UNDERWORLD

Chapters

A Whole New...Evil...World
Information
The Test of Fate

A Whole New...Evil...World

Underworld

Chapter 1

“Life: the animate existence or period of animate existence of an individual.”

How often do you really think about that word? Yeah, I know, you’re probably all saying “I think about my life all the time. I see that I’m on the right path and my life looks awesome”. But that’s not what you should be thinking about.

You should be thinking about how you make each moment count, and how to have the best life for as long as possible. Because one day, it’ll be gone, and you won’t be able to get it back.

And of all the ponies out there…I should know.

************

Pain, nothing but horrible, agonizing pain! My limbs felt like they were on fire, my organs felt like they were exploding, my skin felt like it was melting, and my brain felt like it was being fried.

At least that’s what I remember…sort of remember. Nothing really seemed right, nothing seemed to make sense. Blackness was all around me, with nothing in sight as far as my eyes could see. There was no breeze, and no noise, like I was in some dark library.

But I couldn’t even feel anything either. This could be levitation, since you don’t normally feel anything when you levitate yourself.

Levitation spells were something I knew very well. I’ve had lots of practice, using them many times in my youth to keep my things out of my little brother’s hooves. But casting a spell required using magic, and I couldn’t see the bright blue glow of my horn.

In fact, I couldn’t see my horn at all! Trying to look around, I couldn’t see any part of my body. Not my hooves, not my flank, which meant no Cutie-Mark either. This didn’t make any sense, none of this did.

Wait, that’s it, if this didn’t make any sense, then it must be a dream.

It was the only logical conclusion, seeing as all the others lead to things that were too ridiculous. Like being inside some sort of weird scientific experiment, or being blind; since even if I was blind, I would still be able to feel things.

But this was one very weird dream indeed. Normally dreams are like you jumping over a gorge with an explosion behind you and a mare on your back. Or sometimes it was you running from a pony in a weird mask that was covered in blood. But this was just…strange. Nothing but darkness, and a small light in front of me…wait, a small light?

I looked forward, I think, as hard as I could. There was indeed a small light in front of me. It hovered in place, with a yellow glow like Celestia’s bright sun. But as I continued to stare at it, I noticed something.

It was growing, or coming towards me, very quickly. The brightness increased, but I couldn’t feel any heat. Granted, I couldn’t feel anything at all, but at this point I had expected to feel SOMETHING!

But as the light grew intensely, it became harder to look at. Squinting my eyes (what I thought were my eyes) didn’t help either; only by closing them did I find any relief. It was like I was looking directly into Celestia’s sun, but twice as bright.

And even with my eyes closed, I could sense the light growing, and getting closer. I was now actually starting to get scared, I wanted to wake up. But the thing was; I didn’t know how to! All I could do was wait for the light to consume me; maybe then I would snap myself awake.

The light was now so intense that I could tell, even with my eyes closed, that it was surrounding me. Finally I would be out of this weird dream, and back to normal everyday life. “Hopefully next time I won’t have a stupid dream” I said; ready to get back to reality.

Could anypony be SO wrong?

************

Naturally, my eyes snapped open a few seconds later, and I expected to find myself lying comfortably in a bed, with Luna’s moon shining brightly over the night outside the window. But that’s not what met my eyes.

Instead, I found myself lying on the ground in a clearing. I couldn’t feel any grass, so it seemed like I was lying on hard dirt. Trees surrounded the clearing, rising up from the dirt like roots climbing up an old abandoned building. The trunks bulged and twisted in certain places, and spread out at the top to form many branches. But they were bleak and barren; not a single leaf was visible.

The area was also dark, but lit just enough that I was still able to see everything clearly. It also felt strange too, but not in a bad way. The dirt had a soft feel to it, like it does after a light sprinkle. It didn’t feel wet, and not dry either. It wasn’t hard and brittle like when it was dry, and it wasn’t mushy and unstable like when it was wet. Maybe it was beca…wait, I could FEEL the dirt. This meant that…I must have my body back!

Looking down to where I thought my hooves were, I found myself staring at a pair of dark red legs lying motionless on the ground. But wait, this didn’t make any sense. I’m a BLUE unicorn, not a red one.

Fallowing the legs, I was soon looking at a dark red body as well. A medium sized black tail protruded out from my red flank, which was also strange since I had a brown mane. But that wasn’t the most surprising part. No, the most surprising part was the Cutie-Mark…it wasn’t there.

Yep, there was not a cutie-mark plastered on the dark red flank. How could I, I mean, this body, not have a cutie-mark? Everyone has figured out their special talent by at least their sixteenth birthday, and I knew I this body was older than that.

Oh, that’s right, I’m in another body! Who knows what type of pony I was now!

After looking back over my body again, I noted the lack of wings, and crossed Pegasus off the list. So I was either a Unicorn or an Earth Pony. Testing to see if I could, I moved my leg off the ground and gave it a good shake.

“Well at least I can move and feel everything now” I said, giving my hoof one last shake. Confirming that I now had normal body controls, I brought my hoof up to my head.

Almost immediately, I felt something hard poking out from my forehead. I let out a big sigh of relief “Great, I’m still a Unicorn. But I still don’t know where I am” I said, bring my hoof back down to the dirt. I could tell I was in a forest, seeing as the trees continued past the ones around the clearing. But what forest would have this dark a feeling to it?

Wait, of course, only one forest in Equestria did: The Everfree Forest! Now it all made sense; the weird trees, the dark atmosphere; the Everfree Forest has both of these. And now that I knew where I was, it was time to get going.

Slowly, I took my front hooves and planted them firmly on the ground. Then, using all the strength I could, I pushed up. I expected it to be hard, since normally my muscles are weak for half an hour after I wake up from sleeping…at least that’s what I remember. So how come it didn’t feel right.

But surprisingly it wasn’t that hard. I lifted off the ground pretty easily, and was soon in a sitting position. Why was this not making any sense. Every time I remember something, it feels wrong, or like it’s rejecting me.

“Well, if it wasn’t that hard, then I’d better get up and get going” I said, still getting my mind around this whole thing.

After making sure my muscles felt fine, I raised my flank off the ground, so I was now finally standing.

“Okay, no time to screw around, I have to get out of here. Now, if I remember correctly, Ponyville is Northeast of the Everfree Forest, so I guess that’s where I should go” I said, thinking about what I knew about the typography of Equestria. Now all I had to do was figure out which way was northeast. Thankfully, I knew a very good compass spell.

Keeping my mind clear and calm, I concentrated on using the spell. And not a second later, my horn started to glow. Gee, it felt strange seeing a red glowing horn instead of a blue one. But the spell worked, and soon I had a see-through compass floating in front of me. It spun around for a few moments, before pointing towards my left.

“So if that was is North, then that means I’d better go this way” I said, stepping towards the right of the arrow, which would take me Northwest.

Cutting the spell off, I began to walk towards the trees around the clearing. “Time to get back to civilization” I said as I got closer. And once I passed through the first trees, there was nothing else but them and me until I got to Ponyville.

