Amnesia: Twilight's Descent

by NABronyStudios

Rating: teen
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Princess Celestia
Length: 19070

A crossover between Amnesia: The Dark Descent and MLP

The last remaining memories fade away into darkness. Your mind is a mess and only a feeling of being hunted remains. You must escape.
Do you have what it takes to survive?
Twilight Sparkle finds herself in a dark castle, with no memory of her arrival there or anything else. Her only lead is a trail of red liquid on the floor, and no other way out. What she finds beyond it, though, will change her forever.
Based on the game Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Published 2012-05-12 08:24:03 UTC
Last updated 2012-07-12 20:36:44 UTC

Prologue

Intro -Part 1- Amnesia

“Don’t forget… some things mustn’t be forgotten.”

“The shadow hunting me… I must hurry.”

“My name is Twilight, I live in Ponyville at… at… the library.”

“What have I done? This is crazy.”

“Don’t forget, don’t forget.”

“I must stop her. Focus! My name is… is… I am Twilight…”

I heard the sound of a glass shattering.

With a painful headache and a very slow pulse I got on my feet. “Where am I? What happened to me?”

Slowly getting back to my senses I tried finding something that can explain all this. What happened before I got here?

I can’t remember; what little I recall tells me that this must be amnesia and by the looks of it those rocks behind me are the cause. One of them must’ve given me a good bump on the head. That also explains the headache.

I looked around and noticed this to be a very dark corridor. I could hear the sound of thunder outside and see the water dripping inside through a narrow hole in the ceiling. This must be a castle; the carpet and windows definitely belong in one. But there is something odd on the carpet.

I get a closer look. Rose petals, fresh rose petals and a reddish liquid that has their smell; I wonder what it is? Alas, I have more important things to do right now, like finding somepony who can tell me where I am.

I entered the door on my right and saw what seemed to be a greeting office. There was no one inside although I saw a tinderbox and a freshly lit candle. I thought to myself I don’t need such a thing, I have magic, I’ll just light this entire place in no time; but then I realized…

MY MAGIC!!! It’s… it’s gone. Something isn’t right. How could I lose my powers? Just like that? I must find princess Celestia maybe she can explain everything to me. It seems like I’ll need a tinderbox after all…

I advanced down the corridor towards a big double door fitting of such a castle. I heard the sound of wind and suddenly felt like I was going to collapse right there, but I regained my balance shortly, not without knocking over one of the armor suits displayed. Oh, somepony will surely notice this, I should fix it but I don’t have the time, nor my magic… I should get going… I muttered to myself.

I walked towards the door and firmly pushed it with my hooves, forcing my entire body against it, but it just wouldn’t open. I guess it’s locked for some reason; I’ll just take the way around.

Turning to the left of the large double door there was a chamber with a drawer, a display case and some painti… *the wind slams open a door to the right*

“EEK… What… What was that?” I said to myself, feeling rather creeped out. I looked inside to find out where it came from; apparently it was a living room with a fireplace and no windows. OK, this is getting weird…

I returned to the chamber with the paintings and found another door leading towards a staircase; the entire path had stains of the reddish liquid, from the corridor and until here. Strangely I think there are more ahead.

As I walked along the staircase placing a hoof after another on the stone, the chandeliers started moving and the ceiling gave off a creaking sound. An earthquake, I should run and find cover. I ran fast through the corridor until I heard an otherworldly moan, I froze in place not knowing if it was the scare or the dizziness that held me there. I fell on the carpet and stood there until the shock was over, it didn’t last very long.

I had to move on; maybe the moan was from a pony who got hurt. The next room had stains of the red liquid all over. It seemed devastated by either the earthquake or by somepony. One door was leading to a painting’s storage room. When I reached the center, a second door on the right slowly opened. I wonder what’s in there, but I’m not sure I should go. I took a deep breath and found the courage to go in.

I entered it slowly observing it was an exhibit room with paintings. Just as I reached the center… Wind started blowing all around turning out all the candles, messing with my mane and making my heart race like never before. But again, there were no windows to be seen. “This… this… makes no sense.” I said while lighting a candle with shaking hooves. “Is anypony here? “ No answer.

I followed the liquid towards the only way out, a stone stairway with a collapsed column at its base. The castle was already making me paranoid with its grey walls and gloomy light. It lead me to a door different from the others, it was covered in red velvet with a black metal reinforcing on top.
I entered it…

Intro -Part 2- Note to self

…only to find another hallway. "This is getting old… If only the castle had anything else except corri…" *the eerie wind slams open another door, pages flying all around; this time it took out the lights as well*

While lighting the warm torch back, I thought to myself. There must be an explanation to this wind, all these rooms, maybe they have something in common.

Another storage, devastated; water pouring from the roof inside. As I put my hoof on the bare soil inside I couldn’t see anything in common with the other two chambers. At least it was day, as the light coming in through the gap confirmed it. I guess I’ll find out sooner or later… “AGH!"

Bugs on the floor everywhere were climbing onto my hooves, touching me with their tiny legs and antennae. I shook them off in disgust and jumped on the nearest shelf. But as soon as I looked back, the bugs were gone... "Something is terribly wrong here. I must find a way out!" If anypony were here, I would’ve seen them until now, so I assumed I was alone.

Continuing down the hallway, I stopped in a room with collapsed columns, with holes in the ceiling where they used to be. I noticed something shining on the floor. Trying to approach it, a strong gust of wind nearly blew me off my feet, practically pushing me towards the object. I stood still, frozen in fear. When I was sure the wind chilling wind had passed, I went to take a closer look at the object.

It was an oil lantern. Realizing it would be useful, I seized the opportunity and took it, putting it around my neck, I also took the saddle bag near the lantern as it was getting tiresome to carry the tinderbox in my mouth and I would need a place to hold oil as well. The next corridor was pitch black and I needed my new lantern to see anything; it raised my morale quite a bit as it felt warm and it gave the so much needed light. Steadily advancing, I could hear another sound in the distance that sent chills down my spine.

Entering the next room, another earthquake shook the foundation of the castle thoroughly. This one didn’t scare me as much, already being used to the occasional rumbling. Looking around, I saw nothing of interest, except for a peculiar mark found on several crates. It was something like a black bird, with a crown on its head, holding something in its beak. "I wonder what it stands for… Never mind, no time for this…" I said to myself, as I walked past them.

Reaching the next chamber, I saw the liquid trail end near a desk. On it, there was a note, a small bottle of oil for the lantern and a dim candle. First things first, I take the oil and refill the lantern with it, after putting it out. After this, I take a quick glimpse at the note and recognize… my writing! I look at it closer, and this is what I found written, black on white:

"16 September 2011

I wish I could ask how much you remember. I don’t know if there will be anything left after I consume this drink.

Don’t be afraid, Twilight. I can’t tell you why, but know this, I choose to forget. Try to find comfort and strength in that fact. There is a purpose. You are my final effort to put things right.

I am hoping that the name Celestia of Everfree still invokes bitter anger in you. If not, this will sound horrible.

Go to the Inner Sanctum, find Celestia and kill her. Her body is old and weak, and yours is young and strong. She will be no match for you.

One last thing. A shadow is following you. It’s a living nightmare—breaking down reality. I have tried everything and there is no way to fight back. You need to escape it for as long as you can.

Redeem us both Twilight. Descend into the darkness, where Celestia waits and murder her.

Your former self,

Twilight Sparkle."

This... this can't be! Why would I choose to forget? Why would I call princess Celestia "of Everfree"? Why on earth would I want to kill her? And most of all, how can she be old? I thought she was immortal. The "shadow", why is it hunting me and what is it? So many questions and no answers...

It could be a fake; maybe somepony wants princess Celestia dead. Let's see if the writing is mine. I checked it thoroughly, each letter, each curve, they were all uneven and unskillfully made, they couldn't have been mine, unless... they were written without magic.

I felt a headache as I grasped the truth, tears dripping from my eyes.

It was all too unexpected...

Why? Why would I choose to forget?

Chapter 1-Entrance Hall

Chapter 1 – Entrance Hall

I stood at the desk, just thinking what to do next. In front of me were a lit candle, a dirty glass vial and a pair of scales. There is no way out. Maybe there are some clues in this very room; I doubt I would write something for myself just to reach a dead end, even though I probably wasn’t thinking clearly.

I lit the oil lamp to see better. There are a lot of vials around here, some of them broken, ingredients as well. Some crates, a few alchemy books on potions. Wait a minute... The trace leading here, the ingredients, the vials, the glass shattering… A potion, I must have drank a potion; the note, it mentions it! This is getting more and more confusing by the minute. I drank a potion in order to forget something horrible. I wrote myself this note in order to kill Celestia.

I heard hoofsteps from above. A tap and a creak, a tap and a creak.

I need to get out of here. Once I find out where I am, it won’t take long to get back home.
Then I noticed a lever. A lever in a study? What’s it doing here? Maybe it opens something… I approached it. I was getting more and more claustrophobic from the stone walls and the dim light, feeling as they were closing in whenever a light would go out. Shrugging off the thought, I pulled the lever firmly. The bookcase started moving, unveiling another so familiar stone wall, the sound of friction between two stones made me back off. The newly revealed wall disappeared under the pouring dust, revealing a secret passage. Guess it’s the only way out… or further inside. I opened the velvet door in what appears to be a large hall.

I walked the stairs and put one of my hooves on the doorframe. Looking to my left was a window with light, such bright light… It must be noon. On the floor, engraved in the stone was the same black bird I firstly noticed on the crates, this time encircled and partly covered by the debris of a collapsed column. The room was in a very poor condition. One of the two staircases leading to the upper floor had collapsed under its own weight. The hole made in the ceiling where the column used to be let in gusts of wind and the sound of birds. I wish I could be outside, to see the sunlight. But wait, this must be the entrance hall, this means I should be close to an exit.

I approached the center of the room right on top of the engraved bird. Suddenly, images and sounds filled my mind in a strange way. Memories, lost memories.

“Princess, is it inside the castle?”

“In a matter of speaking. Come, bring the lamp. You’ve been to the refinery, have you not? *chains rattling*

“I don’t believe I have. Is it connected to the… what did you call it?”

“The Inner Sanctum, my most precious chamber, Twilight.”

“And it lies well beyond the refinery.” *door creaking* “In fact it lies beneath the very stone of Everfree.”

Ugh… These images… The Inner Sanctum? Celestia? What is all this? I wish I could remember all these things I chose to forget. Oh well, maybe in time my memories will come back.

I see them again, the rose petals, as fresh as those before them, emanating a strong smell, near the stairs leading deeper into the castle. It’s not where I’m heading to. I look around the hall and see what I was looking for from the very start. One big double door at the end of a hallway.

