Chapters "Well I'm off!" Yells an excited silver haired boy as he runs out the front door of a small house near the edge of the woods with a red backpack bouncing about on his back.
The sun hangs high and the wind blows coolly bringing the fresh scents of the nearby body of water. The sun beats heavily without any clouds in the sky. A woman looking around her mid fifties steps out of the open doorway with a giant smile on her face as she waves off to the adventures boy.
"Today is the day!" He says to himself barely containing the energy that wells up inside of him.
A necklace of a bird bounces around his neck as the wind whips across his straight fit faded blue jeans and his red shirt with a yellow flame on the front that forms wings on the back. He runs off into the forest with only one place set in mind.
"Adventure my name is Yūkan!"
After the long run the boy comes to a grove where there sits two others. One is female and the other and male. The male wears a black shirt with a skull and wings on the front of it, he also has a necklace with a cross around his neck made of silver metal, and he wears dark blue jeans with holes towards the bottom on his pants legs. He looks over at Yūkan and nods his head. The female stands moving back and forth on her pink heels with her hands behind her, she dons a pink skirt with a chain coming down it with a white ball on the end of it, she also wears a teal shirt and a white jacket over it, and upon her head she wears a white fur hat that has miniature ears. She giggles and says, "Well its about time you finally got here slowpoke!"
Yūkan just shrugs his shoulders saying, "I wanted to get a good breakfast in today."
The male stands up and says, "Well now that we are all here lets get going."
"Right!" Yūkan says running up beside his friends.
As they start off Yūkan grabs the twos shoulders and asks, "Wait... Where are all your stuff?"
"At the entrance of the cave." The guy says for the both of them.
They resume their walk towards the cave as they have light conversation about what they are about do and all their supplies. They reach the cave after moving through the thicket of the forest. At the entrance of the cave lay two bags one is a big burlap bag and the other is a pink backpack. The two grab their stuff and head into the cave without a care in the world.
*Meanwhile*
A pristine white horse with both a horn and wings sits upon a throne as a black stallion with his head bowed holds up a message on his head for the seemingly queen to read.
"You may leave." She says with a royal fa tine voice.
The black stallion stands and rolls up the message with his muzzle and leaves the room with the message in his mouth. He leaves the room as the queen looks at all the Gothic style windows depicting many events on them of ponies and of a creature of some mythical being and of a baby dragon. She gives a heavy sigh and calls out, "I need a letter to be sent."
On cue a brown unicorn of the female gender rushes in with a scroll, feather, and ink with a brown aura glowing around them rushes into the room. She sits in front of the queen saying, "I'm ready Princess."
The "Princess" looks at one of the nearest Gothic windows and says, "My dearest Twilight Sparkle. I have an urgent quest of you..."
*Human world*
"That's a long slide..." Yūkan says giving a long whistle.
"What are you? Afraid?" The guy says pushing him a little towards the steep slope leading down further into the cave from the entrance.
"Of course not Tsumetai!" Yūkan says turning towards him with an angry look, "In fact I'm going first!"
At that Yūkan turns and jumps onto the slope and slides down it into darkness.
Tsumetai smiles and calls down, "Hows it looks down there!?"
No reply. Tsumetai shrugs and slides down behind him. The girl follows in pursuit. The slide takes longer than expected and than turns into a fall. They scream out in fear and slam onto the ground below them. The girl has a lighter fall having fallen on Tsumetai. Tsumetai groans for her to get off of him as Yūkan laughs at them. The girl quickly gets off and Tsumetai quickly gets up saying, "I could kill you Yūkan."
"Yea I know but you won't." Yūkan says rubbing the back of his head with a wide grin.
"Well I guess we know why people who come down here never come out." The girl says looking up the wall to the slope that led them to this. They couldn't even see the cave entrance from where they were. Just complete darkness.
A switch is heard and a light shines giving the girl a shadow on the wall. Yūkan moves his flashlight around and says, "Alright get your lights out! Adventure waits for no one."
The two others follow suit in getting out their flashlight. In front of them lies three different tunnels of the way they could go.
"Well looks like we could go all together one way or separate and go our own ways." Yūkan says looking down the right way with his flashlight that proves to be futile at seeing whats down it.
The three look at each other and begin to converse over it while at the same time three others were going through the same situation.
*The other world*
"Now hold your horses lass what's got you more worried than a squirrel getting ready for winter." A orange mare says sitting at a table accompanied by two mares with wings, two with horns, and another regular horse like her, "Now tell us about this mission Celestia got us going on again?"
The purple unicorn takes in a deep breath and calmer than before begins to speak.
"Well Princess Celestia just got a report that three little fillies one a earth pony, the other a pegasus, and one a unicorn have been reported of going into the cave north of Ponyville called the Cave of Cutie Marks. And by the way it sounds it seems it would imply that Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle have gone into that forbidden cave."
The rest of the mares gasp in surprise with the clearer explanation of the situation.
"We've got to save those fillies!" the white unicorn yells stomping her right hoof on the table, "They don't know what kind of trouble they are getting into!"
"Oh my..." the yellow pegasus says looking at orange mare who has her head down and clutching her seat with her front hooves tightly.
The blue pegasus flies up yelling, "Well what the hay are we doing here waiting than! Lets go and save them!"
"Wait!" Twilight yells calming her friends down a little, "There is something you should know also... The rumors of the cave... They say if you go in.... there is no way back out... The cave is said to be the birth place of all cutie marks. a place even Celestia wouldn't tread. Not much is written down about that place. Most the history for it has been lost..."
The group rustles about murmuring things to themselves.
"Well that's just stupid!" the blue pegasus says still flying in the air, "To every entrance there is an exit so whatever book you red is wrong."
The purple unicorn's right ear twitches in irritation hating to be told she was "wrong".
"Rainbowdash I assure you books are not wrong." The purple unicorn says looking her flying friend dead in the eye.
"Girls focus..." The yellow pegasus says in a shy tone touching the purple unicorn on the shoulder, "Anything else we should know Twilight?"
"Well other than that there's nothing else I can say. No other data about whats inside the cave can be found." Twilight says shaking her head.
"Well... does that mean we don't go after them! Cause I'll be damned if I don't get Applebloom back!" Applejack yells tears running down her cheeks, "And if you guys don't go I'm sure as hay is!"
Twilight stands saying, "Don't worry we're going to save those fillies. We've got to take everything important for this mission and also we've got to be prepared for never coming back."
"I don't care just as long as I know Applebloom is safe!" Applejack yells still crying but just a little less now.
"Right. Well everyone lets get packing I'll make sure I pack a bunch of goodies for us all!" the pink earth pony says gleefully quickly getting up and heading up stairs of the building.
The friends separate after walking out of the establishment that looks similar to a ginger bread house
*Twilight's place*
"Spike. We've got to talk." Twilight says walking into her tree home that works separate as the town's local library.
"Okay what is is Twi?" Says a purple dragon that has green spikes going down its back and tail.
Twilight looks around the library that holds so many memories that shes shared with a lot of ponies. She smiles and says,"Well Spike pack your things."
Spike cocks his head and asks, "Why's that? Where are we going?"
"On a rescue mission. I'll explain on the way just grab everything that you really want with you when we go as well as for the mission."
Spike follows Twilight up to their room to see her packing assorted things into two large bags usually made for moving ponies. Twilight levitates a doll of a horse towards her where she places it in her the right bag. She levitates the bags unto her back and says, "Well Spike hurry up with the packing we've got some long days ahead of us."
Spike simply nods his head and begins looking for his travel bag to put things in.
*Rarity's house*
The white unicorn burst in through the door and quickly heads upstairs towards her room. She enters in and quickly starts levitating all sorts of items around and places them in a bag lying against the door.
"Don't worry Sweetie I'm coming for you." Rarity says running around the house with her bag behind her packing many things with her.
*Rainbowdash's place*
The blue pegasus flies through the air to her house up in the clouds. She quickly flies in and starts rummaging through the many things she has in her house. She finally finds her bag and start pilling things into it. She looks at the picture of her mom and dad and smiles hoping this isn't the last time she'll see this house.
"I know I'll be back."
*Pinkiepie's place*
The pink mare hops into her room where she stops and gives a long sigh. She looks out the window at the many buildings and the ponies that move about. The mention of the cave sparked something in her. She made sure not to let her friends know that.
"Sis..." She says moving things about scooping cupcakes and other utensils into her travel pack.
*Applejack's place*
The orange mare runs as fast as she can into the house yelling, "Apple emergency!"
Quick as a wit a well toned red stallion walks into the room followed by a green elderly mare asking, "Where's the fire!?"
Noticing the dried tear marks on the orange mares face the red stallion asks, "What happened?"
The orange mare runs up stairs yelling, "Applebloom is in a lot of trouble!"
"Sis slow down tell us what's happening." The red pony says in a deep worried voice.
The orange mare quickly starts packing things in her room for the travels and travels down stairs for food. The red stallion stops her in the kitchen.
"Applejack tell right now you need to tell us what's going on."
Applejack begins to explain what happened as she packs the food and other things she finds of use in the kitchen.
"Never come back?" The green mare says shaking her head, "That's unheard of!"
"I'll pack my things." The red stallion says walking towards the steps.
"No don't Big mac. You two need to stay here and watch the farm. The Apple farm still got to be taken care of. We'll come back. I know it!" Applejack says walking towards the front door.
She walks out the house keeping forward for Ponyville but mutters where the other two can't hear, "I hope."
Author's Note
Sorry I'm not good with western phrases.or writer. Also forgive me for my dialogues of the others too I'm not much of a good writer T.T. Also not really good at editing and my editors sometimes miss things. Also sorry if the end seems a bit rushed did most of the end from 1-4 am in the morning trying to figure out how to end it.
Six mares stand at the edge of ponyville in front of a crowd. They wave off to them as they head off to the Cave. They reach the entrance of the cave by night fall and look down into the cave.
"I can't see anything." Twilight says making her horn glow bright trying to see what's down the cave.
"I don't care lets get going." Applejack says galloping into the cave.
The flying blue pegasus flies in after followed by the white unicorn than Twilight and the yellow pegaus.
*Human*
"Alright guys we'll split off and meet back here alright." Yūkan says walking forward down the middle path.
"Alright try not to get yourself killed." Tsumetai says walking down the right tunnel.
"Right." The girl says going down the tunnel.
*Middle path*
With a giant grin on his face Yūkan walks down the tunnel looking each and every way he can.
"I really don't even see why this place is told so badly. Only down side is we can't get out." He says shrugging his shoulders.
After a few minutes of walking he comes to a door inside of the tunnels.
"A door? Down here?"
He touches the door and feel a cold shiver go through his body. Something pulled him to open the door. Something inhumanly He backs away from the door instantly feeling warm again.
"Hm. There has to be something behind this door." He says putting his flashlight at his waist and turning it off.
Light emanates from within the room dimly illuminating the tunnel a bit. He takes off his bag and quickly rummages through it to find his four inch sheathed knife.
"Alright. I'm ready." He says putting his bag back on.
He grabs hold of the door handle and clutches the knife tight in his grip. He opens the door fast and sticks his knife out ready for an attack. What he does find is something worse.
"Oh... God..." He says as he looks at the array of skeletons mounted on walls, half decayed bodies of things inhumanly and humanly lay draped on wires, flesh hangs from the wall like someone would do posters, and a large controlled fire holds on the left side of the room holds many different creatures and rest o pikes burning away filling the room with even more of the rotten smell of death.
He drops his knife and looks around the forbidding room. He turns around and drops to his knees vomit threatening to spill forth. He clutches his stomach shutting his eyes wondering who or what would do something so horrible like this. He shakes his head and quickly gets up and running back to the entrance to find the others and tell them about the horrors. He keeps running and comes to an opening with a giant hole in the ceiling.
"Wha... This wasn't..."
He looks around and sees the three tunnels around him. One to the left, the other to the right. and the one behind him he just came from.
"No no... This is not good..."
*Tsumetai*
Tsumetai walks down the long tunnel looking along side the walls for any traps. After a bit he notices a glow at the end of the tunnel. He keeps the flashlight close to the ground and starts to approach in a crouched manner. He goes up against the right wall feeling for any switches of the sorts and watching for stepping panels. The light dims as he gets closer. He finally reaches the origin of the light which seemed to be a crystal ball of sorts. The ball didn't seem to be getting any light from a source of any see able.
"Is it coming from within?" He asks himself touching the crystal ball.
At the touch the orb burst with a green light surrounding him in a bubble. He looks around letting go of the crystal. The bubble disappears with a flash and soaks back in the crystal.
"Great treasures indeed." He says staring at the mythical orb.
He takes a hold of the orb and lifts it from its pedestal. He walks forward with the orb and the bubbles follows him like a protective shield. He opens his rough sac and places the orb within for a later use if needed.
"This sure as hell gonna come in handy."
A door opens in front of the pedestal leading down further into the tunnel. He smiles and walks towards the foreboding hole in the wall ready to find more treasures within this forgotten place.
*Elza*
The girls walks down the tunnel humming to herself a song she just heard off the radio. The sound of trickling water catches her ear to the left as she comes to fork int he road. Her eyes twinkle as she thinks water equals crystals. She quickly heads down the left tunnel in search of the source. She runs into an open room that is dimly lit by some source of light. She sees droplet of water dropping down. On the ground lies where the water used to be. She shines the light up to see if any crystals had formed but what is up there is nothing but. Bodies lay spiked on stalagmites blood dripping from the them as some of them look just like they are freshly placed there. She backs away looking in terror at the bodies above her. Some don't even look like humans.
"What the hell!" She screams slipping in a blood pool behind her.
She slams the back of her head into the ground below her. She stands up a little dazed and blurry eyed from the fall. She turns and goes for her way out to find that there is no tunnel behind her. A voice chuckles out in the darkness.
"Welcome to my parlor said the Spider to the fly." The voice says sending chills down her spine almost like a hand was rubbing down it.
*Pony view*
Twilight lands with a thump beside her friends other than the two Pegasi that flew down with her. Twilight and the other stand up and look up the dark conceding dark tunnel they fell through after the entrance of the cave.
"I can see why they say ponies can't make it back but me and Flutter here can." The blue pegasus says flying up through the darkness before shortly coming back flying down at her friends.
"Wha...What!" She says looking at her friends with a weird look.
"What is it Rainbowdash?" Twilight asks a little worry in her voice.
Rainbow flies up multiple time each time coming back down to her friends before yelling, "I can't get out!"
"What do you mean you can't get out!" The brown mare asks.
"When I try to get out it just turns me around in the darkness. I know I'm flying straight up... Dear Celestia something ungodly is going on here." She says grabbing her elbows
"Don't worry about that Rainbowdash." Twilight says, "I'll we'll figure out what's going down soon enough."
"R...Right..." She says flying low to her friends with the yellow pegasus.
The group moves forward sticking close as they walk through the tunnel.
"Seems pretty straight for..." Twilight says before it comes to a three way split.
"I reckon we should split up." Applejack says moving forward towards the first middle tunnel, "It'll be easier to find the girls and we could just meet back up here soon after.
"Right." Twilight says, "Me and Rarity will go right.
"Me and Flutters will go right." Rainbowdash says.
"And I guess I'm going with Pinkie."
The friends split apart promising the to return to each other.
Author's Note
Scene transactions. Yea. I went there. Also gore. Gotta love it. Also I know that's is not how the poem goes but you can get sued over the Happy Birthday song so not going to take risks. Also I'm evil. So lets get this train wreck moving!
Into insanity
the deeper we go
let go of my sanity
It's time for the show!
Mangled bodies
mangled words
Dark entities
An aimless herd
We all stand
as we fall
On this one land
The dead are tall.
So in insanity
we go so deep
To look for the sanity
We try to keep
*Yūkan*
"Shit! Which way do I go!?" He yells looking at the tunnels.
He turns right and runs, "Fuck it!"
He runs down the dark tunnel the shadows moving all round me.
"Tsumetai! Elza!" He yells out looking for any signs of them.
He feels his foot get caught on something and slams into the floor. He gets up his sight dazed a bit. He turns back and sees a long root going across the room. He sucks in a deep breath wondering why there would be roots so far underground and under a cave too. He gets up and keeps running forward. Not even a minute later he notices more roots coming from the ground so unnaturally. Some even looks to block his path. He slows his pace as he enters a circular room with a gigantic tree in front of him. He stares at the tree panting from running so hard.
"How is this..."
He than hears the shifting of the dirt behind him. He turns around to see the roots forming around behind him. He turns and looks at the tree with a face of wonderment.
"This place is not right." He says shaking a little.
He walks forward towards the tree. He takes in the detail of the tree now. It's has black bark and it's leaves has veins that pulsate as almost they were like human veins. As he gets closer it almost seemed as the branches of the tree that numbered in many seem to move towards him. He moves around to his right to see a horror. Many bodies hang from vines. Some have already decayed flesh and along with them many sprouts come out of them almost as if the plant was feeding on them. Than he notices one body still twitching. It was in horse like variety. It looked down at him and said words of mangled language. Its coat was white and it's mane colored of purple and pink hair. Though part of its mane is ripped at some parts.
"Don't worry I'm a get you down!" He yells at her.
Something wraps around his leg and yanks him down to the ground. He's lifted up and comes face to face with the tree. It's looks at him with green hollow eyes that have no mercy in them.
The beast roars and he smells the smell of maple and all kinds of horrid smells. It turns his belly in loops.
"Holy shit."
*Tsumetai*
Tsumetai gives a low whistle as he walks into the hall with crystals organized down the tunnel lighting up the tunnel in red, green, and blue.
"Pretty light show they got down here." He says rubbing his right hand through his hair.
He walks down the elaborated tunnel looking for traps and being very cautious of noises he makes. After a while of walking down the hall it turns a more of a stone pathway.
"Interesting."
He walks down the pathway as the lights turn from crystals to actual lights.
"Must have been recently made." He says running a hand on the metal alloy walls, "Wonder who made all this."
He stops as the sounds wheels can be heard further up ahead. He wonders to himself what type of device would be used down here that would require vehicles. He starts walking again and finds doors on the right and left side. At first non had anyway of seeing what's inside or any indication of what might be inside. He comes across one door with a window and looks inside. Inside sits a miniature horse that's orange and seems to have small wings attached to it. It reminded him of the pegasus in the books he's red. He tilts the doorknob with a struggle.
"Locked..."
The orange pegasus just stares at the door hypnotized by something.
"Welcome to my lab!" A yelling voice says followed by a bunch of clicks.
Tsumetai feels his heart sinks and his body turn cold. He looks to the right to see a man with a gauze around his eyes and creature sprouting from it's back.
"Oh don't worry! I won't treat a fellow human like this. Only the creatures that so happen to stumble upon my abode."
"What are you doing to it?" He asks looking back into the room.
"Well you see. I made a deal with a certain creature down here that would help me turn these creatures into my mindless slaves. I deem to get vengeance on the people of the top world that sent me down here against my will. That is the same reason you are down here too right?" The man says walking around him the slender creatures that seem to be in his back rest on his shoulders.
"What do you mean?"
"When the government first stumbled upon this place they sent the scientist down here with some solders to scout out the place and find what's down here. We found a lot of stuff but with that stuff a lot of us died. They should've sent a lot more than just five and they even knew what was down here! I heard the solders talking about this wasn't what they said was down here too! So I did what I had to! I killed them! Everyone of the solders that were still alive because they sacrificed brilliant minds I slaughtered!" He says laughing at that point.
Tsumetai thinks to himself how insane this man was sounding right now.
"I see." Tsumetai says looking away from the creature, "So this power... What type of power is it."
"Its the power of darkness. A power to fully utilize the fears of the nightmares that lay in your mind. I've only mulled them out in front of them and pushed their minds into their body where they watch the nightmares till they break. Some are easier to break than others." He says petting on of the multiple creatures that seemed to be sleeping.
"A power truly terrifying." Tsumetai says walking down the hallway with the man following behind.
"So do you seek revenge too?" The man asks.
Tsumetai thinks it over knowing it would be unwise to get on this man's bad side, "In a sense, yes."
The two walks down the hallways reaching a more looking into area where there is glass along the walls and you can see clearer into the room. People, creatures of all sorts of twisted ways, and even more miniature horses either move contraptions in the room or are test subjects in the room.
"So what about these horses? You bring them down here with you?"
"Oh those! They came down here talking about some cutie mark getter thingy I don't know. I found them interesting and they seemed more scared of me than them. Some came with magic and thought i was evil and tried to kill me. They learned their lesson fast." He says scoffing.
Tsumetai nods his head listening to the man. He examines many of the creatures. He notices how each horse has a different mark on their hind quarters. He noticed the unicorns used each had different auras around the things they levitated. Some strained and others didn't with what they we're lifting. He noticed most the creatures he found had claws that could easily rip a person to parts and also that that they seemed morphed in a way. They seemed to have some different between the rest of the other kind he'd seen of the creatures.
"So... Why do some seem oddly different from the others." He asks as they come to a giant double door.
"Well you see. The tentacles that latch into me. they have to feed and breed just like we would. Though to do that they need hosts. The way I fully control them is that they harbor off spring of the ones I already have in me."
"They don't kill what they eat?"
"Well in a sense they do but they become what they need to live. Without them they wouldn't be able to live or anything like that. Though I also harbor with in them as well. Because these beasts are latterly a part of me."
"So how long have you had them?"
"Hard to say... I would say about over a thousand years perhaps. Though I'm very cl-"
"Wait... A thousand years? How have you not died."
