Beyond Tartarusby Zoetic ZebraChaptersAlive... But not quiteFriends... But not quiteDamned...but not quiteAlive... But not quiteTwilight Sparkle heard a crash. A deep crunching noise that filled her ears with painful ringing. Sound of metal and fire breaking apart and forming together. Noises of a collassal machine jumping its own tracks. It was tied with screams of the other train passengers. But to her surprise, she didn't hear anything else. After those painful moments it was silent. Not even the sounds of a crackling engine or painful moans. She stood still for a moment, ears twitching. Absolutely nothing. Her heart began to beat like a drum. Where was this? She realized that she had fallen to the ground, and slowly began to stand. Her muscles ached in disagreement. She winced as light pierced her tired eyes. Her panic grew when she looked around her. There was no train or concrete. Not even the rock tunnel that had surely caused the smashing. There was nothing. Just open darkness and closing light. She blinked rapidly, attempting to break this illusion. checkered shapes and patterns whisked in front of her, then disappeared as soon as Twilight focused upon them. A deep fear weighed her down. The fear of the unknown. She wanted to scream, but feared what would happen. "Don't try to will this away. It's all that's left of you." Her body froze. The voice had come from nowhere. It's speech was like chimes on a windy day, yet somehow was terrifying. There was a feint echo surrounding the terrified unicorn. She felt her legs shake as it spoke again. "This isn't natural for you, is it? I'll have to make it more... Relatable." The unexplainable shadows melted away as the scene unfolded into a wooden room, bare with the exception of a table. She felt her body relax slightly, though she didn't know why. Her hoof stroked the table, which now held a shallow bowl of water. She glanced inside it and winced. The dancing lights now filled the liquid. There was something about those lights that made Twilight uneasy.mit was if they reminded her of something she didn't have. "What... What is it?" She croaked, her head looking around for some sort of explanation. Nothing but dark oak walls and the table. " That is you, your personality," It answered calmly. "All gathered into one piece." The lavender pony nodded silently, as if such a notion was ordinary. "I guess I'm dead then." She mumbled, though she didn't really think about what that meant. For the curious student had been subdued to a shell- after all, her personality was in a bowl. All she felt was her own fear and confusion. "You were one of the few to survive, actually. The rest of them weren't as lucky." She heard a small chuckle. "Quite the group of souls." Thoughts came flooding back to her. The soulless mind tried to remember the rest of that train ride, but nothing came to her head. Just lots of noise. She was trying to remember when she realized something terrible. The rest of them weren't as lucky. Had she traveled alone? Was she even traveling? Who had been on that ride? " Where are my friends?!" The sentence was hard to contemplate, due to the fact that she couldn't even remember her own name, let alone who her friends were. Almost every memory had left her, aside from the last few seconds she had lived. She could feel the tension as the voice hesitated. "They joined the rest of them." It whispered, regret filling the air. Her heartbeat rammed in the mares empty chest. She stared into the swirling bowl of contrasts, trying to find why this bothered her so. Her "friends" we're still tied to her somehow, yet she couldn't recall why. Panic filled her as she turned away from the table. The unicorn trotted in place, trying to calm her broken nerves. There was an answer, a solution. SOMETHING had to be done about this aching conflict, yet she didn't know why it bothered her so. Her hooves rested upon the smooth oak floor. Her thoughts stopped as a small thought came to her. "Take me instead." Her voice was small yet determined. " You that's not-" "DRAG ME TO TARTARUS OR ANYWHERE WORSE. JUST SPARE THEM." Her voiced faded into a cascade of sobbing. She fell against the ground, letting herself cry. She still didn't understand why, though. "You don't deserve to die, Twilight." There was the slightest emotion in its voice. "And you don't deserve hell's suffering." The unicorn continued sobbing. "Please let me do this." Twilight stroked the cold wooden floor, regaining small bits of memory. it was like little gems had floated from the bowl into her head. She lifted her head as little thoughts struck her- thoughts about her friends. Thoughts of hot cocoa on winter nights. Thoughts of playing with their pets. Thoughts of parties and races and laughing and games and so manywonderful things that she had done with them. She had to save them. Hers hollow