Raven Rawne

@, "U-huh... so it meant it's owners, not actual parents, right? Damn, always toruble in these parts... Try to ask the cub where it lives, maybe we'll get an adress and confirm it with the sheriff whether they got kidnapped or it's just animal cruelty. I guess we should find a temporary home for it too..." Hearing about ponies getting kidnapped was one thing. Withessing the tragedy that ensued by their sudden absence was another thing entirely...

@, The groffon had to admit, the scene was rather... heartwarming. However, the little conversation between Harley and the cat was somewhat... well, he never saw a pony talk to animals like that. As f she talked with the cat. "Am I seeing things, or you're having an actual conversation going on with the little one? Cause if you do, then I guess we have a search and rescue case..."

@, Garreth smiled back at the mare, when she opened her eyes and came back to the present. Her proclamation over how much better she felf was a bit odd, since his own attempt didn't produce much of a result, but maybe practice makes perfect. He was about to get up when he saw movement in the corner of his eye, and looked in that direction. Instead of some mortal danger, however, was a kitten. The sight put a wrench in his gears so hard you could hear metallic noises coming from his head Honestly, it was the last thing he would expect to see. With his head cocked a bit, quizically, and a raised eyebrow he observed as the little predator casually walked towards Harley and jumped onto her lap. As the mare began petting the critter, the griffon looked around in search of the cat mother, or a pony who's cat it could be, but found none. So he just sat and watched as the little fur ball got a VIP treatment.

@@Nightmare Season, Crystal was glad that Nightmare accepted her offer to be her guest. After all, she felt in a big debt over how he saved her life. Twice. Saying goodbye and parting ways was just out of the question. Although she was a bit annoyed about his reluctance to accept what she gave freely... She looked him straight in the eye, even if that meant raising her head almost straight up, and said with confidence: "Yes, I am sure of it, and I give you my dreams freely. I can live with a nightmare or two, but I would be pretty much dead without your aid, so consider it a form of gratitude. Now stop worrying about inconveniencing me and start walking, because we need to reach my house before sunrise, or else we'll have the whole garrison on our heads. The mare didn't wait for a reply, but rather turned around and started walking to get around the cave mouth and in the direction of her home. She stopped some distance further and looked behind her to check whether he's following or not.

@@Nightmare Season Crystal nodded. "Just give me a moment to pack my things and we can move on." She rolled up the blanket, now quite dirty, and strapped it to the saddlebags. Then she put them on, adjusted the strap at her belly and pronounced herself ready. Hee bruised side hurt, but somewhat less than previously, and mostly when she moved about. She walked to the stallion, noticing he picked the left passage. He said that the air flow returned and it must be close to midnight... Truth be told, the crystal pony felt just a tiniest hint of breeze, but she had no idea it could be used in navigation. Seems like a trip to the library was in order. She simply replied "Alright, I'll be right behind you" with a small smile, and was ready to go. The next question, about her injury, was unexpected but still appreciated. She looked at her side as the light of Nightmare's fire danced on her, mixed with her own glow crystal lantern that seemed charged up some more. "It's a bit better, I guess. Doesn't hurt that much when I don't move. I guess it's going to take a few days to heal, but I should be fine. Thanks for asking. " She smiled warmly as she replied. They walked and walked, Crystal wasn't sure for hoe long. She noticed that the floor was starting to slope slightly upwards though, so that was a good thing. Maybe they will come out before the end of the century. Once, when Nightmare paused in a larger cavern to get oriented, Crystal walked beside him to look around. She saw something shimmering in the distance. Something was reflecting Nightmare's light up there. A glow crystal, maybe? Those were expensive, if she could take it back home... A black wall of fur blocked her path as she was about to take the first step. For some reason Nightmare body blocked the way forward and she bumped into him, confused. A sound of a shifting rock alerted her and she ducked her head under him to see why he stopped her in such a definite matter. As she craned her neck, she noticed that there was a huge hole right where she was about to walk to. Suddenly realising what happened, her ears flat and her eyes wide, the mare took a step back and looked at her saviour: "T-thank you. I would've walked right into that, I guess." The stallion continued the march, apparently he located the right direction to proceed. Another small eternity later, or at least what it felt like to the crystal pony, Nightmare spoke that the entrance must be near. Her ears perked up at the news and she picked up her pace, filled with hope that she will see the sky again soon. And so she did - sometime later the nightmare pony stepped into the dim light of the crescent moon, and Crystal resisted the urge to kiss the grass beneath her hooves. The mare looked around, trying to orient herself and determine where the hay she was. She said to herself as she made her observations: "Grass, not snow... So we're still within the Heart's reach, good... The moon is that way so home is somewhere over... there..." She was rubbing her chin with her good hoof as she spoke, apparently deep on thought. She gestured at the cave entrance when she determined the rough vector to her cozy bed. Still pointing, she coked her head a bit and made a somewhat funny face when she saw where she was pointing. "Okay, not IN there, definitely not. But surely in that direction..." Crystal Clear looked at the nightmare pony who seemed busy with his own thoughts, and approached him. "I'd like to thank you. For everything you've done for me today. I don't know how I could express my gratitude in a more... tangible way, since I have nothing valuable with me, but you can stay at my place if you'd like. I live on the outskirts so if we get to town early enough, nopony will notice. You could clean up after this cave adventure, get something warm to eat..." Crystal paused for a moment, unsure if she should offer, but decided to give it a shot. "...And chomp a dream or two, my treat."

