Season 1

Episode 1

Part 2

A Blade in the Dark

"But Princess, I don't get it.", Twilight's ears flattened on her head, "Was it a Unicorn? And why did he have a weird horn? Did his daddy really not like him?"

"Hm.", Celestia softly batted her eyelashes, looking back down to the small foal, "It wouldn't be much of a story if I spoiled it for you, would it Twilight?", she asked, her eyes glistened a tad, as if telling up until now had brought back some odd series of memories.

"... No.", she answered, plopping her head back down in her snug blankets, and staring up at the Princess, "So what happened next?"

"Well my faithful student if you would be a little more patient you will find out.", she smiled, meaning no harm.

"Ookaay.", Twilight conceded, huffing into her pillow, and blinking, staring up at her teacher. To hear out Celestia, she would be a good little angel, her ears perking up to show she was listening.

"Very good.", the white equine nodded, closing her eyes, before looking up out the balcony door, through the windows, and out to the night sky, "Well it was for certain little Umekile was a Unicorn. Lodin had Star Brimmer appraise him. Of course they had no clue as to why his horn appeared as it did~"

Transition~

"Umek... Umek... Wake up, my Umekile.", came the endearing voice of a familiar family member. The nudge of a wooden spoon agaisnt the belly of a sleeping filly could wake any ticklish child.

"Uuugghhh~", the Dark brown-olive colt stirred under his light covers, he didn't want to wake up at first, "Noooo~ But mommy~ The sun only jus woke up!", he complained, perhaps the equivalent of a three year old child. The boy rolled over, pushing his head under his small pillow to hide from her amused, motherly giggle.

"Yes, and your father has woken up all the earlier. And as old as he gets, why can you not?", she asked, setting the spoon aside, and lowering her head, pulling the covers off, and convincing Umek to wake.

"But I can! I jus got sleepy!", he complained, trying to find excuse. At this point in time, all he wanted to do was impress his father. He looked up, and gasped, plopping down into the covers, and searching around, crawling under his pillow to find his hat. Made just for him, perhaps a little too big, but it covered the one thing that differed him from everypony in his community.

Marian had a mother's smile, but the sight of the hat made her frown, "Oh Umek I'm so sorry. I- I should have made the hat smaller... you don't have to wear it if you do not want to."

He tilted his head, hiding the blade-horn quite naively, "But I had dis hat for a long time now, mommy.", he nodded, the concealing clothing falling over his eyes, getting caught on his horn, and leaving it hidden, "I don't mind it!", he was confused, leaping up, and rubbing noses with his mother.

This she could not deny brought her joy, to at least know her son didn't feel too different with just one piece of clothing on him that made him appear normal. In fact, it seemed more like he didn't know why he wore it in the first place.

It had never been a problem to this day. Discussed only amongst the adults.

"So can I go now?", his words snapped her out of a daze.

"Oh, yes, of course dear.", Marian softly shook her head, watching him go to the door, snatching a set of brown clothe that hung up on the rack.

Umek dragged it along in his mouth, before clumsily slipping it around him like a cape, after all a late autumn morning could give a small colt the chills. He tightened it with a swift tug on the string, and smiled, his hoof fumbling with the hat, moving it away from his eyes so he could watch where he was going. He pushed open the door, and shivered when the morning chill hit him.

"Bye mommy!", he hopped out, onto the dirt beneath him, shutting the door. The first thing on his mind was to find his father. Around this time of year Lodin would plow the fields, and pull up a number of pre-winter weeds.

At a stumbling gallop through the village, and down the long dirt roads, surrounded by nothing but pure farmland. The wind is cold, and the air is stale, very dry. If not for the clothes, the young equine may have caught a cold.

He knew exactly where to find his father, the young unicorn coming to a halt at the edge of a curve in the road, he had to climb down a steep hill. He avoided all the thorns, and tall weeds, before he even slipped, and tumbled down, "Ooph!"

The fledgling rubbed his head, winter was always his least favorite season, and with it well on the way he knew it wouldn't be an easy one. He always overheard his father talking about how they'd make it.

And they always did, but his sense of hate came more from the realization he was cooped up in his home all winter long. He was excited however... in the last few years, his father had built a second floor, which served as both an attic, and soon-to-be Umekile's room. He always thought about the day his father would finish putting in the window, and then Mother Marian would move in all of his things.

Speaking of Lodin; "Daddy!"

