Shining's Log

by wille179

Rating: teen
Tags: Dark, Alternate Universe, Other, Random, Adventure, Shining Armor, Crossover, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 10810

A Journal is found in a crater. On the cover were two words: "Shining's Log." This is Shining Armor's recount of his mad adventures in the twisted world.

Shining Armor was always a kind and gentle soul. He had a genius little sister, a beautiful marefriend, awesome parents, and the promise of a career in the royal guard. But shortly after Twilight was made Princess Celestia's apprentace, strange things started happening.

Now Shining Armor is trapped in the twisted world, a world of monsters and madness that defies all logic. With his trusty journ- *AHEM* Logbook in hoof, Shining chronicles his adventures in a world where ponies were not meant to go.

(Very slight Alice in Wonderland Crossover. Art all done my me.)

Published 2014-03-08 19:00:04 UTC
Last updated 2014-04-23 23:42:46 UTC

Section 1

Shining’s Log: 2:32 PM, April 4th, 991 A.N.M

Twily just came home from magic kindergarten. Smarty Pants is riding on her back and she has her face buried in her school books even as she walks; my heart nearly skipped a beat. I go up to her to try and comfort her, but - as usual - she turns me away. I really wish I could get more out of her. At least her grades are not failing. That would be bad if she failed now, especially with what mom and dad are going to surprise her with tomorrow...

Shining’s Log: 2:47 PM, April 5th, 991 A.N.M

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Twily so happy before. Mom and Dad just broke the news and she literally started bouncing off the walls. An audition for Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns is a dream come true for her. Though, I know how nervous she gets. I hope the entrance exam isn’t too hard on her.

Go for it, Twily! I believe in you!!!

Shining’s Log: 12:49 PM, April 25th, 991 A.N.M

She passed.

No, that’s not good enough. She BUCKING OWNED IT!

Not only did my little Twili hatch that dragon’s egg, but she made it grow into a huge dragon and turned Mom and Dad into potted plants. I wish I had been there to see it. But the best part is, she gets to be the personal student of Princess Celestia! How awesome is that? My friends are never going to believe this one. I can’t wait to see their faces...

Shining’s Log: 9:21 AM, May 11th, 991 A.N.M

I’m worried about Twilight. She spends all her time in her room now, studying. She had some friends her age, but now she never plays with them. Hay, she rarely plays with me anymore.

I’ve tried getting her to go out and play, but it never works. All day, she reads those books. Nothing else. Though sometimes, I swear I can hear her laughing through the walls. Laughing at a joke only she can hear.

Shining’s Log: 5:22 PM, May 15, 991 A.N.M

Now I’m really scared. Twilight has taken to drawing. Lots of drawing. That's not the scary part. No, it's what she draws.

Monsters.

There's no other word for these things. Sometimes, it's just the beast alone. Other times, she draws them ripping apart other creatures, like the monkeys in clothes or stripped cats..

All in extreme detail. Twily's drawings almost look like grayscale pictures. They're that good.

But Twilight Sparkle has never taken an art class in her life. Last week, she was drawing crude stick ponies and rainbows. Now...

I asked her to draw a picture of me once, after I had discovered her monster drawings. I came out as a stick figure; perfectly normal, she was done in five minutes. Here it it:

Then I asked her to draw me one of her monsters. Same super artist sketch. She was done in five minutes. It should have taken her hours. I don’t want that thing anywhere near my logbook...

Shining’s Log: 6:27 PM, May 21, 991 A.N.M.

Mom and Dad can't seem to see that something's wrong. They just dismiss me without even looking. I tried asking Princess Celestia when I met her when we dropped Twily off for the day. She also pretended everything was normal. No matter what I do, I can't convince them that something strange is happening...

Shining’s Log: 8:32 AM, May 22, 991 A.N.M.

Today, Twilight told me about the voice in her head. She said she'd started hearing it after getting beaten up once at school not too long ago. She called it Whisper and told me that it needed her help building a home. A home, Twily added, that was inside her head.

Those monsters she had been drawing? Toys for Whisper to play with. I couldn't help but think the room had gone really cold when Twily said that.

Shining’s Log: I forgot, I'll add it later.

Faces. Shadows. Faces. Shadows. Faces. Shadows. What's wrong with me? Everywhere I go, I see faces in places where they shouldn't be. Horrible, ugly, terrifying faces. I look away. I forget what the face looked like, only that I saw it. Then I look back... Nothing. Nothing at all.

And the shadows. They are alive... I think. They curl and sway and bend in strange ways. Always towards Twilight...

Shining’s Log: Same day as last entry, 6:30 PM.

I think she's following me. Everywhere I go, she's just there... At the edge of my vision. When I turn, she's gone. The only hint she had ever been there is her faint giggle.

I think I can honestly say that I am now terrified of my L.S.B.F.F. I want to know what's going on, but nopony will help me. Nopony believes me. And Twilight keeps getting stranger...

Shining’s Log: ???

I don't know where I am. I just woke up here. I don't remember anything.

Well, that's not entirely true. I remember my name. I remember most of my life. I'm just missing a portion at the end. That missing memory would probably tell me what is going on here.

Somehow, my logbook ended up here with me, wherever I am. Strange place... Anyway, I don't even remember writing some of those entries, especially the weirder ones. Look, I'm hungry, thirsty, and lonely. I'll write more after I've found food and water.

Shining’s Log: ???

Canned fruit tastes really good when you are scared.

It seems that I awoke in a city of some sort, though the buildings are taller than anything I've ever seen before. I counted at least three hundred floors on a moderately sized one, relatively speaking.

But as I gazed up, I noticed something very strange. Instead of curling down at the horizon, like the planet normally does, the land curled up. Up and up, steeper it goes, until it curls up and over the sun! It then comes back down on the other side, twisting a half-turn as it goes.

What did Mrs. Cosine call it? A Mooobius strip? Probably from one of the cow math geniuses.

And the sun itself... That's not a sun. That's ??????????? mark.

Odd, I can't read ??????????? name. Ok, something strange is going on here. I can't even say it...

I can't believe I just spent two pages attempting to write something. Except for a few gender-neutral pronouns and words that provide no context, the I can't read anything I just wrote. I found some really powerful magic on my logbook that censors what I write. Odd, it censors what I say as well.