@@Nightmare Season, Crystal Clear listened intently to Nightmare's little lecture. she got the impression that he doen't really like being pestered with questions, but so far, he answered her inquiries. She observed the large pony as he laid for sleep, nodding that she understood that he will wake her up once they'll be able to proceed. Once Nightmare dozed off, Crystal qiuetly took a swing from her flask, then packed everything back into the saddlebag. She gazed for some time at his sleeping form, trying to make sense of their encounter, and make some rudimentary plans for the immediate future. Finally, exhaustion reminded of itself and with a big yawn she rest her head on her saddlebag, trying to make a makeshift pillow out of it. It was far from ideal, but it had to make do. She closed her eyes, but instead of the usual darkness, her mind projected an image. A face, all too familliar... The crystal pony woke from her slumber. She didn't rmember where she was, or when for that matter. She kept her eyes closed as her mind recalled the last images of her dream, now escaping like water from a broken cup. She felt a nudge into her side. "Just five minutes, Evie..." - she said lazily, correcting her position. Another nudge, this time more insistent. The mare opened one eye, and saw black hooves and a flaming tail. Suddenly realising where and with whom she was, she shot up from her blanket straight up on all fours, ready to go. "I'm awake! I'm ready!"

@ Garreth kept on contemplating on his happy thought, as he thought he should to do this meditation thing right... It felt good, he had to admit, but so would regular daydreaming. After some time, he lost focus and couldn't regain it. With some frustration he opened his eyes and came back to the present. Since Harley seemed to be still meditating, he just sat quietly and observed her.

@ Garreth snickered at the thought of those "enlightened" ponies. He had to deal with them a few times, actually... He didn't get much from what Harley tried to convey, but clearing his mind and thinking happy thoughts? He could do that. "Alright, I'll give it a shot then." He nodded, then closed his eyes trying to follow the mare's instructions. At first, it seemed that he couldn't stop thinking about something, anything really. Thoughts and images popped up relentlessly, and he focused on his breathing. Even, slow, deep breaths. In, hold, out. That seemed to work actually, as the traffic in his mind lessened gradually. He had no idea how long it took, but at some point, his mind was... clear. No thoughts, images, nothing. Just his breathing. It wasn't that bad, actually. So now he should think the happy thoughts, right? Well, he had an idea what to think of...