He was out in the field with several others, including Uncle Huckleberry. Not that the colt was an unwelcome sight, Lodin seemed fine when he saw practically a hat running to him, "Goodmorrow Little Umek.", he jabbed his weeding pitchfork to the cold earth, resting against it.

"Aye, Lodin, brother, he be getting bigger by the days.", the orange colt inquired, smiling to his elder brother. Though he seemed far less friendly, and a little more taunting, "He ain't even got his mark yet, does he?"

"No~... I don't believe so.", he replied, disgruntled by his siblings teasing. It was not welcomed. The father gave the oncoming filly a smile, a light one. It lasted only so long, he was hesitant to encourage his son to help him.

"Daddy, its okay! I got my hat!", he shouted, trudging at full speed to his father, his eyes almost hidden, blotting Umek's vision.

Lodin sighed with some embarrassment, smiling uneasily to his farmhands, and brother, "Umek. I Might not have work for you, when you're so young.", but it didn't discourage, the young colt kept running in.

"Ah come on brother, what the worse that could happen?", Huckleberry smiled, with much taunt, a long strand of wheat hanging out his mouth, he churned it over to the other side, grinning at his brother.

"Why do you mock me, Huck?", he sighed. Just when his brother seemed ready to answer, a loud "Ooph!" caught their attention.

Umek had fallen forward, onto the cold dirt in the field, it didn't hurt him, he did not cry. But his hat had fallen off, laying on the ground, where late autumn mud had collected, "...Oww~", he complained anyway.

The farmhands turned, looking to Umekile's father. Lodin dipped his head, his own hat coming over his eyes, "Aye...", he mumbled to himself.

The young unicorn blinked, looking up at his father, he felt around on his head. No hat. Nothin but cold steel. The child swallowed, "I~", he reached out for his hat, but it was muddy, uncle Huckleberry picked it up for him.

"Ere ya go little Umekile.", he smiled, but what Umek saw as his friendly uncle; Lodin knew was a hollow way of poking fun at the outcast.

"Thats enough, Huckleberry.", he grumbled, moving closer, he took the hat with some dissaproval, handing it to his son, "Umek... maybe it is best you just go play with your friends~"

The innocent eyes stared up at him, searching for a reason. "But why?"

"Umekile, just go.", he cleared his throat, and stood tall, "Huck, back to work, you've had your fun.", he grumbled, shaking his head softly to himself, his eyes beaming back down to his kin, "Umek, go.", he hastened a little more, tipping his hat back up, he turned around, pulling the dirt grinding tool up form the earth, returning to the field-work.

"But~...", with his hat at his feet, the horn pale with the clouds blotting out the sun, young Umek put his eyes away from his father, and right to where he'd been crushed to~ The dirt. "Sorry dad.", he mumbled.

"Umek-", Lodin spoke up, but he was too late, his son had made a break for the road, toward the village square. He did not feel whatever burn he'd given until Umekile was long gone; lowering his head with a soft sigh as he helped hook up a blow to one of his heavyweight helpers.

…

He panted, and huffed when he reached town, stopping beside the town trader, one of the largest buildings in the village. Still rather plain like most of the other homes nearby. He rested his small tired hooves, laying against one of the poles holding up the overhang of the building outside the front door.

The small unicorn was a little stricken, but with his own childish attitude, he might have been able to put off his father's rejection of him... he just needed something fun to do.

And at the smallest sight of other fillies and colts his age, he was scampering off after them, slipping on his hat as he did. He placed a confident smile, almost excited. He didn't get out much; apparently it wasn't a great idea according to his mother.

They were his uncle's children, and their friends, a bunch of colts, and mares his age, playing, shoving, and roughhousing in the cold dirt out in the middle of the village's main road.

"Ow! Stop pulling my hair Jackie!", the biggest of them groaned, his mane was shaggy, and brown, his tail short, and cut. The youngster's coat was a crimson red. A giggling filly had climbed on top of him, pulling his ears with her hooves, and not letting go, holding on for a dear life, shutting her soft green eyes tight to avoid cold wind.

"Wicker! It's your Uncle's kid!", one of the boys called out. This ended the play-fighting instantly.

"What?", the red colt asked, the girl still hanging over his neck. A sly grin crossed his face, "My daddy told me you'd never come outta your cottage, Umekile.", he mocked instantly, no hesitance.

