Chapters The concept of good and evil is a simple and easy–to-understand principle: One’s either on your side or the other is a heartless bucker that deserves to die. It’s kind of like the colors of black and white, nothing more than absolutes. But what happens when there’s a shade of gray? A balance of both? How do you deal with someone who has as much kindness and evil in his or her heart? That’s the very line ‘humans’ danced on for so many years.
And that is why they are gone.
My name is Dapper Crescent, a unicorn born and raised in Canterlot. For the past ten years, I have studied to understand the race that once inhabited the lands we know today as Equestria. I have visited several dig sites that have uncovered pieces of their technologically advanced machinery. Were it not for them, the invention of the locomotive train or hot-air balloons would not have been possible. It was absolutely amazing that they were able to create such complex machinery without the use of magic that we ponies have. That is why it is such a shame to know that these seemingly amazing creatures have such a dark and bloody history.
Four years ago, we recently discovered documented archives, which we were able to translate into our own language. Much of their history depicted several years of war and death, with corpses rising in the millions. There was apparently more leading to the destruction of their race, but most of it had been lost during the translation process. Whatever happened to them must have destroyed them on a planet-wide scale because these humans were spread out amongst each other due to their sheer numbers. From the basic information on this mysterious race, their numbers reached the billions, a number so high that ponies can only imagine.
Sadly, progress on discoveries of more ruins has recently grinded to a halt. Less and less ruins were found in our regions and we were not allowed to search in the kingdoms of other species. Such an action could spark a political storm for Princess Celestia and pony ambassadors in the other regions. So we are forced to work within our boundaries until we are given permission to. That may not come anytime soon with tensions rising in the dragon kingdom and a civil war just waiting to happen in the griffon homelands to the east. So far, this decade has been crazy, but worthwhile.
“Postal delivery!” A chipper voice called followed by two knocks on my door. I usually don’t get such an energetic tone from a mail mare, judging by the feminine voice, but it was not at all unpleasant. While I come from a rich background in Canterlot, I am not as stuck up as them due to my time working with a variety of ponies during my research. That’s probably why I never attend the formal parties my mother and father always ask me whenever I visit them in Canterlot.
Walking towards the door, I opened it to find a familiar gray Pegasus before me. I’ve come to know her as Ditzy Doo. Her eyes were not fixed in one location, which I found oddly cute with the way they swirled around everywhere but the center. In her hoof, she had a letter. The first thing I recognized was the shovel symbol engraved on the center of the front cover. That only meant one thing: A new discovery from the dig squad. I was positively ecstatic, but I kept my composure.
“Here you go, Miss Crescent!”
“Thank you, Ditzy.”
I levitated it into my side pouch while also pulling out a few bits in return. Normally, ponies don’t have to pay extra since we already pay a bill for the delivery service, but being the head of a research team tends to leave you with quite a few bits to spare.
“You know, I always feel kind of bad taking your bits, Miss Crescent…” Ditzy said, looking down as I placed the coins inside a small side pocket in her mail bag which was stuffed with letters and small boxes.
“Nonsense! You need it more than I do. A pony as dedicated to your job deserves a little more pay in your day!”
“Hey, that rhymed!” Ditzy giggled.
“Oh, I guess it did.” I chuckled a bit in return.
“Have a nice day, Miss Crescent!”
“Same to you, Ditzy!” I replied as she took off back into the sky.
Shutting the door behind me, I dashed back to desk and ripped open the letter, pulling out the content inside. It was from the leader of the dig team, Boulder Silver. Not so surprisingly, it was written in a not so formal manner, considering his background in the poor areas of Manehattan. A good guy, if a bet less educated than the average pony, but he had heart.
Hey, Boss. It’s Silver.
Just wanted to let you know we didn’t find a bunch of cogs and gears, but we found some sort of entrance. The team wanted to go in, but I told them we would wait until you got here. I’ve already hailed transport to come your way in a day, so get ready for it. Oh! And I suggest you bring something warm to wear. I’m freezing my flank off here in this cold! See you then.
Rolling up the short letter, my thoughts went to previous discoveries. Over the years, we’ve only found small pieces of their technology, but never an entrance of sorts. What could be behind it? A city underneath the ground or glorious amounts of untouched records tapping into the knowledge of humanity even further? There were so many possibilities! If only the transport got here sooner! Nevertheless, I knew time was of the essence and I had to get packing now for the trip. Judging by Silver’s comment, I’ll be heading to the mountains in the north, where the weather is always cold and not just by choice either. Everything there works on its own, much like the Everfree Forest.
