Shadows of the Night

Diamond dogs, I thought as I slid down the remarkably smooth dirt tunnel. Questions were abuzz in my mind. Like why was this tunnel in Ponyville, was it same three again, was it possible there were more (hindsight would suggest so since there is more than one griffin), but the biggest one of all being, why did I look upon the thought of kidnapping with such little care?

Look, I know it’s a cartoon…yeah. There really is no reason for the show to have made light as something as serious as kidnapping. The utter lack of intelligence displayed by the diamond dogs for Hasbro to make light of it, in all honesty, is rather disturbing. All rhetoric aside, I really wasn’t sure what I was going to do, but I knew that something funny had happened in the alley, and I would be damned if I didn’t find out who’s fault it was.

The slide ended at the bottom of an even larger tunnel, this one keeping relatively straight. Had it been any other time I’d probably ride down that dirt slope again, but I was on a mission. Now might be a good time to mention I have a slight, raging, white knight complex. It doesn’t always come up, but once I’m compelled to do an act of good, by one of the more benevolent voices in my head, few things on Earth will stop me, and now that I have the powers of a Forgotten Realm’s shade, the list of things that can stop me, even here, is even smaller.

The darkness was already wrapped around me, preventing anyone from taking note of me. The utter lack of torches denoted just how well, and how much, the diamond dogs use their sense of smell. But true dark vision allowed me to keep moving without even breaking stride as I strapped my shield to my arm.

Coming to an intersection of tunnel I stopped and took off my hood, and crooked an ear. There were a few echoes coming all around, but they seemed loudest down the tunnel second from the left, so I headed down that one. I didn’t bother marking my way. After all, it wouldn’t be a problem to find my way out, not with my shadowporting.

The further I went down the tunnel, the louder the noises became.  It seemed there was some sort of celebration was happening. Turning a corner showed that three familiar, vest wearing, dogs were hopping gleefully about a large sack in the torchlight.  A sack very pony shaped in size, and after the one in the red vest mentioned how easy it was to trick those “dum pon-eez” my mood darkened, and was instantly translated by the shadow stuff that now spewed forth darkness like smokestacks on high gear. The small room the dogs were in began to dim as the dogs quickly stopped their gleeful jigs and began to look about in fear as they saw the torches and the general air around them dim, filling with darkness.

Sending ghastly phantasms through the “black fog” the dogs began to huddle together and whimper. I gleeful smile played across my face as I finally stepped into the room wrapping the shadows into a very cliché, but still terrifying, depiction of death: towering form in a black cloak and hood, brandishing a scythe. I bent the shadow hood over the covering dogs, which was where I was now standing and in a hissing whisper said, “Release the pony.”

Despite the fear that was now leaving them almost insensible, the smallest of the three finally attempted speech after a few false starts and said, “Wuh-whu-wut pony?”

I was not in any sort of mood to be treated like an imbecile, the room darkened further, and I placed the tip of my shield on his brow, coinciding with the shadow specter’s scythe movement, deepening the illusion of my shadow's presence.

“Don’t play games with me, open the bag.” This time my voice had a more pleasant tone, almost kind, it even made me shiver a little.

Not stupid enough to question orders from a creature that appeared to be made of malice and darkness all three of the dogs lunged to the bag and sliced it open with their claws.

My rage evaporated with a bit of the darkness, each lessening a few degrees, as the tinkle of gems falling over each other came from the shredded sack.

“Ex- explain this!” My voice echoed through the room, my whisper gone, as my voice returned to a more normal volume in my surprise, which seemed a touch deeper than I last remembered.

The one in the red vest again took the lead saying, “Puh-poneez gives us many gems for simply cleaning plates and bowls for them in back of food houses. Please, we give you some and you don’t end us.” He said as he and his compatriots began to push the pile of gems to me, all thinking it a good idea since that one, screeching, white pony had been so easily swayed by gems as well.

I was dumbstruck. I had just broken and entered into someone elses home, caused emotional stress, and probably weeks of nightmares for these three innocent dogs. They were almost like children really, in terms of mental capacity. They thought they were getting the better deal, why bother paying them in bits when all they wanted were gems, which could literally be found by just digging up a few inches of dirt in any old random location. While I had, oh so self-righteously, come in under mere presumptions and acted like a fool. There was no need for me to have gone to such lengths in the first place when I thought another life was at risk. I could have just sent my shadows to the bag while they were distracted and brought it to me, and quickly released what I thought was a pony from the bag with little chance of the pony being harmed any further, and could just as quickly returned the bag when I found otherwise with only a slight feeling of embarrassment. But now, now I felt like smashing my skull into the side of a wall till it cracked and what passed for my pathetic excuse for a brain oozed out.