************

But after what seemed like hours, I still hadn’t reach Ponyville. My muscles were aching and I was out of breath. No matter how much I walked, I kept seeing nothing but leaf-less trees ahead of me.

“I must be further from Ponyville than I thought. But it shouldn’t be too much farther, unless I was on the other side of the forest, and I’m walking all the way across it” I said, the possibility popping into my mind. If that was true, then I’d probably have to find a place to sleep for the night. But that meant I’d have to find someplace secure, so that Timberwolves, Ursa Majors, and Parasprites don’t get to me.

Speaking of those creatures; I hadn’t seen one since I started walking. Not one single creature could be seen the whole time I was here. This was getting even stranger; the Everfree Forest was supposed to be full of dangerous creatures. And if I haven’t seen one yet, then something must be up.

But I shouldn’t have thought that, because then I heard a shuffling noise to my right. I quickly turned and looked around. I couldn’t see anything in the dark beyond, but I could sense something.

“Hello, uh, is anyone there. I’m kinda lost, so I was hoping I could get some directions to Ponyville. I need to get there before dark” I said, continuing to look around. But nothing moved, and I couldn’t hear anything. I sighed “Looks like it was just my imagination” I said, and turned so I was once again facing Northeast.

But then I heard the rustling sound again, this time to my left. I looked over, and still saw nothing. This gave me a bad feeling, and I didn’t want to stand around when it got bad. So I started walking forward once again, making sure to keep my eyes open for anything that might jump out at me.

However, as I started walking, I heard the rustling again, but it sounded closer. “Okay, better kick it up a notch” I said, and began trotting a little faster. But still the rustling could be heard, and I could tell whatever was making that noise was fallowing me. “Right, time to start running” I said, and broke into a full gallop.

I dodge through trees as I ran from the approaching predator, which still hadn’t showed its face. Normally if a creature saw its prey running, it would give up on hiding and run full fledge after it. But this creature still stayed hidden, but kept a steady pace with me. I could hear the rustling even better now, and also the sound of paws hitting the Earth.

However, as I looked ahead, I saw the light protruding from behind some trees up ahead. At once my spirits kicked up, because light meant the end of the Everfree forest. “Ponyville should be just up ahead, and I can find some help” I said as I galloped even faster towards the light. And when I reached the trees, I surged past them, ready to see Ponyville, my sign of security.

************

But as I cleared the trees, the sight of Ponyville didn’t meet my eyes. Instead, I found myself running towards a cliff.

“What” I screamed, and planted my hooves in the dirt, trying to stop myself. The momentum I had generated kept me going, and my hooves were barley slowing me down. But I soon came to a rest two feet from the cliff, with a fresh pile of dirt at my hooves.

I took a second to compose myself, then stood up and gathered my surroundings. It looked very similar to the clearing I had woken up in, with trees lining the outside, and the dirt being a darkish grey color. But the difference was half the clearing was gone, and the other side was nothing but a gorge. I looked down, and saw a deep fog forming close to the top, shielding the bottom from view.

“Okay, so I’m trapped. I can’t go back unless I want to be meat for a deadly creature, and I don’t have wings, so crossing the gorge isn’t an option. Wait a minute, maybe I can teleport” I said, remembering I had quit a few classes on teleportation while at school. So I concentrated hard, and tried to picture the location I wanted to go: Ponyville. My horn glowed red, and I felt myself lift off the ground slightly. This was going well; I was going to get out of here.

Suddenly, I felt the magic leave my horn and I plopped down onto the ground. “Wait what; I thought I was teleporting out of here. I did everything I have to do, so why won’t you work” I asked, poking my horn a few times. But I didn’t have time to worry about that.

The rustling noise filled my ears once again, and it was close. Looking forward, I saw a few of the nearby bushes move slightly. Unless there was some wind I couldn’t feel, something was making them move.

And just a second later, a pair of dark yellow eyes appeared near the trunk of a tree. They were locked on me, and seemed to be staring right into my soul. But they weren’t the only things that were coming into view.

A paw with three sharp claws came out of the shadows, soon followed by other one. They were both dark black, meaning the rest of this creature was as well. No wonder I couldn’t see it while in the dark of the forest.

Then a nose came out, and a head soon emerged as well. Now that I could see the beast, I could figure out what I was up against.

It looked almost like a wolf, except of course it was black, and MUCH larger. It was easily double the size of me, and its teeth looked like they belonged in the mouth of a shark. A light stream of drool fell from its jaw.

It snarled at me as it drew closer, getting into a pouncing position as it did. And me, well, I was paralyzed with fear. I couldn’t move any of my muscles; all I could do was watch as this creature got closer and closer to me. I didn’t know any spells that could help me, so even my magic was worthless.

So this would be it, this would be where I died. At the paws of a creature from the Everfree forest. I guess this means that no one will ever find my body, seeing as this beast will eat all my flesh and chew on my bones for desert. Gee, what a GREAT way to go out!

Just then, the creature snarled again, and pushing off with its hind legs, jumped towards me with its mouth open. I couldn’t even close my eyes, I had to watch this thing jump on me and start tearing at my flesh. It was all over.

The beast was just inches from my head, ready to bite when…BAM, something smashed into its side. It howled with pain as it rolled over itself again and again. The thing that had hit it jumped off, and landed with a thud a few feet from where I was standing.

The whole thing had happened so fast that I barely had time to register it. It was like a lightning flash, happening one second and being gone the next. Whoever this was, they had gotten here just in the nick of time.

But a slight blow to the gut wasn’t going to detour the wolf like beast. Jumping onto its feet, the creature stared at its attacker with the same stare it had given me, but this time it looked personal. Now it wasn’t about getting a meal, it was about getting revenge.

I looked over at the figure that had attacked the beast. From the hooves that were visible beneath the cloak he was wearing, I could tell it was a pony. His face and nose were also sticking out from the black hood he was wearing. But beside his hooves, mouth, and nose, no part of him was visible.

“Stay Back, I’ll handle this” said the figure, with a small smile forming on his visible face. But the voice didn’t sound like what I expected, it was a little higher. Maybe he had some voice problems, but that didn’t seem unlikely.

Slowly the beast started walking towards him, its teeth showing as it snarled at its attacker. His eyes were still narrowed, no doubt scanning for anything that could give him an advantage.

But the hooded figure continued to stand there, as if he didn’t even notice the creature walking towards him. He was no longer smiling, but instead was frowning, with his hood pointing in the direction of the beast.

But then, the creature crouched its hind legs and jumped at the figure. And like with me, it had its mouth open, showing two rows of razor sharp teeth.

The hooded figure, surprisingly, jumped at the beast, front legs straight out. Then he pulled one back, and brought up right under the beast’s chin. With a deafening crunch, its head flew up, with its jaws slammed shut. The beast staggered backward, whimpering like a poor dog in pain.

But the hooded pony had just touched the ground when he ran towards the creature and rammed it in the side again. The beast howled with pain as it was flung to the side, and the figure jumped back once again.

