//------------------------------// // Perdition // Story: Enclosed // by TwizzleDragon //------------------------------// They had trotted for over an hour, miles had been crossed and still they had not reached the so called city of Perdition. The gates rose from the darkness, blacker than black. The city was a shadow in a world without light, or so it seemed. Scootaloo rubbed her eyes, unsure what she was exactly seeing. Focus came back to her, and the city formed into its vague spirit. They walked closer to the black gates, or as Coal Dust had called them earlier on the walk over, The Barriers. She never specified why they were called that to Scootaloo, this doubtful world had nothing so far that Scootaloo could find as harmful enough that they required a barrier from. “Welcome, Scootaloo, to the great city under the eye!” Coal Dust said, pointing towards a giant reflective object hovering over the city in its own crystallized tower. It seemed to be the light source for the entire darkened city, collecting, perhaps even generating light from the tiniest of crevices in the cave ceiling. “Come, come.” Coal Dust insisted, rustling herself towards the gates. The gates were not handled by anypony. They were bare of any life. Coal Dust walked straight up to them, their hazed form denouncing no answer to her hoofsteps. “You sure anyponies here, Coal?” Scootaloo asked, shivering from the moisten air. “Blister, you up there?” An answer followed its way back. “Just a second!” The veiled pony throw out, hurrying his way to open the gates. It took only a few seconds for the gears to start rolling, grinding each other creating loud screeches. Scootaloo covered her ears, unable to block it out entirely. They had opened, conceding the city in front of her eyes. It was as beautiful as it could be for a city under the ground. It was large, streets casting for miles never ending in a giant semicircle. At the end of a city strutted a giant wall, forming itself as a dome around the city, hiding what was beyond the other half of this semicircle structure. In the middle of this great wall sat the reflecting tower, dug into the foundation, devising a perfect sphere missing right where it laid itself. Scootaloo sat in awe, unable to speak at the architectural genius put into the city, the carvings, the art, the ambience. Coal Dust was forced the break her trance. She shook the filly out of it, enabling their journey to continue further. She took the hoof of Scootaloo, helping her off her flank and into the gloriousness ahead of them. “Ain’t it a beaut?” Coal Dust asked, just as she got Scootaloo inside finally. “I-It sure is!” she declared back, examining the populace. The locals seemed to all be like Coal Dust. They roamed the streets in groups, not one alone, but never in too big of numbers. Their bodies were shadowy, dusty, and lanky. The society was just as they seemed, ordinary in their own way, resembling the others through basic appearance. You could only tell them apart had they been bathing the darkness away, or if you got close enough to identify facial features. “Come on, let’s get ya something to eat, girl.” Coal Dust headed off in her own direction, leaving Scootaloo little time to realize she had to keep up or get lost. She was unsure where they were headed, nor was she sure they were actually going somewhere. The roads were at the bottom of a cityscape valley, the structures hovering high above the roads, inhabiting many ponies for hospitality. Coal Dust halted herself abruptly next to what seemed to be a market area. There was stands that held products and clothed roofs to keep them protected against the elements, just like the ones above ground. The place scattered around with various plants that seemed unlike the equestrian foods above this underdome. Some glew green, some were as black as night, and some seemed to be living creatures, moving about as if they were pets. She walked herself over to a peculiar stand, one filled with black apple-like fruits. “You want some?” Scootaloo nodded her head, only interested in the familiar shape. Coal Dust laid down a few bits, grabbing two of the fruits from the stand and walked away with Scootaloo. “We call ‘em keeches.” They sat down, chomping on the keeches, savoring each sweet particle it had to offer. “Tomorrow, guess I’ll just show you the city, seems like you’ll be staying with us for some time. Ya ready?” “For what?” Scootaloo was confused, unable to comprehend the full question. “You’re coming home with me. I’m sure my ma won’t be upset. You’ll be just like a puppy.” She laughed. Coal started off once again, never waiting on Scootaloo to prepare herself for the trot. Her home was that of the rest, exactly identical, only way to tell them apart was by the way they curved with the street. Upon opening the door and walking in, they found nopony home right away. “Ma!” Coal Dust yelled, “I’m home!” The house was small, but furnished with a balance theme. Noises arose from upstairs, the hoofsteps of her mother coming down to greet her. She popped out, another dust covered pony. “Hi, sweety!” She hugged her daughter, squeezing her tight before she could even notice Scootaloo’s presence. “How’s the gathe-” “Oh, yeah, this is Scootaloo, I found her while out on the job.” “Sweety... You know...” She leaned herself in with her daughter, hundling close and whispering against Scootaloo. She spoke not a word to interrupt this meeting, stood still in the entryway until they had finished. “Alright... alright...” Coal Dust broke away. “We don’t got much room in here, looks like you’ll be staying in my room, I guess.” Coal Dust started around the corner, intercepting through the doorway to her room. It was filled with clusters of various things, messing up the beauty that was surely underneath it all. “Don’t mind the bugs, they scare off the rats.” And with that, she laid down in her bed, leaving just enough space for the filly to slip in with. Scootaloo shut her eyes, attempting to sleep, but unable to for hours. Her mind was haunted by the thought of being stuck here forever, never to see her friends again.