//-------------------------------------------------------// The Creature Down Below -by Koni- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// The Prequel //-------------------------------------------------------// The Prequel ''March, Civilian!'' He stumbles to the ground, crying in agony. He won the flight test, why is he getting treated like utter shit? Sighing slightly, still having tears in his eyes, he proceeds to march forward. He has been inside a waggon for around 2 hours, why even walk more? ‘’Ah’ know what cha thinking, civilian.’’ The masked pony gives out as whisper to him He goes close up to his ear, cramping him onto the ground ‘’Don’t you dare to think about escaping, or you’ll end up like the other trash that we dump off here at the rainbow factory, GOT IT?!’’ He gives out a small nod ‘’Good.’’ The masked pony goes right behind him ‘’Now get up, you filth. You’re going to be at this darn facility to work, not to be lazy.’’ Both of the ponies enter the gigantic metal doors that separates the facility from the outside world. ‘’By the way, what’s your darn name again?’’ The guardian asked in a rather aggressive tone. He whimpers out sofly. ‘’WHAT IS IT?!’’ ‘’...It’s… Featherdawn…’’ ‘’Alright then, pass on, Feathercaw or whatever your name is.’’ Featherdawn passes on, as he hears the doors close behind him in a swift motion. He gets a bit of an uneasy feeling, just standing there. He walks down a narrow corridor, until he reaches what looks like a door, just randomly in the wall. He opens it, it’s just a room with more doors. He gives out a small, calm whimper and closes the door slowly. He continues to walk down the narrow corridor, until he reaches a big metal door. He opens it, and suddenly without realizing, he gets hit by something. He falls a bit back onto the floor, stroking his now struck head. He gives out a small, frustrated sigh. ‘’Oh my godness, im so sorry sir!’’ He can hear a voice from a mare. ‘’Are you okay?’’ ‘’Yeah.. it’s fine.’’ he gives out as a response. The mare gives out a small gasp, as she gives the injured stallion a good look. ''You're really injured! Come on, let me get you to Soarin. He knows a lot about medicine.'' ''No, i think im f-hhh'' Featherdawn gives out as a response. ''Insist on it or agree, you're coming with me.'' she gives as a response to Featherdawn. The mare maanges to get him up onto her back, and begins to walk down the hall. Other ponies passing by, acting like it's a normal day, normal abitions. The mare whom'st carrying him, suddently gives a turn, and walks down a longer hall. She opens a door, entering a room. She inspects what looks like a soda machine, and starts clicks the code in a really strange order. ''1-6-4-8-1'' the machine gives out a beep for every number. Suddently, a mechanic voice asks the mare. ''What is the secondary passcode?'' it asks. The mare gives out a deep breath. ''Dié quevaciva, múresantes.'' ''Understood.'' The machine responds. The door gives in, opening for the mare. She walks down some stairs, still carrying him onto her back, until they reach a room. ''UH-HUM! Soarin, im back.'' She shouts. ''Oh, welcome back, Firefly!'' ''I kinda need your help. I have a stallion here who's been badly injured from the guards, might you be able to help him?'' Firefly desperately gives out. ''Well, it depends. He also seem to have a big, deep cut inside his cheek, which might be a lot to, repair, but i'll try my best to.'' He solidly convinces Firefly. Soarin takes over Featherdawn onto his own back, slowly carrying him over to a table with a wierd looking machine to the side of it. He slowly lowers down Featherfly onto the table, and puts some mask over his muzzle. Featherdawn tries to react from it, but his vision becomes slowly blurry. He feels more and more exhausted, until he blacks out. Featherdawn woke up with a deep breath, his legs trembling a bit. He looks over to his left. He can see Soarin, who is smiling gently to him. ''Do not be afraid now, i've only modified you a bit. You'll be surely satisfied with it.'' He assures Featherdawn. Featherdawn goes down from the table, stumbling onto the floor, but swiftly getting back up. ''Here, lemme get you a mirror so you can look at yourself!'' Soarin proudly instructed. Featherdawn takes a small handmirror that Soarin signals at him. He looks at himself. Is this really what being healthy is about? Is this how im actually supposed to look like? He drops the mirror, which hits the metal floor, shattering into pieces. He falls to the floor, giving out some tears. Soarin does not know what to do in this kind of situation, yet he might still know. He sits down in front of Featherdawn. Featherdawn tuckles into his hooves, shuttering. ''T-thank you so, so much.'' He gives out, still crying. Soarin puts his hooves around him, also giving out some tears. ''You're so welcome, my friend.'' Featherdawn and Soarin trotted up back into the hall, where a rather serious looking stallion was approaching to, on the other doorside. Soarin lifted himself up, and stood with pride. The stallion looked at him, confused for a small second. He approached Soarin. The stallion was wearing almost a military looking jacket, with some sort of medals on the left side of it. His mane was gently brushed