Abysswalker: The Darkness Grows

Canterlot High hadn’t felt this cold in a long, long time. That was the thought that left Principal Celestia’s mind as she led her counterpart back through the halls of the school and towards the entrance. “Are you… ok?” The Abysswalker asked, looking to her. “No, I guess that’s the wrong question, isn’t it?” He muttered to himself. “The question shouldn’t be if you’re ok. But rather, how are you handling what’s been laid bare?”

“I’m…” Celestia breathed, stopping in her tracks as she looked at her counterpart. “I’m still processing it.” She told him. “But at the same time I’m not overly surprised that something like this is happening.” The alabaster woman confessed. “With the magic that’s been growing here, the incidents at our school.” She paused before shaking her head. “Someone was bound to notice.” She remembered her conversation with Cinch during the Friendship Games earlier this year.

“Obviously my students have been infected with your magic, but I plan on taking all of this up with the school board!”

“Good. I'm sure they would be very interested in hearing all about the magical students with wings.”

“Oh, and the portals to different dimensions.”

“And don't forget to tell them about the talking dog.”

“Despite what we told her.” Celestia muttered. “I was certain someone would eventually notice and start investigating.” She made a gesture with her arm. “I was expecting the Government to come see what was really going on here.” She admitted before shaking her head. “Knowing that, something else is noticing though and might come to our city - our school?” She looked at her counterpart. “I confess, I didn’t think that far ahead.”

“I see.” They fell into a silence as they walked on.

“But thank you for making me aware of things.”

“What will you do with this knowledge?”

“I can’t just keep this to myself.” Celestia stated. “I’ll call an assembly tomorrow and make sure everyone is aware so they can be careful.” She nodded at that thought. “Legally, that’s all I can do, I’m… still very new to this magic all it entails.”

“I see.”

Reaching the entrance of the school Celestia looked at her counterpart as the sun continued to burn behind him. “What will you do?” She asked him. “You know about what’s going on, about what will happen. What will you do?” Her counterpart turned away seeming to think. “Will you try and help us?”

“I am neither savior nor destroyer.” He tells her. “I serve no cause and I have no reason to interfere with how this world may turn out.” he admits with a hint of disappointment. “I don’t even have a right to be here, but…” He looks back at her. “The shadows here have lengthened, and will continue to do so.” He told the Principal, releasing a weak chuckle. “Who better to deal with them than one who walks them?”

He sounds so sad.’ Celestia thought. ‘So tired .” She stared into the teen, no, man’s eyes, seeing what rested beyond them. As the old saying went, the eyes were the windows to the soul. Look into them and one would see a person for who they truly were. In his eyes?

She saw wisdom, so much wisdom and pained resignation to some awful truth.

Guilt that weighed on him like a mountain.

Sadness that surpassed one in mourning.

Exhaustion like he’d been fighting a war for countless days - centuries even.

Beyond that, she saw loneliness, one with a depth that may very well rival the ocean or the vacuum of space itself.

Without a word, without thinking Celestia raised a hand to his shoulder, noticing him flinch at the contact. That little touch, and he looked ready to break. She didn’t retreat though, just stepping forward, her arm snaking around his back as she held onto him, hugged him as though he were one of her own crying students.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered. “I can’t begin to understand what you have gone through.” She patted his back. “But I can see that you’ve suffered, suffered for so long, and you’d suffered alone.” She continued holding him. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be.” He told her, breaking the hug. “You have done nothing to force me on this path.” He admitted with a shrug. “It’s one I chose to walk, and I chose to walk it alone.” He stated before giving her a weak, but gentle smile. “But… thank you.” He told her before turning and walking away. “Know I’ll be in our city for quite a while, so know we will meet again.” He looked back at her. “Till then, be safe.”

“You as well, Abysswalker.” He nodded, making a noise as he did before staring off into the distance.

“That is somewhat of a mouthful, isn’t it?” He mused. “You can just call me Abyss.” Celestia smiled and nodded her head. With that he walked away, heading across the street before disappearing into the city.

Celestia’s smile slowly drained as she watched him leave, and after a moment of silence she chose to sit on the steps.

A few hundred thoughts bouncing around in her head as she watched the day just continue on. She didn’t really know what to think at the moment, but one thing was for certain.

Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her cellphone and placed a call.

“Hello, sister are you done at school already?”

“Not yet, but Lulu, we need to talk.” She told her. “This semester just got a lot longer.”

Streets of Canterlot

“That woman…”

“What about her?” Abyss muttered as he continued walking through the streets.

“You intend to meet her again.”