This was incredible; he was holding his own against a creature that was much bigger than him. Not only was he strong, but nimble as well. Every move he made caused the beast more and more harm. And when it tried to bite back, he would quickly get out of the way. He knew how to defend himself.

The creature stood up once again, but it wasn’t as energetic as before. It breathed long and slowly, with blood dripping from its jaw. It was also leaning slightly, most likely from when he was nailed in the side.

“Still standing hu, well, I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this” said the hooded pony. He dipped his head into his robe, and after a second of fishing around, pulled out what looked like the sword handle. Okay, now I was confused.

“How are you going to do anything with that” I asked, now starting to question this pony’s style. It seemed more logical to just keep kicking and hitting the thing than use the most Non-lethal part of a sword.

The pony smiled again, and let out a slight chuckle. “You don’t know anything” he said, still with a slightly higher voice, which was muffled slightly since the handle was in his mouth.

Turning to the wounded creature, he bit down slightly on the handle. In a flash, a gleaming sword had come out of the handle. Even though no sun was visible, it still shown like a fresh silver bit. “Never judge a book by its cover” said the hooded pony.

Then he spoke to the beast he had been fighting. “As much as I love kicking your flank, I need to finish you off or I’ll be here all day. So, I’ll make this as quick as I can” he said, raising his sword “so try not to struggle”. And in an instant, he was charging at the beast with his head held low and his sword pointing out.

And no matter how out of breath the creature was, it wasn’t enough to keep it from charging towards the hooded pony. Blood flew over the ground as his jaw continued to bleed, and his running was slightly slower thanks to the blow to his side. But his form hadn’t changed; he was still in a slightly hunched position, and his head was low, so he continued to stare eye to eye with his opponent.

The hood on the pony flapped like a flag in a storm as his running increased. Even though I couldn’t see his eyes, I could tell they were concentrating on his target. The two were now only a few feet apart, and one was going to have to win.

But what happened next proved that this pony wasn’t somepony to mess with.

Just as the two were about to hit, the beast once again jumped. It seemed like it was trying to get closer so the figure didn’t have time to hit.

“Wrong move” said the pony, and he raised his head, and with all his might, thrust the sword into the beast’s chest. It howled with pain as the blade continued to inch its way into its body. Blood was now pouring from the wound, turning every part of the body it touched slightly red.

But just puncturing the beast wasn’t good enough. Pushing even harder, the figure thrust the blade even farther, until, with a deep ripping noise, it’s sharp top came out the other side. It too was drenched in blood, which ran off it like water down a river.

The legs of the beast fell slightly as all its strength began to drain. Its mouth had closed shut, and its eyes were beginning to do the same.

“Now to dump the body” said the hooded pony. Lifting up his front legs, he placed them on the chest of the beast. As they began to turn red from the blood, the pony looked directly into its nearly closed eyes. “Bye Bye” he said, smiling like an evil villain.

And pulling his head (along with the sword) back, he pushed the body away. The blade slid back through, drawing blood along its hilt. The beast remained silent, even in this stage of pain. All its nerves had all about shut down by now; not being able to feel anything. The whole sight was downright disturbing.

Soon the blade completely left the body, freshly coated in dark red blood. The creature stood on its hind legs for a minute, as if it was being suspended by invisible strings. But it soon began to fall back, towards the ravine that was behind it. The hooded figure walked up to the edge. “Oh, I’m going to love hearing it hit the bottom” he said, with much glee in his voice.

But that creature wasn’t going to die without one final swing at its killer. As its body fell towards the gorge, it stretched its neck, opened its bloody mouth wide, and snapped down on the figure’s cloak. As its body continued to fall, it pulled the figures cloak down with it.

“Nice Try” said the figure, with more glee in his voice than before. He grabbed the string around the cloak in his mouth, and pulled. The string became undone, and the cloak flew off. The beast fell down into the gorge, with the cloak clutched in its teeth. A few seconds later, a large thud was heard.

************

The whole scene that had just happened seemed almost too unreal. A monster had chased after me, a hooded figure had jumped in the way, and then the figure went and killed the thing.

But what surprised me the most was what I was seeing right now. The cloak was gone, and the figure was now in full view. He was a dark green color, with a brown mane. His cutie mark was a skull with a knife through the top. Now I was starting to think my savior wasn’t a hero at all, but some kind of deranged psychotic killer. But a hero wasn’t the only thing the figure wasn’t.

His mane was a lot longer than most stallions I’ve seen, who keep theirs relatively short. Some exceptions were those teenagers who call themselves hip and are usually in Rock Bands. But this pony didn’t have that kind of feel. The mane fell back down his neck, all the way to his body. It had one to three streaks of red in it as well. The mane was also shiny, and was well combed, even after the rough treatment it had been put through. So, if this wasn’t a stallion, then it had to be…

“Wow, that was a satisfying thud” said the pony, looking down into the misty gorge. Then, the pony turned its head towards me. And I can say I was surprised by what I saw.

“You…you’re…you’re a…A MARE” I said, putting a little more emphasis on the last two words. But this was something I didn’t expect in the slightest. No mare I had ever met had fighting skills like that.

The mare bit down on her sword handle again, and it shot back into place. Putting it in the saddle bag I hadn’t noticed, she then turned her head towards me. She looked at me like she was inspecting a strange animal. “Yeah, I’m a mare. Is that a problem” she asked.

It took me a minute to get my mind up and running again. “Well, uh, it’s just that” I said, trying to find the right words. Insulting a mare that could kill a large beast wasn’t the best thing to do.

“Just what” she asked, moving a little closer to me. A slight hint of anger held in her voice. Her eyes were also beginning to squint.

“Um, it’s just that I’ve never seen a mare fight like that before. Most mares I know like to cook, make dresses, plant flowers, and other stuff like that” I said, trying to sound as non-insulting as possible. But I had the feeling that I wasn’t doing a good job.

The mare was now only a few inches from my face, and her expression had changed. Now she was glaring at me, with her eyes now in full squint, and a defining frown had replaced her blank look. I could also smell a slight hint of Roses emitting from her as well.

“Oh, I’m sorry if I’m not what you expected me to be. I mean, it’s not like I just saved your life or anything. No, I should just start making dresses and picking flowers so your life will be better. Well guess what, I’m not like other mares, and you would be good to remember that” she said, now just half and inch from my face.

Now she was starting to really scare me; now I was afraid she was going to kill me. If I wanted to live, I would have to do something to make her forgive me, and fast.

“Ye…yes, I’m so sorry mam, I didn’t want you to interpret it that way. I think it’s amazing that you can do everything a stallion can. I like that you’re not like other mares. Really I do, so please don’t hurt me” I said, closing my eyes and bringing my leg up to shield me from any blows that were to come.

But no blows came, not even a slap. Instead, I found myself hearing something: Laughing. I opened my eyes and brought my leg down.

