'Ugh... My head... Where am-- Huh?' I look around my surroundings to see a galaxy surrounding me, of all types of colors, ahead of me what could only be described as a corridor of differing doorways and corresponding hallways branching off from where I was laying. Easing myself onto my hooves I look around and shake my head to clear the blurring from my vision and decide to start making my way onward. While trotting around I see... A pedestal? That is a pedestal, right? It's hard to tell with the decorative designs all over it, but what sealed the deal on it was the parchment lying upon it. Trotting over and, being an avid gamer, I take the note into my magic and begin reading its contents.
'Greetings and welcome weary traveler. If you are reading this then that means that you've been trapped here just as I have. Allow this note to explain your situation. This place is none as 'The De Porta Mundi', or in a common tongue, 'The Gateway of Worlds'. You're probably wondering what exactly you're doing here, and I'm sad to say that I've no earthly idea. But I do know that there is a way out of this place and back to your home. However, if you are reading this, it surely means that I was unable to find it myself, but there is still hope for you! You must find the center of this maze, but you will be unable to do it alone. You must find warriors, companions, that will assist you in this. I've scoured this place for longer than I can truly remember, but I know it's been at least five or so years... Perhaps more? It's hard to tell. But if you are going to escape, you will need to succeed where I failed and escape this endless rift. There should be clues in this place but I've yet to decode them myself. All the ones I've found can be found in my journal. Be careful... And may time be kind to you unlike it was to me.'
"Journal... Wait, what jour-- Whoa!" I shout seeing a leather-bound book lying on the pedestal before me. No symbols or anything, just... A book. "Huh... Well, guess I'll just... Take it and see where I gotta go." I say picking up the book and flipping it open, landing on a page that read 'clue number one'. Guess I'm on the right page.
"Alright, let's see... 'Through a portal of fire, a mysterious rain, a bloodlust lingers, a bringer of pain. A murderous beast of beauty and death, the first warrior found with a murderous breath'... The heck does that mean?" I say as I walk down a branching corridor and give a sigh before bringing the book down and leaping back in shock from-- IS THAT A WALL OF FIRE?! What in the name of Luna is that thing doing there?! "Wait a second..." I say before looking back at the clue and then up to the wall, noticing it seems to be... swirling a bit in the middle. This thing... It's not the portal in the clue, is it? Oh jeez, that means...
"You can't be serious. There's a song about this kinda thing and it doesn't end well! No way book, no way in Tartarus am I jumping into a burning ring of fire! No way, no how!" I say as I close up the book and walk off. I can handle this on my own. There's no way it could be that hard to find my way around... Right?
~ 3 Hours Later ~
"Sweet Celestia I hate it here..." I say after wandering around the last few hours with no hope of finding a way to the center. "I've run into fifty dead-ends, twenty barred off areas, and-" I poke my head into a portal only to pull it out and spit out a mouthful of water, "I've stuck my head in this dumb thing twelve times! Seriously, how do I keep falling for this!?" I shout in irritation as I slump to the ground groaning, "Where's the way out?!" I shout as my voice echoes throughout the halls, only making me annoyed further. Giving a groan, I lie on the ground in defeat as I hear my stomach growling. Have I been walking around here for that long? I mean, I don't feel hungry... But that was pretty lou-- ... That wasn't my stomach, was it?
Looking up slowly, I come face to face with a beast I'd only heard of from Fluttershy the night after Twilight came to town. But this one definitely didn't seem like a 'big softie'. It's scorpion tail flicked threateningly behind itself, it's wings large and flared out and it's teeth bared with a deadly flare. It's eyes full of a ferocious hunger and it's mouth dripping with drool... I think... Drool isn't green, is it? Shooting up from my hooves I leap back and stare in shock of the manticore before me. Thinking back on what Fluttershy said about these creatures, I shakily reach out my hoof to it and stutter out, "U-Um... N-N-Nice... Kitty?"
... Apparently it took offense to that. It snapped at my hoof that I quickly pulled away and gave a roar, giving me no further confirmation that my first idea was the best idea: Run! Spinning on my hooves I begin galloping away up and down hallways, rushing around without a logical thought crossing my mind except to get away from this thing that is definitely hungry for pony flesh! Coming to a crossing path, I rush down the left way and come face to flame with the portal I'd seen earlier, giving it a good long look before hearing the roaring beast behind me quickly catching up. Giving a sigh of acceptance, I back up and start bouncing to psych myself up, "Alright... Let's do this... Game on!" I shout before rushing at and through the portal.
And this... Is where mt really crazy journey begins.
