Persistence is Key 01 EX - The Undermension Expansion
Chapter 01: Dreams, fleeting dreams
Author's Note
Hiya. This is at the top for crucial information that you need to know before reading. I didn't want to put this in the books description because I really don't want that to disturb the format for the books that I have. With JUST a description. Maybe that's just me being silly and rigid in my format I don't know. What I DO know, is that this is a side-by-side story. Detailing Stardew's separate journey.
As such, it's important you read through Chapter's 1 and 2 of Persistence is Key 01 - Beginnings. This is because this story happens just after those two chapters. I would've added this to 01 in the first place. However, I really couldn't find a way at the time and 01 - Beginnings is perfect as is now. So this is why 01 EX exists. If you want to read through this without looking at Beginnings then you're more than welcome to do so. I just say it's important so you can fully see what happened considering it's mentioned here but not delved into too much detail.
That's all I have to add here. I'll probably make a definitive 01 - Beginnings in the future. Including the chapters involving Stardew's journey. But that's a journey for far future me. My last words before this begins... Is enjoy the early Christmas 2023 present! Considering this won't be worked on until January 2024! So like the story if you like what you see!
I just couldn't resist I suppose.
Chapter 01: Dreams, fleeting dreams
Chill, sunlit tides reflect and refract against the seafloor
One singular alicorn, calmly resting, unconscious and unaware
That upon his awakening, danger will eventually intercept
That, is what the red alicorn kept dreaming of. The sunlit tides and the seafloor. Not of danger, and not of darkness. But of good things. Along with a familiar tune that he and his brother had created. His ocean blue mane colours contrasting his red. In an almost inviting way. Upon his ear, a singular gold ring sat as a piercing of sorts. Which shimmered against the environment as he awoke. His eyes containing a pure, bright pink that almost matched his coat of red. His horn curving upward. Almost like a crescent moon as he stretched his wings out somewhat. Slowly getting off of the harsh stone floor that he seemed to have been resting on. The last thing he remembered from before the dreaming being that of the coronation his brother was supposed to have had. That purple and blue alicorn. The flashing lavender fire. The pain. That was all he could remember upon waking.
Feeling the ghastly wind around him almost brush past him like a hoof, he looked around. His surroundings being rather dim and dark. A distinct greyish-blue fire coming from the worn-down torches against the harsh, cold walls. It was unlike anything he had known beforehand. The land he came from was filled with salty sea air and calm, lovely blues cascading amongst the rippling aquamarine oceans. But here, was much different. There was almost a sense of nothingness. As he trotted slowly through the place he had awoken at, he saw nothing of true, vibrant colour. Had he died? Surely not. But there was an otherworldly hue painting over the land. Grey stone leading him through where he awoke, which he saw was a dead end once he looked back. With a small, circular ceiling window shining light on the place he awoke.
Making his way out of the dead end, he trotted down a very thin corridor. One where the ghastly wind seemed without soul. Where the wind lacked life, and warmth. It was uninviting, but it wasn’t harmful in any way. Contrary to the deadness of the wind however, it seemed intelligent. Dancing around the alicorn as he slowly felt it circling him. Almost observing him, in a way. With callous, cold regard. Which was picked up by the red alicorn as he shuddered ever so slightly. The corridor seemed to bend and wind up like a spring, it being a surprise that the corridor was even traversable, given the fact that the alicorn had to squeeze through the thinnest of parts within the corridor. Emerging from the other side tumbling slightly; but not losing his stature. Reaching the end of the corridor after a few more minutes, he came across a door. A wooden, scratched door. With intricacies embedded within. The door handle being made of a brown metal. Perhaps copper, or bronze. Which almost screeched as the alicorn turned the handle using his magic. Opening it to enter an outside area.
