Foreword:
This is the journal of the damned; this is the journal of the insane; this is the journal of the darkness; this is the journal by a friend and her friends.
I remember when I sent out the search party to look for her. I remember when they called back to say that the gate was closed once again and no one could enter the place called “hell.” I remember when they found the journal lying in a pile of long dead bushes. I remember telling her friends what happened, and they cried with me for many hours. I remember reading the journal itself and shaking with terror and despair. I remember, I remember, I remember....
Yet no more shall I remember; today, I act. For months I have transcribed the journal myself so that others may read it themselves and understand what I mean when I call this “the journal of the damn”. I also wish to publish this transcription of the journal so that my student may be remembered for what she has done.
May whoever read this transcription be blessed forever, and stay as far away from the gates of Tartarus forever.
-Celestia
The Journal:
note from the transcriber: Brackets have been used to inform the reader that a part of a word or phrase has been edited so clearer understanding may be shown. Besides this, all parts of the journal’s text has been kept in tact..
Introduction of the Journey
Hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle and this journal shall be used to describe the events of our descent into the gates of Tartarus. Rainbow Dash and Applejack, two of my closest friends, are here to help me on my travels through the vast darkness ahead of us.
I am meaning to publish my experience and shall do so by writing down the events that are about to occur and a brief introduction beforehand. It should be noted that I have briefly entered the Tartarus gates before, but only briefly. I was bringing the three headed dog Cerberus back to the gates and only step a few hooves in before I lost sight of Cerberus in the eerie dark and left. This small experience has stuck with me and I have intended to come back here to plunge deeper into the gates.
We are now camped outside the gates and are preparing all essentials for the journey. We have climbing equipment, plenty of food and water, an emergency kit, tents, and toiletries. We started a fire not too long ago and are now seated on the dead gray earth, which is near the gates of course. It should be noted that almost no foliage grows nears the gates and all that’s there is a great cliff where Tartarus resides in, gray earth, and dead piles of bushes.
Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and I have discussed what we shall expect inside the gates of Tartarus. Rainbow Dash assumes, of course, that there will be giant monsters to face and the only way to deal with them is by giving them a few kicks in the face. Applejack believes also that there shall be monsters, but suggests avoiding them rather than fighting them. I don’t agree with them on the monsters, because Tartarus is a prison to hold the monsters. If anything, we’ll see them in cages. I also believe there’s something else in there.
I mean, if there wasn’t anything that hasn’t been documented then this adventure would be nothing new to anypony!
No, I believe there is something more; what it is, I do not know yet.
The reason why I believe this is from the stories about this place. It is said that the making of Tartarus was formed during the reign of Discord. During a powerful earthquake that Discord conjured up, a giant cliff and a massive cave complex inside it were formed. After Discord was turned to stone, the void was soon taken over by many dark creatures which fled away from Celestia and Luna’s reign. Eventually, Celestia and Luna sealed the cave with a gate so that those creatures could not so easily leave. They set up the dog Cereberus to guard the beasts inside since then.
This a mere anecdote on what I’ve heard about Tartarus, but it’s all that’s needed for now. There’s a brief mention of creatures called “eyes,” but I only think they’re only important enough to be referenced.
Anyway, I think I should wrap this introduction up. The night is growing old and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.
I will speak more after we enter Tartarus.
Day 1
We are now in Tartarus, the place of the damned. Either that, or the place of nothing.
Truly, we haven’t seen anything at all for the first few miles that we’ve walked. Literally, there’s been nothing but darkness. Rainbow Dash has flown up to the top of the cave to see how big the entire place was. She told us it was about five hundred feet from the floor to the ceiling, and goes up higher as you go deeper onwards.
At least we now know it is very aired.
…
Note from the transcriber: This part seems to have been written much later from the entry itself. There are parts like it in this entire journal and they have been marked in bold. They are usually fragmented and don’t even talk about the entry itself. If anything, Twilight came back to these pages to write something, but she could never get it on paper.
If it be the eyes
the creatures
the end in dark
I don’t know
It is... it is...
(Splatter of ink was found below this text.)
…
We have dove deeper into the cave complex, still not much has occured. We have heard some growling sounds from far off, but the light from my horn has not revealed the source of the growling. It always seems to be out reach, the growling. Just a meter away, yet it is enough for us not to see the source.
