Chapter 27: An Adventurer’s Shattered Mind, An Untimely Grave Prophecy, And An Outlandishly Stupid Idea Walk Out Of A Cave Intact (NSFW)

ping! “Health Regeneration successful. Total energy spent equals 200.”

sigh “Thank you,” I sighed in exasperation. My body felt much better, pumping the blood through my veins with adrenaline and vigor, but I still felt tired. “Mikey, how much energy do we have left in the tank?”

“Processing request,” the watch replied, calculating the remaining energy points left. It gave back a satisfactory ping! before giving me the results. “Total remaining energy points equals 480. Maximum capacity equals 1,000.”

I smiled and hung my head in relief. So the watch doubled its energy capacity AND gave me a full bar back? my mind rhetorically cheered. Hell yeah!

I turned my head toward the opening in the alcove. “Well,” I thought aloud. “How about we do a bit of exploring then? Mikey, can you tell me how deep this cave goes?”

“Graphing the surrounding environment. One moment please,” the watch replied as I held my left wrist up and closed my eyes. The blue rays swept across the entire room and extended through the walls, making a detailed map of the cave system.

“Map created. Identical match confirming results,” the voice from the watch said. “There are multiple dead-ends that extend out to the immediate left of us, so if we head north-west, we’ll hit some big sections of the cave to explore.”

huff! “Awesome stuff as usual, Mikey,” I replied with satisfaction. Getting up from my position, I hurriedly stood up and began walking forward. “No time to delay. Let’s get to explo-oh shit!”

wumpf!

I tripped over my shoes as my legs completely buckled underneath me. My arms couldn’t extend out in time, causing my entire weight to fall down upon the alcove floor, a cloud of dust kicking up from the impact.

“Take a minute to get your legs used to this again, Alex!” the watch chastised. “In case you forgot, we periodically got you up during the sleeping cycle, but only for a few minutes. Ever since that 35-hour power nap you took, your legs are still weak to the pressure of standing upright.”

“So take it easy,” I nodded in acknowledgment as I slowly brought myself into a pushup position. Then, as I did a couple to test my arm’s strength, the feeling slowly returned to my legs and began to pulse loudly. They felt really strong as I got up, faltering for a bit.

As I took a few deep breaths, my breathing relaxed as I grinned. “Good to be back,” I whispered within the cavern to no one.

Looks like we’re in business, my right side confidently stated. Ready to get back to work, bro?

As always, the left side replied. First, let’s regain our mental focus and composure because it seems like we will need it soon.

“So you were getting back into the ‘swing’ of things, eh?”

Never make that joke again, my mind deadpanned. I took a few steps forward and reached the entrance to my little grotto. Looking out into the dimly lit cave from behind the spiderweb, the noises echoing off the walls continued to play with my ears.

It may have been annoying, but I had no other choice now. My mind needed to be wary of its environmental surroundings, and the last thing I needed was for a boulder to crush my entire body out of nowhere.

“Mikey, let’s get the Skele-Slasher out,” I spoke toward my left wrist. “Keep the other locked away until further notice.”

shimmer “Processing request. Secondary ax appearing shortly,” it replied. “Good luck, and remember to take your time, Alex.”

“Hmph,” I smirked, grabbing the handle with my right hand. “Will do.”

slash!

========================================<>========================================

crunch! crunch!

It had felt like hours since I last left the cavern, with the shelter remaining checked on the map. The watch’s screen displayed my route, marking it with a blue line throughout the system.

But, aside from the wall’s cold textures, the ground of the cave crunching under the weight of my boots, and the silence that rose into the air, it was…sooo boorriiiinng.

“Have you ever explored a cave before?”

Only in a video game, man. And, to me, that was scary, too.

“I think I know which game you are referring to, but go on.”

Yeah, but that’s because, no matter what, that instinctual fear of the unknown goes wherever I go, virtual cave or not. You find the cave system and structure, and you bring enough torches to light your path, gather some supplies, and begin heading for the way back, and then….

“Hissss!”

STOP IT!! my mind cried as I physically jumped. I got to one side of the cave and braced my back against it as the hissing sound echoed through my ears. My heart pounded out of my chest as I waited for the explosion soun-

“Boom! Heh heh heh….”

groan! “Stop messing with me,” I growled under my breath. “It ain’t funny….”

Haha. I thought it was funny, the right side of my mind spoke up with a chuckle.

Only you would think that, the left side sneered. Almost scared me right out of our mind….

As I wiped the sweat from my hands onto my pants, I pointed the flashlight in my opposite hand back down the tunnel. As I ventured through the cave, I progressed very well, approaching a large room area with multiple tunnels. It almost resembled a lobby, with the diverging pathways leading into the withered darkness.

