Amnesia: The Pony Machine

by Darkryt Orbinautz

The Machine: Lux Tenebras

“Is that really?” Teddy asked, not believing his eyes. Ace and Sweet Heart were more taken in than Teddy was.

“She's … beautiful.”

“Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!” Sweet Heart waved her hoof against her chest, trying to suppress her increased heartbeat. “Princess Celestia is right here, live, in front of us!” Sweet Heart rushed to Princess Celestia's hooves, bowing. “Forgive us, Your Majesty, for we are not worthy of being in your presence.”

Princess Celestia chuckled. “Please, my little pony. Rise. No pony is unworthy of being in my presence. Tell me, what is your name?”

“Sweet Heart.” Sweet Heart rose to her hooves and turned to her friends. “Did you hear that, guys? Princess Celestia knows my name!”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah ...” Teddy looked aside. He was as impressed and overwhelmed as any of them with Celestia's presence, but the way Sweet Heart was raving, he was beginning to suspect Celestia might prove to be his rival for Sweet Heart's affections.

“I am sorry I could not have met you three at a better time.” Celestia said, looking at all of them with smiles. “You seem like fine young foals.”

Teddy, recalling his previous delinquent behavior, blushed and rubbed at his neck. “Eh-heh, well ...”

“Shush.” Sweet Heart waved at him to be silent. Overcoming her excitement from meeting Celestia, Sweet Heart's mind began to race with questions. “How did you get here so fast?”

“Once I received Oswald's letter, I flew from Canterlot as fast as the wind would carry me.” Celestia said.

“But ... in order to get here when you did, did you realize the you and the wind would have to travel, at like ... how many miles per hour?” Sweet Heart asked, trying to do the calculations in her head and failing hard. She put pressed her hooves into her head like a vice to relieve the pressure.

Celestia chuckled. “You remind me of somepony I knew once …she was inquisitive and good at math, like you.” Thinking of better times gone by, Celestia's lips curled into a frown.

“Hey.” Teddy spoke up. “How does some backwater pony like Oswald Mandus know how to get a letter to you?” Teddy said. “How do you two know each other?”

Mandus frowned at Teddy, learning towards him and snorting. “I beg your pardon? Backwater?”

Celestia shook her head. “There will be plenty of time for that later. Right now, we must leave this town and get the control for the Tuurngait.” Hearing this produced another round of questions from the three young foals.

“The who-gate?”

“Don't most gates turn?”

“What control?”

“Allow me to explain.” Celestia said. “Do you recall the hissing growl that came before Twilight retreated?”

“Kind of hard to miss it ...” Teddy murmured.

Celestia levitated an object into the air. It was a small statue of some kind, with a flat base and a twisted stalk rising from it. Sweet Heart guessed it was something from another age. At the top of the stalk was a glowing red gem, the glow of which appeared to be fading.

“That was the growl of the Tuurngait, an ancient creature which is related to and a counterpart to The Shadow which Twilight commands. This is an artifact created by ancients with the power to control the Tuurngait, much as the Orb controls The Shadow. This is … an inferior version, and can only be used to summon the Tuurngait once.” Celestia said. “Look.” Celestia held the artifact up for them to see as the light from the gem withered away and vanished. “But if we can retrieve the perfected version, the master control, which I was unable to recover on my last visit, we can bend the Tuurngait to our will and use it to fight The Shadow.”

“Okay.” Teddy said. “First question. What? Second question. What? Third. What, what, what?”

“I will explain on the way.” Celestia said. “We must get out of this town now. It will not be long before Twilight Sparkle sends her minions to stop us. There's not enough room on my back for me to carry all of you, so I will arrange for a chariot. Follow my lead.” Celestia looked up, as if expecting the sky itself to turn dark and spew bile on them. “I should be able to protect us from anything Twilight throws at us. This way.” Celestia held her wing out and counted heads as Oswald and the children headed in the direction. She looked over her shoulder to make sure nopony was following before joining them.

---

Meanwhile, within the wretched halls of Twilight's Facility, Twilight Sparkle was organizing a meeting, of sorts, with all of her friends and non-pig minions. The meeting wasn't much more than summoning them to her office while she placed the Orb on her desk and they watched her rub it like a magic 8-ball.