Speaking of which, something has been bugging me about the Everfree Forest lately…like something was going to happen soon there. Didn’t that place hold the Elements of Harmony in some abandoned castle where both of the royal pony sisters used to live? I’m sure that’s bound to have some significant importance in the future or I’m just thinking up crazy ideas. Then again, I did prove that there was civilization before we came along, so I might not be.
As I started packing my bags, I couldn’t help but be excited. I went into a giggling fit. Why couldn’t tomorrow come any sooner!?
Hi there, I’m just trying out a new writing style. Have to say, it’s interesting and a bit tiring at the same time. But don’t you worry! I’ll have the next chapter longer by then! Just trying to get into the groove of writing again...I nearly abandoned it after putting it down after my first story.
So, um, comment, like/dislike and tell me what you think. Also, if you see an obvious point me out on it. I’m a little bit derpy when it comes to seeing errors. I’ll see you all in the next chapter!
…Whenever that is, ha ha.
Our greatest flexibility with nature is the ability to control it. Since the founding of Equestria, each one of our races has their own specialty. Unicorns have the ability to use magic of our own free will, Earth ponies are more successful with farm cropping, and Pegasi can manipulate weather through clouds. However, some parts of our region are still not under our control. The Everfree Forest is one such prime example as the weather there continues to run its course on its own and the creatures residing within survive on their own without any pony intervention which explains their hostility to everything that enters their domain. The mountains I’m heading to acts exactly like the Everfree, but the only consistent weather there is the freezing cold and snow. Due to such a lifeless environment, very little wild life can be found here. That makes the job of the dig squad much easier when they do not have to worry about dangerous creatures wandering around their excavation site.
“Good to see you, Boss!” Silver said, approaching me as I stepped out of the carriage, landing on the snowy tundra. We both exchanged hugs since we know each other long enough to do so. Since I began my studies into humans, he has been at my side as a good, dependable friend. It wasn’t always easy for him because at times, he had his kids and wife to worry about back at home, but he always pulled through his struggle.
“What’s the status of the crew?” I asked.
Our dig team was relatively small in comparison to other squads spread throughout Equestria. We have at least about a dozen or so regular members that tend to stick to our group. Looking around, I saw Bronco Mace soaring around within the magical barrier that surrounded the dig site, protecting it from the brutal snowstorm outside. Were it not for the shield, the time and effort it took to create the excavation site would be for nothing.
“Well, everyone’s cold, but I told them to deal with it. No major complaints so far other than talk about what we found.” He explained, following where I was looking. “Hey, Bronco! Over here!”
Bronco heard and switched direction, heading for us. Landing gracefully on the ground, he nodded his head slightly. Mace wasn’t the most sociable pony, but he took orders without complaints. Silver recommended him into the group for his sharp eye and gentle touch in artifact restoration, despite being a Pegasus, lacking the magical capabilities I have. Still, that doesn’t stop me from giving the respect he deserves.
“Have you seen Emery Patchwork? The barrier is looking a bit weak and I need her to reinforce it.” Silver asked.
“She’s still resting in her tent, sir.” Bronco answered, standing straight and at attention, much like a soldier speaking to an officer.
“Ah, okay, we’ll just need someone to keep an eye on the barrier then until she wakes up; give her all the rest she can get. Can you get another unicorn to scan the strength of the field and report back to me?”
The Pegasus nodded his head before turning around and making his way to a large group of tents not too far away.
“Well, let’s not delay you any longer, Boss. Follow me.”
I walked alongside Silver. We were both silent for the time being, but it was not at all uncomfortable or tense. We don’t always try to make conversation up on the spot because our work, after finding artifacts or decaying pieces, requires heavy concentration and sometimes, we can spend anywhere from weeks to even months not talking if we’re too busy trying to preserve ancient pieces of technology. After about twenty minutes of walking, Silver finally spoke up.
“I hear the Summer Sun Celebration is not too far away. It’s being held in Ponyville this year. Looks like you’ll miss it.” He spoke.
“I won’t be missing much then. Well, other than the opportunity to meet Princess Celestia, but my research is far too important to see even her royal highness raising the sun.” I replied, stopping once we arrived near an underground entrance where a stair leading downstairs was. Silver grabbed and lit a torch and I used my magic to hold it up as we started going down through the darkness.
“You ever heard of the old tale ‘Mare in the Moon’?”
“I’m sure everybody has at some point. After all, history never allowed such an event to be forgotten, no matter how long ago it was.”
“Well, I was just thinking…wouldn’t this be the year that spoke of Nightmare Moon’s return?”