The man smiles and open the double doors. They both walk inside the room to see multiple dead bodies of human with giant holes in them.
"Like I said these beasts are a part of me. So long they live I live. But I do need a new host every so often."
Tsumetai feels his body tenses.
"So this isn't your first body..."
"Yes and I am growing quite old. YOU do understand right. It's all for the same justice really."
"I don't think I like that tone very much. "Tsumetai says backing away from him and turning towards him."
"Sorry if the idea isn't very appealing but you know. Business is business." He says as the beast rises from his shoulders bearing sharp teeth.
Tsumetai takes off his backpack and pulls out his orb.
"Just know I'm a fight back." He says smiling.
*Elza*
She screams out as a form forms from the blood on the ground. It stands as tall as a human. It holds out it's arm as something long forms from it. It hardens to form a sword in it's hand. Hair grows out in a sloppy manner giving it the look of a male. The man like creature points the sword towards her forming a sinister smile.
"What a beautiful flower. But lets make it red!" He says as he walks forward still pointed.
"No no no no no no!" She screams backing away her hands slipping sometimes in the blood.
"Don't be afraid my pretty! As a gem you are worthy. As a person your nothing. With me I'll make you into something!" He says in a dark poetic way.
As he speaks to her she can feel herself loosing her will to fight back and almost wants him to kill her. He feels wall against her back. The sword presses under her chin pressing sharply into her throat and he lifts her head up. Hot tears flow down her cheeks as her teeth start to grind themselves. The figure lets out a horrible laugh at her misery.
"You-you leave her alone you bully!" Says a childish female voice as the figure falls off to the side.
On his side stands a tannish miniature horse with a styled pink mane.
"You dare fight me child!" The creature says before dissolving into a pool of blood and slowly merging off.
"Ye-Yea!" She yells back up against the wall with the girl.
The girl manages to regain her baring ,somewhat, and tries to stand up using the wall as a support. She looks around the room and sees a exit on the other side of the room from them.
"I see the way out!" She says looking down at the shaking horse beside her, "We can get out of their."
She points towards the exit as the figure merges back together to the right.
"Two more flowers for my growing gardens." He says licking his sword that form staring at the human female with blood lust in his eyes.
"Run!" The miniature horse yells running for the exit.
The girl pushes off the wall and runs with the horse up ahead. The creature throws its blade but she ducks having the blade go across her back and skewer her back pack ripping it off her. She winces in pain and keep running. The creature moves its arms together to make blood piles move towards them all rippling like something is going to rip forth from them. One grows to close and a giant spear shoots out slicing through fur and tissue of the horses left foreleg. She acts like she's about to fall down but quickly fixes herself like second nature. Elza jumps forward lashing out her arms into the tunnel way as the blood stops at the exit of the room. The monsters forms from the puddle smiling saying, "Run Run as you might. I'm the only way you'll catch flight."
The man disappears into the blood and disperses among the room to it's proper blood donor. The girl breathes heavly but manages to get a few laughs out.
"What... are you laughing about." The horse asks looking at her strangely.
"It's just... if the others were here... they probably would've scolded me for how close that was." She says laughing more but still shaking.
"Others? There's more like you? What are you exactly?" The creature asks in a southern style english.
"I'm a human. And yes. Two others like me. I'm Elza. The two others are Yūkan and Tsumetai. I wonder how those two are doing... Probably better off than me." She says standing up and leaning against the wall, "So what and who are you?"
"I"m a pony and my names Applebloom! Just like you I came down here with my friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo... Well used to be friends... we had an huge argument early on and we broke apart. I don't know how long I've been roaming around but that was the first other room I've seen for a long while. I really hope the other girls are safe..."
Appplebloom looks at the ground almost looking to about cry. Elza rubs a comforting hand through her mane.
"Come on I'm sure if they are as brave as you they'll be fine!" Elza says reassuringly, "But right now we need to move on. I need to find my friends and hopefully we'll find your friends along with them! This place is really dangerous to travel alone in."
Applebloom nods her head and follows beside Elza both in silent thinking of their friends.
*Twilight and Rarity*
The two mares walk down the tunnel both their horns glowing in the darkness to shed light on their environment.
"I wish Sweetie Belle and her group would've chosen a much cleaner place to decide to adventure to." The white mare says groaning.
"Yes, well I wish they chose a place that we could see better. Our magic barely even light the walls of this tunnel." Twilight says straining her eyes to see what might be up ahead.
The two mares continue to walk down the tunnel as it seems to grow bigger till they reach a dome like room with skeletons of creatures they have never seen before.
"W-What in the world!" Twilight yells looking at the dead bodies against the wall.
She takes in notice that most the dead bodies seem to be either holding the others back or reaching out towards something. The white mare puts a hoof to her mouth in surprise.
"I don't like the looks of this Rarity." Twilight says backing up to leave the room.
"Twi-Twilight... Look!" Rarity says pointing forward.
Twilight looks forward to see a big book floating in mid air with the words great big books of spells written on it. Twilight jaw drops. She had always heard the rumors of this book that Star Swirled the bearded had wrote but she never figured she would see it for herself.
"Isn't it the most beautiful diamond you've ever seen!" Rarity yells clapping her hooves together in a excited manner.
Twilight looks at her friend questionably. She looks back at the book and feels herself well up with so much happiness. She begins walking to the book. But something nags in the back of her head which makes her stop. Rarity runs towards the book with excitement.
"Wait Rarity!" She yells which makes her stop in her tracks.
"Who are you? You're after my diamond aren't you! Well I'm Going to have none of that!" She yells stomping her hooves on the ground with a snort.
Twilight scratches the back of her head confused by her friend. She looks around trying to remember something she has forgotten. She looks at the book and notice it ripple a bit. She gasp as a memory shoots into her head. She clutches her head and shakes it. She looks back at where the book is and sees a slender creature with itself embed to the ceiling. It has a long line going down it's body like a gigantic mouth. She than remembers why they come here.
"Rarity back away!" She yells backing away from the creature.
"Why should I! My marvelous diamond will be mine! I will have it forever! Oh the thing I could do with this beauty! And how do you know my name!" Rarity yells backing towards the creature.
"Rarity! I'm your friend! Twilight Sparkle! Remember we came down here and get your sister Sweetie Belle!" Twilight says looking between her friend and the creature.
"Sweetie Belle is at home like I told her to be! You can't lie to me!" She says turning around to face the creature, "This diamond will be all mine!"
Twilight starts to run towards her friend when she hears the rattling of bones. She turns back and see the skeletons moving up. The ones that looked o be reaching push the ones that tried to hold them off their bones flinging every where. The moan and groan walking towards Twilight.
"N-N-No!" She yells facing the horde.
He horn glows and levitates a bone to her side for defense. She takes a big gulp her heart thumping hard. She turns back to see Rarity moving closer to the creature.
"I've got to protect my friend." She says running toward her and pushing her away from the creature.
Rarity snorts and says, "You are not preventing me from my treasure!"
*Rainbowdash Fluttershy*
Rainbowdash flies down the tunnel with her flying yellow pegasus friend behind her.
"Okay Fluttershy your good with remembering right?" She asks
"Of course. I go through the Everfree forest everyday and I have to remember all the danger and paths there." The yellow mare says smiling with pride.
"That's good. Need that memory in case we get lost or something."
"We won't I'm sure of it."
"Glad I can trust in you Fluttershy."
The two fly down the tunnel quietly Fluttershy taking in the environment. After a bit the walls change from just regular dirt to walls with writing on them.
"What's this?" Rainbowdash asks looking at the writing.
"Looks like ancient writing." Fluttershy asks rubbing a hoof over some of it.
"Do you know what kind?"
"I'm sorry I've never seen this kind of writing before..." Fluttershy says looking a bit displeased with herself
"It's alright. Let's just keep going."
They fly off and come to three doors against the walls side by side. The middle door is black as night, the right door is red as blood, and the left door is as blue as ice. They look between the three doors wondering which one to go into.
"What do you think Fluttershy?" Rainbowdash asks flying up against each door.
"Ummm I'm not really sure..." She says
They look over each door. Rainbowdash presses her head into the middle door and listens. She hears absolutely nothing. Fluttershy presses against the blue door and feels a very cold chill go through her body. They go to the red door and listen. Inside a small voice could be heard. Almost like a strangled filly.
Fluttershy gasps at the sound and pushes open the door flying in. Rainbowdash follows in pursuit. Inside the room. A filly lies chained to the floor by its throat. It has signs of it used to be being a pegasus but now only nubs lay on its back showing where wings used to be. It's coat is a brown with red splotches every so often. The fillies left leg was mangled a bit welts in it that are still bleeding on the floor. The filly looks up it's eyes a pale red. It looked so weak and seemed it could die on the spot.
Fluttershy covers her mouth and walks towards the dying filly.
"It's okay I'm here to help." Fluttershy says placing a hoof on its head smiling at it trying to comfort it.
"Please.... help..." The creature asks in a female voice that sounds so hoarse and soft.
"Don't worry we'll get her out Flutters." Rainbowdash says flying around looking around for a way to free her.
She sees the chain connected to a lock and flies over to it. She kicks the lock and it snaps the chains slacking on the filly. She flies to the other locks and snap them letting the filly be able to walk around. The filly snaps up on three legs the left way laying limp still bleeding. The filly wobbles forward towards Fluttershy. It opens it's mouth to say something.
"I wish we could get that lock off around your neck." Fluttershy says.
Rainbowdash nods her head and watches as the filly grows fangs in her mouth and jump on Fluttershy sinking her fangs into the horse's neck.
Fluttershy smiles fades into a shocked look as she stares into the ceiling as the vampony drinks her blood. Rainbowdash screams out in horror and flies out the room and down the tunnel scared out of her wits.
"Twilight!" She yells hoping to find her friend to tell her the horror she's found.
*Applejack PinkiePie*
Applejack walks forward with a stern look on her face. The pink mare bounces beside her unnaturally silent. The two keep their heads high and their ears perk for any type of signs of life.
"Hehehehe." A voice says up ahead.
"Who's there!" Applejack asks now running forward.
The pink mare runs along with her. They come to a room with many tunnels leading off different ways.
"Hehehehe come and find me!" The voice calls out mockingly.
"We don't have time fer that! We gotta find Applebloom!" She says stomping her hoof.
"I'll show you the right way if you find me!"
Applejack rolls her eyes, "Alright we'll play your game for now..."
They walk forward into the first tunnel they see and walk out the right tunnel that they saw the first time.
"What the. Alright lets go in the other one." They walk into the tunnel to the left of them and walk out the middle first tunnel they walked into.
"How is that possible!" Applejack says stomping her hooves.
"Hehehe your a silly pony." The voice says mockingly, "You can't find me!"
The pink chuckles at the voice. Applejack glares at her friend. She stops chuckling and goes back to series mode.
"Sorry." She says looking around at the tunnels.
"Theses tunnels got some type of magic on them. Maybe if we go find Twilight she can help us."
"Right!" The pink one says bouncing along with Applejack as they walk the way they did when they entered the room the first time.
After a bit of a walk they feel wind blowing under them. Applejack slams onto the ground followed by the pink mare on top of her. The pink mare looks around the room to see they are back into the many tunnels way.
"That wouldn't make the game fun!" The voice says, "You've got to find me first to leave!"
Applejack stands up making the pink mare fall off her and onto her back.
"Now you listen here! We've got no time for you silly games! I've got a family member to find!" Applejack says glaring at each and every tunnel.
"Find me if you can slowpoke!" The voice says giggling afterwards.
"Come on Pinkie lets split up and hopefully we can find her quicker." Applejack says running into a tunnel.
"Right!" Pinkie says rolling on to her hooves and running through a different tunnel.
"Hehehe come and find me silly ponies!"
Author's Note
Yes. Let us move on to the guts and glory of this story. (Literally)
*Yūkan*
Yūkan twists and turns in the grasp of the trees vice like grip of the vines.
"God dammit!" He yells as he flings his body upwards and grabs the vine with both hands, "I'm not going to die here!"
He bites into the vine repeatedly till it snaps away dropping him hard on the floor. He stands up wobbling a bit as roots lash out from the floor. One swings over head daring to rip his skull right off. He rolls forward and runs not sure where to. He looks up at the pony still strangling try to stop strangle itself. He sees a knife laying on the ground which probably fell from one of the dead bodies above. He also notices different type of foods and money on the ground. He grabs the knife and looks up as a vine strikes down. He jumps back and cuts forward as the vine shoots into the ground. The knife cuts clean through it and makes the tree howl in anger.
"Fucking bring it!" He yells ready for a fair fight.
He runs towards the beast of the tree and stabs it embedding the knife deep into the creature. Black liquid spew quickly like from the wound as the knife drags down. The creature roars in pain dropping buddies it held with the vines. He backs up and runs ripping the knife out and catches the small horse that begins to cough hoarsely gasping for breath. The vines shoot at him as the monster tries to patch the wound it received.
"Come on you fucker!" He yells getting up and making sure the knife was put at a safe point for the horse and him.
He takes off running towards the entrance of the tunnel that was still blocked by roots. Vines and roots come out of every direction trying their best to stop him. A sharp pain shoots through his right shoulder as a vine shoots into his arm. He manages to hold the horse with his left arms, turns, and cuts the vine quickly before turning back around. He comes to the entrance and yells, "Open up!"
He takes the knife and stabs the roots and yanks down the blade going through multiple roots like butter. The barrage of attack slackens as roots fall from the wall and retract and the monster tree screams in pain sharply. He runs forward and looks behind him to see roots lacing through the tunnel after them.
"Shit shit shit shit!" He yells repeatedly ducking under vines and watching some shoot forward and lace around in a type of tripper and choker.
He looks at the horse whose eyes are closed and is breathing lightly. Don't worry I've got this...
He sees a light coming up ahead and runs into it. He turns around to see the roots have blocked up the entire path but have stopped their advance. He sighs and places the horse down and looks her over. She has a laceration mark on her throat but none the less she was in fact alive the fact that her chest was still puffing up and down from deep breathing. He looks around the room to see torches all around the dome shaped room. He than notice an assortment of pedestals with books upon them. Two other entry ways are here too. A sign rest beside each one. He walks to the one on the right that reads the path of Magic and then the other one that reads the path of strength.
"Magic or strength huh?"
He sits beside the horse and lays on his back.
"For now I choose rest."
*Tsumetai*
Tsumetai holds out his sphere the green glow flowing around him. The tentacles creatures lash out slamming into the shield and firing him further into the room.His back slams into the wall and he lets out a loud yelp but still holds onto the the sphere.
"Not the sort of protection I was hoping for..." He mumbles to himself peeling himself off the wall staring daggers into him.
"What kind of sorcery is this!?" The man yells sneering at him.
A whisper can be heard lightly in the back of the head almost like it was scratching at the back of his mind.
"I don't see why I got to tell you." Tsumetai says keeping the orb close.
The man growls and launches himself into the orb and start pounding at it hard with his fist sending ripples through it. Tsumetai stares shocked disbelief that the man would be able to break through this magical shield. He wasn't sure that this was indestructible but he was sure no man could actually break it.
But that's the point. He is no man.
The sudden voice of not his own makes him jump to the right making the man fumble forward after the the large strike into the wall. The man growls and stares daggers at Tsumetai.
"Wha what was that?" He asks himself.
Well that was me. The orb you're holding. Now I would give a better introduction but right now we have a more important problem.
Tsumetai shakes off his shock and re focuses.
Good keep a cool mind. Now let us observe this man. I've collected data through the shield and he seems to have increased strength, speed, and agility. But he isn't too smart. The tentacle creature is what has the intelligence. So get rid of them and he'll be just a brainless being.
"Right." Tsumetai says looking around the room, "But how do I do that?"
Well since I don't want to kill my host with something dangerous I can't resort to fire. For now I'll start you off with something basic like wind.
The man roars again as he starts to bombard on the shield again. Tsumetai better prepares himself and slides back slowly.
"Alright what you want me to do? Move the wind! I don't do magic!"
But with me you do. Now think about the air around you. Think about harnessing it and then when you feel the pressure pretend your throwing a circular blade at him.
"Alright... I'll give it a try." Tsumetai says closing his eyes.
He imagines the wind and harnessing it. He can feel something building inside him. He opens his eyes and hold up the orb. It turns from its green color to a gray color. The shield goes down catching the man by surprise.
"Good to see you've come to you'r-" The man is cut off a something ripples past and through him.
Tsumetai has his left arm outstretched. The man's arms fall off his body and two of the beast on the man's back scream in pain falling off of him wiggling before dying. The man has a look of shock on his face as it looks at both of his detached arm. No blood was falling out or flowing around the detached body parts.
Great! Seems your a natural at this!
Tsumetai couldn't really describe what he was feeling. He felt many things. Anger, pride, and the best thing of all, Powerful. Tsumetai smiles and fells the wind collecting on his left arm and lets loose another reverent. He could see the spinning blades of air as they flew. It was only four. He felt like he could do more but he chose not too. He knew about magic. He's read how magic is both deadly to the one it's being used on and the one using it. If the magic tries to make you doing something you are uncomfortable than don't.
The now legless man lays on the ground like a limp body as four tentacles lay dead on the ground.
Good good! Now that I do look the creatures seem to be Ditalians. Haven't seen them in some thousands of years.
"Excuse me what?"
Ah yes! Introductions. I've would've been talked to you but you have more of a complex mind to get into that I thought. I've run into a lot of dead ends. Now than, My name is Orphean. I've lived for a great long time now but only down here in the cave where I am falsely imprisoned. I've been moved from place to place though so it's hard to say where I started out from. but it's good to see a fellow human kind down here in the caves after such a long time. I almost feared our race had diminished since the last magic war.
"Magic war?"
Ah! You don't know of it! Well it is better that you don't know. Now than say we get out of here now right?
"Right. Wait are you okay with me putting you in my bag?"
Of course I understand you don't have the most greatest of places to put me but we are mentally linked so no harm done.
Tsumetai nods his head and puts the orb in his bag and it changes from its grayish color back to a dull white. The two walk out of the room and Tsumetai looks into the left room and immediately regrets it. The creatures that once were held inside where completely blown to pieces. Blood was splashed all over the wall and different body parts and guts laid all around the room. He falls to his knees and almost throws up.
Yes a tragic fate indeed.
"Indeed..."
He get back up and continues walking head down not wanting to look into any more of the room. Than he remembers to the room where the little horse was in.
Hm? Ah! I see you've run into the pony kind. Shame it's imprisoned down here. Well I guess we could see whether it is still alive but I wouldn't keep your hopes up.
"Right. Wait how'd you?"
Mental link.
"Ah okay."
They find the room and he looks inside.
A pegasus. Great flier they are best I've ever seen. Graceful as a eagle and yet can be even fiercer than a T-Rex when provoked.
Tsumetai takes the door handle and actually opens the door.
"Hey you okay?"
Unlike the last time the orange pegasus is in the corner shivering. The pegasus looks up and asks, "Who...Who's there?"
He eyes. Completely gray as if she was blind. But what the worse part is that she was crying blood.
Ah... the parasite must have been close enough to her eyes when the master was alive.
Tsumetai nods his head and says, "Don't worry I'm a friend and won't hurt you. I promise."
The orange pegasus tenses up at the touch of him but relaxes seeing as he or her case it hasn't hurt her yet.
A filly pegasus. A mare at that. Her wings are to small to fly with but with her blindness even if she could fly she wouldn't be good at it.
The orange pegasus latches itself onto Tsumetai whimpering.
"I want to go home..."
"Don't we all kid. Don't we all." Tsumetai says walking out the room.
He can hear beating on the door that sound way to strong. The roars and shrills of screaming of ungodly nature deter him from staying in this part of the tunnels for long. He walks beak into the tunnel with his two new companions. One to protect and one to learn from.
*Elza*
After walking in silence for longer than she can remember Applebloom speaks up.
"So do you know anything about this cave?"
"No, but I wish I would've of if there was something like that in here." Elza says with a shiver, "Who knows what's else down here."
"So who are the two friends you brought down here?"
"Tsumetai and Yūkan. Those two are the greatest of friends and they tend to get in a lot of trouble. I tell you those two have blown up, caught fire, and and destroyed so many things in their childhood they are barley fazed by anything anymore. They've fought together, played together, and they've even fought one another. Heh that was amazing day too."
She has a giant smile on her face again reminiscing about the days of old. The smile on her face even makes Applebloom smile as well.
"So they were the greatest of friends huh? Just like my sister and her friends!"
"Yea... the very reason why we're down here is because they want to see who could get the treasure faster."
"Treasure? Oh you mean the cutie mark maker right! Your kind gets a cutie mark?" She asks hopping around in front of her.
Elza looks at her confused, "Cutie mark maker? We don't get cutie marks or at least I don't think so. What is a cutie mark anyway?"
"A cutie mark is what you get when a pony finds there special talent and a picture of it appear on their flank. I wish I could show you but I still haven't found my special talent..." She says a little saddened at the last part.
"Hm. We don't get pictures on our butts when we find what we're good at." Elza says nodding her head at the explanation.
"Really? Well that's interesting."
"Sure is... huh?"
Elza looks ahead to see a green light emanating from a hole in the wall to the right. Elza looks inside with Applebloom inside the room to see the outside.
"Is this an exit! We can actually get out of here!"
"Yea! It really does look like it! Now all we have to do is find the."
"Hey guys!" An excited voice says.
Elza and Applebloom look towards the voice to see Yūkan, Tsumetai, Sweetie Belle, and Scootalo all smiling walking towards them. Elza shoots up, runs, and guys Yūkan and Tsumetai.