“Eh-hm.” Fluttershy cleared her throat, catching Twilight's attention.

Twilight perked up like a foxhound and focused on Fluttershy. “Yes, Fluttershy?”

“Oh, um ...” Fluttershy kicked her hoof. “I just wanted to say I'm sorry. Maybe if I had done a better job when I first met those kids, none of this would be happening. I'm sorry ...” Fluttershy began to slink downward.

“Oh, Fluttershy!” Twilight exclaimed. She left the Orb and went to console her friend. Picking up her up by the shoulders and lifting her, Twilight gave Fluttershy a peck on the cheek. “It's not your fault. Sure, maybe you could have done a better job, but I don't blame you.” Twilight turned away and slammed her hooves together, her voice transforming from soft and consoling to hard and furious. “I blame those filthy brats who stumbled onto our secrets! If they had just stuck with their parents like they were told, we wouldn't be having to deal with Celestia on our hooves!”

As fast she as had gone from consoling to angered, Twilight calmed down and took a cool demeanor. She adjusted the necktie on her suit. “Ah-ha. But no matter. With the Orb and the Guardian on our side, there's nothing to fear.” Twilight tensed up. “Or is there?” She zipped over to the desk and gave the Orb a zap with her horn.

“Tell me, my friend.” Twilight said to the Orb. “What could Celestia and those brats possibly do to threaten us?”

The Orb shimmered and shined, flashing and pulsing various colors inside its dimensions. Twilight's minions couldn't make sense of it, but whatever it was telling her, it was upsetting news.

“Bring me the pigs!” Twilight shouted at the top of her lungs. “We must send them after Celestia's group and stop them before it's too late!”

---

Celestia managed to navigate them out of Hoofington without bumping into any of Twilight's minions or unwitting pawns and into a carriage pulled by her Royal Guard. However, there was little she could for the rainstorm which appeared to them the minute they left.

“I'm sorry.” Celestia said when Teddy begged for her to call the rain off. “The pegasi scheduled it to rain today and in these areas. To command them to end the storm would upset both their schedules and nature.”

“Ugh.” Teddy groaned, throwing himself over the side of carriage. An unexpected and ear-splitting crack and flash of thunder caused him to bounce from the carriage into Celestia's leg, hugging her leg for dear life.

“It appears it's a thunderstorm, as well.” Mandus said, raising his eyebrow. “How appropriate, given where we just were and what we're doing. Hmph.” Mandus leaned back in his chair and crossed his front legs.

Sweet Heart watched Mandus and thought about saying something to cheer him up, but she decided better of it. Sometimes it was best to leave somepony alone. Though, since they had a quiet moment …

“Princess Celestia?” Sweet Heart said. “Now that we're out of Hoofington, can I ask you some questions?”

Celestia nodded. “You may, young one. But you may not like your answers.”

“Well, that's friendly and cheerful.” Teddy said. “Whatever happened to the whole, “Celestia, loving and caring Princess of the Sun” thing?”

“I am loving and caring.” Celestia said. “However, loving and caring doesn't keep me from being grim in a serious situation like this one.”

“How do you know so much about this Tuurngait thing?” Sweet Heart asked.

Celestia's eyes quavered, almost as though she was going to shed a turn. But she blinked, holding the tears in. Sweet Heart got the impression she had been keeping a flood of tears back.

“It … is a long story.” Celestia said. “But I suppose we have some time before we reach our destination. A long time ago, I led an expedition almost eighty years ago, with my student Twilight Sparkle and others.”

“I'm sorry, did you say Twilight Sparkle?” Teddy said, about to burst into laughter from the sheer ridiculousness of Celestia's statement. “As in, the crazy Twilight Sparkle who's been trying to kill us with her army of zombie pigs?”

Celestia nodded. “The one and the same … no, I shouldn't say that. This Twilight Sparkle was a very different pony. She was kind and caring. You remind me of her, Sweet Heart. The expedition was headed to the ruins of a castle named Brennenburg. During the excavation we discovered an orb – the same Orb Twilight Sparkle now uses as a weapon.” Celestia closed her eyes, holding back her tears again. “Oh, if only I could turn back time and keep us from going there. Twilight knew something was off about the Orb, so we left it there. But something … something deep and dark and evil had already made its way inside me. I became obsessed with the Orb. My every waking thought was about fetching it for my own personal abuse.”