The olive brown outcast came to a stop, "Hi guys~", he ignored the tease, looking down, his hat falling over his face. This made some of them laugh a bit at how ridiculous it looked on him.

"So what? Aunt Marian got rid uh your horn or something? Can't do any spell stuff now? She cleaning it?"

Umekile blushed, frowning, looking at his hooves, "No~", he blinked.

"Wicky leave him alone!", one of the younger mare's exclaimed, trotting out in front of him, "My mommy says he's just special cuz he has magic!", she pouted.

"My dad says it's not even a horn! Just a freak of nature!"

"Nuh uh! It's a disease! My grandmum told me."

Umekile began to frown, and retreat almost under his hat more and more, blinking, before shutting his eyes tight. He never heard about any of these things before! Why were they all saying this? He covered his face with his small hooves, his hat covering most of the front of his body... until it was flicked off, and all the little ones gasped.

"Whoa! It's so sharp!"

"Don't touch it! You'll get pony aids!", Umekile didn't even know what that was.

What was worse, he was showing, "No!", he tried to grab his hat, but one of the other colts got between him, and a hold on the rough surface, just to stare at his strange headpiece.

"My eyyyes!", one of them teased, falling to his back when some pale sunlight reflected into his face, getting them to laugh.

Umek covered his eyes, scooching into a ball, trying to hide.

"Umek's crying!", Wicker teased, poking the youngling even as he cowered.

"Am not!", he whined through his hooves.

"Are to!", one retorted.

"E-Nough!", bumbled a much older voice. And it was familiar enough to put all the smaller children into a silence. Dark blue hooves, old, and rickety wobbled passed them, standing tall over them. Behind Umekile, "That is quite enough... Naught even an old colt could let such behavior go on...", the old pony raised his head, his pointed hat was just as old as he was; Star Brimmer.

"Sooorrryy Star Brimmer~", They all said in simultaneous motion.

The old equine lifted his head higher to gaze over them, his mane fluttering around in the autumn cold, he wore a heavy cloak from his neck down to his knees, covering his waist, and tail. His hood hung down from his right side. The only other unicorn in all of Hefferlin; the name of the village, "And best you all remember that.", he grimaced the old disapproval gaze.

Wicker traced his hoof on the ground, "I have to go... help my dad in the fields!", he looked away, "Hey come on guys!", he scampered off.

"Wait up!", one whined, trailing along with the rest.

Star Brimmer closed his eyes with a quiet, relenting sigh, before he peered down to the only unicorn but him in this small world.

"Umekile.", he cleared his throat.

But the filly only stayed cooped up, not moving.

"Umekile~", his voice seemed to grow a little unimpressed. And again, boasted no reward for trying to make the little one speak, "Umek!", he grunted.

"What?! Leave me alone!...~ Go away...", he picked his head up, staring at the dirt beneath him, not looking up for the elder. Umekile was unhappy. Or perhaps a better term was discriminated, and disgruntled... by naïve adult eyes. However, Star Brimmer was all but. He understood what it was like... afterall it took him thirty years to get used to such a fate.

Sure he did not have a knife sticking out of his head, but to be a magic caster... now that he related to much more. Even if Umek did not know a spell, or even how to use magic in the slightest.

"Little Umekile why such a fuss? Hm?...", The elder's tone was a little trivial, trying to break through the tears, thus hopefully getting him to calm down.

"I'm not fussing!", the little colt retorted, looking away, "I was sposed to help daddy today~...", he whispered sadly, "But I fell over, and he didn't like it when I showed my horn.", his head turned away, shutting his eyes tight.

Star raised his head up, his short beard breezed about, and his hat shifted, and whipped around as well, being the wizard-style pointed hat, though black, and brownish like the rest of his clothing, "Your father is still unnerved by such a thing isn't he~"

Umekile Scythe nodded, looking up at him with teary eyes, glistening with reject, "Star Brimmer?"

He turned aside to move along, but stopped, his eyes moving over... perhaps? "Yes, young Umekile? What is it?"

"Why am I... A spellcaster?", he didn't know what the name meant, he knew around these parts it was bad... bad enough to make him quite frankly one of the most outlandish in his own home town.

"Why?...", he asked softly, turning his head back, looking down at him with somewhat of a strong, bold appearance.

The fledgling nodded.

