What Was Once Lost
By the Anonymous Colt
Epilogue
Screaming, torture, mutilation. These were all things the dark grey pegasus grew accustomed to during his fiery imprisonment. Every day, he would wake up to hear the cries of the damned, to the smell of burning flesh. Every day, the colt would have to go through harsh, painful punishments, torment that would never end. In the beginning, he would resist, he would have tried to find someplace within this dark abyss to hide, to find peace. But each day, they would find him, just as they do with any other pony that would try to hide from punishment. Every day, the pegasus would hope that his body would give in to his injuries, so that he could finally rest in peace. But every time the colt would black out, he would awake in his cell, all of his mortal wounds gone, without any signs of physical abuse. After some time in the colt’s dark prison, he gave up any hope of freedom. Even if he was able to escape this never ending pain, where would he be able to go? He’d be another lost soul, never able to find peace after what he’s experienced. He was in a dark void, without any chance of him ever coming back.
But then, in the middle of the grey pegasus’ sessions, he saw a tall, skinny black alicorn walk towards him. He was shocked to see the ancient entity again, and it appeared and though his captives were too. When the black alicorn approached him, he stared coldly at the ponies around the pegasus, and said, “Be gone.” His voice was cold and hallow, and as soon as the divine creature said these words, all of the pegasus’ tormentors scattered. The alicorn approached the beaten up colt.
“So Thanatos, what are you doing here? I’ve already hit rock bottom. How else could I pay for my mistake?”
“I am not here to bring you any farther down than you are at, Dust Trail.” Thanatos’ voice was a booming cannon of noise, so loud that it made your skull buzz, but somehow, his voice was as quiet and as delicate as ringing bells, which made your spine quiver in place. Dust Trail could never find out how his voice could be at two levels of decibels at once. It disquieted him, but for some reason, it also gave him a sense of security in this dreary world. It probably did.
“Well if you’re not here to drag me closer to the depths of this cavern, what are you here for?”
“Believe it or not, my young stallion, but it appears as though you have been given a chance for redemption.”
“What exactly is that supposed to mean?” Dust Trail said, exasperated.
“What I am trying to say, is that you get to have another chance at life.”
“What?” The news stuck the grey pegasus hard. Could he have just heard the alicorn right? He could have another chance at life, have a fresh start, and finally end his suffering? Dust Trail was elated at the fact that he could finally be free from this cesspool, and feel freedom once again. But soon, the huge smile on the colt’s face faded. He looked at Thanatos.
“What’s the catch?”
“No catch. You are completely free to go. You could finally end your tragic afterlife here. There is just one thing you have to do while you are alive.”
“And that is . . . ?”
“There is someone in danger of falling into the same fate you have fallen into, and unless you can show that pony the error of her arrogant ways in three weeks, that pony will fall into the depths of this inferno. Including you.”
“So that’s the catch. So basically, I just have to reform some mare that’s going to die in a few weeks, and unless I do, we’re both coming back here.”
“That is pretty much it.”
Dust Trail was still skeptical. “ . . . How do I know this just isn’t some cruel joke you’re playing on me right now?”
“Would you really risk missing out on your only chance to get out of this hell you’re in on the assumption that I’m pulling a prank on you?”
“Point taken. Let’s get heck out of here.”
“Indeed. Let us begin our return.” Thanatos’ horn began to glow with a white, ethereal power, making the whole chamber hum with energy. Soon, the whole room was washed in a bright light, making Dust Trail cover his eyes with his hoof.
“Hey, Thanatos. I have one last question for you.”
“And what is your question for me, my little pony?”
“Don’t call me that. Anyways I just wanted to know why you decided to pick me out of the millions of damned souls in here. Why me?”
“Because, my little pony,” Thanatos said, making sure to really emphasize the term for little children, “You were the least likely pony to cause damage in the living world.“ The ancient entity sound as if he was hiding somthing, but for the moent, Dust Trail decided not to question his motives. The black alicorn continued concentrating, focusing his arcane magic on a section of the wall. Soon, a little ripple appeared on the wall, as if it were a pool of water disrupted from its relative calm. The ripple eventually grew larger, and wider, until it was big enough for Dust Trail to step through. Inside the ripple was a vortex of swirling lights of different colors of the rainbow, clashing into each other as if they were waves of water, forming new colors that would turn back into their original colors. It was the most beautiful thing that the colt has seen in a long time, or ever.
“Now before you step inside, there are a few rules you must know. First, you are not allowed to tell her where you came from. In other words, you can mot tell her you were dead. Try to tell her, and you will be sent back here.”
“Okay, that’s understandable.”
'Second, you cannot tell her why you wish to be at her side for your time up there."
“Speaking of which, how come this mare can’t fall down like we have?”
“You are not allowed to know.”
“Um, all right, anything else?”
“Yes there is one last thing. You must make sure nothing happens to this specific mare, OR ELSE.”