I remained quiet for a moment, thinking about his assumption. The return of another Alicorn, bent on nothing but revenge was a frightening thought. Still, even if such a prophecy were to come to pass, Princess Celestia would be able to deal with it. After all, she harnessed the Elements of Harmony before to defeat her own sister, so why not once more?
“I’m sure the princess has something up her sleeve should you be right.” I answered, neither supporting nor denying the claim. A neutral based answered.
“Yeah, you’re right. Being immortal, she probably has tons of plans in dealing with threats.” Silver agreed with a nod of his head.
That was the end of that conversation since we arrived at our destination. Where the corridor leading down was icy, the walls around here were completely made of stone and metal. A few other ponies were around talking to themselves or looking at the strange symbols on the floor and walls. It’s probably human language that hasn’t been translated. This certainly wasn’t like any other dig site I’ve been to in the past decade. This isn’t just scattered pieces of technology found in the dirt, but actual structure that is still standing to this day for who knows how long! Silver moved away to speak to the other ponies while I took my time looking around. Soon enough, I stepped towards the large stone gate. Unlike the walls and floors, they had no unreadable words, but rather crude drawings of sorts.
“Can you make anything of it?”
I turned to my right to see Silver staring at the gate’s etchings as well. I looked back and focused intently, but nothing seemed to give me an idea of what the drawings were trying to tell.
“No, I can’t. Most of it looks too faded to give me any sort of understanding of it.” I shrugged. “Have you been able to open it at all?"
“It was locked with simple mechanisms, but the hardest part was the magical seal on the door.”
“Did you just say magical seal?” I asked, wondering if I heard wrong. “That’s not right. From what we know so far, humans are completely incapable of using any sort of magic at all.”
“I’m just as surprised as you were. For all their amazing works, this was the most surprising discovery. Emery was the one that managed to get the lock off, but she’s been feeling out of it, so she headed to bed early.”
That explains why Emery was asleep, but this still puzzled me. Why would a barrier be put up here on this door and what kind magic allowed it to be sustained for so long?
“What’s the plan, Boss? Are we going in now?” He asked, eager for my orders.
I turned around and noticed all the other surrounding ponies from before were now around us. Coming from the stairs was Bronco, another unicorn, and the rest of the remaining ponies from above. Well, excluding Emery anyway. The two immediately went straight for Silver.
“Sir, the shield’s strength will hold up for at least another two days, give or take.” The unicorn said.
“That’s more than enough time for recovery for Emery.” Silver looked back to me. “Boss, I recommend we take a small team of four or so inside. We don’t know what we’re going to find in there.”
My thoughts still went back to the magical seal on the gate. There had to be a reason why it was put up. Someone obviously didn’t want anything in there coming out. Question was: what was in there that was so dangerous that it required a magical seal? Humans, as far as my research has gone into them, are incapable of magic, but make up for it in ingenuity. The mystery of this place only deepened and I wanted to find out why.
“You’re right, Silver. I’d rather not risk the entire team to danger or possibly even death. I’ll lead the scouting party. We’ll need a day to prepare and worst case scenario if something goes wrong, get help. Otherwise, everyone return to their normal duties and do not touch the door.”
Everypony nodded and the ones that were originally here went back to their normal areas while the others left for upstairs, Bronco and Silver included. I looked back at the door. The excitement I had still lingered in my heart, but another feeling rose as well: Fear.
It’s my strongest desire to find out what happened to humanity, why they disappeared, why they went extinct. But if opening these doors meant repeating their history on us, would it be worth it to find out?
…I honestly don’t know.
Hey, guys, Derping here bringing you another update. I'm surprised this story is doing so well. Anyways, this is a little longer than the other one, but not enough to be noticeable. Still trying to get the hang of writing in a first person perspective. As always, your likes/dislikes, and comments are appreciated. If you see a mistake, call me out in the comments.
I'll see you guys in the next installment. Later!
Sleeping proved to be the most difficult task to accomplish tonight. No matter how long I stayed still or how long I kept my eyes shut, my body refused to acknowledge the time to rest, my thoughts would always return back to the door. Realizing that any attempt at sleep would be fruitless, I chose to get out of bed. Exiting my tent, I saw that the storm outside of the magical field that finally died down, replaced with the quiet silence of the night. The skies were clear and the stars were out, which made staying out here much more comfortable. I noticed that the campfire that lay in the center of the group of tents had gone out. Though the barrier kept the nasty storm out and placed the area under tolerable temperature, fire certainly helped keep the place warmer. Since I had nothing better to do until I collapse from fatigue, I decided to relight the campfire. I grabbed some wood from our stockpile and used a basic spark spell which was enough to rekindle the bonfire. The effects of it were already starting to kick in and my body felt a bit warmer already.