“You mean … use?” Teddy asked.

Celestia shook her head. “No, I mean abuse. I came back to Brennenburg and got it and attempted to have Twilight study it. Twilight – bless her heart – did what she thought was best for me and stole the Orb from under my nose.” Celestia sighed. “But whatever was controlling me did not give up so easily. I hounded after Twilight, telling her – demanding her to bring the Orb back to me. Over time, between somepony she had loved and trusted suddenly turning vile and the Orb's own influence, Twilight broke down. She stole her friends into her basement and did little things to them. Just scientific curiosity, or she said. Then it escalated, until she was regularly cutting them open for fun.”

“Just like she did with those criminals ...” Sweet Heart looked down to see they were passing over a body of water.

“Yes.” Celestia nodded before continuing her story. “Wanting the Orb, I sent the Royal Guard to raid Twilight's treehouse and take the Orb. Then it was discovered what hell I had let fester I was under the Orb's influence. Twilight and her friends fought the Guards and killed some of them before their captain and survivors were set free after the Orb disappeared. The report claimed the Orb had been taken by a creature so dark it could only be called “The Shadow.” When The Shadow took the Orb, my mind was cleared … and I realized what terrible things had been done.”

Celestia's eyes went vacant, like she was staring ahead of them instead of at them. “So I swore to do whatever I could to make sure it never happened again. I put together a research team, and they discovered the Tuurngait. How it was an opposite and equal to The Shadow. How The Shadow could be controlled by the Orb if one had the willpower and how one could do the same to the Tuurngait. How exposure to the Tuurngait could prevent the influence of the Orbs at the risk of exposure to the Tuurngait's more … unseemly aspects.”

“Unseemly aspects?” Sweet Heart asked, whimpering in fear.

“Well, suffice to say the Tuurngait isn't evil, but it's far from good.” Celestia said before changing the subject. “I had always wondered what happened to Twilight and her friends. When the Royal Guard returned to their house, none of them were to be found and the house had been emptied of supplies. And I knew … I knew it wasn't over.”

Everypony remained silent for a long while after she finished. There was another crack of thunder, which caused Teddy to cling to Celestia's leg again. Celestia, in a show of kindness, spread her wing out and wrapped it around him.

“So, uh ...” Sweet Heart stammered. “How do you know Princess Celestia, Mister Mandus?”

Mandus stared at her for a second, as if considering whether or not he would answer her question. He decided not to, as he turned away. “I don't want to talk about it.”

“Hmm. Princess?” Sweet Heart asked.

“I believe I can answer that.” It was clear to everypony Celestia was happy to have something else to focus on. “Oswald Mandus, before his own encounter with an Orb, was a wealthy Canterlot socialite. We met at a few parties. I still remember when you spilled grape juice on my chest.” Celestia smirked. “Later, he went on his own expedition and found another Orb inside a temple. It was unpleasant for him as it was for me. Twilight Sparkle sensed his connection with an Orb and recruited him, though I didn't believe him at first. He came to me to make sure I would permission for him to work with Twilight Sparkle. He was quite surprised when I told him she was dead. But I gave him instructions for how to contact me in an emergency just in case.”

“So … you let him work with Twilight?” Teddy asked. “How could you do that? Weren't you just going on about her cutting up her friends for fun?”

“At the time, I desperately wanted to believe Twilight Sparkle to be dead.” Celestia said. “So I fooled myself. I told myself it was another pony with the same name. But now I see that Twilight has become so much worse than being dead ...”

The younger ponies didn't grasp what vague, ominous concept Celestia was referring to, but they didn't get a chance to ask before Celestia stuck her neck out and said.

“We're here.”

The children turned around to see they were approaching a giant sewer, built far away from the mainland of whatever city it was once used for. The entrance was a huge gate with water pouring out from between the bars into the sea below. The carriage landed on the edge of the drain, having just enough room to land.

