Darkest Dungeons of Canterlot

You shall arrive along the old road. It winds with a troubling serpent like suggestion through the corrupted mountain side. Leading only, I fear, to even more tenuous places. Their is a sickness in the ancient pitted cobbles of the old road and on its writhing path you will face viciousness, violence, and perhaps other damnably transcendent terrors. So steel yourself and remember there can be no bravery without madness. The old road, take it to Tartarus, but in that gaping abyss, we will find our redemption.

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The two injured mares walked slowly through the inexpertly crafted shacks and huts along a mud street in what could easily pass for a small ghost town. There was no sound but the wind and the gentle squelching of their hooves in the mud as they walked through the dark hamlet. The usual smells of life were absent, no lights graced the twisted and rusted poles lining the farce of a street, only the smell of compost and rot that seemed ever present welcomed them.

"You sure this is the right place?" Babs asked glancing constantly about wondering her eyes darting to shadows as if expecting to find something twisted watching them from there.

"Yeah this is about where that crazy coach driver said the hamlet was," Scoots said, her own ears constantly flicking about as if listening to a dozen conversations, "He mentioned it being a bit unfinished, he didn't say it was a literal shit hole though. Shouldn't they be around here already?"

"Maybe they crashed as well?"

"I find it highly unlikely that both our carts crashed on the way here, they should be around here some-," Scootaloo started turning to glance back at Babs.

"Scootaloo!" a melodious voice squealed with almost childlike cheer.

Scootaloo turned in surprise reaching for her weapons only to be instantly knocked off her hooves by a white projectile wrapped in brown robes. Scootaloo tried to throw off her attacker, but found herself trapped in an inescapable bear hug. Babs looked on in surprise as she heard a voice behind her, "Hello Babs."

Babs whirled and yelped in surprise to find a pair of orange eyes gazing out at her from behind a white bird like mask and a dirty red cloak. Babs took a nervous step back as she spotted the knife and mysterious vials adorning the masked mare, and promptly tripped over Scootaloo who still struggled with her opponent. Babs stagger and collapsed to the ground as her injuries got the better of her leaving her prone before the pair.

"You okay Babs?" the masked mare asked pushing her mask up to let her yellow coat and allowing a ruby mane tumble free, "You're looking rather worse for ware."

"Our wagon crashed and we got attacked a few times," Babs said returning slowly to her hooves, "Damn it Applebloom don't startle me like that, this place already has me on edge without you appearing behind me in that get up."

"Sorry cuz, I couldn't help myself," Applebloom smiled bumping hooves with her cousin.

"Dang it! Let me go Sweetie," Scootaloo shouted as she continued to struggle in vain against Sweetie Belle's vice like hug.

"Nope," Sweetie tittered, "I haven't seen one of my best friends in years, so I'm going to give her several years worth of hugging."

"Sweetie, it's probably best you let her go for now," Applebloom said, "She's got some injuries on her that look rather rough and could probably use some healing."

Sweetie Belle blinked and looked at the tall orange pegasus she was hugging and noticed the dozens of shallow wounds in the other mare's coat and the many holes in her over coat as well. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Scootaloo. Don't worry I can fix you up in a jiffy."

"It's fine," Scootaloo grumbled before she blinked, "Wait, you can? How?"

Sweetie Belle didn't answer, ignoring both the new blood stains on her robes and her friend's question, instead her horn glowed green beneath her hood as she levitated out a symbol of an ivory quill and obsidian inkwell set over a bronze medical cross. The glowing magic around the symbol shifted from green to gold as Sweetie Belle sung a few crystalline notes of a somber hymn. The symbol flashed a brilliant light causing Scootaloo to flinch away, "What are you doing?"

"A bit of the Faustian church's healing magic," Babs stated, "Most Vestals are trained in healing magics. Speaking of, Sweetie, mind giving me a few hits of the healing?"

"Babs? By Faust's great plan what happened to you!?" Sweetie Belle shrieked rushing over to the injured earth pony.

"We got into a few fights and a crash," Babs snorted, "Some healing please, these wounds hurt just as much as it looks like they do."

"Sorry!"

Scootaloo trotted over to where Applebloom watched the scene with an amused smile. "I can't believe they are both parts of the church, hell I'm completely baffled how Sweetie is still so exuberant and bouncy. How in the deepest pits of Tartarus is she still so cheery and bouncy?"

