//------------------------------// // The Underworld // Story: Live, Die, Repeat // by Hidden_Night //------------------------------// Anonymous has just arrived in this new section of land. He hasn’t been this far out from Ponyville ever, it was exhilarating being this far. Yet also terrifying. If he ever finds an exit, he has no map to tell him where to go. The best he could rely on is a town nearby this hellscape. IF there even is an exit. Which is difficult to determine, the whole place is a scattered mess of mountainous blue rocks carrying cages of azure color. Anon groans outwardly, his face falling at every turn he makes. The monsters don’t seem to mind him, they just stare at him, or tell him to leave if they could speak. He saw a scant few ponies around. The ponies usually were insane, bashing their heads against the cages and telling anon various descriptions of his demise. His favorite so far is having his insides turned inside out and his organs being used as a meat toboggan. A certain smugness came over him, should’ve been a meat bicycle. Anon’s trek friend him at deep recluse part of Tartarus. The foot of the tall mountains that surround him, exhausted from walking. “This place definitely has a lot of stairs.” His magic heals his body faster than he could exhaust it, the odd balance of exercise and healing kept him from stopping. “I’m probably in hell. It would fit.” The bottom didn’t have much, just some caves and holes. That looked artificially made into the mountains. A peak into the holes revealed an odd blue crystal at the base of these mountains. Anon could only suspect they were a magic suppression system. As he feels absolutely nothing from the gems. The way Magic suppression usually works could be one of two things, they cut off the ability to emit magic, or forcefully eject magic from a body’s mana pool. Since he’s absorbing magic at an alarming right, his assumption is the latter. Deciding to crawl into the hole and walk over to the crystal. It was certainly neat, pillars held the rock in the center, a magic circle surrounded the base of the system, and a magic glow of a harsh blue was a sign that it was activated. As a hoof extended to touch the crystal, he heard a howl from above, the sound emitting a strong energy at the source. The magic surging through his body, blacking out his vision, then he found himself back in front of Cerberus. “Oh hey. I’m back here. Bit rude innit? What was the point of trying to leave if you’re going to bring me back here?” Anon laments as the three headed dog just growled at him. Each head keeping a close watch on him. “Right. Should make this easier on the both of us.” He grumbles and lights his horn. “Talk to Animals” The magic slapped him cross the face, the potency of the magic he’s absorbing accidentally causing an injury. It healed soon after. “Pony Visitor.” Cerberus spoke, his voice deep and holding authority. “What brings you to this prison?” “Prison?” He looks at the cages again, somehow there were more behind him. He didn’t know how he didn’t see them the first time. “Yeah it seems to look like it…” “Answer the question, Pony.” A huff from his nose caused Anonymous’ body to shiver. It was cold, too cold for Cerberus. “Well. I tried to pay my mentor, she must’ve saw my wormhole spell, then she tried to copy and, now I’m here.” He steps back on instinct. “You have performed the explanation as to why you’re. Now we must ask about the crime you have committed.” “What…” Anon was a little stunned, to his knowledge, he hasn’t committed any crimes. Unless… “The attempted tampering of private equipment for the Tartarus Holding Cell Company.” With another howl from the dog emits a file drawer from the ground, with one of the heads biting the handle and pulling out a file. “As of according to section 504-3, any creature attempting to move, displace, or touch a property item of Tartarus, will be placed under arrest.” “Oh god, this is hell. The dog is a fucking bureaucrat!” He knows of Tartarus, it’s been a fun location to visit when he can just go there without dying. The smell of lava and fire gets old quickly after the 16th version of hell. Yet, this is worse. Anonymous quickly tried to turn to run, but one of the heads grabbed his tail and lifted him into the air. “…Mercy?” Anonymous chuckled, hes not going to attempt to fight an emissary of hell. That didn’t work the last time he did. “Another rule violated. Section 595, any creature attempting to run, escape, or evade punishment gets an extra time to their sentence.” The dog’s head flung Anonynous up to the top of the mountain it was guarding and slammed his way into a cage. His back aching at the cold metal bars. “Ow…” He straightens