Peering back at the map, it was surprisingly well-documented, showing exactly where they led to. The one to the right was a dead-end, while the two going straight ahead merged back together after a while. Those led to what appeared to be a long winding road north, ultimately ending with the entrance to Tartarus.

“Maybe I’ll see what’s to the left to start,” I whispered, aiming my flashlight down the chosen path. Numerous cobwebs lined its murky ceiling, causing me to duck and carefully walk underneath them. As I assured myself the coast was clear, I rounded a blind corner and immediately hit the cave’s floor.

“Woah!” I cried as a flurry of bats flew overhead. It gave me enough time to cover my head with my arms and hide the flashlight. As the seconds dwindled, so did the noise created by the bat colony. Their raucous screeches reverberated off the cave walls and into the distant void.

I took a peek and noticed they were gone, allowing me to slowly get to my knees and hands and crouch for a second. Catching my breath, I jumped up and reassessed my health and priorities.

“Legs feel fine, and my heart rate is returning to normal,” I observed, the watch monitoring my progress and mapping my location. “Looks like there’s a big room up ahead again. Let’s hit that and explore for a bit. Then, we can go back to the little cavern I have.”

I looked ahead of me as I moved forward again. A few vibrant crystals were poking out from the walls, ranging in different colors and…sounds.

“Sounds? What do you mean by that?”

I was surprised too, but it’s the truth. The crystals within that tunnel emitted a high-pitched frequency, with my ears faintly picking up on them. As the tunnel weaved and pulled me deeper into it, I started noticing the environment’s temperature beginning to change.

It suddenly began to feel…cold. The watch must have sensed it as a comfy jacket immediately donned my body. Then, a warning flashed from my watch, accompanied by some text.

“Warning,” it read aloud. “Significant temperature drop noticed. Multiple life signatures detected ahead. Proceed with caution, Alex.” My eyes widened as I slowly moved to one side of the cave. Thankfully, a giant boulder sat nearby, allowing me to wrap myself around it and stay hidden.

shudder My breathing became erratic as I silently breathed through my mouth. My jaw shook with every inhale and exhale as I closed my eyes. It felt uncomfortable, but it was the best strategy. I had to wait it out…whatever life forms the watch had detected ahead of me.

After a few minutes, my mind became confused as I looked at the watch in desperation. “Mikey?” I whispered. “Where are those life forms you mentioned?”

“The life forms are…remaining stationary,” the watch eerily said. “The signature is unknown.” I rolled my eyes and looked down the tunnel leading toward it. After assuring myself several times that survival would happen with continued exploration, I exhaled and emerged from my spot.

The ground slowly elevated as I felt a chill run down my spine. “Activate Night Vision Goggles,” I said, turning off the flashlight and placing it in my coat pocket. My head refused to budge as the watch churned out the request.

“Activating. Remain still, please,” the watch answered. The goggles secured themselves over my eyes, allowing them to register my surroundings and exactly what I was looking at.

“Holy…cow….” The words escaped my mind and into the cave, echoing silently off the walls. These huge, pink crystals were everywhere, leading into the room I had seen on the map before. They not only jutted from the walls but began to poke out from the ground and through the tunnel’s ceiling.

My mouth hung open as their hue ominously changed to red. They were dimly lit, mostly remaining in that crimson-ish tone. I continued to creep forward slowly, making sure my movements were minimal.

Then, all of the crystals around me blinked once. I stopped and looked at the expansive room before me, the crystals getting brighter. My breathing crawled to a cold halt as the room showed itself, revealing a small hole in the ground.

I got closer to the hole and stopped in my tracks. There was an odd feeling about where I was, and it wasn’t due to the potent crystals or the eeriness of the cave system itself.

“Then what was it?”

Why does the ground feel like it’s moving underneath me? I remembered thinking, a tremor hitting my nerves quickly. The watch sent a warning rapidly as the crystals blinked ferociously around me.

“Activating webs!” the watch exclaimed, the floor violently trembling. “Brace yourself, Alex!”

crackle! crack!

CRASH!!

========================================<>========================================

The floor suddenly gave way and plunged me down into the dark void. I began activating the webbing from both wrists, desperately trying to find an opening as I fell. Yet, to no avail, the strings detached quickly from the sides of the hole.

My mind continued to spiral as I feverishly shot out more and more webbing. The crystals felt like they had a sense of their own, continuously appearing and disappearing into the darkness. Their eerie redness disoriented me as I finally flipped over my head and descended faster.

I continued to shoot out web after web, my attempts remaining futile. After a while, my arms suddenly gave out and remained atop my stomach, as did my mind as I fell faster and faster.