"She's probably just excited to see you both again," Applebloom shrugged, "She was actually a quivering worried mess before you two arrived, she was certain something horrible had happened to the both of you and was second guessing everything."

"Heh, sounds like she's still the same ol' Sweetie then, glad I won't have to try and tease both her and Babs out of their super serious church doctrines," Scootaloo smiled as Sweetie attempted to lock Babs in a crushing bear hug, "Also quick question, why are you dressed up like that? I was expecting you to be more like Babs, all tricked out in armor and swinging a sword. Well hammer actually, hammer seemes like it would fit you better."

"Yeah, well I was expecting you to be acting a lot more like Sweetie, was actually afraid you two would crush each other," Applebloom chuckled tiredly, "Things rarely go like you'd expect."

"Wait, did something happen to your company?" Scootaloo asked turning to look her old friend in the face, "It didn't go under did it?"

"Kinda," Applebloom shrugged, "I sold it, kind of not much business in building new homes when everypony's dying of plague. Needed the money to make medicine too, looks like all that time spent with Zecora and in Twilight Time paid off for me."

"So, you're a doctor?"

"Nah, more an alchemist who just happens to know a thing or two about treating maladies. Speaking of," Applebloom reached under her coat and pulled out a blue vial, "Drink this."

"What is it," Scootaloo took half a step away from the vial, "It looks like poison joke mixed in water. This isn't going to turn me into another Rainbow Dash knock off is it?"

"Nah not this time," Applebloom chuckled as Scootaloo took the vial and gazed at it suspiciously, "It's a mix of a clotting solution and blood purifier. Is a decent quick fix for both bleeding wounds, poison, and disease. Wanted to give you a little patch job until Sweetie can pull herself away from greeting somepony she hasn't seen in two days."

"Was she like this for you?" Scootaloo smiled softly listening to the soothing melody Sweetie sung as Babs wounds swiftly began to seal themselves.

"Pretty much. Locked me in a bear hug and then proceeded to interrogate me about every last thing I'd done for the past six years before moving on to telling me all she'd done and then rolling onto worrying about you two. Speaking of, how are you doing? You stayed in Ponyville and I ain't heard the best things about it lately and you haven't written a word to me in nearly four years."

"I'm just fine," Scootaloo lied, "Been busy helping out the few decent folk still in Ponyville and mail carriers don't come through much anymore."

"So what have you-?"

"Sorry for the wait Scoots!" Sweetie Belle squeaked sliding to a stop in front of the pair, "Babs looked to be in worse shape and-"

"It's fine Sweetie, just go ahead and do your thing," Scootaloo said holding the blue potion out to Applebloom, "Looks like I won't need this."

"Drink it anyways," Applebloom said simply as a golden healing magic washed over Scootaloo, "Sweetie told me in painful detail how her magic can only handle actual injuries, not things like sickness and poisons."

"Sorry about that," Sweetie Belle said as she ended her spell and slid her holy symbol back into her robes, "I've been trying to learn those spells too but they're really hard."

"It's fine Sweetie let's just-"

"Ah so you have arrived," a quiet voice said behind the group. All four ponies leapt clear of the ground as they whirled to face the voice with weapons drawn. When they saw a towering off white form of alicorn wrapped in a black mourning gown that had been worn grey and ragged with a muted rainbow mane hanging dead and limp out from beneath a tattered bead studded veil, their weapons lowered but their posture did not soften. "I had many doubts that any would still answer my call, even with the offer of treasure to bait the greedy."

"Speaking of how about you fork over the coin you promised us," Scootaloo demanded fixing the towering figure with a heated glare, "We didn't come here out of the goodness of our heart, Kinslayer."

The towering alicorn in black did not visibly move, but the four felt a gaze drift through them causing them all to shudder. The alicorn gave a small nod, "A fair reminder. Fret not, your bait awaits you in the quarters I have made for you and any other fool blinded by greed, duty, or glory to dare join us on this nightmarish frontier. Follow, I shall lead you to your meager shelter against the clawing dark."

The broken goddess turned and walked slowly down the street head bowed and tail dragging through the mud. The lamps flanking the street flared up with a bright blue flame as she approached and quickly began to fade as she passed. The four young heroes glanced at each other as they cautiously followed the mourning figure.

"Well she's certainly different than I remember," Applebloom muttered.