To thus he cleared his throat, and gazed around this small, stuck-up world they both lived in. naïve enough to throw away such a gift because it was different. Their morals were cold hearted, "To be a Unicorn... here at least. Is a true gift, little Umek... Your family has not had a magic user in such a very long time... They think it a shame.", he chuckled, closing his eyes, his hoof raised up, and gently poked the blade atop the young colt's head, "But I see it a blessing. Afterall even unicorns... they are not granted with such rarity."

His eyes crossed over looking up at his forehead, "So... Im special?...", he asked, some excitement growing in his heart.

"More special than a rose amongst the Dandilions.", he stepped away, moving ahead.

Those words seemed to stick, and he looked down at a puddle to his side... staring at his reflection, "Even more than that?...", he asked himself. But when he looked up, Star Brimmer was almost out of reach. He hastened to follow, "Wait! Mr. Star Brimmer!"

"Hmhm.", it was an amused chuckle, "What is it, Umekile?...", he found it funny how he'd changed his attitude up so quickly. And though he kept walking, he frowned as he watched the filly slow to a halt... and trail his hoof in the cold dirt road.

"You... you can use magic, right?."

The old unicorn hiked a brow up, levitating his hat off his head, and curiously resting it on his back, exposing his down, greying mane, and almost a bald head, "Aye... that I can~...?", he was becoming anxious, but also nervous.

"Do you... I-... could-...", Umek looked down, and shut his eyes. And then with a loud whining shout, "Could you teach me?!".Only after a few moments, did his eyes open, and he showed a pleading face... wide, a black abyss... he was begging.

However, the old Unicorn changed his view, "I would not go against your father's wishes... I am sorry, little one. Perhaps whence you are older... that is a far better time to learn on your own.", he cleared his raspy old throat.

"But not even a little?!", he hopped after him, "Please Star Brimmer?... Plleeeeaaaaase?!", he expended whatever amount of pride a filly could possess. Eventually to the point he collapsed, wrapping his small hooves around his leg, his bladed horn uncomfortably catching on the adult's cloak.

"Eh yes well~!", he smiled uneasily, fidgeting to keep the sharp tip away from his skin... other than that one particular issue, he was without issue quarreling with the young unicorn, "I'm afraid I cannot just teach you whenever I feel it~ It is not my place to turn you down a different path..."

"But I wanna learn magic!", he retorted, "Come on. Just one... spell?", is that what a trick was called? A spell? He always heard the adults talk about it, "Please Star Brimmer?", he leaned at him again, almost falling forward.

This was his utter defeat. The old pony looked up, and away, his eyes showing much unpleasant, yet rather amused taste... his consideration was fleeting him, and it became clear he was drifting to the young colt.

"Egh~...", he blinked, and looked down, sighing, "Very well... ONE spell, nothing more.", he huffed, floating his tall, pointed hat over his horn, and mumbling to himself. He was beaten.

At first; Umek did not know what to do. This was the first time he'd ever been eager to learn something from an adult. He loved his father, but did not so much as cherish the thought of learning how to properly plow the fields~ Possibly the coolest thing he ever had ever been demonstrated was sheering the fields with the tool of the trade... and his last name. The wheat scythe. But that would come later... he was never allowed too close to such a device, as his mother feared he would only end up hurting himself. Something many young fillies did with such sharp tools.

So he did what most young, excited children would do; bounce up and down, "Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes!", he squealed, drawing much attention.

"Yes yes~ That is enough...", his new tutor inquired, suddenly flowing his cape to cover Umek up from a few eyes across the street, thankfully stopping him.

"Sorry.", he blushed, smiling very sheepishly, crossing his small legs over, and shuffling in happiness.

Star Brimmer took one last glance to the onlookers, he knew what they were thinking. As the elder, he was respected. But to start teaching magic to a young villager? That might have been pulling a few strings.

Never-the-less... he pursued the opprotunity, regardless of the possible consequences. He knew from the bottom of his heart Lodin would not look on his son the same way as others. Not that he questioned a father's love, but there are some things you cannot hide. He knew how respected Lodin was amongst the rest of the community as well, and the jealousy some possessed of him... not that the Scythe family were the most wealthy of the town, they were far from it. It was their work ethic, and their generosity over the years which made them so popular. Umek being trained in magic may have been an issue, but just knowing that such a young colt contained such a power was already bad enough.

Tapping into the magic would if anything make the situation not nearly twice as bad. Off to the windmill with them.

