“No!” Eric said out loud before realizing he was using his outside voice. They serve me well unsubdued, and will serve poorly otherwise. He tried to focus on the stone of the cave between him and this ‘servant’, willing the magic to rip it down and collapse the tunnel between them.

The tunnel didn't collapse as was willed, but the chill menace faded fairly quickly. If you do not call to him, he cannot awaken, not yet. Go then, if you think your current allies are better than he, but I assure you, they're not.

Arm still on Eric’s shoulder, Tom was looking at him weird. “Um, yes? Whatever scared Lost senseless, I do not want to piss it off or wake it up. Now, come on, let’s get back. I know you really can’t see in the dark, so you can follow behind me, okay?” he offered up.

“I… I thought something was coming right for us, but… I think we’re okay for now. You’re right, let’s head back and not wake him up. Lead the way, then,” Eric said, backpedalling a few steps before turning to walk back toward the ponies with Tom.

They returned swiftly through the tunnel. There weren't any side passages to get lost along, so it didn't prove difficult to find the three around the fire. Lost was staring into the fire, on her belly and looking lost. Wave was peering at Lost curiously, while Footnote was digging around in his saddlebag.

“Whew,” Tom remarked as they finally returned, noticing Lost. “Eric, would you mind talking to Lost? I’m going to try and chat with Wave, even though I’m not really sure what to do still,” he softly spoke, stretching his legs. It was a bit easier walking on them now, he thought to himself as he sat down carefully next to Wave. “Hey, Wave.”

Wave brightened at Tom's approach and held out her hooves. "Hey there! What'd you find? Lost came rushing in here and crashed by the fire, and just didn't look up since then."

Eric didn’t answer Tom directly, as he was already heading that way as it was. He sat down behind Lost, making a point of making enough noise to be heard coming, and gently rested a hand on her withers. “Hi, Lost. That was pretty scary huh? I think we’re okay for now… but it sounds like you know better what was down there. Do you want to talk about it?”

Lost shook her head quickly and gave a little whimper. Footnote frowned, pulled out a funny looking hat, and placed it on Lost's head. "The princess is with us, even this far away, Lost. He's gone, forever and ever."

Tom wrapped Wave up in a hug, unable to resist as he glanced over to Lost. “Nothing good… from what’s she’s saying, I have an idea, and if it’s right… they were enslaved for a long time, and the one who did so used dark magic, or whatever the taboo magic here is. And she felt that, I’d have to guess,” Tom paused for a few moments and sighed, looking at Wave. “We need to talk though, about the two of us, okay?” he softly spoke, getting up carefully with her still in his arms, walking a short ways away from the group so he could privately talk with Wave.

Lost looked to Tom, becoming curious enough to notice him through her funk. She took note of the hat on her head and smiled, giggling even. "Oh you brought it? You thoughtful soul. Thank you." Footnote smiled, but her eyes wandered to Eric, looking him over. "What did you want to talk about?" Her terror had devolved to a severe shaking, trembling a little, but aware.

“If you think it will help, I’d like to hear about what you’re so afraid of, to know just what it is that you’ve suffered, or seen. But… you’re shaking so badly. I’m almost afraid to make you think about it. We can talk about something else if you prefer. Something sunnier?” Eric inquired, stroking her back lightly like she was a giant cat, hoping to soothe her.

Lost gave a soft snort that sounded a little like a whinny. "No! I'm fine. I'm fine…" She shook her head, making the fancy hat bob about on her head. "I need to put this behind me…"

Footnote raised a hoof. "I could tell the story if you prefer?"

Over with Tom, Wave leaned in and nuzzled an available cheek. "So what's up? You all walked off, and now you're all serious when you come back? You sure you didn't find something?"

“We sorta did, but not sure what. That’s not what’s important though, Eric and Lost both made a very valid point, Wave, and I sorta need to talk to you about it before anything else,” he softly spoke, not wanting to be overheard as he held her close to him. “Basically, I need to know, how do you see me? You made your… possessiveness very clear, which is endearing, and you’re very cute,” he started to ramble on but cut himself off quickly.

Eric nodded to Footnote. “Please. It seems like the kind of thing I need to know about, if I’m going to be a good friend to you. And probably even if I weren’t,” he said before looking down at Lost’s hat with a grin. “The hat, however, I feel like I’m better off not knowing, so I can juggle amusing theories in my head.”

Footnote chuckled. "That hat's just a traditional thing. We make them for a festival where we turn back the darkness, and it helps remind us that everything's going to be just fine." He sat up, forelegs pushing his torso up. "We were held captive by a terrible creature. His name was… King… King Sombra." The fell presence swept through the cave and sent Footnote and Lost to the ground, both rendered almost catatonic in terror.