“This is it.” Celestia said as they dismounted from the vehicle. “The Tuurngait Complex. Inside, we will find the master control artifact … as well as anything the Tuurngait and its masters put in there to defend it.”

Celestia turned to her guards. “We will go in there. You stay watch out here. If you hear us scream, do not go in. Go back to Canterlot and bring reinforcements. Teddy, Sweet Heart, Ace, and Mandus … are you all ready?”

The four of them gulped.

“As we'll ever be.” Ace said, speaking for the group.

Celestia's horn lit up. The bars were enveloped in golden magic and raised upwards, allowing them entrance inside. Celestia put the bars down behind after entering last.

“You know ...” One of the Guards said after they were gone. “She could have at least given us a safeword.”

---

“Remember, my little ponies.” Celestia said as she created a miniature version of the sun she commanded to guide their way. “Do not trust anything you see in here. There are bound to be illusions, traps …”

A loud, grumbling roar interrupted Celestia. The entire complex shook before a giant worm monster burst out from a wall. The children were ready to run and hide, as they had learned to do, but Celestia rose up her miniature sun and sent out a beam of light. The beam incinerated the beast, cutting through its maw and body like a cutting torch. "And monsters."

“Oh.” Teddy said as Celestia stepped around the worm's smoking remains. “It's funny how much less scary things are when you have Princess Celestia with you.” Sweet Heart and Ace murmured agreement as they stepped over the beast's remains.

The Complex was, well, complex. Huge stone walls twisted and turned, forming corners. The only splashes of color was the graffiti and the messages scrawled on them by folks of questionable sanity.

“Oh, come on.” Ace stopped to stare at one appalling message. “Who in Equestria would take the time to write a message in blood in cursive?”

“Don't forget, it is possible it was something not from Equestria.” Celestia said, which didn't help their anxious nerves. Any minute now, they knew something was going to pop out at them. Seeing Celestia so masterfully deal with the worm reassured them, but only a little.

As they went ahead, the group spread out. They remained together, but Sweet Heart and Teddy seemed to prefer one side of the hallways while Mandus and Ace went the other.

“Teddy ...” Sweet Heart said and Teddy could tell from her tone right she wanted to talk about the kind of stuff he always heard his father groan about.

“Yes?”

“About that kiss … when we were at Mandus' house.” Sweet Heart said. “What does that mean for us?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, like, what's our relationship now? Where do we go from here?” Sweet Heart said. “My parents always told me it was important to ask tough questions like these.”

Teddy shrugged. To him, she was making it much too serious. They were kids. They shouldn't be having to talk about this kind of stuff. “Well, if it makes you feel better, I guess we would be boyfriend and girlfriend? I don't know.”

Sweet Heart turned away. “I want something more than that, though, Teddy. At least from somepony who says he loves me ...”

Teddy pursed his lips, unsure of what he could do. Like a magic spell, the idea came to him. “I know! How about we promise we'll get married?”

Sweet Heart stared at him like she thought he was crazy, before her expression softened and she smiled. “Really? You would do that for me?”

“Yep! When we're adults, and all this icky business-” he gestured to a wall with graffiti, ”is behind us, we'll propose and get married to each other. Sound like a good idea?”

Sweet Heart blushed. “Oh, Teddy … yes, it sounds like a good idea.”

“Of course it does. I thought of it.” Teddy rapped on his chest with pride. Sweet Heart giggled.

On the other side of them, Ace kept an intense study of Mandus' face, noting how much it had softened up since they departed from the carriage. Though it turned fierce again when he noticed Ace was staring at him. “Child, pray tell, what are you gawking at me like that for?”

Ace made a silly face. “I don't know … I just … why are you so grumpy?”

“Why am I so grumpy?” Mandus repeated to him in a mocking voice. “Why am I so grumpy? I'll tell you why. Because I used to life a good life, a rich life, with plenty of friends and all the riches I could ever ask for, before getting curious one day and going to discover one of those blasted Orbs. Then I ended up working with a pretty mare I find out is madwoman, and who just today, I've learned is not only an undead monstrosity, but also brought me into this world as some reincarnation from a previous life where I murdered my own family!” Mandus stopped walking and turned to Ace, snorting at him. “And that, young master Ace, is why I am so grumpy.”