It was not a very big place, large enough to accomidate two or three. The upper two floors personally belonged to Star Brimmer. The first was property of the village. Why he chose to live here they did not understand.

He always told them he studied his best with some form of noise in the background. And the grind of iron gears built with the windmill never seemed to fail. The creak of aging wood, and a wheat beneath being powdered into it's packageable sac to be stored for the winters. Of course now there was no food generation, but the gears never ceased to move unless they froze during the winter, which Star Brimmer kept his promise, and with a hint of his magic; always kept them thawed.

But today was solely for one thing, and that was to teach. He hastily moved back and forth—even as old as he was, he moved quite fast- snatching whatever books he could find.

And the little Umekile watched him with bulbous, curious eyes, as he had been sternly seated, expected to stay where he was, at a wooden desk beside the wall. There were only two windows on the third floor, and one always saw the rotation of the mill wings. It was cozy, and a little dim, save for the two candles at the desk, and perhaps another somewhere around the room... the latern that hung overhead seemed devoid of oil, or a candle at all.

"Mr. Brimmer?", he piped up, staring overwhelmed by the growing pile of books... his cheery attitude seemed to shrink as his boyhood came into play, and he slowly became discouraged. But would the older unicorn let this be? Highly doubtful.

"We shall start with the basics, child... nothing too overzealous... just a hint at what can be.", he laid down an eleventh book at the top of the pile... which though it WAS eleven... they were not very thick, perhaps the largest was looking to about three-to-four hundred pages maximum. To a colt this seemed like too much.

But it was the twelfth that lightened the weight... a small book, a little journal, "Here."

Umek cocked a brow at this one, his horn glinting, it looked so old, "This one?", he asked as it was set directly in front of him.

"Consider it the first step.", he told the fledgling, "They are notes I took myself.", the unicorn smiled, and bowed his head, "Open them... it should make learning the very few basics... easier.". Seemed legitimate.

The colt blinked, staring, it could not have been more than thirty or so pages, "O-okay.", he nodded, a little anxious, yet hesitant. He knew the second he even tried magic... it would change many things to come. What would his father think? Would his mother feel the same? The little equine's feeling changed drastically, and he looked away.

"Open it.", however, Star Brimmer encouraged him, nudging the odd little unicorn.

"But-"

"Umekile Scythe... you asked that I should tutor you, now you shall be taught.", he shifted his gaze, "Now open the book.", he did not mean to sound so rude, but as a teacher, he was a stern one indeed. So stern the ears of the little one folded, and with a quiet nod... did as he was told.

He opened to the first page, and with what knowledge of reading he had, which he acquired from his mother the colt began to read...

What wonders to behold.

Transition~

"And so it should be, Star Brimmer would teach little Umekile in the art of magic.", Celestia dipped her head, smiling. Though not just to Twilight. This story seemed to bring her some form of joy, even if what she told Twilight so far was nothing too grand or exciting.

Twilight poked her head out from the absorbing pillow, "Wait princess...", she inquired, "Was he good at magic?", she asked.

"Oh? Umekile?", the princess seemed well amused. She raised her head again, and looked out the window, "Little Umekile... Hm. He was so very good at what Star Brimmer taught him.", she nodded, almost with a sense of joy, "He was a gifted student, and a strong little Unicorn."

"Yaaay!", Twilight clapped her hooves, and sank back into her prison of fluff, and comfort, almost dissapearing, her ears poking up, and twitching, flicking up and down, and with a muffled voice, "So what happened next?!", she tried to climb out, smiling widely.

It was then the empress would giggle with pride, "Why my dear student, I though you would never ask~!", so excited, the princess rose, and flapped her gorgeous wings, levitating her tea over from her delicately crafted 12/12 inch table, sipping, and then placing it away... A clothe floated over, and gently wiped her lips.

The young filly cuddled up in her pillow again, eyes wide with interest... so far this story was good... but would it get better? She wanted more magic... but she would have to be patient.

"Hm.", Celestia though quietly to herself, "I suppose we can continue elsewhere... perhaps just before this tale would become all too intricate, or boring.", gently rubbing one of her hooves along the carpet.

"And I know just where to begin."

Hiya Everypony. To those who read so far ^^; I'm sorry I am so darn slow. This month is rough school wise, and I've been distracted very easily. This whole first part will take longer than I though, but afterward, I promise they will come in whole, and hopefully much faster than these last two have been.

Please Read and Review.

~Collaboriter.