I approach it, with every step quickening the pace, each window on the side teasing me with their light. Once I reached the door, I inhaled deeply and touched the handles with precise moves...

Right before my eyes, with an indiscernible sound, a fleshy tissue appeared covering the two doors, sealing them shut. I pushed them, I bucked them; I even started yelling at them. I ended up crying on the floor, with my will broken and my morale crushed. I’m trapped…

When I stopped sobbing, and got to my feet I took another look at my note. Could this be the shadow following me?

I start looking at the entrance hall, examining it.

The memory I recalled said something about the refinery. It also said it leads to the Inner Sanctum. My note said that’s where I’ll find princess Celestia and ask her everything about this. I’ll even show her my note.

Now, let’s see where I can find the refinery. The note mentioned it would be somewhere under the castle. I go towards an arch, to the left, with stairs leading downwards, and recognize something written on the stone tablets. “It’s Latin.” I said to myself.

“Cella Vinaria” , “Laboratorium”

Wine cellar and Laboratory. Don’t think so… The only stairs left that lead down are the ones in the center of the hall. Those must the ones… The stone plate was engraved with the words “Fabrica Eliquatoria”. This is it. I open the door without hesitation and found what I least was expecting… The same organic tissue was blocking me inside this hall.

Great, now the only thing that’s missing is a zombie pony to hunt me through this castle.

Having already panicked and cried more than once, I decided to examine everything before taking any action. So the room I came from wasn’t labeled with anything.
I guess it’s normal… it’s supposed to be a secret passage.

I go back to the hallway and examine it. Three bookcases; none of them seem to have any useful information… Two barred windows, of which only one was left uncovered. Some of those slimy bugs in a corner and a chest… A chest! It has an oil bottle. I take it and put it in my saddle bag with no hesitation. This should keep me going a while.

Nothing left here, I should go look upstairs. I gently climb them, only to hear the sound of the wind, then a female pony screaming from the laboratory… or the cellar, I’m not sure.

“GET AWAY FROM ME!!!”

I turned my head in one quick move and nailed the source of the sound with my eyes. I was frozen stiff. Could this place be haunted?

I continued advancing with slow moves noticing the door on my left was firmly sealed off with wooden planks. Another cave in to my left and at the other end was one of the few accessible doors with a tag above it…

“Tabularium”

The archives…

One last look at the hall and its red flags covered with shields and I was off to see whether the archives had any useful information or not.

Chapter 1- Part 2 –Fiction or fact

Closing the door behind me, the first thing I saw was a dim light from a lantern suspended on the ceiling.
Right below it stood a door which was knocked out of its hinges. To my right, a huge cobweb. Approaching the light, I noticed dust pouring out of the ceiling. The two rooms on this corridor were each marked with a wooden plaque.

“Libri rari” and “Catalogi”.

“Rare books” seems like a good place to start, even though the run down door doesn’t inspire trust. Apparently, the room had been turned upside down, leaving none of the important books. The fireplace was cold, full of ashes and webs. The wind was blowing strongly through a particularly round hole in the ceiling, as if someone had made it to get in. It was barricaded with wooden planks, apparently in a rush. Yellow pages everywhere, except for one, which was white…

“16th June 2011,

The unflinching African sun has continued to plague our expedition, making it impossible to dig until dusk. How Zecora managed to find the location in these vast plains of nothingness remains a mystery to me. When I asked her about the tomb again, she told me about the legend of Mare Hinan, “the mother of us all”. An interesting story in its own right, but I can’t help feeling there’s more.

Later that evening, we uncovered a passage beneath the dunes leading towards a sand-covered stone structure. The zebra was confident it was the tomb we sought and ordered the others to clear the way—late into the dark cold night.

Tomorrow I shall lead the colts into the ancient structure, hoping to reach the burial chamber safely. No matter what Zecora is keeping from me, the dig should yield something interesting to take back to Canterlot and the University.”

I added the note to the first, thinking to myself: Slowly but surely, I’ll regain my memories. Leaving the room, I noticed a continuous moaning. At first I thought it was the wind. I tried to ignore the fact that it was sending chills down my spine and approached the second door.

Even though the moaning was terrifying, I felt at ease being surrounded by books, and being as far away as possible from those awful stone corridors. Opening it, I noticed a desk and an unlit chandelier. Using my tinderbox once again to light it, I noticed a knocked down chair, nearly tripping because of it. I searched it for more notes, and was disappointed when I found nothing. I should look on the shelves as well… and though I found none of my notes, one particular document caught my attention:

“I hereby offer my full attention and service to Celestia, baroness of Everfree. This contract will reign for a total of 3 years when my freedom shall be returned to me. In addition Celestia, baroness of Everfree, is to recommend my services at the Equestrian royal court and within the sanctum of the Order of the Black Phoenix.

May no pony break this seal.

Wilcolt, house of Gerich.”

I know Celestia is immortal and this document could be very old, yet it doesn’t explain the title. Why would anyone call Celestia “baroness” and of all the places, why the Everfree forest? Guess I’ll need all the knowledge I can find about this newer side of Celestia. Or… should I say her older one.

Exiting through the second door, I came across a room labeled “Studium”. If I really wrote those notes, this would surely be a place I would leave one. And sure enough, there it was…

“20th of June 2011
My teeth tremble as I write. I feel a need to document my tribulation, even though I lost my magic, for I fear that my memory will fail me if I linger.

Today I took some colts and ventured into the dark ancient passage that was uncovered. Our torches burned faintly in the murky air as we slowly made our way underground. The others were superstitious and fearful. They argued loudly and I felt their strange language getting to me. I mustered my strength and yelled at them to continue down the slopes and broken stairs.

The crudely carved passage confused me. It looked much older than the 4th century structure we had expected. The twisting path emerged into a great ante-chamber. The walls were lined with statues unlike any I’d ever seen. Despite their unearthly quality, I felt a strange familiarity towards them, which haunts me still. At the far end of the chamber, a great slab of stone sealed off whatever lay ahead. I told them to raise it, and as I pushed through the narrow space, the heavy stone suddenly dropped, sealing me inside.

I was trapped.”

This is the first note mentioning anything about losing my magic. But it doesn’t explain how, or… why? I had to find more notes to get to the bottom of this.
In order to find more of my notes, I had to explore the darker and dustier sections of the archive. I sneaked through the narrowly opened door. Lighting my lamp, I clearly saw the plaque reading “Libri Veteres”. Old tomes.

I wonder… Illuminating the chamber, just as I walked inside, a book fell with a loud thud. My heart felt like a hammer pounding in my chest. I nearly fainted. Then I heard it...

Somepony was playing the piano loudly, just beyond the wall. I gave a squeak and a gasp before asking in a silent voice “What is this accursed PLACE?” As in response, the moaning grew louder. Curiosity and fear. Both echoing in my mind. Should I find out what it is, or not? I just have to find out what’s going on around here. The first door I encountered made me want to push it aside almost instantly. If only it weren’t locked… It was labeled “Historia Loci”. Seems I have to go… right.

I emerged in a long main hallway, with paintings, barred windows and a familiar red flag. It also had two fireplaces at each end, even colder and dustier than the first. Just as I got myself closer to the piano the case that was supposed to cover the keys slammed shut in my face, spreading dust all over me. I felt a very warm stream of blood in my veins as I hit the floor. I stood there for at least five minutes, but for me any minute longer spent in this castle seemed like an hour. While I stood there, the moaning echoed in the hallway. Almost uncaring what my next action would be, I simply decided to go further. It couldn’t be worse than what just happened, could it?

Just as I reached the end of the hallway, the pony that was moaning… If it was a pony… had made a sound as if injured, or in pain.

“Erghaaaaerr!!!”

All I knew is that the noise was coming from the corridor to my left. Well, Twilight, it’s now or never.
Entering the corridor, I could barely see anything, so I turned on my lamp. At first I saw a pile of rocks in the middle of it, with another barred hole in the ceiling. I may have given it no attention, but blood was dripping from it, drop by drop. I walked past it, eager to find the source of the sound. Also passing another shut piano, I found another room, this time labeled “Delineatae Imagines Tabulatis”. I went inside, thinking that I may find a way out on the floor plans. Reaching a wooden board, the dizziness came back and images from the past came swirling in my mind.

“Much of the castle is old and hasn’t been tended to for centuries. When the Shadow arrives, it won’t take long until things start falling apart.”

“We’re just buying time anyway. Let’s do what we can.”

“There isn’t much to be done about the wards. We should reinforce the weak structures. The ground will tremble and there is a risk everything will cave in on us- especially downstairs. Here, here and there. Let’s get the servants working on it.”

As I recovered, my hooves shaking, I had a shocking revelation. Celestia knew this “Shadow” was going to come. Were we running from it? And if we were, why was it after us? And why, of all places, find refuge in this haunted castle?

Getting closer to inspect the floor plans, head pounding, I heard somepony playing the piano again. I realized that this may be the only chance to catch the pianist. Storming out of the room, I charged towards the piano, shouting “Show yourself!” And yet again, there was nopony to be found. “I will find you, sooner or later!” I screamed to the walls. I was losing it; my nerves were getting the better of me.

I furiously got back to the floor plan room. I looked down the corridor, and saw that I only had one more room to visit. “Let’s get this over with, I don’t want to stay here a minute longer…”

“Tabulae”… Slowly walking over the hinge-less door, I heard a rockslide from behind, and turning around, all my anger was instantly replaced by fear. I was trapped inside!

I started hyperventilating instantly and felt like the ceiling of the room was collapsing, practically squashing me. I slowed the rhythm of my breathing and gathered all my strength to calm down. It’s just your imagination, Twi… This entire place is falling apart. There must be a way out! I couldn’t move fast, I was too afraid to. It was slowly getting to me. The fear, the darkness. I wish I were home right now, reading a book.

I entered the room full of maps, and took some time to examine the maps on display. “Kingdom of Equestria” and “Central Ponyville” were spread on another wooden board. Turning towards the desk, it had a candle giving off the only light in there; I noticed another white page, lying on top of a stack of old books.

I just picked it up... and just as I read the first words... I felt a headache of such intensity I actually thought it would break my skull. My legs were shaking madly; my breath was cut off, my heart rate going up and down each second.

I had a vision as I remembered writing the page I saw right before me...

“20th June 2011- Inside Chamber

After bucking the unforgiving stone wall for what seemed like an eternity, I realized it was hopeless. I was trapped. I fell to the ground, gasping for air, trying to focus. That’s when I saw a faint blue shimmer.
My weakened body was heavy to carry, but I managed to push myself towards the enchanting light. It was waiting for me. Enclosed in the dark nothingness I felt myself drawn to the mystic light. I reached out, closing it in my hooves.