Also, any attempts to write using synonyms, pictures, ciphers, or euphemisms all fail. I'll just call the thing "IT." But I noticed that it's context sensitive. Sometimes I can say it, sometimes I can't, depending on what I'm thinking at the time.

Shining’s Log: ???+1

I still don't know where I am. Also, I have no idea when it is; the sun doesn't move in the sky. I've taken to calling this abandoned city Dusk, because of the perpetual low sun here on the twist of the Mooobius.

I want to see what's on the other side. At first, I thought I would have to go all the way around the belt to get to the other side. Going north would have twisted me into Midnight, while going south would have taken me to Noon. Well, that's what the street signs called the two sides, and I can't argue with that. Noon is on the inside, so it always is day. Midnight is just the opposite.

That got me thinking. If there is a Dusk city, is there a Dawn? So, in an effort to find out, I set off north.

After two hours of trotting, I face-hooved. Immediately, I turned due east, heading away from the sun.

Shining’s Log: Entry 5

I don't know how long I've been walking. I rarely feel tired. I haven't yet stopped to use the restroom. This can of fruit - I have yet to figure out what kind it is - hasn't emptied yet, no matter how much I eat.

But still I carry on. I literally have nothing else to to. I want to get home to Twily.

Shining’s Log: Entry 6

Walkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalk...

That's all I ever do.

Walkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalkwalk...

Shining’s Log: Entry 7

I think I'm going in circles. Scratch that, I know I am. I definitely have passed this building several times. I swear I'm walking straight away from the sun, but every time, I end up back here.

I'll go a different way now. How does Noon sound? Thanks, Log, I'll go that way.

I just wish I had someone else to talk to - besides you, of course; I don't like the quiet.

Shining’s Log: Entry 7 (cont.)

Nope. Definitely NOT this way. Somehow, I made a wrong turn and ended up on the side of the building, sitting here even though I should have gone splat by now.

Even the side of the building is a maze. I have to watch my step because if I step off the narrow and invisible path, gravity flips back to normal and down I go.

Buck, I wish I was a pegasus like Flash. But noooo, I had to be a bucking unicorn. Now I wish Mom had taught me to teleport, or Dad had taught me self-levitation. That would be useful. But now is absolutely not the time to try.

Oh, Log, did I mention the hidden portals? Yeah, they are invisible until you start walking through them, and by then it's too late. They're one-way, too. In fact, that's probably why I had so much trouble down on the streets.

Anyway, Log, I'm going to try to climb down again. Wish me luck and pray that I don't go splat.

Shining’s Log: Entry 8

It turns out that breaking the glass was the answer. Good news: I won't be falling to my death. Bad news: I'm being chased through the building by something... Claws and teeth and slime and tentacles.. I think I've seen it before, but I'm not sure. Does it have something to do with IT? I wish I could remember. Maybe this is repeated to one of those entries I don't remember writing in you, or maybe not.

I'm hiding from it right now, but I'm going-

Author's Note

Major rewrite (3/9/2014)

Section 2

Shining’s Log: Entry 13

I managed to stop the bleeding with a Blood-Clotting spell. That's good. I'm so glad training teaches magical first-aid so early. Now I just have to worry about infection. Who knows where those claws have been. At least I can still walk on this leg.

At least I still have you and Corny, right? Corny hasn't let me down yet; her mystery fruit keeps me full and her juice keeps my thirst down. Have I mentioned corny yet? She's a talking can that gives me endless fruit! .

I hope we get to Dawn soon

Shining’s Log: Entry 14

All walk and no Twilight makes Shiny a dull colt.

All walk and noo Twilight makes Shiny a dul colt.

All malk and no Twilight makes Shiny a dull coolt.

All wlk and no Twilight makes Shiny a Bull colt.

All walk and no Twilight makes Shitty a dull colt.

All walk and nooTwilight cakes Shiny a dull dull colt.

All walk and no Twilight maes Shny a dull clt!

All walk and n0 Twilight marakes Shjny a full colt.

All wlk and noTwilight makes Shiny a ball calt.

All walk and no Twilight Makes Shiny a dull filly.

All walk ad noTwilight makes Mommy a dull colt.

All walk and no Twilight makes Daddyy aa dull colt.

Shining’s Log: Entry 15

Somehow, I woke up on a river. Actually sitting on the water, which was as smooth and hard as glass, yet still flowed beneath me. I have no idea what I'm doing here or how I got here.

Your last entry wasn't very helpful, Log. I thought you were better than that, giving me that load of ponyfethers.

At least I didn't get hurt this time, though the wound on my leg is stinging a bit more than usual. I would say that it's probably nothing, but that's what they always say. Then it kills 'em. Buck, I need a real doctor.

At least Corny made it. Hey, and guess what? Corny changed her fruit! It's still a mystery, but it's a new and tasty mystery! Thank you, Corny!

Isn't that sad? I'm distracting myself with fruit. I really miss having other ponies to talk to. The silence would be deafening if it was not for the constant whispering in my ear.

I could swear I just saw somepony out of the corner of my eyes. S/he was really tall...

Shining’s Log: Entry 22

Building are definitely NOT safe to go in. There are things in there... impossible things. They whisper and howl and scratch and claw and bite and sting and - anyway, they're not fun. Having Corny with us means that we don't have to look for food. And since the weather never changes, I can just sleep outside.

But never in the shadows. They are alive, watching, waiting, scheming, planning, twisting, writhing, moving, hungry, thirsty, lonely...

Shining’s Log: Entry 27

The weather changed today. Today being a relative term. There's fog now. It's cold...

I hear them, the things. They’re outside now. Without the warm glow of the sun-that's-not-really-a-sun, I have no protection from them. I hope I come out alive.

Log, this may be the last time I ever talk to you. If I don’t come back, and my family reads you, tell them I love them. And if anypony else reads you, wish them luck...

Shining’s Log: Entry 28

I found a hiding spot. Those things are still out there, hunting. I hope not for me, but I doubt it.

I can hear them in the mist. Don't want to look. The fog warps things. Buildings bend and straight streets run crooked. The shadows come alive and the faces... the faces... so many faces.

