//------------------------------// // PiT 7: Throng // Story: Ponies in Tartarus // by ff0000 //------------------------------// Watching the events unfold from far away was the shadowy ruler of Lot D and Subterrania. Princess Terranea had an excellent view of everything from her magical basin filled with water. So Arch Rune had decided to let them pass. She didn’t show any pleasure or displeasure at that fact. What interested her was the living ponies reason for coming down to Lot D. Spike, that name was familiar. As it should since that name was on the most recent batch of new arrivals. “Bring Spike here,” Princess Terranea commanded the nearest guard. Ferry sailed her little row boat down the slow flowing River of Pain. Some magic must have been in the boat since there was no rowing going on at all, yet it could the ship was being steered by its young captain. The River of Pain ran down an enormous tunnel. On both sides, massive statues were carved into the walls. There were ponies, minotaurs, griffons and other creatures. A lot of times, the carvings were made to look like they were interacting with the many gold and silver veins in the wall, such as a minotaur using a vein as a silver whip, or a pony running along a trail of gold. They passed through several massive arches that followed the contours of the cave. Creaking filled the air from hanging decoration. Giant skulls were suspended by thick iron chains. There were dragon heads, mythic stag heads, whale heads and many others. Rarity was the only one staring. It wasn’t the skulls reflecting in her eyes, but the massive gemstones inserted into their eyeless sockets. Her hoof reached out, almost instinctively. “Calm down, Rarity.” Applejack pushed the unicorn’s hoof back down. “Don’t want you falling overboard now.” “But they are so huge and shiny,” Rarity said in dreamy, dulcet tones. “Just don’t lean too far out, you hear?” As they passed by the last arch, it had a mammoth head hanging, Twilight started to wipe sweat off her forehead. Everyone else was feeling the heat too. Even Rainbow Dash landed on the stern since flying took up a lot of energy. “Why is it so hot?” Twilight asked. “We’re getting near the River of Fire,” Ferry said. “We Dod employees are protected from its heat and souls don’t mind much. I guess for you dames it might be bad huh?” “Twilight darling,” Rarity said with a voice of forced calmness. She was working hard to keep the sweat out of her makeup. “You wouldn’t happen to have a spell to block the heat would you?” “I do in fact.” Twilight’s face was scrunched up in concentration as her horn started to glow. White specks drifted lazily off her horn. She swept her head across the boat, hitting every pony with a trail of mist and snow. “The spell protects against convection. Don’t touch anything hot directly though,” Twilight said. “Whew. That is much better. Thank you, Twilight,” Rarity said. “Yeah. I was hot like an apple pie in the oven,” Applejack said. Fluttershy squeaked. “Um, if the River of Fire actually fire?” “Naw,” Ferry said. Fluttershy was about to breath a sigh of relief when the young under pony added, “It’s magma. Look, it’s coming up now.” Up ahead was a sharp turn. A bright red and orange glow danced against the wall. “Uh, anti heat shield, full power,” Twilight said upon hearing there was magma up head. A more powerful chilling blast filled the boat. Now that everypony was nice and protected, they had another thing to worry over. As they had gotten closer, sounds of shrieking ripped through the air and their confidence. It was a horrible, scratch cry that lasted for ten seconds at a time. Everypony shivered as the fur on their neck stood up. “What’s that?” Fluttershy asked as she cowered underneath the bench. Ferry rolled her eyes. “She calls it music, metal. It’s like the sounds of a cat being strung up and gutted. I call it shuck that noise.” “She?” The River of Fire was fast approaching. It was a stream of pure molten rock. There weren’t any need for torches as the orange glow was enough to make the area feel like daytime. A very dirty red day but daytime nonetheless. Ferry steered her boat onto a pony made channel as the River of Pain dipped into the ground. Without fear, her wooden craft sailed onto the magma. They came out in a massive cavern. It would have been fair to say that