The Ballad of Harmony

Act Two
Part Six
The Underbelly

We had no clue where we were going. A small opening in the back of the cavern that this goo made its home was our only option to continue. So we trekked forwards through it. The only light that had illuminated the room was the ominously radiating goo. I stood in front of the small hole and peered down it, “it’s pretty dark down there” I stated, and Cell giggled “don’t you worry! Let’s just see how far this path goes!” I stood by Cell’s side, and thought, yeah, let’s just see. We began to walk down the path, the floor was squishy, and so I figured it was water, mud, or goo that doesn’t glow. I wanted so much to turn around and leave, but I knew that we had to continue on, there was no other way out. And I hoped so much that there would be a way out. I stopped, and Cell bumped into me, “Whoa! What’s up Ty?” Cell asked curiously, I turned my head back “Cell, I’d just like to let you know, that I have absolutely no idea where this cave system leads, it might not even have and exit.” A small pause went between us, Cell giggled, “Oh I’m sure we will find a way out Ty! When I was a little filly my parents told me about the Underbelly of Canterlot,” she paused, only for a second, I figured that something she had just said triggered a memory, but I didn’t investigate, and Cell continued, “I was told that there were tons of intersecting caves underneath Canterlot, every path has a way out, or it must.” I sighed, and continued, “Well let’s keep going and see what we find.” Cell giggled once again, “Okie dokie lokie!” and I turned a smile, if only Cell could have seen me, it would have made every feeling better, because we both knew that regardless of what happened, we weren’t turning back.

We walked for minutes in silence, not a single word, the only sound that I heard was the footsteps of Cell and I, striking the ground, the mud, the goo. The silence was a horror for my mind, for I was able to think about Discord again, and I thought about the riddle that he had presented me. Turning and burning atop a pike, what did that mean? What pike did he talk about? I thought extensively about Canterlot and its buildings, the kind of Architecture that the nobles of Canterlot crafted to make the magnificent city. I couldn’t think of what he meant, and at that time I didn’t want to. I couldn’t stand the silence much longer, and I needed to start a conversation to keep my sanity, I stopped again, this time Cell did not run into me, I thought that it was because she was more aware, so I turned again and spoke, “How much longer do you think we will go until we-” I was cut short by the feeling of a hoof pressing into my right flank, I paused, and spoke again, “Cell, what are you-” I was cut short again by the same feeling, but this time I took action. I jumped around and pushed my head forwards, but felt nothing. She should have been there, but she wasn’t, and I panicked, “Cell?” I whispered, and no response. “I can’t see a damned thing!” I said frustrated, “Gah! What is that spell for light again?!” I leaned over and took off my satchel, and with a magical click it opened up, but even to my best efforts, I couldn’t quite remember what the spell was, nor could I see enough to find the spell. I clicked the satchel closed once again, “Dammit!” I cursed, I was confused at why Cell had disappeared, and mostly confused to where Cell disappeared to. The more and more I thought about it, the more angered I became, I wanted to escape it, escape the feeling of anger, so I ran. I charged ahead, so fast that I didn’t even know how far I had traveled, but I started to see a small light in the distance, and all my thoughts left me, my entire body forced itself to run into that light, as fast as I could, no matter how long it would take, I needed to get to the light. And sure enough I broke through, I had escaped from the darkness that had engulfed me, and I was at peace with myself, but my exhaustion overtook me, and I blacked out.

At many points in my life, I have had dreams that I could never explain. But an equal amount of times in my life I have had dreams that were so clear to me, that I had felt that they were reality, the real world. One of those many dreams I had in that cave. I had to put two and two together to figure out when I had this dream, and I figured out it was when I collapsed in the small cave. The dream that I had I would remember for my entire life, even to this day I remember it. I remember how I felt, and how much I had longed to have that dream a reality. But it never would be. In this powerful dream, I was back at home, in the Ministry, conducting my normal day-to-day activities, studying under my professor Violet Star. Like it had been before Discord, but there was one thing that stood out, after spending my day like that, I would go to my home, where Cell lived with me. I was a very happy unicorn, with all the love from everyone that I knew, but the dream twisted. Suddenly, Cell engulfed into flames, she disappeared into ashes, the entire house burned down, cracks in the ground boiled up blood red lakes, and sure enough discord appeared, he was dancing around me, taunting me, forcing my anger. I lounged at him, and it all popped, and I was alone in the darkness once more. I fell back over, and my face hit water. In the darkness that surrounded me, I hit water, of all the places, nice fresh water. I closed my eyes and felt the water, heard water droplets, and felt at peace. And then it hit me, it was Water.

