Wastelands

Following the short path through the coffingate, Twilight and Michael, entered another cave. Two natural stone pillars dominated the small room, a bridge connecting the path and another platform on the other side, a ramp on it's right side leading to the lower floor. A giant hole in the wall on the other side caught their eyes.

Underneath the bridge, on the left side, was another coffingate.

Walking to the edge of the bridge, Michael kneeled down, looking at the gate.

Walking closer to him, Twilight followed his gaze. "What is it?"

Michael shook his head, standing up he turned to the giant hole. "Nothing." He answered, walking towards it. He stopped, looking at the walls of the hole. Twilight followed him. Looking up she saw the dark red walls.

They seemed to be made of some kind of metal, it's dark brown-reddish colour made the whole thing darker than it needed to be. Leaning closer, Twilight noticed the darkness underneath the foothold.

Apparently the whole thing was a tunnel, connected by a thin bridge.

"And what is this?" She looked at Michael, who materalized the prophecy into his hand. Flipping through the tome he read a few pages.

Closing the tome, and burning it again, he looked up. "One of the path of shadows." He answered. "Apparently my predecessor used them to quickly travel between the different locations of deadside."

"Okay..." Twilight looked into the darkness of path. "And where does this one lead?"

He answered with a grin. "Only one way to find out."

Twilight followed Michael with her eyes. He disappeared into the darkness, walking over the bridge unaffected by it's darkness.

Shaking her head she stepped onto the bridge, following him.

"Sometimes, some explanation would be awesome." She whispered in an annoyed tone.

Slowly following the linear path, Twilight looked around, nervously. From the very moment the path had swallowed her, up to this point, she had felt a weird sensation in her neck. As if something was breathing right behind her, her coat standing on end. And she was sure that she had seen something happen to the walls. It had looked like a contraction. Like a snake that swallowed it's prey, bringing it's victim deeper into the abyss of it's stomach.

She shuddered. 'Don't think about the devouring process of a snake while you walk through a weird, contracting tunnel.' Shaking her head to clear away these scary thoughts, she focussed on walking.

"Damn, how long is this thing?" She whispered, after another few minutes of walking, which quickly turned into a trot.

After another few seconds of trotting, she flicked her ears. Had she heard something? She wasn't sure.

The eerily atmosphere made her shudder again, her trot turning into a gallop. Now sprinting through the darkness, she looked around.

Her eyes widened.

This time she was sure she saw the path swallow her, the walls were pulsing, contracting, bringing her deeper.

"Michael!?" She shouted, fear getting the best of her.

No answer.

"Michael!?" She shouted louder.

And then she tripped.

Landing on her belly with closed eyes, she sniffled.

He had left her. She was alone.

"What the...?" A voice behind her reached her ears.

Turning her ears, she looked around.

Michael was behind her, walking out of the path of shadows. A quizzled expression on his face.

"How did you get in front of me?" He asked, raising a brow.

"Wha..?" Twilight sat up. "Did I?"

"Well duh, you are here before me." He walked closer.

"But... but..." Twilight stuttered. "How?"

"Hey that's what I'm asking you." He answered. A second later he shrugged, looking past her. "Not important I guess." He walked around her.

Twilight groaned, looking at her belly. The scrapes on her skin were not bleeding, even though some of them seemed to be pretty deep. Twilight poked one of the wounds with her hoof, hissing in pain.

She felt the pain, the discomfort on her skin. But why didn't it bleed?

Spreading her broken wings, she looked at them. She could move them, without pain. As if nothing was wrong with them.

"What has happened to me?" She sniffled, tears rolling down her cheeks.

She looked up, seeing Michael looking back at her. He sighed. "You died. That's what happened." He walked back to her.

"But why... are my wings broken? And why won't my wounds bleed?" She looked down at herself. "This makes no sense!"

He shrugged. "I don't know about your wings, but of course you won't bleed. You are undead. No heartbeat and stuff..."

