The Equestrian Inferno

THROUGH ME IS THE WAY TO THE LAND OF FALSITY

WHERE KINDNESS EXISTS NOT

WHERE LAUGHTER RINGS NOT

AND GENEROSITY IS UNHEARD OF

BEYOND ME TRACHERY DWELLS IN PLACE OF LOYALTY

AND THE MAGIC OF LIGHT CEASES TO BE KNOWN

I AM THE GATE THROUGH WHICH HARMONY CAN NOT PASS

ABONDON ALL HOPE OF FRIENDSHIP, YE WHO ENTER HERE!

These words were written over the arched doorway, carved from the cliff face before me. Upon seeing them, my heart grew weak with fear. Galaxy, sensing my fear, chuckled. "Those words are meant for the dead. Those, who unable to make friends during life, must suffer without them beyond death. You, being a living soul, still have the choice to change and thus, you must learn to do so now. If, however, you should ever see this sign again, know you have failed and I as well. The pathway into the cave is warped and hard to navigate. Therefore, grab my mane again so we may proceed swiftly.

I did as she asked and together we proceeded forward through the arched gateway. Once again, I found myself in pitch darkness. The ground, luckily, seemed to be made of hard clay which descended downward evenly. Occasionally, off in the distance, I thought I heard the sound of running water. Our footsteps made faint echoes. Besides this, and our breathing, all was quiet. The ground seemed to level off and we continued forward. Suddenly, everything changed.

The dark black cave had vanished. We were in the middle of a clearing. Behind us was a forest. Immediately, the air was filled with the sound of anguished screaming. Surprised by the unexpected change of surroundings, I nearly collapsed. Only by using Galaxy as a support was I able to right myself and adjust.

"That's how the gate works" she explained, "it prevents people from escaping."

"Sure" I replied, "but what in the world is all of this screaming? What people deserve to suffer so that they make a noise such as that?"

Galaxy grimaced. "These are the indecisive; those who never did anything useful with their life. During important situations, they could not make their own decisions. They never chose sides."

As my eyes adjusted to the darker lighting, I saw before me a large multitude of creatures arranged as a disorganized herd. As we moved closer, I saw they were chasing after a large floating ball with a dazzling array of pictures and symbols.

"If you look closely, you might notice that none of the inhabitants of this region have cutie marks. In life, they did not work or live up to the destiny described by the marks. Therefore, in death, they have none and must chase the ball for eternity. They are neither in hell nor out of hell. They have been forgotten."

I looked at the crowd of creatures before me seeing if there were any I recognized. I noticed several of them were large muscular ponies wearing thick black armor. "Who are those?" I asked Galaxy, pointing at one. "Those are the bodyguards of Princess Luna back when she was Nightmare Moon. They are the ones who didn't know whether to remain with their master or aid her sister Celestia. Therefore, they remained idle and must suffer for it."

They were a sad sight indeed. Their armor was tarnished, dirty, and dull. Still, it was clear that at one point they had shone like silver fire. Their expressions where those of a creature who had lost all hope for anything; condemned to chase the ball around forever. Suddenly, I saw another figure pass by. Even in the dim light, I seemed to recognize her from somewhere. She had lavender fur and dark purple mane and tail with a pink streak through the middle.

"Twilight…?" I asked in disbelief. Galaxy sighed. "Yes" my guide answered, "you may recall that at one point she was forced to choose among her friends which one to take to the Grand Galloping Gala. The whole situation ended peacefully of course, but only physically speaking. Twilight never had to make the decision, and if she had just forgotten the whole thing, everything would have been fine. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to her friends, the question remained within her mind the rest of her life. It haunted her. Many years' worth of potentially productive time she spent pondering who she would have chosen had she been forced to make the choice. Although Celestia's gift of the 5 extra tickets seemed like a blessing at the time, it sentenced Twilight to a life of mental unrest. Henceforth, she too is here."

It was a sad story. The ball had long since disappeared over the horizon. Before us, the large herd of creatures chasing it began to thin. A few minutes later, it had passed allowing my guide and me to continue forward once more. As we walked, I couldn't help notice the unusual sensation of the ground beneath me. Having been subject to hourly stampedes since the beginning of time, it had been packed together to a density of an enormous magnitude. Still, the surface was cracked and decorated with the faint impression of billions of hooves, claws, and paws. Walking forward, we climbed a short ridge and upon doing so I could hear the sound of desperate lamentation again. Descending the other side, I saw before me a large body of water nearly extending beyond the horizon. The water glittered ominously like dark obsidian. It's shores too consisted of dark sand and jagged rocks. A single large dock stood in its midst. An aged and grumpy looking sea serpent was making its way to it, leaving a v shaped trail behind it as it swam. Waiting on dock were more condemned ponies raising a tumultuous cry. As Galaxy and I joined them, their words became clearer. Some cursed their parents, others their teachers, and some the Alicorn Princesses for their plight. None blamed themselves.

The sea serpent stopped by the dock and two ponies jumped down from his back. Although they possessed wings, they were not pegasi. Their eyes glowed a murderous shade of red. Their tails were long and barbed and their wings like those of a bat. They moved behind us and slowly herded us onto the back of the naga, using their tails to whip those reluctant to board. As I raised my foot to take the final step onto the sea serpent's back, it spoke.

"HALT!" Everyone looked up. As I did as well, I felt as if sucked into the empty void of the sea serpent's eyes.

"What in all of Equestria is a living soul doing here?" He seemed shocked, rather than angry. "Begone from here. Are you lost or mad?"

A voice beside me spoke. "Let him on. It is by the order of her majesty Princess Celestia herself that he enter the land of the condemned. You do not dare question her will do you? Make way for us; we have a task to complete!"

And thus, Galaxy and I boarded the sea serpent, who promptly began to swim across the vast expanse of the river. Around me, ponies glared and gnashed their teeth, jealous of my hope of salvation. Still, none came too close.

I mentioned earlier that I am not a very athletic or strong man and thus, before long, I was struck by a feeling of nausea which grew and forced me to sit. Lowering my head in my arms, I remained still until we reached the other bank.