Everything was happening so fast, and I had been exhausted from it. My ears started going quiet, as did the world around me, save for the air loudly rushing past me. Finally, my eyes closed in silence, my mind remaining empty as I continued to fall into…the void…taking me…hostag-

Be-e-e-e-e-e-eep! The watch burst through the desolate silence, erratically beeping out of control. My mind restarted as my eyes shot wide open. I knew what I had to do. Aiming toward my feet, I shot out a large string of webs past them, floating upward into the air as I continued to fall toward the….

Wait, my mind thought. Is there even a floor? The darkness suddenly illuminated, my eyes wandering below me as I realized there WAS a floor rapidly approaching me…no.

I’m approaching it rapidly! My mouth opened slightly, sputtering for a reply as my mind finally realized what was about to happen.

Holy FUU-

fwip!

boing!

“Gah!” I cried as the whiplash hit my arms and body fully. The string stopped coming out of my wrists, allowing me to clutch it firmly. It had finally attached to something securely, causing my suspended body to ragdoll and tumble around in the air.

I held on for dear life as my eyes remained shut. Grinding to a halt in the air moments later, I remained hell-bent on holding onto the web string, slowly opening my eyes to know where I was.

The crystals were everywhere, blinding me with their red coloring as I tried to adjust to the room’s light. The goggles weren’t helping anymore, which the watch must have sensed. They began to dissipate, my eyes reacclimating themselves to the hole’s darkness, and after a few more minutes, the void becam-

“Crystal clea-”

Stop stealing our jokes! both sides of my mind yelled furiously. I shook my head and breathed out loudly as the rope of life I was hanging on swayed less. I turned my head around to observe the hole I was in as my body remained upright.

“Ssss…Gaahh.” I exhaled in exasperation as the line I hung from stopped moving. As I kept my eyes peeled onto my surroundings, the interior walls slowly showed themselves, enveloping the jagged crystals as they began to die down in ferocity.

The life within them finally dwindled, allowing me to breathe out a heavy sigh of relief. I tried to regain my composure, allowing my heart to slow down to a calming pace.

Remain composed, Alex, I thought to myself. Just…stay calm and take it one step at a time. Those words made me chuckle as I shook my head in disappointment. Can’t believe I didn’t sense it coming. That’s…never a good sign….

“Does it mean you’re losing your mental fortitude?”

That, or some kind of potent magical interference, is clouding my mind. It has happened numerous times before from assassination attempts, as I found that the crystals they had could be used on me too.

It’s a huge annoyance and painfully sucks, but I had to fight through whatever it was and whatever was causing it to happen now.

“First of all,” I asked quietly toward my wrist in an exasperated mood. “Where the hell are we now, Mikey?” The watch slowly processed the question and returned a resounding ding!

“We are close to 200 feet below Equestria’s surface, Alex,” it replied calmly. My nerves seized up, causing my arm hairs to rise and tingle. The sensation was uncomfortable as I hung onto the web line above me, my forehead beginning to sweat.

“N-N-No joke?” I asked hesitantly.

“Alex, we are currently hanging in the chasm of that large cave room,” it answered. “We are 15 feet from the ground beneath us. Hold on for just a minute. I’ll give you more information soon.”

========================================<>========================================

I held my breath as the watch suddenly did another sweep of the cave shaft I fell into. The blue light emitted from it in all directions, passing through the crystalized walls and nearly blinding me.

“Wait, don’t tell me that can actually hurt your eyes?”

Would you believe me if I said that my eyes were still super sensitive due to that attack last week?

“I stand corrected. So, what can you tell me about that place then, Alex?”

“Alex?” the watch piped up. “You’re fortunate to be alive right now.” I looked up at the watch as I firmly adjusted my grip on the web string.

grunt! “How fortunate?” I groaned, the strain cramping up my forearms’ muscles.

“Deadly lucky,” the watch’s voice replied darkly. “Currently, you are within striking distance of the gateway to the Umberfoal, or the ‘Underworld’ for us. That’s where the darkness lies, the souls of the damned being relentlessly tormented for eternity.”

I stayed silent and regained my composure as the watch continued. “So, it kinda has to do with mythological practices and beliefs, but there are some facts I dug up just now.”

“Well?” I inquired. “Out with it!”

“There are five known entrances so far in Equestria,” the watch relayed. “Two entrances are beneath Peryton’s Peak and the Ruins of Graymourne, east of GriffonStone. Another is to the south of the Crystal Empire and would greatly explain the King Sombra sightings and attacks.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re kidding, right?” I mocked. “The Crystal Empire is built near an ‘Umberfoal’ entrance? That’s a ticking time bomb, Mikey!”

“Yeah, no shit,” the watch snapped. “Alex, YOU are currently dangling 15 feet above the fourth entrance, and the last known one is ‘Greymane’s Bush,’ an island off the coast of Istanbull and the continent of SaddleArabia.”

