Prologue: Deep in a Thicket, Beneath Midnight Shadow
Following Luna's Banishment from Equestria, the last mare standing was Princess Celestia. Fearing that she may lose the Elements of Harmony, she commissioned a duplicate be made, if need be.
She turned to the aid of one Star Swirl the Bearded, a magi whose skill in magic was most revered.
As Celestia's most wizened mage, he took to his work as a most brilliant sage.
While it took him much time, he completed this magic, but the fruits of his labor were dreadfully tragic.
Though confident in his capacity and notably fearless, he was foolish enough to cast the spell peerless.
The spirits within took note of this heresy and sought to punish the wizard almost immediately, for he had tried to create an ephemeral harmony.
With haste did the spirits fill the mage with strife, as a most horrid curse was placed upon him.
A curse on his life.
Seeking a cure to his cruel curse, Star Swirl had to suffer a fate much worse,
For he had to pay a steep toll, stealing away on a moon full.
He cast with his magic a sinister spell, a magic pooled from the Stygian wells.
When the spell was complete, the bearded one cried out in fright,
For he had now become a creature of the night.
This revelation struck fear into Celestia, but then came an idea from another Magi named Amalthea.
She detailed to Celestia a brilliant plan, to create a safe haven of a Stygian land.
It would be chartered by Celestia as Equestria's Shade,
And so it was that Penumbra was made.
Soon, under twilight of day and midnight shadow,
The mare and her peers did head for the gallows,
Taking with her all manner of things known to evoke fright,
And through a portal did they all steal away into the night.
Now these hallowed creatures do enjoy their elation,
For now they are all granted a boon of liberation,
To a land bathed in eternal moonlight,
Made for the pleasure of every vampire, lycan, and sprite.
And so became Penumbra, the Kingdom of Eternal Night.
~ The Poem of Penumbra, Anonymous
PENUMBRA
Shadow of Equestria
A Dark Tale of Curses and Camaraderie by Adam J. Nelon
PROLOGUE: DEEP IN A THICKET, BENEATH MIDNIGHT SHADOW
Have you ever had that moment in your life when you wake up in the middle of the night, and you find that you're lying in a bed you don't recognize? When you're in a room that is all but alien to where you may have previously been? When you try to piece together what the heck happened the night before, then you turn to your side and happen upon an unfamiliar face, and in the back of your head, you're wondering to yourself, "Oh god, what did I do"?
Well, that's almost exactly how my morning went. Well, that is, if I could even dare to call it a morning. It's actually kind of hard to tell, considering the sun isn't out. Hello. I'm Morning Haze, or, for those who may have come here from reading previous escapades of mine, Adam. For those of you who aren't quite aware of who I am or what's going on, let me take a little bit to try and bring you up to speed.
- )O( -
I'm a human. Or, to be more precise, I was a human before being stolen away by an alicorn princess and her sibling to take place in a social experiment to see if, or rather, how, a human would do if he were to be turned into a pegasus pony and dropped into a world with other ponies. For a while, I acquiesced and acquainted myself with roughly seven ponies, six of which happening to be the heroines who I recognized as none other than Twilight Sparkle and company, the seventh being Trixie. I had a few adventures in friendship, got a new look to myself, ended up knocking out a dragon. All in all, minus the fact I turned myself into a bullet and launched myself at a dragon, pretty standard fare Human-in-Equestria nonsense we're all used to.
Skip ahead five years, I went back, I ended up in a desert and find out, BAM, I was turned into a unicorn. I made a trip through what I guess were badlands, braved a sandstorm and somehow fried a giant scorpion with the power of sunlight like I was Solar Boy Django or something. Then I blacked out. I woke up to a tribe of buffalo who were also taking care of an old friend of mine named Jade. We hooked up, we went to Appleoosa, I got drunk, and we were in and out faster than a Diamond Dog in an ore vein. Just when I got ready to meet old faces, I get dragged into a recording booth and get interviewed by some unicorn DJ and an earth pony with a distinct English accent.
I had a get together to celebrate my return, then Twilight roped me into attending a magic school with Jade. In the middle of the night, Luna whisked us away, and we got situated in our dorm room. Come morning, the two of us got to learning, ended up going to the moon, and learned how to fence with our horns. We were going to leave it at that until Luna decided since I was able to save Ponyville from a dragon attack, I might be useful again. So in the following morning, We're flown to a mountaintop, and I find myself eying a giant red reptile and eventually knocking it out by shining a harsh light in its eyes. When we interrogated her, it turned out she was brainwashed, and we set her on her way.