I'm clutching Corny tightly as I write. My shield is up, reinforcing my makeshift barricade. I hope and pray that it will all be over soon.

They're coming. THEY ARE COMING FOR ME!

Goodbye.

Shining’s Log: Entry 31

The symbol of IT is shining brightly in the distance. I've reached the edge of the world! Well, it's not really an edge. More of a steep, rounded curve.

At first, I was worried that I would slide right off and fall into the abyss - it looks nothing like the actual sky. But no, with each step, gravity turned so that I felt like I was always standing on flat ground. That' fun, let me tell you.

I'm at a mini Midnight here. There are still buildings here, lit from within. The not-sun's rays shine up from the sides of the world, but I am in its sha- Shadow! Must run!

Shining’s Log: Entry 32

I made it to Dawn. I can still hear the whispers of the shadows even in the light. I want them to go.

Corny offered me more of her fruit. I told her that I wasn't hungry, but I ate anyway. No sense in being rude.

Shining’s Log: Entry 33

As I walk through the the thick forests of Dawn - such a contrast to the City of Dusk - I could swear I heard a song in the wind:

I could while away the hours/

Conferring with the flowers/

Consulting with the rain.

And my head I'd be a-scratchin'/

While my thoughts were busy hatchin'/

If I only...

For the life of me, I can't remember the next few lines. I swear, this is going to drive me mad...

Shining’s Log: Entry 35

I killed it. I killed that thing - a different thing than the things before. It’s blood is still dripping off my coat. It attacked me and I killed it.

I grabbed its head with my magic and squeezed and squeezed and flattened and squeezed and minced and squished and squeezed and squeezed and cracked and squeezed and squashed and squeezed and squeezed and crushed and... it popped.

That was fun. But I don’t think I want to try that again. It could have eaten me. Sure is big enough to eat me - probably in one or two bites, if I let it. Lots of sharp teeth. For some reason, a word comes to mind when I look at the beast. I don’t think that I’ve ever heard that word, but here it is: BANDERSNATCH.

Oh dear, I’m bleeding again... and there's pus this time...

Ok, Log, I’m back now. All patched up and ready to go! At least, I think I’m ready. That wound stinks! Some of the bandersnatch’s blood mixed with mine in the wound. That can’t be good...

Shining’s Log: Entry 36

I’ve been heading in a Sun-Noon direction for several hours now. Navigating is exceptionally difficult here. Let me see if I can give you an accurate picture. You can make two right quarter-turns and end up going left . There’s still the invisible portals and weird gravity paths. Oh, and don’t forget the blue confusion smoke - that stuff makes your head spin - or the moving plants.

Sometimes, I think the forest is a maze. A moving maze...

That tree was not there a second ago. I’m going to go now. I don’t like this place.

Shining’s Log: Entry 37

The whispers are growing louder now. I’m not sure if they are in my head, or if they are real. They sound like ????????. As I listen, I swear I can understand what they are saying, but the moment I go and try to think about it...

...I forgot.

These gaps in my memory are getting worse and worse and worse and worse and worse and worse and worse and worse and worse... I started looping again, didn’t I?

What’s that, Log? I’ve never told you about the looping? Not too sure about that myself. Is it my brain making me repeat? Or time itself? Both could be the right answer. If I really did write some of those earlier entries - WHICH I BUCKING DIDN’T - then maybe it’s all in my head. #14’s creepy enough. I don’t want to think about...

What was I saying? I can’t remember. Probably wasn’t important. Anyway, sleep well, my precious Logbook. Sweet dreams, Corny!

Shining’s Log: Entry 41

There’s this patch of blue flowers ahead of me. I think I remember something about this in guard training. It looks something like poison joke, but not quite. The roots and flowers move - the first plants that actually do move when I’m looking at them. I tried going back, but the way was closed behind me.

Stupid portals.

Stupid trees.

Stupid motherbucking world.

Stupid pus-filled leg wound.

There really is no other direction I can go at this point in time. Forwards it is. Wish me luck, Log and Corny! I just hope that whatever joke I get isn’t too painful. Well, here goes nothing!

Section 3

Shining’s Log: Entry 42

Oh, Celesta! Logbook, what happened to me? I don’t even look like a pony anymore! Ponies don’t have six legs! Ponies don’t glow in the dark! Ponies don’t have a pair of weird antenna things growing out of the back of their heads! Ponies don’t have breathing holes in their chest!

And I’m, what, five... six times as large as I was before? I’m hideous! And the flowers didn’t even bother to fix my bucking leg!

Thank Celestia I still have my magic. And hey, 5/6 good legs is better than 3/4 good legs, right? Now I just have to figure out how to use these Celetia-forsaken limbs.

Shining’s Log: Entry 43

Log, I have a confession to make. Just one teeny-tiny little thing. No big deal.

Ok, so maybe not just one. It’s just a few, I swear.

Errr, well, you see... I may have, sort of... lied... to you. Just a couple of little white lies, I swear!

Shining’s Log: Entry 44

Have I shown you Thorn yet? He’s cool. Thorn’s this really tiny dragon. Really tiny. Corny, if she ever was emptied of her precious fruit, could hold Thorn inside of her.

But that’s not the coolest thing. No, Thorn can turn into a flaming dagger. That shoots more flames.

SO. AWESOME! I drew him so you can see (though I have no idea where the colored pencils came from).

For some reason, I get the feeling that he is one of three. I have no idea why. It’s not like he can talk like you or Corny can. Though, I get the feeling that he’s a good listener. He seems to understand me - not as much as you, Log - but never says anything back.

Anyway, I think I should keep an eye out for the other two... if they even exist. I'm sure that would make thorn very happy.

Shining’s Log: Entry 43 (revisited)

So, maybe my lies weren't so small. And maybe, just maybe, I’ve told more than just a few lies. In fact, I’ve almost never told you anything true since Entry 22. I’ve glossed it over a bit... spared you the details. Lies by omission and such. Some of what I have seen, I wouldn’t wish on our most hated enemies. Some of it, I just don’t want to talk about. And some of it is rather embarrassing.

Did you know that I’m missing a tooth? And I lost it in the lamest way possible. Nope, not going to tell you.

Your begging won’t help.

No.

I said no.