“No intention actually.” The teen stated. “But I will, as the old saying go, it’s a small world, so I’m bound to run into her eventually.”

“What do you intend to do when you see her again?”

“Nothing.”

“Liar, what are you expecting from her? Keeping your bed warm?”

“Don’t be so crude.” Abyss grumbled before shaking his head. “I’ve no interest in her, be it romantically or sexually.”

“So you say.”

The Whisper speaks.

“But bending that woman over, having her screaming your name. Ooh~ that sounds delicious.”

“That won’t happen.”

“You haven’t been satisfied in a good while~ and that woman-”

“Be silent.” He closed his eyes, only to see the part of him that he repressed. “Remember, who you're talking to here.” The whisper said no more and he opened his eyes, pressing on through the streets as he pulled his flask out and took a drink.

Sunset Shimmer’s Home

She couldn’t get home fast enough. That was the thought that ran through Sunset’s mind as she locked her door and set her bags down. Taking a minute to roll her wrists the teen took a breath before putting a hand behind her head, feeling the hairs that were standing up. “That hasn’t happened in a while.” She told herself before glancing at her door and seemed to stare at it for a few short minutes.

Call it instincts, call it intuition; whatever you chose to call it, it had flared up, and as it did the words “get off the streets” seemed to have been written across her brain.

“Why though?” Sunset muttered as she kept the hand on her neck, and just stared at the door till the hairs on the back of her neck decided to go down. “Whatever the reason it’s gone for now.”

Still.

She took a few seconds to cover all her windows, making sure they were locked before texting her friends to see if they were alright. She didn’t wait for a reply though, putting her groceries up so that they wouldn’t go bad. Then she returned to her phone staring at it for a few moments before getting a few replies.

“I’m fine Darling, how are you?”

There’s Rarity.

“Hey Sunshim!”

There’s Pinkie.

“Hi Sunset, I’m fine thank you for asking.”

There’s Fluttershy.

“Oh hey Sunset, Spike’s acting a little strange right now, can I call you back?”

There’s Twilight.

She waited for Rainbow Dash and Applejack, but it seemed they weren’t available at the moment. “Applejack’s probably busy at home, and Rainbow, she’s probably getting some sunday practice in.” She muttered before starting to text those she could get in contact with. “I’m fine just… wanted to make sure everyone was ok.”

“I’m great!”

“As am I.”

“Me too.”

Twilight didn’t send one unfortunately. ‘And I can’t get in contact with Rainbow and Applejack yet.’

“Is everything ok?”

Fluttershy asked.

“I don’t know.” Sunset texted back. “I just got this weird feeling.”

“I always get weird feelings.”

“Not those kind Pinkie.” Sunset couldn’t help smiling at that though. “I mean like… “danger”, “run”, “hide” those kinds of feelings. Her friends responses were almost instant.

“What!”

“Are you ok?”

“Is someone following you!?”

“Please tell me your ok.”

“Do we need to call the police!?”

“I’ll get back to you when I’m done calling.”

“Easy girls, easy.” Sunset replied. “I’m fine, ’m at home and everythings fine. It’s just that, on my way back home I felt like someone wrote “Get off the street” across my brain in all bold.” She told them. “I got worried, so I wanted to see if everyone was ok.”

“Oh… well I’m ok. But now that you mention it, Angel really didn’t want to go outside today.”

“Gummy was stiff as a board this morning.”

“Opal has been more fussy for some strange reason.”

Sunset fell silent. Seemed the girls animal friends were acting off. “What about Ray?” She asked herself? Before looking over to her pet lizard still in his case. “Did you feel… strange today?” Ray just looked at her before seeming to nod.

“Do you think there’s a connection?”

“I don’t know, maybe.” Sunset muttered before glancing to her door. “Whatever caused that feeling is gone now, but…” Sunset paused before continuing her text. “Be careful going outside today, ok?”

Canterlot City

Abyss seemed to sigh, entering an old jazz club as he started listening to the sounds of a sax that drowned out the white noise. He didn’t know whatever song they were playing, but it didn’t matter. It had Been a while since he listened to jazz - really any form of music like this. Not only that, but the scent of rich coffee that filtered through the air was certainly inviting. Seeking out a place to sit for the moment, he holed himself up to one of the booths before leaning back to relax.

“This is nice…”

Jazz, music in general seemed to quiet the beast that clawed at the back of his mind. It might not have healed the scars it had left, but well, he could mend them later.

Right now.

“Don’t like this moment slip by you.” He mused as he saw a waitress start walking up to him.

“What can I get you?”

“Something strong enough to warm even a broken soul, and bring back the memories of better times.”

“Coming right up big guy.”