I removed the last rock barring my path to freedom. The cave-in left me stranded for what I believe was three days. Normally when somepony is trapped from a cave-in in a mine, there are ponies rushing to rescue those trapped in the dark cage. Yet nopony came to help, I had to move the boulders myself. When I had made it out of my prison, I wished many things; that this was a dream, or I had gone insane, hell, I would've fucking preferred being sent to… well, hell than this…
Three days earlier...
I walked towards the exit of the mine. The others had already left; I had stayed to lock the gear up and shut down the machinery like usual. As I rode the elevator to the surface, I heard a small crack. When the elevator reached the mouth of the cave, another crack echoed through bowels of the earth. Deciding to ignore it, I started towards the exit. The moment I planted my first hoof down, the cave mouth collapsed in front of me. After standing there, stunned at the turn of events, I ran forward and started pulling the rocks free. I did not even think about grabbing the tools that were kept at the bottom of the elevator…
After an hour or so, I stopped my futile attempts at freedom and thought of how to handle this; a rescue team should have arrived by then and started to remove the boulders. As I brooded over the situation, a loud explosion resonated through the walls. I stopped dead in my tracks, if they were using dynamite; I needed to be as far away as possible for when they break through. As I ran back to the elevator another explosion rang out, this time accompanied by screams. I thought at the time I was imagining things. I had no clue as to how wrong I was…
After waiting almost an hour, with no more explosions occurring, I sighed and headed toward the entrance, restarting the agonizingly slow process to freedom. I began thinking about what those explosions were. Then I realized that maybe the explosions were from inside the mine. My eyes widened and I began working faster, if another explosion occurred, it might bring the caves roof down on me…
After being trapped in the cave for two days, without food or water, without even seeing the light of-fucking-day, I had lost hope. I fell onto the ground and began crying. I thought I would never see my family, or my friends, I’d never get to hold my little filly one last time and say I love you…
After sitting for what seemed like a century, I finally tried once more to get out of the hell I was in once more. I grasped on small rock, deciding to start small, upon removing the rock, a shaft of light entered into my dark prison. I was stunned at the sight; I had never seen anything as beautiful in my life. Hope filled within me, a smile lit up on my face, and with new strength, I removed the last rocks that stood in my way to freedom. I was going to see my family again; I WAS GOING TO LIVE...
When I had made it out of my prison, I wished many things; that this was a dream, or I had gone insane, I would've fucking preferred being sent to hell than this…
The peaceful ponyville I had lived in my whole life was in ruins. Ash rained from the unusually orange sky, the buildings were nothing but wooden frames, covered in light burn marks and seemed close to collapsing. The lake that lay to the east was a deep crimson; I gagged at the thought of it being the precious red liquid that ran inside me. There was no doubt that the worst part was the bodies the littered the ground around the town. The sight caused me to vomit onto the earth below my feet. After emptying my gut of the acid that normally inhabited it, I decided to stop staring and descended into the remains of what was once my home…
I walked through the main street of the remnants of ponyville. I stopped at the market; there I saw the remains of a mare who ran the stall she lay dead on. Suddenly I saw a young me, working at his father’s stand. He was selling vegetables that were grown in his parent’s farm. His dad walked up to him and thanked him with a small sum of money. My young-self hugged his dad in delight and ran off to sugar cube corner when I snapped back into reality. I looked upon the destroyed market one last time as a small tear made its way down my muzzle, hanging for one second, and then fell onto the dusty ground…
I stood outside of the burnt down carcass of my house. I dreaded to go inside, out of fear of what I might find. Finally, deciding that I must face my fears, I took a deep breath, and walked inside. I pushed the door open, only to have it fall down with a loud thud. The house was better off than many of the other houses, while only the skeletons of the others remained; mine still had some wall and part of the roof. I made my way to the kitchen, careful to avoid the broken glass the covered most of the floor. The kitchen was always a mess in our house, but nothing like the state it was in: The floor was covered with blood, the counter was smashed, and the fridge was tipped on the ground. But the absolute worst part was the centerpiece, my wife…
She hung from the ceiling by her own intestines, half her face was replace by a bloody mess, the eye on the non-destroyed side was missing, maggots filling the empty socket, and her limbs had been ripped off and piled beneath her. I stumbled out of the room, barely able to hold myself together; the only thing that kept me going was the need to make sure my little pony was alright…
I ran down the hallway, towards the last room. I kicked the door open, and instantly died inside. While my wife was mutilated beyond belief, my girl lay on her blood soaked bed, shuddering. Her head turned to face me; she whispered “I’m cold daddy”
“I’m sorry honey, but it’ll be alright,” I softly replied
“What happened to mommy?”
“She’s gone to the angles”
“I’m so cold daddy”
“Stay awake; don’t fall asleep, not now, not now”
“I love you daddy”
“I love you to honey”
She shuddered once more and took her last breath…
I spent hours sitting in her room, crying while I held her in my hands. My daughter died, she was gone. I had nothing left, my life was over. I was the last man left, yet there was no point. We were done; I had no reason to live. There was one option left, death…
I trudged through the town, a heavy heart. I knew my destination, the cliffs above lake. As I walked towards there, I passed a tree in the park where I saw a teenage me, the snow fell around him and his future wife, the two love-struck teens locked eyes under the mistletoe. The two then leaned in and cautiously took their first kissed. The two embraced in each other’s warmth, caught in the moment, oblivious to the world. I sighed and passed on as they faded, not wanting to dwell on the painful memories…
Nearing the lake, I saw more memories, I saw me and my high school friends playing hoofball in the park, I saw me and my wife marrying on the beach, I saw me teaching my little pony to swim in the lake. Each one making me more and more depressed…
I was only a few meters away from the cliff. I was desperately looking for a reason to live, if one other pony came forward, it would give me a reason. I screamed at the heavens, questioning them on why I was still alive. There was no reply. I started forward, first step, tears streaking down my face. Second step, faces of those I knew appearing before my eyes. Third step, my life started to flash before my eyes. Fourth step, I forgave all wrongs done unto me, and hoped those I wronged forgave me. Final step, I uttered my last words, “Celestia have mercy on my soul”…