Shutting the door behind him with another loud screech, Stardew took a look around. It resembled a place he could’ve sworn he knew. With old houses made of cold, hard stone dotting the landscape. Three, in total. All with bordered up windows and decrepit looking doors. Something else intrigued him however, and that was a singular arch. One that seemed to lead elsewhere. He flew over to it, making sure he wasn’t losing his mind as he noted the grey-blue sky and floating islands far above him. With purple-grey clouds almost seeming to cover them up. The arch, when he returned to the front of it, seemed to lead to a train station. Looking inside briefly, he saw no trains. But very clear train tracks. He decided, in his mind, that he’d look in the houses around the arch first. After all, he couldn’t be the only living pony. There had to be living company. At least, he hoped.
Trotting on by to the house nearest to where he awoke, he opened the door. His magic having to wrestle with the door somewhat before it started moving. Creaking open, Stardew entered. At first, nothing resided within it. With the walls completely empty. That was, until he felt something from himself start to come out. A grey flame. One that seemed to circle around his form. Around the room. It was intriguing, as it seemed to also grow. Flaring up until the room seemed to fade. Stardew seeing a scene painted before him. One he knew well. It was a school corridor. Specifically, the school Stardew attended in his teen years. When he looked down, he saw that he was slightly transparent. Which was when he saw it. Or rather, them. Himself, and his brother Covet. Covet was a pale orange coated alicorn, you see. His mane had the colours of purple, gold and brown and his eyes were blue. The pair trotting down the hall were much younger than the current Stardew, with uniforms from his schooling days on the two, which led more credence to the fact that he was starting to see this as a memory sparked by the flame from his body.
After about a moment of observing the two, he saw other ponies beginning to flood the hallway from the room the two were headed towards. All steering clear of the two as Covet got fearful looks. With Covet relishing in it. Ponies then began gathering around the door. Almost waiting. Although, they were on the other side of the door. With the younger Covet and the younger Stardew waiting on the side they had come from. It was at this point, that the younger Covet started trotting towards some of the ponies. He couldn’t hear the words of the younger form, but he knew that they weren’t nice words as he saw Covet going at one specific pony. With a semi-circle of the other students surrounding Covet and the other pony. The one he was picking on. Time seemed to fast forward a little, until he noticed that the pony Covet had gone after galloped away. With tears flooding their face. The younger Stardew laughing in unison with his brother as the current Stardew saw his younger self speak. With the words being “Suma yew need the lerhn whew runs this schewl!” as some of the students seemed disturbed. But afraid as the younger Stardew then glared at them with intense intimidation.
Current Stardew knew this was probably because of the fact that they would’ve been picked on themselves. With Stardew having remembered what he was exactly like in his schooling days. Something he had long since forgotten until this moment. He felt like he’d matured from those days, but he now had some doubt in his mind as the flames from before surrounded him and, before he knew it, he was back in the same house from before. Completely confused as the flames returned to his body.
As the last of the flames slowly returned to his body, Stardew left the house. His mind replaying the scenario in his head, as he trotted over to the next house. The door swinging open this time. As if it expected him. Taking a few trots inside, Stardew felt a different flame burst from him. One of navy blue. Of cold, calculating intellect that spread out like the quick and harsh ripples of water that a pebble may have penetrated. The pulsing flame surrounded his form once again. Transforming the environment around him as the grey flame had done before. The flame flared up as the scene became clearer. The empty house from where he stood was again replace, this time it was in the Manestralian throne room. This scenario he almost immediately recalled. Well, at first he thought he did. A slightly older Covet stood facing his father and a slightly older Stardew. Both clearly having aged out of their schooling years at least. Although these slightly older figures were still younger than current Stardew. Stardew couldn’t make out the words from anypony in the room again. Until his younger form spoke. In a somewhat nervous voice as he saw that the figure of his father staring down at the younger Stardew. Clearly agitated at the younger alicorn.
