EQUESTRIAKILL

C1 fell to the bottom of the elevator. A small room extended before him. He looked around and found a terminal; a pony skeleton laid against it.

The pony’s eternal rest was interrupted when C1 struck it with his front hoof, shattering the fragile skeleton and giving him access to its contents.

-“Welcome.”

-“Please insert your name or serial number.”

C1 placed his hoof into a hole in the machine, which emitted a few whirring noises before letting out a beep.

-“Accessing database…”

-“Welcome, C1.”

-“Accessing arsenal…”

-“Arsenal acquired.”

-“SparkleShot MK3 detected.”

-“Would you like to access upgrades?”

C1 selected yes.

-“Accessing…”

-“Would you like to exchange your SparkleShot MK3 for an Applebucker 5 rifle?”

C1 was surprised by this. The Applebucker would be much better than the SparkleShot, so the choice was obvious, he selected yes.

-“Loading…”

-“ERROR.”

-“Bank transfer complete. Please take your coins.”

The machine did not take his revolver. Instead, it ejected a handful of bits. C1 stood still, staring at the coins before picking them up and storing them in a compartment in his leg. He did not seem disappointed, though it was highly doubtful that a machine could even feel disappointment.

C1 began galloping toward the exit. Outside, a hallway awaited him. At the far end, a few Strays were fighting each other. They noticed C1 and began charging their horns with projectiles, but before any of them could fire, a… thing emerged from the side of the corridor.

It was clearly a machine, shaped like a stallion, bouncing forward. One of its hind legs had been replaced with a chainsaw, which sliced through the Strays before fleeing, locking the door behind itself to prevent being followed.

C1 gazed at the corpses. Their blood was now useless. He continued galloping toward the next room. A steel fence separated him from the adjacent area, where a few husks appeared. Then, from seemingly nowhere, the chainsaw machine reappeared in the other room, engaging in combat with the Filths and Strays.

C1 used his revolver to shoot the Strays that had trapped him. The doors opened, and at that moment, the chainsaw machine noticed C1’s presence. It approached the wall and stared at him intently.

“You’d better leave this place, machine.”

The voice was deep and resounding.

C1 let out a beep, leaving the other machine perplexed.

“Ah, a voiceless machine. Your creators never finished you. A terrible shame… but I’ll take care of you when I get the chance.”

The other machine ran off, unaware that thanks to their brief conversation, C1 had managed to scan it.

Machine model: Unknown

Assigning name…

Swordspony

Further research required.

C1 continued galloping, opening the next door and entering a large room filled with pony skeletons and tubes containing husks in stasis. As he approached the exit, it suddenly shut.

With a flash of light, another creature appeared. It looked like a bald pony head, with a stoic expression and no pupils. The creature began firing several energy spheres, striking C1, knocking him off balance and making him fall. His scanners began analyzing the entity.

Malicious Face

Class: Lesser Demon

Face-shaped formations made of infernal matter, possessing low intelligence and extreme aggression. Staring directly into their eyes can cause madness in beings of weak will.

Evaluation: Medium threat. Prioritize elimination.

The Malicious Face fired a laser beam at C1, who leaped to avoid the shot, then lunged forward with a strike, cracking the demon slightly but he needed more force.

C1 made a quick calculation and threw the coins he had obtained from the terminal. Then, he shot at them. The bullet ricocheted off the coins and struck the Malicious Face directly, piercing the stone and causing it to explode. The demon’s blood splattered onto C1, who used the extra energy to repair the damage he had sustained.

The machine pressed on, unwavering in its resolve.

Descending a flight of stairs, he reached an open elevator shaft, the cabin missing. C1 pressed a button, and a tremor shook the structure. The elevator plummeted, revealing a group of Filths screaming as it fell at full speed.

C1 peered into the hole, watching the cabin crash at the bottom.

He deployed his wings, mechanical appendages with a golden glow. They weren’t meant for true flight but rather to “fall with style.”

C1 jumped into the shaft, gripping the wall and sliding downward with his metallic hooves. With a calculated leap, he reached the door to the next floor, where a group of Strays awaited. They charged their horns, their decayed flesh sizzling from the energy’s heat as they howled in pain.

C1 slid across the floor, dodging the projectiles and shattering the front legs of one Stray. Then, he stood and fired at the other two. One took a headshot and collapsed, but the other withstood the bullet to its chest and shrieked in fury, charging another attack.

C1 leaped, positioning himself above the Stray, and fired, striking its horn mid-charge. The explosion of energy vaporized the husk.

C1 holstered his revolver and continued through the facility. The rooms were filled with skeletons, and a terminal was still on. C1 stopped to read the text.

-"Princess Twilight Sparkle"

-"Research on Tartarus Properties number 1"

-"Hello, I am Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship and current head of the Tartarus research."