I surged awake and felt discombobulated; it took me a second to shake off my unconsciousness, and I opened up my eyes. My face was in a small water pool. I lifted up my head and stood up looking around, taking in my location. I was in a small room, stone walls covering every corner. There was a stone slab in front of me and the small pool of water that was firmly planted in the middle of the room. No more than a few inches, the pool was very shallow, there was water dropping from the ceiling and I noticed the crack that the water was dripping through it. The only way in or out of this room was the small hole behind me, which I figured that was the direction that I came from, I then realized that Cell was not around. And then panic followed, Where is Cell? My panic fully set in, I looked left and right, but Cell was nowhere! I lost her again! Why! I cried out, why was this happening to me? Too many times, I thought, too many times! I walked around the room looking for something, anything I could use in this situation. But I fell back and slumped down. “Dammit” I whispered under my breath, “What is my problem?!” I cried out, “why can’t I help this situation out?! Why!?” I sighed and fell to the ground, why could I not help at all? I thought to myself that if I never would be able to find Cell again, why the thought of never finding Cell moved me so much I will never know. But I stood up and vowed to myself, I would conjure all my might to find Cell, the pretty pink earth pony that I have defiantly fallen in love with. I believed I was certainly in love. And then I remembered about the light spell! I whipped around and grabbed my satchel, and with a magical click it opened up and I grabbed the light spell and read it. I let out a long sigh, “I should really memorize all my spells, and this won’t happen” I stood up and walked over to the small cave entrance. And let out just one more sigh, and thought to myself, here we go again.

I charged with my light, into the now tamed darkness, and ran; I ran and ran, when I felt tired, I ignored it. I ran more, and more, until I couldn’t run anymore. I fell to the ground and rested a moment. I thought of how long I ran, and I wasn’t sure, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was finding Cell. I looked up and thought again, why? Then I noticed something. There was a small crack in the wall that rolled up and around in the shape of a door. I walked up to it and looked. I thought, what is this? I lifted up my hoof and poked it. It slowly opened up, ominously, but silently. I stared into it, my light illuminated the inside. It was another pathway. Through the path, there was another small light really far down. Escape? I began to walk down and I remembered. CELL. I walked out of the hallway back into the first hallway. Maybe she was somewhere back? Click, click, click, click. I looked around. What was that?! Click, click, click, click. I walked forward and in front of me was a soft ball connected to a string pinging back and forth. I walked over to it and grabbed it. It felt like a hoof. I let it go, and turned around. It tapped me on the flank. It felt like… a hoof poking me. I walked back towards the opening in the wall. And pleaded “please, oh, please be out there Cell!” and I sprinted forward.

My magic ran dry and the light that had radiated from my horn died out, at the same time I broke the surface, and took a huge breath of fresh air. I thought to myself, fresh air, that was one of the most amazing feelings that I had felt in a long time; taking that first breath of fresh air after being trapped underground. Yet I cocked my head and the feeling went away, I saw something that made me so happy that I fell to my knees. Cell was sleeping about twenty feet away from me, “CELL!” I exclaimed, but she didn’t hear me, she was far enough away. I quickly stood up and charged towards her. I brushed my hoof through her mane and smiled happily, “Thank the stars you’re alright” and I felt a few tears fall off my face. I was truly happy.

This, friends, was my first true thought of love towards Cell, even though I had thought about it, and cried out that I had fallen in love with this pink pony, but all that aside, I realized something. I would do anything to be assured that she would be able to live her life the way she wanted, and that meant to stop Discord once and for all, I closed my eyes and thought about Discord, and thought about all the horrible things that he had done to me. I wanted him done; I wanted him gone, hopefully forever. Yet for now I was exhausted, and I collapsed.