//------------------------------//
// Canto I 
// Story: Twilight's Inferno 
// by Crazy_Iron 
//------------------------------//

Deep in the Everfree Twilight wandered,
a frustrated look upon her face.
Marred with anger was the problem she faced.

Littered with brush was the forest’s base.
Darkness soon descended on the sky;
Her snap awareness made her heart race.

“Oh, how foolish to wanderer here was I!
Curse he who brought me such anger!”
Her loud shout caused birds to fly.

The scream however caused no end to danger.
Soon she felt a piercing stare;
though her mind’s eye visioned her safe in a manger. 

It came from she could not see where
and her genius was sapped to her legs.
She hoped here fear none would ever share.

How she escaped she could not peg,
But as soon as she tumbled into Luna’s sweet light,
Joy flowed through her as wine from a keg.

She gleed not for long as, though a wight,
A deadly fowl limped into view,
causing utterance of desperate plight.

“Oh sweet Celestia! What should I do?
I don’t want to be turned to stone!”
Before gazes looked, the darkness issued a coo,

And the cockatrice ran, as a dog chases bone.
At this turn of events Twilight reveled
That now with her thoughts she was alone;

which soon seized upon that draconoquis deviled,
who was the cause of her present woe.
Images flashed of him being leveled.

Oh! His last stunt was quite a show.
Her thoughts drifted to her friends,
and their struggle to be freed from the dough.

She continued on that path’s many bends,
which swept upon the infinite steppe.
She wondered what fate would her way send.

Ohh, she lamented how she had no prep.
In time she found a road that lead to hills,
And down she walked, filled with new pep.

When she arrived, down her spine went a chill.
For swooping down at her was a manticore,
And she believed she were to be its next kill.

This day though surprised her more,
for it landed as though to block the path,
and glared as though searching her core.

Thankful to be free of the creature’s wrath,
She couldn’t help but ponder her plan.
Oh! What she wouldn’t give for a nice bath.

Up the nearest hill she ran,
to see land that did her surround,
with faint hope to see one of the pony-clan.

Her wish, however, was unfound.
Down she trot with a heavy sigh,
And what she saw next her worries compound.

A timber wolf, with a hungry glint in its eye,
did not seem content to merely block her trail.
Twilight thought her end was nigh.

She turned tail and ran, new wind in her sail.
The wolf followed, mouth dripping with greed.
“Please! I don’t want to die!” was her fearful wail.

Someone did answer in hour of need.
Her ears perked up as she heard wood crack,
And quickly turned to see who did the deed.

A mare it was, standing on the creature’s back,
of Celestia’s size, with silver fur and mane of red,
and eyes and hooves of perfect black.

What truly turned Twilight’s jaw to lead
was the two wings that did her adorn,
and the silver spike atop her head.

She managed to stutter, “You’re an alicorn!”
And with deep regard she did bow,
her mind replicating the fanfair of horns.



“Please, I ask you lift your brow.
It was requested I help with your current woe.”
With royal grace did she speak now.

“T’was I who caused that bird to run fro,
and commanded the manticore’s anger to quell.”
At this Twilight’s hope of home did grow.

“Princess, please tell me your name, so I may know you well.”
She answered, “Inferna is my rightful name,
princess of Tartarus, keeper of hell.”

Twilight pondered her lack of fame,
for she never appeared in Equestrian lore,
but the wings and horn did prove her claim.

“I have seen that look many times before,”
as Inferna said this Twilight realized her glare.
“Come with me and you will learn more.”

Twilight followed, knowing the chance was rare,
yet many questions swirled in the back of her mind.
She soon began voicing them with tentative care.

“If I may, why did you come to help me with my bind?
How do you know what my trouble is?”
She was answered with a voice surprisingly kind.

“I know how easily Discord causes manes to frizz,
and Celestia informed me he caused you to cry.
However to answer your first, I have a small quiz.”

When it came to tests Twilight was quite sly,
and she dutifully readied herself for the task.
“What happens to beings after they die?”

Twilight was unprepared for what to princess did ask,
for Celestia disregarded her any time she did inquire.
To her credit, her face bore a contemplative mask.

“An answer I do not truly require,
for I do not expect most beings to know.”
“I assume this knowledge I will soon acquire?”

“Indeed, for our destination is the world below,
which is Discord’s fate should you abandon him.”
On Twilight’s face a confused look did grow.

“I thought Discord was not subject to deaths whim!
Would he really be subject to Tartarus’ fate?!”
Inferna’s face turned just a little grim.

She answered, “Some merely have a longer wait,
till separation of body and soul.
We will talk later though, for we arrive at the gate.”