//------------------------------// // Return to Darkness // Story: The Monster Below: Nightfall // by Greenback //------------------------------// “The road to hell is paved with good intentions” - Traditional proverb *** There are days in our lives that we all long for: days when dreams - sometimes decades in the making - finally come true. I've worked towards my day for more years than I can count. From Saddle Lanka to Manehattan, to Canterlot and beyond, I've guided the unwary as my pawns, manipulated companies and organizations from behind the scenes, and now the time has finally come. This is the day when all my dreams come true. The fireplace glows as logs burn brightly, giving my parent's house a delightful warmth. It's the perfect counter to the storm raging outside, which has gotten steadily worse over the past few hours. Rain pelts the roof, and I hear trees cracking as they sway under the wind's relentless assault. The grandfather clock dings. With a sip, I finish my drink and savor the flavor as it goes down my throat. I'm ready. I change into my climbing attire. Having packed all my gear hours ago, it's a quick matter to slip on my saddlebags and strap them down. The last time I did this, I was unprepared, but now I carry extra flares, ropes, and shoulder-mounted lanterns with enough light to last for hours. But I won't need that much time: I know exactly where I'm going. *** I descend into the basement. The darkness holds no terrors for me now as I follow the path I took all those years ago. Quiverquill's study and the tunnel are exactly as I remember them. So too, is the door. It's still sealed tight, only now there are extra locks, latches, and chains holding it shut. The insignias of the Royal Sisters lie upon them, warning that no one is to open these doors for any reason. I tear the locks away, yank the chains free, and swing the door open. I shine my light inside the tunnel and see nothing but a long, carved hallway. There's nothing inside. I'm alone. Good. *** I walked these paths long ago when I was pursuing my dream of becoming an alicorn. In these dark passages, I found the horn of the Cursed King, and though the horn gave me great power, it was taken from me. It was only through my long struggles and searches that I learned where it was sent: The princesses had taken the horn back to its original resting place and sealed the tunnel for good. It was a good plan, with only one flaw. They underestimated how much I want it. It takes me an hour to descend the switchbacks, string a portable ladder, and climb down into the massive rotunda. Cracking a flare, I find the shredded remains of my old rope; there's no need to worry about the thing that cut it. That creature is long gone, eliminated by Princess Luna. Her courage and determination have cleared my path. I have nothing to fear down here. It's cold as I head to the chamber with the tunnels. I head down the same one I took so many years ago; once it gets too steep, I tie a rope and use it to lower myself down even further, grinning all the while. No slipping this time. I reach the hole and extend a portable ladder to the water below. Opening my bags, I attach the diving gear to my harness and enter the water. It's still ice cold, no doubt fed from melting snow that trickles down from the peaks of the mountains. It's of no concern; my wetsuit helps keep the cold at bay. Flipping my facemask down, and ensuring that the flow of air through the respirator is unobstructed, I slip beneath the surface and swim into the pit, looking for the... Ah, there it is. The hole. Still as small as before, forcing me to take off my air tanks and push them ahead to squeeze inside. While I'm not afraid of entering this labyrinth once again, this is the one part that makes me nervous. In the very faint chance of something happening, I'll be trapped, unable to get out of here quickly. My breaths come faster as rock scrapes against neoprene. The tunnel slopes upwards. I follow it, a grin forming around my mouthpiece. Breaking the surface of the water, I waste no time in taking off my tanks and cracking a flare, the green light illuminating the tomb of the Cursed King. I check my watch and find that it only took me about two and a half hours to get here. I check the ceiling. Yes, there's the small groove where I first found the horn. And surprise, surprise, it's empty. But where did the princesses hide it? I know it's in here; call it a sixth sense, but I can sense its presence. I shine the flare upon the giant cube at the back. It hasn't changed since I was last here, but something about it seems different, like there's an aura I can only faintly detect. I go to the front of the cube, and to the holes that would allow its captive to peer out. They're just wide enough to slide something inside. The last time I was here, I never used my light to see what was down those holes. I was in too much of a hurry, but in retrospect I'm glad I didn't. If I had seen a pair of eyes glaring back at me, I just might have