“Miss Crescent?”
I turned my head to the voice to spot Bronco Mace sticking his head out of his tent. Stepping out of the tent, he smoothed out his mane as best he could with his hoof before walking over to me. He looked at the fire and then up at the sky before turning back to me as if he had come to a conclusion.
“You couldn't sleep?” He deducted just from a simple look around.
I nodded my head silently and sat down near the fire. Bronco did the same and for a moment, both of us were quiet. Aside from being my employee and a dependable worker, Silver was far more superior in social skills than I. My specialty reigned in the more technical aspects of the work where I fully expect others to know exactly what I’m talking about and speak against me when I make a mistake, which has happened over the years. I’m not afraid to admit that I have my flaws, if anything, I’m more proud to have them.
“Silver never mentioned this, but everypony here has had at least one nightmare since we started excavating this site.” Bronco spoke out of the blue, but with purpose. “I've spoken to a few about their dreams and found they've all shared a common theme: Darkness. Every single one of them repeats what another has already told me. They feel themselves engulfed in an endless sea of pitch black and hear something. What that is, I have no idea because that’s as far as my investigation has gone.”
Shivers went down my spine. Why hadn't Silver told me about this when I asked about the status of the crew? Did he feel it was not necessary?
“I’m sure he has his reasons for not telling you,” Bronco said, as if hearing my thoughts, “but let me say in all honesty that I’m afraid of what we’re going to find down there. I know your passion is discovering humanity’s past, Ma’am, but I’m having serious doubts about opening that door. There has to be something evil down there and that magic seal Emery took down only further proves that whoever set that up obviously put it there to ensure that whatever is in there stays in there.”
I never thought I’d see the day that Mace would speak so much, but this much voiced opinion was not without good reason. Before I could give him an answer, our ears perked up at the sound of walking, we both stood up, looking around until we saw a silhouette of another pony walking not too far away, which seemed to be heading-They were going for the entrance!
“Hey!” I called out, hoping to get their attention.
The mystery pony’s reaction was to run, which prompted to Bronco to give pursuit. I followed behind as best I could, but keeping up with a Pegasi in speed was nearly impossible, especially when they’re in flight. By the time I got down to the human entrance, I saw Bronco standing there with shock on his face.
“Boss!” He shouted.
The pony that we had chased turned out to be Silver, who stood in front of the gates. Something about him was…off. He had his back turned to us, completely ignoring our presence. Everything started to rumble around us like a quake as the giant door started to open on its own. The symbols on the walls and floors started to glow brightly and flash violently, some even exploding which made me teleport from one of the tiles I was standing on that did just that.
A long arm surrounded in black mist lashed out from the opening of the doorway and wrapped itself around Silver’s neck and began pulling him in with little resistance. Bronco ran and leaped at Silver, holding onto him tightly, refusing to let whatever that thing was take Silver. I teleported over and focused my energy into a single offensive beam and fired, dismembering the limb. At the same time, Boulder seemed to have come to his senses and looked around, confused and alarmed. A loud monstrous roar of pain and anger came from inside the doorway as several more arms reached out all aiming for me. I didn't have enough time to react and several of them latched onto my hooves and started pulling me in, dragging me along the ground.
“Crescent!”
Both Silver and Bronco grabbed a hold of me and tried pulling me back, but a couple of the arms that weren’t latched onto me smacked them away effortlessly, sending them flying across the room and into the walls. I screamed as loud as I could, trying to focus my magic in an effort to escape, but it wasn’t enough. The doors shut closed and darkness enveloped me. My consciousness started to fade and I feared I would never wake up.
Was this how it was going to end?
No…I…I…I don’t…want…to…die…
“Crescent! Crescent!” Silver shouted, banging on the door several times with his hooves.
“Boss, it’s too late for her! We have to go!” Bronco pleaded, placing his hoof on his shoulder, only for it to be swiftly knocked aside.
“Buck no, we’re not leaving her!” He cursed, glaring back at Mace before returning his attention to the door and tried prying on the giant handles, pulling at it with all his strength.
“This whole place is going to Tartarus! Don’t let her sacrifice be for nothing!” Bronco exclaimed.
To emphasize his point, Bronco rolled out of the way from a tile between them that promptly exploded. Silver stopped banging on the door and instead stared at it before lowering his head, shutting his eyes tightly. A small tear trailed down his eye.