The mare in front of me was sitting on her hunches, with a hoof trying to cover her mouth to stop the noise coming out of it. But it was no use, she was laughing too hard. Now was the time to start getting answers.

“What’s so funny” I asked, sitting on my hunches as well. The mare took a moment to stop herself, but when she did, she looked at me.

“Your reaction was just priceless. I’ve made stallions beg for mercy before, but yours was downright hilarious. ‘Please, don’t hurt me’” she said, with a mocking voice.

“Well, glad you found it funny. Now tell me, who are you, and how did you kill that beast” I asked, now starting to get annoyed by her behavior.

“My name, oh, well I was wondering when you were going to ask. My name’s Rosemary, and you better remember it” she said, pointing a hoof at me. “As to how I defeated that Niwole, it was a simple matter of using the same technique that I always use. I’ve dealt with these things before, and after you take down two or three, it becomes pretty easy” she said.

“Okay, Rosemary, I think I’ve had enough of all this craziness for one day” I said, standing back on four legs. “Now I was wondering if you know the way to Ponyville. I was heading there before that, uh, Niwole, came after me” I asked.

Rosemary looked confused, and tilted her head slightly to her right. “Ponyville, that’s not down here, it’s up there” she said, and pointed a hoof up towards the cloudy sky.

I looked up, confused as well. “Ponyville’s up in the sky, how can that be” I asked, looking back down at Rosemary.

“It’s not in the sky, it’s in Equestria. You know, in the land of the living” she said, standing up to be at eye level with me.

“What do you mean land of the living. Listen, I don’t have time to play silly games. Now can you please tell me how to get out of the Everfree forest so I can get to Ponyville” I asked, now getting more and more angry. How hard was it to say ‘It’s that way’ and get on with it.

“This isn’t the Everfree forest, and as I said, this isn’t Equestria. You’re a long way away from there” she said, then stepped closer to me. “Look, I don’t know who you are, and I’m sure I don’t need to. But if you want to get someplace relatively safe, you’ll fallow me” said Rosemary, and she began walking towards the edge of the clearing.

“And what happens if I don’t” I asked, continuing to stand in the same place. This had gone far enough, she wasn’t going to help me get to where I needed, so I had to stand up and take action.

Rosemary looked back at me, with her eyes half closed and her mouth frowning. “Then you can find your own way through. But tell me, if what I’m saying is true, were will you go? And more importantly, how will you find your way” she asked.

I thought for a moment on what to say. Figuring out my bearings was probably the best move. But since my compass spell had gotten me into this mess, it was out of the question.

I remember studying map charts when I was in High School, so I knew how to find my way using the stars, like sailors in the early years of Equestria.

“I’ll use the stars to guide me, I know how to read them. If I find the North Star, I can go North East to Ponyville, simple as that” I said, now smiling smugly.

But Rosemary started smiling to, which gave me a bad feeling. “Okay then Mr. Star Chart, go ahead and look at your stars. Once you find out where you’re going, I’ll head off” she said, then looked up at the sky. “And what do you know, the clouds are clearing” she said, still smiling.

Looking up, I was prepared to see the vast night sky. Stars places precisely in their right place, and Luna’s beautiful moon shining down on the dark world. Oh, if only that had been the case.

When I looked up, my eyes were met with the sight of what looked like the roof of a large cavern. Black and Red stone was all that could be seen above, stretching out as far as I could see.

My mouth fell open, and my mind went blank for a moment. It just wasn’t possible, it made no sense. We couldn’t be underground; the air supply seemed clean and clear. It didn’t have the normal dusty feel underground air has. Plus the atmosphere had a distinct open air feel to it. And how could clouds form underground, and move without the need of a Pegasus.

“What, but, how, why, when” I asked, my mind trying to put together what I was seeing right now.

“If you’re done staring at the ceiling over there, I think we should get going. We don’t want to be attacked by another Niwole” said Rosemary. She didn’t say it in a smug way, more like she was trying to get me to understand.

I turned to her, my face still showing signs of major confusion. If I was going to understand what was going on, I needed some answers. “You said we weren’t in Equestria, right” I asked, almost sounding out of breath.

“Yeah” said Rosemary.

“So if were not in Equestria, where are we” I asked. Finding out where I was, and why I was there, was the first thing on my very long list.

At this, Rosemary’s smug face came back, and she turned away from me. But it was with grace, like a dancer turning away from the crowd after a big performance. “Well it’s called many names: Sombra’s New Empire, Hell, The Afterlife, Nightmare Moon’s Nightmare, and The Dead Zone” she said. But then she looked back at me, still smiling smugly.

“But we call it…The Underworld”.

Information

Underworld

Chapter 2

If my mind was on overload before, it was pretty much exploding now.

Did she just say that we were in the Underworld? The place where evil, lost spirits go. The world where fire burns and eternal torment lay to all that fell down there.

And why was I here? As a foal I was taught to respect Celestia and help those who are needy so that I would rise up to an eternal happiness with the Princesses. My parents rambled on about wise words that the sisters have said, and I was told to give a prayer or two every day to show my respect.

But I was also told that spending your life doing sinful things will end in tragedy. My parents would say that to me every time I sneaked a cookie before dinner. And I can’t tell you how many times I thought about that whenever I stared at a girl’s flank in High School. But the moral was the same; Spend your life away from good, and you end up where Sombra, Discord, and Tirek spend their holidays.

After a good two minutes, my mind was beginning to turn again. Thoughts, as well as questions, began to pile up in my noggin, threatening to blow out my horn. Knowing I had to get to all of them meant that Rosemary was about to do a lot to talking. I still didn’t know if this was some big prank or not, but right now I had to play along.

Speaking of Rosemary, she hadn’t moved since she told me where I was. She had turned her head around, so she wasn’t looking at me. But she remained firmly rooted on the spot, and didn’t show any signs of moving. Only the stead rise and fall of her chest gave any indication that she was still conscious.

Now that she didn’t have her cloak on, I could get a better picture of her. Seeing the lack of a Horn or a pair of wings, it was easy to tell she was an earth pony. But even if she was one, she didn’t have the build. Earth ponies are usually buff and have big strong bones. These are essential to their work, since they have to do everything by hand.

But Rosemary had the build of a pegasus. Her body was slick and her legs where skinny. Not too skinny that she looked like a skeleton with skin on it, but enough to where she looked somewhere between a malnourished earth pony and an average pegasus.

Her mane was a dark brown color, with streaks of red flowing down it in precisely the right spots. It looked clean and could have easily shinned if enough light was present. It reached down to just above the top of her front legs.

She was easily one of the prettiest mares I’ve ever seen. Sure I’d seen a lot of them in my lifetime, but she was defiantly in the top ten.

“Hey, eyes away from the backside pervert” said Rosemary.

It was only when she spoke that I realized I had been staring right at her flank. Her smooth, gorgeous…wait, what was I thinking!!! Now wasn’t the time to think about pretty mares, now was the time to find out just what the hay is going on.