@ Garreth felt relieved. It seemed that Harley had some confidence in him, which was good. He lowered his head towards hers and said quietly 8nto her ear: "Thanks. I'll do my best." He felt that she wanted to get out of his embrace and he let go, curious what she had in mind. He honestly didn't expect she would start the topic of actual meditation. As the mare sat on the grass, seemingly oblivious to the possibility of staining her dress, the griffon kept standing, unsure where she was going with it. It seemed she was seriously trying to teach him meditation though. Reluctantly, he sat opposite to the mare and copied her pose, then asked: "Okay, I always thought meditation is one of those things only practiced by hippie ponies with thousand yard stares, but if you say it's actually kinda useful... So what do I do now?"

@ "Alright, lead the way!" Garreth walked beside Harley to the place she had in mind, confident that it would most probably be great. The spot did seem secluded alright. The amount of passerby quickly dropped until it seemed they were all alone. Then she led them off the lit path, on a smaller tract lit just by the moon and fireflies, which apparently were here because of the flowers that grew like a colorful carpet on both sides. When they reached the clearing, Garreth looked around. It was small, just twenty steps across or so. Maybe that's where the founder of this place hid from the world with his wife? The place seemed perfect for that. The griffon nodded. "Yes, I can see the appeal... They should put a bench here though." He listened to Harley as she laid out her reasons why she comes here. Did she really had that much weight on her concience? She seemed like a good pony. Maybe that was the reason - insensitive jerks have no concience, makes sense they never feel guilty. The griffon sighed as he embraced her, and then wing hugged for good measure. "I can only hope that I won't give you more topics to ponder in here then. One of my biggest fears is that of disappointment, you know. And I'd hate to disappoint you..."

@@Nightmare Season The loud grumble from Nightmare's stomach made the mare snicker. A mythical dream pony eh? Seems food brings everypony to the same level. Crystal Clear shook her head as she unwrapped the meal. "I guess you overestimate me. We just had a case like yours fairly recently, that's all. Otherwise, I don't know what would I think of your story." The fabric unveiled six sandwiches. Not much, but better than nothing, right? Crystal split them evenly and let the nightmare pony take his share with his magic. Upon his inquiry, she said: "nothing fancy I'm afraid. I hate cooking and it shows... I made these sandwiches with lettuce, tomato and some dandelion. " Once she revealed the menu, Crystal took one of hers and began eating. They ate in silence st first, both apparently busy with their own thoughts. By the second sandwich Nightmare spoke up. Crystal had to admit, it did sound curious. She had an idea but quickly dismissed it. "That sounds... interesting, you know?" She reached for the third one but didn't bite it yet. "I was wondering... do you feed only on bad dreams? What's it like for the dreaming pony? Is it safe for them?" Crystal had an idea, but she had to know if it wasn't playing with fire.

@@Nightmare Season "Thanks for understanding. I fear it's too soon for me to open up..." - The mare nodded in approval of the stallion's words, but her own voice sounded rather absent. Crystal Clear listened to Nightmare's story without interrupting. For once, she hated when ponies did that to her, and she also didn't want to break his train of thought. The reveal made her feel uncomfortable, but the longer she listened, the less worried she was of her accidental saviour. Once it was apparent that he finished, only then did she speak. "Surprisingly enough, I feel more at ease then I was previously." She then shifted on her blanket to catch the heat into her bruised side, and straighten her rear legs to the side. She seemed to be relaxing in the warmth provided by the strange fires of the nightmare pony. "I mean, you did bring out some nightmare material into my mind, and it could look like you were setting ground for a meal, but it seems you're in luck - a few weeks ago the Empire was terrorised by a changeling. It's an insect like creature that vaguely resembles a pony. They can shapeshift into anypony they lay eyes on and feed off love. As you probably guessed, they tend to replace a well loved pony to steal the love that's directed at them. Long story short, it was a stray who just wanted to get along. So, yes, your family may be, well, evil, but I'll give you a chance to make your own impression. So far, I'm more scared of the dark than you, if that's any consolation." - she smiled reassuringly and swept the messy mane away from her eyes. "If mom could see me like this, I wouldn't hear the end of it..." She recalled that she had food in her saddlebag. "I'll get a bite to eat, you want some? It may not be a dream filled root, but it should taste better." Crystal pulled the saddlebag closer and procured a flask, and something wrapped in coarse fabric. She raised her eyebrow as she looked at Nightmare. "So how it's gonna be? Want some?"

