Twilight's Inferno

by Crazy_Iron

First published 21st of November, 2014

Twilight is lost in the Everfree, and the only way out it through Hell.

This is Twilight's tale of hell,
where she sees the dead's fate.
Beginning to ring a bell?

On her soul rest's a weight.
She needs help to be free,
but in fright her mane will straight.

In Hell lays the sought after key,
to the greatest lesson she will find.
But can she resist the urge to flee?

Canto I

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.”

Canto II

In me many do chaos thole,
for their lives disturbed peace.
In me, justice is the dole.

Through me pass those who harmony did cease.
Anguish to those whom harmony held not dear.
and the holes in themselves fit not the piece.

Swift are they sent to the proper tier,
that remands for errs in life.
Know true discord, ye who enter here.

“I can only imagine the ponies strife.”
Twilight said, sorrow in her voice.
She didn’t know chaos was so rife.

They in life had made their choice.
Come and enter there is much to see.”
At the thought of inside she did not rejoice.

As they walk, she thought of an inquiry.
“Inferna, about your mark,
what exactly is it telling me?”

On her flank was a symbol stark,
of a loosely coiled whip;
around a fire; no mere spark.

“my lash ushers beings to their grim trip,
and in doing so contains chaos’ bright flame.”
The blunt answer quivered caused a quiver in Twilights lips.

Soon after the princess loudly did proclaim,
“We have arrived. Look, and gaze upon Hell’s pass,
where beings will judgment claim.”

Twilight stood in awe of the great mass.
Every race stood represent,
from peasent to noble, every class.

Great were the wails of lament,
as the throng languished forward,
not eager to meet their torment.

Twilight soon saw what they were marching toward,
the reason for the here’s namesake.
Through thorns did beings of earth did ford,

and cry in pain as skin did rake.
Twilight tried to look away,
for she felt her knees begin to quake.

“You must not let your sight now stray,
for we have only yet begun.
How much more could there be of dismay?

The trial of earth was now done,
and gave way to challenge of sky.
As two pegasi started their aerial run.

The first let out a paniced cry,
as it flew through the tempest.
Twilight saw the strained look in its eye.

She was unsure of the purpose of this test,
so she waited for more.
What she saw next caused her eyebrows to crest.

This pegasi’s run had no hint of gore,
instead it flew through cats and dogs,
upon its face a look that showed bore.

Twilight’s mind could not spin any cogs.
“What manner of judgment is this?”
She asked, gazing at this fury fog.

“This indicates the rejection of bliss.
It is Cerberus’ elaborate joke,
to send them to the first abyss.

For before these poor souls did croak,
they never choose to share a smile.
Not punished, merely ‘poked,’

until they remove the look so hostile,
and their lips form that joyful curve,
and heart ins cleansed of all the vile.”

With that Twilight found a little nerve,
and looked out to the field again,
to a grove of poison joke observe.

An earth pony, with look of pure disdain,
trudged forward through the laughing land,
not pleased with how it changed its mane.

Twilight tried to her laugh remand,
though her efforts where for naught.
Inferna smiled. “Hell is not all bland.”

When the pony had finished its trot,
a unicorn went to take its place.
Through Twilights spine a chill shot.

A sea of boiling water was the base
for her growing apprehension.
The challenge of magic will make its case.

Twilight watched with rapt attention,
as the being swam through boiling blue.
To here nightmares was added another dimension.

“Twilight, do not fear what you view;
this is meant for those who do great wrong
and you will never have to it go through.”

At this was given a sigh quite long.
She relaxed enough to look up and see
another to whom hell belonged.

But she heard not the wail if a banshee,
for the scalding water turned a bubbly bath,
Causing the ponies colors to disagree.

Clearly this one earned not wrath,
but still rejected the joys of life,
and was sent upon this colorful path.

With curiosity was Twilight rife.
Inferna spoke. “Let us be gone,
for yet ahead there is more strife.”

They wandered forth through fields most wan,
until they finally reached the end,
where shades would find which torture dawned.

Twilight spotted a familiar friend.
Cerberus, who guarded a gate.
From the dogs tongue she could not defend.

