Equestria Under

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.....It has been... there have passed.... It's just that... Three rays have passed since my meeting with that pony... It was at that time that I also had my first encounter with a black beast. That's what they thing was that had chased the stallion and I. They are called black beasts - and for obvious reasons, but their objectives are not that obvious, at times. For starters, the one that had chased the pony and I was just as greedy as I thought. The thing is - it was greedy for souls, and not really looking to destroy any shadow-pony, which - at the time - would've been really hard to believe. In other words, just as it has other shadow-pony souls that make it up to be what it is, it simply wanted another.... it wanted me.

The creature that attacked the flier-shadow-pony, was also a black beast and am now positive that it was the same one. I am assured that the black beast that I had encountered, twice, a few rays back, wasn't a King Daemon, a Soul stealer or a Black mob.

So before I go on, how do I now know all of this? Well the answers can be found in a gathering, three rays ago, after I returned from my little adventure beyond Shadow Dwell... Though I will not fully tell you of the events of the actual gathering, I had another encounter of knowledge which was just as - and may be even more so - important.

*  *  *  *  *  *

I ran and ran and ran, the spirit of fear dominating my essence, almost completely. Almost. There was something else, there, too. But what was it? It was the beginning of another spirit, within my essence, only I couldn't pay much attention to it, then. And it was not long before I reached Shadow Dwell. As I did so, I slowed into a trot but still hurried onward. I observed a large dome-like thing that seemed to stretch up and over Shadow Dwell. I had never noticed it, before and credited the fact that I was almost always looking down.

I entered Shadow Dwell and felt it as I passed through the dome. Once on the other side, I looked over my shoulder at the mist-less meadows... nothing was out there. At least, not anything I could see. I turned my head back in the direction I meant to walk; three shadow-ponies were standing there, gazing at me. And they were so close... I blinked slowly and they all, soon, did likewise they all did the same to me. I lifted a hoof, testing them... they were still. I cocked my head at them... they kept gazing.

Finally, I found my voice, "Um... What do you want?" I asked.

All three shadow-ponies perked up, once I had spoken, and one said, "So you can talk."

"...Of course I can talk. But as a shadow-pony, not many of us like to make conversation..." I answered.

"I know." The shadow-colt answered. "But my... um... partners and I wanted to talk to you. You don't seem to be very... conversation-shy as many other are..." The shadow-colt glanced about.

I was quiet a moment or so. I figured I really never did mind talking... There was just never any shadow-pony to talk to. I wasn't sure what the deal was with these three and my fear spirit was still a bit high, though much less enraged, within my essence. "What do you want?" I asked, again.

"We want to know why we saw you running." The shadow-colt answered.

"Why do you want to know that?" I asked, fear spirit rising again.

"Because." The shadow-colt stepped forward, "We know that shadow-ponies, like you... like us... aren't supposed to do that... At least... that's as far as we know..."

I found it strange that he said "we". I looked from one to the other, to the other, to the other... Why were they together? Was it not every shadow-pony for himself, down here? I met the shadow-colts eyes. They were dull, yes, but there was a small spark inside of them... a very, very small spark... The light of the spark was faint, but it was there. I wondered if it meant anything and I as I looked into the eyes of the other shadow-ponies, I saw that they had the same... "Do you think," I began, "That I might know any better?"

The shadow-colt nodded his head, slowly. "Yes. Yes, we do." Both of the other ponies took a step closer to me, there gazes steady. I backed up a bit.

"Well of course I don't know better..." I said, trying to sound gruff.

"Then... why did you run?" The shadow-colt asked, the spark in his eyes, growing.

"B-because," I stuttered, "I was... afraid..." The spark in his eyes began to fade.

"Oh, I... I see..." The shadow-colt nudged one of the other shadow-ponies, "Let's go..."

As they all turned to go I noticed that all of their flanks seem to have a bit of a glow to it. Thinking on it, I realized that their flanks had always had a it of a glow... I just hadn't noticed until this point. I wondered how that was possible. My speaking to them seemed to make dim their flanks, so I didn't want to ask bout it

.

"Wait," I said. They all stopped and the shadow-colt turned sad, grey eyes to me. I had just begun to move after them, but stopped, hoof still up. "Um..." I wished  could say something to bring back the curious shine, but I wan't sure why they had even spoken to me, in the first place. "N-never mind..."

The shadow-colt just nodded to me and then they all walked away... All three of them...all...together... It was a strange sight seeing shadow-ponies, together, like that. It was so... abnormal... I waited for them to go a certain distance and then continued on into Shadow Dwell. As I walked back towards my dwell, I noticed that all of the shadow-ponies were headed in the same direction. Just then, I felt something ripple through my essence, from the front. I stopped. It happened again, only a bit more forceful, now. I waited a few moments and it came again, the wave equivalent to that of the second.