From there, a whole slew of things happened. Jade and I dueled for the honor of being Luna's personal protege, Jade somehow had dark magic, I won on a technicality, Jade stormed off, and it turned out he was tainted with a Nightmare. I tried to sleep on it, but next morning, the moon had become frozen in the sky, and like the suicidal bastard I was, I stormed off solo to save my best friend. But, lo and behold, I ended up fighting a Nightmare Version of him, having to stall until the Elements of Harmony could finish him, and then I went Mano-y-Mano against Discord, narrowly winning the fight thanks to the magic of Friendship...somehow.
I lost consciousness for the third time, came to in time to have a party to celebrate my saving the world, parted ways with Jade, reunited with my wife and daughter, everything's hunky-dory, end of story.
Or at least, that's what I thought. As it turns out, the spirits in those magic artifacts didn't take kindly to ponies using magic just like their own. To them, my use of such similar magic was nothing short of heresy, and they sought to punish me for it. They thought the only fit retribution for me was to be marked for death. And thus, I was stricken with a curse upon my life that could only be stopped by exchanging it for an equally life-altering curse. Thus, I allowed Luna to exchange my current curse for one better or worse, and was sent to parts unknown, meeting a strange centaur-like deity named Sleipnir and being blessed with her power before everything else came to be a blur.
- )O( -
And it's here that we finally get the ball rolling, I suppose. I came to in what appeared to be a deep part of a thicket. The moon seemed to be incredibly bright, almost as bright as the sun, but nowhere near as blinding. I was clad in little more than a black hoodie and golden glasses, and near me is apparently a bloody set of bones that may have belonged to a local lapine. What was once deep black hoodie was stained with red, as were my forehooves. I also noted a very much metallic taste in my mouth. It was a taste very much akin to copper.
As I began to slowly piece together what little clues I had, a clear picture formed that made my blood freeze. Whatever this creature had once been, I had not only killed it, but consumed it, to boot. The gut-wrenching nausea that followed made it immediately clear I was going to experience two upsetting events in the same day. However, considering that may have been my only meal in a while, it might be best to fight the urge and try to find a clean body of water. If not to try to wash the blood away, it should make for a good chaser for the rabbit, at least until I can find something more suited to my herbivorous tastes.
Without further ado, I set off for the direction of the moon, hoping it might lead out of this thicket and to some kind of shelter. As I looked back, I noticed that lupine tracks had at some point preceded normal hoof prints, which only seemed to exacerbate my already well-confirmed fears. As I tried to get my bearings, I noted that my body felt significantly lighter than I remembered it being. Granted, my body was always kind of light, even as a unicorn. While I'm on about it, my head felt rather sore, as well. I felt around for what I hope is my horn, but it too feels a good deal more different than I last knew it. Hopefully, there was a lake nearby. I really shouldn't be rambling about without at least taking the time to take stock of myself.
As if an outside force had pointed me in its direction, I soon found a large enough lake and, much like a duck, I dunked my head in to take a big gulp of the water. It was practically freezing, making it near impossible for me to reel my head back out. Thankfully, I was able to tear myself away from its surface and took a generous gasp, allowing it a moment or so to settle. As I took notice of what lied in this pool, it was difficult for me to piece together just exactly what I was looking at.
My mane and tail were notably unchanged. Still the same dark chocolate, bacon-shaped, white tipped hair I was used to. The same grey coat, if only a shade or two darker. And the same partly-cloudy cutie mark I had worn since my first excursion to Equestria. Although the rest of me was a lot harder for me to pinpoint. I could see flickers of white patterns across my now darker coat. I still had my horn, though it was visibly shorter than I remembered it, but there was also a small, but distinct pair of wings at my sides. Had I had these the whole time and never noticed it? And if so, then didn't this technically make me an alicorn?
As far as I was concerned, no. To be an alicorn would imply I was some psuedo-diety of immense power who holds dominion over one of the natural forces of the world. Somehow, none of those feelings came to my mind. I didn't feel very powerful, nor did the world seem to bend at my will. In fact, if anything, I actually felt a lot weaker than I would have liked. Somehow, the name Alicorn didn't seem to sit well with me. I was more like a unicorn with wings. Pegacorn, maybe? I suppose that sat better in my queasy stomach than the idea I was a deity. Although, it wasn't too late to rule that out. Or maybe I was just going insane and the sight of wings was but a figment of my imagination.