"I missed you guys so much!" She yells almost on the verge of crying.
Applebloom has done the same and starts crying while saying sorry over and over again. The two group of friends hug each other as happy as can be.
"I can't believe we found each other again! We can finally get out!" Elza says grabbing the two boys hands and leading them towards the exit, "We can go home and be done with this stupid place."
"Yea I hear ya on that. Me and Tsumetai ran into some really messed up situations." Yūkan says rubbing the back of his neck.
"Yea but luckily we found these two and we were able to get more done."
"Yea! They found us in the nick of time! We also made up too. The argument was stupid and we shouldn't have had it in the first place." Scootalo says placing her left foreleg over Sweetie Belle.
"Yea it really was and I bet all the others are worried about us." Applebloom says.
"Alright than let's get out of here than." Elza says stepping in step with her friends.
They walks towards the exit but Applebloom stops and backs up.
Elza stops and walks over to her.
"What's wrong Applebloom."
"They're not Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle." She says with a note of fear in her voice.
"What ya mean."
"In the fight Scootaloo has feather taken out of her right wings and sweetie belle had some of her mane pulled out..." She says backing away from her friends further.
Elza turned around to see that the two other ponies were perfect not a single scratch on them.
Hey... Now that I think about it... If they faced some type of the same thing I did than they've would've fought them... and would've been hurt.
"Your not Yūkan and Tsumetai are ya'll." Elza says standing beside her pony friend.
The others look at each other and smile grins that almost seemed to big for their faces. They all started laughing as things started to melt away. The walls of the tunnel, their friends, and even the floor. The area shifted and twisted till it showed that Elza and Applebloom are standing on a single plateform with a late coming on them from above.
"Where where are we?" Applebloom asks frantic holding on to Elza's leg.
Elza crouches down and holds onto Applebloom, "I don't know but we're getting out of here.
In front of them is a land bridge and the tunnel that they might have walked in from. Where that hole in the wall and the green light used to be was only a dreadful pitfall that would've led to their deaths. From the tunnel a man walks out clapping his hands.
"Bravo! You saw through my illusion. Not all illusions can be perfect after all. Elza... Applebloom... It is truly a honor to kill you." The man says with a crooked grin.
The man fades away with birds flying off. A two hands land on Elza's shoulders. Something sharp lays on her neck.
"And where are you looking?" The man says into her ear.
Applebloom screams at the sudden apparance of them.
No... Is all that Elza thinks.
*Twilight and Rarity*
Twilight bats off out stretched hands towards her as Rarity continue to move forward. Twilight looks back and says, "Sorry about this."
Twilight turns and slams the bone into the back of her head knocking her unconsious.
"Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorry!" She says rapidly quickly scooping her friend onto her back and running through the skeletons out of the room.
Twilight lets Rarity off her back panting out of breath.
"Rarity you okaeeeeeeeee!" She says looking at the open wound at the back of her friend's head.
Twilight stands up quickly searching around.
"Come on Twilight what to do what to do!" She says getting annoyed with herself for not knowing what to do.
"I think I can help..." A voice says behind her.
Twilight eeps and quickly turns around her horn ready to blast magic at the invader.
"It okay I won't hurt you." A girl says floating out with a eggshell white glow around her.
The girl floats closer to Twilight.
"Back! Who are you?! What are you!" Twilight says as forgotten spells that she never noticed left return.
"My name is Izabella... I just want to help..." She says playing with the hem of her dress and looking at the ground.
Twilight looks at Rarity a little worried.
"Alright but don't you dare do anything to hurt her!" Twilight says backing up a little and releasing the spell.
Izabella floats over and places two hands above Rarity as a faint green glow forms around her. The wounds slowly sews it self together and the blood that was exposed seeps into her. Twilight watches wide eyed at the healing spell.
"Wow. I didn't know other creatures are magical." Twilight says looking over the girl in amusement, "So what are you exactly?"
"Well I'm a human... All creatures are magical... My family just kept the magics alive in our family though some of them focus on battle magic I've always wanted to be healer." She says showing a small smile sitting down above the ground.
"How are you floating like that?"
"Floating?" She looks down and shakes her head, "I don't see what you mean."
Twilight cocks her head. Best to just switch the subject.
"What are you doing down here?" Twilight asks sitting beside Rarity.
"Oh! My family came down here to study the effect of the mage war. We came down here together but a cave in split us all apart. I was afraid that something happened to them but since I'm alive than they must be alive too!" She says happily, "Have you seen them down here perhaps?"
Twilight shakes her head, "You're the first friendly thing I've seen down here..."
Izabella sighs and says, "Well I better keep looking than... it was nice to talk to you though."
Twilight nods her head as the girl gets up and floats way but imitating walking on air. Twilight shakes her head and checks on her friend.
"Rarity are you okay." She asks hoping she is.
She mumbles something incoherent.
"What was that?"
"I said what you do with my diamond!" She yells sitting up hitting Twilight in the under jaw pushing knocking her back.
Twilight rubs her jaw.
"I know you knocked me out and stole my diamond! Now I bet you're after the rest of my jewels!"
"No Rarity I'm only here to help!" Twilight insist.
"I will have none of that! You are a burglar and I will hear none of it! Now give me back my diamond or things will get rough!" Rarity says with a snort.
"Rarity I don't want to fight you..."
"Stop talking like you know me!" Rarity says her horn glowing, "Now give me back my diamond before things get messy!"
*Rainbowdash*
Rainbowdash falls to the ground gasp for air. She couldn't believe her eyes. A vampony had just attacked and probably killed Fluttershy. She looks behind her seeing if the creature was till behind her. She takes a giant gulp of breath and tries to calm herself. She didn't know much about vamponies or how they worked. All she knew was they drank blood.
"Okay Rainbowdash... you've got to warn the girls.
She looks around her environment and notice multiple tunnels. The one she ran from, the one in front, the one above, and the one to the right. She looks up to the hole in the ceiling. She wasn't too sure about it but she felt like it would be her best bet. She loosens up after catching her breath and flew into the hole. She keeps flying until she reaches a room like platform. Walls couldn't be seen for miles and there seemed to be no ceiling. She could feel a great draft though that sent shivers through her. She looked around for any indication of where she might be.
"Hello?" She is only greeted by the echo of her words.
She shuffles her hooves and is about to head back down when someone says, "Well hello there my multicolored horse!"
Rainbowdash snorts.
"Horse? For your instance I'm a pony. Who are you?"
"Ah I go by many names. Some call me great and powerful, some call me something fearful, some call me the betrayer, others call me a sense of adventure, you can call me courageous."
"That's not what I'm asking..."
"And yes it is exactly." The man says walking over to the hole, "Been ages since I've seen someone fly up here before. Though why the hole opened here is yet to be determined. I'm guessing you don't feel to sure of yourself?"
"Hah! Me not sure of myself!? You must not know who you are talking to!"
"No I don't mind telling me." The man says examining her.
"I'm the one and only Rainbowdash!" she says proudly flying into the air like at a show casing, "The fastest pegasus alive and the best flyer in the world no in fact the universe!"
"Haha that's a lot of boasting for someone as your size."
"You trying to call me short!" She says flying down and poking a hoof into his chest.
"Not necessarily. Though compared to your average horse I wouldn't say you were something to brag about." The man say rubbing his chin and closing his eyes mimicking a professor he once heard of.
"Like I said I'm not a horse!" She says poking him again.
"Right and but you have lost something am I right?"
Rainbowdash backs up a little unsure, "I...I don't know."
"Come now a mare like you by the name of Fluttertie?"
"Fluttershy..." She says stopping her flight staring at the ground.
"'Ah right Fluttershy! A young vampony made a meal of her. Now if only you were more courageous you would've defended your friend instead of running away."
"Hey how do you."
"I know a lot of things my dead and when some one isn't being courageous than I always know what happened.
The man sits down at the hole, "Take a seat and let's talk for a minute or too."
"I think I would rather leave."
"Come on where is your since of adventure! Are ya chicken to talk to an old man?" He says mockingly.
"I'm no chicken!" She says sitting down beside him.
"Good good now let's talk about some adventures!"
*Fluttershy*
Fluttershy eyes open slowly. He whole body fills sluggish and cold. She felt like rolling over and pulling her cover on her and going back to sleep. She reaches for it but finds nothing.
Angel must have taken my blanket again...
She sits up a little and gives a small yawn. She felt a little weaker today but she wasn't sure why. She looks to her right to see a glass and a note that says drink up. She reaches over and takes the glass.
I wonder who left this here for me?
She takes a sip of the liquid and finds it some what lukewarm yet very tasty. She finds her self gulping down the drink to feel some unknown thirst within her. She feels warmth flow through her entire body. He eyes come wide open as energy flow through her. She than takes notice to a slight pains in her mouth. One on the right and the other on the left. She looks at the drink to notice a few red stains on the floor.
Hm I wonder if it's one of Berrypunch's mix.
She gets up to her hooves and than notice that this is in fact not her room, house, or country. She gasps realizing what events happened. She touches her neck to feel no blood.
Well that's a relief...
"Glad to see you're awake. Looks like I remembered how to convert other ponies after all." A voice of a filly says.
Fluttershy turns around to see a filly standing in the door way. The filly walks in smiling at Fluttershy. Her once nub wings are now full blown bat like wings, her coat is now a healthy brown, the neck brace is gone, and her wounds even the mangled leg are healed.
"Wha what happened?"
"I needed the strength so I fed on your blood. I was planning on feeding on the other one but she is very fast. I wasn't fully up to power to chase her down. So I went into the other rooms to feed on the other creatures. I brought you some blood because I pulled back before I fully killed you. Don't really want to be left alone down here without another of my kind."
She walks around looking Fluttershy up and down.
"Seems like the blood did ya good. At first you were starting to go pale on me. Don't want ya dead yet."
Fluttershy just stands there staring at the door. Something inside her was compelling her to run but another side of her was making her listen to what the filly was saying. So many thoughts were going through her heads still she stopped on one.
I'm...I'm...
"I'm a vampony..." She says in shocked whisper.
"Yes you are and I'm hoping we could be great friends. I'll even let you have the other horse as your first meal as long as you don't mind sharing. From all the colors I bet she taste like skittles!" The filly says walking back to the door, "Now come on we got to stick together or the magic of this place is going to separate us."
Something wanted to make her scream. Something of her wanted to run to her friends. She wanted to cry, fight, and just stay here by herself to be with her thoughts... And yet, something pushed her on wards behind the filly. Let is be vampony instincts or just natural curiosity. She follows behind the filly out into the tunnels her mind cluttered with thoughts that start to become not her own.
*Applejack Pinkiepie*
"Tarnation! Where the hay are ya!" Applejack yells out for Pinkie.
Pinkie pops out from on of the top holes, "Up here! How'd you get all the way back down there?"
"I don't know these tunnels have me all confused!"
"Hehehe how about we lighten things up."
"What you think she." Lave spews from one of he holes near Applejack.
Pinkie and Applejack stares at the lave in horror.
"Better hurry up hehe."
Applejack and pinkie begin their search of the pony even harder now.
Author's Note
Hmmmm who should I mess up the most next time... hmmmmmm
Yūkan wakes up in a crappy mood. Sleeping in a cave is never a fun thing to do. He sits up to looks to his right. Apparently the little horse has found comfort in snuggling up against his right leg. The creature was cute indeed while sleeping but no matter how cute the world was always unforgiving.
"Hey there." He says shaking her lightly, "Its time to get up."
The little horse clutches tighter rubbing her head into his leg trying to get in more sleep.
I'm glad she's not here. If she was she would probably have a heart attack.
"Come on now we really have to get going." He says trying to pry her off.
The young unicorn wakes her eye sight blurry and her throat sore. She looks at the object of comfort to see that its something she's never seen before. He eyes travel up until she's face to face with him. She opens her mouth to scream but imminently regrets it when a sharp pain shoots through her body. She clutches at her throat and tries to remember why it hurts so much.
"Hey calm down. That tree had you up there for a good time. I'm surprised you didn't die sooner. But don't you worry we're far gone away from that tree."
She began to remember that tree now. She saw it and was so entranced by it than everything went black. All she really remembers is a chocking sensation and wanting to be free. She opens her mouth and tries to ask who are you but ends up giving her more pain.
"You probably shouldn't talk for awhile. It isn't healthy for you throat."
She nods her head and decides to write it into the dirt of the cave. Unfortunately the equestrian literature is different from Earth's so he only replies that he can't understand her writing. She than decides to be smart about this. She draws a question mark and points at him.
"Oh! I'm Yūkan. If you think you can, can you tell me your name?"
The unicorn taps her hoof on the ground thinking of a way to tell him her name. She draws a piece of equestrian candy and draws a bell next to it.
"Sweet Bell?"
She figures close enough and nods her head.
"Alright I'll just call ya S.B for short. So I bet you got a lot on you mind huh?"
She nods her head and motions at his body.
"Well I'm a human. I came down here with my two friends to find treasure beyond our wildest dream. Too bad we're finding other stuff instead. Stuff that wants to kill us mostly...."
She nods her head and looks around the room. The rooms was really foreign but it did remind her of the local library.
"So strength or Magic... Hard choice I have to say. And If I know stuff like this you can only pick one. So lets see. Sweet Bell stay close alright?"
She nods her head and stays close behind him.
"Might as well go with strength. Never really did like the magic went." He says walking towards the open door way with the words strength above it.
They travel through the door and enter a room where gloves rest on a pedestal. He looks around the room too see different symbols all over them. The gloves are brown with three different jewels put on them. A red, green, and blue on the right and yellow, white, and black.
"Neat." He says going up and taking them.
To his surprise and relief the only thing that happens is a door behind the pedestal opens.
"Alright S.B lets keep moving!" He puts on the gloves and walks through the door.
*Tsumetai*
"So any Idea of where we are going?"
No, the tunnels are way to unpredictable.
"Ah I see.."
The filly is a sleep in Tsumetai's arms. The orange pegasi finally got calmed down and fell asleep some times ago. This tunnel has been going on forever. Its almost like its a tunnel that goes on forever.
"Jeez I'm getting sick of walking... and Looking at all this dirt too."
It could be worse though. I guess while we travel I can answer any questions you got.
"Um Yea. What was your part in this magic war I've heard about from you?"
Ah that! Well... back during the magic war there was a need for leadership and better technology for the war to end. The orb that I'm sealed inside of is the way we were going to end the war. It worked indeed and there are many others trapped away too but they were dealt with by Celestia, Luna, and many of the other true magic beings. Unfortunately I was also sealed within my own creation. I was deemed as something that was too powerful for my own good so they said it would be safer for me to be like this. I didn't agree with them but I figured it might as well go ahead. A lot has happened and I was too tired to argue as it was. I was supposed to be put up with others who were good natured during the war. This was suppose to be our eternal peace but some how I ended up down here. I hold nothing against anyone really. I just wish to see the world once again.
"Wow... this must really be tough..."
No. Its fine. Once we reach the surface we can find one of the others to free me.
He nods his head understanding all the information. A few more minutes of walking they come to an open room. the room is like a triangle. To the right and left sides are other ways to go. Words are written around the room.
Turn back huh? Something dangerous is up ahead indeed. So that means we should be close to something. That's how this place has always been or so I've heard and seen.
"Really now? Do you think it could be an exit?"
Perhaps but not really sure.
"Well right or left bud?"
Hmmm Left. There has always been something about right that I've never liked...
"Left it is than."
They begin their trek through the unknown world of the underground.
*Elza*
Elza spends around to see the man behind them. The man slides back chuckling at the scared expressions upon the pair's faces.
"Now come girls! I'm not that scary looking am I?" The man says walking around a circle while climbing up higher into the sky as if he was on a spiral staircase, "Now what brings you so deep into the cave?"
"An exit as you probably already know."
"Ah yes the exit of this horrible place. Now the thing is I believe there is no exit and that the exit can be almost anywhere behind some veil you think is there but isn't. But don't worry I'll give you a chance at finding the right path."
The room shifts around till a giant box lies in the middle of the room. Three doors are on the front of it. They look on the sides to see no other doors so they didn't bother with the back if there was a back. It looked like the building went on forever.
"How will this help? Going inside a place while stuck in a cave!" Applebloom yells irritated.
"Well my dear inside this box lies a maze that will lead you to a diffrent spot depending on which door you choose right now. There are many dead ends and there are many dead ends. Its up to you to figure out where you'll end up. If you just pay attention than you should be just fine."
"A maze inside a maze..." Elza says sighing thinking back to multiple movies she's seen in her lifetime.
"Yes! A great way to get through a maze is to make a easier maze of your own am I right?"
Elza would disagree with the lunatic but since he can virtually just kill them with the blink of an eye she choice to keep her mouth closed.
"Now come on I'm a very patient man but you don't want to be here forever now do you?"
Elza had to agree with him and so did Applebloom.
"So right or left?" Applebloom asks.
"I'd say right because so far going right has proved pretty good to me."
Applebloom nods her head and the pair go into the right door way. The door way closes behind them as they stand in a long hallway of white walls, ceiling, and floor.
"I guess no going back now..." Elza says walking forward with Applebloom not far behind.
*Twilight and Rarity*
Twilight really didn't have time for this. So she came up with a plan.
"Alright alright. You want the truth? I took your diamond in order to get you on a search for something even more exclusive. It's bigger and better than that diamond will ever be! I figured someone of your caliber would be able to help me find it. Now do you think you can help me?"
"But what did you do with the other diamond!"
"That was just a test to see if you could find such rare things and you have certainly passed! With flying colors too. Plus the diamond was fake so it wouldn't have done you too good."
"Fake! Ummm right quite I knew that already as it was." Rarity says blushing a little turning around to the tunnel.
"So where is this fabulous rare jewel."
"That's what we've been looking for."
"Okay.... Also how did you know my name but I forgot yours?"
"Oh well I'm Twilight and you bumped your head pretty hard when we first came down here. I asked if you wanted medical assistance and you denied it. You might be feeling the after math of that right now.
"Oh okay." Rarity says simply.
She ignites her horn but feels a severe headache.
"Ouch.... I guess its effecting my magic as well..." Rarity says looking some what defeated.
"Its okay we'll get through this. Plus I believe we're closer than ever to getting the gem."
"Oh that is just wonderful ummm Twilight right?"
"Yes now lets keep moving."
Twilight and Rarity begin their walk through the tunnels again Twilight keeping a close eye on Rarity.
*Rainbowdash*
After a while with the mysterious man Rainbowdash has had enough.
"So what do you think! Time for you own adventure!?"
"If its anything like in the stories than of course! I'm up for anything!"
The man really was something. He completely lifted up Rainbowdash's spirit after what she has experienced. Some what through the stories she had fallen a sleep. After which she felt better than ever. She felt like she could do a thousand rainbooms at once!
"So here's the deal if you want me to come I'm to need you as a host. Got it?"
"Yea as long as you don't do any thing weird with my body..."
"Perfect!" He says turning more intangible and flying into the mare.
Rainbowdash closes her eyes at the point of impact. She reopens them and doesn't feel any different.
Of course you don't at least till you let me drive.
"What you mean? Where are you?" She asks looking around.
In your mind and body waiting to give you energy in time or crisis.
"Oh okay... you're also here to help me right?"
Of course Rainbow! I promise as long as you and me are connected that I won't let any harm come to you.
"Right! Let's go!" Rainbowdash drops into the hole hovers in the way room that has changed in her absence. A way forward and a way back are her only options, "Always forward!"
And with that Forward the Rainbow went.
*Fluttershy*
"Why where you tied up like that?" Fluttershy asks breaking the silence between the two.
"Well back in the old days they used to call me the Colt killer. I used to lure in all type of guys with my child like appearance and sink my teeth right into them! Than the magic war came along and ruined all my fun. I picked the wrong side and I paid for it. But now that I'm free I can finally go see how the world is like now! All we have to do is make it to the exit."
"You know where the exit is?" Fluttershy asks amazed.
"Not really. But with us two together I bet we could do anything as it is!"
Fluttershy shakes her head. She really wished she had something with her. She hadn't noticed till now but all her stuff was missing. She probably lost it along the way or the cave magics took it away from her.
"Than were are we going?"
"Hunting remember! Your rainbow friend couldn't have gotten that far!"
Fluttershy stops dead in her tracks, "You won't hurt Rainbowdash!"
"Oh come on ummm whats your name again?"
"Its Fluttershy and you won't hurt her! She's my friend and I won't allow any of my friends get hurt."
The vampony slides up to Fluttershy in an instant and starts whispering in her ear.
"But come on Fluttershy don't you want to try out your new fangs? I bet Rainbowdash wouldn't mind you having a little nip at her neck as well as get a taste of her blood. I bet she taste like skittles! If you've never had any it'll be the best tasting thing in the world I promise! Plus if she's a vampony you two could live side by side with me!"
Fluttershy didn't realize it but her tongue was hanging out a bit at the thought of biting into Rainbowdash's throat and drinking the blood from her soft neck while she smelled her wonderful scents and. Fluttershy backs away shaking. These weren't her thoughts.
"Come on Fluttershy just embrace the vampony inside. Now lets keep moving!"
The two begin walking down the tunnel again in silence as thoughts of a rainbow friend seemed more of a food.
*Pinkie and Applejack*
"Found it!" Pinkie yells running into a tunnel as half the room is filled with Lava.
Applejack quickly follows behind as they run into a square room where a ball lays on a table with two boxes on each side.
"You found me you found me! I guess I better give you a reward! In the boxes you'll see something. Something you don't and something you want. You only get to see it once. So pick on for each of you and have fun!"