tears were replaced with determination. "Okay. I'll do it." The soft voice spoke suddenly and made twilight flinch. Her ears perked slightly. "You don't deserve this death, but I can give you... Another place." "I'll do anything... Just spare the others." She shakily stood up, preparing for what would happen next. The unicorn put her hoof to her heart, whispering the names of her friends. " I'll do anything for Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy." she felt a soft light wash over her, her soul being released from the limbo. Twilight Sparkle, hero of Equestria, had died. Friends... But not quiteThe two blinked at each other, soaking in the reality. Disbelief hung in the air as the man slowly got down on his knees. "Hey, are you okay?" He whispered. His hand shook slightly as he held it out. The unicorn stepped away, half exhilarated and half terrified. She faced him, staring at his features. The man had a crude nose and dark skin, a black mane covering his head. Her heart beat like a drum as she took a step forward. "You can see me?" She answered. The man groaned and sat down on the curb. "God! Im only seventeen and my mind has snapped." He put his head in his hands. "What's next?! Chocolate rain?!" "Oh! That happened to me once!" Grinned Twilight, attempting to be as friendly as possible. He gave her a weary look, making her smile fade. "You're not insane! I exist!" She said quickly. He rolled his eyes before walking away. "NOO! WAIT!" She cried, galloping along side him. "Please! I need your help!" He scowled and began to walk faster. "Just tell me where we are! Tell what YOU are!" The unicorn continued staring as she walked, Mindlessly walking through people and objects. He stared for a brief moment before running into a person. Against his will they continued walking together before making it to an apartment. She solemnly followed him into the home, desperate for any information. Her heart fluttered nervously as he turned to her. "Are you just going to follow me around?" He said flatly. She slowly nodded her head, a guilty expression on her face. "You really don't understand! No one else can see or hear me! I'm a like a ghost!" She watched as he fumbled with some keys, slowly opening the apartment door. In a blink the unicorn dived through the entry. He ran his hand through his messy hair, sighing deeply all the while. He slowly entered himself, trying to ignore the frantic unicorn. Meanwhile, she quickly observed her surroundings. They now stood in a living/dining area which led to a hallway with other rooms. Still rather small, and ultimately grungy. Normally Twilight would have never entered here, but now she had officially thrown away all caution. She saw him move into the hallway and slam a door close. Her ears drooped a moment before remembering her new ability. "Just let me prove myself! That... That I exist!" She plunged through the wall and already was formulating a plan. He sat on a bed with a book, barely glancing up in denial. "Oh yeah? Do that. Until then I'm going to contact a physiatrist, I'm insane. There had to be a way to show she was real. Think Twilight! she thought desperately. Who am I kidding? I can't pick up anything in this world! And my magic... She stood in stunned silence before she connected the dots. There were now two things she was sure of. One;she could indeed cast spells, and two; he could see and hear her. "I CAN prove myself!" She exclaimed. "I'll cast a sensory spell! " He now looked up with a bit of curiosity, obviously wanting to know what that was. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could her horn had begun to glow. In mere moments she saw his eyes widen in horror. She knew the spell well, but it still have her a twinge of guilt casting it. The sudden increase in vision was enough to make the man panic. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?! WHAT THE HELL? WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT THE HELL?!" He looked around in terror, shouting all the while. She winced and deactivated the spell. He quickly regained an ounce of composure, but still was horrified. His breathing was still frantic and shallow, "What are you and why are you here?!" He panted. She walked a few steps closer and begun to speak. "That's what I need to find out." Author's Note I'm not experienced with writing these things. Oh well. Damned...but not quiteTwilight felt herself wince as the warm light was replaced with cold winds. She gasped as she looked around her. Underneath her hooves was a rough concrete that seemed to be the material of the buildings around her. Everything was grey and melancholy. The street was empty for a moment before a strange creature casually walked through the street. She dodged behind a trash bin, her heart beating rapidly. It was tall and stood on two feet, with pointy hooves beneath