The Legion's Rest Incident

by Visiden Visidane

Rating: teen
Tags: Dark, Original Character, Horror, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 2630

A Legion patrol investigates a disturbance within the Barrier Lands' largest tomb complex.

We went in expecting vicious graverobbers, desperate bandits, even crazed grievers who had trapped themselves down there.

If only we were so lucky.

(For Halloween. Part of the Upheaval world)

Published 2016-10-11 11:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2016-10-11 11:30:01 UTC

Entry 2

Never been one to write stuff down, but I decided to start doing this once it's clear that we're in this for the long run. It should help calm me down and keep me focused. It should also prove helpful when it's time to write up a report, or, Prince help us, for cluing in investigators what happened to us.

The report was simple enough: bunch of ponies went into the older sections of Legion's Rest, then barricaded themselves in there. Wouldn't be the first time it happened. We're talking about the biggest tomb complex in all of Equestria. These thugs and bandits think that if they can just find some unattended nook or cranny to disappear into, they'd have a nice little base all to themselves. Miserable rats, no respect for our honored Legion dead.

Things have turned to shit, though. The map those tomb attendants gave us is all wrong; corridors not where they should be, entrances missing, or in places there shouldn't be any. Cloudsteel, that inept feather-back, bungled the chalking so we can't retrace our steps. He still insists that he was doing it right and that the trail just disappeared. That would't be an issue if either of our unicorns could work their location spells, but something's scrambling them apparently. So, we're lost and we haven't encountered those brigands.

The Captain insists on moving on, saying we should still be doing the mission. The rest of the squad's agreeable enough. I suppose I'd be feel safer looking for our way out once we're sure we won't get jumped.

If Moonstone and Deep Gem keep their spell casting to a minimum and take shifts, we should have a constant supply of light spells. Failing that, we've got a couple of covered lanterns ready to go. Food and water looks good for three more days. We can probably ration it to a week without compromising fighting strength. I'm confident that I can scrape up some Tomb Moss if worse comes to worse. Cloudsteel and Sky Pike laughed at the thought of eating "dirt-muncher" food. I'm going to enjoy spoonfeeding these feather-backs the stuff after they beg me for it. Though, I'd prefer we don't reach that point.

This place is coming off odd, though. There's a damp feel to the air which shouldn't be there. Weird fishy smell too. Could just be Deep Gem though.

Entry 3

Still no sign of those brigands.

Legion's Rest is damn huge. We all knew that from the start, but it's another thing to end up wandering its halls. How many of our honored dead have we entombed here? Hundreds of thousands probably, maybe even a million?

I have this creeping feeling that we've been walking around in circles. Sky Pike's in charge of chalking, and we haven't come back to one of his marks, but I cant shake the feeling. The Captain says he feels the same. These sarcophagi are blending together. We try to remember the inscriptions to be doubly sure, but it just turns into a confusing mess.

We're starting to get some flicker from Deep Gem's light spell. Damn drill-head woke up five times last night. She's squandering her rest time. She mumbled something to the Captain about "weird ocean dreams" that keep waking her. Moonstone's holding up better, but he's a Wallforge colt, used to being topside, not like us delvites. Staying too long in these tunnels can't be good for him.

Of course, the drill-head is still in better shape than Cloudsteel here. Typical feather-back, he's bad at enclosed spaces. Already sweating and looking at the walls too much. Sky Pike's only slightly better. Even delvite pegasi prefer the bigger caverns. Good thing the Captain's holding them together.

Entry 4

Finally. Finally, we find something from the brigands. Almost wish we didn't.

The Captain nearly slipped on the damn puddle of gore thanks to Deep Gem's dimming, flickering light spell.

By the Prince, what happened to these poor wretches? A body would be horrid enough.

The smell should have clued us in. You can't miss that thick, cloying, metallic stench of day-old blood. That's all we thought it was, at first; a puddle of blood, probably from somepony getting stabbed. The light spell lingered on the glistening solid bits though: thick, ropy strands of flesh, splinters of bone, mashed up entrails. I nearly vomited. It wasn't some sense of dignity that forced me to keep it down. We're dangerously low on food, and I can't afford to waste anything already in my stomach.

The puddle's static. No trails to show that it was dragged there. No prints of anything walking away from it. The way it looked, it's like somepony just dissolved on the spot.