Stop it.

STOP IT.

STOP! TALKING!

SHUT! THE! BUCK! UP, LOGBOOK!

I don’t feel like talking to you anymore. You’re mean, Log. I hate you...

Shining’s Log: Entry 45

It’s been a while. I haven’t forgotten anything since I stopped talking to you. That’s a plus.

I can’t stay mad at you forever, can I? At least you don’t have a head to squish. Maybe, the next time a monster attacks, I’ll let you watch big brother at work. Won’t that be nice?

Oh, I didn’t tell you? Hahaha! Monsters attack me all the time! They probably can smell the blood on me from all the others I’ve killed so far. Or maybe it’s my own blood... from the wound.

Though, it’s been healed for a while now. The fever was nasty; I didn’t write in you for over twenty sleeps because I just didn’t have the energy to do so. And nothing really interesting happened anyway. What did you expect me to write? ‘Waking time sixteen: putrid smell grows along with mountain of monster corpses. Still sick as a dog.’ Of course not! It's not like that actually hapened... Hahaha... right?

Shining’s Log: Entry 45

I’ve tried remembering the antidote to poison joke. I think I have it right (it was only three ingredients), but I’m not sure.

I love field medicine, but I have had nowhere near enough class time for it. My lack of medical knowledge is probably going to get me killed soon. Buck, I’ve been lucky so far. Will it hold?

Anyway, my poison joke cure didn’t work. I’ve even tried just regular bathing. Nothing. I think it should have worn off by now even without the cure. Even the best jokes get boring after a while; poison joke’s effects are usually temporary.

A side note: I’m still dripping blood, even after bathing. I haven’t even been injured where the blood is coming from. In fact, the blood never dries.

I just licked the blood. It’s sour and metallic, but not unpleasant. Definitely not my blood, then. Is this the blood of my slain enemies? Actually, I kind of like the taste. That’s a scary thought - ponies should NOT like blood.

Shining’s Log: Entry 46

I really don’t like glossing over the details I tell you. It’s probably not healthy. Of course, this whole place is not healthy. Am I in Tartarus? Was I a bad colt? Should I have told Mom and Dad about what happened earlier with Twilight an her bullies?

Am I a demon pony now? I sort of look like it. Six legs, four eyes, perpetually covered in wet blood, and wielding a flaming dagger. Yeah, that screams “evil.”

I’m getting off track. Log, I lie to you to lie to myself. I try to convince myself that I am safe, happy, sane (as I can be in this bucking place). The monsters that attack are bad. Yes, normally I can kill them before they kill me (becoming easier with time - scary!), but it’s not them I’m worried about.

No, it’s the monsters that I can’t see. The ones on the edge of my vision. They are far worse than anything that attacks me. They bring fear, paranoia, confusion. The fog tends to come when they come. Do they bring it? Or does it bring them? I can't tell. What I can tell is that the whispers grow louder, clearer when they come.

It's my name endlessly. "Shining Shining Shining Shining Shining Shining Shining Shining Shining..." Creepy at first, then just annoying, and now it's driving me crazy. You get the picture.

Log, this place is eating at my mind, body, and soul. I'm terrified of losing myself, Log. Or am I already lost? Am I still Shining Armor? Son of Night Light and Twilight Velvet? B.B.B.F.F.of Twilight Sparkle? Coltfriend to Princess Cadance?

Or am I the insane demon pony of the Mooobius world, who only thinks he's Shining Armor?

I'm scared.

Shining’s Log: Entry 47

Oh look! Mushrooms! Giant mushrooms! I wonder if they will be friends with me! Giant friendly mushrooms! That fruit I found earlier was quite thirst quenching. It’s the quenchiest! Yay! Hey, Log, why are you all wiggly and stuff? Oh look! Rainbow and smoke! Yay!

Sorry about that, Log. Whatever I ate earlier, it made things weird. Hallucinations, distorted perception, etc. Though, the mushrooms are real (I didn’t eat one), and so is the smoke, which is blue, for some reason. Something’s drawing me in. A little compulsion in the back of my mind. Since I literally have nothing else to do except wander this Celestia-forsaken world, I’ll follow.

If it’s a trap, I’ll escape. I always do. Well Log, Corny, wish me luck. I may need it.

Shining’s Log: Entry 48

A talking blue caterpillar smoking a water pipe. That was what I found just a minute ago at the center of the mushroom grove. From his pipe came the smoke that had been disorienting me for the past several waking periods. Having walked steadily towards the Midnight side (I guessed I was at about 7:30 PM, void-side right now), the light barely penetrated the hazy air.

The large caterpillar, which was sitting on one of the mushrooms, asked me a question. A simple little question. Even with my surprise at seeing it talk (or smoke), I should have been able to answer in a second. But I couldn’t.

It asked: “Who are you?”

I, for the life of me, couldn’t say for sure. Who was I, really? So, after a moment of consideration, I replied with the only name I had ever known: “Shining Armor, I think.”

Caterpillar: “That is an odd name indeed, Shining-Armor-I-Think,” he replied.

Me: “No, no, It’s Shining Armor. Just Shining Armor.”

Caterpillar: “Are you Shining-Armor-I-Think or Shining-Armor-Just-Shining-Armor? Make up your mind, stallion.”

Me: “Yes. No. Maybe? Aarrgh! I don’t know! Why do you want to know?”

Caterpillar: “Keep your temper. You should find yourself before you run too far away. The ??????? does not like IT’S toys broken. Remember, you’re only as lost as you believe yourself to be.” And with that cryptic statement, he blew a deep lungful of smoke on me, blinding me completely.

Now that I can see, I find myself somewhere completely different. I’m not in the forest anymore. I’m somewhere on the Midnight side, on a flat, rocky plain. Thank Celestia that you, Corny, and Thorn are still here with me. I’d be lost without you.

Actually, despite the caterpillar trying to give me advice (I think it was advice), I’m still more lost than ever. What did he mean by ????????

Shining’s Log: Entry 51

I have a love-hate relationship with this place, the Midnight badlands. Gravity is prone to randomly shifting here. What looks like a flat plain feels like it is full of steep, rolling hills. Sometimes it’s fun to slide down the hills. I just have to remember to stop before I hit the sharp rocks.