"Okay... I'll go first Pinkie this might be a trap."
Applejack walks to the box on the right and opens it. A ball floats out and engulfs her.
I knew it! I knew this was a...
Her thought fades off as a picture unfolds in front of her. Applejack sees her sister walking with a tall strange creature though a maze. The picture fades away and the bubble releases Applejack before disappearing.
"Oh ooo oo ooo! What was it like!?"
"It was like watching a picture show but it was like I was really really there...." Applejack says shaking her head.
"We need to hurry up and find the fillies! I saw Applebloom with a strange creature and I have no idea what it might do to her!" Applejack says stomping her hoof.
"Okey dokie loki! First!"
Pinkie grabs the box and the same thing happens to her. Pinkie sees herself with her two sisters standing on the outside of this cave and they're all walking back to Ponyville so happy, free, and united. The bubbles goes away. Pinkie has happy tears on flowing from her eyes. A door opens behind the crystal that turns into gas and flies away thanking them for the fun game. Applejack and Pinkie walk through the doorway and back into the tunnels of the cave ready for anything else that might try to "play a game" with them.
Author's Note
It feels good to be back writing this story! Also every like counts and thank you to everyone who has Favorited my story
*Yukan*
Walking into room revealed a room full of ice and shadows. Sweetie Belle looks around the room with astonishment. She couldn't believe at how wonderful this all look. She would squeal in delight if she could.
"Damn... What a place huh? Can't say I've ever seen a place like this." Yūkan says popping his knuckles.
Sweetie nods her head and takes a step into the room and immediately regrets it. The ice splits towards the ceiling and stalactites fall near them. The both jump back in fear as the frozen hazard falls way through the ice into the darkness below them.
"Well shit..." Yūkan says looking into the hole to see nothing but darkness.
He looks around the room for something that might help gain knowledge on what to do here. Maybe if they back tracked they could get somewhere new.
"Think we should head back?"
Sweetie nods her head eagerly not wanting to deal with this type of hazard. The two turn around and walk through the way they came to end up in a long hallway.
"Well it sure is better than walking on thin ice..."
The two begin walking down the hallway that seemed to go on forever. Yūkan turns around to see the entrance right behind them.
"The hell? S.B I want you to mark the dirt to the right of us."
Sweetie complies and does so picking up her rock that she had been keeping beside her by kicking it around. She would've put it in the bag she brought but it some what mysteriously disappeared after being in the cave for a while. They begin walking again but Yūkan puts all his focus on the mark for a while before turning around and watching the right side of the wall.
"Nooo." He groans as they walk to a point where the mark is there.
Sweetie Belle sees what his disappointment is about and realizes its either going the one way or continue the ever for going of this loop. They walk back and re-enter the frozen room that still has the long crack in it.
"There has to been a reason for this room. Though almost this place seems like a place to kill all intruders every trap has their fail point..."
Yūkan sits down and stares at the ice thinking while Sweetie looks around for any context clues. Sweetie finds something and quickly runs back nudging him to follow. He gets up and follows her to marking on the wall masked by stalactites and stalagmites. It seems to be indicating a hand. Sweetie does her best to use her rock to point at Yūkan's hands. He seems to get the meeting and walks over to the wall and touches the ice. To a surprise nothing happens. Sweetie looks defeated while Yūkan scratches his head. He couldn't quite put two and two together but he had a feeling that he was getting close to solving the problem.
He examines the gloves on his hands.
Maybe...
He looks at the left glove with the three gems. He touches the black one and instantly the room goes dark. Scampering can be heard followed by what sounds like a gargled scream. He quickly presses it again to find nothing to happen. He presses the yellow one finding out quick he can see in the dark after a bit of time and the room fills with light again to find Sweetie Belle pressed against a stalactite scared out of her wits.
"Its okay S.B its my gloves that did that... Apparently they change the attributes around me..."
So black and darkness, yellow is light, red might be fire, blue must be water, white is ice and green... what is green?
He shrugs and says, "Okay S.B I'm going to see something. I need you to be brave okay."
Calming down a bit a shaking Sweetie Belle walks forwards towards him ears pressed flat nodding her head slowly.
"Don't worry It'll be safe I promise! Plus I promise when we get out of this I'll get ya something for being brave!"
Sweetie with the thoughts of stuff she wants give a small smile and nods. Sweetie first re-finds her rock and hands it to Yūkan which he puts into his pocket. He touches the white gem an the gloves go from a yellow color to a white color that seems to being wafting cold air from it. The room also dims down a bit. They walk over to the fragile part of the ice and Yūkan places a hand on it. The hole reminds it self and the crack disappears almost as if it wasn't there to begin with.
"Well I be damned!" Yūkan yells surprised that something actually works right.
Sweetie stares at the gloved hand in wonderment. Such magic was beyond her thinking and it seemed to require no thinking or exert from him what so ever. How great it would be to be able to have the power of the gloves.
"Alright you go across first Sweet. I'll see you on the other side."
Sweetie nods her head and slowly makes her way across. The ice creaks and groans but never gives way. She makes it to the other side of the frozen land where the ice is more solid and waits.
"Okay... just got to slide across and leave my hand on the ice... Easy enough..."
Yūkan slowly but surly slides on his belly across the ice. Thanks to his clothes he barely felt the water start to chill him from sliding. Once they made it to the other side and quickly gets up and starts squeezing the water out of his shirt hoping not to catch a cold.
"Alright S.B I think it should be smooth sailing from here."
They walk through the entrance way to see a long hallway.
"Or just a long hallway..." He says sighing.
*Tsumetai*
He sighs and sits down on the ground leaning against the wall. The filly finally wakes up and snuggles close to the human. He knows that he shouldn't get to comfy with the creatures down here but he couldn't help feel sorry for this one.
"So Scootaloo right?"
She nods her head enjoying the warmth that he gives off.
"What do you think about all this?"
"I'm scared... I can't see anything and my head still hurts..." She says slowly.
"Its a good thing I found ya when I did." He says with a yawn.
"Oh I'm sorry... I didn't mean to keep you up with you carrying me..."
"Nah its good. With your sense of sight now gone all your other senses should be heightened. So just keep an ear out so I can sleep okay?"
Scootaloo nods her head and sits there listening to the sounds of sleep and the sounds of the tunnel being a guard for Tsumetai.
*Elza*
The two trek down the hallway in silence. In another unknown portion of the cave wandering the halls of some man's illusion has never been a great thing. They keep both of their ears open for anything that might sound like the end of them.
"Are we really going to listen to this man?" Applebloom asks breaking the silence.
Elza sighs.
"At this point if we don't we might just die faster." She says in a dark tone.
After what feels like hours they come to a door of metal, one of wood, and one of plastic. The man walks out from the plastic room.
"Well hello there weary travelers! Can I introduce you to a room to say in for the night?" He says motioning at the doors around him, "I a sure you that the beds are quite comfortable and let me tell you once you sleep on them you really do sleep on them."
The way he says sleep the second time sends shivers down both the girls' spines. They looks at one another and shake their heads.
"But what if we're not tired?" Elza asks getting a bit scared.
The man chuckles, "Once you step into a room you'll find that you are much more tired than you realized.
"What if we just turn back?" Applebloom pipes up not wanting to go into those room.
"Well than my friend will be waiting for you."
They both don't want to meet his friend especially the way he says it so they give in and decide to pick a door.
"Great! Now this door behind me is chipper than you can believe!"
"But we have no money..." Elza says groaning.
"Oh don't worry about that cause wooden't you like to be laid to bed by the most comfortable bed ever under a nice tree in the shades."
"I think I would rather not... If its an outside room on the surface where I can run away and probably go find help than yea."
The man rolls his eyes and motions to the left.
"So right through this metal door is something of a magical resting place! You go to sleep and when you awake you'll feel the most rested you have ever felt along with a few benefits too!"
"I like the sound of that!" Applebloom says cheerfully.
Elza didn't. She was no fool. She was listening close to the man's words. The way he was talking about the rooms sounded more like if they went in they would die except for the wooden so far. She only could think about what he would say about the plastic door.
If it comes down to it I'll pick the metal door...
"Now behind the plastic door is something only the imagination could come with. Once you lay down you'll want to stick to the bed like glue! I've never slept in such a more wondrous bed in my life! Trust me its to die for!"
Well blunt words for such an extreme picking...
Did he really just say...
"So now ladies choose a room you would like to stay in!"
Every room, except the wooden one, felt like that could kill them. Applebloom was still excited about the metal door when Elza turned her around so they could talk.
"Okay so Applebloom what do you think?"
"Well... I really like the sound of the metal door. The wooden one seems like the only safe one so I really don't want to go through that one."
"My thoughts exactly. Now the plastic door might be safer than the metal one..."
"But I have a good feeling about the metal door. Plus us together I'm sure we'll be alright! He never said we would die right?"
"True..."
Elza sighs and turns around to the man.
"The metal door."
He opens the door and motions the girls in the other two doors disappearing. They walk towards the door and look in. Nothing but darkness. They hesitate to enter but the man didn't care. A quick shove of his shoes and hands sent the two into the room and the door slams behind them. Elza was expecting a long fall to their death but found she only hit dirt a few second later.
"Oww..." Appplebloom groans.
"You okay?" Elza asks sitting up.
"Yea.... just landed on my face is all..." She says sitting up and rubbing her snout.
"Well... he didn't promise beds behind this door either... he just said sleep and and rest.
The two sigh and decide to do just as the man said both of them irritated about this whole mess. Elza leans against the wall and Applebloom climbs into her lap.
"Hey I'm sure we'll be fine here. After all it seems nothing can ever separate us!"
"Sure does Applebloom." Elza replies with a yawn, "Sure does."
*Twilight and Rarity*
So far the walk has been... less than peaceful. Twilight had to listen to Rarity brag about things she had never experienced with such a royal snootiness. Whatever happened back there and what could of happened she kind of wish it did. She shakes her head surprised by the thought that just went through her head.
Why would I ever think that way about my friend?
She couldn't quite put it together but after being in that room she felt stranger more unlike herself. Rarity continued to gabble on until they reach another open room with a door on the other side. Between them and the exit lies a sleeping beast that sent chills down their spines. The beast has smooth shinny scales, black tendrils running from almost every part of its body across the floor, two long horns rising from its giant head as well as two short spikes coming off of his great maw, his tail spiked down the middle of it lies very close to the exit, he body bigger than any creature that they've both seen, and a book lies in front of him open to a page Twilight could barely make out called shadow walk.
"Okay..." Twilight whispered to Rarity, "We got to cross the room carefully. Make sure you take care not to wake this thing."
Rarity nodded and started her slow trek across the room while Twilight started her slow trek towards the middle of the room. Her ever growing curiosity for the book made her do this. If something bad happened she hoped that her magic would allow her to escape. As Rarity makes it half way through the room Twilight reaches the book and takes it by both hooves. A tendril wrap around her body holding her in place. The head moves and looks her in the eyes.
"Curiosity is a great thing isn't it."
Rarity at this point has taken off running towards the exit which she successfully makes it to. She runs out into the tunnels forgetting about her friend. Now alone with his mighty beast Twilight squirms underneath its grasp as her horn ignites. A tendril around her horn tightens around it as the magic disappears and a sharp pain flows through her.
"Now what would happen if I broke that horn to prevent you from escaping? Would it hurt or would you feel nothing? Hmmm curious." The beast says chuckling.
"Who are you!?" Twilight ask frantically hoping to get the beasts mind off of her horn.
"I don't need a name."
"Well than what are you!?"
"I'm something of an failed experiment for the most part. They never gave what I am a name so I have nothing to tell you."
"What do you do?" Twilight asks calming down a bit as the tendrils loosens its grip on her horn.
"As you can see I'm a protector of this book as well as a creature that haunts this very place."
"No, I mean what as a creature do you do."
"If you test me you'll find out." He says with a great powerful chuckle.
This is horrible! Come on think quick Twilight! What can you do to get out of here!
"So what book are you reading?" Twilight asks trying to keep up the small talk.
"Well this book is called the book of shadows. I'm pretty fine with telling you about the book since you'll die when I feel like it."
As to prove his point a tendril tightened itself around her throat. She felt more scared than anything. She didn't know what to do. The only thing she could keep running was her mind and her mouth.
"Well do you mind if I have a look see inside of it before I die?"
Maybe it will provide some insights...
"That'll bring upon your death quicker. I would rather have fun with my new prey."
No no no no no no no
"Well let me prove you wrong! Books can't be dangerous! I saw you reading it so I'm sure its fine for me to read it!"
The creatures rolls its eyes saying, "That's because I have great magic stored in my body to withstand what comes from the book. A creature as small as you would never live long enough through five words!"
Twilight scoffs.
"Don't take me lightly good sir! I've capable of a lot more than you think!
The tendrils slide off of her but stay near her just in case. The dragon hold up the book for her saying, "Be my guess."
Twilight levitated the book in front of her and opened it. A sense of dread, fear, and darkness creeped across ever fiber of her being. She wanted to close the book so bad but she wanted to prove the beast wrong even more. She lays on the ground and begins to read.
*Rainbowdash*
With caution to the wind she flies through the ever winding tunnels. She slows down and stop inside of a room. The room was so crazy she couldn't believe it. Fire blazed on the right side. A giant tsunami was on the left mountains were on the ceiling and lighting cracked beneath her feet.
"What a heck of a room." Rainbowdash practically yelled ever the sound.
Yea can't say there doesn't to be anything that can be done here though.
Rainbowdash flies towards the mountain and touches one and immediately regrets it. She feels her whole body twist and churn and her vision goes black. Her vision returns and she finds herself hovering above fields of mountains.
"Whoa..."
Well this is a new one!
The last thing she sees before blacking out is a giant smile beaming down at her.
"Oh no the tunnels have already changed..." The filly says stopping her right hoof, "Oh well I guess we'll leave it up to luck now."
Fluttershy nods her head following close behind. She's become quite used to the one sided conversations of the filly. Even as they walked through the tunnels Fluttershy still haven't asked for the fillies name. She figured when the time arise she'll ask.
"So Fluttershy tell me about about your self will ya." The filly says taking a more comfortable means of flying upside down facing her in a laid back position.
"I'm nothing to special..." She replies hiding behind her hair.
"No your blood taste really pure the purest I've tasted in a really long time! So there has to be something at least special about you!"
"Well I hold the element of kindness inside of me."
"Element of kindness? Huh okay anything else? You know we're kind of linked because of the bite whole master and serf system and I picked up bits of your mind about animals and I mean a lot of them too."
"Well I do love animals. They fill me with so much happiness. I spent much more time caring for the animals than anything else."
"Well than! A really animal lover! If they want to show their love back I'm sure they won't mind sacrifficing a fellow animal or two for us!" The filly says giggling before turning around and landing on her hooves.
Still walking Fluttershy has the look of horror on her face.
"Wha...what are you talking about! I.. I can't do that to my animal friends!" Fluttershy stammers out rapidly picking up her pace.
"What do you mean? You take care of the animals and they'll take care of you. Seems pretty fair to me." The filly says nonchalantly.
"Well I... I..." She stammers off as they walk into a room with candles lighting all along the walls.
"Ahhh!" The filly says stretching her body out as a bipedal creature lifts off of a black throne wearing black armor stands, "Shy I'm about to teach you a few things about vampires okay? Now pay attention."
The creatures runs forward and swings his sword at the filly who is no longer there by the time the sword makes contact with the ground. To Fluttershy the filly looked to be moving at normal speed and it seemed the creature had slowed down. The filly running forward grabs the creatures leg and flips it on its back. She than grabs the helmet and rips it off. The creature under it look reptilian in nature and had two long spike on the side of his head. The filly bares her teeth and sink her teeth into the creatures next.
Fluttershy could almost smell the aroma from he blood and she wanted some. She shakes her head about going over to the filly and asking. Something in the back of her mind telling her to let the master feed first. As she began to drink she realizes everything is starting to sync back in. She could hear the yelling of the creature as it fumbled for its sword. It grabs it and is about to swing for filly. Fluttershy moves faster than she ever thought possible and slams a hoof down onto the creatures wrist severing the connection with it with a sound of many pops and cranks.
The filly pulls up with blood drenching her face and teeth. She licks around the muzzle and points towards the creature. She wanted Fluttershy to finish him off. Fluttershy wasn't to keen to it but when she saw the blood coming out... she was at the neck faster than anything else sucking up all the blood she could till the creature was dry.
"Good Fluttershy. Drink up you'll need the strength." The filly says smiling with glee seeing Fluttershy's natural vampony instincts kick in.
Fluttershy didn't care about anything right now. The only thing that mattered was her and the body beneath her. She wanted to feed so bad. She needed every single last drop. Before she knew it no more came out and she pulls up blood drenching her muzzle as well. She looks at the filly who nods her head at Fluttershy.
"Its great that part of you understands your new abilities. Now tell me did you notice anything in the fight."
Fluttershy sheepishly shook her head. The filly flies up and pats her on the head.
"Its alright but when you are in a situation that requires you to defend or kill than you'll have a boost of speed faster than the eye can see unless your another vampony. But be warned it only lasts a certain amount of time."
"But how could you do it so easily I was moving so fast!?" Fluttershy asks thinking back to the wrist.
"You just have to practice with it till you can just activate it on your own. But I'm sure you'll get the hang of it."
Fluttershy nods her head and looks at the pale creature. She knew it was dead because of her and it filled her with disgust, but at the same time it filled her with pride. Something that she didn't want as she is.
*Pinkie and Applejack*
Applejack marches on with Pinkie hopping behind her.
"Applejack!" She calls, "Slow down silly billy! We don't even know where we are going!"
Applejack comes to a stop as Pinkie hops beside her and asks, "What are we going to do now?"
"Keep looking and never give up!" Applejack says with determination, "We just got to figure out where to go..."
Applejack stares off into the darkness that she has gotten pretty used to. It seemed that the area around her is always light but when she tried to look down the tunnels she couldn't see a darn thing. She gives a huff and looks at Pinkie.
"So what do you think we should do than pinkie?" Applejack asks distressed.
"Well we should keep an open eye and ask around for directions when we can silly!" She says starting to bounce forward.
"And who in the world are we going to ask?" Applejack asks following behind Pinkie.
"Her!" She says pointing forward to see a girl carrying a backpack on her back and seems to be floating around in a skipping motion through the tunnel.
"I don't know Pinkie... this doesn't seem right..." Applejack asks concerned but it falls to deaf ears as Pinkie is already up to the girl.
"Hi-ya!" Pinkie says in her friendly way, "Have you seen our friends roaming around here? There just like us except different colors and sizes and and mane styles and cutie marks and personality and now that I think about it we're actually not really much like each other are we? We all might be ponies but there is a lot of things different about us so I guess that phrase doesn't really make since. Than why would some many ponies use such a silly phrase when it doesn't even mffrrggg!!"
Applejack covers Pinkie's mouth before she can mumble even about what she is talking about before she gets too off topic.
"Sorry about my friend she has good intentions but she tends to ramble on, but I can't help but ask you if you seen anymore pony folk around her."
"No can't say I have really." The girls says standing there with a big grin plastered on her face.
"Well shoot alright sorry to bother you." Applejack says dragging Pinkie with her.
"Well I wouldn't go that way don't you see the giant spider?" Applejack freaks out and jumps backwards looking down the tunnel to see absolutely nothing.
After her shock the girl is laughing along with Pinkie Pie.
"She got you good Applejack!" Pinkie say snorting.
Applejack's face turns red and she flattens her ears.
"Okay okay hahaha play a joke on Applejack day now come on Pinks we got to keep moving."
Pinkie stands up and hops after Applejack who has her head down ad is still red at the face. The girl waves at them and heads the other direction down the tunnel.
Author's Note
Should I continue the whole ** thing or should I drop since you kind of get the feel for how the chapters work.
Yūkan sits down rubbing the back of his calves and looks over to Sweetie who looks equally tired.
She draws a bone breaking and points at the both of them.
"Yea I guess so really..." He says catching her meaning, "We deserve it after how long we've walked."
Yūkan leans against the right wall tired from the long walk through this cave. Sweetie sits to the right of him and draws a piece of paper and a mouth.
"Hm?"
She points at him, than the mouth, and than the paper. He thinks for a second and finally puts two and two together.
"I'm not really good at telling stories..." He says rubbing the back of his neck.
Sweetie looks up at him with pleading eyes. He tries to advert his eyes but the power of the cuteness emitting off her is too much for him to handle, and with a sigh he gives in.
"So what type of a story you want Sweet?"
She taps at hoof at her chin for a moment and draws a heart. Yūkan can only groan inwardly at realizing what type of story she wants. He wasn't the best person for this type of story or job. Really if David was here than that would be possible.
"I guess I can give it a try Sweetie..."
Sweetie claps her hooves together happily.
Guess she has to have something to lift her spirits.
"So lets see... Where do I start..." He stares up at the ceiling and takes a big sigh, "So... It was a rainy afternoon as a man walks out on the streets hooded holding roses to his chest. Thoughts of his lovely fills his mind as he walks through the streets. His mind side tracked he runs out into the street and sees a bight light before darkness."
Sweetie gasps.
"The man could see nothing but darkness all around him. He could still move but all there was were the darkness. And the roses he still held within his hands. He sat down and wondered where he was. Meanwhile the wife of the man could only stare in shock. She had just ran over the man she loved. She didn't mean to. She saw how bad the storm was and decided to take him home as a surprise.