“Good, good,” I sighe-

“I wasn’t done,” the watch interjected. “There are possibly two more entrances somewhere in Equestria, but it is all considered speculation at this time.”

“What?” I asked softly. “Mikey, what do you mean by ‘considered speculation?’” I exhaled deeply as my arms were severely getting tired. I looked at the chasm’s walls around me and pondered frantically. Is there any way I can just climb out of here? my mind thought.

“Well, if you would be so inclined to listen, there are pony theorists that like to point to possibly two more entrances within Equestria’s borders,” the watch answered. “The most popular of these is a spot somewhere in the Badlands. It’s probably near the town of Canter Creek, but the place is rarely active. The last one, though, is hard to pinpoint. If I had to guessss…?”

“Where?” I inquired, my eyebrows raising. “Which place could have that same unsettling aura as we feel here?”

“None of the cities or islands to the southeast have any eerie auras, in my opinion,” the watch replied surprisingly. My ears suddenly shot open as they picked up a low growl!

“Looking at the map heeere….”

“Uhh, Mikey?” I asked with fright, my eyes widening.

“The last entrance could beee iiinnn….”

snarl!

“Mikey?!” I loudly asked as the growl grew louder.

“Hold o-”

GROWL!!

========================================<>========================================

“Oh, crap!” I exclaimed as I felt a tug at my feet. I looked down and noticed a creature of some kind beginning to grapple onto my legs. Its face opened up horizontally and screeched, its razor-sharp tongue wiggling violently. It closed around its crooked teeth, which started to chomp at the skin on my legs.

“Holy shit!” I exclaimed silently, beginning to try and wrestle myself free from its clutches. I repeatedly kicked at its face, and the monster started tearing off my shoes and pant leg. Its sharp nails finally ripped through and into my skin, the blood beginning to pour out and into the creature’s face. It must have hit the bone with the first swipe because an immediate jolt of pain nearly made me let go of the web string above.

“Hang on!” the watch cried out. I kept kicking at the horrifying creature as the rope suddenly shot upwards at a breakneck pace. I hung on for dear life as I was reeled back up to the surface, trying to free myself from the damn monster attached to my lower half.

screech!!

“GAAHAH!!” my mouth shouted, the line climbing in momentous velocity. I gritted my teeth as its arm must have gripped onto my knee, a sudden crack! coming below me and the leg kicking forward in response.

roar!!

“Almost there, Alex! Get ready!” the watch relayed loudly. I looked down and nearly seized up in terror, the monster bringing itself up to my face. It ferociously roared at me, revealing its nauseously disgusting mouth. Its teeth remained jagged and cracked, its tongue extending to lick off the fresh blood lining its gum.

I only had one thought running through my mind at that point. Oh, I’m dead….

fwip!

woocrack!

“Woah!” I yelled in surprise as the line whipped me out of the hole. My arms let go of the web strand, flailing in front of me as I approached the ground below me. I hit the dirt hard, bracing my upper half and allowing the bottom half to flop hard against it.

“AAH!!” I screamed in terror. The pain flowed through my lower half like a virus, attacking every nerve point and making me suffer at its hands.

screech!

“Flashing lights engaged!” the voice of the watch announced. A sudden shimmer of blinding light came from its screen, launching toward the creature’s location and blinding it momentarily.

Then, I felt a significant burst of adrenaline coursing through my veins. I waited a few seconds as the green fluid pulsed through my body, remedying the injuries sustained and allowing me to be repaired quickly. Doing the ‘Kip-Up’ maneuver, I landed back on both feet and stared at the creature on the other side of the room.

It was disoriented from the lights which had disappeared, and as its eyes opened again, it suddenly stopped and stood up straighter. I gulped in fear as it creepily grinned, its legs moving forward silently and swiftly.

“Summon the Skele-Slash, Mikey!” I screamed into the air.

shimmer “Done!”

screech! The monster encompassed the entire hall area, blocking the pathway to the tunnel I came out of. I grabbed the ax’s handle and swung it in front of me, causing the monster to stop dead in its tracks.

“I AIN’T AFRAID OF YOU!!” I roared toward the monster. It bent down, its mouth twitching with rageful intent.

ROAR!! It charged at me as I planted my foot back into the cave’s stone floor. With one fluid motion, I twisted the ax at a 45-degree angle and brought it back, shaking as it powered up with fury. Finally, I swung it forward as the creature approached, extending my arms perpendicular to my shoulders. Its eyes remained trained on me as the ax made perfect contact with the neck area right underneath its chin.

slash!

shriek! The creature’s body fell to the floor immediately as its head flew over my left shoulder. It landed on the ground with a resounding smack! emitting a dark…heated liquid that oozed from its corpse.

