Forbidden Land

by Mane-Shaker

17 Opposite Elements

"Well... seems they kind of started to give up on this place." Pinkamena closed the notebook.

"Still, this doesn't justify what happened here. This place is haunted for some bigger reason we don't know." Mane took the kettle out of the magic fire, opening a bag of instant coffee and pouring It inside. "Coffee is ready."

"Mane, I noticed something." She said while preparing her mug for the drink.

"What is It?"

"According to these diaries, these river floods every summer for some reason."

"Yeah, It's weird." Mane served her the coffee, by levitating the kettle with his magic. "Wait..." Something made I'm realize.

"You're thinking the same as I am, right..?" She looked at him with a fixated stare in the eyes. "It's summer..."

Ironically, a noise started to get louder, as if an army of two thousand soldiers were running in their direction from the depths of the river's cavern. It got closer and closer while those two kept staring in the dark.

"RUN!" Mane screamed while picking his backpack.

"I JUST CHANGED MY CLOTHS!" Pinkamena complained while picking her backpack too and running behind Mane.

They kept running along the riverbank while they started to feel the river's height going up. Before climbing the rock back to the bridge, they threw just in time the backpacks to the surface, while a huge wave started to be heard, raging in the cavern's walls. Pinkamena started climbing the raw rock wall while Mane gave her a boost in his back.

"The water level is raising!" Mane warned, with the river starting to get to his waist.

"Climb!" Pinkamena yelled over the noise of the river.

Mane grappled the rock wall and started to climb out of the water, then the wave from before struck his back, forcing him against the raw sharp rock starting to hurt his stomach. Pinkamena threw the torch to the floor and grabbed Mane's hand, starting to pull him while the rapids kept forcing him out of the wall.

"CLIMB ALREADY!" She yelled again.

Mane buried his fingers on the dirt between the stone bricks on the bridge's end, and forced his arms and legs in an effort to climb out of the water that reached to his neck.

"I'M NOT GONNA DIE BY WATER!" He screamed on top of his lungs. His muscles and will pulled him out of the water with Pinkamena's help, but not without the rock wall scrap his stomach, leaving some scratches that hurt a bit with the water's mineral composition. He crawled out of the edge and lay on his back all wet with his clothes soaked, breathing heavily while Pinkamena checked his belly.

"You got hurt." Pinka said.

"Yes, I can feel! How bad is It?" Mane asked tired while spitting some water.

"It's superficial, nothing serious." She sighed in relief. "I think It's over..."

A louder noise was heard again, Mane raised his head in disbelief while Pinkamena quickly looked at the dark cavern too.

"IT'S NOT OVER!" Mane screamed. "Get to the other side! Quick!"

Pinkamena grabbed the torch and the backpacks, while Mane got up and followed her in a quick pace.
As soon they crossed the bridge, a giant wave washed It and getting some water in their side covering their hooves a bit. They walked away from the wet zone, so they could have a breath.

"Holy mother of Celestia..." Pinkamena sighed.

"Please no more..." Mane sighed as well tired from the event. "Argh... I'm all soaked." He complained. "Do you still have the notebook?"

"Yeah..." She opened her backpack, revealing It was safe. "Aren't you cold?"

"No. Ironically I was planning to refresh in the river. But not like this!"

"Since we are on this side now, we could search for the magma channels OR the forges they mentioned." Pinkamena suggested.

"Good idea. I need to get dry, change my clothes and put these drying. You too."

"Can you still do some light magic? I don't think my torch will last longer." Pinkamena looked at his belly showing some blood. "And you're gonna let me check that." She pointed at the wounds.

"Sure, whatever... let's just get out of here. I don't want more water..." Mane whined.

They walked slowly by the halls, avoiding getting closer of the skeletons while some them seemed to move when none of them were paying attention. The heat started to come higher, while a hall seemed to glow red in It's end. They looked around It and It was indeed what they expected. Magma, still glowing red and orange and raging in heat. The molten rock sometimes would burst a tiny bubble making the familiar *blop* noise. It was the channel talked in the diaries, so that meant the magma forges should be close by.