lost my mind. But if the princesses came here, surely they wouldn't allow the Cursed King to remain alive within the cube, would they? They would have released him, or at the least, put him out of his misery after centuries of insanity. Wouldn't they? Gripping my flare, I raise it up to the holes so that the light shines inside. One... two... three. I peer inside. The holes stretch far back into the cube, but there are no eyes staring back at me, nor are there any hollow sockets of a skull. In fact, I can see into the cramped interior of the cube itself. There. There it is. At the bottom of the cube... ... an all-too-familiar horn. Grabbing a bottle from my saddlebags, I undo the cap and toss the liquid inside all over the cube. If that merchant was telling the truth, then I should... Yes! Luck is on my side as a sliver appears in the cube, dividing it in two. The upper half silently floats upwards, revealing a strangely-shaped hollow within the black obsidian. I can't tell what it's for, and I don't care; all that matters is the horn lying within. The horn is warm as I pick it up. It almost seems to hum, as if pulsing with power... or recognizing the one who last wielded it. Hello again, my old friend. Grinning, I slip the horn into my saddlebags before cracking a new flare, putting my diving gear on, and swimming through the tunnel and back into the pit, and begin my ascent back to the surface. I should conserve my energy, but I don't care. After everything I've been through, my horn is back with me once more. My parents tried to stop me and failed. Beakbreaker tried to stop me, and she failed. Even the princesses failed. Nobody will keep me from what is rightfully mine. I tear up the ladder and into the tunnel, getting rope burns as I yank myself through. When the slope levels out, I'm able to gallop until I reach the cavern, and then the chamber. My rope ladder is still intact, and I waste no time in scrambling up. As my flare dies. I light a new one, pleased to see that I have plenty more in my saddlebags. I'm not going to be running blind this time. I take my time heading up the switchbacks, stopping whenever my legs need a break. I even take a moment to sip from my canteen; spelunking is hard work, after all, and I need to stay hydrated. Once I reach the top, I trot down the last tunnel. The door's ahead, then the basement, and the house. Once outside, I'll use the surgical unit to attach the horn, then sneak into Medicomp to get the wings. With magic on my side, getting through security will be easy. Not even that new system Coin Counter put in will be able to stop me. I could try casting a sleeping spell on the entire building. Yes, that would work; with everyone deep in dreamland, I'll be free to go wherever I want. Wait, that might not work... What if Luna finds everyone fast asleep and realizes that something's going on? Hmmm... I'll have to think about this a little more. Oh well. Such concerns can wait. Once I get out of here, a nice, big dinner is in order, with extra servings of ice cream. Getting the horn back calls for a celebration and I've got just the... Wait... The door. It's closed! what? No, no, I'm disoriented. Yeah, that's it. My mind's playing tricks on me, because the door can't have closed on it's own. That's what it looks like, but no, it can't be real. I'll just go up to it, slip right through, and laugh at how I hallucinated at the very end, perhaps the result of my subconscious trying to make me feel guilty or something- Oh no... Oh no, no, no! I grab hold and tug, but the thing won't move! It's stuck! Buck! Okay, okay, calm down, Silverspeak, you can get through this. So the door swung shut... If a door can be shut, it can be opened. You just need to find a way to do just that. Yes, the seal-repellent is gone, but you'll find something else. A weak spot, maybe. And if there isn't, you just have to wait until the foremen get down here in a day or two to seal this place up and be grateful, telling them that you have no memory of coming here, that you must have sleepwalked into the house. Yeah, that's it. Hide the horn in my suit, waltz on out, and nobody will be the wiser. Deep breaths. Take deep breaths. That'll help me stay calm. A panicked mind is a dead mind. Just take a few minutes to relax before looking for a way out. I step away from the door to lean against the wall... and freeze. The door is covered in scratch marks. My heart skips a beat as I get closer. Yes, I remember... when I slammed the door shut, I heard the creature clawing away on the other side. These claw marks are huge... whatever made them must have been big, even bigger than I originally- Wait. What was that? I turn and look down the tunnel. There's nothing there. Strange; I could have sworn I heard something move. I slap myself. My mind's playing tricks on me. There's nothing down here. It's just... wait. There it is again. Movement. Okay... okay, don't panic, Silverspeak. It's just falling rocks, that's all. A stalactite collapsing in the distance. Nothing