Giving my head a good shake, I looked up at Rosemary. “Uh, sorry about that” I said. Even if I couldn’t see, I could tell my face was turning red, or redder.

The green mare smirked once again. “Well I can’t blame you, most stallions can’t seem to take their eyes off this luscious flank” she said, wigging her backside to give it more emphasis.

Turing my head to the side, I tried not to look back. “Ye…Yeah, I…I…I can see why stallions would like to stare at it”. Wait a minute, did I just say that! I turned my head toward her “No, I didn’t mean it like that! I just meant that, uh, well…” great, I was at a loss for words.

But once again, instead of punching my lights out, Rosemary started laughing. It wasn’t as loud or annoying as it had been the first time. Now, it was a slight giggle, the same kind that teenage mares give when they see a stallion do something embarrassing or funny.

“Relax; I was just messing with you. Don’t you even have a sense of humor” she asked.

“Uh, yeah I do. I just don’t do well with that kind of humor. Anyway, I have a few questions to ask you” I said, turning serious again.

Rosemary smiled “Alright, but you’ll have to ask them on the way” she said, turning around so she was once again facing away from me.

Now I was confused again “What do you mean on the way” I asked.

“It’s dangerous out here in the woods, and I’m not planning on staying here anymore than I have to. There’s a safe place not too far from here, so it’s best we get going” said Rosemary, and she began walking towards the edge of the clearing. But then she stopped “Or, you can stay here and another Niwole can have you for dinner” she said, with her voice sounding smug, and continued walking.

Now I had to weigh my options, which wasn’t much. On the one hoof, I could stay here and try to find my own way out. But if I came across one of those Niwoles, I wouldn’t be able to defend myself. On the other hoof, I could fallow the one pony who might be able to get me out of here alive. But she could be some kind of psycho who was leading me into a trap.

So, which one would it be?

“Hey, wait up” I said, and began running after the dark green mare.

************

Being once again enclosed by darkness with strange shapes all around you wasn’t very comforting. And considering the day I was having, comfort would probably be really good right now.

My horn glowed so that I could at least see somewhat in front of me. But the radius of its glow only reached so far, meaning I could only see Rosemary and the trees that were right next to me. Though at this moment, any light was good light.

I fallowed at a brisk pace, making sure that I could always see Rosemary’s back. Since I had decided to go with her, she was going to be my guide through this madhouse they call a forest.

“Hey, didn’t you say you had some questions for me” asked Rosemary, not even looking back.

“Hu, what” I asked, taking a second to realize what she had said.

“Before we walked in here, you said you had some questions for me. Well I’m ready to answer as many as I can, if you’re ready that is” she said, still keeping her head forward.

“Oh, yeah I do. Okay, so you said we’re in the Underworld. But then how am I here” I asked.

“Simple; your dead” she said, not even sounding remotely sad or compassionate. She said it like she was explaining what color the sky was.

My mind stopped for a quick second, and I almost fell face first into the dirt. Luckily I was able to steady myself, but what she had said still hung in the air.

But then, I began to chuckle. It wasn’t one does when they hear/see something funny, it was the one that someone gives when they hear something too shocking.

“Funny…really funny. Me being dead, that’s a good one” I said, still chuckling none stop.

“No joke. Didn’t they tell you that the Underworld is inhabited by dead ponies” she asked, still not looking back.

I was quiet of a few minutes; my mind slowly took in what she said. I actually had been told that only dead ponies lived in the Underworld. So…that means I’m dead!

“But…but…HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE! I DON’T REMEMBER DYING” I screamed, not even intending to do that.

“Short term Amnesia is common when you come here. Don’t worry; you’ll get your memories back sooner or later. When I first came here, I didn’t have a clue who I was. But after a few weeks, I started remembering. It happens to everyone, so don’t feel too down” said Rosemary.

I really didn’t want to believe what she was saying. No pony wants to admit that their dead; and I was one of them. But the evidence that was all around me was staggering. I needed more answers.

“Okay, say I really am dead, why am I here. I’m not a sinful person; I fallowed the law. I gave respect to the Princesses every week, I said my daily prayer. I made sure to turn away from evil” I said, trying to remember everything good that I have done.

“Well then you must have done something REALLY bad before you died. If you ever remember what it was, tell me. For all we know you could have killed a member of the royal family” said Rosemary, who seemed to be almost laughing about the whole thing.

“I HOPE NOT, and why do you sound happy” I asked, now more annoyed than curious. Not once had I come across somepony who flipped back and forth between nice and just plain annoying.

“It’s just your reaction to things is hilarious. I mean, you still thinking this is some kind of trick don’t you” she asked, still not looking back at me.

I looked down at the ground “…a little bit” I said.

“Well get it out of your head horny. This is the real deal, and you’d better get used to it. Everypony has to eventually, or your time here will be full of pain and suffering” said Rosemary. The tone of her voice had changed. Now she sounded serious, which was a welcome departure from more annoying side.

“But I can’t just accept this; I have a life! I have friends and family, a job, and a great mare” I said.

Immediately my mind filled with the sorrowful faces of my family. They were always there for me, even in times when it had an effect on them.

Now, I would probably never see them again. They practiced their teachings daily, and unless they did something terrible, they wouldn’t end up here.

Mom, Dad, Mike…I never even got to say goodbye.

Then there was Sea Swirl, my marefriend. Never again would I see her gorgeous dark blue mane, her lovely pink coat, or her adorable dolphin cutie-mark.

She was the only mare in my life that really understood me. Every other mare turned away, but she kept her eyes firmly on me. It wasn’t too long before I asked her out, and we soon began dating.

But now the sight of her would never reach my eyes again. She was a very good pony, so as with my family; the likely hood of her ending up here was less than zero.

It wasn’t until now that I realized that I had stopped moving. My legs were locked firmly in place, and refused to move. Not only that, but I soon became aware that I was crying. Tears streamed down my face, and dropped like rain onto the ground below.

“Alone…I’m all alone down here” I said quietly. My mouth seemed dry, and the words only came out in whispers. “I’m stuck in this torture pit forever. Why…why me” I asked, the words still coming out in a whisper.

Suddenly, I felt a warm hoof on my shoulder. Looking up, I saw Rosemary standing in front of me, with a comforting smile on her face.

“Hey, chin up buddy. I’m here, and I’ll help you out. This is a rough place, and you’re going to experience some tough times. But you just have to soldier on through them, because when you get to the good times, you’ll enjoy them even more” she said.

Wiping my eyes and giving a good sniff, I began to crack a smile as well. Rosemary, from a certain perspective, looked like a pony who would cut you up if you so much as talked to her. But now, she was comforting me and showing kindness. She was definitely a strange pony, but she knew just what to say, and at the right time.

Before I even knew what I was doing, I had flung my front legs around her neck and had brought her in for a deep hug. Immediately she tensed up, but she didn’t struggle or try to pull away.

“He…Hey, wha…what’s this for” she asked, her voice shaking. The fact she hadn’t punched me was a good sign.