to the left side of his head. ''So uhm, Soarin ye... Boss got work for you.'' He gently talked with Soarin. ''Oh, come on. Again? I did another duty like yesterday or, i don't even remember.'' ''Welp, it's boss orders.'' The stallion gave out. ''Hey, why cannot that pony work with ya, if you think the work here is so hard?'' He gave out in a laughter. ''Sounds okay, i guess. What do you say, Dawn? Some lil' work here at the factory might be rewarding.'' Soarin confronted Featherdawn with a gentle smile. ''I-i guess so...'' He muttered. The stallion gave Featherdawn a positive smile. ''Good!'' ''Soarin, you'll be goin to go work on that blade you didn't finish to clean off, alright? And you, Feather, you'll be goin down to the baserment to search for some fireworks. We'll be having a certain birthday of the generals newborn daughter, Rainbow dash, and we would appreciate with some extra... *ahem*... Glamour! If ya know what i mean.'' Featherdawn took a bit of a second to think, but he knew that the reward for going down into the baserment just to search for some fireworks, would surely be worth it. He nodded. ''I can surely do that, sir!'' He gave out. The stallion looked pleased. ''Righty, why don't you go and do that right now, if you're so anticipated for it?'' He gave out following with a laughter. Featherdawn nodded in pride, as he trotted over, opened the door that had a clear sign with the letters following ''Baserment''. He started trotting down the narrow path of stairs. It took him, what felt like minutes, before he reached a room with 2 separate doors inside of it, and some boxes. He gave out a small sigh, and opened the door that was in front of him when he entered the room, from the baserment stairs. It was empty. He sighed in frustration. ''So it seems like i have to go through all of them...?'' He gave out in distress. He began to trot through each and every room. It must've taken him some time, because he encountered a clock in one of the many rooms he has walked past. It read 05.40. He sighed. He entered into this building at around 9 AM, hoping to get atleast an easy mission. Instead, he gets to walk around multiple doors, looking for fireworks. Pssh, and what a darn mission. Finally, after what felt like hours, he got into a room with 2 things, those being: The fireworks, all piled together in 3 different boxes. A mysterious orb of some sort. Featherdawn walked towards the strange orb, as he felt it hovering, giving out small vibrations that gushes through his body. He reached in with his right front hoof to atleast try out what it felt like. He reached in, and he was immediatley launched back with force, crashing into the opposite side of the rooms wall. landing on the floor, he looks up to the orb. It was no longer there, but there was surely fire. He got up quickly, regaining conciousness to get out and warn everypony that a fire was breaking out. However, how was he going to get back up to the corridor again without making the fire spread so rapidly? There was a crash, as Featherdawn launched himself into the locked door that lead out to the hallway for the entrance. He rushed out and screamed. Ponies around him were bothly confused and a bit petrified on what was going on. ''FIRE, EVERPONY! THERE'S FIRE IN THE CORRIDOR!'' He screamed. The ponies around him ran out from the corridor, screaming for help. Featherdawn ran towards the main hall, where he launched the door open, screaming there was fire. Every pony that he could see, started to run out from any entrance to the building, evacuating it. Featherdawn, however. He stood there in his place. He knew that maybe the top officer of the facility would blame him, accusing him of starting the fire, judging him to execution, the main reason of treasonary and misbehaviour in the facility. Firefly and Soarin grabs him, forcing him out of the main hall. They manage to get him out from the flames just in time, but he collapses to the ground in the entrance corridor. Firefly and Soarin can see the glazing blaze of the corridor, looking down at Featherdawn. The green Stallion with a yellowish mane, looking down the corridoor to the entrance, tears in his eyes. ''FUCKING, JUST RUN!!! RUN FEATHERDAWN, GOD DAMMIT!'' Firefly screams. He does not responds within, what seems like 20 seconds, but it felt like 20 minutes. He silently gives out whimpers as he begins to cry, but his expression swiftly turns into a smile. ''They will take care of you guys. Do not come back here, it's not worth risking your lives over what will be in the future. DO NOT examine the factory when returning, i beg you.'' He screams to them. With noticed agony on him, he closes his eyes, and turns around. ''NO!!!'' Firefly gives out, tears streaming. Featherdawn turns his head half around, looking down at Firefly. He smiles. ''Im sorry.'' He turns his head back, and walks into the flames, letting them consume him. The noise after that could only be heard, was the sparkling sound of the flames rising atop to the roof. ''Firefly, we MUST retrieve back to ponyville. Now.'' Soarin speaks to her. Firefly stands there, looking down at the corridor. She turns around to Soarin, nods at him, and off they go. Featherdawn walks through a slightly narrow hall, filled with flames. He is