Ponyville could have fitted in here. The river followed a wide channel. Off in the distance, it looked like a city had been built into the walls of the magma chamber. Contraptions running along the wall brought magma up from the river to the city. The main form of getting around seemed to be rafts made of bone. Rarity had gone starry eyed at the massive gemstones growing out from the walls and ceilings. It was possible to live in some of them, assuming of course they were hollowed out. “Best. Place. Ever!” The shrieking got even louder but other sounds accompanied it. There were shrill guitars and heavy drumming. Ferry motioned to a solid rock platform nearby and finally answered the question. “She, Fleckle Sun, guardian of the River of Fire.” A stage had been set up on the solid rock platform in the middle of the magma sea. Two massive statues of iron skeletal ponies held up a banner that read, Galloping Wild. Giant fireflies lit up gem formations on the ceiling, causing beams of colorful lights rained down. What they had initially thought to be rocks were actually decorative speakers. They thumped in rhythm to the beat. Metal cages were hung from the ceilings. Inside, dogs and deers twisted around in a carnal dance. Glistening sweat was flung from their writhing bodies. The drops evaporated before they even left the cage. A mare was on lead guitar and vocals. Her long, ear piercing shrieks were what the Equestrian ponies had heard on the way in. She had burnt orange fur with white face paint. She had long, straight front mane with the tips styled into spikes. Her tail followed the same appearance. The pattern on her mane and tail was that of bones weaved into a wall. A mark of an expanding purple soundwave was on her flank. Spiked leather bands were around her neck and each hoof. Fleckle Sun stood on her hind hooves with the skull head guitar in her front hooves. Wires ran from the end of the guitar to the the speakers. Her violent back and forth motions caused her long mane to whip in through the air. Her backup consisted of living skeletons of bipedal creatures. Exactly what they used to be was a mystery as they were lacking skin and muscles. Only a single eye socket was in the middle of their skulls however. The band members were over five times the height of a pony with broad shoulder bones. Their spine was thicker than any pony’s body. The band members were on drums, bass and backup guitar. A roaring throng of under ponies, diamond dogs, minotaurs and other residents jumped up and down. There cries of adoration filled the the chamber. “Yeah!” Fleckle Sun shouted. She tossed the guitar into the air, causing the wires to snap off. The crowds cheered loudly and the tempo increased as the guitar spun in the air. Fleckle Sun let out an inpony cry. She caught the guitar in one hoof and strummed it one final time with the other. Leaving her hoof in the air, pillars of magma burst forth all around the stage platform. “Thank you, Lot D!” The guardian’s voice boomed out to the wild audience. “And good night! Even though it’s the afternoon!” Jets of fire erupted from the stage as Fleckle Sun jumped off. She landed on the edge of the small island. The guitar was strapped to her back, so she could walk around on four legs. “Merry cherry, Ferry Merry!” She waved. “Hi, Fleckle Sun.” Ferry Merry hopped up and down on the small post on the front of the boat. Fleckle Sun looked to the other ponies. Her green eyes widened mischievously. “And hello deadbeats. I’ll let you through.” “Really?” Pinkie Pie asked. “How nice of you.” “If you go jump in the magma.” “What?” Twilight snapped. “Only dead ponies are allowed to pass.” Fleckle Sun held her hooves together, one on top of the other. She mimed a jumping arc with one hoof, ending with pointing at the glowing molten rock. “You die in there, you are free to go.” Rainbow Dash let out a sarcastic laugh. “You wish.” She flitted over to the island with the stage. “What, are you going to stop us?” “Nope, they are.” The guardian pointed towards the flowing magma. Everypony nearly jumped off the edge of the boat. A pair of eyes was peering out from the under the magma. The boat tilted under all of the ponies cowering at one end. “It’s a blargg,” Ferry Merry said. “A what?” Twilight asked. “You dames may want to duck. Blarggs, large, dum-” she never