The sight's clearly not helping Cloudsteel. He's got his hooves on his blade at all times and he's snapping alert at every flickering shadow. Moonstone's agreed to increase his shift so Deep Gem can rest up. I swear, if she gabs on about her inane ocean dreams, I'll toss her down a river myself once we're out of here.

I've also noticed that it's getting damp here. The walls are cold and slightly moist. That can't be good for dead bodies. At least that means we're not getting turned around. We might be near some kind of underground spring. Good, we can use refills.

Entry 5

Prince damn that preening, molting, feather-back moron! Cloudsteel just chowed down the rest of our food when we weren't looking! We're out. He screamed something about stress making him really hungry. I could barely hear him while I was knocking some of his teeth in. How did this colt even make it this far? He's trembling like a newborn and he's breathing as if he's about to drown. It's pissing the others off, I'm sure of it.

He's not the only one. Deep Gem won't shut up about her stupid ocean dreams. It's all she talks about. We're down to conservative use of our lanterns because she's stumbling around like a drunk and Moonstone's exhausted.

We're out of food, low on water, and low on light. By the Prince, I don't want to die here. Surely, the attendants are already looking for us?

Entry 7

We found the rest of the brigands. And Cloudsteel.

By the Prince, what have gotten ourselves into?

We knew that we were heading towards something gruesome. The smell wafted down the tunnel and hit us a long way away. I don't think I'm ever going to get rid of this stink. It's on my coat, my clothes, and my armor. Dead, besotted bodies, water that's been standing in some Underbelly alley for weeks, and a foul salty scent that stung our sinuses. I had a headache in seconds once the odor hit.

It must have been a chamber for a Legion hero we splashed into. Typical tombs are just big enough for the sarcophagus and a for a few ponies to stand around paying respects. This was a larger, circular chamber.

The bodies...we couldn't tell how many had died in there. There were pieces everywhere, legs ripped from their sockets, torsos mauled and torn open. Bones sticking out where they should't be, splintered and cracked. There was no way these were killed by ponies. It must have been some monster.

Cloudsteel, that poor sod, he was at least still whole. We found him propped up against the sarcophagus, chest ripped up so badly that his splintered ribs all pointed up. Most of his innards were missing, likely among the piles strewn all over the place.

Sky Pike lost it right there. I couldn't blame him. I'm still shaking while writing this. We had to drag him away. Made me sick at heart when the Captain told us to get him to shut up. We had to, though. Didn't want his howling to pull whatever did this towards us.

Had to camp outside that chamber. Even here, the smell's nauseating. I'm puking up nothing but stomach acid. I think what disturbs me the most right now is that Deep Gem's been quiet throughout that whole scene. Just stood there with that wierd, fascinated look on her face. Like some schoolfilly stupidly staring at a passing crush. I had to drag her out of the place. I swear, she's pissing me off more by the minute.

Entry 9

This might be the last time I'm writing this. Sky Pike wouldn't get up after our last camp. Just curled into a miserable ball to die. We tried everything. I didn't have much by way of hope. The Captain kicked him a few times, told him how he was a sack of shit. We had to move on at some point. Even if it was just to keep the Captain from killing him too.

It's me and Moonstone now. He can't even get a light spell going and our lanterns are down to dark orange glows just a few feet ahead. The Captain's so wild-eyed, we don't even want to stand near him.

If anypony finds this, purge this whole place. Burn everything out then collapse the tunnels. Something's moved in here. We're sloshing through water that's up to our fetlocks. It's black under our dimming lights and so cold that it makes no sense that it isn't ice. Feels like the whole mountain's crushing us. It's a struggle to move. Our bellies growl like wild animals, and I swear the Captain's looked at us twice like we're lunch. I'm keeping a knife close. It might be him or us soon.

Last Entry

...beast jumped us ou...Captain too far ahead...head ripped off by one of...

Had to keep it bac...stone can cast some fin...needed time...

Tenta...my side...too much bloo...lungs cru...can hardly...is it.

Moon...lled himself in t...cess. Beast scr...hurt...be dead...couldn't tel...

Prin...mercy...east has to....ay here. Don...rything.

Afterword

A full company of unicorn magi and four Special Operations squads were sent following the disapperance of the patrol. Legionnaires encountered powerful lingering magic that required long dispelling rituals.