it and long, spider-like hooves in its pockets. The creature slouched to the side, continuing to walk away. Twilight held her breath as panic spread through her. Two more began crossing where she hid. She desperately ran down the alley behind her, praying that no one would see her. They looked dangerous and cruel. Nothing like the cheerful ponies at home. The unicorn gasped as she realized that she wasn't alone. Another one of the beings was smoking a cigarette in the alley. She froze, but the creature didn't even acknowledge her. It did, however, begin to walk right in front of her. "Oh! Excuse me! I just need to-" Twilight nervously began. Her voice died off as it walked through her body-not even blinking. She coughed as she inhaled the noxious smoke. "Who would even use... those." She whispered, not sure what really had caused the smoke. She tilted her head toward the creature, who tossed his disgusting device to the side. "Nicotine." She mumbled, reading the words printed into the paper cigarette. "I wonder if it makes you transparent." Twilight nervously bit her lip- how did he walk through her? "He hadn't even seen me!" She grumbled. The unicorn sat down on the dirty alley street, thinking quietly to herself. So far no one had seen her or even acknowledged her existence. It was like she wasn't even there! She froze as a chilling thought came to her. "What if... I don't exist?" She croaked, sitting up again. Her hooves shook as she walked to the cigarette. Her horn sparked slightly, a magical aura enfolding the object. Nothing happened. Twilight released the levitation spell. She reached out with her hooves, trying to lift the nicotine roll into her palm. Her hooves passed right through. Twilight's eyes widened as her theory was proven correct. She did not truly exist. This was a world of smelly, moody monsters- and she was no more than a ghost. There was not a single thing she could do to get anyone to pay attention to her. The unicorn galloped into the crowded streets, her fear growing. She walked through the walls and people, not anything opaque. "There HAS to be an explanation." She gasped, continuing to run. She frantically looked around her. No one could see or hear her- she was alone. Twilight watched in amazement as a large metal carriage zoomed right through her. She coughed on instinct at the gas spewing out from it. There were a lot of these machines, inside were the monstrous people. Her body shuddered as more walked out unto the streets. A deep feeling of disgust boiled within her. "I guess I can't complain." She muttered angrily."I asked for this." She rested upon some stairs, watching the passing creatures. "So I guess this is the rest of eternity, isn't it?" She slouched onto the porch. "At least my friends are okay... I hope." Twilight let her mind wander, thinking of small memories of her friends. Little memories distracted her from the awkwardness of being walked through. She sighed. "I'm going to miss AJ's cider." A single tear rolled down her face. She shook her head. "No." She said defiantly. "I'm not going to break down like I did in the limbo." Her voice wavered as she spoke. Twilight swallowed, shivering as one of the beasts walked by. "These animals are HIDEOUS." She exclaimed. They almost looked like monkeys, but larger and with a little less hair. A few passed, crunching on some food. "Ugh, at LEAST chew with your mouth closed." She shuddered, unable to suppress her disgust. "Hmm." Twilight mused. "So far I've seen them be nothing but rude and disgusting, yet they all wear clothing." She watched as a man took off a coat."Only fine Canterlot equines wear this many outfits!" The curious mare instinctively reached for a quill and notebook- but quickly remembered. She began trotting down the street, looking around her for clues. As a habit Twilight dodged the animals around her. She also did it because they seriously creeped her out. Eventually she stopped at a sign. "Man does not live on bread alone... Drink B+ ?" The mare raised an eyebrow. The picture was of a female wearing thin clothing, dressed to allure. It looked like the others, and seemed to be called 'man.' "So these are man." She stated, looking around her. "I think there was a stallion that used to say that word, he usually hung out at the bowling place." She uneasily stroked her mane." I guess I'll have to get used to them." She sighed. "They won't know me though, I'm just a ghost. The streets here were empty, pieces of trash blowing in the wind. Twilight layed down,curling into a ball. "I... I guess it's not the worst thing... Being alone." With a hoof she traced the lines in the concretes cracks, trying to let her mind wander. Eventually 'mans' wandered into the area, but this time she didn't move away. It wasn't like they could see her. She closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of one of them near her. "Excuse me, are you okay? "