“For being so nice to me that’s why. This is supposed to be the land where all evil spirits go, and yet you’re not one of them. Your appearance says otherwise, but your personality, at some points, is just like Sea Swirl’s. And…I just want to say thank you” I said, bringing her in closer.

Rosemary was silent for a moment, but then I felt her shake her head and pull away from me. And surprisingly, the mare who makes others nervous was now blushing. The green and red mixed into her cheeks as she looked away from me. I couldn’t help but grin smugly at this.

“Embarrassed are we” I asked. The laughter that was drifting into my voice was very noticeable.

Rosemary’s cheeks turned even redder “N…no, I was just getting hot is all. May I remind you that we’re pretty much in the center of the world right now? Also, we need to get moving, we’ve wasted enough time. The longer we stay out here, the more likely chance we’ll get attacked” she said. Then she turned away from me and started walking through the trees again.

Giving a quick chuckle, I soon followed her through the trees.

************

So the next two hours were spent in silence. Rosemary kept a steady pace, making sure she was a good distance from me. But not so much that I couldn’t see her.

I had wisely kept my mouth shut and stopped asking questions. She didn’t seem in the mood to talk, and that’s an obvious sign to back off.

But after being quiet and not getting any answers for the past two hours, it was time to break my silence.

“So, how long have you been down here” I asked. My questions needed to be answered, but first I had to get her in a more talkative mood.

It took her a minute to respond “…I’ve been down her for five years” she said.

“Oh, that’s not that long” I said. Wrong choice of words.

“You think so, but it seems like ages for me. Every day feels like a whole week, every week a month, and so on. This place isn’t like Equestria newbie, it’s a place where if you don’t change, your time here will be full of pain” she said. The anger was very noticeable in her voice, and I had the suspicion that she was gritting her teeth.

Not for the first time since I came here, I didn’t know what to say. Now she seemed even angrier. Why was I doing this to her? She was the one leading me through all this, and I was causing her to get angry.

“I’m sorry” I said.

Rosemary’s head lifted up, and her pace slowed slightly, allowing me to catch up. “What are you sorry for” she asked.

“For making you angry. You’ve been doing all of this for me, and I haven’t been very thankful. You could have just left me there and let me find my own way out of here. But instead you told me to fallow you, so again…I’m sorry” I said, keeping my head down low.

A familiar silence filled the air once again. Rosemary continued to walk on, but she was now walking slow enough that I didn’t have a problem keeping up with her.

“Listen, I want to say sorry to” said Rosemary. “You’re right, I have been angry. But it’s just because…well…I made a promise to myself to look out for me and only me. And by helping somepony like you out, it feels like I’m breaking that promise”.

I took a minute to really think about what she had said. Although something did confuse me, so it was time to ask more questions. “But why would you not want to help others, especially somepony like me” I asked.

Again, Rosemary didn’t answer for a few moments. Finally she found her voice. “Let’s just say that I helped another stallion once, and he was like you in some ways. He didn’t know that much about this place, and I showed him the basics. Later on I asked him to help me out with a job, and he agreed. But he wanted me to do something that I was not comfortable with as payment. As soon as I found out what was going on, I beat him to a pulp, and headed out. There’s not many people out here who don’t want something from you that is much more than what you want from them” she said, her tone dropping more and more quieter.

Now I was beginning to understand the mare that was in front of me. She had gone through some hard situations, and had to do things that other ponies wouldn’t think of doing. And yet her she was, doing what she wants to, with nopony to tell her what to do. Guess that’s more proof that she’s not like other mares.

“Well don’t worry; I’m not going to be like that stallion. I owe you big time for this, and I’ll do whatever you want me to do. And if it ever comes to a time when you owe ME something, I won’t make you do things you don’t want to do. Even if I am in the sin hole, I can still try to be the nicest pony I can” I said. My voice had turned serious, and I kept my eyes on Rosemary the whole time I said that.

Rosemary didn’t say anything for a good five minutes. I was begging to think she was ignoring me… but then I heard her chuckle.

“…Thanks, I’ll make you keep your word on that. I’m already thinking of ways you can pay me back. And let me tell you, I don’t go cheap” she said, with a hint of glee in her voice. “But seriously, thanks. You know, I didn’t even get your name” she said.

Now that she mentioned it, I never did get around to telling her my name. Guess finding out I’m in the Underworld and getting attacked by a Niwole distracted me.

“Well my name is Martin Shimmer. But please, just call me Martin” I said, with a smile on my face.

“Martin, that’s a really strange name. Who ever heard of a pony with a name like that” said Rosemary, who was chuckling again.

I frowned at her reaction “right, so how far are we from this safe place you mentioned” I asked. We had been walking for a good four hours, and we still hadn’t reached the edge of the forest.

“Shouldn’t be too far away, I’ve walked this trail hundreds of times. We should be coming up on the edge soon” said Rosemary.

“And what exactly is this safe place like? Just telling me it’s safe doesn’t make me trust it entirely” I said.

Truthfully any place would probably be safer than the forest I was in. But for all I knew there could be pits filled with hydras or caves that housed dragons all over this world. So right now, safe place was the only thing I could trust.

“You’ll see what I’m talking about when we get there” she paused “which shouldn’t be much longer. Look up ahead”.

Looking around Rosemary, I scanned the area in front of her. And just up ahead, I could see light punching through the trees, casting shadows on the plants near it.

“Is that the edge of the forest” I asked. My excitement about getting out of this place was evident in my voice.

“Yep, and the “Safe Place” is just ahead of that” said Rosemary.

And not another word was spoken as we reached the edge of the forest, leaving the dark and dangerous nightmare behind us.

The Test of Fate

Chapter 3

Even gone to the movies and seen a film about the Apocalypse. And in almost every one there’s that scene where the hero comes across the fortified villain’s layer; well that’s what this “Safe Place” looked like.

Emerging from the trees, we walked into a large open area that only lasted a few hundred feet before ending in a large metal wall. It out scaled the height of the trees and had towers stationed at equal distances as far as I could see. Ponies stood watch over the area from atop each one.

The wall stretched out far into the distance one way and the same distance the other way. A few black plants grew where the bare land met the wall, and different machines were piled in certain areas not too far away.

“Come on horny, we need to let them know you’re not a threat. If they think otherwise, they’ll throw you into the deepest fire hole they can find and wait for you to crawl up so they can do it again” said Rosemary as she walked towards the wall.

I was so nervous that I didn’t tell her not to call me horny. Swallowing a large lump that had formed in my throat, I slowly followed her.

The ground here was rough and had the same kind of feel that bricks do in an old nearly destroyed house. Cracks appeared every few feet, and small gusts of wind blew a fine layer of dust over us.

As we got closer to the wall, I noticed something I hadn’t before. The wall was made up of mismatched scraps of metal. It looked as if someone had grabbed a whole junkyard, taken all the metal he could, and built a wall out of it. But the wall did seem sturdy, so I had a suspicion that there was a lot of metal bracing behind it.