Another change I noticed quite quickly was the change in my eyes. Not only did its hue change, but its very appearance, to boot. What had once been a pair of dark chocolate irises and black pupils had now become a pair of chromatic, almost mirror-like films. I could see my reflection within the reflection my new eyes boasted. It was a rather surreal sight, and served more to exacerbate my already aching head. If you'll mind the pun, I was smart to end my reflection early.
Let the record show that I, Adam, being of (possibly) mind and body, did not expect something like this as my new form. With that out of the way, I decided to forgo washing my robe in the lake in the hope that cutting out any further distractions might help me reach some kind of town. I gave my wings a flap or two to try and commit the action back to my muscle memory as I make for the direction of the moon again. I choose not to go nude on the grounds that, assuming I have in fact become a lycanthrope, it would be an incredibly stupid idea to expose even an inch of my body until I know it's safe. While ponies like myself were the type to wear clothes, we had no qualms of going without unless it was needed.
This just so happened to be one of those times.
- )O( -
Eventually, I found my way out of the forest, finally able to truly get a glimpse of the moon. Almost immediately, I could tell something was odd about it. The moon as I knew it was once a pale white, but in this case, it was a pale yellow. As I would later discover, unlike our moon, or Equestria's moon, for that matter, this moon was phasic, shifting through colors much like that of our sun. Judging by its color and angle, it had to have been what could count as morning here in this strange world. At the very least I had breakfast, even if it was a rabbit I mangled.
I managed to find a road and followed it for a while, slowing a tad when I began to hear faint whispers in the back of my head.
"HUNT."
"KILL."
"FEAST."
"RAGE."
I shuddered as I tried to shake the thoughts away. Not even an hour into my excursions, and already I was beginning to hear my other half growling at me. I decided it was best to try to ignore the voice, for the sake of my sanity. I saw some figures begin to fly towards me at a rather blinding speed. I couldn't tell easily, but they were wearing armor, shining bright lights onto me.
"HALT, PRESENT IDENTIFICATION!" blared one of them, as he and his companion circled me.
"What?!" I called out, trying to make them out through what little opening in my eyes there was.
"SECOND REQUEST, PRESENT IDENTIFICATION!"
"My name is Adam! I was sent here by Princess Luna!"
After a moment, the two beings lowered their high beams and touched down, revealing themselves to be, as far as I could ascertain, clockwork stallions. They seemed to have been manufactured in the image of royal guards, even having armor. However, their armor was black as pitch, accented by red banners, in contrast to the gold and violet armors of Equestria's guardsmen. Their eyes were, in fact, headlights, and their manes and tails were made of some hair analogue or plumage. If they had some form of expression, I couldn't read it. After I spent a moment analyzing them, they did the same for me.
"Sir, if you would, please present your dominant hoof," one of them asked in an oddly demure, synthetic voice.
Like the law-abiding pony I was, I did as asked, then winced as an impromptu prick was placed in the skin just beneath my hoof. It looked as if they were needing a blood sample from me. The other guard produced some kind of scanning apparatus that swept across my body as it asked me for personal information such as my age and date of birth, as well my height and weight. After about five minutes, the two stood in formation and reviewed their findings:
"INITIATING SUBJECT OVERVIEW
SUBJECT NAME: ADAM.
SUBJECT ALTERNATE ALIASES: MORNING HAZE.
SUBJECT GENDER: MALE
SUBJECT SPECIES: PONY
SUBJECT SUBSPECIES: PEGACORN
SUBJECT AGE: 19
SUBJECT DATE OF BIRTH: NOVEMBER 7, 5131 "
"Wait. 5131? I was born in 1993?!" I protested.
"Subject's given age does not compute with current year. We are aware you not of natural Equestrian or Penumbran descent, but as you are aware, time functions differently than it does in your world. Current year is 5150." responded the guard.
In hindsight, I probably should have paid more attention to dates back in Equestria. But, I was glad they cleared that up nevertheless and let them finish.
"SUBJECT STATUS: LYCAN
SUBJECT GROUP AFFILIATION: NOT AVAILABLE"
The two machine stallions paused before asking warmly, "Any questions?"
"Just one," I said, not sure if I could smile. "What exactly is a Pegacorn?"
One of the guard's eyes flashed and approached me.
"A pegacorn is an uncommon breed of pony that is often the result of genetic or magical mutation before or following birth. In most cases, they lack some or all the strengths of at least one part of their body. functional in another part and are, at best, average with the use of the last. In your case, your wings work well and you appear to be quite capable of using magic, but you are frail in body. Whether this will impact your lycanthropy is yet to be seen."