Ehh, sometimes I forget.

On the plus side, my weird body is really tough. Still hurts like Tartarus fire, though. I've had to dig a few stones out of my glowing skin and sterilize the wound with Thorn's flames.

Shining’s Log: Entry 52

I’ve slept about 120 times, give or take a few. I didn’t keep track very well in the beginning, but I have a good guess. That doesn’t really tell me how long I’ve been here, what, with time being impossible to measure and all. If I assume that I’ve been sticking to a 24 hour schedule, that’s 4 months. Something tells me that it’s been longer than that.

Mr. Cardio was my P.E. and anatomy teacher in high school. He also was a retired field medic from the Royal Guard. That unicorn knew pony biology inside and out. I remember our lesson on puberty; more specifically, I remember his lessons on magical growth. Unicorns approximately double their magical output every six months for two years during puberty, then max out for natural growth. After that, we will only ever increase our power with extreme magical training (which I haven't had yet).

My power output has tripled.

Not only is this way too fast for any unicorn to grow, but I’ve already gone through puberty. I capped out at 12,720 thaums of magic the last time I checked (I admit, I love rubbing that number in my friend’s faces). For a civilian or Guard-in-training, 12,720 thaums is approximately the 95th pertcentile. With intense training, I should have gotten a max of about 14,000 thaums. Now, I read in at 38,230 thaums. I should add that this has been steady growth, unlike horn surge disease. I'm still freaked out, but without the surges, ~~it hasn't been too bad.~~ Scratch that, it’s been awesome!

How? Let me tell you. I can crush boulders with a thought! It takes hours to gallop across the entire diameter of my largest shield (and I can gallop really fast now). And I can melt stone with a basic light spell. A. BUCKING. LIGHT. SPELL! That spell is supposed to be harmless. I had no idea you could make it that bright and concentrated. Did you?

I feel so alive right now! I just want to let it all out! Break! Rage! Crush! Kill! Break! Rage! Crush! Kill! Break! Rage! Crush! Kill! Break! Rage! Crush! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! KillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILL KILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILL

Ahhh, that’s a relief. Mindless slaughter of the monsters trying to kill me is rather pleasant (what?). I’m worried though. I keep growing more aggressive with my increase in power. Will it ever stop?

At least my aggression has kept me alive - I don’t hesitate anymore when the beasts come. Now, if only I actually knew more spells. Brute force is nice and all, but flight, teleporting, or anything else would be useful. I’ll have to practice and be creative. Maybe I’ll try Dad’s Telescope spell first. I’ve seen him use it a thousand times.

Shining’s Log: Entry 53

I saw a new monster today. It was a huge flying one! And it shot purple lightning from it’s mouth! That’s awesome!

Unlike the normal monsters, this one did not seem interested in me. It definitely saw me, there’s no doubt about it. But it ignored me. It even ignored my attempt to make it explode from within with an expanding force-field or to burn it with Thorn’s flames. Magic resistance, who knew? Anyway, Log, I think it has somewhere it needs to go. There’s purpose in its eyes.

I’m going to follow it.

Shining’s Log: Entry 54

It lead me to some ruins. I can see them just on the horizon. There’s something else there. I see a fire (a speck at this distance) and something glinting with the fire’s reflected light. The flying thing seems interested in the light. I’m gonna get closer. Wish me luck!

Section 4

Shining’s Log: Entry 55

I’m writing this entry as I run. (I’m getting better at multitasking.) I race as fast as the wind, faster than I’ve ever run before. How I love having six legs. They make me fast and let me catch myself when the gravity suddenly shifts.

I’m sliding now, down down down down down! This is fun. Oops, sharp rocks - JUMP! Ha! That was so much fun! Come on, you three. Don't worry so much. I've got this all under control.

Thorn won't stop clawing and biting my ear. I guess that's his way of hanging on. I'll just scoop him up with my magic and there, that's better!

You know, as I'm following this thing, I just realized that I can't keep calling these things "things." Ok, so I'm going to call this a spark dragon. I mean, it looks vaguely like a dragon and it shoots lightning. Good enough.

Anyway, I’m almost there.

Shining’s Log: Entry 56

Alice Liddell and the Mad Hatter. Those two are strange creatures, sort of like tall monkeys. Alice was dressed in shining armor (hahaha!) and Hatter wore a hat with 10/6 on it.

The spark dragon that had lead me there was not wearing its head, courtesy of Alice and her “vorpal sword.”

Having never seen monsters fight monsters, I liked them immediately. They for me, not so much. Apparently, I looked too much like one of the monsters for their tastes. Alice raised her sword and swung at me. I partially stopped her with my shield. Partially because the blade cut through, but not the hilt, stopping the edge inches from my face.

I grabbed Thorn and coaxed him into dagger form. Pushing my magic through him, I fired a warning shot of flame. “Whoah! Hang on!” I called out, voice a bit rusty from disuse.

That caught them off guard. The monsters never speak, as far as I know (and I should know). Alice lowered her sword while Hatter relaxed. “You’re not one of the monsters we’ve been facing, are you?” Alice asked.

I won’t bother you with the exact words of the chat, Log. Basically, we introduced ourselves and gave them a runthrough of our stories. Logbook, I hope you didn’t mind them looking through you. They didn’t hurt you did they? Did they? I’ll kill them if they hurt you, my precious Log!

Getting back on track now. It turns out that they took a wrong turn after being pursued by a bandersnatch (maybe that one?) and ended up here in the Midnight Badlands, though they didn’t know it was called that. In fact, they had thought they were still in Wonderland (wherever that is) and that the sun was just late in rising. I told them that it wouldn't ever rise on its own and that they had to go to Noon to see the not-sun. Alice didn't believe me, but Hatter accepted without question.

They also didn’t have anyone as wonderful as little Corny! I happily shared her food with them, glad for company that could actually talk back. We chatted over our shared meal as we sat around the fire. Alice told me of England, Hatter told me of Wonderland, and I told them of Canterlot.

"You know, that sounds familiar," Alice told me. "I saw a city like that in the distance when we first got here. We tried to go towards it, but found ourselves here."

"Where, where did you see it?" I asked. Could it be? Did she know where home is?