Twilight eyes widened. "N-no.... No heartbeat!?" She raised a hoof to her chest

"Yes... I mean... you shouldn't have a heartbeat." He explained.

Twilight gulped. He was telling the truth, she was pressing her hoof at her ribcage, right where her heart should be.

Nothing. No rhythmic beat.

Twilight sniffled again, more tears dropped to the ground.

"Why?" She cried. Looking up she saw into the burning eyes of Michael. "Why?" She whined.

He shook his head, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I don't know. But you crying here won't change the fact that you are here and undead." He concluded. "So what do you want to do? Sit here and cry, waiting for the madness to claim you, or stand up and fight, maybe even find a way out?"

She sniffled. "Your pep talk sucks."

"Oh, does it now?" He asked in a sarcastic tone.

Twilight giggled. "Yeah it does."

"But you still giggled." He looked at her. "Come on now, we gotta move."

She nodded, wiping her tears. Standing up she folded her wings, looking at the room in front of her.

The room was another cave, two paths, tunnels, leading out of it. Looking up to her right, Twilight saw a second floor, though no way to reach it.

Michael had walked up to the path on the left, looking into the tunnel.

"Leading down." He said, looking at her. "Why don't you go check the other?"

Twilight looked at him with a raised brow. A second later she nodded, walking over to the other path. Peering into it she saw it immediately fold to the right and a few steps further in to the left. Apparently going up.

"This one seems to go up." She said. "Should we split?" She looked at Michael.

Michael looked back, his brows furrowed. A second later he nodded. "Yeah, maybe we find something." He stepped into the path and stopped. Leaning back out he raised a brow. "You want down or up?"

Thinking for a second she looked at her path.

"I take this one, I really need to cheer up." She answered.

Shaking his head, he stepped into his tunnel.

"But my pep talk sucks." She heard him complain sarcastically.

Twilight giggled, walking through her chosen way. The tunnel was short and she quickly exited it on the other side.

Now outside again, she looked at the chasm in front of her. Twilight saw three bloodfalls, filling another lake with the sanguine liquid. She saw multiple pillars poke out of the surface. Looking further down, on the left side, she saw Michael step out of his tunnel. He looked up.

"Anything?" He asked.

Looking over the lake she saw a small, hut like building standing on the other shore.

She shook her head. "Nothing of interest. Maybe in that hut?" She shouted back, pointing over the lake.

"Thought so too." He tilted his head, looking up and pointing to her right. "Hey, see if you can find a way up that bloodfall. Maybe something is up there."

Twilight shuddered, at the thought of touching more blood but nodded. "Okay." Turned away, she looked at the cliff. The bloodfall was a broad, hoof deep stream. No rocks were protruding, nothing to hold on to. The wall next to it was as bare as the fall.

She turned around, her mouth opened, and saw Michael jump over the lake, landing on the pillars, quickly jumping over them. He reached the other shore in a few seconds, walking towards the hut.

'He's quick.' Twilight noted mentally as he disappeared in the building.

Looking at the bloodfall again she began to concentrate. She was sure she would be able to simply teleport over.

Her horn ignited.

And fizzled.

"Huh?" Twilight looked up. "But... what?" She rubbed her horn, she felt the intact form of her horn. She felt the cold-

"Oh no!" Twilight shouted as she understood. There was no blood running through her veins. Her horn wouldn't work. She furrowed her brows. 'But how am I fighting then?' She concentrated, creating the purple spike she used to battle. Looking up to her horn she saw that it indeed, was not ignited. No purple light emitting.

It was dead.

The spike dropped to the ground, rolling over the edge, and dropping into the blood beneath.

Her existence.

Her self.

Was gone.

Her magic...

Was gone!

Twilight felt something break, something deep inside. She had felt that before. She remembered the weird sensation. It had been the same with Discord when he had drained her.

The world turned dark again.

She was sitting in the darkness.

"Did we really become so weak?" Something brushed against her back. Turning her head she saw her broken self sitting behind her, back to back.

"My whole reason, my existence... everything is gone." She whispered. "My magic... is gone"

Silence.