It is probably just the locals of the cave greeting us; we are prepared for them. Applejack has her rope, Rainbow Dash has her speed, and I have my magic. We also have some tools that we can use, but I am hoping not to harm any creatures here.
They may be from the darkness, but it doesn’t warrant killing. I know, that sounds kind of like Fluttershy, but I think her taming of Cerberus has left a soft spot in my heart for these creatures. I am hoping they can be tamed, not killed.
But enough of this gruesome talk, I think I should describe our status right now. We have now set up camp near a cliff and can still see a bit of the light from the entrance. We have eaten some of Applejack’s apples with some apple cider to wash it down (quite good cider too, if I may add a personal note in this journal). Rainbow Dash has been telling a plethora of jokes to us, and Applejack and I have chuckled at some of them. We have dimmed the lights and are preparing for bed now. I am writing this in my sleeping bag, my horn shining the pages so I can write.
I believe that summarizes our status. I am tired and shall end this entry now and write another tomorrow. I guess one more thing should be added before I shut my eyes. I believe it is nothing, but it is driving me in a tizzy. I feel like I am being watched as I write.
It’s probably just the darkness, that’s all. Yeah... that’s it.
it is...
I should go to bed, goodnight.
Day 2
The light from the entrance is now gone and we have been traveling by hornlight. We are now at rest between two paths and are debating on which one to take. One path has a cliff on its edge, and the other one is an opening that goes through a wall of rock.
We have agreed to take the latter pathway for reasons that we want to explore more than the grand aired part of Tartarus.
I can hear the growling again, but it seems to sound somewhat defensive. I don’t know, maybe it is ju[st] my imaginati[on].
(Note: first time in the journal where the handwriting is jittery and not clear.)
Applejack said we should walk lightly, and I am inclined to agree with her.
This is the first time that I have truly realized we are in “Tartarus,” the place of the damned. I think I am just a little bit worried; it’s a lot darker in here than I expected. I’ve only been on the threshold with Cerberus, but now I am in the belly of Tartarus.
It’s a sober feeling, but I am digressing. I shall write more after a bit.
…
E... the E... it is...
…
I think it was the best choice to go through that path. We have found something that I believe that is worth some value.
Someone was down here before.
As we walked down that path, Rainbow Dash found a sketching on the ceiling of the cave. It was a pair of eyes; they looked like this:
Pardon my lack of artistic style, this is just a quick sketch on what I saw. It appears somepony, probably a pegasi, went up there and carved the eyes for reasons unknown to any of us.
It was a simple carving, almost childish in its structure, yet they had a power of their own on me. Again, probably the darkness getting to me, but I saw it had an effect on Applejack and Dash too. I saw Rainbow Dash flying lazily in the air as her eyes were fixed upon the symbol, and Applejack emulating her stare on the ground.
If anyone were to come and see us during that time, they would’ve thought us loons. But we’re not crazy, we’re just curious.
Curiosity... Cat...
I wish we brought some sort of camera, but I guess it doesn’t matter; the sketch will have to do for now. What made us move from our spots was a soft growling from behind us, in which we made ourselves scarce and left the scene.
As we left, I gave one last glance at the wall and let those eyes burn into my memory.
When I think of it now, I think I was somewhat crazy; my friends included in that.However, I still think that it is somewhat interesting to know that someone else was down here.
However, it brings a chill down my spine. There’s a nagging question on that subject that keeps hitting me like a lead ball; did that pony ever get out here?
I keep telling myself that the answer is yes, but I’m not sure. Why would anypony just draw like that? why?
Maybe I just have an overactive imagination today, I don’t know. It doesn’t matter, after tomorrow we’ll be heading home.
We have now set up camp, and I think I should head to sleep. I can hear Applejack and Rainbow Dash are snoring, yet I know they’re getting restless themselves....
Day 3
This was the greatest day we’ve have had down here. This day has completely wiped any anxiety from us and has made us somewhat glow. I actually wish I brought Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie down here. All well, I will tell them later.