@@Nightmare Season, Crystal Clear observed the floating cards. They seemed a bit like the glow-bugs she saw on one of her travels down South... As the cards slowly landed on the ground, Nightmare began what must've been some kind of fortune telling. But instead of the usual banter of riches and great love, he claimed to have seen... No, it couldn't be! Crystal glanced at the stallion, then his deck of cards,and at him back again. Her ears laid flat against her head, her eyes wide with surprise and shock. How could he be so... accurate? Should she tell him? She haven't told her own parents... Her mental back-and-forth continued for some time. She started to speak, then decided against it. Finally, she settled for a compromise. "I'm sorry... I just... don't feel ready to talk about it. Not yet, not here...." She sighed deeply as memories flew into her consciousness. "You're right, there is... something..." She laid her head on her crossed cannons, resigned. "The third reason." She needed to change the topic, fast. She didn't want to talk about it. Not now, and quite frankly, not ever. She looked up at the strange stallion, who's fiery mane and tail started to produce heat. Crystal was pretty sure that now it burned like real fire. Fortunately, she was out of range of the inferno. She needed some answers, and decided to ask for them. "You said I may aks you some questions. Who are you? You say about your... kind, but what kind is it? I don't recall ever hearing or reading of anypony like you. Not recently, and not a thousand years ago. I kind of skipped the in-between." She smiled weakly at the witty remark. She told him the Empire disappeared for a thousand years, after all.

@@Nightmare Season Crystal Clear looked at the path ahead as Nightmare Season moved away from her view. He was right, picking a path at random could do more harm than good, considering their situation. "Sounds like a plan, and I could use some rest, truth be told." - she nodded in agreement. Seeing that the stallion was settling in for rest, Crystal looked for a spot for herself. The conditions were far from ideal, but she found a place for herself just a step away from Nightmare, where she took off her saddlebags and released the small blanket from straps that held it in place, then unrolled it on the hard cavern floor. Satisfied with her new personal space, she lied down, slowly, trying to minimise the pain from her bruises as she moved about. She took a glance at her strange companion. It seemed Nightmare had something to eat, even if he didn't seem too happy about the taste, apparently... The deck of cards in front of him was also interesting, but Crystal was never very nosey, so she minded her own business. The mare dragged her saddlebags closer onto the blanket, seemingly unfazed by the fact that it made it even more dirty. She was about to reach inside when the stallion spoke, and she turned her attention towards him. Crystal thought for a moment of the stallion's words, rubbing her chin with her good hoof, then replied: "Hmm... I sure don't mind a chat but... I just don't know where to start really... I have a good life, my parents are okay, I have a brother but he's a lost cause, that one. He'll never learn what honest work is, always looking for shortcuts and easy money..." She cought a thread of something that worried her sometimes, and decided to change the topic in that direction "Although, come to think of it, I guess there is something that would fit your bill." She sighed a bit and took a more comfortable position. "See, sometimes I like to sit at the window at night, look at the empry street, the city lights and the stars, and I wonder about the future. We, the Crystal Ponies, were torn out of the world, and reappeared a thousand years later - a whole millennium! We haven't aged a day, yet the world outside... changed. I grew up in the pinnacle of civilisation, and now I live in a wacky theme park, a tourist attraction of Equestria. They come here with their strange technologies, ideas, and, yes, cheap goods to rival my own. I don't know if my world will survive it, you know... When I curl up in that window, I fear that some day I will see Equestrian buildings, their gadgets and way of life instead of our own... That one day, there will be no Crystal Empire as I know it." She rubbed a hoof into her eye, and discovered with some surprise that her fur was moist. Did it really bother her so much that she shed a tear? Or maybe there was something about this pony that made her feel that way? She had no answer for that.