What happened next is beyond words. The faint glow escaped my hooves and began to spark brightly and spirit me away. Unlocking alien memories of spiraling towers, endless deserts, and impossible geometry.

I tried to pull myself closer to the luminous artifact, but the light kept pushing me away. I used my magic to take it off its pedestal, but as I lifted it slightly, it burst out, shattering.

The next thing I can remember is the grating sound of stone being lifted. The voices of the zebras pulling me to safety. Grasped firmly in my hooves were the broken pieces of a most peculiar relic. And one more thing, my magic, it was gone…”

I awoke in the room, near the ice cold stones. I was dizzy and had foggy eyesight. All of this, so real... And so fast... It was too much for me... But I had no choice, whether I liked it or not, it was the truth.

I regained balance and lit my lamp; it gave me the courage to face what was next in this grim castle. I need to get out, but how? I can't use the window; it’s a long distance down. This castle was probably built on a hill. Think Twilight, think. The earthquake, it could have weakened the walls. Let's see...

I examined the walls carefully, but it didn’t take long as a crack was right next to the door. The wall was very weak and after bucking it twice, the wall collapsed, leading towards another, unknown room. When I reached it, another memory came to me.

“You have to be swift- when you activate the first one… you hear that? *chains rattling* If it stops, you have to start over.”

“Isn’t all this a bit excessive?”

“You can never be too careful, Twilight.” *stone grating*

This one left me as dizzy and as confused as usual. I had no idea where I was. Trying the only door in the room, I noticed it was locked. Being trapped, I tried, as always finding the right answers in the books.

Books everywhere, they seem to be on local history and folklore. I lit a few candles with my tinderbox so I could read through them. Ponyville history. I started reading it with interest. The more I read, the more terrified I became.

“Ponyville and Everfree Castle 1976

Another region rich with lore is Ponyville, deep within the East Equestrian woods. For centuries there have been stories surrounding the hamlet and its neighbor, castle Everfree. The quiet forest-clad mountains dressed with scattered lakes is as picturesque as can be, albeit the area is haunted by the dark. Ask any local and you will hear proof of the widespread superstition. All travelers should indulge themselves in such conversations since it will certainly serve as exciting entertainment. All of them have their own twists on the tales, but there are some motifs that keep reappearing.

The Gatherers

This story reaches all the way back to the time of the Thirty Years’ War. It is said that soldier ponies who abandoned their duty got lost in the cold dark woods and were forever damned to roam the grounds. Their bodies wrought by their tainted souls, have left them disfigured and empty of essence. Many ponies have sighted them over the years and describe them as horrid revenants. They move silently through the woods, shying away from anypony. They are called Gatherers as they seem to follow some ambition to steal living creatures. It is their prey which can be heard struggling inside damp burlap sacks dragged behind them which reveal their presence. What dark scheme do they follow?

A Visit Undone

Luna, the well known erudite, visited Ponyville at the start of the 10th century. She resided in the local inn for a fortnight as she looked for remnants of kingdoms past. During her stay all the prominent members of the pony society paid notice and she is mentioned in many records of the time. One day she went to investigate a burrow in the northwestern glades only to never be seen again. Luna is known to have been imprisoned on the moon some 10 years later. She dismissed the notion of ever visiting Ponyville, which makes you wonder what really happened. Who was this mysterious pony who visited the sleepy hamlet in the woods and what happened to her?

The Immortal Alicorn

Researching the history of Celestia and the alicorns, there is very little before the 10th century. Alicorns were also ponies like any others, aging and dying normally. They were rarer than any other type of ponies, but were still present throughout Equestria. At about this time, Celestia, a young alicorn, seized power over the sun and thus gained immortal life. It is said that Luna helped her by unlocking the powers of the moon, but betrayed her. Celestia’s punishment was severe, and because Luna also got immortality through the satellite’s power, Celestia had no choice but to imprison her on the moon. Since then, the alicorns started disappearing one by one. Nearly a century later, Celestia was the only surviving alicorn in all Equestria Being the only alicorn left, she was crowned princess by the other ponies. She also kept the title of baroness of Everfree and joined the order of the Black Phoenix, along with other leaders of the country. No one knows exactly what happened, and why the rest of the most powerful race in Equestria died off, or why the princess keeps her loyalty in such an obscure place as Everfree, but it is known that she will keep watch over the earth and sky ponies, no matter what.”

After reading the horrifying note, I broke the glass on the case and carefully placed the note in my bag. Examining any possibilities of getting out, I thought of the vision. Chains, metal, stone... Let's see...

While looking around, a certain book caught my attention I grabbed it and it wouldn’t come out of the bookcase... Then, a chain started rattling... A mechanism. There must be more than one. Looking at all the books I came to the conclusion there are a total of three unusual ones. "Well, here goes nothing." I said to myself hoping it would open another secret passage.

Someone must have listened to my thoughts. Because surely enough, as soon as I pulled the last of the switches, a bookcase started moving, unveiling another room.

It was not an exit from this nightmare, although this old unused study had something on the desk... A key... I picked it up... when suddenly an otherworldly neigh breaks the silence...

"Urgggggaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!!"

I panicked and pulled out all the drawers trying to grab onto something… Hide… I have to hide. Knocking the chair over, I managed to find shelter under the desk. Please… please go away. But silence reigned throughout the room. The only sound I could make out was my faint heartbeat.

I counted each passing second; every moment seemed to be longer than the last. Whatever made those sounds, I knew, almost instinctively that I had to stay away from it. A while later I realized there was nothing there. Maybe it’s just my imagination or a side effect of the amnesia potion… No, I think I’ve definitely lost it… Murdering Celestia, a shadow hunting me and now ghosts…

I finally mustered the courage to get out of my hiding spot, hooves still trembling. At first I wanted to investigate where the noise had come from, after all: “It’s just my imagination, right?” But then one of the old notes in a drawer caught my attention; it was written in even, skillfully made letters. While it could have been written by any talented scribe, the distinct curves, aligned in a certain way gave away something shocking. It’s Celestia’s writing!

“Regarding Closing of the Wine Cellar

Wilcolt and his fools have endangered my research long enough with their absentminded handling of equine vessels. The sheriff is keeping a watchful eye on the forest and is killing my trusty servants. It’s just a matter of time until they follow the trail to Everfree Castle. I need to lock Wilcolt and his workhorses up to avoid further investigation from the public. The wine cellar will therefore be sealed off until the matter has been handled. Either the colts leave or they will starve. Whatever comes first- they can rot for all I care.

Maybe I will feed them some wine, it would in a sense solve both my problems.”

This… This really is Celestia’s writing. But… how? A princess, supposed to be royal in both blood and actions… How could she be capable of such things? The note I had left behind started to make a little more sense… I have to get to the bottom of this. The key, it must belong to the wine cellar; it’s pretty logical it would accompany the note mentioning a lockdown.

Returning to the local history room I found the door… wide open. That’s strange, I don’t recall opening it. It leads directly to the main hallway of the archives. Well, ghosts or not, I have to reach the entrance hall.

As I entered the large corridor, I looked around for the gallery that was supposed to take me back to the entrance hall. I heard a groan from the right, and I started shivering, trying not to look at it. But something was there, between me and the passage I was seeking, and I saw it. The creature was something that looked like a pony, but had lost its original form and color. Wha… What is that… thing? My entire body felt the need to turn around and run.

“Graaaarrrgh!”

I started galloping in the opposite direction as fast as I could. Only when I reached it did I realize this was the same passage that had me sealed off inside earlier. My heart was beating crazily, knowing that my fate might have already been decided. Oh no. I hope it didn’t see me. I can still find a place to hide.

As I turned around and saw it, the ground ran from beneath my feet. I tumbled backwards and hit the pile of rocks behind me. The creature was slowly reaching towards me. This time, I could see it perfectly; a pony with pale rotting skin, chains and straps twisted around its body. Its face was disfigured; the jaw was sectioned, flapping with every step it made. The eyes were empty and devoid of life, distanced, almost as if they were forced out. Where the mane should’ve been was just a bare patch of skin attached, and its feet ended with sharp, bone claws instead of hooves.

The monster raised itself on its hind legs; its claws were heading right towards me. I closed my eyes. This is the end, Twilight. Don’t think of the pain, it will end faster this way… Yet the final blow never came. Could this be a miracle? Or am I already dead? I slowly opened my eyes to see what had happened.

There was no one in front of me. At first I thought it was just my imagination, but at a closer look I could make out an odd pile of dust where the creature once stood. But… this makes no sense! It was here! I saw it… But then again nothing in that place ever made sense. I must go back to the entrance hall. It was the only place I felt relatively safe since I got here.

I trotted carefully towards the exit. My entire body was shivering; I just wanted to get out. A small painting fell to the ground right before my eyes. It’s nothing Twilight, move on… I never wanted to see that forsaken library; not in the first place and not ever again. But before I could reach my destination, a painful moan echoed throughout the archives, followed by one familiar grim piano performance. What are these things? What is this place? Why is it doing this to me!? Wake up, Twi! Wake up…

And in that moment of despair, with my thoughts clouded, I was aware of the voice whispering in my head. No, Twilight, this is not just some nightmare. No, this is real, and it is all Celestia’s doing. You are going to set things right. Her blood will stain the floors of this castle!

Chapter 1- Part 3 –To Last Us a Lifetime

As soon as I closed the door leaving the Archives behind me, the castle was shaken to its core by another earthquake, accompanied by an otherworldly sound. Before me, the red tissue started growing, forming two big lumps of flesh on the floor.

It’s that gruesome substance again. I knew I had to walk over it since it was too large to avoid or jump across. As my first step landed, the feeling I got was unexplainable. Flashes of memories appeared and vanished in an instant, accompanied by an intense physical pain. My mind was in agony; my muscles were contracting beyond their limit. It was slowly killing me, scorching my very soul. Jump… Come on… I have to… JUMP!

I barely managed to reach the other side. Breathe, Twi. It’s just in your head… It’s just… But it turns out this time I was wrong. A small gash had appeared on my chest, a demonstration of the organism’s true power.

The memory was haunting me, almost imprinted in my mind: a pink mare with crystal blue eyes… cheerful, always laughing. How could it cause such pain? And moreover, who was this pink pony?

I have to keep it together… I… I should have searched for information on this vile… thing. I can’t go back there, not with those ghosts around. And so I decided my next destination would be the laboratory; after all, what better place to find scientific data?