-"A long time ago, we used Tartarus as a prison for the dangerous beings of Equestria, but recently we discovered that the area we were using was just a very superficial layer. We used machines to dig deeper and found an entrance, a chaotic and terrifying world, without rules and without justice, where the souls of evil ponies were tortured for eternity. At first, it was shocking, but then I saw that these souls generated an incredible amount of energy, enough for all of Equestria, no, for the whole world to live in harmony. The only thing that bothers me is the irregularity of this world... perhaps I could optimize the energy and prevent so much suffering if there was some kind of judge..."

The terminal ended there. C1 stared at the screen, scanning the data when one of the installation's speakers turned on, and the voice of the Swordspony emanated from it.

"If my scanners aren't damaged, your serial number is: C1."

C1 looked around and shot at the speaker. Another speaker turned on, and the machine spoke again.

"You are a prototype, an incomplete machine, but your parts are of high quality; acquiring them would be very beneficial."

C1 ignored the voice and kept walking, entering a room with several tubes in front of them. In one of the tubes, there was a deformed pony, one leg sticking out of its back, a small wing on its neck, and a horn on the extra leg.

Scanning...

Schism

Type: Greater Husk

Schisms are the result of two souls attempting to manifest in the same body, causing it to become an abomination of flesh, bones, and blood. Due to the two souls that make it up, it can be a very durable husk, but it is slow and clumsy because of the deformities and the constant conflict between the souls. Its attacks are released in large bursts of Tartarus energy at the same time. It has been discovered that what appeared to be a deformed skull on the shoulder is actually the schism's head. To eliminate it quickly, it is a good idea to target this part of the body.

Evaluation: Medium threat, avoid burst attacks.

C1 looked at the container where the schism was, and there was a piece of paper that read: "We believe the souls making up this schism are those of Mr. and Mrs. Cake, please inform Pinkie Pie."

Another speaker turned on, and the Swordspony's voice contacted C1 again.

"C1, I regret that I can't be there to eliminate you myself, but I calculate that it would be a waste of energy. Goodbye."

The tubes containing the schisms started to open. C1 shot at the head of one of the deformed ponies. The bullet hit, but it only caused the husk to stumble for a moment. The others charged an attack, raising their extra leg, and the horn summoned a wave of projectiles. C1 dodged the attack, then started charging their revolver shot, shooting the schism in the head, causing it to fall to the ground. The others tried to fire again, but C1 jumped, using the wall to propel themselves, landing on the back of the Cake’s schism, and using the extra leg as a weapon. The energy balls hit and shredded the other husk. Finally, C1 used his magic to grab the schism's skull and ripped it from its shoulder. The schism fell to the floor, bleeding heavily. C1 got off and dropped the skull on the floor. The Swordspony's voice came from the speaker again.

"Impressive, you're incredibly fast for a prototype."

C1 shot at the speaker before the Swordspony could continue. His horn stopped glowing when he holstered the revolver. The Swordspony would be a pain in the ass if C1 didn't eliminate it as soon as possible, but it seemed fast and strong, not a good combination.

If the Swordspony could use the speakers, that meant it had to be in the control room. Eliminating it would be a weight off his shoulders. C1 had downloaded the laboratory's blueprints in advance and knew where the control room was. Now, all that remained was to get there, with the danger of the Swordspony using the security systems to eliminate him.

The control room wasn't far, but some paths were blocked. C1 would have to crawl through the ventilation system. He searched the room he was in; it was covered in blood, but fortunately, the vent was visible behind a desk. C1 kicked the desk aside, climbing into the vent. It was quite tight, and he had to retract his wings to get in. As C1 crawled, he could hear the growls of some husks in the lab. C1's metal body made a lot of noise, and the husks quickly noticed. The next thing C1 saw were hellish energy blasts piercing through the fragile metal of the vent, causing it to collapse. The fall caused some damage but also crushed a couple of strays below. C1 crawled out of the vent, and his front leg was bitten by a filth. The blood C1 had stored stained the filth's teeth, and C1 had to use his other leg to strike it, crushing the filth's head. The blood helped repair the damaged leg, allowing C1 to stand. A schism and a couple of strays had survived the fall and were charging hellish energy attacks. C1 threw three bits into the air and shot them with the revolver. The bullets hit the coins, and they flew towards the husks, instantly killing the strays, but the schism resisted the coin but not the ensuing bullet strike and fell dead to the ground. C1 stood up and galloped toward the door, luckily it was open, and he entered. It was the control room. A beam of orange light passed through the center of the room, illuminating the area. The energy readings coming from the beam were extremely strong. C1 approached the control room consoles and saw, through a security camera, a closed door. The camera was labeled "Entrance to Tartarus."

C1 was about to press the button to open the door when he heard a crash behind him. Turning around, they saw the Swordspony. It was getting up, its chainsaw leg making a loud noise, and an attached shotgun in its front hoof.

"At last, we meet, C1."

