My Little Adventure

Episode Four: Hollow Shades' Helping Hooves

Watching the end of the day rush go by the train station, I yawn.
"So," I start. Putting my bag of chips down, I look from the window to Leaf. "Where are we headed next?"

She smiles, "It will take us until nearly Dawn to get there, but Hollow Shades." A tingle rolls down my spine. "O-oh. Hollow Shades, huh?" I pause trying not to show my wariness. "What do you need from there?"

Leaf looks down her book, then turns to me. "Some medicinal supplies, and a special plant that only grows there." I raise my eyebrows. "It only grows in Hollow Shades?"

She nods, "Yup." She yawns stretching out her hooves. "I would get some sleep before we get there, our other train rides won't be as long as this one until we have to go to Ponyville." I nod and she pulls a blanket out of her bag. "I always pack extra, so here!" She pulls out one for me as well.

"Thank you," I say and slip off my boots. "Good night, Q. Sleep well." Leaf says and I return the gesture.

I roll over in my seat, and look out the window. I don't think I will be able to sleep at all, though. Not if we are going to Hollow Shades...
~~

"Q." My eyes flutter open. "We're here." Leaf says, and I look out the window to a shadowy village.

"Ah-alright, let me just get my things together." I say, yawning and stretching my hooves out.

Leaf wraps a pink scarf around her, then flows one over to me. "It's a little chilly here." I wrap the white scarf around my neck.

"Oh right... Lack of sunlight." I say looking back out to the darkness of Hollow Shades.

I gather my bags, put my boots on, and fly off the train. Leaf follows after me, and I look to her. "So we are just gathering from around here, right?"

She looks to me smiling. "No, I have to buy my supplies from here."

I gulp. "Oh.. So we'll -eh- be going in there. That's fine." She nods and trots toward Hollow Shades, and I follow behind her.
"That's fine..." I whisper to myself.

Looking around, Hollow Shades is even shadier than I expected. The buildings are dark, the flora is dark, even the butterflies are dark.

Creatures are going about their nightly days in matching dark furs, feathers and scales.
I've heard rumors about Hollow Shades, and none are ever pleasant.

"H-hey Leaf, how long do you expect we will be here?" She looks up from her book, and is facing forward. "Probably an hour, depending on if we need to harvest the Hollow's flower on our own, we could be here for longer."
An unknown animal calls out from the surrounding forest, spiking my anxiety.

I nod, looking around more and more for any strange activity.

I see some unicorns, and I notice something very... Odd about their horns and eyes. Their magic more specifically.

"Are those ponies practicing dark magic?!" I turn to Leaf quickly, but she seemingly mistakes my shock of terror to be awe.

"Mhm!" Leaf smiles, "The lack of sunlight makes Hollow Shades the perfect place to practice." She says, reading down her book again.

Greeeat. Not only do these creatures look scary in their scary little town, but the unicorns here even practice dark magic.

What could Leaf possibly want in a place like this?
My frightened mind wandered as we walked and I felt less confident with each step.

"Okay, Q. Let's go in." Leaf says as she stands in front of a tall, dark and old looking building.

"O-okay." I say, warily following after her.

No comforting little bell rings as we walk in, and the inside is just as scary as the outside.

There are shelves of glass jars holding unknown substances, and cob webs filling each corner. Candles hang on the walls, giving the room an eerie low-lighting.

Leaf rings a bell on the store counter and a blue maned mare walks out of the door behind it. "Leaf! So good to see you!"

Her voice is cheerier than expected.

I look around at some of the 'merchandise', and listen to Leaf begin to talk again. "It's good to see you too, Chance!"

"What can I get for you today?" I hear the mare ask.

I look at something in a jar that looks awfully... Squishy.

"I just need the usual." I glance over and walk back to Leaf. The mare looks to me, "Who's your friend, Leaf?" She asks.

Gasping, Leaf laughs. "I totally forgot to introduce you two! Chance this is my new friend Inky Quill." I look at the mare, she's a unicorn.
I wonder if she practices dark magic too...

My mind snaps back, "Uh.. Just call me Q, though."

She puts out her hoof for a hoofshake. I shake it and she says her name. "I'm Jewel Dancer, but for some reason everypony has called me Chance since I was just a little filly." She pauses and smiles. "So call me Chance."

I nod and look around more. "So.. Uh.. Do you own this store?" I ask, but she shakes her head. "No," Chance says. "My father owns the store, I just work here part time." I nod and look to Leaf.

"Oh! I should probably get your supplies." Chance says and trots off. Leaf looks at me deep in the eyes. "I can see you're worried about this town, but the people here are really nice. It's a lot better than you think."

I sigh. "It's just so... Creepy here, I guess. And why are unicorns practicing dark magic in the middle of the town, like it's no big deal?"

Leaf laughs, but looks at me sincerely after. "I'm sorry, but no, they practice dark magic, because it isn't a big deal. They're using it, though not for the reasons you would think." I tilt my head.

"They use it to protect themselves, and for healing." She continues.

"For healing?" I question, not knowing dark magic could ever be used to heal.

She nods, "Ponies infected with dark magic can only be healed with dark magic. And having put up civilization in such a place where that kind of magic thrives... they need to protect themselves and others." I nod slowly, vaguely understanding.

"So they use dark magic to rid of dark magic?" I pause. "Isn't that a little redundant?"

Leaf chuckles, "You would think so, but its quite effective."
"That's why I come here to get supplies, there's a lot of issues with the Everfree in Ponyville lately and ponies need magical medicine. Unfortunately most of Canterlot's treatments right now won't utilize dark magic because its looked down upon." She sighs.

"Even if those who are using it are only trying to help, it's still looked at as scary and unnatural."

I look down, feeling guilty for having felt that way myself while knowing so little.

Chance walks out with a flank load of supplies.
"The usual please." Chance says, and Leaf puts probably twenty or thirty bits on the counter.

"Celestia! That's a lot of stuff, Leaf. Where are you going to put it?"

Leaf shakes her head, "I've got Enchanted bags" She laughs and I put a hoof on my head. "That would make a lot more sense than us carrying all of this around Equestria."

She laughs and says her goodbyes to Chance.

"Hey Leaf, I'm sorry for being so skeptical about Hollow Shades. I'd like to know more about this place, if you'd be willing to share?"
"I'd love to." She says cheerfully, and her stomach growls. "On that note, maybe over breakfast?"
I laugh, "I thought you'd never ask!"

We walk out of the shop, and the town doesn't seem as scary now that I take a closer look. I see the ponies practicing dark magic and smile, knowing they are trying to help their town and all the creatures in it.