But all the factors lead against them both. The factors of life and death finally came down onto the man as she held him to her chest crying out into the night and rain. They loved each other much and she would do anything to stay with him. Even bargain with death.
She called the emergency number and brought her husband to a hospital where they put him under critical conditions. She sat there by his side day in and day out apologizing over and over again telling him how much she loved him and would always wait for him. Well, Minutes turned to hours as hours turned to days. Weeks, months, and years went by as the man laid there in a coma. In the man's mind life was still going on as he saw fit. He created a world where he didn't want to leave.
He still had his wife and everything was going his way. In the real world the doctors have mentioned letting nature take its course and let the man go. But the wife wouldn't have any of it. She wanted to have him breathing. Whether he could hear her or she knows he will love her no matter what.
Five years the man lay in that bad. Sleeping and getting better. When he awoke he was greeted by his wife who never left his side. And that Sweet Bell is what true love is about. No matter what the possibilities are... you always have to have faith in your partner through thick and thin you shall love thy partner."
Yūkan looks over at Sweetie to see her crying.
"Sorry Sweet... too sad?"
Sweetie shakes her head. She draws and eye, a pair of hooves, a heart, and a arrow pointing at a piece of paper.
"I... something. Love. like that... I want love like that?" He gets a nod, "Ah yea... I'm pretty sure that how everyone wants love. For it to be pure and true. Where I come from something like that is impossible. To find someone who says they truly love you would most likely end up in your own death. True love where I am is not based on how many times they say I love you but based on their actions as someone they truly trust and rely on."
Sweetie Belle nods her head and rustles up against Yūkan's leg. She etches in the dirt a arrow leading from her to a heart in between the two and a arrow leading to him. Yūkan smiles and places a protective arm around her.
"Love you too."
Tsumetai wakes feeling better than ever hours later. To his surprise Scootaloo sits there at attention ears perked listening for danger.
"Scoots? Have you been up this whole time?"
"Yep! You told me to keep a look out and I was pretty well rested anyhow!"
"Huh. Well you can rest up now if ya want."
"No thanks. I've never felt more awake in my life... While you were asleep i realized that while I can't see I can hear alot better than I ever have! I can literately almost hear the the earth churning beneath us. There were times I would hear a creature breathing but it didn't cause any problems so I kept quiet... I hope you aren't mad at me for that..."
Tsumetai thinks for a bit and waves a hand at her.
"I'm not mad Scootaloo. As long as we're both alive I can't really be mad at you." He rubs his hand through the fillies hair, "Plus with your freaky hearing everything should be ten times as better!"
Indeed. To think to have one of her specialty with us should prove beneficial in case of sneak of attack from the children of the dark.
"Indeed. Now Scootaloo how well is this hearing ability. Can you make things out by using it?"
"No... I can only tell from which way they come from."
"Ah..."
With time she'll learn.
"Well which way did the voices come from?"
She points the way they came from.
"Pursuers? Scavengers? Hunters? Many possibilities."
Most likely monstrosities seeking for me.
"How would they find you?"
Many creature have come in contact with me. Remember that.
"Right..."
"Um mister who are you talking to?"
"Oh that's right! Sorry if it seems I'm talking to myself but I have a man that talks to me through thought. He will help both of us make it through this alive alright?"
"A...Alright."
"Now make sure you stay close to me follow me by touch and hearing okay? Just in case we run into danger I'll need to have both my hands."
Scootaloo nods her head and places a hoof, fumbling at first, against the boy's leg. Meanwhile Tsumetai takes his companion out of his bag and leaves it in his right hand ready for anything.
"I got your back and you got mine right?"
"Right!" She says determined.
Though she has lost something so important to survival she is learning to live without that sense.
Tsumetai nods his head in approval and the three continue into the cavern.
Elza is awaken by a sudden sound. It sounded like something scrapping against the ground. As if something was getting dragged. She shakes Applebloom awake.
"Applebloom, do you here what?"
"Here what?" She asks through a yawn.
"Sounds like something being dragged our way..."
The two go silent as they listen to the sound. They both get up and decide to get moving before what ever it is finds them. The two bound around many corners in the cave more than they have ever been through.
"Is that illusion guy still messin with us?"
"Honestly I want to say yes..." Elza says getting just annoyed as Applebloom.
They bound around one more corner before colliding with a white unicorn.
"Please don't kill me!" The mare yells out almost as if about to be killed.
"Rairty! Am I glad to see you!" Applebloom yell running over to the white mare.
Getting close proved to be a wrong thing to do as a hoof swings hitting Applebloom in the face. Elza can only stare in shock as Applebloom goes to the ground.
"Get away from me!" Rarity yells scrambling to her feet and running the opposite way of them.
"Rarity?!" Applebloom yells holding a hoof to her face, "What's is wrong with her..."
"This cave is..." Elza says still sitting.
Applebloom whimpers out, "Is that going to happen to us?"
"No unless I can help. me and you... are getting out of here... Together and I'm not going to let anything stop that. This cave can kiss my ass!"
With that Elza stands up with a determined look. She wasn't going to die in this cave. She wasn't about to go crazy. She would live with her friends and so would Applebloom.
"Come on Applebloom... lets get going."
"O...Okay.... Elza?"
"What?"
"What an ass?"
*Twilight*
Twilight always knew reading would save her life. The beast watches her intensely waiting for her to die. The book holds countless spells that wrap around evil. The more she read the more corrupted she felt.
"I'm impressed little one. You hold much magic in that small body of yours..."
"I can do a lot of surprising things. Also I'm a fast learner."
"Hm?"
Twilight stands and her horn flares a dark hue blacker than the midnight skies. A hole appears to her right and a creature dripping of black liquid crawls forth arms stretched towards the heavens. Three calls line its hands and feet. Spikes run down its back pointed and ready for anything to jump on it. The faceless and simingly simple creature turns towards its summoner waiting for orders.
"You are a fast learner indeed! I'm impressed with you even more so at how you summoned a ghoul of this caliber on your first try!"
A sense of pride flourishes through her body. She had done something to save her life as well as learn many things as well. Right now her curiosity was for a win streak.
Good thing I'm not a cat!
"You seem to be the one I wished to meet. The one I wish to pass down onto."
"What do you mean?"
"I grow old and tired Twilight. I wish to rest but first I must pass down the knowledge of many to someone who is worthy of having it. That one seems to be you."
Twilight mules this over a bit. She could have so much knowledge and impress Celestia with it. As she thought this corrupted thoughts enter her head feeding things into her mind telling her that with this power she could do much more with this. She could make her own kingdom. Loyal being willing to do as she pleased. She could even have her friends by her side. Even if she had to force them.
A wide grin spreads across Twilight face. A grin that means more than just happiness but something of crazy and wickedness.
"I'm willing to." Twilight says darkly.
"Than let me be your master and teach you what I know."
Rainbowdash awakes to find herself in the cave.
"Ugh... what happened?"
You don't remember?
Rainbow winces at the sound of the man's voice.
"No... But I'm pretty sure you do..."
Oh I tell you it was a hell of an adventure! There were explosions and cyclops and all sorts of thing!
"How did you see all this but I didn't?"
I told you when you feel as if you are about to loose everything, die, or scared out of your wits I can take over and help ya out.
"Oh that's right..." She says shaking her head, "Well I guess without you I would've been dead huh?"
More or less really. But what we did get out of that was a compass!
"What's a compass going to do for us?"
It'll lead us to the more safer areas of the cave as long as you so desire it.
Rainbow nods her head understanding. She looks about the room seeing as non of the earlier features were there any more she simply walks out of her room resting on thought of whether having this being inside her was a bad or good idea.
The two continue walking down the passage way after feasting on the reptilian creature. They have engaged in small talk around the mage war and how that ties into the cave.
"So the nine great casters made this place? Who were they?"
Elza stops and taps a hoof against her chin.
"Littleorn, Hazeltin, Haknar the viligent, Veiger, Devisn, Luke, Celestia, and Luna I believe."
At the names of the co rulers of Equestria she asks, "Wait and when did this happen?"
"Hm... probably around some billion of years ago."
Fluttershy can only mule over the thought.
We all knew she was old but... she is OLD!
"But yea... the magic war was something else. I've watched a lot of people die back than. I've killed a bunch of people too. You would be surprised at the things I had to do to try to secure victories over the enemy. But eventually this cave was made sealing us in here. The war still goes on too. Creature travel this cave looking for their enemy and allies in hopes to kill and aid one another. Most of them only care for winning but I want to get out of here more than anything.
I wish to cause havoc once again under the moonlight skies. Tricking citizens to walk into dark allies to never be heard from again. And I guess now with you by my side it'll be a lot easier!"
Fluttershy nods her head mindlessly. She didn't know how to feel about all... this! She felt as if she should fight against what this filly was trying to teach her. The fact is that she never wanted to hurt anypony. She only wanted to help them.
"Well you would be helping me! Also you would be helping them end their suffering. Just think about it like that!" The filly says listening in on Fluttershy's thoughts.
"B-B-But I really don't know about this..."
"It's okay Fluttershy... I know it can all seeming intimidating but I promise you it'll be easy! I'll be there to help you through the way!" The filly says nuzzling against Fluttershy.
She returns the affection and only wonder if things we'll ever be the same with her friends.
"Of course they can! We can turn them into vamponies too! It'll be great we'll be like one big blood drinking happy family!"
The thought of that make Fluttershy happy. The whole idea of all the girls together helping one another drinking the blood of the other pony folk would be nice. It was great cause than no pony would feel left out!
"I would like that!" Fluttershy says excitedly.
"Alright than lets start looking!" She says flying off.
Fluttershy takes off behind her just can't stop waiting to see the girls again. She couldn't wait to tell them the news.
"I can't wait to have a welcome back party for us! We'll have such a great time! I'm sure that'll everypony will be so excited! Everyone will be together and happy!"
"Sure are Pinkie." Applejack says seldom.
They have been walking for what felt like hours. They hadn't reached anything new for a long while. When they finally reach a new area they aren't pleased by the place. A cage lies in the middle of the room surrounded by a giant gap around it but has four bridges leading to it.
"I don't like the look of this place..." Applejack says touching one of the boards of the bridge.
It looked ancient but at the same time it still looked to hold the wait of the two. They're both curious about the object in the middle and quickly start walking towards it. They reach the middle and look inside. It's completly dark on the inside.
"Hello~! Anypony home~!" Pinkie calls out into the box which is returned by an echo from within it.
The two look at each other and than back at the bock.
"Well we'll never find out if we wait outside!" Pinkie says opening the cage and getting sucked in.
Applejack turns and is about to run but the cage turns and sucks her into it too.
Author's Note
Technically the caves works in different time zones and puts them on different days so they could be doing the same thing but the days could be way apart from each of other or just a few seconds ahead of each other.
Yūkan sits up the smell smoke. He looks up to see the thick smoke above him slowly coming down.
"Wake up S.B!" He says shaking the little pony awake.
Sweets gives a small yawn before looking lazily at Yūkan with a sleepy look. It was almost as the look said let me sleep more pweeeese. Yūkan sighs and takes the pony into his arms, gets up, and makes his way down the tunnel away from where the smoke was coming from. He didn't know how fire started in a room of ice but for all he knew the rooms could have changed while they were asleep. He keeps his head low and pulls part of his shirt above his nose to keep the smoke out of his face and from breathing too much of it in. Sweet's face was buried into his shirt so he figured she was fine.
Running around a corner he ducks as a he catches a flash of something. He looks back to see an arrow int he wall behind him. He looks forward to see a woman holding a bow with another arrow notched. He turns back around the corner and is about to run back the other way when he sees the reason of the smoke.
"Damn!"
Looks like the cave has had enough of us living.
Placing Sweetie Belle down he making sure the gloves have a good grip on his hands. He presses the white one and prepares himself for a fight with the fire beast and most likely the woman when she comes around. The beast of fire roars and throws its spear like arm towards him. He holds out a hand and the fire seems to freeze before the ice bursts and the fire goes everywhere.
Okay. Not a good idea He thinks while patting down a small fire on his arm.
What can I use to be fire?
He looks down to see if Sweetie is okay behind him to see the woman reaching down for her. Out raged he turns around and runs with a fist ready. He takes a heavy step and swings forward using the full momentum of the run. The woman already heard running footstep and is already standing up with Sweetie. She swings her bow catching Yūkan's fist. The bow freezes at the middle but blocks the attack none the less. The woman jumps back quickly notching an arrow that turns the point into a frozen spear like arrow head.
Isn't this glove suppose to help!
He moves just in time to miss the arrow going through his shoulder. He presses the black gem right under the white one turning the whole room black.
Now if I can just!
He feels something hard hit the side of his head as well hear something like glass break in the process. He could feel a stinging sensation in his head but not really sure what it was. He looks down to see that a small light was a top him. He looks to his left in time to see the bow about to smack him again. He ducks and tackles the woman. They roll away from each other the woman closer to the source of light in the tunnel and him closer to the corner.
Okay so this isn't going to work.
He touches the blue crystal on his left glove and water seems to warp from the darkness to his gloves as they float around them. The cave goes back to its usual eerie light. He knew he could run away right now but he also knew that the woman and the beast would continue to chase them unless...
The monster walks forward to loom over the woman. The woman takes an arrow and presses the point into the beast setting the arrows on fire. She presses it against the bow and fires it aiming for Yūkan's head. The arrows misses and hits the wall setting the back way on fire.
Well fuck
He was truly hoping that the monster would kill the woman but looks like his hopes have been diminished. He readies himself as the woman takes another fire arrow and notches it. Yūkan takes the offensive and runs forward. The beast does so as well changing its fiery form into that of a wolf made of fire. It jumps at him as he throws a punch water forming around his fist. The two makes contact as the fire turns somewhat into steam. The fire morphs around him and pounces at his back. He turns around to find that to his disadvantage. An arrow lodges itself into his back and a burning sensation quickly spread through his body. He brings up both his arms which makes a shield in front of him that makes the fire creatures fall into it turning its entire being into steam.
The steam collects itself near the woman and turns into a wolf made of air.
Sure why not... Not like I've had any challenges yet...
He feels the burning sensation increasing realizing his back in on fire. He reaches behind him and yanks the arrows out of him and puts the fire out in process. He didn't know why but when he had a gem on he felt as if he knew what to do to use their power.
"Okay... Sweet Bell time to wake up!" Yūkan yells turning to face the now wind creature and woman holding three arrows on her bow.
Sweetie rolls over towards the wall. He sighs.
What do I expect her to do when she wakes up? Teleport us somewhere else?
He readies himself as the wind creature slashes at the air making three circles spinning with raped speed appear. He brings his arms up. The wind hits the water disrupting it a bit but the shield stays in contact. Unfortunately the air made a distraction for the three arrows to land directly on him. Two arrows went into his right and one into his left. He curses and bring down the shield in pain. He doesn't break his sight away from the pair as the wolf goes in. The woman notches three more arrows.
Yūkan presses the white gem swiping left arm out in front of him making a cold wind blowing the beast back. He sees the arrows fly and quickly moves to dodge them. From his movement the beast is already moving and catches him by biting deep into his arm. He grabs the steam beast and throws the now frozen creature making it turn into a million shard that reform into a wolf made of ice.
Oh great... how am I to beat... Kill the woman and kill the beast. He think remembering back to to the day of playing strategy games like Last Fantasy.
He readies himself for a hard pressed fight he has coming for him.
Walking through dark caves can really get boring. Truly once you see one stalagmite, or is it stalactite, you've seen them all haven't ya. Tsumetai shakes his head and looks to the tan filly walking behind him marveling at the sounds he can't hear. Perhaps it was better that way. As of the recent events apparently they might have a few stalkers behind them.
"What you hearin Scootaloo?"
"It a bit mixed with a bunch of different stuffs but I'm getting used to separating the sounds... so far there's nothing that sound abnormal."
"Alright! What you think?"
Hmmm... focus your energy around you....
Tsumetai nods his head and stops in his tracks. He thinks of the world around him trying to feel anything around him.
Good good...
The orb warms in his hand and turns to a white orb with wisps around it. His body feels cold and the wisps dig into the earth and press against Scootaloo. The sensation didn't feel bad but neither did it feel good. It just feels natural. The more the wisps linger the more natural it feels. He leaves his mind open pulling in information from the things around. He opens his eyes and breaks off the spells wheezing in air. The information felt like it was chocking him. As his eyes open he sees wisps disappear from in front of him as if they were going in his mouth. He feels a shift in his thoughts. Almost as if the person within was disappointed. in what just happened which really didn't help ease the unevenness within him now.
There are two up ahead. Strong but very stupid so we have nothing to worry about.
"Well that's good." At first he felt the need to ask him what happened with the spell but something willed him not to.
No, not willed but more like forced him not to ask.
"Alright Scootaloo... we have two up ahead that won't give us trouble as long as we play smart.
The tan filly nods her head and follows the foot steps of the now uncertain human. With every step that echoed in their hall sounded their fates.
Applebloom and Elza walk through the tunnels more determined than ever to find their friends and to get out. The tunnel hasn't branched off in a while and it made the two very tense. It seems weird and foreign to them just like the first time they came in. They fear nothing will change but are also glad of it. Cause when change does come.
Applebloom is the first to stop.
"Uhhhh Elza..."
Elza stops and looks at Applebloom who's shaking a bit. She walks over to the light filly and kneels to be face to face with her.
"What is it Applebloom?"
"Do do you not hear it?"
Elza shakes her head and looks over her shoulder. What was ever up ahead was giving Applebloom the creeps. If that wasn't any warning sign than what happens next is.
Giggling feels the Elza's ears. Not just some random happy giggling but a giggling that chills her very soul. That made her want to cover her ears to shut it out. It sounded like insane glee. Or is it gleefully insane?
Elza watches a purple light comes within her vision. It's dark purple glow gave the figure walking with the glow an eerie light. The shadows seems to move along with her despite the light that was being given off. As she got closer to the duo they can see the smile cracked upon her face and the wide black eyes that seem to stare right into their very being.
Applebloom wants to call out to the older mare she knows as Twilight but by the look on her face she can only assume that this place has gotten to her just like it has Rarity. She wants to run. She feels the need to run but the look on Twilight's face staring at them while giggling as the shadows dance around her was too hypnotizing. In fact she felt the need to get closer. Which only made her wonder what would happen.
"Well hey there girls!" Twilight says stopping her advance a few feet away from them.
He giggling has all but ceased. The air was quiet with noise. Twilight stood in front of them with a giant smile still cased on her face and waiting for a reply.
"T-T-Twilight?" Applebloom says being the first to respond.
Secretly she was hoping she was wrong. She was hoping that this Twilight wasn't the real Twilight. That this is just another trick being played on her by the cave. Just like she wishes everything to be fake.
"The one and only! Now where are the other girls? Shouldn't they be with you and your friend?" Twilight says looking Elza up and down.
"We-We had a fight and now..."
"Don't worry Applebloom we'll find them together!" Twilight says begginning her walk once again towards the two.
The shadows seem to creep along with her like a big cat stalking its prey. Elza looks to her sides and grabs a rock.
"Don't come closer!"
Twilight stops and frowns only for a second. Only a second that is replaced by a grin once again.
"Why? What's wrong?" She asks something dipping in her voice. Something that the two couldn't pick out.
"You! I don't know Applebloom knows someone like you but I can see no I can feel that you are evil! Nothing good ever comes from roaming these tunnels! Just like Rarity!" Elza says standing up clutching the rock in her right hand.
Twilight's smile grows even bigger.
"Oh!~ You've seen Rarity? I really need to thank her for leaving me behind. Though now that I think about it I wish she would've stuck around a little bit longer." Twilight says slowly walking forward eyes never leaving Elza.
"She's different..." Applebloom says backing up, "She never talked like this before. Her eyes aren't suppose to be so black... it like staring into a void that just wants to suck you in... pure darkness..."
Elza and Applebloom slowly back way from the Twilight that no one knows.
"Oh don't leave girls! There's really no where to run to. Just turn around and look."
Elza doesn't look and keeps her eyes on Twilight. Applebloom just stops and shakes in her wake. Neither wanted to be tricked by this pony. Both of them have stopped as Twilight continues forward.
"Now come over here we have to keep going forward if we ever want to get out."
"I said stop!" Elza yells releasing the rock from her hand.
The rock goes sailing but stops way before getting close to Twilight. The rock turns to dust in a matter of seconds.
"Oh come on... did you really think a rock would do anything?" Twilight stops and sighs, "I was hoping you would come to me but I guess it doesn't matter now does it..."
Twilight raises her right hoof and the shadows around her shoot out. The spear the body of Elza through her chest and heart making a wet sicking crunch as they go through. Elza's eyes go wide as she sees the faces of Yūkan and Tsumetai smiling and at her. Elza reaches out with a smile before falling limp upon the spikes her soul frees and life fleets from her sea foam green eyes.
"Yūkan and Tsuemtai huh... I'll make sure you three get to be together again." Twilight says with a chuckle.
Applebloom stares at the limp body of Elza as the pillars flee from the body. Elza falls on her knees and stays up right as darkness replaces her eyes.
"But for now you will come with me."
Applebloom watches with horror filled eyes as Elza stands and walks towards Twilight blood leaking out of her many holes. The body is heartless now and a minion under Twilight. Applebloom turns to run away. To get away from all of this but fate has planned different as a black tendril wraps around her left foreleg dragging her towards Twilight.
"Oh Applebloom sweetie! You shouldn't leave your friend behind! Things can happen to them." Twilight says laughing at the memory of Rarity running away from danger.