The last thing Thanatos said hung in the air, emanating a sense of dread
.
“Was that a threat?”
“Consider it a dangerous warning.”
"And aren’t you the spirit of Death? Can’t you protect her from any threats until its time?”
“Enough questions. Do you wish to escape this prison or not?”
“Yes.”
Then step into the vortex, quickly. I do not believe Lucifur would like the notion of one of his prisoners escaping.”
Dust Trail stared at the vortex of light for few seconds longer, then got ready to walk through. Before he stepped in, he looked back at Thanatos.
“Hey Thanatos. Thanks for helping me. I never thought I’d ever see Death give a pony life, let alone experience it.”
The black alicorn nodded, showing no emotions on his face.
“Remember, you have only three weeks.”
That was the only thing Dust Trail last heard before stepping into the portal.
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Though the vortex’s exterior was breathtaking, there was nothing beautiful on the inside. Dust Trail felt as though he was falling down a dark, bottomless abyss, until he looked down, and saw a tiny red spot that was slowly growing smaller, and realized that he wasn’t plummeting, as he had when he first arrived at his prison, but was flying up fast. It was an experience he hadn’t enjoyed in a long time. He looked around him, and saw that other ponies were falling towards the now tiny dot, screaming. Though they were going by too fast for him to see their faces, Dust Trail could see their sins. Some were falling because of their anger, which thus led to violence and murder. Others were falling because of their greed, their never-ending hunger for fortunes bringing them all to their doom. Others, still, fell because of their inability to humble themselves in front of others, the sin of pride. All of them, whether it was a sin of moral, or a sin of complete contempt, were falling, without any hope of escape or revival. Dust Trail was the only exception. As the pegasus looked upwards, he saw a bright white light that was growing ever bigger, his last chance of redemption, his last chance at Paradise. The light enveloped the pegasus, filling him with a sense of joy. He let out a breath of air, his first one in ages, and lost all track of his senses, and blacked out.
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At the first break of dawn, Dust Trail awoke from his deep slumber, his eyes sore from the sudden light. The dark grey pegasus took in his surroundings, and gasped. He was in the middle of a clearing in a forest, flowers of all hues of colors blooming. Hummingbirds and butterflies flutterd through the air, and a fresh water lake was sparkling in the moring sun. Everything around Dust Trail was beautiful, a much better improvement compared to where he was before. The stallion stood up slowly, testing his legs and joints like a new born foal, and realized his throat felt dry and hoarse. He walked slowly to the lake, still a bit shaky on his appendages, and lapped up the cool, refreshing water. It was heavenly, the way the water trickled down his chin, the way it cured his thirst. It might have been a minor detail to another pony, but to Dust Trail, drinking was an experience he wanted to hold on to for the rest of his life. He kept on drinking the water until his stomach felt as though it were about to burst, then sat on his haunches on the shore. He stared at his rippling reflection taking in on all of his own details. His mane and tail was jet black, his coat slightly dirty, but otherwise groomed and kept well. He had a thick frame, but wasn’t exactly big. Dust Trail stood up, and tried to get a look at his cutie mark. It was a blood red puzzle piece. “So, I really am back.”
Dust Trail stared at his cutie mark for a few seconds longer, remembering as to how he got it, when he suddenly heard a blood-curdling scream. The pegasus stood there, listening with a deadly calm on his face. For a few moments, it seemed as though whoever screamed was gone, killed off by whoever, or whatever, ambushed it, when it came again. The scream sound as if it was a few meters away from Dust Trail. He spread his wings, which felt sore from staying st the side of his body for so long, then flapped them once, twice, and then he was off, flying high into the sky, making Dust Trail feeling elated, then soared over the blurry tree tops. To most pegasi, they probably wouldn’t have made out anything out of the zooming landscape, much less a pony in trouble. But Dust Trail practically had eagle eyes, able to pick out tiny details that could hint the location of any object, which he once used to help rescue a child from a pedophiliac stallion in his neighborhood from his past life. Dust Trail looked left and right for any signs of a stuggle, when he suddenly saw a flash of light. He slowed down, and saw another flash, followed by a scream. Dust Trail prepared himself for a possible fight, breathing in slowly, in and out, in and out, then plummeted himself towards the attacker.
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“The Great and Powerful Trixie will show those foals when they’ve seen the new me.” Trixie was travelling along a dirt road trough the infamous Forest, thinking of how her return will play out. Ever since her embarrassing defeat at quaint little Ponyville, her audiences have been dwindling, until one day at a small park, instead of her usual audiences of grown ponies that would travel miles just to see her amazing feats, only a few little colts and fillies appeared at her show. At that moment, she decided to draw the line, and from then on, she made the decision to temporarily abandon show business, and travel across Equestria to study new and exotic spells that would definitely put that Twilight in her place. “Twilight, you foal. Just wait when I get there. You’ll be so sorry you ever crossed paths with the Great and Powerful Trix-“ The unicorn was cut off, both her sentence and her path, by a rustle that came from a nearby bush. She readied herself for a fight, a fight that she would obviously win, of course. Yes, she could see it all now, an epic struggle between her, the Great and Powerful Trixie, against a creature that all ponies feared, its mouth foaming, eyes filled with hatred, howling for her blood. Her battle with the beast would go down in history. She concentrated, filling her horn with lethal magic, ready for the worst, when a little timber wolf came walking out of the bush and stopped right in front of her. It couldn’t have been a year old, and yet it looked up to her, and started to lick its lips, or what passed off as its lips, at the sight of such a big meal that stood in front of it. Trixie started to laugh, surprised at this little cub’s guts.