While I remembered about the key to the Wine Cellar, I couldn’t find any reason to want to go there. It was gently rattling in my saddlebag, almost inviting me to use it. I ignored the feeling, heading directly for the tunnel labeled “Laboratorium”.

I proceeded through the door and found myself standing on a wooden platform. I could hardly make out where it would lead me. The precious light from my lamp shined once more revealing the stairs. Descending upon them towards a caved-in passage, a distant echo could be heard. At the side there was a torch. A source of hope, I thought, nearing it in order to find some comfort. But just as I mustered the courage to explore further, the distant echo turned into a prolonged howl, powerful enough to shake the foundations of the castle.

With my hooves trembling, I backed up, stepping on something soft, mushy. It took only a few seconds to realize what it was… I wish I hadn’t. In the middle of the room was a pile of rotten bones, decaying flesh and festering tissue. The nauseating smell made me vomit uncontrollably. I rushed near the light and sat on the cold stone floor, trying to catch my breath, closing my eyes. Those… those were once ponies. The simple thought of it made me throw up again, as I cowered in the corner, crying all alone.

NO! I can’t waste any more time… I have to press on. As I got up, my feet felt very weak. Regardless, I walked past the horrid amassment and entered a tunnel leading to the only intact wing of the laboratory. Tremors were still shaking the complex, but I had stopped paying attention to them. I knew my purpose. Yet the distractions of this castle would never cease, first I heard the familiar hiss of the cockroaches, while that was not enough, the sound of footsteps above made me gasp out of fear. “Keep… calm and carry on.”

My lips felt dry and my neck seemed to be filled with sand, a clear sign that dehydration was about to become my greatest problem. I can only thank myself for having such a sensible stomach. After all, what’s wrong in dying of thirst? It would be by far the best death I could encounter around here. But then I heard it, a splash coming from the room I was about to enter; the perfect answer to my concerns. I found myself within the boundaries of the laboratory, yet there was no sign of water within. “Could I be imagining?” Once more I could hear the delicious sound of liquid coming from underneath me, beyond a metal grate… Water!

I reached for it with all my strength, but the hole was too deep… So close, yet so far… I was just five inches away from it… when the water splashed my hoof revealing the silhouette of a creature. In an instant I retracted it, as the water was struck again, this time with a frustrated growl. The monster blended perfectly in the water; its presence was revealed only by the loud splash it made. I used to assume something was harmless until proven otherwise; this place changed all my core beliefs. I must remind myself to thank Celestia for every appearance of safety she destroyed… while I take away every drop of life she has.

The creature was trapped so I went about my business, trotting around the room. I was nervously searching on each of the shelves and benches for something that might help me regarding that weird substance. The shelves contained ingredients and potions of all sorts, most of which were useless since I did not possess the required knowledge to temper with them. As soon as I approached a certain workbench, I felt like the entire room had started spinning. I was drawn towards the past, voices echoing in my mind.

“Hmm… There should be more cuprite.” The sound of glasses chiming and a liquid bubbling filled the room. Celestia mumbled to herself, then cleared her throat, while adding more ingredients to the concoction “Let me see… And one part aqua fortis.”

I leaned on the table as the memory passed. Breathing deeply seemed to help me recover faster. I never assisted… to this happening. This is not my memory. Celestia was all alone here at the time, I’m sure of it. I looked on the desk. My vision was still blurry, but I could distinguish a note. The elegant letters made it obvious who had written it.

“Early Alchemy Experiment

This is my third attempt to produce artificial vitae. The former compounds lacked the potency I need, but I sense I’m close. Calamine and Orpiment are a given and the Cuprite binds them well. This time I will attempt Aqua Regia instead of Aqua Fortis in hope to produce a more even solution.

The experiment was unsuccessful. The solution is highly acid and proves impractical to put any use except as a detergent. Organic tissue reacts especially violently to the solution and should be handled with greatest care. I might be able to use the recipe, but I’m losing hope that I will find an alchemic solution to my predicament.”

After reading the note several times, I finally came to a conclusion. Celestia was trying to find a substitute for a substance called “Vitae”. Even though the word sounds familiar, I can’t remember what it means... Regardless, her failed experiment might prove to be my salvation. The chemicals she merged produced an acid that reacts harmfully with organic tissue. I decided to search for every ingredient thoroughly, reading the label on each of the displayed bottles. None of them matched the ones I needed. I looked hopelessly at the ancient parchment. Finally losing my temper I shouted at it as if it could understand my frustration “You’re useless!”

For a moment I lost my control, destroying most of the shelves, spilling the diverse liquids and substances stored in several bottles. I screamed at the world. The occasional rumbling of the earthquakes and the gentle tap of footsteps above were driving me insane. It took quite a while to for me to calm down. I sat down at another table, slamming my head against the desk, tears falling from my eyes… on the surface of yet another document. I lit the chandelier, awaiting to find even more false hope…

“Chemical Relocation
The lack of a chimney to properly vent the fumes from most of my recent experiments has taken its toll on many of my less stable ingredients in storage. Some seem unaffected, but many are stained by the fumes and will be difficult to salvage. I shall do what I can and move them to the wine cellar.”

This can’t be happening… I knew there was something about that blasted key… I KNEW IT!!! At that moment I had even considered taking my own life. I imagined it would’ve been better, rather than visiting the wine cellar I had read about in Celestia’s note. Who knows what I would find there? Yet I couldn’t give up… I simply couldn’t. There was something pushing me to do it, telling me to move on. Something long forgotten, but I felt it, like a spark in my soul giving me strength. I’ll go then… But I just wish I could remember… Why am I doing this?

I retraced my steps to the Entrance hall, glimpsing at the grim label above the stairway, it marked all my fears with two cold, stone words. “Cella Vinaria”. Taking the key out of my saddlebag, I realized it would finally meet its destiny; to open the room of horrors. Rusty and old, there was something about it that made it look sinister. Without any hesitation I opened the door, afterwards removing the key leaving it on the tiled floor, hoping it would eventually decay. Good riddance...

The first thing that hit me in the wine cellar was a smell of rotten flesh and ancient wine, an odor powerful enough to disgust even a dragon… A dragon…I hatched a dragon when I earned my cutie mark… Spike… The memory came back, and I recalled it as if it happened eons ago. I took a look at my cutie mark; it was there, a beautiful big purple star surrounded by five tiny ones… Magic… my special talent.

The rattling of chains brought me back to reality as I lit my oil lamp and descended into the lower level of the cellar. I noticed a small map attached to the wall. It must be a map of this scary place. Approaching it, the smell of corpses invaded my nostrils, making my stomach turn and my head spin. I could hear the voices of several colts.

Bottles were clinking and laughs were shared. It was some kind of celebration. Everypony was happy. Several were slowly humming “The Captain’s Ten Mares”. One of them shouted over to the others, while taking a heavy sip of wine “Where did the baroness go?”

“Who cares? She left us enough wine to last us a lifetime. Or at least until tomorrow!” The whole group started laughing at his words as the vision slowly faded away.

Images and sounds of an era long forgotten had passed once more through my head. I was starting to become worried about this aspect as well. It could be ghosts, yet I can’t shake the feeling that this place is somehow trying to warn me. Maybe it wasn’t always this evil, maybe something changed it…

Knowing I had to start from somewhere, I chose the room before me, cautiously slipping inside. I looked around it with my lantern. It was small and dark, but I could clearly make out a wooden table, some unsharpened hack saws and roughly a dozen iron pliers. There were several old barrels in one of the corners, reeking of vinegar. My attention was drawn to the table; sitting on top of what seemed to be a barrel bottom was a large, black bottle. I drew closer to it, smelling the distinct odor of verdigrised copper, the green substance, spilled all over the room. As I read the decomposing label, my heart skipped a beat. “Cuprite”.

Then one of the greatest fears passed my mind. What if my whole effort had been in vain? I quickly grabbed the bottle and shook it thoroughly. Half empty, but I guess it should suffice. I sighed in relief, and put the bottle in my saddlebag. That… wasn’t so hard. Now… to find the rest of them. I turned around, but before I could take another step, I was frozen stiff by the creepiest of scenes. The door I left open slowly creaked and closed, and a quiet growl could be heard from beyond it. I’m not alone… In this cellar… I… I have to move faster, before it finds me…

I have to hurry… Glimpsing through the cracked door, I made a decision on the spot; taking to my hooves, hoping to reach the other chamber… I had to. Once there, it didn’t take longer than a moment in order to slam the door shut behind me. I waited for what seemed like an eternity, but the creature never appeared. It didn’t notice me. Thank you…

Although the purpose of this room was the same as that of the previews one, which was the production of wine barrels, its size was of remarkably larger proportions. It even had an upper level dedicated to the proper storage of such containers. As I quickly started inspecting the room, my sight was attracted by a bright red liquid spilled on the stone floor. Next to an overturned table lay one very familiar type of bottle. There it is… Calamine! I was overjoyed by its discovery; yet that only lasted a moment... While placing the chemical inside my bag, another earthquake decided to make its entry. Giant chunks of rock and hardwood barred the door, sealing me inside. I could not believe it, trapped once more… Now I have to… Suddenly, everything turned black.

I woke up accompanied by a terrible headache. I had no idea as to how long I had been laying on the floor. A minute? An hour? Who knows? It was ironical really… I had been careless in my approach; I rushed inside this room, regardless of what I could find inside. As the thoughts passed, swirling through my recently injured head, I realized one clear truth… If I am to remain alive in this place, I have to take my time, think and plan every action twice before doing it. One mistake here could very well end up being my last.

In fact I wasn’t even sure I could get out… I lit a torch with my tinder box before carefully examining the debris blocking my path; an evenly sized pile of rocks with two big wooden planks at the sides. The stones appeared pretty heavy, but their balance was weak. I decided to try pulling what seemed like the weakest link, using all my force. The stone barely moved. Come on Twilight, you can do it… Gripping the boulder firmly with my front hooves once again I pulled with all my might, as if my destiny depended on that very rock. After two seconds of seemingly incredible effort, the stone came loose, causing the others to collapse and liberate the door. I had earned my freedom once more, gaining a valuable lesson in the process.

I decided to at least try and keep calm while pursuing my next goal, to find the other two ingredients. The map was now an invaluable source of information, as I had to evade the monster inside the basement. There were still two chambers left unexplored. I decided to visit the larger one, since there was a possibility I could find both the ingredients in that very room.
There were two doors leading towards it; the closer one was my first choice. But as I attempted to open it, I heard an unsettling growl and a glass breaking. Thank goodness it was locked. The secondary entrance would serve me well. I was able to find my way into the room and should that thing spot me, I could swiftly escape. The atmosphere was becoming heavier and when I reached the door, I could hardly even breathe.