Applebloom flails and tries to get the tendril to let her go but is soon dragged and hung upside down in front of Twilight. Applebloom stares into Twilight's soulless eyes.
"Don't worry Applebloom I'm not going to hurt you..." Twilight says as the tendril throws her on the ground with force.
Applebloom gets and turns around to run away again. As she starts she's soon caught around the neck by something familiar. A hand. She's lifted up and is turned around to stare at the face of Elza for one final time as she closes her eyes. The hand closes tighter and tighter digging into the tissue of Applebloom's neck.
"But I never said anything about her." Twilight says laughing watching the foal flail about trying to pry Elza's hand off of her.
Elza rips part of Applebloom's neck off and drops the body as it bleeds out. Twilight's shakes her head and looks at Elza.
"You could have at least tortured her a bit! Probably talked like Elza or... oh what am talking about your just a lifeless puppet now. Now come we have some experiments to hunt down." Twilight walks forward kicking the dead filly out of her way with Elza in tow.
Flying through the tunnels without out a care is great. It's the only thing that was really mattering in the world. To her the world was her oyster and nothing could harm her. Well until she flies smack dab into a web.
"What the? Hey who left this stupid net here!" She yells out, "You better get me out of here or else!"
A snickering fills the tunnel.
"Or else what my dear? You're stuck and in my control. I can do as I want to you without a worry of you retaliating." A voice says in many whispers.
"You think wrong! I'll show you what can do!"
The voice snickers again and says, "Alright. Show me what you can do."
Rainbowdash begins to struggle against the sticky web. She strains with herself trying her hardest to rip the web apart. She bites and kicks out on the web to no avail. Panting, sweating, and exhausted she settles down against the web as the snickering fills the air again.
Hey! Spirit of Adventure aren't you suppose to help me out here!?
She gets silence back from her mind. She can almost feel the empty void in her mind.
"Oh dear don't try to call on your little friend. Within my web I element all magic."
From the corner of Rainbow's vision she sees movement.
"Now lets make this easy on you. I don't want my pray to be too sweaty."
No no no no no no no I don't want to die!
Rainbowdash can feel tears forming in her eyes and feels her courage. She musters up her voice and screams hoping to be heard by an ally of all things. To her luck thus far her prayers are answered.
"Rainbowdash!" She hears a female child call out.
He voice is familiar and it brings back the memories that she had forgotten sense she first met the spirit. She remembers why she no they came into the cave. It was to save the fillies but she still can't recall their names or what they look like. The more she tries to remember the foggier her mind becomes.
"Who dares interrupt my dinner!" Yells the voice angrily
She couldn't see but she can tell that the creature somewhere around her is probably ready to launch itself at the other mare.
"That would be us unfortunate for you..." A male voice says.
The evil voice hisses and says, "Why do you have him !"
The voice says it with so much venom that Rainbowdash flinches a bit at it. What ever her saviors have she's glad they have it. Or at least she hopes they are her saviors.
"Oh you know we've just been getting to know one each other really... He tells me your name is Slavanis. Is that right?"
"Ahhhh~ So the old fool remembers me! What a great pleasure!~ To bad I'm going to eat his carrier boy and his pet!"
The web reverberates as the voices war cry pierces her ears.
"Bad choice."
Wind fills the tunnel blowing hard past Rainbowdash. She really wishes she could see behind her until she hears the sound of fleshing ripping apart. She could hear bones snapping and the screams of the creature. The creature was screaming blood murder as the wind continued to rip past Rainbowdash. Eventually the web was cut by the wind and she falls forward. Rainbowdash quickly turns around to see what once was a spider and half of some creature that looked like the whole version of the creature standing next to a filly pegasus. The top half and bottom half had been ripped apart along with legs and what she assumes arms. Blood was all over the walls and floor of the cave as the pagasus has her ears covered. Weird enough her eyes are open but they seem to have a milk like color to them.
"Well glad to see that worked." The two legged creature says as the orb he hold in his right out scratched appendage changes colors, "A lot messier than I hoped but... Yes yes I know."
The two legged creature seemed to be talking to himself making motions every so often like one would in a conversation. The filly on the other hoof rises up and starts walking towards her.
"Rainbowdash?"
"Ye-Yea?" She stutters out.
The filly squeals and quickly runs over to the rainbowed mare. The filly embraces the older mare around the neck smiling with glee.
"I never thought I'd se..." The filly goes quiet and her squeezing hug stops again.
Something is wrong with the filly. Rainbowdash can sense it.
"What's wrong?"
"I... I can't see you... But I'm glad to hear you again." The filly says digging her head into the mare's chest.
Rainbowdash really doesn't know how to respond. To her she just met this filly. A blind filly at that.
A useless filly at that.
The cold thought was enough to make her shiver. She felt as if a void was filling herself again. Slowly but surely. She looks at the useless filly. She don't know why but she feels something towards the filly. She couldn't describe it but it feels like how one would feels towards a creature bit on evil. Something more than hatred but she couldn't put her hoof on it. He thoughts are interrupted by the two legged creature walking towards them.
"Scootaloo are you alright?"
"Yea! Rainbowdash is here! She's the most awsomest, coolest, fastest pony in the world! No, wait, the universe!"
Rainbowdash can feel a boost of confidence in herself but the feelings towards the filly never leave.
"Huh Rainbowdash... I can see where you get your name from..." The two legged creature looks somewhere else for a while before looking back saying, "Though I believe that this once isn't as stupid as she looks."
Rainbowdash quickly stands up and flies straight into his face, "Who are you calling stupid stupid!"
She couldn't let someone insult her like that. No matter what the creature.
Yea we can take him! her returned companion yells.
Though she can never remember him leaving now. Not like it mattered to her at the moment. All that mattered is the bad mouthing two legged creature with a crystal orb.
He seems to whisper something to himself before saying, "Look I don't mean any insult."
"You better! Cause I'll buck you up so hard!" Rainbowdash says coming back down to the ground, "So who the hay are you anyway!?"
"The name is Tsumetai and this is"
"Yea yea I know who she is! I only asked for your name bub!" She says poking a hoof at him.
Tsumetai raises an eyes and says, "Arlighty than. Well quick question. Have you seen some creature like me walking around?"
"Nope can't say I have. You're the first one for me."
"Damn... well we best keep moving. I don't want to wait in a spot for too long."
"I'm with you on that one!" She says taking to the air again flying beside Tsumetai, "You know I like the way you think! Me and you can really do things! I can tell!"
"Yea that's great. I guess we could use another seeker... besides having a bigger group should make this place easier to get through right?"
Tsumetai nods his head after a second and points forward, "So lets keep going!"
"Right!" Scootaloo yells coming in step with Tsumetai Rainbowdash flying behind with a frown towards the small pegasus.
Applejack didn't really know what to hate more. Being hung upside down by killer toys or watching Pinkie the Queen of all fun goof around while her life was in danger. Truthfully she hates the whole lot of it.
"Pinkie? I think its about time I get down now..."
Perhaps it was the blood flowing to her head but it seems the wooden floor was getting farther away from her. Than again it really could but than that only brings up the question why.
"Awwwww but we're getting into the real swing of things!" Pinkie says motioning towards the swinging ropes to the left of her.
I swear to sweet Celestia...
"But I'll see what I can do!" Pinkie says cheerily.
Applejack sighs and wonders why lately her life has been put into the hands of this Pinkie mare. Chosmic fate? Bad apples? Maybe this was the magical karma howe dowe that Twilight was talking about. Whatever it was she wished it would stop.
Author's Note
so thanks to the people that have stuck around so far! Also thanks for the advice Gamel!
Yūkan lets the arrows whiz as the wolf rushes forward with them.
Let's start.
He grabs the wolf and hulls it up in time as one arrow slams into its back but the two other fly straight through the side flesh of both of his arms. He rushes forward with the wolf and throws it at the woman who backs up to avoid getting hit by her pet.
"Let's fight in the dark." He says pressing the black crystal sucking all the light from the room.
He takes the memory of where the woman was before and uses it getting real low to avoid her blind arrows from which he was running. Luckily he's gotten her further from the light or else this probably wouldn't work. Touching a different crystal, red, his hands light up on fire as he comes in with an upper cut that comes in straight contact with the woman's gut sending her in air. Another punch from his left sending her backward the middle of her dress and face now on fire.
A deep growl sounds before the cracking of ice. Yūkan looks and find his face filled with ice before being knocked down.
Damn it all to hell! He thinks feeling claws sink into his body.
He grabs the wolf melting the center of the being making the two half fall to either side of him no longer moving. He quickly gets up and presses the red gem again to turn off the fire power. He looks at the water puddle that is forming as well as rest of the frozen body now melting to join its soon water form.
He looks over at Sweetie and asks himself how she could be sleeping through this entire thing. He than realizes that the woman could of did anything in the moment he wasn't looking at her with Sweetie.
Guess I better check it out after.
His thoughts are cut off as an arrow slams into his right leg making him buckle down on it. He looks to see the woman holding part of her burnt face. All her hair is gone and the bottom part of her dress is no longer attached leaving her in her bottom undergarment and top half of her dress and she certainly don't look happy about it. She notches another arrow and begins to fire one after another. Yūkan rolls over breaking part of the arrow in his leg to avoid the death. He sprints up and starts running pressing the blue gem allowing water to pool in front of him to block the current onslaught of arrows.
He pushes out both his hand shooting water and forcing the woman backwards. He switches from blue to red to end it. He begins to land punch after punch on her body cracking bones. The woman flies down onto the ground ablaze. Yūkan turns around to check on his morphing buddy that seems to no longer be a puddle and no longer here. He smiles triumphantly as he walks over to Sweetie with a limp.
Level up. He thinks with a chuckle Wonder if I can buy myself some chakara gloves....
He kneels down on his bad leg and rolls Sweetie onto her back to see her drooling from the side of her mouth.
"Yo! Sweet!? Wake up!" He yells almost directly in her ears.
Still no response other than the sleeping noises she makes. With out much to go on he presses his red gem setting his gloves off of fire and back to normal before pinching her nose which gives him a proper response but a weird one. She coughs a puff ball flies out of it and her eyes go wide and she starts flailing hitting Yūkan in his bad leg.
Shit!
Yukan scoots back watching as the filly flips over and look around before her eyes refocus on him. She quickly hugs him whimpering almost something that sounds like an apology.
"Hey hey! Why so huggy all of a sudden?"
Sweetie takes the moment to draw in the dirt an arrow at herself and than a pony's ear.
"Oh, you could hear but you couldn't respond?"
She nods her head and throws another hug at him making him fall backwards laughing.
"Don't worry Sweet I'm not mad at you I promise! No need to hug me to death."
Sweetie ignores him and rubs her face affectionately into his neck. Yūkan chuckles and stands holding Sweetie and begins to limp walk.
"Let's keep moving S.B."
Tsumetai
Tsumetai watches as Scootaloo stands under or near Rainbowdash the entire time using the power of echo location that she ha almost perfected. It truly is something this cave is. At first none of them would've guessed it would be something like this, but now he can't even be shocked he has two ponies talking in front of him. He looks over the orb in his hand.
"So Orphean... Can you feel anything?"
No, not now at leas... wait... there is faint magic here somewhere. Wait, no... it's above us?
Tsumetai stops and looks up. He can't see the source from which the magic is working or any hint of magic what so ever.
"I don't see any."
Explosions sound from the ceiling and rocks come crashing down where he stand to in front of him. He is about to yell for Scootaloo and Rainbowdash but they seem to have already moved good distance ahead. Instead he jumps back rocks missing to crush him under its weight.
"What the hell!" Tsumetai yells walking towards the rock pile, "Are you guys okay over there!"
No response. Which does nothing to ease his conscious.
"Alright let's bust through this gargh." Tsumetai grabs his throat with his free hand at the feeling of something in his throat.
"Argh!"
Oh ho ho ho. I can't let you do that. I finally have you by yourself. Plus I'm fully in your mind. Didn't your mother ever teach you not to let strangers into your mind?
"Yaough bashard!" Tsumetai yells grasping the orb hard out of his own free will and falling to his knees starting to feel light headed.
Name calling? I thought you were far beyond that Tsumetai. Hehe don't worry I'll look for your friends. Or should I say my friends.
Darkness starts to in-crowd his vision as darkness rises from the orb. Tendrils wrap themselves around his body and seep into his agape mouth; held open against his will. He can't even scream anymore. Everything seems cut off from him. He closes his eyes and pray the others will be safe for him. Never being a prayer he's sure that God or whatever benevolent force will hear him. Though he'll never know this, this place is outside the help of gods.
*Rainbowdash Scootaloo*
Rainbowdash finds the screaming of one small brown filly to be quite annoying as she tries to find a way through the rubble behind them.
"Just give it up already. There isn't a through so we might as well keep going forward. Maybe we'll run into him again." Rainbow says flying on forward speeding up hoping to get away from the brown filly.
"But but!" Scootaloo yells following after Rainbow, "He needs us like we need him."
"No we Don't! Especially me!" Rainbow lands in front of the filly and pushes her onto her rump, "And I certaintly don't need a worthless piece of trash like you!"
"Rain... Rainbowdash? Why... Why would you."
"Because I don't care about you! The only reason I tolerated you was because he was there! Now that he's gone I can get rid of you! And if you keep following me I'm not responsible for what happens next!" Rainbow says before flying off again: this time faster.
Scootaloo sits there dumbstruck as tears slip down her dirt covered chicks. Alone and separated she curls into herself and begins to cry. In all honesty it remind her of home. Alone, sad, and utterly.
Useless.
*Twilight*
Twilight yawns watching as the black tendrils from her horn wraps around the body of Elza and Applebloom. Different mutations appear and disappear from their bodies. Horns, claws, sharper longer teeth, etc. It truly is boring, but she does want to make sure that she has good body guards during some intense situations.
"Honestly... Why couldn't humans be so much better than this... being dead makes them stronger, more agile, and seemingly better minions. Still I would've killed for a Multion or Konbez... maybe even another dragon... I wonder how my dark magic can effect Spike... I wonder how Celestia is doing... well however she is once I get out I'm a change that."
Another yawn and more transformations yield to not ease her boredom. She rolls her eyes finding that giving Applebloom multiple spikes and spiked hooves while giving the human long tendrils, four to be exact; big leathery wings, and long finger nails that can pierce through anything. Or at least she hopes.
"Now only something to try them out on."
The sound of claws scraping across the flower signals her approaching prey.
"Just on time." Twilight says with a smile.
*Applejack and Pinkie Pie*
Applejack stares into Pinkie's eyes as she looks down upon her. Things just never seem fair anymore. The toys, the yelling, the fight... and now this. Dangling looking the pony you were just yelling at in the eyes. She can't say that she takes it all back because she would be lying. She can't say she's sorry because she's not. She wishes she could take it all back though. That much she can be honest about.
"So Applejack... Still think I'm useless."
Applejack keeps her glare staring Pinkie in her eyes not wavering a bit. Clutching as hard as her good hoof can.
"Still think I'm only worrying about myself... I act like this for a reason. If I don't than I get all moppy woppy and nopony wants to be around that. Just like nopony wants to be around you..."
"Shut yer mouth! Wait till I pull myself up from here!"
"But that's the thing Applejack... How will you pull yourself up. You're only part of the mare you used to be."
Applejack doesn't dare look down. The empty in her right fore leg is enough to let her know. Now watching Pinkie walk away makes her desperate but she holds her tongue. If she's going to go out she might as well go out on her own terms. Or.
"Yea... But Its still enough to beat you!" She mumbles and yells as she pulls her torso up onto the cliff and standing or shaking more like it. She's not used to standing on three legs.
Pinkie stops and turns around a giant smile on her face, "Really Applejack? Do you think you can fight me."
Pinkie and Applejack walk towards each other knowing crushed toys away. One with an angry glare, one with a giant smile to send chills down the biggest stallions spine. Mere inches away from each other, than centimeters. Their breathes stinging the air of hatred and poison.
Both know the outcome of this fight. Yet they sill push for it. I guess it doesn't matter to either really. Even after the first punch is thrown.
Author's Note
Good god how long has it been! Sorry about the wait all the people who are still reading this. I plan long chapters soonish maybe. All happy Saint's Patrick Day
Yūkan and Sweet Bell walk into a room bathed in light. It is a great difference than the darkness they have been walking through. The light emanates blue from writing floating just off the wall of the circular room. In a word to describe the place all would use beautiful. In a crazy way.
"What is this..." Yūkan breathes out taking in all the words.
Words pass by him in different languages. He notes that few are written in English and few don't look like words, but pictures. Hieroglyphics to be exact. It is astonishing to both the pony and the human. To be in such a place that emanates a sense of wonder and beauty is something unthinkable.
There thoughts are broken away as both their eyes lay on a man of blue. Yes a naked blue man that seemed to be made out of the words themselves.
"So I see the tunnels have led you to me." The words says without sound yet they could hear, though they aren't exactly sure.
"Ye-Yes.. Who are you?" Yūkan
"I like to call myself Worm. I know all about the tunnels and the games they play. It's interesting least to say without blowing your brain."
"I take that quite literally..." Yūkan says sitting on the dirt floor, "So I'm guessing we're here for some reason than?"
"Actually no. I don't know how you would end up here. To get here is... a low chance. So low it's past the zangolionth number."
Yūkan and Sweetie look at each other dumbfounded.
"Than... What are we doing here?"
"I'm not quite sure... and I basically know everything! But if I have to guess I'll consider that you possibly are here by a mistake in the system of how the tunnels work." The words says turning from man into words on the ways and floating about.
"Sweet! So do you know how to get out of here!"
"Yes. Yes I do. But the thing about it is for you to get out you'll have to travel through many more things."
Sweetie groans as best as she can making Yūkan chuckle at her. Even though he wanted to do the same thing. He's practically had enough of this damndable cave. And he's sure so has Sweet.
"Alright S.B looks like we still have some trouble up ahead..."
"Oh no you miss think You have trouble in your future. Not her. She has misery and pain to suffer through. Inside and out." Worm says forming different things.
"Really? How do you."
"Know all possible outcomes? I just do. It's a curse and gift. And no, I will not tell you what is up in your path. What I can afford to tell you is that no one ever lives unchanged down here. No one. Keep that to heart young Yūkan. As for you Sweetie Belle. You will suffer the most. Death and tragedy has always been lined in your path against your will. Don't dwell on it for too long and remember what has been lost has been lost for a reason uncontrollable to you. You will find those who are better and they will lead you to your greatness.
It has been set in moldable clay. Based on your actions and the words you take in today will be your outcome. Understood?"
She simply nods staring in awe around the room for the not voice.
"Good good. Now rest up you two. You have big shoes to fill when you wake." Worm says confidence in its voice.
Yūkan amd Sweet lay side by side Sweetie laying on his chest. Before sleep over takes them Yūkan mutters out, "So Sweetie Belle. Who would've guessed."
Scootaloo
Scootaloo wonders the tunnels listening for sounds that might get her. Listening to the breathing the growing. Evertyhing. To hear was her power. Listening will be her survival. She walks the tunnel for she has nowhere to go. No one to go to. She is alone because she was useless. She understands now.
She understands what her life has meant this entire time.
Nothing. Nothing but dead hopes and dreams. Maybe she's only meant to help other thrive. Yes, that is what she thinks to herself. She seeks only to help others by listening to their problems and attempting to fix them.
She accepts her fate living down her on her own. She figures she doesn't need anyone. Not Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and defiantly not that damned Rainbowdash. She curses her very name and wishes for something bad to happen to her.
Somewhere in the back of her mind she knows its wrong too. But it feels all so right. To wondering the tunnels as a blind mare to the very vengeance fiber in her bone. The thought of hate always loom in her mind. Even to the point of her future rage builds her mind.
So, Scootaloo continues walking. Seeking out those in help. To provide her services however she can. By being completely uselss.
The sway to and fro of the magic inside of the cave makes Twilight stumble. Only for a second. Just a brief second did she feel something happen. As if the cave cast a spell. The cave it very self! She couldn't quite believe it. Of course it doesn't make sense so it must of happened knowing the tunnels.
She turns and looks at her entourage. A decaying human, a decaying pony, and other lovely creatures of the dark. Some decaying some of own free will. They seem non effected by the magic which makes it alright. As long as her minions are okay her take over is insured. Not like anypony could stop her in the tunnels. Only a mad mare would try to stop her. Possibly only a mad mare could stop her.
"Hey Twilight!" A all too familiar voice cries out.
Coming from the darkness before her a familiar rainbow comes flying towards her.
"What's with the freaks behind you?" Rainbowdash says landing before Twilight, "They your friends or something?"
"You can say that." Twilight says smirking, "Would you like to be one of them?"
"Only if your strong. And last I check I could easily do a lazy punch and knock you out!" Rainbow says laughing.
Twilight simply rolls her eyes. Her horn ignites and hands rush out of the ground pinning Rainbow to the floor.
"Whoa whoa whoa! What's going on here!" Rainbow says beating her wings breaking out of the grasps.
"Interesting... You are pretty strong aren't you Rainbowdash. Or is there another reason behind your strength." Twilight asks as the hands disappear into the ground her horn still alit.
"Yea! What's it to you! You trying to pick a fight you gonna lose!"
Ah. A mad mare has found me! Twilight thinks to herself.
"Oh really? You wish to test that theory?"
Rainbow flies there for a while. Thinking over her next action and words only briefly. She acts flying towards Twilight. Twilight smirks as spires of spike shoot from the darkness all around them. Rainbow acts quick pulling back almost being impaled over and over again.
