Equestria Under

The boss trudged along the ground, black steam rolling off of his back. He did it to preserve himself, so that merged essences did not dissolve, against his will. I looked out at the temporarily vacant wasteland of Equestria Under, through the black steam that surrounded me. There were no sounds....of course...not that I could've heard them, had their been any. Reason? The wails and groans of my fellow mos pressed themselves into every nooks and cranny of my surroundings. For a long time, now, those sounds had been extremely annoying...But about now I had finally learned the only escape from the horrendous noises...thought. Thinking. It saved me from lot more than just the noises, though. It saved me from everything. During my capture I figured it was the end for me. But I was wrong. It was really just the beginning. Of course.... I suppose that is where I should start from; the beginning.

It all started many rays back when I had exited my dwell for the last time. I only ever exit my dwell for one reason. And that reason had come around, once again. The vibrations from the inner-parts of Shadow Dwell summoned a multitude of shadow-ponies to the gathering. The waves hit me with lesser and lesser a force, as I headed in the direction of the dwell which towered above all others, at the center of Shadow Dwell.

As I made my way to my destination I couldn't help but notice a few darker essences in the midst. In other words, the INspectors. I recognized them by way of their attire; dark robe and a hood. It was beyond me how they could even attempt to burden themselves with so much, all of the time!Didn't they fear for their essence? I understand that I don't exactly believe all that they say bout the frailness of us shadow-ponies, but I do have some concern... It is why I t least choose to wear nothing, as all others do... The other good point about that is that I am less likely to attract unwanted attention. It is apparent that if any other shadow-ponies see you act different from them, they begin to hate you. I've been here only so long, but I've seen it happen a few times.

But in regards to the INspector I saw before me, now... His dark attire suited his dark aura as well as his darker, more menacing eyes. I saw him approaching  few weary shadow-ponies who were moving too slowly towards the Dwell of Gatherings. He spoke in low, raspy tones and I couldn't help that perceive how his would-be nicer words were just butchered by his menacing presence. After he dealt with those two, I noticed him turn in my direction. Oops! I realized I wasn't moving towards the Dwell, anymore. Quickly dropping my head back down, I made an effort to emphasize my moving along...even without exactly speeding up. The INspector followed me the whole way there.

*    *    *    *

Strange as it was, this was one of the rare rays when the INspector overseeing the gathering decided to focus his lectures on the lives of the pony's. You know, the creatures that dwell above. I took not much of an interest. To be honest? I didn't care if I left Equestria Under of not...just as long as I got to do whatever I wanted, either way.

After the gathering, all departed back to their own business... I hadn't anything special to do, so I  decided to leave Shadow Dwell. Only time could tell whether or not I was making a mistake.

*    *    *    *

I walked along the misty fields that bordered Shadow Dwell and whatever other feature sat on the land. I waked alone -- I walked along, without any purpose...I had no idea where I was going, wanted to go or was going to end up. I did not care, though. At least I was away from the rest of those shadow-ponies and Shadow Dwell, itself. Something about departing from the place seemed almost uplifting to me.

But the little victory or accomplishment - whichever you wish to call it - immediately down-spiraled from there. A large, dark mass burst forth from the shroud of mists and was soon towering over me. My eye-parts became increasingly wide and my spirit of fear awoke, somewhere within me.

"A b-black..beast..." I stuttered, gazing up at the menacing, gurgling mass. The large, shuddering creature of darkness seemed to take its time to actually give any attention to me. It slowly turned its body downward, revealing to me its enormous rage-red eyes. It then slowly opened its mouth part...and spoke.

Shadow-creature... The thing said to me, its cavernous mouth-part, un-moving. Joinnnn meeee...

Join ussss Join ussss Smaller voices hissed at me, from somewhere in the mass of darkness that was the beast.

Yesss The creature said, swaying in agreement, Joiiinnn ussss

"Uhh..." I just stared up at the thing. I was sure this is not how shadow-pony black-beast meetings actually went. Surely these previously-assumed brain-dead creatures of blackness would make no communication whatsoever, with anything! From what I remembered learning bout these things led me to believe that they had not a shred of "being" about them. They were just soul-hungry creatures out searching to devour. Only existing in order to devour.

What do you saaayyy? The creature asked in his cold, eerie, drawing voice. Even if I ever planned to give a response, there wasn't any time. Immediately the creature lept forward, engulfing me within himself. For longer than I care to remember I felt myself fall. Falling in a blackness darker than I had ever known. Discomforts like I had never known there were constantly upon me, as well, straining and stressing my essence. I felt as though any moment I would be crushed into a lesser nothingness than I already was, collapsed into  shadow of myself - if such a form even existed. All the while my fear-spirit raged within my essence - and so much to the point where it, too, took control my apparently now officially useless essence. I was a fire of a being... the only spark in a world of screams, discomfort and blackness....

I was drowning, now...drowning...there was no escape...

*    *    *    *

So that is how it went. Not very exciting, yes, but then whatever can be called such, down here? Anyways, after my descent I seemed to have "woken up" in a knew form. I was a black mob, then, surely never to return to my true form. It was true. I had become from greatest fear and taken on the the lowest of forms. I was a shadow. I am shadow. A blackness that's lower than the things that shadow are made of. I have surpassed even the lowest of my kind... And this is no saving. I can assure myself that I would have much rather perished then become a slave to this hunger-driven behemoth of blackness, but I suppose I am not as fortunate as some others must have been, when the came across  one of the beast that roam the field beyond Shadow Dwell... If only I knew what I was getting myself into...

At least I still have thought. It keeps me from sinking any deeper.