Think logical Twilight, if you keep quiet and stay in the dark, it can’t see you. Okay...

As I entered the antechamber, consisting of one large corridor, I noticed the recent damage caused by the earthquakes. Some run down shelves, countless broken crates and a ceiling ready to fall under its own weight. I guess it could be worse… I searched the abandoned side for my ingredients, yet all I could find was a small vial of green liquid. Picking it up, I inspected its label… “Venicinum”.

A wide grin had appeared on my face. I remember… I read about this. It served as a painkiller and all-purpose medicine in older pony times. It’s also very rare. I’m lucky to have found one in this place. Yet as I turned around to continue exploring, my smile had been instantly wiped out and replaced by a terrified expression. The familiar neigh of a lifeless pony chilled the blood in my veins. In the cold abandoned cellar, I could merely see its silhouette. My grim stalker… It was searching for me.

I quietly turned out the light, and made each step with deadly caution, heading towards the corner, cowering in fear. I gazed upon the demonic being; the creature never moved. Although I could not see its eyes, I knew that agonizing husk was staring at me… deep into my soul, drilling into my very existence. But strangely, it turned around and, step by step, the groaning pony walked away in pain, slamming open a door I could not see… It had lost its interest. Yet there was that stare it gave me… I could never forget it. Those cold eyes were the only thing that remained in my mind, as if holding me responsible for the very fact that I was alive.

I emerged from my cover and began exploring the entire corridor, careful in my approach, as I did not want to alarm the lurking aberration. Some stones fell from the ceiling, I felt the need to scream, but I managed to keep my cool. The lifeless pony had left behind many open doors, marking out its route. I peeked inside the next room. According to the map this is supposed to be the wine storage. There was no sign of anypony in it, only countless bottles… some old, most of them dusty, and many of them broken. They gave out a foul odor of stale grapes.
As I turned my attention towards the lower part of the room, I could see it once again. Throughout the scattered bottles of wine and ancient blood stains lay a light blue liquid trail. I followed it, reaching a shelf where another very familiar black bottle stood out from the rest. “Orpiment”. After endorsing it with the others, I scoured between the remaining bottles for the last substance; however, this proved fruitless. Oh, Twilight. There’s only one room left. Don’t be afraid now… I tried to encourage myself.

Now, I have to keep clear of that monstrosity, avoid being distracted. The room at the far end is my objective. As I was making my plan, I could hear a ghostly echo throughout the whole cellar. The sour smell of wine and rotting corpses seemed to get more and more intense. I guess I shouldn’t waste any more time. I proceeded swiftly yet silently towards the other side of the basement, finding shelter in the small antechamber preceding the room I sought.

I looked behind one more time, making sure I wasn’t followed, before finally approaching the entrance of the final storage. As I reached for the handle, the door started slamming violently, each thud accompanied by a horrific scream. I instantly fell on my back, crawling in fear. It’s here… It’s coming for me... “Please! Someone help me!” But there was no one in the depths of the castle to hear my pitiful screams. This time I was sure the hour of my death had arrived, yet once again the deceiving nature of the palace had tricked me. None of the lifeless corpses came to put an end to my misery.

I was covered in sweat, slowly dripping from my forehead; the stress of being in this place was messing with my mind far too easily. Relax Twilight, you’re all alone here… One small drop of the presumed “sweat” fell to the ground, staining it with a bright color. That’s when I realized…That’s not… It’s… blood.

As I looked above I saw the antechamber’s ceiling lined with meat hooks; few were just dangling, giving out an eerie rattle in response to the chilling wind. However, part of them held a deformed creature each, the sharp, pointy end of the vile chain sticking into either their necks or spinal cords. Focusing my eyes on one of these festering animals, I realized what they truly were. No… Poor bunnies… Hanged, butchered… How? How could anyone do this? I wanted to start crying, but I simply couldn’t do it. My tears had dried out a long time ago. The hanging bodies continued dripping on my mane.

I got up on all fours, opened the door and slowly entered. Whatever will be, will be. As I was walking among the remains of countless dead ponies and witnessing the macabre image of blood painting the interior, I stopped for a while. Admiring it. I was disgusted yes, afraid too, but I wasn’t able to fight it anymore. I felt the need to be… liberated. To stand tall when the moment would come. I wonder how my end will look…

Stepping over one of the corpses, I sensed something incredible. My horn ignited, and I felt its magic coursing throughout my body. The long lost sense had returned, yet it was not mine, it felt darker…and out of control. A vicious scarlet light surrounded my horn, spreading its spiritual rays in every direction, engulfing that which was my reality. I went blind for a moment and as I regained my sight I found myself in the same of this wine cellar, before it had met its cruel destiny. There were four other colts inside; two of them were in terrible pain, crawling on the floor out of agony. The third was afraid, even desperate as he saw his comrades slowly fading away from life. Only one, a well built, gray colt, with a rusty sword and a helmet as his cutie mark, remained tranquil. He was sitting at a table, head in his hooves, sighing. The whole scene went on in this very room, and I was able to assist every moment of it.

Knocking over a bottle of wine, the bigger henchhorses spat out a blob of half-coagulated blood. While holding his tummy tightly he stated out loud. “What’s happening? It feels like… my chest is going… to burst.” He fell to the floor, bleeding from his ears and nostrils, choking on his now swollen tongue. Before long the toxin inside his body forced the organs to penetrate his skin, leaving a pile of gored flesh as his last remains. One that looked a bit skinnier was at about the same stage, bashing his forehead against a wall, more powerful with every hit. He was either trying to cope with the unbearable pain or kill himself quicker than the deadly poison coursing through his veins.

A brown horse, with a hopeless look and a very thin aspect had been observing the others in horror. After witnessing the chubby one turning into a puddle of defunct organs and liquefied flesh, he felt the desperate need to ask for help… “My God, Wilcolt, do something!”

The gray one gazed upon the two with cold eyes. He seemed uncaring about the situation, grabbing a piece of paper while answering his plea in the most indifferent of tones “Accept it. We’re not getting out of here alive.” He picked up a quill as well and began writing his final words.

Wilcolt’s indifference only agitated the brown one more. He started coughing while howling his words, the entire wine cellar echoing with the rough voice “How can you say that?” He ran out of the room, heading for the exit of the cellar. It seemed pretty logical… In his madness he thought that pursuing an escape would actually make a difference, bucking at the door and shouting beyond it… “Celestia, you whore! Let us out of here!” Then his voice stilled, as he started coughing once more. The spasms intensified, finally making him spit a blob of gangrened blood. His form trembled for a while before lumping on the floor… silenced forever.

The surge of magic disappeared as sudden as it initially hit me. What… What was that? The light of my magic used to be brighter in aspect, unlike the red energies I had seen earlier. They couldn’t have been conjured by me, I’m sure of it. Yet, there’s no one here… A very unsettling feeling took over my thoughts; there was nothing I could do. I attempted using my powers once again, to levitate a candle, a spell even a filly could master. Try as I must, but not even my entire focus could bring back the wild flows of crimson magic.

I walked up to the table where Wilcolt once stood, lighting the remains of a small candle. And as I put the tinderbox back in my bag, I spotted not only his long forgotten note, but also… On that very table, splattered with a deep blue liquid, sat the substance I was after. “Aqua Regia” I read its tag out loud while carefully placing it where it belonged. Now I can finally leave this cellar… However, before I do… I took a glimpse at the small yellow piece of paper. It was lined with remarkably inexperienced writing. Whether or not it was an effect of Celestia’s venom, the deformed letters posed quite a problem. I had to skim through the text more than once before being completely sure of its message.

“Wilcolt’s Last Words

My name is Wilcolt, house of Gerich. These are my final words, my confessions and testament. Two years ago I was summoned to the castle Everfree. As most of the aristocracy, I was curious about what this supposed baroness of the Order could want from me and accepted the invitation. She was quite friendly and offered me a proposition.

It dawned upon me that the nature of the contract was sordid and that the reason I was chosen was because of the follies of my past and not the honors I’ve been rewarded with during my time as a soldier. I was to kidnap healthy ponies upon her slightest whim and do so without asking questions. In return she would attest my character at the royal court, advancing my position within noble society. I would like to claim that I struggled with my decision, but it came swiftly and I accepted wholeheartedly.

Ever since that day I’ve brought, colts, mares and fillies to Everfree. I can’t remember the numbers, but there were many, perhaps even a hundred. None of whom were ever seen or heard of again. Tonight the baroness invited me and my colts down to the wine cellar to celebrate our work. I had my suspicions as we descended the stairs, but she insisted and joined us in a toast. The wine tasted fine and my colts drank without restraint.

So begins the punishment for our sins. The baroness has locked us up and returned upstairs. Forgive me for what I have done. I was weak and fell into her diabolic ways. My colts are screaming, their skin has been pierced by their own tangled bones. I feel my insides revolt against their God given nature. Blood has begun to pour from my eyes and I can no longer...”

I gently folded the paper, putting it along with the others. Celestia had many crimes to answer for. Wilcolt… I’m starting to wonder what she used those ponies for as well. I have an unsettling feeling I am soon going to find out. One step after the other, my lamp illuminating the basement like a fragile star in the night sky, a beacon in the middle of a raging sea… I abandoned the forsaken cellar with no second thoughts. Yet before leaving it for good I turned around and whispered to myself, to the cellar and to the ghosts of this place ”You will be avenged…”

Chapter 1- Part 4- A Safe return

I did not even manage to close the door properly behind me as the door knob was invasively covered by the organic substance, engulfed by its presence. In a matter of seconds, the stone steps leading towards the Laboratory and the walls surrounding the small staircase were drenched in the red substance. I avoided contact with the bizarre apparition as much as I could, yet it was somehow reaching towards me; it felt my very presence. This horrid ensemble touched my skin for barely a second, but the pain it caused throughout consumed my will and weakened my entire body.

Memories of another character invaded my mind. I attempted to recall as many details as I could before the suffering would finally let me loose. A blue… winged… mare… She was… beautiful, unlike anypony I had ever seen. I wasn’t sure if it was the pain that brought a tear to my eye or the intense feeling that came along with the memory, but as the sensation ceased, I was left without a clue as to who she was, yet somehow I knew that she meant the world to me. If only I had more time to think about her. Yet I knew there was none.