Unsure of what it was, I trotted on. Wait... why was I trotting? I stopped trotting and slowed to a walk. I looked about to see if any shadow-pony was watching me. None of them seemed to be interested. Instead, they were all still slowly moving in one direction. What did this mean? I continued to feel the waves as I was on my way to my dwell... They were getting stronger... But then I realized. Such a thing only had one meaning.

Just then, I felt something behind me. It felt... dark... it was a strong aura... A strong... dark... aura. My fear spirit was ignited again.

I slowly lifted my head and turned it to look over my shoulder... Another shadow-colt stood there, watching me. He had a strange-looking black fire blazing about him, one that I could see. His eyes were large and red, his dark flank seemingly much more tangible than mine. I was not sure what he was going to do  - I wasn't even sure what I was going to do. All I knew was that I was scared and could therefore do nothing.

After a little while, the shadow-pony said, "Your spirit of fear is strong... Is something the matter?"

I turned around, completely, and stared back at the shadow-stallion (stallion because he looks older than just some ordinary shadow-colt. In addition, is vibes are different - whatever it I am getting from him is sincerely sinister and equally powerful.

"Hm?" He said, "Have you something to say?"

"....." I didn't dare say anything.

"No?" He said, "Very well..." He approached me and all I could do was take a step or so back and then cower.

"Relax." He said, "All I have to say is that for your own benefit, join every under-pony else at the next gathering. It begins, soon."

I just looked up at him, unsure of how to respond. He was a bit scary with his large, nothing-but-red eyes and flashy fangs. His skin was a dark blue, so he certainly wasn't a shadow-pony or a - how had he said it - under-pony... He stood over me for a few moments more, but then passed me by. I got to my hooves and gazed after him. He turned his head back and said,"Do not stare, it is impolite." With that, he walked on.

I just stood there. Such a strange encounter. But I considered what he said, that my "fear spirit" was strong and that coming to the gathering would benefit me...But... would it really? I had been to a few, but... What was the point? I didn't really feel like they were getting me anywhere, I mean... Sure I was learning things, but... Did it really get my spirits up or benefit me in any other way? I never thought so.

*  *  *  *  *

I soon found myself standing under what was probably largest most strange-looking dwell I had ever seen. It was so tall, so big, so different to the point where the structure never ceased to get me. I tilted my head back at it and then cocked my head to the side. I recalled that something like existed in the world above -- what was it called again? A manesion? Something like that. Anyways, this dwell looked just like one.... or so I thought. I looked towards the door, ahead of me. I carefully ascended the stairs and entered into the dark dwell. It was probably the darkest dwell in all of Shadow Dwell -- something I had concluded, long ago, at the first gathering I ever attended.

Walking through the dwell, now, I caught sight of other shadow-ponies.All around me, they were. All walking at their own, tedious pace. Beyond them -- I couldn't help noticing how strange the dwell looked as I went on. It seemed like forever had passed since I was last here.

Unintentional, I strayed from the stream of essences and headed off down another corridor. As I did so, I saw things hanging on the walls... There were images of actual ponies on the walls and many of them looked scared. Many of them had wide eyes and gaping mouths, looking like they were about to run, already running, or closed their eyes with something coming from it... I touched the picture I saw where a pony had his eyes closed, as if trying to get a better understanding of what it portrayed. Just what was that stuff coming from his eyes? What was he feeling?

The thought of pain jumped into my head. I had never felt pain before... had I? I figured it was only something of the world above... I stroked the picture with one of my fore-hooves. Oh to be where those ponies are... What would I give to go there?... Then again... what did I have to give? Nothing... My hoof slowly slipped from the image and I began to turn away from it. What was the point in hoping when I had no idea just how long before I would leave this place?

"Diana." I heard a voice say. I perked up, then and slowly looked behind me... It was that shadow-stallion, again... "I knew I would see him here...."

"Well of course you did." The shadow-stallion stepped forth from the shadows of the doorway from which I had entered into. It was strange enough to see him as a pony - no blazing aura, no tempting vibes - but to see him in a dwell which didn't look like one at all, well...That only added to the mystery of the creature. As he approached me, I skidded backwards and eventually fell on my rump. A toothy smile formed on his face, revealing his fangs.

"You flatter me..." He purred, "If only everypony-else would learn to respect like that..." He touched an image with one of his fore-hooves.

"Every...pony?" What did he mean?

The shadow-stallion stopped observing and stroking the picture and turned all attention to me. "Why aren't you with the others?"

"I... I wondered off..." I answered, quietly.

"Well of course you did." The stallion looked about the small corridor... "Hm. Well did you notice these?" He motioned to and nearly touched a torch of flame which adhered to the wall, at an angle.

"Not... not really..." I answered, attempting to stand.