“To see you again he could not wait,
for damning souls gets rather bland.
Seeing you his mood elates.”

Twilights smile did expand,
but a question passed her mind.
“Does he choose where to send the damned?”

“Ahh, it seems you are not blind.
His barks directs to where go the souls,
his number indicates to where assigned.”

Twilight soon witnessed this form of control,
on the unicorn she saw before.
Six barks sent it on its stroll.

“Come, we must get further to the core,
if you wish to see things new.”
Twilight braced for sights of gore.

Canto III

As the judgement of hell left their view,
Twilight wondered what could be next.
Little time later, a castle in sight grew.

“I suppose you wonder who are its subjects,”
Inferna voiced the unicorns thought.
“These beings ever did laughter vex.”

I wonder what hell for them could wrought,
Twilight wondered as they came near.
To her surprise, the door had polka-dots.

She crossed the threshold with little fear.
After all, it was only the first layer.
When she entered, she was surprised by a cheer.

Before she could tap her inner surveyor,
she was blasted with bits of color,
and in the land of thought she dropped as a player.

Sometime later she awoke with a holler.
“It seems someone was surprised by confetti.”
As she looked to the voice, she noticed no squalor.

Although she did notice some ponies were sweaty,
as red bat ponies played and danced all around.
One came up to her and said loudly “Hi! I’m Betty!”

At this point Twilight’s jaw hit the ground.
How could hell be such a place?
For what hit her eyes did her astound.

The red bat ponies danced with quite a quick pace,
to a music almost too filled with cheer,
and with sweets was a nearby table laced.

Yet there were being whose faces yelled loudly “Stay Clear!”
Granted, they clashed with their vibrant attire,
but their faces still showed no fear.

“Inferna, where are these beings life fire?
This puts a Pinkie party to shame,
yet all who dwell here look so dire.”

“In life to them laughter never came.
So here they are forced to hold it in,
until they join the joyous flame.”

At these words, Twilight saw someone grin.
he started to chortle,
and soon joined the din.

“Joy be to you, ye who was mortal.
Of your souls transformation there is no doubt!
Come, paradise waits through this portal!”

Twilight was startled by the sudden shout.
However, seeing the smile on his face,
she knew she couldn’t pout.

“You have witness the greatest moment in this place,
when a being finally lets himself laugh.
In that moment he found grace.”

Indeed, the smile split his face in half.
Yet none but the red bats did party with him,
though he did not stop on their behalf.

In the crowd Twilight saw a face extra grim.
His cutie mark was a rock,
and his coat was quite dim.

Over to him she went to talk.
“Hello, how are you?”
At her greeting he did balk.

Twilight wanted to shoo,
but she wanted to know,
what in his past life did this pony do?

“Missy, you cause me nothing but woe.
Fine, I will share with you my life.
I was a farmer and rocks I did grow.

The work was much toil, trouble, and strife.
‘You ought to lighten up dear,’
always nagged my wife.

But from my goal of success I never did veer.
I achieved what I wanted, but my soul was dead.
All work and no play is how I ended up here.

Twilight indeed a few tears did shed.
But with this story many things were the same,
and a yarn on of her friends did thread.

“Sir, would you please tell me your name?
A friend of mine shared a similar tale,
but her struggle she indeed overcame.”

Prolong and with annoyance was his exhale.
My name is Rock Pie,
now why for you did I lift that veil?”

At this Twilight gave a cheerful cry.
“With your descendant I am a good friend.
I assure you, she won’t go here when she’ll die.

In fact to her parties I attend.
Rare is she without a smile
and all frowns she does bend.”

After that Twilight though her eyes did beguile,
for as she looked at his eyes,
his face lost some of its vile.

The farmer let out a tired sigh.
“Thank you for telling me.
If you’ll excuse me, that cake I may try.”

Inferna’s smile was filled with glee.
“That was a good deed you did.
His soul is closer to being free.”

The previous pony’s dance stopped with a skid.
The red bat ponies carried him to a door,
and with fond feeling did they farewell bid.

“Come Twilight, we must go to a new floor.
You must see all of this place
and with hell build a raport.

Twilight put on a straight face.
She knew that down below
for joy there was no space.