Do you remember the dog Cerberus I mention before, reader? Well, we found him again! We were walking blindly for a few hours when we bumped into him. Literally, we bumped right into him! At first he was asleep, but I believe our multiple bumps on him made him wake up. He stood up slowly and turned his three heads to us. At first we were scared. This was, after all, the guardian of Tartarus. However, this all changed when Cerberus bent his three heads down and sniffed us.
When he sniffed us, he remembered fluttershy, my friends, and myself. He started to bounce around like a little puppy, and I could hear Dash and Applejack start to laugh behind me. He looked like he wanted to play fetch, so I took a rock with some of my magic and threw it in front of myself. He quickly ran to get it and soon returned with it inside his middle head. The other two heads were panting hard and I couldn’t help but laugh along with Dash and Applejack. He dropped the rock and fell on his back, in which we went forward and pet his stomach.
Rainbow Dash said that if this was guardian of Tartarus, then the prisoners would be push-overs. Just then, we heard tiny barking and saw that there was a little cave entrance right next to Cerberus. In one moments, a myriad of cerberus puppies came out and started to jump on us.
I was completely shocked, Cerberus had puppies?! I didn’t know what to think of it, except that it was just completely amazing. I heard another barking sound from the cave and it was a lot deeper than the ones from the puppies. I turned to see another cerberus come out of the cave. The puppies looked up with drooling faces and quickly ran inside the cave.
This cerberus must’ve been his mate.
Cerberus himself looked up and seemed to nod to her and gave us each a big lick before running into the cave himself. It might’ve been some illusion, but I could’ve sworn she shook her heads before returning the cave herself. Maybe it was just the utter hilarity of the moment that me think that; who knows....
After that, we walked a little bit and decided to set up camp. We talked about the experience a little bit, but we couldn’t talk too much because we kept having fits of laughter after we talked. Truly, it was a light in the darkness that made us feel strong once again.
I suppose I should a status check in this journal before we start eating some of our rations. Food supplies is extremely well. We have enough food to last us for around five more days. All supplies are in check, and everything is still organized. The growling has ceased for a time, which has calm all our nerves for now. We have talked about on what we’ll do when we get back to Ponyville.
Applejack said she will tell Applebloom and the rest of the family the little adventure down here with some added “twists” of her own. Rainbow Dash said she might take another trip down with some other pegasi. I told them I will be compiling the stuff we’ve seen so far in this journal and other stuff I haven’t written down on here. I will be sure to tell Fluttershy and the others of the Cerberus experiences. I am sure they will love that, and I will make to add personal note or two in the published version of this writing.
Applejack has told us that soup is on, so I’ll end this entry here and continue tomorrow. I can smell that she has made some soup for us all on the campfire, and it is driving my stomach crazy! I will be sure to write tomorrow morning (or what we assume will be morning).
Goodnight.
Night of Day 4
I couldn’t sleep.
I think I had a nightmare, but I can’t rememb[er it] all. I only remmember [sic.] growling. Terrified growling, defensive growling; Cerberus's cry for help. Yes, it was Cerberus crying for help. Not just Cerberus’s, but also the cry of the puppies and his mate....
That’s the only thing I remember, yet it scares to me no end for some reason. Maybe it’s the notion that a beast from Tartarus was scared in it. For some reason, it’s more terrifying to think a beast is frightened rather than the opposite. It makes one wonder what made it scared.
I don’t know[;] I don’t want to know. It was just a dream, but from what I remember it seemed so vivid.
I am waking everypony up; We’re getting out of here tonight. If we have chance, I want [to] check on Cerberus. I feel something watching me, but I think it’s just me.
ENOUGH! I’m leaving this here and waking everypony up!
Day 4
We haven’t left the campsite yet, but we’re getting everything packed. I am writing now to jot down a quick note about Applejack and Rainbow Dash.
They both had nightmares.
It may not seem astonishing, but these two ponies are one of the strongest ponies in Ponyville that I know. It has shaken me, but I think their dreams should be noted here.
Both of them had two different dreams that seem eerily connected to one another. Applejack’s dream involved a dark room with nothing but herself and a table. Applejack remembers she went to the table in a daze of sorts. She remembers that she places her hooves on the table and just looks at the table’s surface. On the surface, there’s a single eye carved into the wood. This was when I woke her up and her nightmare ends.