"Oh no?" He said, snapping his head in my direction. I immediately fell back onto my rump, feeling like I had been forced to somehow.

He made a weird sound in his throat... one I had never heard before... "Well now." He said, "I should think that fire is one of the main attractions of all and everyp - um, shadow-pony."

"....."

"Well is it not to you?" He asked.

Well see, the thing about fire is that I often forgot it. I knew what it was from a recent gathering, but I didn't care for it very much. I put my head down and turned it away. I didn't feel like making conversation, anyways.

"Pinkamena." The stallion's voice rose a bit. "I know what you want... You want to be like them, right?" He motions to the images on the walls and I nod.

"So you want to feel pain, is that right? You want to feel the ultimate feeling, the wondrous sensation of all the ponies above when they are at their highest - even when they don't know it! You want to feel that blissful, saving feeling which means that you have finally made it to "higher ground", that you are truly and definitely a pony! You want to feel this, right?"

"Ponies... at their highest? And. they don't even know it? How terrible! If I felt pain then I would be sure to realize how wonderful it is!! I would vow it on my life if I had one... But what is life, anyways? All I know is... it is something ponies experience, so it must be valuable...

"I want to feel pain." I said, rising to all fours, pulled towards the thought of experiencing the apparent treasure that was pain. "I want to know what it feels like to e a pony -- or better -- if that is possible."

The shadow-stallion smiled, "Of course you do. And of course it is." He led me over to a torch on the wall and said, "Touch it."

Staring at actual flame caused the spirit-flames within me to go wild, blazing as one and reaching out for the fire, just as I did. I wasn't sure if I wanted to, but... I reached for the flame, and -

I pulled back after having set my hoof in the flame for a few moments. I looked at my hoof... Nothing... it just looked a bit darker, really... "What... what was that?" I asked the shadow-stallion.

He continued to stare at the fire but said, "What you felt was not pain but justification."

"What do you mean?" I asked, glancing from the fire back to him.

"It was justification, Pinkamena." He answered, "It means that the longer you can stand the feelings given to you by fire then then that is how you know you are closer to the world above... Isn't that what you wanted? Because as soon as you accomplish withstanding the fire for a certain amount of time - which you will know - then you will feel pain. And after that, you will be a pony." He smiled over at me and I was amazed... I knew I would do anything, but... this feeling... what I felt just now... it was so... different, yet... wonderful at the same time... it was very, very strange...

But was this really true? All I had to do all this time was withstand this fire and I could be a pony? All I needed was fire and it was right here, right in front of me...! I reached for the fire, again, but the shadow-stallion stopped me, saying, "No! No. Not again.... not now... You still have a lot of preparing to do before you can try again... Until then, this place is off limits to the uses."

I backed away from the shadow-stallion, head bowed.... I was going to get to that flame when I was ready... and I was sure he would let me know when I was ready, so...

"Yes, Pinkamena, I will let you know when you are ready... Until then, come to the gatherings. Anytime could be your time." He grinned and for once I almost smiled back.... almost...

*  *  *  *  *

The rest of the gathering was, for better or worst, uneventful. I sat in the back of one of the large rooms within the dwell and listened to the INspecter as he spoke of that far away world of Equestria. The World Above...The Land Above.... Equestria Over.... The Equine Nation....all of these titles and more were unnecessary for me to memorize for I knew doing so really benefited me little. The only focus was getting there. I had to get there. More than any shadow-pony else, I had to. The INspecter also spoke about this world.... The World Below.... This Land Below.... Equestria Under... The Shadow Nation... These names I nearly detested and despised, for each any every one of the was just another name for this cursed prison I was in....Which brings me back to how I found out about the names of the few creatures that I have mentioned, earlier on:

King Daemons: Not much is known about them other than that can change forms and make communication, at will. They are very powerful and can do more than most any shadow-pony can even begin to imagine.... They are after souls and devour them to increase their power. After devouring the essence of a shadow-pony then that shadow-pony is lost and can never come back again. It is said that there has only ever been one King Daemon to ever exist in the realm of Equestria Under.

Black Beasts and Shadow Beasts: The globby or smoky dark creatures which prey on un-suspecting shadow-ponies. Once a Black Beast has devoured a shadow-pony that shadow-pony either becomes part of the creature or is lost, forever in the depths of the creature -- forced to wonder alone in a world of blackness.

Black mobs: The shadow-ponies who make up and were already devoured by Black or Shadow beasts.

Soul Stealers: Ghost-like creatures that can appear anywhere, anytime. The cause and theirobjectives are unknown. We are only ever told not to look into their eye-parts.

So knowing all of this, now, I fell that gatherings aren't so pointless after all. Though the information was frightening, I must nevertheless venture out into Equestria Under, once again, for there is one creature that has not been spoken of. That pony. The under-pony. One who would risk himself for one lower than himself, no doubt.

I must see him again.