"See you're so afraid you have to use magic!" Rainbow says pointing aggressively, "Fight me without magic weakling!"
"Very well Rainbow. If you wish to die so soon I will not use magic."
"Good! Think fast!" Rainbow yells flying again for another flying hoof punch.
Twilight only chuckles. Who ever said she'd play fair?
*Yūkan*
Yūkan is the first to arise from their slumber. He awakes with Sweetie in his lap and darkness without the evil feeling. The darkness gives off a type of safe feeling. After the talk, if he can even call it that, he's been wrapping his mind around things even in his sleep.
He sits up and sees the sleeping form of Sweetie in his lap. A smile touches his lips and his heart tinges. The pain in his chest is truly something. The cuteness truly can't be questioned or challenged. A thought passes of using Sweetie as a weapon mass cuteness.
He starts tot stroke her mane tenderly. Like a mother with her child. Even the darkness around them seems to be cuddling them. Everything just seems so nice. Which makes him even more afraid.
He shakes Sweetie every so lightly, "S.B. Time to get up."
Sweetie moves a bit and snuggles her head deeper into Yūkan's leg. His heart aches more and a chuckle sounds from his mouth. Death by cuteness. I wonder what Tsumetai would think.
The mere thought of his name fills him with a sense of sadness. But not enough to overwhelm the sadness he feels for Sweetie. After learning about what her future holds... He takes a deep breath and shakes her again.
"Wakey wakey S.B. We got a way to go before we get out I guess."
Sweetie yawns in a strangled cute kind of way and rises. She sits up and rubs her eyes while in Yūkan lap. She looks up sleepily her periwinkle eyes showing the glaze of sleep that still linger in them.
"Well looks who's awake." Yūkan says squeezing her in a hug.
She tries to did her head into his chest. He would of accepted in any other environment.
"Sorry Sweetie we have to get moving. We don't know how long we'll be safe here."
Sweetie nods sleepily understanding the stress of the situation. Even if its subconsciously. Yukan rises setting Sweetie on the ground and looks about their environment. A way to the right and away to the left. Both shrouded by usual darkness. He remembers that a long time ago his dad used to talk about if he ever gets stuck in a situation of going in a direction and he can't figure it out, always go left. With that he looks and points left, "That is the way we'll go. Are you ready S.B?... S.B?"
He looks down to see the foal asleep on the ground breathing lightly. It warms the heart truly. He picks her up and says, "Fine you can sleep some more."
She sighs happily getting her wish bring a big smile on Yūkan's face. Even in this place she's still like a child.
*Rainbowdash*
Rainbowdash flies as fast as her wings will take her. She turns corners and stumbles in flight falling to the ground. She rolls and looks back panting. Her wings sore from the workout she had given them.
That didn't matter to her at the moment. The only thing that matters is that she is still a live and she has no idea if Twilight is still coming after her. She closes her eyes as tears flow down her cheeks. She couldn't believe that just happened.
She shakes her head and makes her way down the tunnel jumping at every sound and every flicker of her shadow. She's scared out of her wits now. Afraid to even continue forward, yet more afraid to stop. She shakes her head trying to get rid of the tears in her eyes. She wants to stop crying, but can't will herself to.
A whole portion of herself is gone now. All that is left is what her former self would be without her bravery. All sense of adventure is gone with the spirit that once held within her body. Something whispers out to her. She tops like a deer in head lights.
"He-He-Hello?" she manages to get out in squeaks.
The voice sounds familiar. Comforting and horrible. If it sounds familiar maybe its friendly. She considers it and than she considers everything might be out to kill her. Even her friends. Before she starts to run something slams her into the ground.
Something heavy holds her down and sniffs long and hard against her. It sends a shiver down her spine.
"Found you Dashie~!" The voice says in a hissing yet gentle way.
An evil gentle creature holds her down. Rainbowdash squirms screaming blood murder and crying. If the creature had any intent to kill it lost it. Seeing her like this lets her regain a form of actual conscious of herself.
"Dashie?"
"Awwww and you were so into it too!" A kids voice chimes in followed by the sound of a hoof stomp.
Rainbow dares look back and sees her friend Fluttershy looking down at her with worry in her eyes. Without a second that Rainbow throws herself into Fluttershy crying and thanking her for getting rid of the monster. Fluttershy can only look down at the ground behind Rainbowdash where she once laid. And now here she is crying against her.
Fluttershy wraps her hooves around Rainbowdash and says, "Yea... Are you alright Dashie?"
Rainbow frantically shakes her head shivering and clinging to Fluttershy for deer life. She needed something to anchor her fears. And this is what she's been looking for. Or, at least she hopes.
*Twilight*
Twilight yawns as she looks at the mess before her.
"Oh I really wish things would put up a better fight..."
Twilight looks over her small army. The army of the damned she considers. Mutated creatures of the dark and spirits follow behind her ready to unleash hell on those unworthy of meeting them. She smiles and takes in a deep breath of the darkness. It would reek to others, but to her. To her its like taking a deep breath in a meadows.
The only thing she is truly missing are victims, a king, and people to rule over with fear. The mere thought of who she wishes to enslave fills her with glee like that of a filly in a candy store. Just wanting to have every single thing, and she will have ever. Single. Thing.
She continues down the tunnels her undying legion behind her leaving death and evil behind them.
*Fluttershy*
"There there Dashie..." Fluttershy says soothingly as Elise walks about in a circle keeping herself entertained while Fluttershy takes care of her friend, "I'm here for you."
Fluttershy never would have guessed to see her friend like this. Neither did she ever think she would want to sink fangs into her so much. She would've asked what happened to her, but she wants to be gentle to her feelings. At the same time she wants to sink her teeth into that plump neck of hers and taste her red blood.
The conflicting sides of her personalities fight against what she should do right now. But no matter what she would do it with love. She looks towards Elise for help of some sort. Some type of advice. All she does and bares her fangs and motions toward Rainbow. It's an idea constantly in her mind. Than she wouldn't have to afraid of anything anymore.
But than the reason why Rainbow isn't running away from them is even more confusing.
"Rainbow?"
"Yes?"
"Will you stay with us?"
Rainbow nods her head frantically tears still streaming down her face nuzzling into Fluttershy's chest. Fluttershy feels something pulse inside of her. Some unknown feeling she's only felt a few times before the cave. When she was younger she met a colt who made her have that same tingly feeling.
She never could figure out why she was feeling like that. She never did tell anybody about it either. She wouldn't now. Maybe later to Rainbowdash herself. She has a right to now after all. She might tell Elsie when the time is right, but for now. Fluttershy simply holds Rainbow close to her for the time being.
*Tsumetai/Orphean*
Since the take over things have been... better. For Orphean of course. He's been emitting his presence wherever he goes. Killing creatures big and small just for fun. Using the magic he never taught to Tsumetai to make himself stronger.
"Ahhh it feels great to have a body again. They said they'd get rid of me but I'm free once again!"
He spins in a circle making the mind swirls around him and sparkle. He stops as he hears a gasp behind him. He turns to see a boy and his foal. Gloves adone his hands and his ragged shirts and pants matches he his dirty face and body. The same goes for the foal as well.
"Tsumetai!?"
Oh, that's right I nearly forgot about his friends.
"Yea? What?" He asks the sparkling coming to a halt around him.
"What have you been doing man! I actually started to think you were dead!" Yūkan says walking closer," what have you been doing man?"
"You know. Living." Orphean says shrugging Tsumetai's shoulders, "What about you?"
"Fighting everything! And keeping S.B here alive." Yūkan says looking down at Sweetie on his right, "Other than that looking for you and Elza."
Orphean nods his head and walks towards the way Yūkan came. When his back is fully turned to him he begins forming his hands in a circle in front of him. Yūkan turns and watches him with a slight frown, "You alright? You seem pretty off?"
"Well, Yes I am alright. But you? Your not going to be."
Orphean turns around and spreads out his hand sending a wave of fire at them. Reacting faster than anything he his the red crystal on his right glove. He bring up his hand and the fire wraps around both Yūkan and Sweetie though that dares scare the mess out of S.B as well as a bit of piss.
Sweetie makes a strangled noise as she starts to back up. Hitting another crystal quickly, green, the wind stirs up blasting the fire away as the spell ends. Yūkan stands fists brought up to fight.
"What the hell Tsumetai!?"
Orphean laugh shaking his head, "I'm not Tsumetai thought I have taken his body. Tsumetai is dead and only Orphean lives."
Yūkan clutches his fist and they form wind around them ready to attack. If it means that something has taken over Tsumetai, there's only one thing he can do. Tears begin to come down his eyes as he stares at Orphean. A creature that used to be Tsuemtai.
"God damnit.... God fucking damnit!! Tsuemati!! Why the hell did you do this to yourself! We were suppose to play this safe! We were going to find the treasure and get out alive! Now I'm going to beat your fucking ass because of your stupidity!"
With that Yūkan runs forward the wind speeding him up to his target
*Pinkie*
Pinkie stares at the pony in front her with a gaint smile. Even if she is covered in blood she didn't really care. She was back with family. Before her is the Skeleton of her sister Misty Pie. Pinkie walks forward and hugs the skeleton.
"Oh its soooo great to be with you again!"
What Pinkie sees is the alive body of her sister. What the world sees is a grinning skeleton taking pleasure in the misery of others. It feeds on the sadness and death of everything around it. And this pink pony is feeding him like nobody's business.
Pinkie looks back at the dead body of Applejack. He head snapped around to her back and two of her legs mangled at odd positions. Pinkie giggles at the sight before saying, "See! I told you we would find her! You didn't want to believe me and now look! You've gone and gotten yourself killed!"
She begins hopping around in front of the skeleton talking and asking questions hearing only what she wants to her. Feeding without a care.
Author's Note
So. The ending has been planned and its coming up soon. If you can't tell. I've had fun with this, but all good things have to come to an end eventually.
Author's Note
Happy fathers day. And also man I need to get more on this story.
Make your move
*Yūkan*
Yūkan stares at the boy he hasn't seen in forever. Eye to eye finally once again. Except now is different. His fist lays to the right side of his skull and the other punches against an invisible wall as well. He gets pushed back and lands squarely on his feet. He raises his fist to the air ready to fight.
"Now come on boy! You may look special but you sure aren't acting like it!" Orphean says laughing, "Come on surprise me!"
Yūkan grunts and punches his fist together before hitting the red gem, "Wish granted."
He runs forward as rocks shoot up to impale him as he runs. He turns just in time to get grazes and scrapes. He throws out his fist and a burst of flame shaped as a fist fires out.
Orphean smiles and wipes the flams apart to find in the midst of it Yūkan about to punch him. Orphean moves out of the way and tries to slam the orb into the back of his head. Yūkan drops down and moves away from Orphean. He chuckles before the orb glows and a small dragon made of ice starts forming out of it.
"How about we cool you off hot head."
The dragon launches forward growing in size and form. Yūkan's eyes go big at this and he brings up his arms to try his best to block it. Even if it is a stupid way to block something like that. Just pure human instincts at its best. As the dragon is about to engult him it suddenly stops in its place and starts shaking.
Yūkan slowly lowers his arms and looks at Orphean who is glaring towards Sweet Bell. Her horn is lit up with a purple aura around it. She breathing heavily. Yūkan couldn't believe it. And Sweetie Belle couldn't believe it either. The dragon was held back by magic. Her magic.
"You damned brat!" He yells reading a spell to blast at her.
"No you don't!" Yūkan yells pressing the green gem and flying forward past the dragon.
Orphean turns and swings the orb to have in contact against his fist. Yūkan brings his other fist around connecting with Orphean's stomach sending him up into the air a bit and cause the dragon to shatter. With the orb out of the way Yūkan brings his right fist back and brings it forward against Orphean's face sending him flying backwards. He skits across the ground and slams into the wall.
Using the wall as support Orphean rises laughing while holding his throbbing face with his good hand.
"That's a nice right hook you go there... Of course I already knew that. Tsumetai's memory comes in handy you know?"
"Shut the fuck up!" Yūkan yells running forward pressing the red gem on his approach.
"So much high feeling..." The orb glows white and ice comes shooting out the wall.
"Gah!" Yūkan jumps back and swats at some of the spikes that come too close hoping to melt them.
A few get past and slice through parts of him. The spikes stop and come back to wall still present.
"I can't wait to rip you to pieces." Orphean says moving forward letting go of his face, "While you look into the face of your old friend."
Hitting the white crystal and slams his fist into the ground making spikes appear in session towards him. Orphean chuckles and makes the pillars of ice break apart. Yūkan smiles and hits the black crystal making the world go back around them. The orb glows brightly trying to penetrate the darkness to no success.
"This one is new." Orphean says smiling.
He waits and listens. He brings up his magical force to black any attack and lays across a magic field to sense Yūkan's presence. Meanwhile Yūkan falls on one knee feeling ore drained than usual. He sees Tsumetai just fine, but he isn't going to take his chance in fighting him like this. He looks over at Sweetie who is lying unconscious on the ground. He can already tell he's not going to win this fight.
He gets up and limps towards Sweetie.
"Don't worry," He whispers to her, "We'll leave for now..."
He casts one look back and continues to limp away.
*Rainbowdash*
Rainbowdash keeps her body pressed against Fluttershy's. Even with Fluttershy's soothing words she still can't let go of the feeling of danger around her. All Rainbowdash wants to do is get out of here with Fluttershy. Just to a better place for this is too much for her. She just can't wrap her head around how someone can be so confident like this. She keeps saying how she's afraid of this place too, but.
"Fluttershy?"
"Yes Rainbowdash?"
"Where are we going to go when we leave here?"
"We're going home. Together. I'll keep you safe like you used to when we were younger." Fluttershy says throwing a hoof around Rainbowdash, "We'll be together cause we're friends forever right?"
Rainbowdash nods her head confirming what she said. She snuggles her head into Fluttershy's side enjoying the warmth she gives off.
"Get a room you two!" The young pony says shaking her head further up ahead, "Or at least save the lovey dovey stuff for when we get out of here!"
Rainbowdash blushes and the two keep moving on. Rainbowdash lowers her head as if scolded like a child.
"It's okay Rainbowdash. We can continue you when we get home."
That just makes Rainbowdash blush even more. She didn't even realize nor have she ever realized what their actions have looked like as well as their past.
*Twilight*
Nothing. Is all that goes through Twilight's head as she walks forward her army of ungodly creatures behind her. She's even questioned the possibility that she might not actually get out of here let alone find her "friends" again. Friends. How she detests that word now. To think it actually meant the whole world to her.
Now its merely a scar. A scar that can be healed. An easy fix really. Find them, enslave and/or kill them. Simple as that. Nothing to complex. Not like they'll really care. If they are her "friends" they'll let her do it. Cause that's what friends are for.
She never lingered on such thoughts for she felt something. Something that made her burn in her core. Something that she hated and never wants to feel. But as long as she doesn't dwell on it
Twilight stops feeling the presence of magic. Strong magic.
"Oh ho ho maybe an actual challenge?" She says smiling her horn glowing black.
*Orphean*
Orphean sighs at realizing his target just left. He's sure he can just find him again just by following real quick, but with how unpredictable these tunnels are. He shakes his head.
He turns and decides to go back the way he came to only be stopped when an armada of creatures stand before him all being led by a black coated unicorn.
"Well hello there~" She says giggling looking him up and down.
Orphean stands his place dull eyed. His muscles tensing a bit as he watches the shadow on the walls move and change shapes. He thinks to himself how unfortunate that this is where he had to be led to.
"What's your name?~" She asks walking closer to Orphean.
The orb glows and a whip of energy comes out and slashes the ground where the unicorn stands making her stop her advance, "How about you stand still and talk."
She giggles manically.
She's lost it. To who I wonder.
"Oh you look soooo cool! You know~ I have another human with me too~ Perhaps you know her?" Twilight says as a deformed bipedal creature with spikes ejecting from its back, hands turned into paws with long claws coming out of them, and pure black all the way down, "Well maybe not. I gave her a make over~"
She squees and laughs like a maniac looking her creature up and down, "Oh I'm so proud of her!~"
"Not really sure I recall a monster. Plus this body isn't even mine. My body has been lost for ages. So I'm making due with what I can get. Now Miss Unicorn how about we make our separate ways and."
He barely had time to react. The magic came at him faster than he thought. The arrow of purple stays pressing against his forehead. A trickle of blood runs down from the wound as the arrow disappears. He backs away raising his orb.
"Oh sorry!~ I don't like it when prey drags on.~" She says with a hint of something in her voice. It almost seems to be taking on a sultry tone?
"Who are you." Orphean asks making sure to double his magic shield this time.
The magic broke through the first one with ease. He only managed to coat his body just in time for his head to stop it from killing him.
"Well~ If you entertain me I might tell you.~" She says in a playfull tone walking forward towards him, "Plus, if you don't die. You might see how a unicorn gets off.~"
Orphean gulps and considers his possibilities. Either way, all of them seem bad.
*Yūkan*
Yūkan stumbles down the hall tired and scratched. Sweetie has woken up every so often to only pass out later as they continue their trek. Truly he never knew he could go so long with out something appearing. So figuring the no longer Tsumetai would likely end up somewhere different if he hasn't caught on to the ruse.
He sets the filly down and sits Indian style before her. He's still not sure how she was able to do that, but he hopes she'll be able to do it again when the time arises. Or something like. From what he can tell doing something like that has really drained her of her magic.
Or that's what he assumes.
"Heh... if only a had a mana potion in my infinite bag." He says chuckling rubbing the filly's side, "At least you helped me out of a pickle. Rest up well S.B."
He sits there and looks around the area he's in. Barren dirt walls that almost seem about to give way to a cave it, worms coming through the earth and the occasional rumbling from within the cave itself. The odd light that seems to always be on is present too. He just can't put his finger on the light. Just something about it doesn't seem all that natural. Than again, when is anything down here natural.
"God... So much is happening... so much has happened. I don't know about Elza anymore... I know Tsumetai is no longer... with us. Only a parasite using his skin. I figured he would be more careful, but the way he always act cool.
He takes a deep breath, holds it, and lets it out towards the ceiling. At that moment he makes a prayer. Not to the gods again. But to the forces that bind this cave to all its laws.
He prays for an exit, for a ending for everything. And unlike the gods before.
The cave listens.
*Sweetie Belle*
Surrounded by blackness while floating aimlessly, Sweetie continues to look around her environment for more white orbs. It seems with every white orb she collects she becomes more awake. Its almost like playing a game. She's not sure if its the same white orb every time for they, or it, seems bigger every time she finds one.
She had once heard stories of a place like this. Something about a magic coma or something like that. The thought of magic brings a smile to her mouth. She couldn't believe what she had done. Never have used magic before,till now, was amazing and to boot she did something she considered completely impossible. And from the look on Yūkan's face he was proud, amazed, and shocked about what she did.
She couldn't wait to wake up, and hopefully stay awake, and ask what Yūkan thought. She than remembers that she can't actually talk.
I wonder if he still has my rock... probably not...
She looks around to see another orb bigger than before. At first she was freaking out when she was here and ended up flailing about and going all different direction and eventually getting sick. She finally calmed herself and managed to learn how to mover herself in a place like this. The way she thrust and points is how she moves. To go up and down she kind of have to will herself if she's already going one direction. To stop she has to imagine herself stopping.
She was happy that it wasn't a complex method to where there's floors everywhere and she has to walk along them feeling her way through or fall to her death. That would suck, like majorly.
She kept up this method of floating, collect, wake, and fall back to sleep. She was sure she was starting to get on Yūkan's nerve and hoped he would forgive her. As she approaches the orb her world becomes whites and a door appears before her. She floats into and falls flat on her face.
Who turned on the gravity...
She groans and slowly gets up. She looks around and sees nothing but whiteness. She walks to the right and walks face first into a wall. She backs up walks the other way and walks into another wall. So she considers logically she's in a boxed room with a ceiling and everything. She turns back and goes for the door to see its not there.
I know this isn't my mind. I know I'm smarter than this
"And you are correct." A female monotone voice says from above.
Sweetie looks up to see nothing up their. Of course she wouldn't. What mystical voice from above would actually show itself while its speaking. Plus apparently it can hear her thoughts.
"She. She can hear your thoughts." The voice says correcting Sweetie's thoughts.
Right.
Sweetie sits down and shakes her head waiting for the voice to answer her question before she asks it.
"This is your magic area. This is where all your magic is stored and is called upon. It is deep within you. So deep and so small that nobody would be able to pick up on it." The voice lectures, "And inside there is the being of which watches over your mana reserves. And as you see, you have depleted yours."
Sweetie looks around the still empty room. She never knew this much about magic. But wait... if she's so small and deep inside herself why is she here of all places? She also knows that magic is due to stamina so the more tired you are the less effective the magic is.
"Which is true at most, but not entirely. You see. Your mana reserves is based upon the magic in your body. And a filly as young as you are shouldn't be able to produce magic of high degree for you only have a small amount within you plus it doesn't regenerate as fast as it would an older unicorn or being of magic."
Sweetie nods her head understanding what is being said. Though that still doesn't explain.
"Well, you used all of your mana and left a permanent scar in it. Practically saying this room shouldn't even exist and yet it does. You are a very special unicorn Sweetie Belle. Which is the reason why I'm here."
Sweetie cocks her head. She had only assumed that all the areas like this in everbody had a talking person in it. She had said a being watches over the mana reserve.
"Yes, I did. That something that watches over it. I'm not a something. I am a specific person with a specific name with a specific gender and so on and so forth. I shouldn't be here and neither should you. Apparently I have been sleeping in here as much as I have gathered."