“Yeh know… The pair of yeh… Heh… Yeh always end up foitin’! Maybe yeh both could… Make up? Yeh know… Stop this?” the younger Stardew said aloud. Almost like a suggestion he knew wouldn’t be received well. Current Stardew saw this effect immediately as he noticed that Covet and his father starting to argue again. But this time, he heard his name being thrown around as they started fighting. With his father gesturing at Stardew several times as he saw himself seemingly fragile. Completely still and complacent as he lacked any will to defend his position and lacked any confidence to stand against the pair that were arguing. Both Crimson and Covet leaving the room as the argument they were clearly having leaked out when they both left. Leaving the younger Stardew on his own. As he looked away and out to the windows looking outside. Specifically, he looked out to the skies as the current Stardew seemed to notice some tears rolling down from his face. He went to instinctively try to hug and comfort the younger form. But when he did, the fact that these weren’t real ponies decided to make itself known again. With the younger Stardew being unaffected and pulsing with transparency when touched. The current Stardew’s hoof even phasing right through the younger Stardew as the landscape once again shifted back to reality. The flames coming back to Stardew as the grey flames had done the first time.
Stardew then took a moment as he exited the house he had entered. His mind full of confusion. Why was he being shown these things? It didn’t make sense. One was of Stardew’s school years. One was of Stardew’s experience witnessing one of the many arguments Covet and Crimson always had. So, what waited in the third? He didn’t know and he didn’t like what he had seen before. He contemplated going through the arch. But halted himself as he looked at the third house. If they were all empty, then there was no point in checking it out. Until he noticed something he hadn’t before. At the top of the arch, three holes resided. Two being lit up on either side of the middle one. One with grey light emitting from it to the left, and one with navy blue light emitting from it to the right. Stardew thought to himself for a moment, before looking back to the third house. With hesitation, and slight curiosity, he made his way to the final house. Where he would see something he didn’t quite expect to see.
Opening the door, he slipped inside. Waiting, and biding his precious little time as he didn’t immediately notice anything. Before, the flames almost instantly came out and presented uncomfortable scenarios from his past. But this one seemed either late, or it was digging deep. The latter would be the case as, when Stardew went to leave, a bright white flame poured out from him. As soon as it touched the floor, an almost miniature supernova effect seemed to take place in the room. As everything was covered in white. All of the white coming from the point where the flame touched the floor. He wondered why it was white. Not red, or green, or yellow. But then he realized why. As the white faded, he saw a scene he had long since forgotten. He hadn’t forgotten who it was about. But he had buried the day down. Deep down. He noticed a much, much younger Stardew enter the room with a much, much younger Covet. They were young colts. With Covet’s mane being noticeably all deep red. As opposed to the other two Covet’s he had seen where the purple and gold had made it’s way through thanks to himself. The much younger Stardew lacking the earring he currently had. That’s when he noticed his father speaking to the younger two. He thought he wouldn’t be able to hear what his father said, but he was mistaken. The words falling out of his mouth as his father was obviously holding back some form of breakdown.
“L-listen… Yeh mum… S-she…. Well…” is what his father began with. His father then took a moment, his breath clearly being somewhat shaky as he continued on. “I… I don’t know wot happened but…. But she…” is when he stopped again. His voice becoming shaky at the end as he finished what he was saying.
“She’s not coming back… She’s gone”
Both the colts looked at eachother confused. To them, their mother had always been there and had never left. At least, not without the pair of them and their father when they all went to their yearly holiday spot of Trottnest off the shore of Coltney. The much younger Stardew then began prying. Much to their father’s dismay. “Whaddya mean? She can’t ‘av just… Left! What happened!?” he shouted out in mild anger that was melded with confusion. The current Stardew began sinking into his own mind, as Crimson then began shouting back. With something that made the two colts cry from such. Bracing himself for what he knew would come out of his father, the current Stardew braced himself for the bellowing shout that came from his father not even a moment later.
“SHE’S GONE! SHE’S DEAD!”