finished her sentence as Fleckle Sun had jumped onto the boat. The small filly was scooped up, to be brought onto the safety of solid land. “What are you doing, Fleckle?” Fleckle Sun moved her head away from the small flailing limbs. “Getting you out of harms way. I don’t think your sister would appreciate it very much if I dunked you into magma.” She rubbed her hoof against the filly’s head. Ferry had finally broken free. Her attention snapped back to the boat. “Watch out!” The blarrg had pushed out of the magma partially. It looked like a goofy, wingless dragon with flat teeth. It had scales that blended into the color of its surroundings. White spines ran down the creature’s back. The ponies ducked into the boat as he blarrg’s gaping mouth swept along the top. Even though the creature hadn’t directly attacked the boat, it still crashed into it. The wood making up the vessel started to buckle and splinter. “This would be so much easier if they could just attack the boats directly,” Fleckle Sun said. “Blarggs, go get your snack!” She shredded a quick riff on the guitar. Even without amplifiers, the screech of the chords reached far into the cave. Several more pairs of eyes popped up from the magma. Without Ferry Merry on board, the row boat merely drifted along with the current. “Girls!” Rainbow Dash gasped. Pony crushing mouths leapt out from the river, attempting to catch a meal. Applejack landed a powerful kick onto the chin of a blargg, sending it crashing towards another one. Twilight was doing her best to push them away with magic. “Stop hurting my new friends,” Ferry Merry proclaimed. “Hey, if they can’t get past this, they’re not reaching the princess,” Fleckle Sun said. She was standing on her hind legs again, preparing to play the guitar. As her hoof slashed down, the blue pegasus got in the way. “Stop that, call off those blarglefargle things right now.” Rainbow Dash pressed her furious scowl close to the guardian. “I don’t tell them what to do. You’re misinterpreting random actions as me causing them.” Both ponies’ hooves were trembling as they fought against each other. Rainbow Dash angled her eyes into an angry glare. She was more determined. Pushing forward, Rainbow Dash carried the opposing pony’s hoof away, but couldn’t follow up as the under pony turned into shadow. Popping out from the shadows, Fleckle Sun leapt through the heated air. She landed on one of the many bone rafts drifting around the torrent of magma. She strummed a few notes on her guitar, causing a blargg to appear from beneath the surface. The magma creature bit down on the end of the raft and acted like a motor for it. Fleckle Sun sailed up alongside the boat. “Why do a bunch of living ponies want to come here anyway?” “Ugh,” Rainbow Dash groaned. She was circling the guardian like a hunter, waiting for her chance to strike. “Are we going to have to explain this to every guardian?” “Sure.” “Well,” Twilight said through harsh breaths, “we’re a bit busy here.” Her horn had started smoking as she repelled another blargg from their small boat. The guitar strings vibrated, sending out a message to the blarggs. They all backed off for now, but their suspicious eyes remained above the magma. After catching her breath, Twilight explained their situation. “...So that’s why-” “Alright, alright, stop.” Fleckle Sun held a hoof up. She swished her head, so the long mane fell across her face. “Sorry I asked. I don’t care about this sob story.” She picked at her ear. “Back to getting attacked for you girls.” “No you don’t!” Rainbow Dash tucked her wings in tight and went into a dive. One front hoof was held out while the other was tucked in. “Wooooooo,” Fleckle Sun shrieked as she dodged the divebomb by first turning into a shadow, and then springing off the raft. It was a good thing she did so as the raft had shattered in the impact. While hurtling through the air, Fleckle Sun managed to play a few notes. The guardian landed on a blargg that had risen to catch her. “Don’t even think about trying to hurt my friends again.” Rainbow Dash was hovering in the air, her wings spread out to their full length. Fleckle Sun tilted her head back so much, her front legs almost left the ground. Her long mane fell to the side, dangling just off the ground. A tongue rolled out of her mouth. “What are you going to do about it?”