Rosemary stopped in front of a large metal doorway. It had the same look as those futuristic buildings that slide sideways instead of outward.

“Halt, state your name, registration number and business” called a voice.

Looking up, I saw a blue unicorn looking down at us from the nearby tower. His horn surged with magic that told me that he would disintegrate me if I so much as spoke a single word. Best reason to keep my mouth shut that I’ve ever seen.

He had a light brown mane that was cut so low that it almost looked like the kind of haircut they give you when you head off to the Guard Academy. But his looked like it had been done with a knife instead of scissors, because there were certain spots where it was longer than the rest.

As I looked closer, I saw that he was wearing armor to. It was an all metal chest plate and back plate that were colored black in certain spots and red in the other spots. He didn’t wear a helmet, but he had a weird eyeglass like device that somehow gave me the chills.

The last thing I noticed was a symbol painted on the side of his armor. It was two scythes formed in an X and a red eye behind it.

Rosemary reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a small ID card. I could tell it was one because it had a picture of her as well as some numbers on it as well.

“Rosemary, registration number 668534. Returning from hunting with one newcomer in tow” said Rosemary as the unicorn took her ID and levitated it up to where he stood. The stallion gave it a good look over before levitating it back down to Rosemary.

“You’re clear to enter, but the reddie must stay at the gate until he can be checked by the official” he said to Rosemary. His horn still glowed with magical energy.

I expected Rosemary to be against this; say that I was new and had to stick with her. I almost thought she was going to do it…but that dream soon faltered.

“He’ll comply with the rules. Give him the usual punishment if he doesn’t” said Rosemary in the most casual voice I’d ever heard. I could almost feel the ground with my jaw because it had dropped so much.

“Very well then, stand by while gates are open. Any funny business we’ll blast you to ashes” said the unicorn…with a lot more glee in his voice that a normal pony would have when saying that. Guess it just helps prove what ponies end up here.

Suddenly I could feel the ground rumbling underneath my hooves. I looked at the door and saw it slowly sliding into the wall. Once it was all the way open, I looked inside.

The area beyond the wall was a small field of black grass that went about a hundred feet before ending in another wall. However this one was made of solid concrete. But just like the outer wall, it was painted black.

“Come on horny, can’t stay out here too long. And I really need a drink right now” said Rosemary as she walked through the doorway.

“For the last time its Shimmer: Martin Shimmer. It’s not that hard to remember” I said in annoyance as I followed her inside.

“Yeah sure whatever. Now try not to get yourself killed and I’ll see you on the other side” she said with another grin on her face.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of him” said a voice. I jumped a good ten feet in fright and looked over. Standing to my right was the guard that had been up in the tower. Now his grin made me even more scared.

“Thanks Chains, just make sure he still has a horn when I return. I still remember what you did to the last unicorn that came through here” said Rosemary, who gave the unicorn a death glare.

Chains chuckled to himself and readjusted his eyeglass. “Hey to be fair that stallion had it coming. He should have been grateful that I didn’t throw him to the Qilin. He’s been looking for any handout he can get recently”.

Rosemary slapped a hoof on her face. “Just keep him in one piece alright. I’ll be on the other side when you’re ready…hu, other side, pretty funny.”

I watched as Rosemary walked through the open doors…and then the doors snapped shut. Now I was alone with a pony who could break off my horn and then feed me to some terrifying Hell beast.

“That’s one fiery mare you’ve got there newbie. Ever since I’ve been here she’s always had that fire in her body that makes me want to just tackle her and…”

“OKAY, I get it” I said quickly. I wasn’t in the mood to hear about how he’d like to…buck…Rosemary again and again. Hell or not, I still had standards I had to live by. And one of those happens to be thinking and hearing clean things.

Chains laughed and gave me a punch in the shoulder. “OWCH” I said, rubbing the now bruised spot with my right leg.

“Aw come on; stallion up newbie. I didn’t even hit you that hard. If you wanted to see how hard I could really punch, you’d probably need medical attention” said Chains with a sly grin.

Still rubbing my shoulder, I asked “Do you still need medical attention down here”?

“Course you do. Afterlife isn’t a get-away-from-pain free card. If I stabbed you in the throat, you’d feel the same pain as you would up in Equestria. One of the glorious things about living down here” said Chains.

“Why is every example you give involve you doing bodily harm to me?”

“Because I doubt, based on your appearance, that you could do anything that would cause me harm in retaliation. Do you even know any good spells” asked Chains, eyeing my horn.

I racked my brain, looking for a spell that could be used in offense. Spells for cleaning and weight moving came to mind, but nothing about spells for attacking.

“I’ll take it from your silence that’s a no” said Chains with a raised eyebrow.

“Well to be fair a good portion of my memories are locked. So maybe I do know some spells; I just can’t remember them” I said. But I knew when I said that, I was lying. I could remember every subject I’d learned in school, and none of them taught offensive spells.

Chains shook his head and sighed. “That aint good newbie, not good at all. If you can’t use spells to defend yourself, you’re basically screwed.”

“What do you mean? Rosemary was able to defend herself, and she doesn’t have a horn” I explained.

“Yeah, but Rosemary is skilled in sword fighting. She doesn’t need a horn because she has other means to defend herself. Now do you really want to depend on her to protect you all the time? Or, would you rather defend yourself and impress her” said Chains, giving me a slight push.

Having red skin really helped to hide a blush. I mean, ME, impressing Rosemary. As much as I liked the idea, it almost seemed too false to be true. But hey, a stallion can dream.

“In all honesty, I’d rather defend myself. I don’t want to be a weakling, and I don’t want to have to rely on a mare to protect me. Can you imagine me being THAT pony” I asked.

“As of matter of fact I can” said Chains. The laugh that came next almost caused me to punch him. But I held back; I didn’t want him to disintegrate me then throw my ashes like he said he would.

I was about to shout a pretty good retort, but was silenced as a chime sounded through the yard. Chains’ eyes shot over to the door Rosemary had walked through. It had opened slightly, and a figure had slipped through it and was walking towards us.

It was a unicorn stallion, wearing a dark blue robe that had constellations sewn into it. It covered everything but his neck, head, and hooves. His skin was light gray and he had a dark gray mane. Bags hung under his eyes, which implied that he was either really tired or really old. But what made me happy was that he had on a warm smile.

“Aw, so you’re the newcomer they told me about. I must say you look much younger than I expected you to be. But that’s no matter, we don’t judge people on how they look here” he said. His voice sounded old, but he had sweetness to it; like how a Grandpa would speak to his grandfoals.

“Well…thank you. Ever since I’ve been here people have said I look like a weakling” I said, almost too lost for words to speak.

The old stallion chuckled, and then looked over at Chains. “I’m guessing you’re one of these ponies Chains” he asked.

Chains kicked the ground and stared up at the ceiling. It was surprising to see him look nervous.

“I might have said something.”

“Well, I’m not going to say anything to you this time. You didn’t change the last ten times I did” said the stallion.