Wave frowned. "OK, that I felt. What's going on?!" The important talk being had with her was forgotten in favor of collapsing crystal ponies and dread presences.

Clenching Wave a bit tighter, Tom looked at the crystal ponies and felt fear, that presence tangible even to him. “I… I don’t know. This might be what was back in the cave, but we didn’t do anything to wake it up, just…” Tom paused, face blanching. “Eric yelled out ‘no’ for some reason, that’s it… did he wake it up?”

Eric looked back deeper into the cave, glaring into the darkness angrily. Are you afraid? Do you think hearing a little information will thwart your plans for me? I see I overestimated you.

Oh certainly not. His name calls to the beast, and it stirs in its chains. Perhaps I judged too hastily, and it may yet wake on its own, with just a little nudge.

Wave snorted loudly. "Maybe we'd be better off facing the blizzard, if it's half as bad as the shiny ponies are making it out to be." Neither crystal pony reacted, their eyes wide and bodies trembling, as if they could just play dead and make the problem go away.

“Yeah, I agree… snow would be more preferable to this right now, even if the fire is keeping us nice and warm.” Getting to his feet, he carefully adjusted Wave in his hold and moved over to the fire. “Eric, come on, we need to get moving… with how they’re reacting, a blizzard would be better than being in this cave.”

Eric nodded, beginning to pack up. “Agreed, let’s prepare ourselves, quickly.” A beast is worse than worthless. Can you sap it’s power? Perhaps give it to me? Something with so little finesse will merely invite disaster. For that matter… will you side with it against me? You’ve done well so far at trifling matters, but you give me precious little reason to trust you in anything of import.

It must be close for you to use your power against it, or with it. It will not attack you, child of shadow, controller of void. It is up to you what you will do with that power, but it is up to me to rouse him

Footnote suddenly focused on a specific point in space, and scrambled backwards until he crashed his flank into the rubble blocking the exit from the cave. "No! No no no! Go away! I won't go back! I won't! No!"

Wave looked to Footnote from her vantage point, as confused as Footnote was terrified. "Put me down and take them out. I'll be fine for a moment."

Setting her down, Tom looked around. “But… to where? We caved in the exit, it’ll take a bit of time to undo that,” he asked, eyes darting around and trying to take in all the details as he fought the urge to just find a corner and curl up himself. Tom moved over to that rubble and started doing his best to clear it.

Thinking quickly, Eric snagged the hat from Lost’s head, slipping it on his head as he headed deeper into the cave. “Get them out of here, I’ll buy you some time,” he said with what surely sounded like false bravado. Time to put you to the test then… I’m doing science and I’m still alive. I’m doing science and I’m still alive. The mantra repeated in his head, steadying his fake nerves.

In Footnote's mind, the voice taunted him, demanding to hear the name of his tormentor. If you call out to him, he will forgive you. He'll take the other ponies first, and you'll be safe, for now. Call it, beg him to forgive you. Footnote wept wildly and scrambled at the ground with his hooves. "No, noooo! Stay away from me! Sombra has no power over me!"

The dread force washed out again, thicker than ever, and a distant roar was quite clearly heard.

Eric groaned, annoyed that Footnote was saying the name again, especially since he didn’t feel he had a good enough excuse to know why that was such a bad idea. Give me another diet coke! he demanded of the shadows when he figured he was out of sight in the darkness, nearing a bend.

The power is yours. You should not learn to rely on me. Make your own confection. Rude, though perhaps not entirely untrue?

Footnote rose to shaking hooves and started scrambling at the stones and debris, apparently ready to dig his own way out. "Go away. Go away. Go away!"

Tom paused just long enough in removing the rubble to tap Footnote on the shoulder. “Focus, Footnote! Whatever it is, it cannot harm you from here, even if it feels like death in the air,” Tom chided Footnote, looking around. “Lost! Get over here and help!”

Eric focused on his own, trying to conjure the much-needed caffeinated beverage to his hand. It was a fair enough practice to focus on his own powers before facing down the beast. And the less he begged from the shadows and more he handled on his own, the less concern he would have of the shadow betraying him at an inopportune moment.

Though none were present to see it, Eric's eyes began to bleed and flow more visibly with the touch of the shadow presence, and the soda appeared. It was smaller than he intended, but soda all the same.

Lost's eyes contracted as the shadow approached her. Oh, you've lost your hat. Your last line of defense, gone. He's coming for you. You can feel it. Scream. Let the terror in you free and maybe he'll pass you by, or maybe all hope it lost for you, who cannot even hold a hat.

Lost let out a piercing wail as she rose up onto her hind legs only to fall over backwards with a crash, crying and sobbing in abject terror. The menace grew stronger, almost a living thing, breathing from deep in the cave. It was awake. Next Chapter: 13 - Give a Dog a Bone Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 56 Minutes