The body shriveled up like a husk and dropped to the ground, leaving nothing but the dull tapered skin of itself. I turned around and finally saw the head, the fear within me going away.

The creature’s horrifying head kept twitching, making me believe the thing was still alive. It didn’t do anything as I approached it, my ax remaining trained toward the middle of its face.

Then, like a shot in the dark, a small cry came from its face, and the creature’s eyes dimmed. It yielded no life in them, its jaw remaining open while revealing the crushed teeth. Finally, the blood suddenly receded from within it, beginning to pool around the creature’s head.

huff! huff! “Yeah,” I wheezed in victory as my head came back. “You better stay dead, bitch….”

“So much for exploring that cave peacefully. Didn’t realize you were playing ‘Survival Mode.’”

I slapped my palm to my face hard, the resounding smack! echoing within the chambered hall.

Shut up, my mind seethed. Seriously….

========================================<>========================================

“...”

“You good?”

“...”

Of course not, dummy, my thoughts rang out. If Alex were fine, he’d be responding to you right now.

“Yeah, and that’s why I’m trying to reach out to him. So we can talk about this.”

“...It’s fine.”

“Come again?”

“I’m g-good,” I whispered into the blank white space. “I-I-I’m sure I’m good….”

I wasn’t really okay, but that’s sometimes what you have to do. Put on a fractured smile, wear your plastic mask, and make everyone believe nothing is truly hurting you.

It was the way I felt…these past couple of years. Just putting on a face for them to believe it was really me, even though I just wanted to grieve for what I had lost by being here.

It was what…Celestia felt like during her reign. She was an alicorn in mourning and defensively cared for her sister once she returned to her former self. Celestia thought she had lost Luna forever, putting on that smiling face to hide her true feelings.

The solar princess finally stepped outside her castle walls when the hippogriff doctor arrived, saving her life from that ‘Fire Lung’ epidemic. After getting the alicorn to come out of her shell over the coming months and talk about how she truly felt, that immortal hippogriff finally gave her…hope…for the future.

“Hope,” I exhaled, shaking my head with a smile. “Heh…‘hope’ is all we need to get through life….”

“Vitals are back to normal, Alex,” the watch chimed. “You seemed to be a bit shaken, but now your head is clearing up. We can proceed only when you feel we are ready to.”

I rolled my neck and shoulders to ease some of the tension within them, the unnerving feeling of pain and torment washing off my body. I exhaled a few times, letting the cool air float into the atmosphere of the cavern.

“I think…I think I’m good,” I resorted to saying. “We can move on now to the next thing.”

“10-4, Alex!” the watch cheerfully replied. “First, let’s cover the checklist.”

“A checklist?”

Yup, my brain sang out. Always have one ready, no matter what. You never know what could happen, especially in this fantastical and terrifyingly unknown world.

Amen to that, both sides of my mind repeated.

“You got a headstrong mindset, don’t you, Alex?”

So far. Returning to the cave, I secured myself safely within the space and boarded it up with some planks of wood. I had picked them up a while back and placed them over the hole to protect me.

Then, I scanned over the storage space and noticed it was beginning to dwindle in size. I had consumed most of the food available, and whatever I had left with the objects collected left me at 30 percent remaining in supplies.

As for the weapons loadout and storage, it had gone to 75 percent capacity. Strange, I thought while scratching my head. What did I los-oh. Fuck. The shield…they took it. How can I fix my storage woes before I run out of supplies?

“Well, I can answer that thought, Alex,” the watch said. I stared in shock as the watch’s screen shifted to show a tree. “You remember that I am also telepathically linked to your mind, right? You did put me in here, and we are from the sam-”

“Yeah, yeah, I know, Mikey,” I sarcastically said. “I get it.”

“I’m just saying,” the watch responded. “Concerning the storage space, we haven’t found anything worth saving. Other than the Hailberg Chief’s gifts, the old changeling hive rock, the Casaflanka manhole cover, and…that’s it. Oh, and these crystals.”

“Thanks for picking that up, by the way,” I sighed. “Do we have any more analysis on those freaky…things, or will this take more time like the ‘Changeling Rock?’”

“Well, yes, this does take time to analyze, Alex,” the watch flatly replied. “But, after running some comparison tests between the crystals and the umbra we encountered, I found they are an identical match in terms of environmental origin.”

“Give me some details about it,” I impatiently said. “We are on the clock here, and I’m not trying to get ambushed while on the run.”

“Certainly, Alex,” the watch reassured. “No need to rush it, though. I can review the information with you while we are trekking back through the cave tunnels and heading north.”

sigh “Alright, Mikey, let’s clean this all up.” I made my way over to the entranceway and set aside the wooden planks toward the wall. Pointing the watch at the barren room, I braced myself. “Eliminate all detectable traces of my signature. Leave no evidence of us being here.”