Rainbow Dash then tells me of her dream. She is the same room, except there is no table. Instead, there is words etched into the walls that all say “it is...” and nothing more. She remembers that the handwriting on each “it is...” was different. Some were delicate, as if artistically crafted, and some seemed to be scratched into the walls.
In both of their dreams, there is the sound of terrified growling.
We have all agreed completely that we should leave Tartarus, and when we get out we should warn everyone to never enter it. We were expecting plethoras of monsters, yet we have been the only souls besides Cerberus and his pups since we entered here. Where [are] the beasts? Are they hiding, or something else?
I now know....
Is this why Celestia closed this place off, was this the reason why Cerberus left his family behind? Is there something down that no one knows about, something so dark that it hides itself in night?
Perhaps, but we’re not staying here to find out. Everything is packed, and we’re leaving now[!]
…
We found something, a scrap of paper. Somepony has been down here. The piece of paper had an excerpt of poem on it, and was written by a pony who couldn’t hold his pen straight.
The paper read this:
The eyes are not here
there are no eyes here
in this valley of dying stars
in this hollow valley.
I picked up the scrap of paper and turned it around. There was one final sentence on the pack.
It read:
Where the valley is, so too the cave of eyes
it is...
This is distressing. I quickly place the piece of paper into one of our bags. Maybe somepony can tell us who wrote that when we get back.
I think I’m going to cut this entry short. I feel a little quea[sy....]
…
One in Two
Two in Three
Three in Four
Can four be in Two
in duality?
It is... strange.
…
Ok[...] I need to do a status [check]. I need to keep the schedule[.] I need to keep a clear head, and nothing more.
Ok, here it goes.
I saw something move past us. It didn’t have any form. It was just a big blob of darkness. It quickly moved past the light from my horn and dissapeared. [sic.]
But it was there. Applejack and Rainbow Dash saw it and I can see it in their eyes. They stood frozen; their strength completely gone. Only when I started to move did they move behind me.
We have set up camp in an unknown area. I don’t where we are now, and we still haven’t found the entrance yet. We lost a bag of food because Applejack lost her footing and almost fell down a cliff. We caught her, but the bag couldn’t be saved. We looked down to see how far down the cliff was. I placed as much light as I could in my horn, but we still could only see about a few hundred feet down.
Rainbow Dash, in her bravery, has decided to fly down and see if she can retrieve the bag. We tried to stop her, but she was stubborn. She flew down, and that’s when Applejack and I made camp.
It has been an hour or so, and Dash is still not back yet. I hope she gets back soon. We have to get out of here. This place isn’t just a prison. This is a place of evil[!]
Night of Day 5
I can’t sleep. I keep having nightmares now. I keep seeing that unknown creature popping up where I am in my dreams, and if it’s not that it is...[sic.] something else. I see eyes sometimes, and they look a[t] me with never ending stares. I see Rainbow Dash also, and she is alone in darkness.
Celestia, what type of place is this? What has happened here? I thought this place was just a prison, not a place of utter insanity. In fact, where are the prisons? We’ve been walking through this place, and it has been nothing but forlorn caves! Did Discord make this place on purpose? Did he leave a bit of chaos and insanity for all times? Was this the reason why Celestia and Luna sealed this place?
I don’t know; I don’t want to know....
However, I wish to know one thing: will we get out of here? I pray to Celestia that the answer is yes, but it’s like the answer with the eye carving; I don’t know.... Applejack is waking up herself. I’m going to stop writing now.
…
Applejack and I have talked some. It has been hours since Rainbow Dash left, and we can’t stay in one spot for too long. We have agreed that we have to leave now. We are being watched; I know it.
Applejack had another nightmare, but this one she remembers fully. She told me about it before we decided to leave. She said that she was in a valley. The sky had no light in it, and the valley was a decaying rot of grass. She remembers she could smell the putrid odor as she walked on through the valley. She remembers that there was a figure out in the dist[ance]. As she drew closer, she saw that the figure was Rainbow Dash with her back turned to her. She quickly galloped up to her and place a hoof on her shoulder.
She remembers that Rainbow Dash turned around and her heart stopped when she looked into Dash’s eyes. Her eyes were dark and had white writing on them. She remembers that the writing said “taken” on the left eye and the other eye read “you next”. This was when she woke up.