"What if there was a way to get your magic back?" It asked.

Twilight looked up, into the darkness.

"Is there?" She asked in return.

She felt movement. "Yes, the dark souls." Her other self answered. "It will turn our body into an immortal body. Maybe it will even reverse the undead state."

Twilight didn't answer.

"What is it?" The other asked.

"I don't know if I want something so evil inside of me." She answered.

She felt movement again, the feeling of the others coat disappearing. "Understandable. But it might be the only way." The other answered, soft hoofsteps reaching Twilight's ears.

"But better than being undead right?" The other asked.

"I'm not sure." Twilight answered in all honesty.

"That's for you to decide."

Twilight opened her eyes. She was lying on the same cliff she had been before, her eyes looking at the bloodfall.

Slowly standing up on wobbly legs, she looked down. Michael was kneeling on one of the pillars, in the middle of the lake, looking into the depths. A second later he stood up.

And took a header into the blood.

Furrowing her brows, Twilight looked into the blood. She wasn't sure, but she saw him swim through the watery sanguine liquid, disappearing into a hole underneath the surface.

'Maybe an underground passage?' She looked at the bloodfall. 'Has to be, all the blood has to go somewhere or it would flood everything.' She sighed. 'Now what?'

Looking around again, this time a little closer, she came to the same conclusion. There was nothing to hold on to. The walls were cragged but nothing that would give her enough foothold. Furrowing her brows again she looked up to the bloodfall.

'Maybe I can jump?' She thought. Looking down at the liquid underneath and the edge of the fall, she shook her head. She was sure that the jump was impossible for her. Maybe an athlethic pony like Rainbow Dash or Applejack could do it, but she was nowhere as athletic as these two. She had to find another way.

'Hmmm...' She mused. 'Maybe...' Concentrating again she fired a spike straight into the wall to her right. Lifting a hoof she lowered it onto the spike.

She felt the spike humming with energy underneath her hoof. It was a solid object.

'Maybe I can build stairs, or a bridge?' She concentraded again, firing another spike into the wall, a few inches away. Slowly, carfully, shifting her weight into the first spike she heard creaking, but it was able to carry her. Leaning back, she thought about it for a moment.

She had to test something.

Concentrating she created more and more spikes, sending them into the wall, all a few inches apart.

She gasped, falling to her knees. She had created five spikes. More were impossible for her. Sticking out of the walls, she noticed that the first was crackling. Taking another deep breath she stood up, lowering a hoof onto the first spike.

And recoiled as the spike dug into her hoof, burning it.

'It's scorching hot!' She mentally noted. Concentrating again, she shattered the spikes. Almost instantly she felt the exhaustion disappear. Adding another mental note, she created four spikes this time, piercing the wall again. This time the exhaustion was endurable.

Lowering her hoof again she noticed the heat of the spike. It was hot, uncomfortably hot. But atleast it didn't hurt.

Twilight smiled and shifted her weight onto the spike.

It cracked, breaking under her weight.

Twilight yelped, falling off the cliff, and headfirst into the lake.

She was completly engulfed by the sanguine liquid.

She was diving through blood.

Aside the strange feeling in her stomach, she was okay. She knew how to swim.

Kicking her legs, Twilight quickly ascended, breaching the surface with a loud gasp, spurting blood.

Twilight coughed, surpressing the urge to vomit. Paddling closer to one of the pillars she reached up, grabbing the edge of it, she pulled herself out of the blood. Coughing a little more and flicking her ears she tried to get the liquid out of her ears and mouth. Sitting down she...

Quickly stood up again.

There was something....

Bending her body she looked at her haunches.

And saw a big flat... something sticking to her flank.

Twilight shrieked, kicking her leg to hopefully get it off. It stayed, all her flailing and kicking seemed to be to no avail. The creature stayed.

Reaching over with a hoof she tried to hold on to the creature, it's silky skin though gave her nothing to hold on to. It's edges were so slim that she couldn't even grab those.