The stone bricks did not gaze upon me for long as my hooves carried me downwards yet again, towards the desolate laboratory, where my plan would meet its completion. The shadows greeted me once again, soon to be banished by the flames of my lantern. “It’s time I forge myself an escape.” I said proudly as I walked upon the surface of the rotting wood, passing by the remains of other fellow ponies who were most surely as unlucky to be trapped here as myself. The stone floor echoed my strangely firm steps as I reached once again the secluded room in which Celestia once conducted experiments. I was going to escape that nightmare. One way or another…

I advanced until I was on top of the metal grate once more, feeling an unnatural need to mock the lurking critter, much unlike me. “I’m leaving you know? And you’re not going anywhere.” Although unseen, it was easy to assume the reaction I received. The beast growled and submerged itself, letting the faint sound of bubbling water take its place. I felt victorious for once. If I was going to die here, at least I had earned one victory. My thoughts were soon awakened by a faint sound of crying. My mind overloaded, as I couldn’t stand the thought… A baby, trapped here? Yet the echo was soon extinguished by some kind of thud followed by some very familiar ghastly footsteps. I was now truly afraid; the spirits of this place were not only surveying me, but also responding to my silly, somewhat uncontrollable actions. “I have to move.” It was the first time I felt that even the sinister castle had good intentions for me, implying I shouldn’t waste any more time.

A chill ran down my spine as I felt the need to hurry. There’s something terribly wrong, what is it? I can’t… Understand. I couldn’t stand the darkness anymore, sharing the light to each and every candle inside the chamber. “Equipment… Apparatus… Something… Anything…” I started mumbling while seeking a method of combining the four ingredients. “No… A container…” I had to find a vial strong enough to bear the acid. There were glass vials all around, all sized and dimensions, but none made out of a sturdier material, or big enough to contain a decent quantity of liquid. “Ah… Where could it be?” I sat down at Celestia’s abandoned writing desk. Even the wood seemed as old as her.

The substances, notes, various recipes and contraptions were all glaring down on me from above. They were trying to tell me something. Whispers in the wind echoed throughout the damp atmosphere of the room, coming from their select positions upon the shelves. I felt compelled to understand. “What?” I swallowed in emptiness, my mouth feeling dry and my tongue feeling as if needles were buried inside. I asked my lifeless suitors once again. “What is wrong?” The shelves lay still, locking me in a desperate state. Maybe I am just losing my mind. All my newly formed hopes had vanished once again, when… A small book landed on the floor. Its cover illustrated a beautiful compass arrow, pointing directly at me. “Me?” It was then that my mind snapped to reality; it was not me it was pointing at, but the desk. I hadn’t searched its cupboard.

Should I? I wondered, fearing to be disappointed yet again. Yet I knew the answer. I opened the dusty cupboard, letting two insects loose that had apparently lived their entire lives chewing on one of the tomes inside. Regardless, between them lay two objects of importance. One was a stone hollowed container, a jar as most would call it, a perfect vessel for my volatile brew. I expected myself to be happier with this discovery, yet who knows what would be my next problem? The other object however was a peculiar metal device. I was intrigued by it, grabbing it with both hooves. Time seemed to no longer hold importance as I gazed upon it and felt my mind invaded by a voice, chanting words.

“One day I will return. If it wasn’t for the thought of you, my love, I wouldn’t be able to go on. When I find myself doing terrible things, I take comfort in you.

As long as I am able to think of you and long for a life together, I know I am better than others. I weep for them, they lust for power without restraint, where I only crave fair judgment and a safe return.”

As I returned to reality in a dazzled state, I couldn’t help but cry out. “Princess… Celestia… Where are you?” The words I heard previously were so truthful and filled with love that I could sense my own heart racing as they were carved onto my conscience, in that very moment I wished to tell my mentor how sorry I was… for wanting to kill her and for ever doubting her good deeds. Tears ran across my face, I couldn’t help but realize how wrong I had been to misjudge her the way I did.

A shock… It felt like a shock. To be sure of something and be proven completely wrong by the circumstances laid before you. It felt like that. My reality was shattered once again. The broken pieces of the puzzle would never make sense, but then again, the small amount of memories left for me to patch up together had proven this before. I was disturbed and weakened, but once again I paced myself to make a decision, until I came face to face with the goddess pony, I would cease to judge anything anymore, for it would only bring more pain down on me, pain I could not endure any longer.

With a sigh of relief I felt the tension leaving me for once. I carefully placed the metal casing back in its position, hoping it would never be disturbed ever again. The stone jar felt light as a feather as I picked it up; perhaps I was so mesmerized by the memory capsule that I didn’t even notice its remarkable weight. I placed the container in my saddlebag to make sure I would never lose it. Now all I needed was a working piece of equipment to aid me in distilling the vicious liquid and surely enough there it was, in the middle of the room as if I just discovered it then. It had four vials interconnected with tubes, each glass vessel accompanied by its own heat source. “I guess this must be it. Let’s see if I was ever cut out to be an alchemist.”

The four vials seemed almost eager to be filled as I poured each of the chemicals in decent amounts. It was not long that I reached my third substance when an earthquake shook the foundations of the great building in one powerful rumble, strong enough to bring down something made of wood apparently. Oh no… Whatever collapsed, I hope it didn’t seal me in here. I can’t think about this now, I have to remain strong and optimistic if I ever want to get out alive.

My head felt a bit heavy as I poured the last substance and began my ranting once again. “Now, I have all four ingredients and a container. All I have to do is turn on the heat and hope this doesn’t fail.”

As I dwelled upon my last remarks I started to realize how strange I had become as a result of these past events. “All this time alone… I’m starting to talk to myself.” All the more reasons to have no doubt, I lit each flame with remarkable determination. Let’s see what fate has in mind.
I attempted rotating the first of the levers, placing both hooves onto it and pulling with a moderate amount of strength. The mechanism creaked slightly before finally giving in to the force applied, the movement of the lever offering a small state of relief. With a sonorous clank accompanied by some brief metallic scratches the pipe cleared itself, acknowledging the fact that it was now functional once more. The Orpiment fumes began ventilating themselves into the distiller, slowly filling the brass pipe. I got my hooves up, grabbing two more winches before giving out another pull, another step towards escape. The vapors bearing the colors of Aqua Regia and Calamine soon invaded the thick metallic tube preceding the glass channel, where they all gathered, uniting and forming what would be a new, distinct substance.

One last step towards a new fate… I took hold of the last lever and swung it fiercely, to open the last of passages and to let loose the final component. The green gas embraced its new playground, binding the fellow substances together in one powerful reaction. The newborn element soon condensed into a thick, green liquid, with a clearly aggressive behavior. It was pouring out from the alchemical contraption in abundance, falling into the midst of a hardened stone container which was eagerly awaiting it. When it reached an amount suitable for almost any practical experiment, the flames started flickering, dying off, closely being followed by their extinguishment. The distiller had run out of gas I figured. It was only due to a lucky fate that I could finish my first potion… or rather,my second.

I picked it up in my hooves, careful not to spill any, I even felt like hugging it. It was warm, unlike the rest of the haunted castle. Yet deep down I knew it was as deadly and venomous as this entire place, the only thing different about it, well… At least it was my deadly venom.

I put the threatening substance in a proper spot inside the saddlebag, securing it with a tin lid. The darkened corridor leading to the exit never felt cozier. The paces I took made me feel proud and sure, any true unicorn knew how to take care of oneself and I was ready to prove myself more than capable, with or without magic. Yet the cold voice of the haunted castle had to disagree. As the unsettling wind blew past my mane, I felt the need to close my eyes. And as I opened them, my sight stumbled upon a horror beyond any of my beliefs. The stairs had collapsed, sealing me inside the depths of the laboratory.

It all felt hopeless, as it did many times before. All that effort just to end up stranded, buried inside the depths of the earth. There’s no way out. Pointless struggle… for… for nothing… My feet started trembling and eventually succumbed to the depression which was slowly eating me alive. I had to close my eyes, to forget, to be in a happy place, somewhere far from the forest which housed an ancient castle bearing the same nature, that of pure evil. Memories from when I was a little filly, beautiful memories. The day my father bought me my very first book; it was about magic and its limitless powers. I was so happy to see it I hugged him like never before.

But there and then as I reminisced my past, as I felt the warm hug once again, something happened. The memory faded away and was replaced in an invasive manner by the twisted scenes witnessed inside these walls. They all came forth like an avalanche of despair, darkening my mind. No… I opened my eyes. My sight was instantly greeted by the dark corridor, caved in from the very moment I first arrived in the laboratory. But this time, it had a crack, I couldn’t see anything beyond it, but the darkness felt like closing in. I was afraid.

I started crawling backwards, I felt like begging for mercy. It no longer made any sense, nothing did. A grey, very thin colt faded into existence in the far corner; he was barely holding his head up while pleading… “Make it stop. Make her stop!!!” A spike ran through his back as he screamed nameless words, gurgling on blood. Somehow, he was still alive after enduring such an ordeal of pain.

A dark blue mare with even darker circles around her eyes suddenly shifted into being. There was blood pouring from her skin as it was apparently melting away from her. The mane looked singed, even torn away at some points. Yet she didn’t seem to notice her condition, her look dwelled upon a certain spot while her mouth chanted “Don’t take them away… Please!” Her moans filled the room, giving the eerie wind a sinister lure. I cowered in despair, witnessing blood and bile stains engraved on the walls.

They were so deep and dense that they felt like cracks from the beyond, rifts towards a darker dimension. And in that very room, beyond the echoes of the dead, laid a voice I could recognize, a voice that made me tremble… It was her, right next to me! Silence… The last thing I remember was silence.

My heart was pounding faintly, slowly bringing back life to my hooves, body and mind. Satisfying warmth coursed through my veins, restoring vision and revitalizing strength. I felt powerful as I took notice of the scarlet sparks hovering before me. “What the…” As my words took shape, the scarlet sparks shading my surroundings in a reddish glow arranged themselves, resembling a winter gale. It swooped before me as I felt my entire being returning to its previous state, crushed, exhausted and fading, crushed by the horrors it has faced. It took so much from me… My head throbbed like never before as the red current distanced slowly. I had to stop it before it was too late. Yet I couldn’t… It took all I had, all my force, it dwindled my senses further still. Until… Until… “Please stop. Please.”

The freezing needles aggressing my coat slowly faded away, but didn’t completely cease, the apparition which had taken form was waiting, watching. “You… You understand me!” The mist turned boiling red at the simple, yet expected reaction, it felt like engulfing me once more and it did, only this time, the only thing I felt was a skipped heartbeat and a brief burn sensation.
It was gone. Where did it go?

