just a statue, an expression of pride, wisdom, and even what could be interpreted as a motherly smile, could be discerned from its features. Topping it all off was a golden tiara set atop its head, the only part not made of stone.

“Princess Celestia?” she mouthed as she beheld the statue.

Being lost in the scores of questions in her mind, she failed to notice that the illumination in the room had dimmed. Looking back down at the piece of light, she realized that it was slowly, but surely, fading.

As the light began to fade, the realization of terror erupted in her mind. Her head darted back and forth between the fragment, and the statue of Celestia, not knowing what to do, or if she had done something. She desperately held the fragment away from her, splaying her fingers out as wide as she could, then placed it back atop the altar. The glow continued to fade, and within her, the fear ingrained within her anew, the clarity and peace in her mind evaporated.

“No…” she gasped, taking a step back from the altar, when the light had faded to a beam shining upwards, only the face of the Princess remaining illuminated.

The darkness was setting in again. It surrounded her, like a flow pouring itself through the windows of the church, and slinked its way inside from under the barred door. It encroached around her, swirling around her feet, ensnaring them. The warmth drained from her very being as the void began to swallow her. She tried to scream, but there was no voice. She gasped, clawing at her neck as she felt like her breathing was being cut off.

“The wick of a candle…” something whispered inside her as the darkness climbed its way up her legs, up to her chest.

In desperation, she reached out for the slowly fading face of her old mentor, the beam of light almost gone, being engulfed just like her.

“The roaring flame…” the whisper spoke, louder this time, as she found herself collapsing on her knees, still reaching out for Celestia, and the final shred of light as the darkness had encroached up to her chest.

As she was being devoured, she felt herself slipping away. The face of the Princess was almost completely gone as she lost the very sense of feeling from herself, her mind becoming shrouded as all what she was became consumed by the blackness.

“Even the brilliant sun, all fade…” the whisper in her mind had grown into an almost deafening roar as the blackness creeped up her neck as she still tried in vain to reach for Celestia, and the light.

The last thing that ran through her dissipating mind was the warm, smiling faces of her friends, those most dear to her in all of existence. She couldn’t do anything, she couldn’t call out, she couldn’t scream, she couldn’t even cry as those six smiling faces were eroded and consumed by the blackness, the only thing she could now see was her hand, still reaching out, as the darkness coiled its way up it.

“But darkness is eternal.”

-

Sunset Shimmer jolted up, screaming in sheer terror, her flailing kicks sending her covers sprawling off her bed, her nails almost tearing through her duvet cover as she grasped at the first thing she could get her hand on, whilst her other pulled at the neck of her pajamas. As she gasped and sobbed, her state of panic slowly faded from the faint streaks of light peeking in through her window’s blinds.

Looking around, she was in her apartment-converted loft. As her breathing steadied, she hugged her legs against her body, the bunched-up warmth confirming to her that she was alive and well, aside from the shivers running down her back and the drumming of her heart reverberating through her body. She wiped a stream of tears away from her face, through which she could also feel the beads of cold sweat dotting her forehead.

When her heart eventually began to settle back down to a more normal pace, she slid her legs out. She looked at her alarm clock, one she’d impressively constructed all by herself, on her night stand; four in the morning. She sat in place for a moment, assuring herself that she was where she belonged, and, with her legs slightly shaky, stood up, making her way down the stairs from her mezzanine sleeping area, bracing herself against the wall to avoid falling, albeit almost bumping her bass guitar off its spot on the wall.

She went into the bathroom, the familiar hint of sewer stench at this point being a comfort, where she looked at herself in the mirror. Her brilliant red and yellow hair was tangled and disheveled, and through her slightly squinted eyes, she found herself looking rather pale. She felt her forehead; if anything, it felt rather clammy from a combination of sweat and the poor heating in the loft. She turned on the faucet and splashed cool water on her face to wash away the sweat. Looking herself over once more, she noticed the tear in the neck of her violet-red pajama top. With a slight grimace, she figured she could ask Rarity to mend it for her sometime. She felt the tear, looking at it with concern.

“What was that…?” she murmured to herself.

It wasn’t unusual to have nightmares on the occasion. But of all the terrors she beheld in her sleep; that was the worst, bar none. What felt most unsettling was how vividly she could remember all the details, the darkness, the silence, the husks that attacked her, the church and… Celestia. And the light she held in her hands.

Returning to her sleeping area, Sunset took out her Equestrian journal, opening its cover emblazoned with her yellow and red blazing sun cutie mark, going through the pages to find the next blank. She looked up in uneasy thought, idly clicking her pen. Contemplating; on one hand it was a dream. An unusually vivid one, but still a dream. Maybe she was just homesick. Maybe it was something she ate that really did not agree with her. The potato salad she’d had for lunch at school had felt rather off.

But what still chilled her to her very core, even while awake, was that unending looming expanse of darkness. Just thinking about it sent shivers down her spine, and woud no doubt make her tail twitch on end were she in Equestria. Given the events she’d set in motion with her first return to Equestria and the series of unusual incidents that would follow: What if Equestria was in danger, and its inherent magic that now seemed to bleed into this world was warning her?

But that couldn’t be right either: What she saw, those things skulking in the darkness, those were clearly humans. It couldn’t have been this world. Could it? If so, why the statue of Celestia, the one from Equestria?

She tapped the tip of her pen against the page of her journal, with a furrowed brow, she felt she had the appropriate approach to go on, and she began;

“Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle. I would normally not trouble you with something like this, but I felt it give my mind ease by telling you…”

Author's Note

After years of being in a fiction writing slump due to circumstances I would rather not burden all you wonderful people, I believe I finally found a means of getting myself back in the driver's seat and managing some form of contribution to this amazing fandom.

I present to you the start of Umbral Souls, my second attempted foray into the field of My Little Pony fanfiction, based heavily on my indulgence into the Soulsborne videogames, with elements from various other franchises and settings that may or may not become apparent in the long run.

I earnestly hope I can ride this train to the last stop, and more importantly, that everypony enjoys reading this. Thank you, and have a great day!