All of this went on for a few flashes of thought over my revulsion with my existence, all the while the diamond dogs looked up at me with hope that the gems would be an adequate substitute for me instead of their lives. I just mumbled, “I’m… sorry”, and ported back to the hole I’d originally slid down inside the alley back in Ponyville. At which point another scream erupted from nearby, shaking my self-loathing off for a few moments as I frantically looked around for the source. Then I looked up and blushed at the sight of a small cloud, easily capable of holding two pegasi, as amorous sounds began to quickly follow.

‘You’re a moron. The only reason you aren’t jumping into the nearest volcano is because it would end your suffering.’ I felt myself retreating inwards. As much as I wanted to find something sharp to stab into my ribs, and knowing that I could almost instantly heal from it making seem a more viable option than ever before, I just stood there, face stoic, and began to push all those feeling back down into the pit where I place all my, selfish, feelings, and yet I still couldn't help but think that they were still kidnappers, and as far as the show had shown they seemed to have gotten off scott free, minus a few gems. I still intended to find some traveling gear and food, and after that then I could go on a nice long walk to help clear my head. All this negativity wasn’t going to help me find any happiness, and dwelling on it wouldn’t help either, except on how it might help me from making the same mistake in the future. I was here to find a better way to express myself, and I’d need to start by trying to fix a mindset that has held sway for far too many years. I straightened up, took a deep breath, lifted my hood, and again hid in the shadow of my little puppet pony and finally started down the road. Things were going to get better, or else.

***

I finally made it to night weather patrol outpost, after having gone the wrong way… four times. Compared to the rest of Ponyville it was quite tame. It was made entirely of sturdy logs, and had a flat roof, probably for landing on, and a single, red wood door.

Upon entering I was surprised at how dark it was inside. Not that it was a problem with my eyes, but it struck me that it would be pretty dim for anypony else as I glanced around seeing that a handful of bat winged pegasi off in a corner of the store playing a game of cards. As I made my way over I couldn’t help but be amused at how much I towered over the aisles in the storefront of the building. I passed by dried fruits, vegetables, both in forms of bars, and many other such products which could just as easily be used for an overzealous camper to go out, over prepared, into the woods.

Once at the table I asked if the proprietor of the shop was in. Looking closer, it seemed that they were playing some version of poker. The pegasi with the least amount of chips simply smiled and said, “Sorry boys, looks like I’ll have to miss the next few rounds.” This was followed by a general grumble by the others that they were just about to clean him out. The grey coated, black maned pegasi flew past me and motioned for me to follow him as the others got back to their game.

At the front of the shop, by the counter, the owner asked me what he could do me for. I explained that I was rather new to these parts and intended to travel about for a while, and needed some supplies. My rundown was two weeks’ worth of food, a sturdy knife, a book on edible/toxic plants, a canteen, fire starters, a map, a waterproof blanket, something to carry it all in, and a first aid kit. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t personally need that last one, but better safe than sorry. I then showed him earnings from earlier in the night, and he let me know that I would have to forgo a few of those items. I eventually got it paired down to only the food, canteen, knife, the book, a sack, and first aid kit. The others I could do without, probably, my cloak was pretty warm, and with the ability to teleport through the shadows, the thought of becoming lost seemed to lose a lot of its scare potential. It took all but one bit to get all that. I thanked the proprietor, who gave me a weird look as I carried the satchel bag (but it looked like I was using my horn to make it float) instead of wearing the new purchase, which would have instantly fallen through and ruined my disguise.

Once outside I put it over my shoulder and washed my shadows over my new purchase, hiding it with the rest of me and silently bid farewell to the town as I made my way into the “dreaded” Everfree forest.

Okay, time to go make my list of things to do:

1. Get provisions (done)

2. Clear head of residual anger (working on)

3. Have fun

4. ???

5. Profit

That third one, at least, seemed feasible, as I planned to go to one of the more interesting places I’d seen on the show, The Palace of the Ancient Pony Sisters, at least I think that was the name. I’d always been fascinated by castles, and ancient, decrepit ones only got more points for being more mysterious. I headed off in what I hoped was the general direction and began my first step in my journey to find happiness.

Geez, I thought, hindsight's always 20/20, that kinda sounded lame. I can do better than that! Thoughts of all the maddening, crazy, things I could do to give me a truly weird, and thus proper, start off. Wait, madness? This wasn’t madness, the shadow of the pony disappearing as an incorporeal black spear formed in my left hand, my tower shield in my right, and a helmet formed on my head.

“This Is Sparta!”

I then proceeded to run, like a fool, through the trees, scattering many a confused owl in my wake… until I tripped on an upturned root. Which cut me, and my breath, short. But I quickly jumped, spending the next couple of seconds looking around to make sure no one had seen that little burst of insanity. Dusting myself off, I took off at a more appropriate pace, keeping a wary eye out for any more pieces of nature that wished to trip me up.