A journal lays on the ground in front of a purple hornless unicorn. He stares at it with wonder. His mind races with what secrets could lie within. Maybe a answer to this ruin in which he has lost himself to. The hornless unicorn picks up the journal and starts reading the charred, dirtied, and soaked writing of someone who was here before him. He read a loud to hear him own-self speak after being so noiseless for hours.
For anyone who finds this.. I congratulate you... It's been a week since princess Celestia and princess Luna fell to the hands of a mad tyrant. His magic that swelled from his body was beyond anything Celestia or Luna could handle. Even Twilight fell with most of her friends. What's worse is that he unleashed creature that had bodies of snake but the top half of something I've no we've ever seen. They carried with them Swords, javelins, and bows and arrows. We all stood there... shocked... appalled... angry... but most of all scared. I'm not sure who first screamed but I followed after turning around and running. I saw the hunger in those creatures eyes... My cutie mark is capturing animals anyway so I have to tell that. I heard screaming, laughing, crying, and the slicing of pony skin. I didn't dare look back so I would not lock into shock and become one of the murdered. I heard this sick sound that sounded so wet and vile. I figured it must be the spider hybrid using it's web but I still didn't dare look back. I ran into and through a house towards the Everfree forest. I wasn't going to keep running in a straight line. If I wanted to escape I had to make lane changes.
I found a place surrounded by rocks that caught my interest so I ran in here hoping I would be safe. I laid low here just waiting for this to pass over. Now I know your wondering where I got this journal from but it was already here when I found it. I promise. I've looked farther on and there seems to be some kind of hidden artifact down further but... there are traps ahead... I have fallen victim to one... poison darts. I don't have much time so I thought I might as well right my story down to see if anyone finds it while looking for me. Heh. Who would ever look for me though? I'm not really real known and I've only recently got a girlfriend who is probably dead... Well... I'm a take some paper with me and keep going forward to right down more about the traps. The poison darts activate with the stepping on the second wooden panel in front of you. I'll try to right down the patter for who ever continues forward. Hopefully I can make it. By the way... The name is Alex. If you have loved ones you might as well right in this journal here to. I could make this into a thing. Follow my tricks than the next one follows your trick and everyone picks up where someone died. Well I guess I better stop writing and get moving. Good luck my friend.
The purple pony swallows a hard lump in his throat.
"Should I?" He whispers to himself in a dry husky voice.
He looks around for a pencil and finds one where he wish he didn't see. A dead body lays on its back with a spear through it's throat but by it's side lies a pencil. He grabs the pencil and starts writing on the page behind Alex's.
My name is Shadow. I've been a slave ever since the tyrant Lord Malquise came in charge. The spider creatures are his lackeys and require us for food and entertainment. The element of harmony was laid to rest and Celestia and Luna didn't get a burial. Alex has missed out so much and I envy him. It's been one month for me. My master sent me here to find treasure or anything of use but now I don't care. I'd rather die than to keep living like I have. Maybe something down here can lead to a revolt. Maybe... just maybe... I don't know... If you choose to follow after me read the notes along the way to find out how to pass each trap. I'll do my best to keep track of this. I say good luck to you my fellow pony.
Shadow shivers at what could mean intimate death for him. He looks down the long hallway barely lit by torches.
"I've got to... anything is better than what's outside..." Shadow says trying to convince himself.
He's never had anyone to love but only to hate. He moves forward towards the hallway ready to start his adventure. With every step he takes more confidante fills him till he forgets to grab some paper from the book. He rushes back and pulls out some paper from the back and runs back forward to where he was so he can walk with confidante again.
"Adventure... here I come."
"Whoa..." Shadow says looking at the wooden floors before him.
At different points against the wall there are pressure plates and a closed doorway on the other side. Many darts line the floor where past ponies have tried to make it past this part. Shadow begins looking around for a note left by Alex. He spots it beside another dead pegasus. Shadow picks the note up careful as not to disturb the bones of the dead.
"I've become so used to these skeletons already..." Shadow says while grabbing the note with his teeth.
He places it on the floor and lies in front of it. He starts the read the first note. Entry one of getting through this place.
Hey. If your reading this than good luck. Hopefully you make it further than me or either you meet up with me before I die and hopefully you have some medicine on you. I figured a easy trick on getting through this. The trick is that one of the panels on the floor is a false trap panel that'll open the door on the other side of you for one minute. The other panels are trap panel that will strike you with darts. Luckily I was only hit with one dart so I'm only dying slowly. Who ever is following after me or all the people following me. The trick is that one the walls are writing that tell you how to step on each panel in a certain order. The order is as following as they appear on the panels on the ground: 10 8 7 5 6 2 4 9 1 3.