After that exposition, the two guards stood in formation again as one of them had an eye zooming in on me as another produced a tray of flash powder.
"Hold your position and please smile," asked one of the guards, before I heard a high-pitched whine and was blinded by a bright light.
My eyes filled with whiteness and polka dots. My body wobbled as I stumbled about. I held my face in my hoof before I took a few test blinks, shaking away the blindness. I looked and saw one of the robot stallions shaking as I heard something not unlike a printer whirred on. Not long after, a dinner bell sounded, and from his agape muzzle popped out a fresh identification card.
"Thank you, sir. Your cooperation was most appreciated. As we speak, we are relaying for a carriage to bring you before Lady Amalthea. Thank you, and have a very safe and productive day!"
Without missing a beat, the two guard robots returned to their posts, leaving me to wait.
"Would you care for a beverage while you wait?" Asked one of them, his eyes turning a calming shade of blue.
Feeling a bit too nervous for words, I nod, and then like something from an H.R. Geiger movie, a frothy cup of cocoa was presented in a holder that shot from the guard's chest. Carefully, I extracted the cup with my magic and sat down to drink it. The drink itself was a proper cocoa; Frothy, warm, and rich with chocolate. In other words, delicious and heartwarming. I admit, after the rather odd first impression, these mechanical equines were actually quite nice, and were able to hold a decent conversation. Sure, the conversation was rather wooden, but it was still conversation.
- )O( -
After about a quarter-hour, a carriage appeared and I stepped aboard, and almost immediately afterward was subject to whiplash from it jerking forward. As I looked to see how we were going so fast, I came to the realization that the Robots of the Royal Guard apparently had rockets in their wings! Seriously, who designed these things, and why were they designed this way? I got the fact that it was efficient, but they could have at least said something like "Buckle up," or "Hold on tight"! I guess these guards didn't mess around!
In the span of roughly five minutes, I saw what looked to be a Victorian metropolis unfold. A whole city lit by lantern light, filled with ponies of various breeds and bloodlines conversing as they turned their heads upward to behold the fresh blood that was just flying in. While It was kind of hard to tell, I think they were welcoming me. The whole place had an aura that mixed foreboding and friendship into a strange cocktail that made it rather hard to digest.
"Welcome to Roseport, Citizen. We are approaching the Great Manse of Lady Amalthea now. Please brace for landing."
Oh, so now they warn me to brace myself. Yeah, thanks for the warning, jackass!
As told, I brought my body down as it daintily hit the ground. A large THUMP sounded as I was almost launched from the carriage before I could exit. After clinging to the cart like a squirrel to a tree during a thunderstorm, I shook myself free and proceeded to woozily wobble onto solid ground, beholding the large castle ahead of my vision. It was a cherry wood manse encrusted with copious amounts of crimson crystals spread about its surface. At the door was a drawstring which, judging by the looks the guards gave me, was meant for me to pull.
In my teeth went the handle as I yanked the cord toward me, sounding a loud bell which let a loud GONG throughout the area, almost deafening me. It was a deep, resounding tone that carried throughout the city, and while nary a thing else followed it, the total void that came about only served to frighten me more. Suddenly, the doors opened in unison, creaking in perfect synchronicity. I began to start hearing an organ going off from within, playing a song whose cadence was rather familiar to my ears.
It was a fugue that sank its fangs deep into my very soul.
As I entered the foyer, before me stood another crystal structure. To be more precise, a pipe organ. Manning such a monolithic musical machine was a mare of ivory coat and raven hair, streaks of crimson flowing through its strands. Her figure was tall and gaunt, but not unhealthily so. It was lithe and slender, moving in such a fluid motion across the instrument as a mesmerizing metronome. And her voice... Luna be damned, that voice! From those tender lungs, slender throat, and supple lips came an aria that all but tugged at my heartstrings.
Though short, the song she played from the pipes of the organ and her throat was conscience-baring.
Her piece performed, the mare of white turned to face me, her eyes flickering from red to blue. The way she sauntered to greet me was almost seductive, in a fashion. I could also notice she was clad in red jewelry, notably ear piercings, as well as an ebony dress that left plenty to the imagination. Her horn was particularly long, almost long enough that if I were so daring to sever it from her head, I could use it for a lance. Her teeth seemed rather long, as well, though it was difficult to tell through her pallor.
"Welcome to my Manse, visitor. Given your appearance, I would dare to assume you are the latest newcomer?"
I was frozen in my place, but nodded gingerly, trying my best to find the words to greet her.