“One moment. Shield your eyes, Alex,” the watch cautioned. Closing my eyes, it only took a few seconds before a low hum! was heard. Then, a fiery blue light blasted out in front of me, the heat sizzling within the room space.

It took a good second or two for the heat to get to me as I lowered my head toward my chest. After the fire had died in ferocity and volume, I opened my eyes and took a good look at the charred cavern.

The walls and ceiling had been severely burned, leaving what smelled like burnt rubber to enter my nostrils. I winced from it, covering my nose in response as the ground simmered with steam.

“Jeez,” I said disgustingly, turning and exiting the entranceway. Plopping down onto the cave’s stone ground, I peered back up at the ledge hiding the room and shook my head. “Good luck to whoever finds it now. They won’t be able to stand that smell….”

“Alex,” my watch spoke up. “Shouldn’t we also grab the sewer cover as well? You know, just in case.” I looked over my left shoulder and at the adjacent wall. There, high within the wall’s solid structure, a steel plate remained. It was a mark for the tunnel that I burrowed to get through and into here, and now, it was making me question whether or not I should take it.

“I don’t know,” I hesitated before nervously biting my finger. “Should we grab it?”

“I think so because that way we erase the last trace of our existence and anycreature thinking we were here,” the watch convincingly said. I shrugged and walked back to the wall with the cover. As it loomed overhead, I pointed the watch’s screen at it and sighed.

sigh “Recall,” I commanded. A blue light emitted from the watch and nabbed the manhole cover within it, dragging it from its holding. The steel plate vanished into thin air, its particles going back into the watch. After another few seconds, the cave returned to its quiet ambiance.

Finally, I readjusted my belt and took a deep breath.

Okay, my mind firmly set in stone. Let’s get a move onto the north.

========================================<>========================================

“Okay, Alex, now remember. At this intersection in the cave system, which way do we go?”

“Upper level and straight ahead,” I replied exhaustedly. My legs began to burn as I made the arduous climb up the rigid stone staircase, reaching the top with a resonating huff!

“Exactly, and just continue down the path as usual until you reach the chasm bridge,” the watch instructed.

“When were you going to tell me about the…‘Umbra?’”

We’re getting to it. Just hold on, the left side of my mind anxiously replied.

Yeah. Chill out, man, the right side said in kind. We gotta worry about getting through this cav-

“Okay, Alex, would you like to hear about the information concerning the Umbra’s relation to the crystals I gathered?” the watch interjected. Both sides of my mind grumbled as I shook my head.

chuckle “Go ahead, we’re all ears,” I replied with a smirk.

Yeah, that’s right! Fight me! my thoughts spat angrily at the right half of my brain. There was no response for a couple of seconds, right before my left knee decided to buckle. My foot slipped on the last stair, sending me toward the ground. Thankfully, I caught myself just in the knick of time, grunting from the force exerted onto my arm muscles.

“Really? Your right mind can’t take a shred of criticism lightly?”

Fight ME?! the right side yelled. I don’t think you wanna go there, pal. Especially since I got lefty on my side!

Wait just a minute, righty, the left side countered. Don’t rope me into YOUR battl-

“Okay, so concerning the ‘Umbra,’ here’s what I have gathered thus far,” the watch interrupted again. “First, their race is called the ‘Umbrum,’ residing in the Umberfoal part of Equestria. As I explained to you earlier, this is the ponies’ version of the underworld in Equestrian mythology.” I nodded in contempt and continued listening to the watch’s explanation.

“The ‘Umbrum’ are seen as vicious creatures that are unfeeling and cruel in nature,” the watch’s voice elaborated. “They feed off the negative emotion surrounding the world just like the Windigos but are far worse. It makes me wonder if the Windigos were originally Umbra’s that survived and adapted to Equestria’s atmosphere without fault.”

“Mmhm…no, I don’t see that,” I replied blankly. “Correct me if I am wrong, but don’t the Windigos show up when there is violent disharmony between the creatures of Equestria?”

“Apparently, it only happens when the three races of ponies create disharmony between each other,” the watch corrected. “And when the Crystal Empire is vulnerable to the Frozen North’s arctic blast.” I rolled my eyes as I ducked under a low-hanging rock.

“But, I digress. The only way the ‘Umbrum’ are freed from the Umberfoal is through a vessel,” the watch explained. “They NEED a vessel in order to escape their confinements, and that’s why they seized the opportunity to drag you down with them instead of ending up dead.”

“Why would that matter?” I inquired with a raised eyebrow.

“Because it has to be a living creature to occupy, number one,” the watch listed off. “Secondly, and more importantly, the vessel the ‘Umbra’ are trying to occupy must have lost some form of hope with the world. Like, the creature believes their life isn’t worth living anymore. So, it allows the ‘Umbra’ to swoop in and take over for themselves, controlling their mind and actions any way they want.”