These dreams aren’t of random consequence. Something down here is getting into our minds. Whatever it is, it is doing a fine job on doing its job. Rainbow Dash is gone. I don’t want to admit this but it is the truth.... I am also worried for Cerberus, his pups, and his mate. They are strong, but this beast seems to be stronger. Perhaps this was the reason why Cerberus fled without his family. It is just a hypothesis, but it’s slowly gaining proof. Dear Celestia, why did my curiosity bring us here?
Everything is now packed and we’re all set. Applejack told me a second ago that she wants to leave and get back to her family. I told her that I would get her back, and we will find Rainbow Dash.
For some reason, I feel like I have lied to her....
Day 5
Note: This is where the writing becomes increasingly difficult to transcribe. The handwriting becomes frantic and fragments are placed everywhere.
We’[ve] been going around in [circles]. We have been walking for hours and we are backed where first set up camp. I am writin[g] as we walk. Its [sic.] difficult to do write [sic.] and keep the light going, but I mu[st] account for everything.
Appplejack [sic.] keeps mumbling to herself, saying it’s all her fault. I want to agree with her, but that is ru[de]. I am the element of magic; I can’t be mean. I joined us, I can’t divide us.
As w[e] walk, I can see eyes in [my] periphera[l] vision. They mock us, they mock us.
Or were they to warn of what was to come?
I think we’re becoming insane. However, I must account for all. I need to keep writing.
Promise... kept.
We have turned a bend and are now back where Cerberus was. The key word is was, because he’s not th[ere] anymore. All that[‘s] left are bloody footprints. I’m walking now to the s[cene.] I[‘m] scared. The blood is everywhere. Little puppy paw prints. Great adult paw prints. All bloody paw prints mixed with death. I I I I I I I I I [etc.] what happened? Damn it, what happ[ened] here?
Applejack is crying. The toughest pony in all of Equestria is crying.
I’m crying too.
Our cries echo in the cave. I cry as I writeeee and and and.
WHY CELESTIA WHY!!!??!?!?!?!?!
DAMN IT ALL! DAMN THE WORLD. DAMN THE BEAST. DAMN THE EYES. it is... DAMNED!!! ALL DAMNED!
I can’t writ[e] anymore. I[‘m] going to hug Applejack. This is not right. Nopony should ever see this...[.]
Date Unknown
Note: This is probably the next day, but this cannot be determined. Text becomes almost unreadable beyond this point and has taken some time to transcribe. Some parts of the text had to be rewritten altogether.
[She’s gone. I’m all that is left.] She was still crying when she fell. I could hear her weep as we walked and the cliff came. She didn’t stop. [She didn’t stop] Oh Celestia, She just wanted to die!
[I’m all that is left]
The only way I can cope is when I write. I must write, they can’t die in vain.
Damn the eyes.
I shall write to remember. This [damn journal is not for recording knowledge anymore. It is a memoir and a “in memoriam”.]
I feel something behind me. It is... them.
I can’t breath.
Date Unknown
Celestia, I saw you. I saw you holding me, comforting me. I was a filly again. My parents were also there. We laughed and played. We laughed and played.
Cerberus was also there. The pups played with Spike, who had just hatched.
Fluttershy, I saw you too. You were feeding the animals in glorious day time. Pinkie Pie, you were also there. You started a party like always and you laughed and sparkled like the Light [sic.] you are. Same for you Rarity, you were as beautiful as can be.
Then I woke up and realized I was back in Tartarus.
The eyes tricked my eyes again. This has been going on for some time.
Or for a few minutes, I can’t tell....
What I wrote there was from me sleeping. I wrote that while sleep[ing]. I wish I could go back to sleep, but the eyes won’t allow me to do so.
I am writing again, I remembered that I kept a promise to write. The eyes control, but they control not my magic. This is my only freedom[:] my element of magic.
Perhaps I can cast a sleeping spell on myself....
Date Unknown
DAMN MY CURIOSITY! IT WORKED BUT NOT THE WAY I WANTED!
I didn’t see light this time, I saw only despair.