"I'm not exactly sure. It was a on the grassy plain where we appeared," Alice replied.

Me: "Was it day or night?"

Hatter: "It was a lovely day, almost as brilliant as the White Queen herself. Dear Shining Armor, do you know why is a raven like a writing desk?"

It was so random that I was caught off guard. The words that followed tumbled out of my mouth before I could even ponder the question: "There is a 'B' in both and an 'N' in neither?" Looking back, my own answer makes no sense to me. The Mad Hatter was a different story; I think he had some sort of "it all makes sense now" epiphany. I wouldn't know. He never explained the cause of his funny expression.

Strange conversation aside, I finally had a goal of my own! Not a whisper, not a compulsion, not a request from a friend (I'm looking at you, Thorn), but a goal of my own (beyond the obvious goal of getting home)! I want to see the city Alice saw!

Shining’s Log: Entry 57

My head is clearer than it has ever been since I came to this world. I think it's the two humans that are doing it. Alice keeps the whispers and nightmares away, while hatter chases away the corner-lings (the monsters that hide in the corner of your eyes) and the writhing shadows.

This is a blessing and a curse. After only a day of talking with Alice and Hatter, I realized something horrible. The moment I thought of it, I tumbled to the ground out of shock, throwing the passengers riding me to the rocky gravel (don't look at me that way! I was levitating them, not letting them sit on my back. That would be disgusting for all of us). I barely had the strength to stand. Even now, I struggle to write this, as if putting the quill to paper makes it permanent.

Corny is just a tin can!

She... it... isn't a real pony! It's a can with dents that look like a smile! Who have I been talking to all these months? Log, please tell me! Log? Logbook? No... LOGBOOK!

Shining’s Log: Entry 58

We've reached the edge of Midnight and are crossing over into Noon. I've slept 5 times since the voices for my food can and logbook vanished. I've killed 18 times in that period: 4 raptors, 12 screechers, and 2 doom centipedes. I've restrained myself from killing Alice twice and Hatter six times. They don't know how close I came to killing them. I wan not angry at the time. The foreign killer impulse remains.

I feel physically ill and chronically cold in spite of the humans' protests that the temperature was unchanged. My conscious mind feels detached, as if I was only watching my body act.

My goal to find the Canterlot-like city remains unchanged. My goal to find Thorn's other two remains unchanged. My goal to return home... has been compromised. Do I really want to return home in this condition? As this pony on the inside?

Shining’s Log: Entry 61

I’ve been in a weird place lately. It’s odd having your delusions snapped so suddenly. I’m still tempted to talk to them. Then I have to remind myself that Log and Corny are not real.

Alice and Hatter are worried, and so am I (but for a different reason). I’ve been cold to them, distancing myself when I can. It probably seems really rude to them, especially when they are in the exact same situation as me. At least they have each other.

But I? Well... who’s to say that those two aren’t just figments of my imagination. I’ve heard that magic can do some weird stuff to a unicorn who loses their mind. If they are not real, I don’t want to get too close or it will hurt too much when they leave. And if they are real, there’s always time later to apologise and start over.

At least the not-sun is shining brightly...

Shining’s Log: Entry 62

My mood has gone up since the last entry. Why? Because I can see the city in the distance. If it wasn’t for the fact that it is flat on the ground rather than suspended on the side of a cliff, I would say it is a perfect replica of Canterlot! We’re a day’s gallop away! I think I can make it in one good sprint!

Huge spark dragon. Bigger than before. It’s Enraged. Running now!

64

They’re... gone.

Just like that. Chomp. Gone. In one bite, both of them are gone.

I could have killed it. Cut it open before they drowned in its stomach. Freed them. Saved them.

Then an invisible portal in the air took them away from me.

I howled and screamed and raged. I blasted my magic and used Thorn to scorch the grass. Then I dropped to the ground and cried and cried and cried and cried and cried...

Somehow, I feel better just writing my thoughts even as I cry tears of blood...

They noticed me. Canterlot, that is. There are guards coming my way. I don’t think I’ve ever been so glad to see ponies in my life. I stand from the puddle of cursed blood. My emotions are so confused right now. I wobble slightly The fog is creeping in. The whispers are coming back. The shadows are writhing. I see them again, the corner-lings. I’m so confused.

Why are the guards pointing their spears at me? What’s with the hoof cuffs? Wait!

Shining’s Log: 65

I have no idea what just happened. The guards came up to me and told me to surrender. The whispers told me to kill them all. I took the good choice and surrendered.

The guards then put me in chains and paraded me through Canterlot. The whole city was in a state of decay. Buildings degrading, food stands running low, dirt and grime everywhere. I saw a stallion beat a mare, then a mare beat a stallion not a hundred steps later. Frankly, the whole city stank. What had become of Canterlot?

I asked the guards to take me to my family. They snorted and laughed and called me a monster. I told them that I was a pony and that I had had a run in with poison joke. They called me a joke.

I told them my name was Shining Armor.

They didn’t laugh at all. Their smiles vanished in an instant.

Ten minutes later and I found myself in the highest security prison in Canterlot. The walls and doors are made of a magic draining substance. Had I been a normal unicorn, the loss of 20,000 thaums of magic should have rendered me useless. What they didn’t know was that I still had more than when I first set foot on the twisted world. And I was not willing to let them know that.

I couldn’t get them to tell me why they arrested me. I couldn’t get them to tell me anything. Now I’m wishing that I had advanced far enough in training to get torture resistance training. Even if they did nothing of the sort, the psychological cost could still be painful.

Speaking of painful, I screamed and shouted when they took my can and my logbook. I did not quit. Eventually, the guards relented and got me paper to write on. This paper. I’m using the fuzzy pink tendrils on the end of my antennae as a paintbrush to write this, and the cursed blood as ink.

As bored as I was, there was no way I could have predicted who came in to see me.

Section 5

Shining’s Log: 66

I’m being taken from my cell (still don’t know why I was locked up in the first place) and escorted to the palace throne room. Fine, right? I would think so, except for the fact of who was escorting me.

Me. Shining Armor. An early thirties, un-cursed version of me. How do I convince ponies that I am Shining Armor when the pony that I think I am it right there? How?