'No...nonono.' She began to hyperventilate. 'What should I do?' Slightly panicking, she searched, looking around. She had to find a way to get that thing off.

She heard giggling behind her, turning around she saw Michael sit on one of the other pillars.

"What's so funny?" She snarled at him.

"You are." He stood up, shaking his head. "Are there no leeches where you from?" He jumped over, landing on her pillar.

"That's a leech!?" Twilight shrieked. "Get it off! Get it off! GET IT OFF!" She whined, kicking her leg.

He grabbed her leg, stretching it. Twilight shuddered at the uncomfortable feeling as he looked at the creature.

"Seriously..." He shook his head. "Panicking over something so small... it's just a Deadfish."

"I don't care what it is!" She whined. "GET IT OFF!" She begged.

"Okay... okay..." He answered. Grabbing his gun he pointed it at the deafish on her leg.

"What?" Her eyes widened. "Are you crazy?!"

He shook his head, the weird energy of his gun appearing around the barrel. Twilight closed her eyes.

A quiet shriek a second later made her open one eye. She saw Michael pressing the tip of his gun against the Deadfish, burning it.

Twilight sighed in relief as the Deadfish fell to the ground, apparently dead.

"You could have told me that you would just burn it!" She snarled at him.

He shrugged, a grin appearing on his face. "Hah, was funnier to see your reaction."

"Buck you." She turned away. "And thank you." She whispered.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing!" Twilight answered, jumping over to another pillar.

He followed her. "Did you find something on the bloodfall?"

She shook her head. "Haven't found a way to reach it." She explained, jumping on the shore with the hut on it. "I was just testing something when... that something failed and I fell into the lake.... And no, I won't go back."

He nodded, walking towards the hut. "Well, seemes like I actually achieved something then." He pointed towards the blood. "Found an underwater tunnel, leading to another cave, a giant cog and a switch." He opened the flap of the hut, hot air escaping the building. "And... yeah. It's open now."

Twilight followed his gaze and saw a giant wooden plate dominating the room, a man sized hole in it. The hole gave way to a path behind.

"Was this closed before?" Twilight asked, walking closer, noticing the big cog in the floor she quickly understood. "Oh, so the whole plate can be turned to cover up the path." The heat became almost unbearable.

Michael nodded, sweat appearing on his forehead. "Let's see what's behind."

Twilight followed him. The room they entered was divided, a massive pit of burning red coals the most prominent feature, their gaze obstructed by a column in the middle.

"What is this place?" Twilight flattened her ears, her tongue sticking out. "What are hot coals doing here?"

Michael pointed over the pit. Twilight looked over and saw a Govi standing on the other side, a staircase behind it leading deeper.

"The ancients tried to protect the Darks Souls this way." He explained, walking to the edge of the pit he looked down. "No way over."

Twilight looked at the coals.

And then she remembered something. "Can't we cross them anyway?"

"Are you weary of your undead life already?" Michael asked.

Twilight shook her head. "I read that, if you are fast enough, you can walk over hot coals without hurting yourself."

Michael nodded. "Yeah, sure you can do that. With coals from the lifeside." He concluded. "These are special coals. Enchanted by the ancients, they will slow you down, practically drag you down into the flames. Nothing can cross this." He turned away, walking to the other side of the room, a small crevasse seperating the platfrom and a doorway on the other side.

"Let's just continue." He leaped over the pit. "And don't trip." He added, disappearing through the doorway.

Shaking her head again, Twilight raised her ears, gunfire reaching them. Sprinting towards the doorway, she leaped over the crevasse, sprinting down a narrow stairway.

On the bottom of the stairs, the temperature returning to the familiar cold, Twilight looked into another canyon, a massive stone platform dominating this room, a wooden walkway leading up towards it.

And right there was Michael, surrounded by three Duppies. Their long bladed arms were waving around, circling around Michael. His gun was glowing, a vortex of his energy swirling around it's tip.

Two souls were already swirling around, their belonging carcasses lying flat on the ground.