not able to recognize the walls, not even the floor. He walks into the middle of all the chaos, the flames lifting, sparkling, heat getting more and more intense. He puts his hoof up in the air. It burns. He holds his tears back, yet he still somehow cannot feel any pain. He closes his eyes. Whatever faith will be punished upon him, he will accept. The flames coming closer, fading him up. He screams. Author's Note The Prequel to The Creature Down Below. Ending (sequel) coming next year. :) //-------------------------------------------------------// What is that thing? //-------------------------------------------------------// What is that thing? ''WAKE UP, YOU FOOLS!'' A raspy voice called out inside the darken lit room, where Soarin, Firefly, Fleetfoot and Night Glider was quietly trying to get up from their slumber. Soarin glanced an eye onto the grey pony that was in the door opening, but tried to ignore his warning to them. ''I SAID, WAKE UP! WE GOT WORK TO DO TODAY.'' The Greyish pegasus with his blue mohawk loudly yelled, and walked away out the room into the corridor, getting into the next room, calling out the same thing again. Soarin muttered. ''So we never get to sleep at this fucking place? That's great.'' Night Glider said in an annoying tone. Yet that all four of the ponies was way too tired to even get up, Soarin was the first one to get up from the cranky bunk bed, climbed down the stairs of the bed and turned on the lights. ''You guys heard what he said, we need to get into the phase of working right away, or you all know what boss will do to us. His rules, He does whatever he wants to do with us.'' The other three pegasus nodded, and got themselves clothed for another day in the factory. All four pegasus got out of their room, and trotted quietly into the end of the queue, waiting to get their names called out to get into position in each separate workroom. Soarin sighed slightly. ''Wonder what we will have to do today, hopefully not extracting magic from other ponies.'' Firefly, Fleetfoot and Night glider nodded back in agreement. ''Firefly, you take the extraction station. Night Glider, you go take the machine fixery station. Night Glider, you go and take the outer station to greet any incoming trucks.'' Soarin gulped, waiting for his commanded station were he was going to spend his day at. ''Soarin, you get a special task. We have some of those damn machines out of function again, due to the blades being a bit too messy, and used in a bunch of years. I want you to go down into the baserment of the facility and try to locate the screws for the new blades. Understood?'' Thunderlane responded. Soaring nodded. ''Yes Thunder!'' Thunderlane smiled. ''Good.'' Thunderlane trotted down into the line, and passed up other ponies into different sections. Soarin walked down with Night Glider, into the machinery room where they were met with the blood gushed, and rather unpleasant looking machinery. ''So we need to change those blade things again...'' Night Glider said in an annoying tone ''Well, apparently!'' Soarin responded. ''Right, you go and find those spikes and screws or whatever in the baserment, whilst i'll take a good look in the control room inside the manual of the machine.'' Night Glider said, and grinded her teeth. Soarin nodded in response, and walked down the corridor into the main hall again. He walked down the main section hall until he reached a door with a sign that said ''Baserment''. ''Welp, guess this is it.'' He quietly said for himself, not trying to make contact with other ponies around the place. He opened the cranky looking door, which had an oddly feeling to itself, as if it was in a really bad condition. Soarin walked in and slowly trotted down the stairs. For some odd reason, the light was on. Besides, it is a really creepy looking baserment, so why wouldn't it be? The walls seemed to only be made out of stone, and the stairs seemed to be the same case. Soarin walked until he reached the actual baserment area. He carefully looked around boxes, and some body bags here and there inside the room. He carefully walked around the place, inspecting some boxes. He did not really find any spikes, not screws as far as he could see. He was just about to give up, when he saw another door. Excitement came into his mind, not even noticing the warning sign on it. He walked to the door, and opened it slowly, only to find that there was a dimly lit room, with more doors inside of it. Soarin gave a annoyed expression, walked into the room, closing the door behind him. He walked up to the door at the left side of the room, only to find himself at the same kind of room as he entered. They looked way too similar. He walked from room to room, one to another, finding some had bookshelves and lockers inside each and one of them, and moving packages. He quietly trotted from room to room, finding really no clue to any materials to fix the machinery with. He started to get annoyed. ''Where the hell could those things be at?'' He muttered for himself. Then he heard a scraping sound. Soarin got chills up his spine, but really did not care much. It might've been a rat or something at the side of the wall. Seemingly enough, there sure was a corridoor on the other side, yet it was also abandoned for