UNDERWORLD

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.”