Ace tilted his head. “Eh. You know, I think she made it up.”

“What?”

“Twilight. I think she made the whole “killed your own sons, brought to you to this world thing up” all up to mess with your head. I don't think you really did any of that. And even if you did, what does it matter? It's a literal past life for you now.”

Mandus took a deep breath and sighed. “I suppose you may be right, but if I did do those things … those things are what made Twilight decide to pluck me from whatever afterlife I was in. If I truly am a reincarnation of some other homicidal pony, what does that mean for me? Do I, too, have it within me to be a murderer?”

“Well, you found out about it and you haven't murdered us yet.” Ace said. “So I don't think you have in it.”

Mandus chuckled and smiled. “Thank you, young … no, I shouldn't say that. Thank you, Ace. I think you're right after all.”

Celestia came to an abrupt halt and held her hoof out. “Everypony stop.”

“Why-”

“Shh.” Celestia said. Once all of them had gone silent, they could hear a subtle hissing. Out from the darkness and the shadows, leaped a giant spider poised to bite Celestia. Celestia smashes her hoof into its face and slammed into the ground, followed by driving hoof into its neck to kill it for good.

“Eeeugh.” Sweet Heart groaned, even though she had seen several sights similar to and worse than this. “I will be so glad when all of this is over.” She winced when she heard the sudden rise of what must have been a dozen pigs squealing and oinking. “Why are there pigs in here all of a sudden?”

Ace was the first to realize the problem with this. “Wait, did you say pigs?”

Looking behind them, everypony could see Twilight's swarm of ex-con and ex-pony pigs filling in the halls of the Complex, squealing and whining as they charged in with the intent to stampede and trample over them and whatever else it would take to kill them.

Celestia remained calm in the situation, though her voice became more urgent. “Hurry! This way!” The entire grouped galloped through the halls, Celestia's horn never losing its light even as the halls got darker and the pigs got closer.

“Shouldn't we stop to do something about the pigs?” Sweet Heart screamed as she made her legs move as fast she could.

“Yeah, like do what you did to the worm to them?” Teddy chimed in.

“No. I can sense we are close to the master control.” Celestia said, her eyes focused on what was ahead of them and not the hundreds of porcine minions behind them focusing on killing them. “I have no doubt Twilight Sparkle has more of a plan than just throwing her pigs at us hoping they'll stop us. If we stop to deal with the pigs, it buys her time to plan her next move – time I do not intend to give her!” Celestia leaned forward, as if that would give her hooves extra speed, before spreading her wings and taking flight. Although she was trying to go as fast as possible, she made sure was she never out of arm's reach of her companions.

Celestia's horn let out a surge of magic, to the others' confusion.

“We are … nearly there.” Celestia said as a pair of huge double-doors came into view. They were gray, with simple carvings painted in of worms worshiping a starfish. Celestia blasted the doors open and led the group inside.

“Close the doors!” She said. Teddy and Mandus wasted no time in shutting the doors and using their bodies to barricade it from the encroaching swine.

“Ah … we've found it.” Celestia said to herself, giving herself a pat on the back. In the room was a pedestal, atop which rested an artifact like the one Celestia used earlier. Only more intricate in its shape, with more twists, and what appeared to be an Orb in place of the gem.

The door shook as the pigs rammed into it, slamming into Teddy's back. “Hurry up and grab it!”

Celestia took a tentative step towards it. She took another, but her movement slowed. She took another step before stopping.

“Princess?” Sweet Heart asked. She saw Celestia's eyes narrow into pinpricks. “Princess?”

“No, I ...” Celestia began babbling. “It wasn't my fault – I didn't mean to!” She collapsed to the ground, burying her head in her hooves. “No, Twilight, please … I'm sorry … I'm sorry ...” Celestia began to blubber and cry.

Sweet Heart was more than little perturbed to see the great, powerful, wise Celestia reduced to a sobbing wreck. “What's wrong with her?”

“The Tuurngait.” Mandus said, coming up with a quick observation. “It must be inducing an illusion into her. Children, bar the door. I'll see if I can talk her out of it.” Sweet Heart and Ace ran to the door while Mandus rushed to Celestia's side, kneeling next to her.