His father’s echoing voice attracted the attention of a few guards outside in the hallways, who peered their heads into the throne room. The much younger Stardew and Covet were sobbing and crying at this point. Tears hitting the ground in a discombobulated and fast paced rhythm. With the much younger Stardew galloping away. He remembered where he had galloped to that day after the news was given to him. He had travelled to his room. The white flames that created the scenario from his memories fell back into the current Stardew as he felt sombre. The emotions he held onto after that day coming out has tears formed within his own eyes. With his heart feeling an unusual pain. He gathered himself after a moment of silent crying and left the house. Then, he got to thinking, for a few brief moments. He always knew that Covet was the more favoured of the pair. But, it wasn’t as such originally. Perhaps Stardew should’ve stayed in the throne room that day. Perhaps he should’ve been less annoyed. But it wasn’t like him to not poke around in things he found odd. Like the death of his mother.
He hadn’t really thought about it until this moment. Given his life progressed rather quickly past that point. But there was never an actual explanation for her passing. It was always just treated as an unfortunate accident. Enquiries into it when he questioned his father on the rare occasion would always end up in fights or arguments. He knew his father didn’t want to speak about it. Obviously. But he couldn’t accept the fact that it was treated like a mystery. Although he remembered hearing about one thing. Shortly after that day. One detail of sorts that had stayed in his mind for a bit about a month ago. When Covet was hit with an unknown spell in the oceans. He remembered his father talking with the guards who supposedly found her on the shores. Faint whispering that consisted of “She was lifeless as she floated to the shore” and “she insisted on being alone, your majesty!” when he heard his father in the room they were in, trying to ask for more details.
The connecting factor between both events happened to be the oceans they loved swimming in and loved being near. Covet had an unnatural affinity for water, that was for sure. But his mother had never had any connection with water that he could remember. So, the fact that she wanted to be alone when she possibly ventured into the oceans was alarming in his mind. Why did she go to the oceans? The thought lingered as he looked around. Noticing a white glow in the middle of the arch top. The grey, white and navy colours glowing and he noticed something else on the other side of the arch from before. The questions he had subsided in his mind as his curiosity took over, and trotting closer to the arch revealed a train on the other side of the arch.
The train, as he stepped through the portal, seemed to be greyish green. With a dull red stripe horizontally making itself known. The doors and windows seemed more modern than he thought a place such as this. Given everything seemed rather derelict or old. Getting a more in-depth look at the train station, he noticed something that shouldn’t have been there. At least, he thought it shouldn’t have been. On the floor, he saw some tattered posters. With him and Covet on. But there were different ones on the walls. One of an Apple and Orange. One of a green jewel and a blue jewel. One of a horn and Pegasus wings. It was bizarre.
To Stardew it was anyway. He obviously knew that any decorations would probably be anywhere that seemed fit. But these ones… Well, for a lack of better words, were also from his memories. Specifically, the continent-wide events him and his brother Covet would host. The Alifests. These events consisted of two whole days. Typically during the weekends. Where the continent’s residents could partake in two specific sports. Wave Racing and Sky Soaring. Wave Racing took just offshore. Where specific courses were made from buoys and smaller boats for checkpoints. The courses were fairly large, and usually spanned the distance of a medium sized town. The same happened to also be the case for Sky Soaring. But instead of buoys, there were ropes and flags for checkpoints. However, the Sky Soaring was only utilized for their last Alifest.
The Covet versus Stardew Alifest. One that seemed to shatter their already negative relationship in his mind for quite a while. It didn’t help that Covet was chosen to be the future ruler of Manestralia. Something Stardew considered to be blasphemous given how Covet was. But after thinking about this, maybe he wasn’t as bad as he thought. Stardew did end up participating to some degree in Covet’s bullying antics and rebellious actions after all. He’d seen it and remembered it himself. Before he got too lost in his thoughts and justifications however, he heard the sound of doors sliding open. Jutting his head away from the posters he saw, he noticed that the doors he saw were, indeed, open. Getting glimpses inside the train, he saw that it was empty. So there was no harm in stepping inside for a mere moment. But as he did and looked around, he noticed a singular door open from one of the train cars near the front.
Whilst the doors leading out closed shut.