“Th-That’s…that’s sad,” I remarked somberly.

“It is, Alex. But, there’s more,” the monotone voice responded. “If even one of the ‘Umbrum’ got through, it still wouldn’t matter. They would need a platoon or army of themselves to have a fighting chance against the forces of Equestria.”

I stopped in the middle of the tunnel and sighed. sigh “Yeeaahh, and I assume the data you’ve pooled together was updated over a century ago?” I sarcastically commented. “News flash, Mikey. Equestria is a lot stronger now and definitely in Canterlot!”

“It doesn’t matter if Equestria’s stronger now.”

========================================<>========================================

I paused mid-stride and stared at the watch. “Think about it, Alex,” the watch argued. “A vessel is corrupted and overtaken by an ‘Umbra.’ What do you think that Umbra’s job will be when they reach the surface world?”

“Gather more vessels,” I silently mouthed.

“Exactly!” the watch exclaimed. “Alex, if even one gets out and remains hidden, it can become similar to that scene in Wreck-It Ralph. The one where the lady commander accidentally finds the alien bug and all the eggs that the queen laid during her stay. It may just happen like that scene, and do you remember how that movie’s climax started?”

“They poured out of their hiding spots and flooded the world of Sugar Rush,” I exhaled in defeat, realizing the gravity of the situation.

“There’s a war coming,” the watch concluded. “And, in my personal opinion, Equestria won’t be ready or even ABLE to fight it off. According to the data collected from the specimen, there are hundreds of thousands more down there, trapped and imprisoned. They are itching with furious anger, gnashing their teeth in frustration, waiting for the day to be set free and, ultimately, destroying this world’s future!”

I moved forward as the cave’s noises began to dwindle in sound. “They would take any chance to kill a creature just…just because,” the watch eerily commented. “It is morbid to infer, but it would be the truth…praying their strategy doesn’t work. And it can’t happen!”

I nodded my head and pursed my lips in thought. Then…it hit me.

“That’s what we tried warning them about!” the watch answered for me. “You tried telling them something was coming, and this might just be it! And what did they do?”

“They didn’t listen,” I shuddered. “Of course, they didn’t. I knew it. I’m fucking right as usual!” My shouting escaped down the path, bouncing off the walls for a while before quieting again.

“It’s frustrating when the ‘friends’ you thought you knew suddenly turn on you,” the watch replied without care. “Which is probably what that ‘Umbra’ down there felt when you were dangling above the gateway. It sensed your helplessness and made its one attempt….”

“B-But,” I chuckled nervously. “B-B-But we ki-ki-killed it…r-right?”

“Yes, Alex,” it replied, “but that was pure luck. You did kill it while it was in that form, outside of the Umberfoal, which would be considered its weakened state. Also, they can multiply and fuse together to make themselves stronger. That must have been just one because it should’ve killed you. Sorry….”

“Okay,” I thought aloud, scratching my head before asking the question. “So, if it’s just one, we have a punter’s chance. But, if multiple Umbra are fused into one, making it stronger than usual, how do we defeat that?”

“...”

“...Nothing?”

“Yeah…nothing, Mikey?” I deadpanned. “Nothing can defeat it?!”

“I don’t have the data because that hasn’t happened,” the watch sadly responded. My shoulders sagged as my pace quickened. “If we were to encounter it, and I ran a quick fight analysis test during a fight with one, I could analyze the data points and offer a solution. But, for now…I don’t know if it’s possible.”

sigh “Well, that’s a lot of good information I needed to know, Mikey,” I replied with a sigh. “And you said there were five confirmed entrances and possibly two more?”

“That’s right,” the watch said. Suddenly, a crazy idea came to my mind as I looked back down the tunnel I came from.

Aleeex? my left side cautiously asked.

Alex, it’s too risky, the right side said, and you’re already traumatized from the event.

“Yeah, but,” I whispered before smiling. “What if we could seal them off for good now?”

========================================<>========================================

“How would you do tha-wait!” The watch paused before gasping. gasp! “Don’t you even dare think that’ll work, Alexander!”

“But it’s the one power-up I have available that can seal things off for good,” I countered. “And it only requires an energy ball and a powered-up ‘Ax of Orichalcum’ to do it.”

“Yeah, but we need to conserve our remaining energy, Alex,” the watch refuted. “You’ve been using it willy-nilly, and we still don’t know how to replenish it efficiently and quickly. It’s too risky! I would not try it….”

“B-But,” I mumbled. “But i-i-if we don’t…whu-what about…?”