Good luck and try not to mess up the order or you might not get a second chance like me.
"Okay..."
Shadow walks forward and hears his hoofs click against the wooden floor. He looks at the walls and see one through five on the right side and six to ten on the other. He begins clicking the panels to the order in the note.
"Ten... eight... seven... five... six... two..."
"Stop." A husky whispers says down his neck.
Shadow jumps back and swirls around his right side looking every which a way.
"H-H-Hello?" Shadow asks to the nothingness around him.
"Stop..." The husky voice says again almost as if right next to him yet some how far away.
A cold wind blows against his fur rustling him and chills him to the very marrow of his bone.
"Why?" Shadow asks curios and scared at the same time.
"Stop..." The voice says again.
Shadow wonders why the note never mentioned the voice before. Shadow turns back to the right wall and goes to press four.
"Four... Nine... One... and... Three..." Shadow says finishing the order.
The door slides open rattling the entire chamber. Dust falls from the ceiling onto the ponies back and some darts rattle out of their holes needles rusted. Shadow nods his head and continues forward. He continues going as the door slams behind him. A note is on the wall to his right a little way forward. Shadow reads the note.
Hey... I came back to give you a heads up on the trap ahead. It's fire... and a bunch of other elements. I'm not really sure how each door works but when you open a door all the others disappear and you have to go through that one door. I picked the middle door which has lots of a fire in it. Also I'm not really sure what the dart does now. I don't seem to be in pain anymore. At first I thought it was poison but now... now I don't know. Anyway be careful because I found another note up ahead and that told me what two doors where. The one on the right is lightning and the one of the left is darkness. All I can say... well write is that be careful about your decision and also if you hear the voices and they tell you to do something... ignore them. You'll see why up ahead well if you come early enough...
Shadow keeps moving forward until he enters a circular room with doors all around. Above the doors are words that have never been seen before. They are some what scratched out along with dried blood stains. Shadow looks at the middle door and wonders if he should follow behind him... unless he's dead too.
"What should I do..." Shadow asks walking further into the middle of the room.
There are ten door in all the room. Shadow already knows what three of them are but is still curious about the other ones. He looks on the floor and sees a long blood trail to a door to the left of the last door on the right side. A body is prepped up against the door and what was weird it that it was a unicorn with a broken horn. It's horn lies inloged into it's throat.
Take that door....
Shadow shivers. That voice sounded so much more evil than the other have. It sounded evil. Sinister. Jealous.
Take the door!
Shadow begins walking towards the door with the body propped on it and it was almost like the dead body started to smile. Shadow shakes his head and turn around heading for the door behind him.
"I've got to get out of here." He says to himself a little shaken from the lack of control he just felt.
He walks to the door and looks at the words above it. They begin to morph and change till they read jungle. Shadow looks at the words amused and decides to right this down. He looks around for paper and pencil and realize he dropped it in the hall. He face hoofs himself and runs back to get it. He finds the paper but not how he would like to see it. All the parchments are black scratched up and ripped. The pencil is broken and rancid. Shadow backs away from the parchments and heads back.
You can't help them...
Shadow rolls his eyes and returns to the jungle door. He goes down one door and it says the room of light above it after the change. He looks at the rest of the doors and finds some of them unpleasant like the dead room and the blood room. The ones he did like was the jungle, fire of light, and water room. He decides to take the fire room due to it being the same choice as the one before him. He grabs the door with his hoof and opens it wearily.
No.....
It was a new voice. A gentler voice. One that sounded concerned. Shadow turns around and wonders where are the voice are coming from. He than notice all the doors gone except the one open and the body is gone too. Shadow walks backward through the door. He turns around and sighs. Fire is all around the walls. A light shines in from the top. A sash lies beside him to the right.
He opens the sash and finds the next note. It's blank. He looks through the rest of the stuff which includes a big pad of paper, three pencils, and bottles of water.
Good luck
Shadow look towards the fire that lies in front of him. He picks up a pencil and throws it forward. A arrow flies above where the pencil hit. The arrow hits the wall and burst into fire. Shadow sighs and says, "Thank you for the bag spirits..."
Do this for us
Many voices say this. Some gentle and some young. So many have lost their lives here.
"I will..." Shadow says placing a hoof on his broken horn, "For everyone..."