Alive... But not quiteTwilight Sparkle heard a crash. A deep crunching noise that filled her ears with painful ringing. Sound of metal and fire breaking apart and forming together. Noises of a collassal machine jumping its own tracks. It was tied with screams of the other train passengers. But to her surprise, she didn't hear anything else. After those painful moments it was silent. Not even the sounds of a crackling engine or painful moans. She stood still for a moment, ears twitching. Absolutely nothing. Her heart began to beat like a drum. Where was this? She realized that she had fallen to the ground, and slowly began to stand. Her muscles ached in disagreement. She winced as light pierced her tired eyes. Her panic grew when she looked around her. There was no train or concrete. Not even the rock tunnel that had surely caused the smashing. There was nothing. Just open darkness and closing light. She blinked rapidly, attempting to break this illusion. checkered shapes and patterns whisked in front of her, then disappeared as soon as Twilight focused upon them. A deep fear weighed her down. The fear of the unknown. She wanted to scream, but feared what would happen. "Don't try to will this away. It's all that's left of you." Her body froze. The voice had come from nowhere. It's speech was like chimes on a windy day, yet somehow was terrifying. There was a feint echo surrounding the terrified unicorn. She felt her legs shake as it spoke again. "This isn't natural for you, is it? I'll have to make it more... Relatable." The unexplainable shadows melted away as the scene unfolded into a wooden room, bare with the exception of a table. She felt her body relax slightly, though she didn't know why. Her hoof stroked the table, which now held a shallow bowl of water. She glanced inside it and winced. The dancing lights now filled the liquid. There was something about those lights that made Twilight uneasy.mit was if they reminded her of something she didn't have. "What... What is it?" She croaked, her head looking around for some sort of explanation. Nothing but dark oak walls and the table. " That is you, your personality," It answered calmly. "All gathered into one piece." The lavender pony nodded silently, as if such a notion was ordinary. "I guess I'm dead then." She mumbled, though she didn't really think about what that meant. For the curious student had been subdued to a shell- after all, her personality was in a bowl. All she felt was her own fear and confusion. "You were one of the few to survive, actually. The rest of them weren't as lucky." She heard a small chuckle. "Quite the group of souls." Thoughts came flooding back to her. The soulless mind tried to remember the rest of that train ride, but nothing came to her head. Just lots of noise. She was trying to remember when she realized something terrible. The rest of them weren't as lucky. Had she traveled alone? Was she even traveling? Who had been on that ride? " Where are my friends?!" The sentence was hard to contemplate, due to the fact that she couldn't even remember her own name, let alone who her friends were. Almost every memory had left her, aside from the last few seconds she had lived. She could feel the tension as the voice hesitated. "They joined the rest of them." It whispered, regret filling the air. Her heartbeat rammed in the mares empty chest. She stared into the swirling bowl of contrasts, trying to find why this bothered her so. Her "friends" we're still tied to her somehow, yet she couldn't recall why. Panic filled her as she turned away from the table. The unicorn trotted in place, trying to calm her broken nerves. There was an answer, a solution. SOMETHING had to be done about this aching conflict, yet she didn't know why it bothered her so. Her hooves rested upon the smooth oak floor. Her thoughts stopped as a small thought came to her. "Take me instead." Her voice was small yet determined. " You that's not-" "DRAG ME TO TARTARUS OR ANYWHERE WORSE. JUST SPARE THEM." Her voiced faded into a cascade of sobbing. She fell against the ground, letting herself cry. She still didn't understand why, though. "You don't deserve to die, Twilight." There was the slightest emotion in its voice. "And you don't deserve hell's suffering." The unicorn continued sobbing. "Please let me do this." Twilight stroked the cold wooden floor, regaining small bits of memory. it was like little gems had floated from the bowl into her head. She lifted her head as little thoughts struck her- thoughts about her friends. Thoughts of hot cocoa on winter nights. Thoughts of playing with their pets. Thoughts of parties and races and laughing and games and so manywonderful things that she had done with them. She had to save them. Hers hollow tears were replaced with determination. "Okay. I'll do it." The soft voice spoke suddenly and made twilight flinch. Her ears perked slightly. "You don't deserve this death, but I can give you... Another place." "I'll do anything... Just spare the others." She shakily stood up, preparing for what would happen next. The unicorn put her hoof to her heart, whispering the names of her friends. " I'll do anything for Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy." she felt a soft light wash over her, her soul being released from the limbo. Twilight Sparkle, hero of Equestria, had died.