“I’m sorry, Crescent…” He whispered before turning around, sighing in defeat. “You’re right, Bronco. Let’s go!”
The two raced towards the exit, but a piece of debris managed to crash on top of Bronco. Silver stopped at the stairway and turned around to see that his wing was caught underneath the rubble. He tried to run over but Bronco’s glare made him hesitate.
“GO! GET OUT OF HERE!”
Larger debris fell in front of Silver, blocking him from Bronco and forcing him to turn around as he raced upstairs, literally feeling the debris falling behind him. Adrenaline pumping through his body gave him the extra speed as the exit to the surface was in sight. He threw himself out at the last minute, just barely making it out. Panting heavily, he slowly rose back up on his hooves and looked at what used to be the entrance to the giant gate. He stomped his hooves into the ground angrily as he knelt down, lowering his head to hide the tears coming from his eyes. Silver didn’t have to look behind to know that the others were awake. He heard a familiar voice speak to him. He looked to his side to see Emery Patchwork looking at him worriedly.
“Silver, what happened?”
In response to the question, he merely looked back at the caved in tunnel.
“Crescent and Bronco…They’re gone.”
Emery’s eyes widened at this and turned to everypony else who showed concern on their faces as well.
“Everyone, grab something to eat and get to work on clearing out that rubble on the double! We've got a rescue mission on our hand!”
They didn't need to be told twice as everypony sped off with vigor. Emery helped up Silver stand on his hooves who held a sorrowful expression on his face.
“Get some rest, Silver. You can tell me everything later.”
“That’ll be harder than you think, Emery…” He shook his head, “I don’t think anyone can sleep well after failing their friends and leaving them to die…”
The unicorn remained silent as she watched her boss walk away with his head down low. She turned back to the caved in entrance.
“Celestia…please let them be okay…”
Bronco groaned loudly as he awoke, pain searing throughout his entire body. Opening his eyes, he looked around. From what he could tell, it looked like he was in a forest, or rather, the remains of one. Everything around him was lifeless and hollow. Trees were either dead or cut down, then there were corpses of what looked to be skeletons belonging to another species entirely, and then there was the blood; there were stains of it everywhere around him. Everything around him seemed relatively old while the debris that was around him and crushing his wing were just recently added.
His heart raced at the sound of growling and he scanned his surroundings as best he could. In the darkness, several menacing predator-like eyes appeared, all fixated on him. They stepped out of the darkness and Bronco could only gape at the monstrosities. Some looked animalistic, moving on all fours while others were biped creatures whose arms came in the appearance of sharp claws. They all appeared deformed in one way or another, showing bones and even what looked to be their organs were in plain view. Their eyes showed only one thing: Hunger. Frantically, he tried pushing off the larger debris. He would have preferred dying in the rubble, but now it seemed a much more gruesome fate was presented to him.
“Somepony! Anyone! Help!” He shouted.
Bronco stopped struggling as one of the bipeds got close enough to him. He shut his eyes and waited for the end to come as it would tear into him and eat him. Opening his eyes, he noticed that the monster was frozen in a lunge position…until half of its body slid forward and hit the ground. Standing in front of him was a creature that wasn’t deformed like all the other monsters around them. It was much like the biped, only it had wings and claws with blades attached to the side of its arms. Its mouth bared razor sharp teeth and its eyes were small compared to his, but it had six eyes along the edges of its head. Whatever it was, it saved him. The creature turned around and screeched loudly, making Bronco wince at the noise. It turned around and charged at the other monsters. What he saw was a massacre of the monsters as his savior glided through the air swiftly, cutting down the other creatures into pieces and even eating some with its mouth. Bronco was absolutely terrified of this beast’s brutality in dealing with the creatures, so much that he puked on the dirt ground next to him. When the deed was done, it turned back to him and he immediately gulped as it landed back in front of him.
The creature’s body began to shake violently as it shrunk in size. It took on the form of a stallion, only a coat was replaced with its dark scaly skins. It had no mane and its tail resembled more of a scorpion. He also had the appropriate two eyes now, but it lacked any pupils at all. Suddenly, it turned and kicked off the debris with its hind legs, sending it soaring into the dark maroon sky. A disturbing maniacal grin stretched across his face as he knelt down to Bronco’s face.
“Welcome to hell on earth…my little pony.”
Well, that escalated rather quickly. In all honesty, I feel like I goofed up this story at this point. Let me know what you think of this story in the comments down below.
There…may or may not be a new installment. I’m starting to have my doubts about this series.