out his back, expecting for himself to heal. Nothing came. “Welp. Fuck. I’m stuck in that god damn anti-magic field.” Anonymous slumps down and scratches his hoof at the bottom of the cage. “I am very aware pony. Not even I can absorb anything from here.” An old voice was to his right, with a turn to his head he saw a ragged black cloak cover a shivering body. Every breath emitting a fine cold mist. “Yeah. Neither can I, that dog is a very annoying Bureaucrat. I just know he’s going to skip on doing paperwork just to ensure our suffering.” “I would know, he’s been guarding my cell for many centuries.” The voice still spoke slowly, even as the figure turned to face Anonymous, he couldn’t see his face. “Cool. Cool. Just got here,” his hoof pressed against his chest as he bowed, “Anonymous.” “I am also Anonymous, to you.” The cloaked figure bowed in imitation. “Eh, fair enough.” He sits down as he stares at the cloaked figure. He doesn’t feel weak per se, just powerless. His magic absorption isn’t helping either as the little magic he gets lingers then washes away. “So who are you really?” “You haven’t heard the tale?” A deep breath escapes the creature’s mouth. “Of the creature who almost conquered Equestria.” “You have any idea how little that narrows it down?” “The one where the creature gets betrayed.” “That’s seven! Get more specific.” “…he specializes in Magic absorption.” “I haven’t gotten around to that yet.” “I beg your pardon.” “Then beg.” “…” “…” “So I am-“ “Don’t care, I’m breaking out now.” Anonymous stands up, his eyes started to look at the bars of his prison, they weren’t just but some sort of concrete with steel rebar. Hard to break, but easily broken with a different type of tension. “Don’t try to do that, foolish one. For even I can’t allude the guard’s gaze.” His voice is annoyed, strained even. He is tired of Anon’s shit. “Cool. Cool. Don’t care, I got this.” Anon kept trying to twist the bars apart, but couldn’t get the grip strength. His hooves flying off and unable to grip the bars. “I failed miserably on multiple attempts. Your best boon is to have the guard distracted.” The cloaked figure sits down, if anything he’s going to enjoy watching Anon struggle to open a lock without magic. “Too long. Just gotta hoof it from the Magic nullification area and keep moving.” He decided to turn around and lift up his hind legs, giving the door a hard buck. All he got was strained legs and pained hooves. “I see you are aware of that. The guard has a special type of magic to keep you in place. It’ll be difficult to escape through sheer force.” The figure chuckled at Anon’s misfortune. “The howl? Uhhh. I got a plan dude. I got this.” Anon needed a way to keep magic in him, the little he’s getting from his magic absorbing should be enough to shoot a beam at the kick. “You clearly don’t have a plan. Your struggle is amusing, but I shall see another corpse lay before me before you-“ Anonymous shoots a beam at the lock using what little he has in the tank. “Oh? Intriguing…” The creature smiles underneath the shadow that covers his face. “How about this, little pony.” “Anonymous, I’m Anonynous.” Another strained beam towards the lock of the box. This time a left a hole in the blue concrete. “Ponies and your annoying names,” the figure ahems, clearing his throat and continues, “Anonymous, I believe we could be vast here. Our ability to absorb magic is what led us to this predicament. With our abilities combined, we could be unstoppable.” “Cool. Cool. I’ll accept if you can find my mentor. She’s a much stronger Unicorn than me if she can just open a portal to hell?” Anonymous was internally thrilled at having a party member for once. It’s been so long since he was the leader of one. “Oh? Sounds like a good beginning for us.” The figure laughs, almost sinking into maniacal laughter before he stops by clearing his throat. “Apologies. Force of habit.” “It’s all good. Just give me time, I’m working with very little here.” Anonymous shoots another weak beam at the lock, finally chipping the last of the concrete and is met with a metal wall. “Guys, the thermal drill, go get it!” He had to start shooting heat beams towards the lock, which is marginally more taxing, but little by little he’ll get through. “Quiet down! The guard will hear you, there’s no telling what he would do to you, if you are caught attempting to break out.” “Don’t worry. I’m very good at fighting.” “Doubtful, your scrawny appearance, even for a pony, doesn’t scream fighter.” The voice chastises him. “Ouch, way to make a guy feel self conscious…” He continues his beam in silence. Now his thoughts linger on needing to bulk up, like that captain in Canterlot. It shouldn’t be that hard.