"Now, now, you don't have to be afraid," she hummed, smiling. "I don't bite... hard."
Well, when you say it that way, it just makes it so much better.
"My name is Lady Amalthea the Azure-Blooded. You are Morning Haze, better known as Adam, I take it?"
What were once beads of sweat were now bullets of sweat. I hadn't even spoke, and yet she could read me like a book. Regardless, I nod.
"Y-yes..." I meekly murmured, feigning a smile. "How did you know?"
"Simple," she curtly replied, strafing about me as her eyes searched my person. "The guards relayed the message of your emigration not long ago. It's not often we get a Pegacorn around these parts."
"I know..." I stammered, trying not to look nervous, but failing miserably. "I was kind of surprised, myself."
"As am I... But I'm also rather curious..."
Before I could ask what she meant, immediately, I felt a stinging pain in my neck and a pulsing sensation throughout my body. My grey coat began to flush white as my breath became labored. Lady Amalthea was a sanguine sorceress, and she was now drinking my blood. The initial pain quickly subsided into a strange feeling of pleasure. After perhaps ten unimpeded moments of exsanguination, the fangs were removed as a crimson aura took the maiden's horn, wrapping a cloth across the two puncture wounds.
"I apologize for the impromptu blood-sucking, but it is a bit of a habit of mine to partake in the blood of every new pony that comes here. Assuming they have blood to shed, at least. It helps me to better understand my subjects."
I was almost struck dumb by her justification, which begged me to ask, "How?"
"Everypony has a taste to their blood, my friend. It is unique to each pony, often with subtle little differences to its flavor. Because of this, should a pony be a victim or the perpetrator of a crime, I can personally identify each pony by that flavor."
Before I could ask it, Amalthea already had the answer to my question.
"Yours tastes faintly like dark chocolate. Rich and bitter, with a bit of a fizzy aftertaste. Quite savory, as far as Lycan blood goes."
For a moment, we shared a silence before the fair lady smiled and offered a hoof of friendship.
"Please, forgive my rudeness. Allow me to welcome you to Penumbra. Here, we creatures of the night do not merely seek save haven. We learn of our curses and disabilities. We ease the burden of our brethren and strive to understand each other, as well as the demons we all must face together. It is through solidarity that we all survive the eternal night and remain stable in its glow, for while ours may not be the easiest lot, it does not have to be."
As I listened to her silken speech, I smiled as well. I reached to take her hoof, only to be rewarded with roughly fifty thousand volts of electricity straight through my body, sending me onto the floor like a fainting goat, while the now not-so-fair maiden was sent reeling in laughter.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" cried the crimson-eyed lady as she struggled back onto her feet. "I just can't resist breaking the royal rhetoric every now and again."
Har-har. Although I did see her point. I guess it helped to have a little fun to chase away the doldrums of diplomatic disasters. After she allowed herself to stop laughing, the blue-blood walked to a nearby self, producing a small ring made of what looked to be a whiter kind of silver. As she shot it lean onto my horn, it seemed to choke my magical current, before I began to hear the whispers of the carnivore within me die down. That second voice had been curtailed significantly, and my head felt clear again.
"What... What did you just put on my head, Amalthea?" I asked, my eyes crossing as they tried to gain a better understanding of what they were beholding.
"It's called a limit ring," the ivory unicorn replied, smiling. "It's a little trinket everypony gets to help keep their baser instincts in check. The first few days as a supernatural being are often the most trying, so every little asset counts to keep ponies from chomping each other in a blood frenzy. I suggest you keep it on at all times and only remove it if it's an absolute emergency. Do I make myself clear?"
I nodded, quickly blurting, "Yes, ma'am!"
The vampiric unicorn smiled as she led me back outdoors.
"Good. Since you're new here, I'd like to send you to a place called Deepston. It's the primary home of the Lycans, and is known for being fairly amicable. Try and acquaint yourself with the citizens there and I'm sure you'll find a friend or two. After all, friendship helps keep the beast inside you in check."
I honestly couldn't follow where she was going, but as another carriage came for me, driven by promethean pegasi, I couldn't refuse her request. Like a good pup, I climbed aboard and braced for launch as the fair maiden waved me goodbye, wishing me the best of luck.
Something told me I was in for a rather wild ride.
- )O( -
A crimson pegasus clad in mechanized appendages had swept just below a passing carriage. In her optics, she identified the pony aboard as a newcomer en route to Deepston. A grin adorned her face as her headlights flared.
"Unidentified pony spotted. Preparing Jubilation Launcher. Entering Stealth Mode."