Well for starters, I should A) pretend that the magic suppressor ring actually works and B) not obey the voices telling me to kill the impostor. Those voices are really annoying and they should feel bad. And the drums, the endless banging of drums. Oh wait, that’s my heart.

Anyway, I’m getting plenty of odd stares as I’m lead to the throne room. How often do you see a giant, bleeding, pony-like thing being escorted in chains through the castle? Especially if they are using their antenna to write with blood as they walk?

I hope that Princess Celestia can help me get home or get cured. The doors open and -------

Buck. That is not what I expected.

Shining’s Log: 67

I’m so glad they gave you back, Log! I don’t care if you are a figment of my imagination, this place is evil! I need the company after what I saw. I wish I had Corny, too...

Ok, ok, I’ll tell... It was Twilight, my Twily, sitting on the throne and all grown up... with bat wings... and fangs. But her worst feature was her eyes. Instead of lavender, they were red and had the pupils STITCHED SHUT! What the buck?

I tried, Log, I tried! I told them what happened to me and they laughed. She and those five mares laughed at my suffering. They told me to go rot in a cell. And here I am again. At least they gave you back.

I’ve been here for hours. This anti-magic cell is apparently water-tight, because the endless blood trickling off of me is starting to pool around my hooves. I can’t sleep on any of the beds in here (they’re too small), so I’m going to keep you on it instead. Meanwhile, I’ve gotten so thirsty that I’ve started drinking the pooling blood for fluids.

Yes, I know there are others in this cell. Yes, I know I’m freaking them out. They terrify me, too. No, I don’t want to talk about them (or to them). I just can’t.

Fine...

Log, their limbs are gone! The two mares and one oddly long stallion all had their limbs cut off. All three are bound completely with their mouths bandaged shut. Only one eye each I could see: red with yellow sclera, magenta, and cyan.

Seeing as the guards could not see into the cell, I reached up and coaxed Thorn out of his nest in my mane and asked him to change. The tiny dragon shimmered and warped himself into blade form. With a flick of my (partially) restrained magic, I slit the bindings of Cyan Eye's mouth. "Haha! You have my thanks, good creature," she said the moment her mouth was free. Her voice, loud as it was, was rough from prolonged disuse. "Would you kindly free my sister?"

I nodded and then slit the other mare's bindings. "Ah, it's good to have freedom again, as slight as it may be. Thank you."

That voice. I recognized that voice. What Royal Guard (in training) would not recognize her voice? "Princess Celestia?"

She nodded gravely. "In the flesh. Or, what's left of it, anyway. Who and - pardon my asking - what are you?"

"Demon pony... I think... Not really sure. My name? I'm suffering from an identity crisis at the moment. Ask me when I figure it out," I replied, or something like that.

"Mmmmmrrrmrmrmrm!" The third figure mumbled. Apologizing for forgetting him, I slit his bindings open with Thorn's blade. "Ha! Now you know what being stoned feels like, Celestia."

"I have already apologized for that, Discord." Discord? I thought he was trapped in stone in the Canterlot Maze. What is a reality warper like him doing in here? Scratch that, I want to know what they are all doing in here without limbs or horns or wings.

Shining’s Log: Entry 68

Log, I won't bore you with the specifics of the conversation... Mostly because I became so lost in the conversation (actual conversation!) that I can't actually remember it word for word. The gist of the conversation went like this:

We introduced ourselves. I found out that Equestria had a third princess.

I told my story and showed them you to help fill in the details.

Then they told me their story, and let me tell you, it's probably worse than my own. It started with Princess Twilight (She became an alicorn Princess! So. AWESOME!) wanting to demonstrate a new spell to a committee in Canterlot. Her friends, the Princesses, a reformed Discord, Cadance, and I (married to Cadance!) were there to watch her work. Then something went wrong.

The resulting explosion transported every living creature within one mile of Canterlot mountain (and only living creatures) to this world. Discord, unable to overpower the force holding them here, recreated Canterlot so they had a place to live and work while they tried to find a way home. Then the monsters came.

From outside the city, monsters of every possible shape and size swarmed at the prospect of fresh meat. But the real problem lay within the city. Delusions, panic, paranoia, and hallucinations overtook the ponies, brought on by the very world itself. And those who had the weakest minds succumbed first, completely losing themselves and wildly attacking their fellow ponies. They were banished from the city.

Sometimes, though, a pony will hide one of their sick relatives or friends. Those who were fully lost in their madness started physically transforming into monsters. The ones Luna described sounded much like the shriekers I kill by the dozens...

Eventually, the Elements of Harmony (my sister and her friends) succumbed to madness and attacked Discord. Twily won, took Discord's power for herself, and then attacked the Princesses. Backed by the Elements, Cadance, and my other, the royal sisters had no hope of beating Twilight.

Eventually, all three immortals were robbed of the ability to interact with the world, at least until I came along...

Shining's Log: Entry 70

Without any indication of it's passage, time was impossible to measure in that cell. I'm now thoroughly convinced that they left me here to die. The immortals don't need food, and I fear that they might have forgotten my need for food and water. So for the past few waking periods, Thorn and I had been continuously drinking curse blood. The problem was that the curse blood appeared faster than Thorn and I drank it. So, it has become our makeshift hourglass. It's three hoof-lengths deep now.

In five hoof lengths, the mattresses will be submerged. Six, and I could drown if I fall asleep. That won't be a problem for a while... a month or two, tops.

But I haven't been idle since I got here, oh no. I've been training in magic under Discord and the Princesses, the three greatest magic users ever. It would take a decade or more to learn enough to even consider myself a skilled mage, so for now I settled for a crash course in battle, survival, and medical magics. For you, Log, I also learned how to magically clean and repair you (a necessity in this room. I’m sorry for nearly dropping you in the blood pool), conjure extra pages, and enchant you so that nopony can tamper with you.

There's also the added benefit that such a low magic environment has forced me to struggle with magic, much like resistance weight training (I can’t take the horn ring off yet - there are security spells on it that would set off an alarm if I tried). The extra sanity from having real company (maybe even friends) is nice, too.

Shining’s Log: Entry 72 (5 hoof-lengths deep)

I managed to get the blood-clotting spell to work on the curse blood for a prolonged period last waking period. It doesn’t hold forever, but I can at least have a dry, solid floor again. As long as I cast it before I sleep, I won’t have to worry about drowning in here for a while.