I looked around, trying to find the once fulfilling mist of crimson sparks, it had vanished. Yet I was not on the same stone floor of the forsaken laboratory. The surface I stood on was slightly warmer… softer. I slowly looked downwards and as I moved I could feel the scratchy surface of wooden planks rubbing against my body. “How… How can this…” I got up steadily, and looked beneath, where the stairs used to be. I saw the collapsed structure of the staircase, and the dim light coming from below. I had somehow…

This must be a dream… I… I was down below. How is this even… possible? I felt so naïve, asking myself the same question again and again, trying to avoid… In truth, anything is possible; I just didn’t want to admit it. I turned around, and gazed upon the door leading towards the main hall. It was as dusty as it was earlier, still waiting in silence for someone to proceed through it. I was afraid to approach it, as always.

The foul interior of the laboratory was left behind me. As soon as I exhaled out of relief, I was greeted by another faint convulsion of the earth beneath me. The flesh-like substance had grown vast while I was trapped, swallowing much of what used to be a corridor. The moments of peace I occasionally had were always shattered like fragile autumn leaves left in the heart of a storm. “I should go on… My hooves feel so weak.” Yet regardless, they abided and I endured every step. It took a great deal of what concentration I had left in order to avoid the flourishing creature, slowly expanding itself on surfaces of the castle. I eventually reached the temporary safety offered by the entrance hall, which suffered only slightly from the spreading “disease”.

Part 5- Divergence

I walked slowly, constantly disturbed by the eerie thoughts my mind was prone to, heading towards the center of the remarkably spacious chamber. My steps ceased to echo as I caught sight of the familiar, carefully engraved emblem representing the Order of the Black Phoenix. It stood beneath me as I laid across it, resting for a while, a long awaited rest. I took my time examining the remains of what used to be a majestic entrance hall.

My mind lingered for longer than it should have until it finally reached a stable moment in which it grasped the notion of freedom. “I can get away… Leave this place forever.” The stone jar, filled with acid was able to destroy the lurking tissue covering my escape route… However, there were more places that would provide such a luxury. The refinery… A faint smell of roses leading towards it, offering hope of recovering long lost memories and not just that, but also a chance to find out the truth along with my long desired freedom. A tempting solution to an imaginary problem…

Yet there was another possibility, one I had just discovered. The grand entrance of the castle lay right behind me, covered in the same dense tissue, almost awaiting the pot of liquid fire, as if crying out to be liberated from the tight grip of the tantalizing substance. My freedom could as well lie just beyond that door, the easy way out, a long awaited morning to my nightmare.

“What should I do!?”

Chapter 2-The Refinery

Chapter 2-There is Truth in Wine.

Hope had gleamed brightly for me or at least that is what I thought for in the following moments, while I would ponder my options, I would soon face my own delusional self. It was only then that I had fallen once more in a state of depression unlike those before it.

Such a decadent path I had acknowledged, something so abominable, even my mind sought to dispel. “There was once a time… A past life… Where only the ancient secrets and hidden knowledge of magic interested me…” The words surfaced from within the very depths of my mind, however, I felt as if my very conscience was trying to banish them more than anything else. As I shivered uncontrollably at the thought, as if it was not true, as if my very skull was eager and ready to explode. My words drenched my mind in painful scars wrought long ago, of which I could not make out anything. As I stood on the floor I whispered to myself. “And now… All I care about… All I care about is…” I could not say it for I felt my throat dry out as the headache cast upon me a shadow of anger and what felt like the bitter touch of despair. I had the chance to escape my forsaken destiny, from the bonds of terror and sorrow lingering within these walls; yet something was telling me it was not right.

An odd idea quickly formed around my clouded judgment, an idea I had forced myself to ignore for so long. “Could it be…That I deserve all this?” I had forgotten a great deal of my past and while images and memories occasionally revealed themselves to me, I remained oblivious of what had initially brought me in the midst of my supposed “prison”. The cold touch of stone had become very familiar to my exhausted body while I had waited and concerned myself with a decision; time had passed and the vicious substance lurking throughout the place had almost completely engulfed the grand entrance. Slowly but surely, the bloodshot entity would devour all that was left. “Maybe it is better to just wait…”

Yet I knew I was unable to simply witness the end of my days, no matter how lost and confused. I got up on my hooves with a bit of a daze and slowly approached the door at the end of the passage, leading towards the outskirts surrounding the castle. I could almost imagine the tall pine trees and the fresh air, the end of my torment and a new day outside. The same indistinguishable volatile matter was suspended firmly on the wooden surface of the door, relieving me of my sought escape route.

However, I now possessed the means to dissolve the obstacles laid before me, at a price. I gently slid my hoof across the corroded timber and ceased my movement upon almost touching the creature. I could feel it emanating pain, yet harm would not become a real issue unless I made contact with it it. For a moment, I pondered the possibility of really breaking the living seal on the door. “An easy way out.”

All the swirling memories which came to pass in this castle relinquished themselves from captivity, one by one, as if I could finally see clearly after a very long period of time. The trail of reddish liquid binding me to a certain path, the note dedicated to my newly formed existence, the story behind the somewhat uncommon expedition I had attended almost a lifetime ago... And finally…The reason I was so keen on dealing with Celestia once and for all… It was neither the letter addressed to myself, nor the history surrounding her past…It was but a promise, one I had made quite recently to the trapped souls, drifting within this morbid darkness, confused and lonely with only the images of their past to remind them of their ill fates; fates which had been sealed ages ago by Celestia herself in the depths of the Wine Cellar.

But yet, how could I? After I had learned so much about her, my former tutor and princess with a past so well hidden and yet so intriguing. The personal note I had found, magically engraved by an ancient and knowledgeable alicorn with feelings hidden deeply inside a corner of her mind… I sensed the warmth of her tears and the strength of her feelings as if I had been there myself, crying over the happiness of which I had been robbed. I just couldn’t go on with my vindictive thoughts towards her any longer. I simply couldn’t bear it.

I turned my sight away from the barricaded door, gentle hoofsteps accompanying me towards the finely crafted and roughly aged staircase leading below the castle. Although I remained clueless of whatever horrors I would encounter down there, a certain determination pushed me forward, urging me to act. Strangely I wasn’t keen on disobeying. With a single move, I swung open the rotten door. As it creaked open, it revealed before me the same, unmistakable elastic tissue resembling the inner flesh of a living creature. With my hopes dwindling as I approached, I realized that whatever fate awaited me behind the veil of flesh, it all relied on one question. Would the formula actually have the desired effect?

It did not matter. I grabbed the stone jar from my saddle bag and then simply stopped for a moment as if in anticipation. I felt my jaw gripping tightly on the rigid stone surface as if it was frozen in time. I thought it would take years or even centuries for it to move once again. Much to my surprise, it took only a second of courage for me to throw it in a feat of anger and maddening rage. To destroy something felt so good and I could finally admit to being happy for once in this creepy place. A pleasure I did not even know I held within me… To see evil burning away! The beast seemed as if it almost realized how much I despised it, its form dissolving before my anger-filled eyes. I had a choice at last, a path that would take me to Celestia and… the truth.

As the last of the viscous substance dissolved, it gave way to a door. It felt great! The sizzling flesh was nothing but music to my ears, as I stepped over the decomposing tissue. Beyond it, there lay a gloomy and somewhat expected entrance, above which, with cold, irregular letters lay written an unmistakable title “Fabrica Eliquatoria”. The door towards the refinery now stood right before my eyes, remnants of the fleshy monstrosity were still covering corners of the tunnel. I did not know what would await me beyond its safety, in the midst of the darkness, nor did I want to find out anytime soon. At least one thing was certain. I would reveal my true conscience and my former memories with each step taken deeper within this forsaken castle.

The sound of lurking rats, indiscernible whispers from afar and faint howling wind… If I could’ve just gone back, I swear I would have… Yet this was the path I had chosen for myself, and whether it was good or bad, I had to see it through. Uncertainty, loneliness and how could I forget fear, none of these feelings was ever going to stop me, not now. And then after closing shut the door behind me, I paced myself through the spooky corridor until that moment I grew so familiar with struck again.

“It sure is dark in here…”

“Yes. And there is a good reason for it. But you can light the lamp now, if you wish.”

“What’s the reason? For the darkness, that is.”

“Stay close. Be careful not to stray.”

“What’s the reason? Why is it so dark?”

“Pay attention, Twilight. It’s important that you keep going straight and make sure not to stray.”

The memory left me with the same distinct bittersweet taste, one I could never hope to decipher and moreover… What kind of memory leaves a flavor behind? It almost felt like roses, but I couldn’t be sure… Maybe it was just the smell of rancid wine reverberating across the putrid halls. Reverberating smell… Another new feeling I had yet to experience up to this point.

The moment I had to spare. I trembled at the thought of it, but it was now finally over, not unlike the day of an exam. When one feels so stressed and full of fear, sitting quietly in a corner of the class and expecting the worst of what is to come. All you’d want to do in such a situation is to go home and do what you enjoy the most. To me… I don’t even remember clearly what it was; maybe it was reading a book, or solving a puzzle or probably just dabbling around with magic. No, it was something else, something… more that relaxed me whenever I was discouraged. There was simply no use trying to remember, not for the time being, at least. It was time to move on, literally.

The wet drops fell onto my skin coldly; the rotten wood, mixed with the repulsive smell of decaying wine gave out a smell familiar only to gravediggers. The soil was moist and soft enabling my hooves to sink in just a little each time I would take a step. As one remarkably cold spark of water fell onto my neck, I felt myself twitch uncontrollably and then give out a deep shiver. Such a magnificent feeling, though I must admit at that time, I did not know whether it was due to my personal satisfaction or because of the lingering sense of fear and sorrow.

I found myself venturing deeper into the pitch black embrace of the corridor. As my hoofsteps guided me further, I came across a blob of the putrid organism. I was not shocked to see it here of all places, after all, this really seemed like the perfect environment for such an abomination. Instead, I was intrigued to see that it had developed on its own, separated from the growing organism which I had left behind. Either it sprung here out of pure coincidence or… Would it be foolish to assume it was following me all along? It appeared to be stiff and immovable which led me to the conclusion that it had probably developed itself no more than a few minutes ago, leaving it in a weakened state.

However, I couldn’t really shake that sudden feeling, that it was lying in wait of its prey, expecting one false move, just one. I carefully steered away from it, and while doing so, I noticed that my path had once again aligned itself with the trail of petals, leading towards the refinery’s primary chamber. The distillers lay broken and corroded, their concoctions long degraded into a state of uselessness. The unknown sound that caught my attention was more than enough to bring me to an abrupt halt. I dared not pull out my oil lamp for I knew not what lingered in the darkness.

I stood still, frozen even, simply adjusting my pupils to the darkness. I wanted to see, to understand what I heard. And it took quite a while until I could finally distinguish a faint silhouette in the back of the room. From a distance, and mostly out of accumulated false hope, I figured that what I saw was undeniably another pony just like myself, someone who could finally help me escape from this nightmare. At last, somepony… Somepony who can help me.