some strange reason. The managers never really told us workers why they were closed down, they just responded with that it just was closed down, or under maintence. Soarin walked into some more rooms, until he heard the scratching again, but this time, even more clearly. He also heard some sort of a clanking sound onto a marble floor, as if someone was scraping a knife on the surface of a plate. Soarin did not want to know whatever the hell that was now, it sounded way too much like an unknown creature than a rat. He ran. From room to room, as he could hear the clanking coming closer from beside him. Now he was really scared, but also curios. Until he got to the room which had a wooden styled door out to the corridor. He stopped, adrenaline rushing. As from whatever that thing was, it would probably approach from the wooden door and attack him. He had thousands of thoughts in his head now. What was he going to do? Hide? If so, Where? Soarin froze there on his hoofs, beside the door. The rattling noise and scratching came closer to the door, but turned and he could hear it right at the other side of the wall. He did not reflect at the thing, though. He could hear clanking, rattling, and a deep grunting on the other side. Soarin's heart was going in loops right now, as he slowly opened his mouth, about to talk with the thing. ''What are you...?'' No response. Only grunting. Soarin moved a step, making as little noise as possible. When he approached with his hoof and reached another step, the creature rattled into the door, crushing it immediatley as it came into contact with the creature. What seemingly was a creature, looked like something out of a horror movie. It's skin color being pale green, Standing on two legs. The big, structured hunched body, The alien shaped arms and legs attached to a vividly bizzare body, and a mare beautifly colored yellow, it's eyes being pale redish. As from that, it had splatters of possibly blood and magic on it's mane and body, as well around it's moliscious claws. Soarin backed up in disbelief on what he saw, slowly. The creature stared at him with it's eyes wide open, not making any other reflection than hunching it's claws and approached forward. He ran. Room after room, door after door. He heard the creature sudden screech, as it approached at him in a crazy speed, rattling it's claws on the floor as it approached closer. Soarin only ran, he did not care where he was going, he just wanted to get away from that creature. Whatever it was, pony or not, Mare or stallion, it was definetly after him. As more as Soarin ran, the closer the creature came for him. Ready to tear up his entire body into small bloody pieces. However, Soarin got into a room, and closed the metallic door right in the creatures face. It screeched, trying to get in. Soarin pushed, until he locked it out. Now he needed to think swiftly. He looked around the room, and saw that luckily there was what looked like a cabinet. He opened it, jumped inside, and closed it slightly so he could look out a small bit into the room. As he heard a metallic clanking sound, the door swung open, and the creature stepped inside. He could definetly make out that it wasn't a pony, but it sure looked wierd. The creature looked around the room, groaning. As it was walking around slowly, it grunted as it came closer to the cabinet. Soarin felt as if his life was nothing more than a hellgame. It would be over, the other workers would find him sliced open, eaten or left in the cabinet to rott. As soon as the creature approached the cabinet, the other door in the opposite side swung open, where Firefly came through. The creature looked at her way, and ran at her. Firefly made out a slight pitched scream, but later turned into gurgling, as Soarin whitnesed the creature tugging it's right hand, the death sharp nails up her throat. He was terrified at what he saw. Firefly was seen gurgling up blood from the attack. The creature later made another move with it's left hand, slowly beginning to slice her open. She tried to scream. Soarin couldn't take it anymore. He swung onpen the cabinet, and launched at the creature, but bumped into it, falling in the floor. The creature looked behind, meeting eye contact with Soarin. He was going nowhere now. The creature left Firefly, dying on the floor, and threw Soarin into the carbinet, injuring his head really badly. Soarin gave out a slight sob. His ears was beeping, and he saw his vision blurring a bit, still making out the porpotion of the creature. It proceeded to take it's right hand and get it around Soarin's neck, keeping him into the floor of the cabinate. Soarin was done thinking. He knew what was coming. But first, he had one last thought. ''What is my life?'' He squealed to himself. ''Honour is my life.'' He responded to himself with a silent smile. The creature came up to Soarin, tugging it's deep nails into Soarin's stomach. He Screamed in an agonizing pain, as his vision became more blurry, blacking edges around his eyelines. He felt an indescribeable pain. The creature proceeded to rip open his stomach. Soarin was too unconcious to even scream, and he saw a white lining instead of a black one. The creature tugged onto his inner organs, ripping them out one by one. Soarin gave