The journal was found three days after the patrol was reported missing. Discrepancies with the days recorded and the actual passage of time is currently attributed to loss of sense of time and severe stress. The layout, after the dispelling, has been found in accordance to maps provided by the attendants.

Samples of the strange, tentacled creature have been sent to Special Operations in the Heartland for comparison with abyssal magic.

New investigative reports suggest that the "brigands" who entered the necropolis matched descriptions of a popular mercenary group. They were last hired by a merchant named Gold Tooth, who has been under investigation for some time for displaying a great interest in Old Kingdom lore and artifacts. Gold Tooth's mother had been recently killed and buried in Legion's rest, and it was after her burial that his interest emerged.

All new information gathered regarding this incident shall be forwarded to Her Highness, as ordered.

Foreword

To Your Highness, Princess Luna of Equestria,

As per your request, here is a copy of the log found in Legion's Rest. We apologize for the state of the last page. It was found crumpled, wet, torn, and bloody. Also per your request, only the words that were legible were put down.

As for the additional information you asked for:

Legion's Rest was established in 135 After Division. The mountain was originally called Moaning Top and housed the primary headquarters of the Moonlight Rondo. After the Rondo was driven out after the Moaning Top incident, the surviving family members of Ash Frost requested the Prince to let them build her a memorial tomb there. Families of those who served with her soon followed. By 200 After Division, a tomb complex had been created. The mountain was renamed Legion's Rest and serves as a burial site for all members of the Legion in good standing. If their families wish to apply.

Legion's Rest today has become a sprawling necropolis, housing several hundred thousand of our honored dead. Maintenance and expansion are taken care of by a large staff of attendants. Incidents are rare, but not unheard of. The Legion does not permit the burial of large sums of riches to stave off grave robbers, exempting only a few keepsakes for the dead. Still, the network of tunnels has become so intricate that ponies do occasionally get lost or attempt to establish hideouts.

The patrol group described by this journal was a Western Legion patrol in pursuit of a group of brigands. They were led by Captain Barkhide, and included another earth pony, Stonepick, two unicorns, Deep Gem and Moonstone, and two pegasi, Cloudsteel and Sky Pike. The patrol was reported missing two days after their foray into the necropolis. The journal was found next to the remains of Stonepick along with the burnt remains of some strange creature still being analyzed.

Entry 6

Cloudsteel's gone. He took off last night while we were settling down, shrieking about the walls about to crush him. Damn foal that I am, I tried to give chase and slipped on a puddle of water. Why are these tunnels so wet? Is there an underground river just leaking into the place? It makes no sense, we're deep into the mountain.

Must have twisted a fetlock because my left hind hoof is killing me. The others tried to follow, but we lost him down the darkened tunnels. His shrieks bounced off the walls, making it sound like he's taking every tunnel. If we're lucky, we'll find him curled up in a ball somewhere while we keep going. If not...well, we all knew the risks the day we signed up for the Legion. Sky Pike's taking it hard. Keeps saying he's responsible for that colt, that he's going to have to explain this to Cloudsteel's sister.

Not in the mood to worry about Sky Pike not getting to rut with some mare. The hoof's swollen badly. I have to lean heavily on the Captain just to walk. Pretty sure the burden's not going to do his mood any favors. He snapped hard at Deep Gem when she started off on another ocean dream spiel. Problem was that it didn't stop her.

Entry 8

Deep Gem's dead.

Oh great alicorns, how did we let this happen? I stood there almost grinning while she was murdered.

We were still at camp when that damn mare walked over to Sky Pike. I thought she'd have kind word to say or something, but no. It was her damn ocean dreams again! Her Prince-damned, dirt-chewing ocean! I was already getting up to shut her horse mouth. Sky Pike stopped sobbing long enough to look like he was going to kick her.

But the Captain beat us all to it. Grabbed her by the mane and slammed her head on the floor. Prince have mercy, I just stood there. I even felt some satisfaction. She had been such a torment since she started on those ocean dreams. The third smack was the one that finally got us moving. That was when we saw the blood smearing all over the floor. We had to pry the Captain away. It was like moving a boulder, and we were all weak from hunger. When he finally backed off, we checked on her. Poor mare was dead, probably from the second hit. The Captain's a big stallion, nearly twice her size. It wouldn't have taken much. Her skull had broken open with her horn pushed in. "She was mad!" the Captain yelled at us. "She was mad and she was dragging us down with her!"

He's right, I think. Problem is, I think she's already done it.