To describe the foolishness of my actions would be impossible. Disregarding all my previews beliefs of careful approach and rushing in like a spoiled filly in favor of what could only be my delusions of freedom… I marched towards him, careless of what may happen, embracing the false truth I had carved in my vanity, only to realize… Only to realize that the pony in the back of the room was nothing other than a monster. All this time I had been galloping in the hooves of my death, a suitor which would gladly claim my life once I had allowed it. My mind was shut. All I could think about was its appearance.

The chains, the ringing of those chains felt like a gruesome melody even for the wicked. The metal pieces forming its binds had been stitched through the twisted and festering flesh. Its jaw was hanging while the teeth appeared to have been simply impaled into the remains of what should have been a mouth. The eyelids were contortioned and the pupils had been molded into black beads which seemed to have overtaken the eyes wholly. The groans of its agony sounded like a requiem of sorrow and pity and altogether anger. Its corrosive smell felt abound in the air as if such monstrosity had come from another world to bring all that is evil in one single form. It was death.

Moans preceded each sudden twitch of the abominable fiend. Its cold approach aided by the echoing groans had just barely been able to instill such a fear in me that I was compelled to move. I attempted to make haste, to flee as fast as I could, yet I was unable to. That was the moment when I found out the true meaning of terror, the moment when your eyes appear to be fixed onto a single point that resembles every single fear you had ever experienced. It was like an abyss, staring back at me. The eyes of such a beholder could probably drive anyone mad or better yet, anything.

At first I backed away slowly in hopes that I would remain unnoticed, however my actions had long compromised any attempt at stealth. At first sight, the creature appeared to be locked in a seemingly dragged pace. Approaching someone hastily seemed almost beyond its reach, however with each painful step, its charge became ever more intimidating. The malformed pony was reaching towards me, determined to put an end to my actions. The only thing I was capable to understand, the only thought I could grasp and firmly comprehend… It felt like a vague image concealed beyond a great mist. Yet it was so simple. “Run!” At that moment, I could have sworn there was nothing else I would have rather done. I took to my hooves towards the nearest door I could spot and never looked back. As soon as I entered the bleak room, I slammed the door shut behind me, so that no monster would fail to realize where I had hidden. Boy, was I smart…

Maybe… He probably didn’t hear… Me. I really did like building up false hope, didn’t I? Suddenly, as the sound of hoofsteps came to a halt right behind me, I could feel my heart sinking. This is really, really bad… The disemboweled horror hounding me began pounding with forceful, heavy bucks on the frail wooden door at my back. I had to come up with something before long or this place would most certainly become my final resting place. As I took a quick glimpse across the dark room in hopes of finding an escape route, I could make out hundreds of bottles piled up in a storage shelf, emanating a strong, disgusting smell, there was also an old workbench adorned with rusted distilling mechanisms, nothing of use to me. Or so I thought, for just when I was ready to give up, I saw the almost hidden silhouette of a second door.

This is it! There was not a moment to spare, for the monster continued slamming against the door behind me with all its might. It was only a matter of seconds before either the rotten wood or the rusted hinges would give in to the sundering blows. With lack of any second thoughts, I hurried through the newly revealed entrance, this time closing it gently behind me and securing it firmly with the apparently intact chain lock. I was gasping while meditating upon what had just happened. It didn’t take long before I once again jumped to conclusions.

Taking into account the fact that that creature never did saw me entering this room and that he most likely didn’t hear me… Hmm… He will most probably be confused once he breaks the door. And not a moment too soon, I heard the beast breaking in and starting to rummage through the desolate room I had left just a few seconds ago. It was quite unbearable while it lasted, the echo of hoofsteps approaching and then fading into distance. I had to keep my mind busy in order to remain sane. I took my time, carefully searching with my eyesight for some sort of weapon to slay the abomination. Instead, I found a piece of paper which I recognized to be one of mine after a more delicate inspection. This was certainly not the time to read it, but I knew it would come in handy, so I got up as silently as I could and slipped it into my saddlebag.

As I gently folded the paper, another door, leading towards a larger chamber of the refinery eerily creaked itself open. Upon witnessing this, I almost screamed in horror, thinking that my assailant had finally got me. I held my breath in anticipation until I became aware that there was nopony within sight, if those things can even be called as such… The hoofsteps lurking within the first room had stopped in a seemingly coincidental moment, as if in response to the disturbing sound. If I hadn’t known better, I’d have said it heard the noise. Luckily enough, after several seconds of disturbing silence, the eager beats upon the putrid wood resumed their curious course. The next few seconds happened so abruptly, that I can’t even begin to describe my feelings at the time.

I felt eased for just a moment. Why couldn’t I simply understand that the purpose of this entire maze was to strike me down when I least expected it? Well, I sure did afterwards. This place was my enemy and its only goal was to conquer me, either through brute force or by shattering my psyche. As my heart began to calm down, a sudden noise similar to a leap occurred, followed by a staggering blow to the door, shaking its very frame. It would have most probably shattered then if not for my body which kept it closed and secure. I began to breathe in an uneven manner and felt pains in my chest. “You can do this Twilight. Move!” I had to pull the same trick once again, crossing the first doorstep I encountered, which of course belonged to that eerie door. I once again sealed the passage behind me using the padlock, yet I knew for certain it would not deceive that ghastly follower. I was terrified, trembling and shaking like an elderly mare… An elderly mare… A faint amount of pain accompanied those thoughts, it soon passed leaving me to my current problem. “Think Twilight, think! Damn it, look around!”

It was disturbing and utterly weird talking to myself all the time, especially with encouraging words, but did I have a choice? Waiting was not in my favor, so I looked around. My sight crossed over the floor at first, revealing many odd-looking objects in the darkness amongst the rocks. The chamber I entered appeared to be larger than the last one, with a table in the middle, wine bottles scattered across it and some shapeless mechanisms in the distance, buried in rubble, which I assumed were distilling mechanisms… or monsters… Either way, I had to stay calm. While observing all this, something strange caught my attention, it was a light coming from a small passage. No sooner had I managed to see it than the monster broke into the room behind me, wailing in dismay whilst noticing my disappearance. “I don’t have much time left… Doors, there are two doors!” There was a sturdy looking door by the somewhat calming glow of the crawling space. I attempted entering through the door and soon found it was barricaded. “Hmm, interesting… And that small opening over there…” Although it was blocked by a few crates, I would easily be able to sneak inside unnoticed. However that creature was surely not stupid. I had to come up with a better plan.

I swiftly turned to my right and saw a second door. “That’s it! Lure him into a trap… Hmm, or better yet, confuse him!” The door positions, the main corridor entrances, they all fit together! This was nothing more than a circular depository with a main hall connecting all the refinery rooms. It was a cunning idea, but I had to work it out; it was the only way to confuse that thing, to make it go in circles. I only had one shot at it. I had to draw it inside the large room and then swiftly make way behind it, as soon as it would proceed in the presumed correct direction, I would slip through the small passage. Simply brilliant!

He wouldn’t be able to trace me back to this room. In fact, he would probably assume I ran back upstairs. That is, of course, if he thinks like a normal pony. The hoofsteps behind me were getting closer, ready to kick. I hastily barred the door with the wooden plank next to it. “Thank Celestia… Err… I mean Luna, that this place still has lockable doors.” A swift pace accompanied me to the next room, at the end of the corridor. “This is where I’ll wait and lure him once he breaks in.” There were so many risks at stake. Yet my wisdom only seemed to decrease in such dramatic moments… Weirdly enough, it turned out to be in my favor! I took a look around inside the room while that beast was busy knocking the door down. If not for my nosy personality, I would probably never have found that note. As my eyes spotted it, I felt like saying “I reckon I found something after all!”, yet a sudden headache followed. I ignored the feeling and grabbed the paper just in time, for he was here.

As I saw the creeper’s face, I ran towards the putrid table in the middle of the storage room, grabbing the nearest bottle of wine, gripping it tightly with my hoof. I sighed one more time before yelling with all my strength towards it. “Hey Flappyjaw, catch!” Hurling the bottle at the top of its skull, making it shatter onto the surface of the deformed head. The creature backed up slowly, probably in response to the sudden smack to the noggin. “Damn, that felt good and it caught its attention!” Sadly, one can never really ignore the law of equivalent exchange since... It didn’t take as much as I expected for that mongrel to lock me with its eyes and start speeding towards me like an enraged bull.

With a brief moment of satisfaction, I could feel a wicked smile sneaking onto my face as I closed the door in that freak’s face. “Safe once again.” or so I thought… There was a slight detail I hadn’t really taken into consideration when throwing that bottle, anger. As I hurried through the following door, I noticed the morbid figure breaking through the barricade with ravaging force, far faster and fiercer than before, shortening the distance between us exponentially.

I was terrified by the scene. Such was my luck that I had barely managed to bar the door within a fraction of a second of the monster’s first relentless slam upon it. I jolted down the room, trembling as I understood my fate. “There’s no time to think… I just have to run!” Another door closed and locked. My path had once again reached the corridor where I had first set eyes upon that deformed pony. If there was ever a time when I had ran faster than a flying pegasus, then this was it. No thoughts, no hopes and no memories. All I could picture was the image of my escape route and my hooves abided only in response to that vision. My heart felt as if throbbing when I reached the first room I had visited.

The chamber appeared rather morbid, having been ransacked by a living nightmare determined in its search for prey. It really did appear to transcend into the world of horror stories. Alas, at that time, all I could really perceive was the pain in my chest and the excessive need to run. The entrance had apparently been turned into nothing more than blisters of wood and shreds metal. As I made haste through the storage room, I noticed several pieces of glass which resembled former bottles, now spilling the blood-like juice on the floor and through its narrow cracks; it almost made my stomach turn. The only thing left to scare me was the deep gash carved into the wall, if that thing was capable of cutting up a stone like that, I can’t even begging to imagine what it would do to me. All this, probably happened in just a few seconds, as I finally reached my destination. My muscles were aching and my heart was pounding relentlessly, yet I still had to enter through and seal the gap in silence before it was too late. Impossible I thought, given the amount of time I had left.

Limits… I once thought I had limits, but I soon found out that I could exceed them. When fighting for my own life I realized there was no such thing as limits, or was it something else I was fighting for? I was unable to tell. However, as soon as I succeeded in concealing the gap, having reached the other side in a struggle for my own life, I found myself succumbing to a sudden headache, a burst of pain which ended in my sudden collapse. No sooner than I found safety, had another misfortune fell upon me. Figures…