Friends... But not quiteThe two blinked at each other, soaking in the reality. Disbelief hung in the air as the man slowly got down on his knees. "Hey, are you okay?" He whispered. His hand shook slightly as he held it out. The unicorn stepped away, half exhilarated and half terrified. She faced him, staring at his features. The man had a crude nose and dark skin, a black mane covering his head. Her heart beat like a drum as she took a step forward. "You can see me?" She answered. The man groaned and sat down on the curb. "God! Im only seventeen and my mind has snapped." He put his head in his hands. "What's next?! Chocolate rain?!" "Oh! That happened to me once!" Grinned Twilight, attempting to be as friendly as possible. He gave her a weary look, making her smile fade. "You're not insane! I exist!" She said quickly. He rolled his eyes before walking away. "NOO! WAIT!" She cried, galloping along side him. "Please! I need your help!" He scowled and began to walk faster. "Just tell me where we are! Tell what YOU are!" The unicorn continued staring as she walked, Mindlessly walking through people and objects. He stared for a brief moment before running into a person. Against his will they continued walking together before making it to an apartment. She solemnly followed him into the home, desperate for any information. Her heart fluttered nervously as he turned to her. "Are you just going to follow me around?" He said flatly. She slowly nodded her head, a guilty expression on her face. "You really don't understand! No one else can see or hear me! I'm a like a ghost!" She watched as he fumbled with some keys, slowly opening the apartment door. In a blink the unicorn dived through the entry. He ran his hand through his messy hair, sighing deeply all the while. He slowly entered himself, trying to ignore the frantic unicorn. Meanwhile, she quickly observed her surroundings. They now stood in a living/dining area which led to a hallway with other rooms. Still rather small, and ultimately grungy. Normally Twilight would have never entered here, but now she had officially thrown away all caution. She saw him move into the hallway and slam a door close. Her ears drooped a moment before remembering her new ability. "Just let me prove myself! That... That I exist!" She plunged through the wall and already was formulating a plan. He sat on a bed with a book, barely glancing up in denial. "Oh yeah? Do that. Until then I'm going to contact a physiatrist, I'm insane. There had to be a way to show she was real. Think Twilight! she thought desperately. Who am I kidding? I can't pick up anything in this world! And my magic... She stood in stunned silence before she connected the dots. There were now two things she was sure of. One;she could indeed cast spells, and two; he could see and hear her. "I CAN prove myself!" She exclaimed. "I'll cast a sensory spell! " He now looked up with a bit of curiosity, obviously wanting to know what that was. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could her horn had begun to glow. In mere moments she saw his eyes widen in horror. She knew the spell well, but it still have her a twinge of guilt casting it. The sudden increase in vision was enough to make the man panic. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?! WHAT THE HELL? WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT THE HELL?!" He looked around in terror, shouting all the while. She winced and deactivated the spell. He quickly regained an ounce of composure, but still was horrified. His breathing was still frantic and shallow, "What are you and why are you here?!" He panted. She walked a few steps closer and begun to speak. "That's what I need to find out." Author's Note I'm not experienced with writing these things. Oh well.