@@Nightmare Season, Crystal looked at Nightmare as if his mane just frozen over, but the stallion already turned around to continue the walk before she had an opportunity to respond, so she just shut up and followed. One good thing? Bad experience? What was he all about now? She made a mistake, and it very well could cost her life, sure, but she got lucky and found him, so it wasn't that bad... And no force known to ponykind would keep her away from this cave for long. She learned a lesson, but it wouldn't lead her away from her goals. This cave could be the deepest she found so far... The silence as they walked seemed awkward, but maybe her companion prefered it that way. After some time, he started the conversation on his own accord, which was good in Crystal's books. She shook her head, even though he wasn't looking at her at the time. "So you don't know anything about the Frozen North, the Crystal Empire or the Crystal Ponies? Well, to be honest, most of Equestria didn't until fairly recently. See, we kiiiiinda dissapeared from the map for a thousand years... The city, it's inhabitants, everything. A curse of our late king...." She said the last sentence with disgust. "I'm a Crystal Mender - a tradespony who makes things from crystals, like the pick I have here. We make nearly anything from crystal, you see. It's easier to work with than stone, and wood here is scarce and unsuitable for building, so we learned to work crystal. You have to see the Empire, the entire city, everything made of crystal. The way it shines in the sunlight..." Crystal shook her head again, this time to get rid of the vista in her mind, lest she started daydreaming of the beauty of her hometown. She took a deep breath and continued. "As for the caves, well, there are several reasons. One, I can get some materials for free rather than buy everything. Two, I like adventures from time to time. Well, this one didn't go as planned but usually I get back home on my own. Three... " Of Heart, she never tells about number three! "Actually, here are only two reasons." She nodded to herself in a bit too exaggerated fashion and almost walked straight into Nightmare's burning tail, stopping mere inches from the flames with a startled "Eeek!" "S-sorry, I almost walked right into you. Something's wrong?" It was hard to see through all the flames at her eye level...

@@Nightmare Season, Crystal was rather confused. So Nightmare was good, but his kind, whatever it was, was evil? The story with Thorax the Changeling putting the entire city on high alert just a few weeks back made that sound feasible... But that was hardly the time for bombarding her only lifeline with questions. The mare thought for a moment, deciding whether to take what she found or not. She nodded and turned back. "Okay, it'll be just a moment." She fished a small pickaxe that was strapped to her saddlebag with her mouth as she walked. She also noticed that, once she turned away from the stallion, her crystal lantern began shining just a tiny bit. She smiled at the familliar white light. A couple steps later, Crystal Clear found a yellow protrusion in the rock. With a practiced swing of the pickaxe, she lodged it free out of the rock and grabbed in her good hoof. Just as expected, it was a piryte crystal. Small and coarse, but still. She could see the polished cube with her mind's eye. It took some trial and error to hook the pickaxe again, and she walked back to Nightmare, showing him her prize. "It's pyrite, my favourite mineral. It can be used as a cheap replacement for gold, but I collect it in cubes. Well, sometimes I use it for work, like when I ingrain my cutie mark in the work as proof I made it." She blew the dust off her new findd and slid it into her saddlebag, then tried to sense the airflow, like Nightmare apparently could, but to no avail. "So it's evening already? Shame, I had some more plans for today..." All in all, it very well could be, if her stomach was any indication... "Alright, so... light the way to some place we could rest for a bit? I've got a blanket and some sandwitches in my saddlebags, so it shouldn't be so bad, I guess."

