Abysswalker: The Darkness Grows

…

This place… I remember it. The wind, the cobblestone.

Why is it this place still haunts me?”

Why is it that you’re still here?

I let you go…

Stop looking at me like that.

I hurt you.

Please…

Canterlot Warehouse

For better or for worse, the Abysswalker opened his eyes, leaving that place haunted his oldest memories. That place where he first felt at home, that place where she was.Choking on air, he raised his sleeve to his face wetting it with the silent tears that wouldn’t stop spilling out like water from a broken faucet. “Please, let me go. I’m begging you.” He choked out as he lifted his arm, letting the tears fall freely along the sides of his face. “It’s better this way.” He sat up, staring beyond the tears as he looked at nothing before wiping his face again. “You’re worse than the dead that curse my name.”

He reached for his flask, quickly taking a drink; a small sip that evolved into a few gulps.

The thing never emptied no matter how much he drank.

Sighing in relief the Abysswalker just corked his flask before staring off into space.

Drink to feel better. Drink to numb the pain. Drink to delude the memories.

“And yet I can’t get that fucking buzz.” He mused before getting to his feet and headed out.

It was a new day in Canterlot, best he’d find something to do.

Canterlot High

Teachers Lounge

Everyone came in about thirty minutes earlier than normal. Celestia made certain to apologize for having her staff come in like this, but no one could find it in themselves to blame her. Then again, this was Celestia, she didn’t ask for them to come in early without good reason.

And this was a pretty good one.

“I’m sorry.” Nurse Redheart muttered as she looked at her superior. I need to go back one second.” No one seemed to blame her. “Some random person, just closed the magic portal that was resting in front of the school?” Celestia didn’t respond. “How? Princess said she found a way to stabilize the portal to keep it open. How did he close it?” The nurse paused. “From this side?”

“That’s just it, he said he told it to stay closed unless he permits it to open again.” Celestia admitted. “I don’t understand how he made that work, but he did, and as you all saw earlier when Lulu touched the statue. It is indeed closed, and I don’t think even the Princess will be able to open it again.” She paused. “And perhaps that’s for the best.”

“Because the portal was sending magic into this world, yes?” Ms. Harshwhinny kept her voice as even as ever, showing not even a hint of emotion as she stared at the school principal. “And that was what was causing the magic issues to grow more common around the city.”

“I’m afraid so.”

“If that is the case, what will happen with the magic still here?” Harshwhinny asked. “What exactly will we do about it?”

Celestia fell silent obviously trying to find an answer to the question that presented itself before her, not just today but yesterday as well.

The answer that came to her was this;

“I don’t know.” She admitted.

Shamefully, she wasn’t her “Equestrian” counterpart a whole world away. She didn’t grow up using, let alone understanding magic. Yes there were old myths and cartoons that mentioned it rather often, but that was just it, stories and cartoons. She didn’t know anything about how magic really worked.

None of them did.

“But.” Celestia spoke up again. “Here at the school, our duty is to guide and protect our students. And I’m afraid to say we have been failing in that part as of late.” She told them before looking down, staring at her coffee. “We weren’t trained for dealing with magic and people from other worlds.” She sighed. “But we can try doing better, starting by making our students aware of the situation.” She told them. “I’d like to make an announcement in the auditorium shortly after school starts, it will cut into homeroom, but is that alright with everyone?”

No one complained, the sooner their students knew about this the better.

The Canterlot morning was… quiet. Well, mostly anyway. It was quiet enough to let the dead speak, but it was still noticeable. Everyone was either on their way to their place of work or schooling. Meeting up with associates or friends to pass the time till they reached where they wanted - needed to go. Sitting on a park swing set, the Abysswalker just stayed silent, watching everyone just go about their morning rituals.

They looked… so happy, carefree.

“They don’t know what’s coming.” He muttered in regret.

“We do.”

The Whisper told him.

“We know what is watching them even now. Waiting to wrap their claws around them and bring them into the fold.”

“Those aren’t the ones I’m concerned about.” He admitted. “I’m more concerned about those that have already sunken their nails so deep that they scrape against the marrow.” Abyss whispered. “There are always those trying to grab hold of the People; twisting them, feeding off their rage, and despair, beckoning them towards the darkness.” He looked down. “They can be stopped before their plans progress too far. But those who have already found their victims, and using them to set things in motion…”

They are the ones he needed to be concerned with.

It wasn’t just them either, the replenished magic would draw others out. And when that happened?

“How many will be lost before it all ends?”

“Who the fuck cares?”

“You don’t sound as enthusiastic as you should be.” The Abysswalker muttered. Usually your all for the death and suffering of others.

“She came to us.”

Both the Whisper and the Abysswalker fell silent. Remembering her face once more along with the heartache it brought.

“Why can’t she let us go?”

“Why can’t we do the same?” The Abysswalker whispered. “It hurts… it hurt so damn bad.”

“Are you ok?” An airy voice caught Abyss’s attention as he looked ahead, noticing a young blond haired grey cross-eyed girl had approached him.

“Yes, I’m fine.” He told her, giving a smile. “Thank you for asking.”

“Than why are you smiling like that?” His new counterpart asked softly.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re smile’s sad.” She told him, and Abyss raised his hands to his lips.

“It looks sad huh?” He whispered. “I… guess that makes sense, then again…” He paused before looking back at the girl that had approached him. “I’m sorry I lied, and that you have to see this, I’m just hurting that’s all.”

“Here?” She raised a hand to her heart and he nodded.

“Yeah.” The two fell into a silence as his counterpart just stared at him. “You’re heart, is it hurting too?”

Mhm.” Was her response as she took the swingset next to him.

“It sucks doesn’t it, The pain of heartache?"

“Yeah.” She muttered before twiddling her thumbs. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Must we? Sometimes the silence speaks louder than the words.” Abyss muttered. “And having someone who you can share that deep and comfortable silence with is more memorable than any conversation.”

Sometimes people force conversations, force the words out to try keeping it going, because they found the silence uncomfortable, empty even.

But sometimes no words could begin to describe what was going on in a person’s head, let alone their heart so they stay silent and let that speak for them.

And sharing that silence with someone who seemed to understand it, and what you were going through was more powerful than any words shared.

“This is nice…” The girl spoke up after a few minutes, looking to her counterpart with a gentle smile, and he returned it. Though both were still sad in their own way, they were more honest, relieved even. Reaching into her backpack the girl pulled out a muffin before handing it out the Abysswalker. “Here.”

“Thank you, but you don’t have to.”

“But I want you to have it.” She told him as she put it in his hands. “And thank you for understanding.” Abyss just nodded as the girl turned and ran off, heading somewhere before he could get a word in.

“Sweet girl.”

“Bad judge of character though.”

The Abysswalker looked at the muffin for a moment before running his hand over it, smiling slightly before bringing it to his lips to take a bite.

It tasted even better than it looked.