The Equestrian Inferno

"ID?" asked Sombra as we stood before the front desk of the infernal YMCA.

Galaxy glared at him unimpressed.

"Hey" said Sombra, "I'm really not allowed to let you in if you don't show me your membership cards."

"Look here" began Galaxy, "You know why we're here, and you know we have the permission of the alicorn royal family to enter. You don't want me to call Cadance down here do you?"

At the mention of the crystal princess, Sombra's eyes flashed red with fear.

"Go!" he said, "Do what you will"

We walked by his desk and entered a door behind him. On the other side was a staircase. Galaxy took a moment smooth out her mane, which had become matted and sticky from the rain of the previous circle, before proceeding to ascend. As a followed her, I became aware of a faint clamor.

As we grew near the top, the clamor grew greater. Soon enough, I was considering covering my ears with my hands until we left the circle. I probably would have, but Galaxy seemed fine and I didn't want her to think me weak, which she probably did already. At the top of the steps was another door, closed but unguarded. Opening it with her teeth, Galaxy moved aside to let me through before following me in. We were in a large gymnasium of some sort. In some ways, it was similar to a large basketball stadium only it stretched beyond the horizon. In many other ways, it was a battlefield in the midst of war. The air reeked of blood, the dirty floor was stained with puddles of it, and around us we could hear screams of pain and anguish. I couldn't take my eyes off the gruesome spectacle before us, though I desperately wanted to. Everywhere, bloody ponies waded about in what appeared to be a gruesome variation of dodge ball. The balls they used were about the size of bowling balls, only spiked and metallic in luster. All were decorated with beautiful patterns of dazzling jewels. Although I could not see the dividing line due to the blood and gore, the ponies evidently knew where it lay and did not cross it. Some were missing limbs. Others had crushed skulls. Most had large puncture wounds all across their bodies due to the spikes on the balls. All, however, were bleeding profusely.

I focused my attention on one specific pony. So red with blood was its fur that I couldn't tell what color it was. Picking up a golden ball studded evenly with diamonds, she hurled it toward the other side with a great cry of "WHY DO YOU HOARD?!" The ball lodged itself in the spine of a creature on the other side. Looking closer, I recognized it as a dragon, though a pretty measly looking one. Pulling the ball out of its back with its claws, the dragon hurled it back with a great cry of, "WHY DO YOU SQUANDER?!" The first pony, seeing the ball headed her way, barely managed to duck in time as it whizzed by. Moments later, another spiked platinum ball decorated with swirls of rubies and emeralds impaled it in the chest. So bloody and bashed were these entities that I could not identify their gender.

Despite all that had happened to me already, the only thing running through my mind was, "What the heck?" This, I repeated mentally over and over again, faster and faster like a mantra, hoping it would shield or otherwise distract my mind from the horror of the spectacle. I wanted to ask what was going on but couldn't. Turns out, I didn't have to.

"Trust me, this isn't the bloodiest circle we'll come across", Galaxy began rather humorlessly. "These are the souls of those unwise with money. On one side are the squanderers. On the other side, the hoarders. They must fight perpetually for their errors in life."

"So, they're probably like all dragons then?" I asked. From what I remembered, ponies didn't seem to hoard a lot.

"Actually, no. The dragons who were so well behaved in life that hoarding was their only vice are found here. Dragons usually have many more. You'll see."

Galaxy began trotting down the bleachers. Naturally, I followed her. As we neared the bottom, I began cowering behind her, terrified I would be hit. The dodgeball players however, due to what might amount to centuries of practice, seemed to have fairly decent aim, and since I was not their target, I began to feel safer as we walked along the bottom level of the gymnasium. Still, when we reached another door which Galaxy opened, I sprinted around her, flinched when I stepped one foot in the court, and nearly tumbled down the stairs on the other side.

Cobwebs littered the ceiling and the floor looked as if it hadn't been swept in many years. Along the wall, gum and graffiti was everywhere. Half of it wasn't even in English. As we neared the bottom of the steps, the faint sound of screaming started up again. "Oh jeez" I thought to myself. "What now?"

We turned the corner and found ourselves in a long hallway. The left wall consisted of a continuous row of windows. Looking in as we walked, I saw that the other side consisted of an endless series of boxing rings. Once again, they tessellated beyond the horizon. In each ring, two creatures fought each other eternally.

"Well, here be your dragons", muttered Galaxy. I could tell from her tone that she didn't like dragons.

"Along with all the other irritable wrathful ponies and what not. Let's hurry."

We walked to the other end of the hall. As we did, I kept looking at the fighting creatures. Growing up in the ghetto, I had seen numerous fistfights, and even one knifefight which had luckily ended relatively peacefully. Never, however, had I seen anything like this. There didn't seem to be any rules or referees. Everywhere, there was groin kicking, eye gouging, fish hooking, biting… Man, even out on the streets, we had an unspoken code about some moves. Here though, nothing was forbidden.

We finally reached the end of the hall and entered another door. I found myself in what was apparently a locker room of some sort. It was clear, though, by the rust, smell, dirt, and cobwebs that it had not been used in ages. Crossing it, we went through another door to the pool.

Or at least some structure that more a resemblance to an outdoor pool. The sides consisted of a border that looked like it might surround a pool and there were metallic ladders leading into the water. In addition, every few dozen yards were empty lifeguard chairs.

The "pool" however extended forever over horizon and to the left and right. I guess in some ways, it could sort of be called a giant artificial lake or something. I guess things just weren't the same in Equestria's hell as on earth, in the human universe.

I turned around and looked at the YMCA. It too, seemed to stretch forever to the right and left. In the top floors however, were many windows to rooms where the light was on. They resembled cubicle windows in skyscrapers turned on at night.