“Pardon my French, Alex, but fuck this world,” the watch sympathetically berated. “You gave them everything and sacrificed so much of yourself. You returned the favor too many times and ensured your decisions were reasonably made within the code. And what did they do? They wrongfully imprisoned you and made the rest of Equestria believe you were evil. So why do you all of a sudden want to help them?!”

“Because then they’ll die,” I replied softly, looking at the watch’s screen. “And…and I might just die alongside them. How could I live with it, knowing it could’ve been prevented? It…I can’t bear to take it with me into the afterlife….” My shoulders sagged as I looked at the ground ahead of me. The dimly lit cave reverberated all the crunching sounds coming from my shoes as they stumbled along the way.

sigh “Alex, I know you as my younger brother,” the watch said, “and I know you have a good heart. Your mind is always in the right place, but don’t you see? What they did to you was wrong! And now, you want to push that all aside, ‘forgive and forget’ as you say. Lay it to waste and prevent a worldwide disaster just so they can kill you in the end?!”

Those last words rang in my ears as I closed my eyes. “I-I…” I stuttered, shaking my head remorsefully. “I still would do it, Mikey. Saving thousands for the sake of their generation’s future while dying in the process sounds…fulfilling.”

sigh “Alex….”

“Death is inevitable, though,” my mind spoke aloud. “Just like on Earth. Every second that ticks away, we get closer to meeting death.” I tried to take a few deep breaths and calm my nerves, the environment around me fading away as I slumped to the cave’s cold floor.

I…I-I don’t want th-them to d-die, my thoughts stuttered as tears began brimming in my eyes. My sides heaved as I lost my composure, letting the negative thoughts take over. They clouded my mind, sending me spiraling into the void of despair.

I-I do-don’t w-w-want anycreature t-to d-d-die, my mind said internally. I-I just wanted t-to help. shudder! A-And…wo-worst of al-

gasp! My head shot straight up as my eyes widened, the tears pouring from them as I shook my head in denial. Finally, my mouth came together as my jaw trembled in fright, the thought of losing her crashing into the wall of my brain and destroying the dam that held me together.

“No,” I silently exhaled. “P-Please…not her….”

“It’s okay, Alex. You’ll be fine.”

========================================<>========================================

I looked up and turned to my right, my jaw dropping at the sight. The watch projected an image of a person who slowly approached my spot in the tunnel. It was one that I knew all too well….

“Mother,” I silently cried. The image of her walked over to me and crouched, covering me with her holographic arms and bringing me in for an imaginary hug. The embrace, however, felt too real as I shuddered in the ambiance of the cave. Finally, as I fell backward, I hit the stone floor and brought my knees up to cover my face, my cheeks flushing red in misery as I began to sob.

“Ssh, ssh, shhh,” the feminine voice of my mom shushed. I rocked back and forth as I sobbed into my arms, my eyes beginning to hurt as I covered them with my forearms. “Take your time, Alex…ssh, shh….”

“I-I-I…I wa-wan….” sob! “I wanna do what’s right!” I shouted in frustration, the sentence echoing through the lonesome cave.

“I know, but I need you to stop crying, Alex,” my mom’s voice responded. “I can’t talk to you when you cry like this.” I looked up from my arms and tried to hold in my tears as they continued to flow down my cheeks.

“You’re strong, Alex,” my mother’s voice said, her bright blue eyes piercing my mind. “I raised you this way because I knew there was a good heart in there. You cared about everyone you encountered and wanted to do what was right because that’s who you are.” I nodded before dropping my head. I felt it come back up, the projection of my mom bringing it up with her hand.

“But I can’t have you acting like this,” she sighed. “You teach students daily. They look up to you as their teacher. You can’t let anything frustrate you, even when times get rough. You have to be strong and be the shining example you are, Alex. God gave you this incredible talent and wisdom, so use it and remain strong.”

My mind flipped a switch as the words registered within my mind. I stood back up and wiped my face clean, blinking a few times to stop the tears. Then, after taking a few deep breaths, I turned and stared down the tunnel I ventured from. The projection of my mother slowly dissipated as I made a crucial decision in this adventure.

“I’ll remember this,” I silently reassured myself. “I’ll make sure to find the entrances and mark them on the map, just so I can be ready. For now, though…I will need some answers.” I stepped forward and continued the trek north, my mind returning to its deterministic self.

To the gates of Tartarus we go, I thought to myself. Time to find out if this ‘trinket’ is actually real. I growled in frustration as the thought lingered, followed by a straightforward phrase.

“And that was?”

Can’t have it all.

Author's Note

Well...who likes the title?

And...that 'encounter' explains a lot....

Hope you guys found this chapter...interesting. I believe this is the pivotal chapter when it comes to the series' plot as a whole, so strap yourselves in.

We are back and better than ever!

-Harpy