The machine bowed its head before charging at C1, firing the shotgun. C1 dodged the attack by stepping aside and drew his revolver, firing twice. The Swordspony let out some pained groans before delivering a rear kick, scratching C1's paint with its chainsaw leg. C1 jumped towards the wall, propelled himself, and struck the Swordspony. The blow destabilized it, and C1 took the moment to place his rear hooves on the shotgun, throwing it to the ground. The Swordspony fell alongside C1. The first to recover was the Swordspony, which tried to kick C1, firing its chainsaw leg. C1 jumped before the chainsaw hit, the saw flew into the wall, bouncing and heading straight for the Swordspony's face. The machine screamed in pain as its circuits were destroyed, and the blood stored inside spilled across the floor. It took two full minutes for the saw to reach its central core, killing it once and for all. C1 approached the body and took the Swordspony's shotgun before updating his database.

Swordspony

Class: Greater Machine

Apparently made from parts of other machines, its original form is impossible to identify. The chainsaw attached to its rear leg is sharp and durable enough to tear through metal, and it can be fired, temporarily slowing it down. The saw can be deflected and used as a weapon.

Evaluation: High threat, chance of similar encounters: 85%.

C1 checked the Swordspony's shotgun. It was a standard flurrybuck shotgun. It could cause a lot of damage up close but would be less useful at a distance. C1 holstered the shotgun and headed to the console. There it was, the entrance to Tartarus, sealed by the ponies before abandoning the installation. C1 pressed the button to open it, and the entire installation began to shake as the cameras showed the door opening. C1 started heading toward the door, but a voice interrupted him.

"C1..."

C1 turned to see the Swordspony's body using its last traces of energy to speak.

"C1... Your body requires little fuel, yet you continue to go down, it doesn't make sense. Putting yourself at risk doesn't justify your goal. What are you looking for? What is your fuel?"

C1 stared at the Swordspony for a moment before raising the shotgun and firing, destroying its last bit of life.

C1 continued galloping toward the door, reaching the previously sealed area. It was empty, and there was a long drop in front of them. C1 spread his wings and jumped into the hole, falling quickly to the bottom.

C1 landed at the end of the tunnel, a metal bridge stretched out in front of him, with two faceless pony statues sitting and holding an energy sphere in their hooves, waiting for him at the end. C1 galloped towards the gates of Tartarus, encountering a simple inscription: "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."

C1 tried to push the door, but it wouldn't let him pass. A cold wind filled the area, and one of the statues began to tremble. The stone pony's hoof separated from the pedestal and descended to the ground. The energy sphere glowed intensely. It was slow, as it was carrying the energy ball with one of its hooves, but its size was intimidating.

C1 scanned the living statue before it struck the ground with the energy sphere, launching C1 towards the bridge.

Cerberus

Class: Lesser Demon

Unlike the Can-Cerberus guarding the entrance to crystal Tartarus (a colloquial name for the structure used as a prison), the Cerberus is a statue resembling an earth pony, made entirely of infernal mass. They can be found throughout Tartarus, and it is unknown why some of them move while others remain static. They hold an infernal energy sphere in their hooves and will not let go of it, despite the energy expenditure it requires, possibly to intimidate other lower demons and abominations.

Evaluation: Severe threat, can take advantage of its slowness.

C1 looked at the Cerberus and saw it lift the energy sphere, throwing it at C1. The machine jumped, and the explosion sent him flying even higher. As he fell, the Cerberus leapt on top of him. C1 slid across the floor and shot at it with the shotgun. The bullets slammed against the rocky body and caused little damage. C1 slipped between the Cerberus’s legs and shot it again, but the damage was minimal. That’s when C1 noticed a button on the shotgun. He pressed it, and a beeping sound followed. An energy sphere shot out of the shotgun’s barrel and exploded on the Cerberus, cracking its body.

C1 landed as the shotgun cooled down and felt a tremor. Turning around, he saw the other statue also stand up, stepping down from its base and kicking C1. The machine rolled on the floor but regained balance. Now, he had two demons in front of him, both preparing to attack. C1 galloped toward the weakened Cerberus, firing. At the same time, as he got closer with his hoof extended, the shot pierced the stone, and the metallic hoof's strike shattered Cerberus’s head. The demon’s body began to crack and break apart.

The other Cerberus looked at the corpse of its counterpart and then at C1. A growl emerged from within the demon, and it charged at him with more force and speed. C1 narrowly avoided the enraged Cerberus’s attacks, firing his revolver while the shotgun was reloading. The Cerberus kept closing in, trying to step on the metal pest, but its body was slowly cracking and falling apart. Finally, the Cerberus tried to land a final blow, but its body began to break before it could strike. C1 had dealt enough hits. The Cerberus looked at its crumbling body as it fell apart, casting an empty stare at C1 before collapsing to the ground, the stone scattering across the bridge.

C1 holstered his guns galloping toward the door. He pushed it, and it began to slowly open. C1 had just entered Tartarus, and from here on out, things would only get more difficult.