I also learned how to teleport today. I was disappointed that I couldn’t escape because of the nature of this cell. Whatever. I can manipulate the locks on the door. For now, I’m just biding my time. Celestia, Luna, and Discord are such wells of knowledge. If I escape now, I lose access to them.

Discord had a stroke of genius. He taught me how to generate small amounts of chaos magic (not that I could do much with it) and had me channel it through him. He in turn used it to reignite the immortal trio’s ability to produce their own magic.

So with those three starting to regain their power (and use it to regenerate their limbs), it’s only a matter of time before we’re ready to escape.

Shining’s Log: Entry 75 (9.5 hoof-lengths deep)

It’s time.

Using my strength as a catalyst, all four of us magic users have grown in strength. It’s funny, being locked up in what should have been an impenetrable prison ends up being the greatest thing to ever happen to us. Now, let’s go see what’s outside. Log, I promise that whenever I get a moment, I’ll annotate whatever happens. This should be exciting. With a great surge of my magic, I pop the ring off my horn. Oh sweet relief...

Let the games begin.

Section 6

Shining’s Log: Entry 76

Expectations are often subverted. That’s something Dad would always say, and his words held true here.

When Celestia, Luna, Discord, and I busted out of our cell, we expected a fight. We expected to at least see other ponies. Hey, we expected to see living things within the city.

Expectations are often subverted.

There was nopony out there in the city; Canterlot is deserted. Hours and hours we’ve walked, and not a soul in sight. I guess that’s why nopony came to feed me in all that time. From the looks of things, the ponies here vanished shortly after my imprisonment.

The whispers are back, and stronger, louder, more persuasive than ever before. Call me paranoid, Log, but I refuse to write down what they say. I do not want my companions reading those horrible, sickening, beautiful words.

And if you are reading this, BUCK YOU! Log is my friend and he keeps my secrets. If you read them, then they wouldn’t be secrets. So buck you.

Shining’s Log: Entry 77

Princess Celestia has vanished! One minute she was there and the next, nothing. I’d seen a fast moving shadow in the corner of my eye. I didn’t mention it. They hadn’t reacted, so I had thought it was just my imagination.

I still don’t know. But that doesn’t change the fact that only a moment later, Princess Celestia was gone! There wasn’t a sound or a warning. It all happened so subtly that she could have been missing for several minutes before we noticed. Or hours – time is very confusing here.

Princess Luna started having a bit of a freak-out. I’ll spare you the details, mostly for her sake, but I will say that it was quite rough. It nearly ended in tragedy, too. See, as Discord and I were unsuccessfully attempting to calm her down, Princess Luna dashed ahead and swung around the corner of a building. Had I followed her there a split-second later, I wouldn’t have been in time to stop her from falling into a pit of lime punch.

Wait. Have I not told you of the horror that is lime punch? That’s my innocent sounding name for the most horrible substance that has ever existed. Lime punch is a puddle of green goo that appears randomly though out the land. I’ve seen one of the tougher monsters I’ve fought fall into it; the beast was stripped to the bone faster than I can blink. I don’t think even a recovering alicorn could have survived falling into that stuff.

Princess Luna thanked me when I told her what that stuff was. Discord told me that they had not been free in this nightmarish world long enough to encounter lime punch yet. I just hope that we don’t meet any of the other hazards that I’ve found during my travels.

Shining’s Log: Entry 78

It’s been three sleep cycles since Princess Celestia had disappeared. We’ve had no luck in finding her through any means, magical or mundane. Discord said that this place is messing with his powers, and even then, he is still too weak from his draining and imprisonment to be of much help.

Then Princess Luna had to go and disappear, too. I’m really worried, Log. It may not sound like it because I’m putting on my brave face when I write here, but I am really bucking messed up right now. I spent months in confinement with them after such a long period without stable social interaction, and I’ve grown quite attached to the Royal Sisters.

To lose friends like this hurts more than you could ever know.

Discord’s not helping any. Sure, he considers all of us friends, but his perpetually relaxed attitude is really, really annoying. He doesn’t take anything about our situation seriously.

Oh, and he’s constantly muttering something about “oblivion” and not wanting it to do… something. I forgot. Still, I have no idea what he is talking about.

We’ve been searching Canterlot – for what, I’m not sure – for a while now. I just want to find anypony. Hell, I just want to get home! Is that too much for a stallion to ask for?

Shining’s Log: Entry 80

Fourteen sleeps after our escape from the prison cell, Discord vanished, too. With the exception of Thorn – and he doesn’t really count since he can’t talk – I’m once again completely alone.

The fog is getting thick. The shadows move once more. Is this madness? Or an evil spirit? The pain is unbearable, yet it pleasures me so. Why did I write that? I don’t hurt. How silly.

The agony in my skull is excruciating.

I don’t hurt one bit.

Pain.

Normal.

I’m so utterly confused. Lost, too. This fog is so thick that I can’t even make out much of my own hoof when I wave it in front of my face.

I’m tired now, Log. I’m going to sleep now.

Shining’s Log: 9:51 AM, April 13, 992 A.N.M.

I just woke up from an eleven month coma. How’s that for a scary good morning. I woke up in Canterlot General. The last thing I remember before this is… something about Twily? Something about her being scary?

I don’t know what happened. And, if the nurse is right, neither do the doctors. I just fell asleep and never woke up. All their spells said I was nearly brain dead, and that the small little spark of intelligence I had left was all that kept my parents from taking me off life support.

Thank Celestia they didn’t. Why does writing that make me feel sad? Never mind, the feeling’s gone.

The only question I have is “what happened to my logbook?” When I asked, they gave me a funny look, like I had said some nonsense. They said nopony had touched it until now. That doesn’t explain all the extra entries – were those written in blood? – and enchantments on my logbook. Enchantments cast with my magic. I don’t even know any spells like that! And how could I have cast if I was in a coma?

When I tried to point these things out to my family, it was like they couldn’t hear me and couldn’t see what I was showing them. Yet they can hear and see everything else just fine. I hope some of these entries help me understand. Maybe there’s a clue in there.