Chapter 6

Twilight pushed the door to her library open, letting it bang loudly into the tree wall, as she slumped into her home. She scanned the book shelves, picking up the most relevant books she would need, things on subterranean survival, defensive magic, and a few other subjects that might prove useful.

Heras was tricking her, she knew that but there was a chance that their interests aligned, and it would help her protect Equestria.

“You might want a cape or some armor, and a knife, or blade might be helpful too.” His voice echoed in her mind.

“Why are you being so helpful?” She frowned as she picked up a tight fitting linen vest, which she acquired in the crystal kingdom. It covered her body just shy of her cutie mark and left her legs and neck exposed, before she put on a dark purple cape over that. Rarity might faint at her sense of fashion, but the clothes would be more than useful.

“Because our fates are linked for a time, and it is in my intrest to keep you safe.” The answer appeased her, so long as he was looking out for his own skin she could accept his help.

Packing food, and some items that might prove useful, like rope in her bag, slung it over her back, and fastened it with her magic. Glad that her draconic assistant was not home, Twilight wrote a letter to him, explaining it. Doing so in person would be hard. When the letter was done, she quickly left for the Everfree; there was no time to say goodbye.

Twilight had found the tunnel with ease, it had been left open and abandoned much to the Keeper’s annoyance. The dark damp tunnel, enlightened with only her horn’s glow, was far longer and harder to navigate than the forest. Walking alone in the darkness was... unpleasant, she was almost glad she had someone to talk to.

“Are you sure this is the right place?” She asked out loud, the silence around her was oppressive.

“Positive, this place will help you transfer your bearings, and ‘that dumb rock’ is more valuable than a mountain of gold.”

“But if its a pocket realm, how do I get in?” She sighed turning along the twisting path, her adventure had turned out to be not only dull but monotonous “Also how do you get the walls so...” she looked around, the walls were imperfect but straight, turns whereas close to ninety degrees as can be expected underground.

“Most keepers... I say ‘most’, but I have yet to find one who does not, anyway... Most keepers use a minion called an ‘Imp’ to carve out tunnels and dungeons down here, living creatures from an offering of gold. A waste, in my opinion. My Imps were magical constructs.”

Twilight could hear a faint tapping noise. “Are they... dangerous?” She tried to turn her ears to make out where the sound came from.

“No. Well, they can be if you corner them, but what isn't?” As Twilight turned to face whatever seemed to be following her, something tackled her, pressing her face into the dirt, and pinning her to the ground. In shock her light spell faded.

“Well, well, well, you must be from the new overworld. What would a goodly little creature like you be doing down here in the dark?” a female voice met the Unicorns ears and she could just about pick up a pale smile in the dark.

“Dark Elves, matriarchal creatures, they respect female cruelty... no idea why they just don't like men, odd.” Twilight looked up at the ‘Dark Elf’ and shook her head.

“Just looking around, why did you attack me?” she decided to keep things polite for now.

“Well just incase you are a hero, you are not a hero are you?” a blade found itself at twilights neck

“No, just a Unicorn looking for something.” the blade left her neck and Twilight bucked her hooves back into whatever was on her back causing a scream of pain to fill the dark tunnel, followed by mirthful laughter.

“A worm is he not? Stupid man let the knife slack.” Twilight slowly used her light spell letting it dimly light the tunnel and showing the tall, thin Dark Elf before her nodding to the slightly more stocky male holding his hands to his crotch.

“I like you.” the Dark Elf smiled causing Twilight to turn back to look at her “Not many ‘goodly’ creatures can show a man his place so easily.”

“I am looking for the crossing point.” Twilight pushed her disgust at getting praise for hurting someone to the back of her mind, things worked different down here.

“Looking to join a keeper? I am sure many of them would like a creature as unique as you in their ranks, my name is Elliv Huntseeker.” she nodded to Twilight

“Twilight.” the unicorn answered simply causing the Elf to nod.

“A good name, I am going to the Crossing point too, would you like to travel together?” Twilight nodded not sure how much she could trust her new ‘companions’

“So, not many Unicorns down here?” the Dark Elf shook her head

“No, hell I have never seen a Equine so small.” she looked Twilight over and shrugged “My last keeper just died so I need a new one.” looking over Twilight she grinned “This your first one right?”

“Well, yes.” she looked up at the Dark Elf walking at a pace that seemed to make her male companion uncomfortable “But I am optimistic.”

“Well here is the portal, it leads to one of the smaller crossroads, more of an outpost then a town.” the Dark Elf pointed to a stone circle with a dark pit at its base “You know how to use a portal right?” the Unicorn sheepishly shook her head and the elf nodded.

“Right, well just jump into the portal and keep yourself together until you reach the crossroads, it’s a direct link, you will like it there.” she winks and dives into the portal quickly followed by her companion leaving Twilight alone.

“Well you heard the elf, jump.” Heras urges as Twilight looks into the inky darkness tapping her hoof to the floor uncomfortably.

