Lucidity - An MLP Fanfiction

This Zebra Guy Approached Me and Strangely I'm Interested

        Grenadine didn't have many incidents as the years went on. In fact, years six through nine went off without a hitch. Sombre and Sunbeam switched from regular schooling to studying with their mothers on how to be proper princesses.

She was fifteen now and had finally escaped the torture of the two soon-to-be Alicorns. Year ten would be starting tomorrow and-- unbeknownst to Grenadine-- there would be an escort joining the young mare.

The peach Umbrum mare had still been practising her spells under the cover of the night. After Goldie had gone to bed, Grenadine would escape out her window with only the Moon as her witness. She'd walk into the forest and begin practising her Crystal Magic. It was risky, yes, but it was something different. Grenadine had promised not to use the book anymore, but all the other spells were just so boring after she had been exposed to Dark Magic.

Tonight was no different. Grenadine had snuck out after Goldie went to bed, carrying the book in her saddlebag into her little spot in the forest. It was a small clearing surrounded by tall trees with thick leaves. Near the area was a cave that had blue crystals near the entrance, secluded enough from anything that Grenadine was aware existed. She had been practising a spell that would resurrect dead plants (she was going to move onto small animals soon) when she heard the snapping of a twig nearby.

"Hello?" Grenadine called out. Her eyes were glowing in the dark, the same colour as her horn had just been moments ago.

There was no response. Grenadine ignored it and continued reading the spell. Right as the plant began to rise back up, looking similar to its living self, the twigs snapped again. This time the noise was followed by a voice.

"Hey, how are you doing that?" Said the voice. Grenadine yelped.

"Who are you?" The Umbrum jumped up, grabbing the spellbook with her magic and keeping a safe distance from the now visible figure. He was a Zebra-- sort of. The stallion who had interrupted the study session was a pale blue, almost white. He had a light blue, swirled mane and tail, and grey markings on all of his legs. The markings went up about halfway and then stopped with a little grey extrusion and another little grey marking right above the cutoff. Despite his Zebra appearance, the stallion had a Cutie Mark. It was a magenta moon with smaller, light pink stars around it.

"I'm Snow Spellcaster. I live here with my great grandmother," The Zebra stepped closer towards Grenadine. "You still haven't told me how you were doing that. I've never seen that kind of magic used by someone so young."

The Umbrum stayed defensive and held her ground. There was no reason for her to answer the question-- or be on defence in the first place-- but Snow had answered hers, so it was only fair. "I'm Grenadine. I come here to practice spells," She debated whether or not to tell the stallion what exactly the spells were.

Snow didn't seem to mind the lack of thorough explanation. He jerked his head in a motion symbolizing that Grenadine should follow him.

"Come on into the cave. It's getting darker. You shouldn't be out this late unless you know how to protect yourself," The howling of timberwolves sounded in the distance, but Grenadine stayed put.

"Know how to protect yourself?" Grenadine repeated. "You think I'm a helpless filly?" The Umbrum's eyes began to glow slightly, her magic tinting purple.

As if summoned by he sudden hostility, a timberwolf jumped out from seemingly nowhere. Before Snow was able to warn his newfound companion, she was blasting it to ashes. If this were any other person, Snow might see this as insulting; as if she had assumed there was no way for him to get rid of it himself. But this was a young Umbrum, something Snow had never seen in his forest before. His eyes were wide and now his hooves were in a defensive stance.

The half-Zebra finally broke the silence, his red eyes still blown wide. "How about you come inside and have a cup of tea with my Nana? We can discuss your... power."

The cave that Genadine always practised outside of was incredible. There were crystals all over the walls, crafted into the tree trunks decorating the floor, lanterns lighting the room. It was truly a magical sight. There were two smaller openings toward the back of the cave, likely leading to rooms for each of the two Zebras that lived there.

Once she was introduced properly after observing the home, Grenadine saw that Snow's Nana was quite different from Snow himself. She was a purebred Zebra, unlike her grandson. Her coat was white, her black markings covering most of her body. Her mane was greyed from years past, and her eyes...

The grandmother-- Zaliah was her name-- had been blinded by an attack of some sort of monster from the woods where she lived. Her eyes had been targeted and the outcome was a pair of foggy, pale yellow eyes. The blindness didn't stop her from performing rituals and such. It seemed that the handicap had given her more power, what with her "third eye" opened, according to Nana.

"She says she can see things that others can't," Snow said. He admired his grandmother greatly since she was the only family he had left. "Once, she predicted that there would be a dark spirit that entered the forest. She was right; I was nearly killed when it invaded the cave."

Grenadine had been welcomed easily into the home. Her book was safe, Nana didn't mind her. Everything had been going well, the tea, Nana's stories from her past, Snow interpreting the rhymes when Grenadine couldn't understand. But all good things come to an end, and soon Nana began to ask questions about the Umbrum in her presence.

"My eyes are old but do not deceive, is there not something that is up your sleeve?" Nana asked, setting down the teapot she had been pouring. The pale yellow eyes were looking directly at Grenadine.

It was a sudden switch from the kind mare to the prying witch. The young Umbrum couldn't do much but open and close her mouth. Snow cocked his head in confusion.

"Are you going to show her the book?" The blue Zebra asked. He was also looking at Grenadine, but it was more out of expectance, not inquiry.

"Um, yeah. Yes, I mean," Grenadine pulled the book of spells out from behind her, setting it on the table with her magic. "I've been practising in this forest because my mother doesn't want me to practice at home. Well, she doesn't want me to practice at all, really. There was an incident when I was young, and it scared a lot of people."

Grenadine continued on her rant, spilling secret after secret to these strangers, hoping they would understand her lust for magic. There was no way that the descendant of an Umbrum king could simply ignore her calling, after all.

Zaliah finally spoke after the peach mare finished rambling.

"You speak the truth, but please beware. Your magic abilities will cause quite a scare. I've seen this before and I'll say it again," Zaliah had begun to swirl the cup of tea in front of her ominously, still staring Grenadine down with unblinking eyes. "The origin of your magic will cause nothing but pain."

Snow and Grenadine were shocked. The latter chuckled awkwardly, hoping to break the silence. "Um, Grenadine," He stood up and began to walk towards the opening in the cave. "I think it's time to leave."

Grenadine swallowed uneasily and stood up as well, following the young stallion to the entrance. "Yeah. Yeah, I think that's a good idea. Thank you for having me," She grabbed her spellbook and finally left the cave.