I saw hell. sklskllskjlkkjdskjlsdkjllskdk
It was hell. I remember it clearly. I was in a dead forest, and all the flora and fauna was dead. Everything smelled like decay, even the rocks. I could also smell smoke and the sky was clouded with gray clouds and black smoke. I remember seeing Rainbow Dash and Applejack, hanging in a tree; D E A D A S D E A T H. Their eyes were black and had writing on them.
When reading from left to right, they read:
“It is the final death in death’s dream kingdom....”
I also saw the corpses of Cerberus and his pups. Blood matted their fur and I could smell their decaying flesh. I turned my head to the sky and saw a dark light penetrate the clouds. The clouds broke away and I saw that the sun was nothing but a big eyeball. It blinked once and everything was dark for a moment.
Pictures started to flash by inn [sic.] that night. I draw them as a child would draw death. I must draw them, to remember.
I sleep in night... That is all.
I need to stop writing, I can’t think straight....
Date Unknown
I cry. I weep. Will I ever see light again? It is...[sic.] tragic. I can’t remember the glowing stars, I can’t remember the sunshine, I can’t remember the light of friendship or companionship. All I remember is Tartarus, the place of the damned. I remember only night, I remember only death. Is this what it is like in death’s other kingdom? Have the eyes guided me here to stay for eternity? I don’t know....
I am running out of ink and supplies. I don’t know what will come next now.
Date Unknown
Darkness, it’s all I see dj[sic.]
I feel I’m not in Tartarus anymore. I’m in the valley of death. Hoofs over broken glass. Rats everywhere.
Can they see light, the rats[?]
No, they are as blind as I am now. We walk together, the eyes staring at us. They watch the movements ever steadily.
Every turn I go, I go to some place unknown. I[‘m] walking through a cave now. There are carvings of eyes everywhere I look. They stare forever more. Amen.
I write as I walk. The promise must be kept. I shall die, but not these words. I must find light through my blindness. These words must see light!
Date Unknown
I had a light dream today. The first one after several days or maybe even weeks. Everyone I knew was in that dream. Even Applejack and Rainbow Dash were there, fully alive. We were all having a party at Pinkie Pie's place and the light of the sun was everywhere. I ate many of Pinkie Pie's cupcakes and they were delicious. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were arm wrestling, in which Spike coached. I was talking to Celestia, telling her how much I missed her.
After that, the dream ended....
That is it, that will be my final light dream. I know it, the eyes tell me so. I shall only have nightmares and live in torment.
I asked the eyes why they do this, and they tell me they are the true guardians and makers of Tartarus. They say they were around before Discord. They say they delight in night. They say many things on that question.
I don't want to move anymore, adn [sic.] I don't want to keep my promises. They [sic.] eyes agree with this; they tell me to submit.
no...
no.
NO!!!!!!!!
DAMN YOU ALL. NO! GO AWAY DEMON! GO AWAY! NO!
I'm running as I write. I'[ve] left all of my things save fo[r] this jorunal [sic] and the ink.
I still have one more thing to write later, but not now.
Date Unknown
I see the entrance. The light is almost of blinding, but I can see it. I want to jump for joy at the sight, but then I realize something.
I can’t go outside.
No, I am too tainted by this place to go outside. I must stay here forever. I shall die here, but not my legacy. I can feel a million eyes looking at me now as my own eyes turn to the light. I turn my eyes back to this journal, seeing that I wrote that sentence as I looked away from the page. It came from my mind. Yes, I know what I must do.
This journal hasn’t been tainted yet, it still can go up. Let these final words be a warning to anypony who finds these pages. Never enter this place. If you can, find a way to destroy this place. Let it be gone from the Earth, don’t let it stay alive any longer.
Celestia, if you ever find this please be sure to tell my friends what happened to Applejack, Rainbowdash, and myself.
End of the journal
Epilogue
I knew I should've done more than place Cerberus in there. I knew he wouldn't be able to handle the darkness which Twilight fought valiantly to try and overcome. I just didn't want to believe it though. I just thought that a gate would suffice, and nothing more.
However, this is completely wrong.
In a few months, I am leading an expedition down into Tartarus to fight the evil. Afterwards, we're blowing the place up. Not one rock will be left untouched. Twilight's friends wish to come with me, but I am not going to allow them to share the fate of Twilight. I will, however, be sure to give them all the revenge they will want.
There shall be no more eyes, I promise that.