Michael looked around, he saw Twilight and pointed to the sky over her.

Twilight followed his pointing and saw a human figure flying over her. It's leathery wings carrying it through the air. She flinched as another gunshot echoed through the canyon, she heard the screams and groans of the Duppies.

Concentrating on her task, she looked up and saw the flying figure dash down towards her. Jumping out of it's way she summoned one of her spikes, impaling the left shoulder of the creature.

The creature ascended, unaffected by the wound. It ascended, turned around and looked at Twilight.

Twilight's peaked her ears as a strange rattling escaped the creature, the sound of someone clearing his mucus-ridden throat.

And a ball of yellow liquid flew towards Twilight, jumping out of the way again, she heard a strong hissing coming of the stone ground.

'Gross...' Twilight threw another spike, the creature dodged, sinking a few feet before opening it's mouth again, a retching sound escaping it's throat as it spit another bileball towards Twilight.

Sidestepping the projectile, she felt some of the liquid land on her Tail. Flicking her tail she tried to shake it off and at the same time counterattack.

Another bile shot barely missed her as she ducked.

Ignoring the acidic liquid on her tail for now, she concentrated and flung another spike into the sky, piercing the creatures chest.

The creature sank a few feet again, though kept on flapping, ignoring it's wounds, opening it's mouth again-

Twilight burst the spikes, a rain of meat and bones descending. It's dim souls staying in the sky.

Twilight looked back at Michael and saw him dodge an attack, rolling out of the way. The Duppie's arms, like scythes, cut through the chest of it's brethren, it's scream echoing through the canyon. Standing up he pointed his gun at the already wounded Duppie, his gun giving off a hollow shriek as it's projectile went through the Duppie's head.

The Duppie fell on his knees, grabbing it's head, it wavered.

Turning around, he ducked from another attack, a kick to the stomach of his enemy gave him the space he needed, pointing the gun at the second Duppie he shot a hole into it's chest.

It fell, landing on the floor, flailing around in pain.

Pointing at the first again, Michael fired. The Duppie screamed, lightning crackling over it's body as it dug it's own blades into it's chest and head, ripping itself apart, revealing it's soul.

Quickly pointing the gun at the other, the shot deafeningly loud, piercing it's chest again. The Duppie flailed even more, tremors going through it's body as the lightning burned through it's body, it's last breath escaping as a sigh as it's soul burst through it's melting chest.

Reaching out, Michael absorbed the two souls quickly, an ugly gash on his back knitting itself back together, a reliefed sigh escaped him.

Twilight looked at her tail, the corroded edges of the hair. She sighed with a frown. Her mane and tail had definetly seen better days. Looking up she saw Michael stare at her.

He nodded. "Good job."

"Thank you." Twilight answered. Michael turned around, looking up the wooden walkway.

"Seems there are a lot of options." Michael murmured. He followed the walkway with his eyes, counting the different tunnels in the walls over them. "I'm gonna follow the walkway." He turned back around pointing at a tunnel, a small ledge to the right of the walkway leading up to it. "You take that path."

Twilight looked at him and nodded. "Where do we meet again?" She asked.

"Well, time doesn't really exist here." He rubbed his own neck, massaging it, looking up to the clouded sky. "Let's just meet at the path of shadows again." He concluded, walking to the walkway, climbing on it he turned around. "Later."

"Later." She answered, looking past him as he walked up. Following him a few steps on the walkway she looked up, leaping to the ledge. Walking to the entrance of the tunnel she turned around, seeing him disappear in another tunnel.

"And good luck." She whispered as she stepped into the darkness of the tunnel.

Author's Note

Now first of all, I have to say that I like how it turns out right now. And still I feel that something is... off.

So please guys help me out. Tell me what you think about Twilight, her reactions etc. I partly began to write this story because I wanted to practice writing her in character. And I feel I'm not that good at it right now.

So sorry for any OOC'ness that occurs with Twilight.

Well...

Whatever...

See ya next chapter.