to be afraid of. I toss the flare as hard as I can, and watch it roll down the tunnel before it comes to a stop. Nothing moves. I crack another flare. Need to be ready in case- The tunnel goes dark. What? No, that's not possible. The flare wasn't old. These are newer models, longer lasting. I toss the newest one down the tunnel. It lands, rolls, and comes to a stop. Whew. Okay, just a defe- The flare vanishes. Then I hear it...scraping sounds, further down the tunnel. No...no, no, it can't be...it can't be! Something's coming towards me. I yank out another flare and try to crack it. But it doesn't come on! Why won't it come on?! I try another. It refuses to start. I try the glowsticks; they crack, but no light comes from them. I hear claws hitting stone. This can't be happening! No, no, this isn't real! It's not happening! That thing is dead! Dead! “You're not real!” I yell. “You're not real! You're dead, you hear me?! You're dead!” Silence. I back against the door, my heart trying to beat its way out of my chest. This can't be real, it can't be real, it can't- Breathing. Loud, ragged breathing. No... no... oh Celestia, I have to get out! There has to be a way to open this door! I grab it and try to find a hoof-hold, a crack, anything, but there's nothing! The breathing stops. I'm panting so hard my lungs feel like they're about to burst. Nothing happens. I turn and look into the darkness, trying to see something... anything. There's nothing. A hallucination. That's all. Something in the breathing mix of my air tanks. It's messing with my brain and making me see things. I just need to relax, to wait it out. Let it seep from my system. It's all in my head. Grasping the wall, I sit down. Cold, bony fingers grab my legs. I scream. *** What... what happened? I'm lying on something. Am I dead? No, I'm not dead. I'm still breathing. I must have fainted, or I woke up. Yes, that's it. I woke up. It was all a nightmare. A horrible nightmare. I just need to get something to calm my nerves. Wait... the ceiling. This isn't my room. It's the tomb of the Cursed King. How did I get here?! Did I bump my head trying to get out with the horn? I've got to... Wait. Why can't I move?! I look down, and the light from my flare reveals that I'm tied in what looks like spider's silk! But how?! What did- Bony fingers grab hold of my wrappings. Oh no... Oh Celestia, no! I struggle for all I'm worth, trying to cry out, but this wrapping has glued my mouth shut. I can't even yell as I'm carried towards... oh no, please not that! Anything but that! My captor shoves me into the cube, and I finally learn the truth behind the hollowed-out space: it's carved to fit a pony, fitting them like a glove. It grabs hold as I'm inserted into it, until only my spine and head remain exposed. I struggle, trying to lift myself out! I've got to get out before- The top of the cube descends into place, and presses so tightly against me that I can barely breathe. Oh Celestia, it's sealing me in! It's sealing me in! I try to move, to squirm, anything, but the cube forces me to remain still. All I can move are my eyes, and all I can see are the holes showing me the ceiling where the horn was kept. But there's nothing there now, only the shadow of something walking away from the cube. The light from the flare sputters. No... Darkness fills the chamber. There's a chuckle, a splash, and all is silent. No, no, no... With a final flicker, the light dies, and everything goes dark. NO! Nobody knows I'm down here. Nobody would dare to come look. In a few days, the tunnel will be sealed, the basement filled, and the passages in and out of the labyrinth beneath the mountain will forever be lost, so that no one may ever again be tempted to come down and search for relics that should be forgotten. But I'll be here. I'll be alive, but unable to escape, to scream, to do anything but lie within this cube, lost, forgotten, and trapped. Forever. I scream, the sound silenced before it can even get out. But still I try. I scream again, and again, and again, and again. I scream. I scream and scream and scream and scream and- Snap my eyes open. Light hits my eyes! But how?! I- I try to get up, but my head hits stone. I scream again... Wait, wait! I can move! I'm not webbed up; my jumpsuit is still here, the orange barely visible in the glow from the crystal inside my cell. Cell... I'm... a... a... A nightmare. Another nightmare. I'm not in the tunnels beneath Saddle Lanka. I'm in my cell. I collapse back against the thin blanket, now soaked with sweat, just like the rest of me. There are no monsters here, no terrors waiting to spring forward as they do every night in my dreams. Only one set of eyes meets my own, but it's a gaze I'm so grateful for. Reaching out, I grab little Celestia and clutch her to me as tightly as I can. Her eyes look up at me, her small smile reassuring me that everything's all right. But it isn't. It's not all right. No matter how many times I endure them, these nightmares never get any easier.