“Princess?” Mandus said, tapping her on the ear.

“No, please, please, I didn't mean it … it was the Orb!” Celestia continued crying. “Oh, Twilight, please ...”

“Princess!” Mandus shouted, giving her a slap across the noise. The children were awed by Mandus' audacity. “Listen to me. No one can blame you for what happened to Twilight. It wasn't your fault. You may have made mistakes ...” Mandus looked at the ground, thinking of himself and what he had done. “Mistakes with disastrous consequences. But you can't let it consume you. You have to get out of it and rise above yourself. Making a mistake is one bad thing, but not fixing is worse! So you pull yourself together and give this Tuurngait a what for and save these children from those pigs!”

Mandus's rousing speech seem to break through, as Celestia's eyes adjusted themselves before returning to normal. She stood up and resumed climbing the pedestal to the artifact. She gritted and grimaced, her horn shining as she attempted to cow the Tuurngait.

“You ...” Celestia grunted from the strain. Her horn flashed with enough brightness to illuminate the entire room before she touched the artifact. “Will … obey me!”

The Orb inside the artifact glowed an intense shade of red, before converting into a golden glow matching Celestia's own.

“Aaah!” Teddy shouted, for the pigs had not ceased their efforts to break through. “And not a moment too soon!”

“Let them in.” Celestia said as she levitated the artifact up. “Trust me.”

Teddy exchanged glances with Sweet Heart and Ace, but they did as they were told, jumping out of the way of the doors. The doors swung open and the pigs poured into the room. Celestia raised the artifact up and triggered it with her magic. The low, hissing growl which occurred during Celestia's first rescue effort appeared again and drove all the pigs into a fearful state, just like when Twilight used The Shadow's Orb on the children. The pigs, screaming and squealing, ran out from the room, leaving the group alone.

“Cool.” Teddy said. He looked up at Celestia, who looked serious.

“Now ...” Celestia said. “We take the fight to Twilight. ”

---

“You WHAT!?” Twilight screamed at her swine legions after they reported their failure. “Do you realize what this means? Any minute now, Celestia is going to come bursting through that door with the means to demolish us!”

“Er, Twilight?” Scootaloo asked, hoping to offer her mistress some consolation.

“N-not now, Scootaloo.” Twilight waved her hoof at her. She paced back and forth. “We need to figure out something to fight Celestia with … something to give us the advantage before they get here.”

“I think it's a little late for that.” Pinkie Pie said.

Twilight turned to Pinkie Pie, giving her a death glare. “Why … would you say that, Pinkie? And this better not be a prank or joke or anything else!”

Pinkie pointed at the window … just before the entire wall blew up and shattered into a million pieces, spreading everywhere like a fine china dish had been dropped from a great height. Celestia, Mandus, and the children stood at the hole the door once occupied, Celestia's horn smoking from the discharge.

Twilight gave Celestia a dazed, half-lidded look, as if the sight of her alone had just caused her brain to shut down. She recovered and giggled madly. “Well, well, well … so you came.”

“I did.” Celestia said, her voice as strong as iron. “It's time we end this, Twilight Sparkle.” She raised up her artifact.

“Hmph!” Twilight huffed. “You'll get no argument from me about that.” Twilight reached into her suit and produced her Orb.

Celestia and Twilight took steps towards each other, levitating their respective items just above their heads, both of them glaring daggers at each other.

The duel was about to begin.

Author's Note:

Author's Notes for “Lux Tenebras”

So I brought in the Tuurngait, making this not only a crossover with Amnesia, but also with Penumbra, Frictional Games' earlier work before the Amnesia series. Some people might have an objection to this, but I feel it works.

Mainly because my original plan was to make up and introduce an OC called “The Light” as a good counterpart to “The Shadow.” which would be controlled with an Orb and that made about as much sense as bringing the Tuurngait in. At least the Tuurngait has … precedent, you know?

I also understand if some object to bringing in Celestia, as she's kind of … overpowered for a horror story. But I had planned like this from the start, so...

However, I fully admit that Celestia's speech is by far the worst example of an infodump I have written yet. Let's not try to do that in the future, hmm?