out one last agonizing scream, before it was all white. He was gone. The creature threw his organs onto the floor, and gave a gentle smile. In it's own thoughts, it has done a good job. It looked at the dead bodies, wondering what they would be to use for. An idea ticked inside of it's head. It did not really have any specific cosmetical items on itself, and it was bored with it's own look. Surely the skin of the two ponies would make a good sort of cloth. But right now, it had new friends to make. Author's Note So, that is the end of the ''horror'' story! Might've put a bit more into expressing the things that was happening, but yeah. //-------------------------------------------------------// The end //-------------------------------------------------------// The end WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!?! WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?! What happened? How? Why. Firefly gives out a hurrled scream, looking around the hospital room. The two doctors next to her bed jolts up at her, trying to keep her calm. ''Calm, please ma'm, stay calm!'' One of the doctors let out. She lowers herself back down onto the bed, tears rolling down her eyes. ''...Where is Soarin?'' She gives out, stuttering in her breath. The other doctor inside the room lowers his head to the floor. ''He did not make it...'' Firefly puts her face in her hooves, giving out small sobs. It's... Just a bad dream, right?! RIGHT?! Firefly thinks to herself. She knew what was going on, but she did not want to belive what the doctor was telling her. How would he know about her best friend? ''We found him dead on the floor in one of the rooms, and uhm... All of his insides were spilled out across the floor. He was long gone when we found you two. We thought you were dead as well, or atleast in one circumstance, braindead. However, with special care and medication, we got you back to this world. ''But... Soarin... My other friends...'' Firefly gives out. ''He's gone, there's nothing we can do.'' The other doctor mutters out. Firefly is finally let out of the hospital, being let in to the now renewed facility as her workstation. She trots down the newpolished corridor, but not in pride as she used to. More of regret. ''I could've saved him... It's my fault...'' She gives out in a weak voice to herself, walking through the hallway of other ponies passing by, in hurry or for a break. Trotting down the corridor, looking at the ponies going the other direction, passing by her. They look happy. It is like they have realized it wasn't that big of a deal, and that everything is like it was before. A small tear forms on firefly's right eye, and slowly goes down her cheek. She closes her eyes. Is this fair? She gets down into the baserment, through the newbeing tree door, and just sits down there. There is no door to the side of the opposite wall as before, it is only a normal baserment. She slowly trots to the nearby wall, and starts to sob. She lets out crying, memories flashing before her very eyes. She does not want to be here anymore. She want him to come back. The moonlight is littened by the glimmering stars in the night sky. The last security guard of the factory goes outside of the big doors, closing them. He locks them, and trots down from the hill of the factory. Firefly gives out a sudden gasp, realizing she had fallen asleep on the concrete floor. She goes up from the stairs, and gently opens the door. She looks out into the morely so litten hallway, torches on the walls. She walks up to one of the torches, and just stares into it. A sudden idea goes through her mind; If she cannot meet him in the real equestria, what if... Firefly gently pushes the torch up from the metal hatch, holding it between her hooves. As she holds it between her hooves, she hears a slight grunt from behind. Hestitantly as she turns around, she hits her head, dropping the torch onto the wooden floor. It rolls onto a side to the wall, as it slowly catches fire. Firefly stokes her head, wondering what she might’ve suddenly bumped into. She looks up, and there it is. That, thing. She gives out a rather shocked expression, crawling backwards as the creature starts to move towards her slowly. She moves back, hoof by hoof until she hits the wooden wall behind herself. She has waited for this moment to come. With the might of all her power, she goes on with her horn to glow. Within what felt like minutes, she puts the spell onto the creature. It slow inhumane screams, suddenly seems to form into normalized pony screams. Firefly goes from a shocked, to a sad expression. The flashbacks from before, they’re coming back to her. And so does the sadness. In front of her stands the stallion, the one who was left to die within the flames of the older factory. She runs right into him, and hugs him tightly. Just as she does so, she feels the flames slowly get hotter. No, they’re literially burning hot. She gives out to cry, and so does the stallion. ‘’I-it’s been so long, Dawn…’’ She wimpers. She can feel tears slowly go onto her shoulder, down to her back. ‘’Yes. It has.’’ He gives out. They both holds each other, as the flames go on to slowly consume them both. Nobody else there to witness. Yet, there are no screams. The rainbow factory, is no more.