Walking around, they found the huge hallway with stone supports. It was indeed big and menacing a threat as if everything was about to fall down. The skeletons there were like a mass grave, most of them pilled in groups. Most of them had their tattered clothes still on, and a lot of swords, spears and axes all laying around. The scenery in the light of the magma river in the hall's end gave Mane and Pinkamena a uneasy feeling. It was pure silence broken by their steps in the raw rock.
Some doors showed up in the middle of the massive hall. They felt It was better inside those rooms than in that place. It was another dinning hall supported by four natural stone columns, with rock tables and thrones, and the engravings on the walls and floor were back. Elephants killing pony dwarfs one after another.

"What the heck is this place?" Mane complained looking at the engravings. "I'm starting to think the elephants are the cause of all this!"

"Yeah, the corridors are enough to let them pass, but I don't think a herd of these couldn't match all the dwarf ponies outside that huge place."

"I could use a drink..." Mane looked around. "If this is a dinning hall, then a stockpile of food and drinks must be nearby."

"I see another door in there." Pinkamena looked across the hallway with the magma's light. "Maybe It's there?"

"Let's just cross this place in a hurry. I don't trust It." Mane looked at the piles of skeletons.

"Me neither." Pinkamena agreed.

They gave a quick run to the other side, opening the door and closing It in a hurry. They saw a set of destroyed workshops, with copper pots all over the place. Those were the kitchens and some stills where the drinks used to be made.
Numerous doors behind them guided Mane and Pinkamena to the food stockpile, where the stench made the unicorn step back covering his nose. Pinkamena went inside coming back with an intact barrel, but see went back inside.
Mane on the other hand, still wet from the episode with the river flood, kicked a copper pot in frustration sending It flying before landing with a loud noise. Under It, on the floor... a book in wooden binding and a bit burned on the cape.

"Mane! Is everything alright?" Pinka asked across the other room, referring to the noise.

"Kind of. I'm still soak and guess what I found."

"What?"

"I'll give a clue. i won the race this time."

".......I don't know." She asked unsure.

"Another diary!" Mane laughed.

"Really!? Where was It?" Pinkamena showed up by the stockpile's door.

"Under the pot I kicked." Mane looked over the pages.

"Luck protects the audacious one." She smirked while walking to the barrel. "We are close of the magma river. Let's go there and sit a bit, my previous clothes aren't completely dry too." She knocked on the barrel with a smile. "I brought this just for you...~" She chanted in an adorable way.

"Thanks." Mane smiled back.

They got out of the big kitchen, rolling the barrel over filled with booze. The heat got higher the more close they got, but It was somewhat comfortable even for Mane. He punched the top open with a crystal fist and took a sip of the drink. It was dwarven wine, and really well aged and preserved in that barrel and place.

"Meh. I don't appreciate wine, but I can go along with this." He commented.

"Is It strong?" Pinka asked tempted to drink a bit too.

"Not much. I think It's good for you." He answered. "I'm gonna change clothes." Mane searched his backpack for his spare clothing.

Mane went to behind another magma forge and changed his clothes. Pinkamena took some extra sips, starting to feel a bit tipsy. She looked where the stallion was and could only see his naked upper body, she started to giggle quietly while appreciating his average muscled back and arms, illuminated by the red magma.
Mane came back with his wet clothes spread open on top of the forge, letting them dry in the heat including his beloved vest. Coming back with black jeans and t-shirt, Pinkamena appeared from behind the other magma forge and walked funny against him and hugged his stomach.

"Hehe... heeey..." She giggled.

"Diane, what is wrong?" Mane asked confused.

"Me..? There's noooothing wrong! Hehe..." She kept laughing while trying to balance her hooves while holding Mane.

"You're drunk, aren't you?" Mane looked at her serious.

"No! HAHA! You're the drunk one!" She laughed blushing red, taking her hands to Mane's lowered body startling him a bit. "I... I only saw *hic* I only saw your torso... ca-can I see the rest? Hihi..."

"Pinkamena Diane Pie! Control yourself!" He shoved her hands away from his legs and helped her up.

"Come oooon!" She whimpered in her drunk words. "Wha... why is hot in here..? Are you da hot stuff or am I in *hic* heat..?"

"Just uh... sit there." Mane helped her sit against the forge while he sat next to her. "Get over that while I work on this..." Mane opened the wooden diary. "I'll even read to you."