Damned...but not quiteTwilight felt herself wince as the warm light was replaced with cold winds. She gasped as she looked around her. Underneath her hooves was a rough concrete that seemed to be the material of the buildings around her. Everything was grey and melancholy. The street was empty for a moment before a strange creature casually walked through the street. She dodged behind a trash bin, her heart beating rapidly. It was tall and stood on two feet, with pointy hooves beneath it and long, spider-like hooves in its pockets. The creature slouched to the side, continuing to walk away. Twilight held her breath as panic spread through her. Two more began crossing where she hid. She desperately ran down the alley behind her, praying that no one would see her. They looked dangerous and cruel. Nothing like the cheerful ponies at home. The unicorn gasped as she realized that she wasn't alone. Another one of the beings was smoking a cigarette in the alley. She froze, but the creature didn't even acknowledge her. It did, however, begin to walk right in front of her. "Oh! Excuse me! I just need to-" Twilight nervously began. Her voice died off as it walked through her body-not even blinking. She coughed as she inhaled the noxious smoke. "Who would even use... those." She whispered, not sure what really had caused the smoke. She tilted her head toward the creature, who tossed his disgusting device to the side. "Nicotine." She mumbled, reading the words printed into the paper cigarette. "I wonder if it makes you transparent." Twilight nervously bit her lip- how did he walk through her? "He hadn't even seen me!" She grumbled. The unicorn sat down on the dirty alley street, thinking quietly to herself. So far no one had seen her or even acknowledged her existence. It was like she wasn't even there! She froze as a chilling thought came to her. "What if... I don't exist?" She croaked, sitting up again. Her hooves shook as she walked to the cigarette. Her horn sparked slightly, a magical aura enfolding the object. Nothing happened. Twilight released the levitation spell. She reached out with her hooves, trying to lift the nicotine roll into her palm. Her hooves passed right through. Twilight's eyes widened as her theory was proven correct. She did not truly exist. This was a world of smelly, moody monsters- and she was no more than a ghost. There was not a single thing she could do to get anyone to pay attention to her. The unicorn galloped into the crowded streets, her fear growing. She walked through the walls and people, not anything opaque. "There HAS to be an explanation." She gasped, continuing to run. She frantically looked around her. No one could see or hear her- she was alone. Twilight watched in amazement as a large metal carriage zoomed right through her. She coughed on instinct at the gas spewing out from it. There were a lot of these machines, inside were the monstrous people. Her body shuddered as more walked out unto the streets. A deep feeling of disgust boiled within her. "I guess I can't complain." She muttered angrily."I asked for this." She rested upon some stairs, watching the passing creatures. "So I guess this is the rest of eternity, isn't it?" She slouched onto the porch. "At least my friends are okay... I hope." Twilight let her mind wander, thinking of small memories of her friends. Little memories distracted her from the awkwardness of being walked through. She sighed. "I'm going to miss AJ's cider." A single tear rolled down her face. She shook her head. "No." She said defiantly. "I'm not going to break down like I did in the limbo." Her voice wavered as she spoke. Twilight swallowed, shivering as one of the beasts walked by. "These animals are HIDEOUS." She exclaimed. They almost looked like monkeys, but larger and with a little less hair. A few passed, crunching on some food. "Ugh, at LEAST chew with your mouth closed." She shuddered, unable to suppress her disgust. "Hmm." Twilight mused. "So far I've seen them be nothing but rude and disgusting, yet they all wear clothing." She watched as a man took off a coat."Only fine Canterlot equines wear this many outfits!" The curious mare instinctively reached for a quill and notebook- but quickly remembered. She began trotting down the street, looking around her for clues. As a habit Twilight dodged the animals around her. She also did it because they seriously creeped her out. Eventually she stopped at a sign. "Man does not live on bread alone... Drink B+ ?" The mare raised an eyebrow. The picture was of a female wearing thin clothing, dressed to allure. It looked like the others, and seemed to be called 'man.' "So these are man." She stated, looking around her. "I think there was a stallion that used to say that word, he usually hung out at the bowling place." She uneasily stroked her mane." I guess I'll have to get used to them." She sighed. "They won't know me though, I'm just a ghost. The streets here were empty, pieces of trash blowing in the wind. Twilight layed down,curling into a ball. "I... I guess it's not the worst thing... Being alone." With a hoof she traced the lines in the concretes cracks, trying to let her mind wander. Eventually 'mans' wandered into the area, but this time she didn't move away. It wasn't like they could see her. She closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of one of them near her. "Excuse me, are you okay? "