“Hey, like you said: we should all be who we are, not what others want us to be” said Chains with another grin.

“Yes well, I think we should discuss this another time. Right now I think we must get some introductions done. May I ask what your name is dear boy?”

“Oh yes, uh…my name is Martin Shimmer” I said, still a little nervous about talking to this unicorn.

The stallion gave me another sweet smile. “It’s a delight to meet you Martin Shimmer. My name is Wand Swirl, I’m the head official of this town.”

“Oh, so you’re the one who’s going to decide whether I get in or not” I said. But the next moment I received a punch to the arm by Chains.

“Don’t be so disrespectful newbie. Wand Swirl has been here longer than most of us in this town. He makes sure this place is protected from anything outside these walls. Speak your words better from now on” he said with a glare.

“Now now Chains, how many times have I talked to you about violence. It never solves small problems. And I thought I also made it clear that people may address me in any way they like. If we are to show that we can prove the spirits wrong, then we must be nice as much as possible” said Wand Swirl.

It was almost frightening how knowledgeable he sounded. His voice spoke the words in a way that made you just want to agree with him. I bet he’d be a great politician.

“Now my young Martin, I do believe that I should be administering the test” said Wand Swirl.

I guess I looked uneasy, because he gave me a warm smile. “You do not have to be frightened my dear boy; this test is relatively simple. It should only take a quick second.”

“But what do I have to do? Fight a Niwole, jump into a pit of bugs?” I asked.

Wand Swirl chuckled. “No, nothing like that. All I have to do is cast a spell. If it works right, it will tell us if you may stay or not.”

A spell, that’s it? Seemed simple, just like he said. But one question stilled rang in my head.

“What happens if I fail the test?”

Chains and Wand Swirl looked at each other with grim faces. I had a feeling this wasn’t the first time somepony had asked that question.

“How to put this in the most delicate way possible? …If you fail, you shall be taken forcefully to the eternal pit at the edge of the Valley of Death. There you shall be judged by the demon Kronos as to what shall happen to you” said Chains.

“Chains, that was far too blunt” said Wand Swirl, who then looked over at me. “This test is a big gamble Martin, especially for those who are new to the Underworld. I will not be disappointed if you want to back out.”

Well the new information did make me take a moment to think about this. On the one hoof I could win and get to stay in a safe place with Rosemary. I wouldn’t have to worry about another monster attacking me.

On the other hoof, I could fail and have to be judged by a demon. He could sentence me to who knows what king of torture, or be his personal slave or something. None of them sounded right to me.

Part of me was screaming “Don’t Do It, It’s Too Risky. Leave and Try to Find Another Safe Place That Doesn’t Have A Test Like This!”

But another part of me was thinking of that possibility. How many safe towns were there down here anyway? And even if there were, how long could be survive out there before he got to another one?

And finally I thought of Rosemary.

She had done so much for me in the few hours I’ve been down here. She was (hopefully) waiting for me on the other side. What kind of pony would I be if I just left? I had promised to pay her back for what she did, and I plan on keeping that promise.

That sounded very good to me for some reason. Huh, maybe that’s one thing I know about myself now: I Keep Promises.

Taking a deep breath, I looked over at Wand Swirl.

“I’m not turning away Wand Swirl. I have a promise to fulfill and I’m willing to take a chance to keep it. Go ahead and perform your spell. I’m ready for it.”

Wand Swirl eyed me, but not in a way like he was upset. It looked more like he was curious. But his eyeing stopped and showed a smile instead.

“You are a very brave pony young Shimmer. I do hope you pass this test; we need more ponies like you. Now, I ask you to stay calm and relax” he said.

I straightened myself as Wand Swirl walked directly in front of me. His horn began to glow with magic as he spoke words I didn’t understand. Strange ruins swirled around us like we were in the middle of a small tornado.

“Demons of the Underworld cast your gaze over this stallion and seek the sin and praise that go throughout his life. Judge based on the actions of the past so that a better future may be seeked” said Wand Swirl in a large voice. Then, he touched his horn to mine.

My gaze began to grow foggy as the spell activated. I could feel magic flowing through Wand Swirl’s horn into my own. My head felt like it was spinning at a slow but steady pace. However the rest of my body seemed to go rigid.

Then I began to see them.

Small transparent images flashed across my field of vision. A small unicorn playing with a ball, a family sitting down for a nice dinner; laughing and telling stories, and a teenage unicorn walking down a hallway talking to a light pink mare.

I was confused by these images at first. But then I realized that these were pictures of my life. The foal with the ball, the teenage unicorn, the small one with the family: they were all me.

I focused harder on the images as they came past. I saw myself reading in a library, hanging with some other colts at a marketplace, and much more.

But for some reason…they didn’t seem right.

As the images came by, I could remember them very well. But in the back of my mind, something was telling me otherwise. They all had the feeling of looking at an old photo of you and a friend: you remember the time, but don’t remember taking the picture. It was the same feeling here.

I wanted to see more and find out if this continued, but then the images began to disappear. My vision became clearer and my head stopped spinning. When I felt normal again, I looked at Wand Swirl.

But when I did, he was eyeing me again. And it wasn’t like last time when he looked curious. This time he looked unsure, with a hint of suspicion to boot. Chains could see this and decided to break the tension.

“So what’s the verdict Wand Swirl, does this newbie get to stay?”

Wand Swirl stopped eyeing me and gave what looked like a forced smile.

“Well, it seems that he has indeed.”

I guess I should have been happy, and I was…but there was still something I had to ask.

“What kind of spell was that?”

Wand Swirl, still smiling, looked at me. “A very simple spell my young Shimmer. It is a spell that allows us to look through your life and determine how badly you have lived it. You see in order to pass the test; you must have lived a life where you can turn it around. If you have, then we allow you a second chance here. It’s as simple as that.”

“Then why were you looking at me like I was a crazy pony” I asked.

Wand Swirl looked up at the ceiling, then back at me. “There will be answers for you Martin, but I’m afraid that now isn’t the right time. But fear not, for you now have a place where you are safe.”

He then turned to Chains, still with a forced smile. “Chains, I wish to speak with you in your tower. I have some matters of security to discuss with you.”

Chains did a semi-bow “Of course Wand Swirl.”

“Good…very Good” said Wand Swirl, who then looked over at me “and now, I do believe you have someone waiting for you Mr. Shimmer. Please do make yourself at home. I shall speak with you soon enough.”

Just when he had finished, the large doors of the second wall began to open. Swallowing a new lump in my throat, I walked towards the doors, ready for whatever was behind there.

And standing just on the other side was Rosemary. She was smiling like someone had just gotten her a big crown with fifty diamonds.

“Well…well…well, looks like you passed the test. Guess that means you’re clean enough to come in here” she said.

“You sound so surprised” I said with a smile “didn’t you know I’d pass?”

“Not really, but don’t worry about that now. Let me be the first to say this” she said, then gave her hoof a wave towards the place behind her.

“Welcome to Urgo, safest town in the Eastern Underworld.”