"She got creepy as fuck," Scootaloo agreed as her other two companions remained silent.

When the alicorn stopped, they all stopped, tensing as they awaited an answer to their sudden stop. The alicorn in black turned her head and pointed with her blackened and chipped horn at a large building built out of the shoddiest of rotten timbers and the most flammable of boards. At least it had a large yard of mud and dead grass and a knee high wall of poorly stacked stones forming a crude fence. "Welcome to your new home, such as it is. This squalid homestead, these corrupted lands, they are yours now and you are bound to them." The mare nodded to the four before resuming her slow progress through the streets.

"I get the feeling we've made a very poor career decision," Scootaloo snorted watching the building as though she expected it to collapse.

"What more would you expect from a mare like her?" Babs snarled casting a glare after the retreating form of the monster, "To think we use to think she was a god."

"Well at least there's no holes in the roof," Sweetie Belle said, "You can fix it right Applebloom?"

"Given decent material sure," Applebloom eyed the building as though it was a particularly neglected dog, "though looking around we're going to have to import that which is probably going to eat most of the five thousand bits she offered us."

"Assuming she actually left us the promised shinies," Scootaloo grunt trotting forwards.

The door squealed loudly as it was yanked open and with a loud, ping, fell off its hinges. The orange pegasus snorted in disgust as she walked deeper into the building vanishing from the view of the others. The three remaining crusaders watched as the building creaked and moaned, but remained standing.

"Well it didn't collapse on her like I thought it would so that's something," Babs said offering the building a withering look that made it groan ominously.

"It isn't like we haven't stayed in worse places right Babs?" Sweetie Belle said.

"Maybe when we were at war with some of those cults."

"Ah, don't let 'er appearance fool you ladies," Applebloom said giving the door frame a kick, "She might be a little worn and battered with age, but her bones still be good and solid. She just needs a little work and she'll be good as new. Maybe even better if I can get some good lumber."

"Good luck finding any," Scootaloo snorted reappearing with a half dozen new bags on her back, "Aside from a whole mess of rot this house ain't got much to her anymore. Hell you'd be hard pressed to fit even a dozen ponies in there comfortably with all the rubble and rot."

"Scoots, we ain't exactly a dozen ponies," Applebloom said, "Also what's in your packs if this place has nothing."

"I did say anymore. The place did have a whole big mess of old paintings, bust, family crest and even a few old deeds laying about, but it doesn't anymore. Such a shame to," the pegasus flashed a toothy grin, "I know some folks who could get us some serious bling for that kind of stuff."

Babs placed a hoof to the bridge of her snout and sighed, "Scootaloo, no. Just, put that stuff back or something. We didn't come here to make a quick bit."

"We didn't?"

"No! We came here to stamp out this vile corruption that has been killing our country for years and do what we can to restore our country to brilliance, right Applebloom?"

"Yeah," Applebloom said weakly hiding behind her mask, "What she said."

"I don't mean to disappoint you all, but armies and gods couldn't stop this shit, I doubt four fillies are going to even make an applicable dent against this stuff," Scootaloo laughed before sobering. "And don't make any assumptions about me having such lofty goals, in case it isn't obvious I came for the bits."

"Does that mean you're going to leave us now?" Sweetie Belle asked her ears drooping.

Scootaloo flinched and diverted her gaze briefly before saying, "Hells no Sweetie, I'm in this for the bits and I've made more money today than I have in months, not only that but there's a whole damned city for us to loot. And since I know little miss holy hooves there has issues with taking money that's not being used, somepony has to stay to make sure all that money is properly retrieved and cataloged. Not to mention released into the economy."

"Then get your flank back in there and help me clean this place up," Applebloom said biting down on Scootaloo's tail and dragging her along with her.

"What why me?" Scootaloo screeched as she made a failing attempt to fight the smaller earth pony's strength.

"Sweetie," Babs began.

"If there are bunk beds I call top bunk," Sweetie Belle said rushing into the creaking mansion of ruin and rot.

Babs sighed giving the building a foul look and noticing that it seemed to be leaning noticeably to the left. A crash sounded from inside and Babs watched as a shingle tumbled free of the roof and shattered on the ground. She sighed heavily and began to walk slowly toward the decrepit shack as the sounds of arguments echoed from inside wishing the building was the only thing she had doubts about.