@@Nightmare Season, Crystal listened to the stallion's reply as they left the cavern and entered a tunnel, hopefully leading outside. He walked fast, and it was hard to keep up at first, so she raised her aching leg and walked faster on just three, trying to keep balance on the tricky stone floor. Fortunately, Nightmare slowed to an acceptable pace soon enough before she had to voice her complaints. Once it seemed the stallion finished his reply, the crystal pony inquired some more. "U-huh, I guess the guards would have a heart attack if they saw you casually trotting through the city..." She wouldn't dare ask about his family or his kind. At least not until he led her outside. She saw a familliar yellow glow in the wall but refused the temptation to dig out the mineral. She did stop however, and had to hop on three to catch up. "But you have a place to stay, right? A wagon maybe?" It was rather awkward to talk to a flaming tail, but some passages were too narrow for them to walk side by side.

@, Garreth listened to Harley's little history lesson. He had to admit, the story sounded... appealing. "The Lover's Getaway, huh? Sounds appropriate, doesn't it?" - he pulled her closer in a wing hug, consequences be damned. "I've been in many parks, but this one has something special to it. Or perhaps it's the company that makes all the difference..." He looked at the mare, smiling. "Say, you have a favourite spot in here? Somewhere we could forget about the world outside of this fenced enclave?"

@@Nightmare Season Crystal Clear decided that the strange pony she met was, in fact, not an Umbrum. That was a relief. Maybe she would ask who he is then, but only once she was out of this place. She couldn't help but think the stallion looked immensely sad. Maybe his face just seemed this way, illuminated only by the burning mane. She reached our her good foreleg to sense the heat, but there was none. She could safely approach... probably. Just a simple mention of home was enough to make her smile, genuinely this time. Watching the sunrays dance off the roofs and the Palace was enthralling to her. Much like the dancing reflections of Nightmare's flames on crystals in the cavern walls. She watched the lightshow as the large stallion probed the tunnels for a way out. Once Nightmare called to her about the exit, the mare followed his hoofsteps, staying just out of that fiery tail's reach. She was quite sure that trotting would hurt too much right now. "I'll be right behind you! Light the way." Aa she approached, she decided to start some conversation. "Sooo... are you from around here?"

@@Nightmare Season Crystal sighed deeply with relief - "Thank you... I don't care where I come out, I just want to see the sky again. I feared I would never come out of this dark..." The stallion's remark about backup gear struck her as rather... odd. Didn't he know that packing the second glow-crystal lantern would only end up with both running out of juice at the same time? She trailed him as he approached, watching his every move. He didn't seem to be a danger to her, at least not now, but the way he spoke of his kind... And who in their right mind would call a foal like that? There was also that fiery tail to watch out for. Still, Nightmare Season didn't strike her as... evil. Considering the circumstances, she didn't risk anything by accepting his help, even if it was some kind of trap. At least she wasn't all alone in the dark... She was afraid of complete darkness like that. The stallion 's concern seemed... genuine. Maybe he was good after all. Crystal Clear looked at her right side, and the part above her foreleg which slammed first into the rock was clearly bruised. It seemed her saddlebag cushioned her fall, thus avoiding other injuries. She tried to move her leg in all directions, and tensed the muscles by the bruising. It did hurt, but she could walk. The mare looked up from her injury and at the strange stallion. "I can manage, but thanks for asking." She managed to smile a bit as she took the first step towards him. "My name is Crystal Clear, I live in the Crystal Empire, a few miles West from here." She stopped about ten steps away from Nightmare, looking at the dancing flames. "Do I need to keep my distance off these? I wouldn't want to get burned you know..." Crystal saw the Royal Sisters only once, during the near fatal crystalling a few months back, and from some distance too. This pony seemed just as tall as them and she already had to raise her head to look at his face. Walking side by side, a normal pony would talk to the chest fluff.