Than why are you no actually here. You're just a disembodied voice.
"I have no answer for that. I know so much, but at the same time I know so little. I haven't been alive long enough to know why I am here. It only feels as if something is suppose to happen before you can see me. Like you have to will to see me."
Sweetie harrumph and shakes her head. Nothing has ever been easy when it comes to magic and god like beings and etc.Why can't there be like an on and off switch for you... You know flick it to show you and not show you.
The more she thinks about the switch the hotter she feels. Something shimmers in front of her only for the briefest of seconds. She focuses on that blur making it hotter and hotter.
"Stop! Sweetie Belle!" Panic has entered the woman's voice.
Gasping Sweetie drops her eyes from the blurry image making it disappear all together. She feels even more exhausted than when she first woke up in darkness. And this time she wasn't even flailing about. She drops to her stomach panting.
"I remembered something. Something faint. Something about you and me, but its so faint. I know you shouldn't try to do stuff like what you did... you were... you were trying to make.... make something appear... You were..." The voice grows faint.
Soft whispers from here can barely be understood. The voice seems to be looking for the right words to say. Thing seem to fade away for Sweetie and she awakes with a start. She stands up stiff as a board and looks around to see Yūkan sleeping while sitting on the ground. A funny position indeed. Not being tired, due to her confusion and eagerness to know what all that was about, she sits and looks around the room they're in. Apparently they've come to a place where there is gibberish writing on the wall along with pictures. Circles, Xs, and a bunch of other shapes and marks.
She looks at Yūkan wondering if he'll be able to make any sense of all this. For now she lets him rests. He needs it. And at that thought she wonders what happened in that fight. If he killed his friend or not He said he would but... How could she be certain?
*Rainbowdash*
Rainbowdash always hates this. But she haves to deal with it. Fluttershy and Elsie always assure her that this is just part of their natural lives. Though that still doesn't help to the disgusting the noise and the fighting that happens before.
Which leads to another thing in her mind. Why does everypony have to fight so much? Why does there always have to be conflict. Can't there be a time where a fight is fought and won without all the blood shed. Though Elsie says that's the best part of the world. All the blood that gets spilled and needs to be cleaned up.
She turns back to see if the two are done. She sees them over the poor creature still pinned against the walls by Fluttershy who has her muzzle covered in red and her hoofs and part of her arms as well. Plus she's still feasting on the poor creature. Elsie is doing the same, but only from the opened belly of the creature.
Just looking at the scene again brings vomit to her mouth. She turns away and manages to swallow it down. She tries to drown out the sound of their feasting again with her own thoughts. Thoughts of a life without all the conflict. All she wants to do is live a peaceful life with Fluttershy and Elsie, if that's possible at all...
Lately the two have been a lot more violent. Elsie and Fluttershy are always talking peering at everything and constantly looking at her. A few times Rainbowdash almost felt like bolting to get away from the group once the fear of her safety settles in. What prevented her is that thought of Fluttershy. She doesn't want to making Fluttershy mad, angry, sad, or any other emotion. Really Rainbow would say she's.
"Okay Rainbow lets get moving." Fluttershy says as Rainbow feels a body press against hers from behind.
Hooves wraps around her waist followed the brushing of the muzzle. Fluttershy is all that goes through Rainbow's mind. She knows Elsie would never be this kind to her.
"Just don't turn around okay Rainbow?" Fluttershy asks whispering into her ear, "Got it?"
"Okay." Rainbowdash replies already knowing what is behind her.
Fluttershy holds her close rubbing herself against the other mare. Rainbowdash could never figure out why she always gets like this. So hot under the collar and eventually starts using her. But she couldn't complain. She was helping out a friend and that's all that matters in Rainbowdash's mind. Plus she's afraid if she don't let her they'll leave her here as the useless pegasus she is.
So she lets her continue never speaking a word.
*Twilight*
A large explosion followed by heavy clouds of smoke is the result of two spells crashing into each other. Twilight is standing where she fired the spell so close to the human male, but she couldn't say the same for Orphean as she now recalls his name. A worthy prey has to have its name remembered after all. Twilight moves forward casting a spell that makes the clouds disperse.
A giant smile is on her face as she sees Orphean getting off the ground a giant cloak of air around him. She couldn't be any happier right now. If her prey had died from such a simple explosion she would've been pissed. One cause he would leave her hanging and two all that magic would mean nothing.
Orphean looks at her and seems to cringe. She can't really tell what he's thinking, but she figures its along the lines of dear Celestia. Or something like that. Eventually she'll have to change the name to dear Twilight. At that thought Twilight squeals and stomps her hooves on the ground. She couldn't wait to get out of the cave and attempt, no, succeed at taking over Equestria Prime.
She focuses her attention at the object of her arousal. He seems to be thinking things over while on one knee. Either that or he's praying to the gods to save him. She laughs hysterically, "If you want savior that you'll have to pray to me as your god!"
Orphean cringes at her words. He stands and reaches out. Earth rises around him to a certain point and stop. At that Twilight frowns a bit at the sign that her opponent is running out of juice. Twilight sighs and walks forward. Orphean rip the spikes of earth out of the ground and send them flying. The shadow coming flying out and latch onto the spikes and crush them in seconds sending dust into the air. Twilight is still walking forward not even amused.
She couldn't believe how well he fought at first. He was throwing everything at her and the minions she sent forward. He was so powerful and impressive. Now. Now he's pathetic.
"Really Orphean... I was so close too. Come on show me an ace up your." She stops as something locks her legs into place.
She looks down to see symbols on the ground that have locked her legs into shackles of white light. She struggles with the binding and ignites her horn to unravel the spell to only have it negated by a large heat coming towards her. She looking back at Orphean to see a giant flame cloud coming toward her. She ignites her horn to try to shield herself, but finds she can't all the way. parts of her lower half and legs are exposed do the magical properties of the spell.
The burning starts immediately and nearly breaks down her quick shield spell. She had gotten cocky herself and he used that against her. Which is a major turn on in Twilight's book.
Most of her fur is either singed off or burning. The shackles still hold her in place at the fire spreads on her body. She shakes her body to try to get the flames off. She brings in shadows that attack the shackles mercilessly. Meanwhile Orphean pulls a long spear of white out from the orb and throws it like a spear and falls to his knees.
The orb glows a dim color the light omitting from the orb always threatening to flicker away. He makes the orb disappear meanwhile the spear aimed at Twilight makes contact into her chest, but doesn't skew her like he wanted to. She stairs at the spear imbedded into her chest. She pulls it out with magic and it faces the other way.
Orphean eyes go wide. She he can still use magic without the orb with his new full control, but with how exhausted he is. The spear comes flying at lighting speeds and slams almost into Orphean. Instead it's imbedded into the floor just right of Orphean's head. Twilight is shaking from the lack of the spike in her chest as blood starts flowing out. She uses her magic to keep it from bleeding too much, but bleed it did.
As Orphean manages to get up and start limping away Twilight watches with a new fire burning in her eyes. A new target to find and kill before anyone else can. Who ever kills her pray she'll be coming after instead. If they're more powerful than him they are worthy of becoming her pet. Most of her pets were dead anyway, but she didn't care.
She's just relived. One that her dark magic shielded her without so much of a word to protect her from dying. And two... she managed to get off after all. She never imagined ice to feel so good.
*Orphean*
Away from the fight from the skin of his teeth, Orphean limps away as fast as he can. After that almost domination of him, he couldn't really get his bearing right. He had never been so hard pressed before. He was so sure of himself in the beginning when she was using such little spells and sending in minions
Now he understands why she showed no fear. Even as the spear imbedded itself into her chest she showed no fear what so ever. It was unnerving the entire time. When ever she would get to close and the orb of darkness would threaten to overtake him.
He falls and struggles to get up. He looks over his body at all the wounds he's received. It's easy to see since his shirt had been ripped apart during the fight. Rock, ice, and stabbings litter his body. The rock and ice imbedded into his skin will be easy to remove, but take a while to recover from. He leans against the wall cursing at how sore his arm is.
He chuckles at himself. He just couldn't stand being beaten so easily. He remembers the shadows grabbing him and stabbing him over and over again both mentally and physically while that mare... He doesn't think about it for long and continues limping.
Some thoughts are meant to be forgotten. Especially when concerning her. He falls again breath coming out labored.
I think.... I think I'll rest for a second or... And with that thought he falls on the ground unconscious.
Luckily a girl comes skipping by to see his body. She gasps and checks on him seeing as he's still breathing. Her ghostly white hands glow green and she gets to work.
Author's Note
Point out mistakes that I've made. I'm only one person so eh.
A step closer to the light [End]
*Yūkan*
Feeling more rested than he had before, Yūkan wakes up to find Sweetie Belle sitting in his lap.
"Hey S.B. What ya doing?" He says sleepily raising his arm to wipe the sleep away from his eyes.
Sweetie looks up and before hopping out of his lap. She starts drawing on the ground. An arrow pointed towards him and than a... bird? Or something that might look like a bird.
"I uhhhh don't."
Sweetie points towards his pocket. He reaches in and pulls out a rock shaped in the form of a bird. The freedom rock that Sweetie picked out.
"Oh! Do you want it back?"
She shakes her head and places her hoof over the rock and pushes his hand back to him. He understands instantly and puts the rock away He slowly gets up and peers at the walls around them. All over each wall is writing that looks likes gibberish.
"You understanding this?" Yūkan asks looking down at her.
She looks at the walls as well, though she's been looking at them the whole tie he has been asleep. She shakes her head knowing that staring at the gibberish wont make it readable.
"Alright than lets keep moving forward!" Yūkan says adjusting the gloves on his hands, "If there is any danger up ahead I'll take care of it."
Sweetie Belle nods, looks behind them, and moves forward keeping on Yūkan's heels.
They venture through the funnel finding the writing to get even more twisted and mashed together. The writing reminds them both of a child first learning to write. Unreadable and not understandable. Yūkan shakes his head and makes his pace faster getting tired of the same old chicken scratch on the wall.
Eventually they step into a dome like area, but the ceiling was that of clouds and wide opens skies.
"Holy shit..." Yūkan breathes out missing the view of the sky, "If only this as the real things..."
Sweetie Belle stares up as well not believing how somepony or something could actually conjure up the entire sky in a room like this. It must have taken a lot of magic.
*Sweetie Belle*
Sweetie looks to her left to see words that she can actually understand. She reads it off to herself as Yūkan starts walking around the room looking at all the different objects on the ground.
Mana within the area formed by the mind... then it runs into gibberish like before.
She looks at other bits of writing to see that she can understand that as well.
The lack of mana is worrying but mana manipulation
A knife was easy to summon since it
he made a balloon from a cloud not
though we have no magic entirely our own we
Sweetie shakes her head getting a headache already from writing this much. Sure she was understanding it easily, but with how broken it is. She goes over to Yūkan, who is rolling a clay orb back in forth in his hands at the moment, and tugs at his pants leg trying to coax him into following her.
"What is it?" He asks placing the clay back on the pedestal.
She continues pointing at the wall she was just at. Taking the hint Yūkan walks over behind Sweetie Belle. She points towards the words she can't read hoping he might be able to understand. Unfortunately he doesn't.
"Sorry Sweetie I still don't understand it... Do... Do you?"
She shakes her hoof from right to left.
"Kind of sorta. I get ya. I don't know what this room was used for, but I know that he has to do something with all the stuff down here. I highly doubt whoever was down her brought all this along. They had to summon it. Which explains the ceiling and tables." Yūkan says running a hand across one of the nearby tables.
Sweetie Belle nods her head.
Summoning? Like bringing something fourth. Bringing it from one place to another. But the words on the walls just said.
She looks up at the ceiling. The clouds ever so drifting by. Till one drifts by a balloon is seen behind it. She gasps shocked at how the information could be possibly right. He right eye starts to throb and she whimpers. Something starts coming back to her words she hasn't heard before. They nag and whisper at her as if trying to catch her attention on something important.
She stares at the balloon a little longer.
"Hey S.B? You know any ponies that could do this type of thing?"
Sweetie snaps out of her thoughts and looks at Yūkan who is poking a bracelet looking thing. It has zig zag going down the sides of it. It's lines are red and the rest black. She couldn't place a name on it, but she swears she has seen that sort of thing before. Maybe a guard had used it once.
Sweetie Belle shakes her head. She knows Twilight probably knows what all this is about. She makes a door on the ground and points at it.
"Yea guess we should focus on getting out first..." He says tapping the side of his leg, "So let's go out that way. Once we find an exit we'll talk about it later."
Sweetie nods her head.
Not entirely what I meant, but that's okay too.
*Twilight*
She stumbles forward the hole in her chest making her feel more empty inside, but a burning passion replaces that soon enough as she thinks of the pray that got away. She giggles with envy. She wants that kill more than anything. She wouldn't say she's blood thirsty, but she felt like if she didn't kill as many as she could with her new powers she would go crazy.
She glances behind her. Her once formidable group of creatures has demised since the encounter. All that tail behind her is the creature of the dark she can summon at will. The other she would have to find again, but than again there is a world above her that waits to be conquered. Thoughts of Ponyville and home flash through her mind at which she releases another giggle.
"Oh. I can just see the faces now... Their pure minds wouldn't be able to understand what happened. And Spike, I can't wait to form him into my most loyal pet!"
She presses herself against the wall of the tunnel. She catches her breath feeling the wound aggravate as she keeps talking.
She snorts wishing magic could do more than it already can. She sighs and continues walking wishing she had an exit now. That way she could continue her hunt above land under the sun. And take the sun as her own.
Her horn ignites without her permission and she stops. It's almost as if around her has changed. She can feel it pulse in her veins. She looks backward and walks. Not even two feet she comes across a door. A wooden door with golden edges. She takes ahold of the door and opens it. She walks out into the blinding light the whole while a giant smile forming on her face.
The world has become connected.
And so has its fate.
*Orphean*
He couldn't take it. Knowing that he's being hunted down like some prized prey. Its like a boy being tormented by nightmares that will never end. He wanders the corridors reaching intersecting paths all the while imagining that pony with the powers beyond him just pacing herself. Walking knowing his every turn. Keeping close enough to where the cave keeps them connected.
Or the cave could be under her control.
He shudders not wanting to think like that. Thoughts like those easily drive a man insane. Or to his death. He needs something to do. He seeks out an exit of some kind. Any kind. He prays silently to the cave for some type of exit. Instead it brings him something else.
"Damnit!" He yells seeing the boy and the small unicorn again, "Why do you have to appear at such a time!"
"Tsume... I mean Oprhean..." The boy clenches his fist.
"Out of my way before I shred you to pieces like I should of long ago!" He says looking back.
He says nothing. He couldn't imagine what was going on it Yūkan's mind. The whole struggle of accepting his friends are all probably dead and the fact that they could all be taken control of still wreck his mind. The only reason he has kept so cool is because of Sweetie Belle. But of course Orphean would never know any of that.
Orphean brings forth a bit of magic and forms a flame in his hand. He will burn them down now and get it over with. The unicorn seems to flinch at the sight of the flame. She seems to concentrate on it intensely.
But that doesn't matter. Right now what matters is escaping and killing.
"If you're going to fight me fight me!" Orphean yells thrusting out his right hand sending a giant flame towards him.
As expected his hand comes up sending the flame to separate sides of him. The unicorn is watching Orphean with an intense gaze. Her horn sparks which catches his attention for a second as he readies a second flame. A very important second indeed.
Impact against his cheek sends him to the walls and a burning feeling against it. He pushes off the wall to only feel the something to his gut and to the left of his head sending him to the ground. He tries to switch spells so he can shield himself better from the assault, but the odds weren't in his favor. He feels something cold spread over him.
He looks up to see Yūkan picking him up. Ice is spreading over Orphean's clothes. Orphean stares his opponent in the eyes. Orphean chuckles at his carelessness. His fear turned to be the destruction of him.
"God damn it..." Yūkan breathes out holding him in his hand, "I want to kill you..."
"But you can't cause you still see Tsumetai don't you. He's already dead. So why don't you kill me for him huh?"
"God damn it Tsumetai..."
Orpehan lights up his left hand with magic, "He's not here anymore. But I can rejoin you two!"
He brings up his left hand, but than it disappears. The feeling of the magic is gone. He stumbles back after Yūkan lets him go. Tsumetai looks at his left hand to see that it is in fact gone.
"Wha... What?" He looks behind him to see a dagger imbedded into the ground along with his hand beside it.
He looks at the unicorn to see her horn glowing in a green aura.
"You fucking brat!" He yells and charges a blast of magic for the unicorn in his other hand.
The unicorn panics to his delight, but finds himself flying back a large pain going through his chest. He lands on his back and coughs up blood. He turn around and tries to get up.
"You're right... he's gone... but I'll see him again on my terms."
With that pain in lights through his entire body. He feels his strength wane before everything starts to go black.
This isn't the exit I wanted...
*Rainbowdash*
The group continues to move. All three pegasi.
"Rainbowdash.... What are we going to do when we get home? I've been thinking about it for a while and I don't know if I'm ready or not."
Rainbowdash keeps quiet. She isn't sure how to answer it either. They've been traveling together and learning a lot about each other. The idea of being out there in the real world adapting back into the life they had doesn't sound to good to Rainbowdash. She even doubts that they'll even get back into the same retinue. The thing about it is they didn't know if the others were okay.
Fluttershy has been trying to convince Rainbowdash not to worry but even she has her concerns that Fluttershy can't get rid of.
"I'm not sure Fluttershy... If we do get out than... maybe we should keep low for awhile before anything else... I mean... if that's okay. I don't want to hold you guys back or anything..."
Fluttershy turns around and nuzzles Rainbowdash who nuzzles back, "Don't worry Rainbow. I'll keep us safe. I know Elsie won't stick around, but I want us to be together. I don't ever want to be separated again."
Rainbowdash smiles and lingers in the warmth of Fluttershy. Even if she abuses her sometimes with physical love, its moments like this that keeps her from running away.
As long as we're together we can take on the world.
"Hey guys!" Elise calls out from far ahead, "You might want to see this!"
The two hurry up to find Elsie standing in the middle of a dead end room. But at the top is a whole that streams down light.
"Is that?" Fluttershy asks moving cautiously toward the filly.
"Sure is... I tried stepping into the light and got burned because of it... but that sure is our ticket out of here...."
Rainbowdash walks into the light and spread her wings the warmth of the light foreign on her body. She looks at her friends to see them not basking in the light and remembers the conversation from two rooms back. Rainbowdash flies up and blocks out most of the light under her.
"Come on guys. I'll protect you from the light as long as you protect me from the dark."
Fluttershy grins and nods her head before standing underneath Rainbowdash and flying up as well. Elsie shakes her head and does the same mumbling how the dark doesn't hurt anyone.
Or at least not that much.
*Yūkan/ Sweetie Belle*
Yūkan stares down at the dead body of his former friend. The knife embedded through his heart from his back. He couldn't stab him while he was still looking into his eyes. The same eyes and face that has seen as much as he has. Yūkan shakes his head tears falling down his face.
Sweetie Belle couldn't believe it either. She couldn't believe that Yūkan would stab him like that. The way he was talking before... She takes a deep breath and stares at the dagger in the man's back. The dagger she had summoned forth and threw with her magic. She didn't think she could do that.
She had wanted to help so bad that it just appeared. She had thought of something sharp that could cut off the hand that was about to kill Yūkan and that was the first thing to appear. She just couldn't believe it. She had summoned using her own magic. Did that make her a conjurer?
She shakes the thought from her head. Its best not to worry about that right now. Yūkan falls to his knees and lays his hands on the body. He stares at it seeing if it'll move again. When it doesn't he screams out in anguish and pain. A man that he has known as a brother is dead.
Yūkan begins to beat on the body, "God damn it all Tsumetai! What the hell happened to not dying! What would Elza think! What the hell is wrong with you! You were suppose to be careful and not let greed get to you! Now look at you! You fucking fucked up!"
Sweetie Belle keeps quiet and only watches as Yūkan screams and cries out. She slowly makes her way over once he stops yelling and she presses herself against him to remind him that she's still here. Yūkan looks down at Sweetie Belle through blurry tear stained eyes.
"I'm... I'm going to miss him..." He says sitting on his legs no longer beating the body, "I really.... I really wish we... I..."
He chockes on sobs as he stands up and begins to walk away, "Let's get out of here... I can't take any more... This place... I hate it... I hate life... But. At least I still have you Sweetie... Promise me you won't end up like hm... Please."
Sweetie nods her head and follows behind him. She couldn't imagine the mental struggle he is probably going through.
In all honesty. The biggest struggle for him is accepting the death of everything around him. He looks at Sweetie Belle wiping away a few drying tear, "I love you Sweetie."
Sweetie draws a heart on the ground and the two continue their search for an exit. As they walk Sweetie and Yūkan reflect on what all they've been through. Life has been full of death life. They've gained and lost a lot so far.
They've might've lost their original path in the beginning, but now they've settled on a different path. Sure it might have led to many things they've never expected, but at least now. Now they can keep going forward because they know a lot of things are inevitable. There is an end to every beginning all depending on the choices made and the actions you do.
Their end comes as an opening shinning a bright light down the cave. They both run through and are enveloped by the light returning them to the world.
Author's Note
I'd like to thank everyone that has been here from the beginning and I know the ending is very vague and a lot of things seem to need more explaining more on and honestly they will. Just because this is the end of this story doesn't mean It's a ending for those whose lives where changed. No, their story is going to continue just not on this.