“Oh my Celestia, how will I ever get past this beast of such great size!” Trixie started say with dramatic flair, then started to laugh again, this time with more hysteria. The little wolf was still staring at her hungrily, a hint of annoyance and determination blazing in its beady yellow eyes.
“Oh please. Just step aside you little mutt, and maybe, if you conform fast enough, the Great and Powerful Trixie just might keep you as a house pet. Might.”
The cub stared at the unicorn for a few more seconds, then scurried away back under the bush. Trixie let out a satisfied snort. “Well that was a waste of the Great and Powerful Trixie’s most valuable of time. Now, if no more distractions would hap-“ she was cut off again, this time by a blood-curdling howl that seemed to resonate from everywhere around her. Panic began to sink in, and soon Trixie started to back away slowly, going back the way she came, when a little timber wolf, the same one from before, blocked her path, followed by two full grown wolves twice her size. The unicorn tried to run the other way, but was cut off by three more wolves, snarling at the chance of fresh meat. The wolves were closing in on her, and she couldn’t run back the way she came or towards civilization. Trixie tried to summon a spell, but her mind was clouded with dark thoughts of what could happen to her, ruining her concentration. The wolves had her surrounded, and Trixie did the only thing she could think of. She ran through the woods. The wolves gave chase, and a trip meant for retribution soon turned into a day filled with terror. Trixie ran with all her might, constantly looking back, the timber wolves constantly hot on her tail, snapping their jaws, howling at her. Tree limbs seemed to appear right in front of her, scratching her face and sides. Once while she was looking back, her hooves got caught on a tree root, and caused her to trip and fall on her face.
One of the wolves saw its opportunity, and lunged at the unicorn, its claws ready to rip her throat out. Trixie closed her eyes and screamed, preparing herself for death, but then, at the last second, she felt a surge of terror fill her horn, and a light flashed so brightly she could even see it through her eyelids. She opened her eyes, and saw that the wolf lay stunned on the floor. It took only a second for the unicorn to realize what happened, then started to run. She looked back, and saw the wolves were chasing her again, hatred literally burning in their empty eye sockets, a small fire growing within them. Trixie looked back at the road, and saw that a fallen tree trunk was right in front of her. She jumped at the last second, but something yanked her back by the tail in mid-air, and she fell for the second time, knocking the wind out of her. She turned her head, and realized that a wolf had her tail in its mouth, pulling her back towards the approaching pack. She screamed, and struggled to free herself from the beast’s grip, but the monster held its grasp. Just as the wolves were on top of her, Trixie stood up on her forelegs and bucked the timber wolf right in its malformed face, making it loose its grip on her tail. For the second time, she just escaped Death’s hand, and ran for her life for the second time. She kept on running, and when she looked back, she realized the wolves were getting tired, and were starting to slow down. Trixie thought she was finally safe, and that if she could just run for a little longer, she could finally lose those mutts. But just as those happy thoughts were starting to seep into her head, she turned around a corner and stopped dead in her tracks, her mouth hanging down in terror. She was in a dead end, a sheer cliff sloping down at an impossibly deep angle. She looked down, hoping it wasn’t a far drop, and saw that she couldn’t even see the bottom. She suddenly heard a low growl, and the hairs on her neck stood up. She was trapped. Trixie looked back, and saw the timber wolves were bent low towards the ground, snarling. Trixie screamed one last time, and another surge of magic filled her horn. It shot out a blast of kinetic energy, but the wolves were prepared, and ducked. The blast hit a tree, and turned into ashes. After the wolves saw what could’ve happened to them, they turned their eyes back on the unicorn, with deadly intent burning within them. Tears were starting to stream down the side of her face.
Oh Celestia, I never thought it would end like this. This was the only thought swimming through the mare's head. Trixie closed her eyes, and finally gave in. She was going to die. She heard a howl, and felt the ground rumble as one of the wolves charged. She tensed every muscle in her body, preparing for the slaughter ahead, when she heard a sharp crack and a loud thud that shook the ground Trixie stood on. She slowly opened her eyes, and saw a somewhat handsome grey pegasus. She looked down, and gasped. Beneath the hooves of the stallion was the splintered head of the unconscious pack leader.
“If any of you want to live to see another day, you will leave this mare alone.”