@@Nightmare Season Crystal Clear wasn't sure what to do: the strange pony said she doesn't have to fear him, but she should fear his kind? And what kind would it be? Since the stallion stayed where he was and just... talked to her, Crystal decided that perhaps a conversation wouldn't be a bad idea. Maybe he knew a way out? She took a couple of deep breaths in order to calm down and held her hoof in the air as a sign for him to wait. It took a bit, but she gradually regained her composure, at least somewhat. Her ears weren't resting flat against her head anymore, she stood a bit more surely - obvious signs that she indeed felt more calm, but still out of her element. She began, with some hesitation - "Um, I was exploring this... cave in here and I went too deep and my light f-faded out. Could you... show me the way out? Please? As she asked for help, Crystal cocked her head a bit sideways and looked at the strange stallion with pleading eyes. She also noticed that this pony had a horn, like a unicorn. She expected to see a pair of giant wings too, but as far as she could tell, the stallion had none.

OOC thread: https://mlpforums.com/topic/159007-diffuse-reflection-1x1-between-nightmare-season-and-raven-rawne/ @Nightmare Season It was just past noon on a lazy Saturday in the Crystal Empire. A day like any other, really. The weather was nice and warm, thanks to the Crystal Heart and it's magic, there were few clouds in the sky, a perfect day for spending time outdoors. Ponies of all walks of life enjoyed their weekend as they saw fit, filling the Heart with their happiness. Not all of them, though. Some eight miles east off the city, a subject of the Crystal Princess felt anything but happy at the moment. In fact, she was scared and running as if her life depended on it. Truth be told, it did... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A thundering cacophony of hooves galloping on hard rock echoed through the caverns and tunnels. A lone figure was stampeding through the extensive cave system - a young mare, one of the crystal ponies who lived in the nearby city. Her cherry coat was dirty from tripping on the rocks, her mane a mess from running at breakneck speed, her eyes wide with fear as the crystal lantern she held in her mouth shone dimly, it's light fading. Dark thoughts rained on her like black rain, fueling the fires of dread as she strived to navigate the unfamilliar corridors towards the entrance. "How could I be so stupid!" "I never shoud've went so deep on the first run!" " Left or right, left or right, left or right... RIIIGHT!" "Heart help me, I can barely see with this fading lantern." "How can I possibly get out without the light?" ... "I'm going to die here." Crystal Clear was panting hard from exertion and stress, her saddlebags were weighting her down and biting into her underside with every breath. The lantern will go off at any moment now, and she still was far away from the entrance... She tripped on a stalagmite she haven't noticed, lost her balance and crashed sideways on the hard suface, letting go of her fading light source. The fluorecent crystal lantern swung on it's strap on her neck and finally gave out it's last, leaving the terrified mare laying on the cavern floor, wheezing, and now in complete darkness. She was in no hurry anymore. She was done for, quite probably. The crystal pony lied where she dropped for a few minutes, panting hard and trying to collect her thoughts. Recall the route back on the surface. Try to accustom to the dark in vain hope of seeing her hoof in front of her face... Once she cought her breath, she sat, slowly, wincing at the pain in her side. Looking around, she saw nothing but black. Crystal got up on her shaky hooves and slowly, very slowly, she moved in the direction she believed she would find the exit. After what seemed like an eternity of groping in the dark, Crystal saw a small light in the distace - a promise of escape! She resisted the urge to run towards it as fast as she could, and continued her slow march, testing the ground before her with a foreleg before each step. Finally she reached the mouth of a tunnel from which the light shone, and ran straight into it, overflowing with joy and relief. She was on the verge of crystaling from happiness when she ran into the adjacent cavern and found the source of the light - a pony was standing in it's middle, but it was unlike anypony she have ever seen. The stallion was jet black, tall as the Royal Princess of Equestria, and his mane and tail were... fire? Crystal froze in place, unsure of who or what was standing in front of her. As she was about to slowly back down, the strange pony noticed her. "G-good morning, s-sir?" - she wimpered with a clentched throat. What if this pony was an Umbrum? Would it hurt her? Should she run? As the wave of thoughts assaulted her mind, she stood frozen, watching the pony intently.