“This can’t be safe.” the Unicorn muttered quietly before leaping into the portal closing her eyes with a squeak, there was a sudden change in temperature, from a damp cold close to freezing ambience to a dry warm one that hit her first, then it was the voices, opening her eyes Twilight looked around at the small yet busy subtrainen town, lava bordered the wide open cavern with houses leading up the walls with walkways between them hundreds of creatures mulled around.

Dragons, most of them young and powerful strutted around looking like they had something to prove, Goblins kept in small tribes holding knives and clubs glaring at anything that came to close, Acolytes and Warlocks, mostly humanoid hurried from place to place in colorful robes often with their noses in books.

Taverns made up most of the innermost plaza of the town, with shops selling almost everything a mercenary monster would need, occasionally there was a well dressed figure, Humanoid most of the time, who she identified as a keeper, not a keeper like Heras, who was strong and powerful without the need of opulence that most of the lesser keepers showed, fat lumps of meat that would make Bile Demons blush carried on wide beds with gold and gems lining everything to bring a sense of importance.

That was not what got her attention however, it was the creatures that were looking her over.

“A Unicorn? Hmm wonder how much pay you get.” a female Orc smiled and nodded, rather friendly despite the blood spattered club slung over her shoulder or the rusted plate armor that concealed nothing.

“Must have come in from a new realm, not much of a fighter, a magic user of some kind?” a skinny looking Dark Elf male in robes looked her over as Twilight looked around for where Heras said to go spotting the side alley quickly before a large round blob blocked her path.

“Little pony cute!” the blob announced shaking its skinny arms as it pointed more and more creatures coming closer to look at the newcomer.

“Twilight, this is bad, news of a new creature will spread fast, it would be best to teleport away from this crowd and move on to the pocket realm, you will find the gate in that alley.” the voice caused the others to fade out as Twilight nodded, she did not want to be the center of attention to a bunch of monsters.

In a flash Twilight was behind the crowd and slipped into the alley quickly finding a brick in one of the walls with a small engraving on it, she drew her hoof back and smashed it, then she was gone.

Twilight opened her eyes, something had been dripping onto her face as she lay on the floor, a stalactite hung from the high ceiling over her, the stone had created an unstable portal that had taken her here in a rather uncomfortable manner, wherever ‘here’ was.

The voice in her head was quiet, and for the first time underground she felt alone, looking around she was in a wide open room about fourteen meters across with a circular stone slab on the floor with the image of what looked like a face with large horns sticking out of the forehead.

why did this place feel so... RIGHT?!

Twilight wanted to scream or sing or dance, it was in the air, what she was, pure magic untamed and wild was in the very air.

A heartbeat, Twilight turned to look at her saddlebags, still in place as she saw the dark red glow. She pulled the glowing rock from its place between two books in a blanket and looked into its pulsing depth, it felt like a heartbeat, her heartbeat, twisting the rock before her eyes she felt the magic start to sturr around her, her eyes catching dancing lines across the rock as she shivered in delight at the feeling of so much powerfull magic around her.

Drip-drip-drip, she put a hoof to her face and noted she was bleeding, her blood had pooled onto the ground and was lighting up the stone at her hooves, how wonderful! She wished she could share this with her friends or Celestia, it was the best feeling ever!

Then she groaned, the stone falling to the ground and passing into the round slab across the floor without a sound, her heart, her real heart hurt like fire. She fell to her hocks and pressed her bleeding face into the floor as she cried out, it hurt but she did not wish it to stop, slowly cracks formed on the slab, wide gashes in the stone that slowly widened as the stone broke away, suddenly Twilight fell.

Thump-thump

Twilight opened her eyes

Thump-thump

She could feel it, all around her, it was power and magic and blood and life.

Thump-thump

It was the best thing ever!

Thump-thump

She looked around her, mind clearing from the rush she had just experienced a soft flesh under her that felt so soft, she smiled and looked down at her own heart, it was odd, she knew it was her, she could feel it, her heart spread out to contain the magic of this realm, it was beautiful.

Sadly her rest would not last.

“Wakey wakey keeper, time to smell the ashes.” the voice echoed around Twilight's head causing her to groan as she teleported out onto the stone around her heart. it was easy, she didn't even FEEL the drain!

“What happened?” she glanced around at the square room, it had no doors leading out, just her heart in the middle and a path around that.

“You embraced the power offered to you, I have never seen a new keeper react so well to the role, most can't handle all the power and spend a long time to recover.” nodding she looked at her hoof, she felt relaxed, her power was steadily building with no end in sight, she was already leagues beyond what she was.

“So, what now, with power like this I can crush any who dare to Threaten Equestria.” a wide grin crossed her face, Celestia would be so proud.

“Not quite Keeper.” Heras spoke in her head “This is the first of many hearts, you will need to build your power, not only in magic but over the land, become a true keeper and destroy the ones who would hurt the innocent.” The Unicorn slowly stretched out her legs, feeling just a bit taller than she was, she looked around.

“Where do we start?” There was a slight chuckle from her mental passenger.

“Imps.”