A Sanctum of Shadow
"Wildcard...?" Rainbow Dash crept forward, easing down the stairs. The chiseled stone steps were smooth—but also slippery. There was a curious prevalence of moisture inside the hollow chambers of Darkreach, and her hooves slipped more than once. So—with a tense breath—she flapped her wings and proceeded to hover her way down the steep incline. Her ruby pendant shone a lightning-bolt shaped spotlight against dull black walls and metal reinforcement beams. "Wildcard... for realsies. Are you ever going to tell me what freaky-deaky stuff happened to your eyes? Because if you can see your own beak in front of your face while wearing goggles inside a place like this... well... you'll definitely be earning yourself a 'cool-guy' award."
Silence.
Rainbow's eyes darted left and right at the dead stone as she descended. "Wildcard? Yoohooo. Tall, dark, and feathery? Give me a whistle or something, Desperado."
The ruby spotlight shone through a bright yellow face looming directly in front of Rainbow. "He's two stories beneath us already, Rainbow—" Fluttershy said.
"Gaah!" Rainbow jerked back.
Fluttershy winced. "S-sorry...!"
"Guh... stop being such a ghost, Flutters."
"I... I-I can't help it."
"I know I know..." Rainbow squinted as she saw the steps ending at a flat stairwell facing a solid wall. The path then branched left and right, turning around and forming two parallel sets of steps that descended even further into the heart of the mesa. Rainbow slowly spun about and followed the shadowed inclined. Her voice echoed against the looming walls. "If this leads all the way back to Emeraldine through the body of the plane, I'm seriously going to quit everything."
"Heehee!" A pink ghost streaked past Rainbow's peripheral vision as they floated down. "Sounds like a good backup plan to me!"
"Wouldn't we hit the machine layer first?" Fluttershy suggested.
"It doesn't go that deep," Rarity corrected in a serious tone. "Not even remotely." She gestured to Rainbow Dash. "A few more flights down, and then there's a large chamber, Rainbow."
"This can't be the only entrance," Twilight Sparkle said.
Fluttershy looked at her. "What makes you say that?"
Twilight gestured up at the height of the stairwell behind Rainbow Dash. "Can you imagine hauling all of the equipment and supplies from the Light Side down these steps?"
"Perhaps the Emeraldinians were made of strong stuff!" Pinkie suggested.
Twilight shook her head. "I think we just found a side entrance. There must be an even bigger door elsewhere."
"You mean like a freight elevator or something?" Rarity suggested.
"I don't know..." Twilight exhaled, her eyes dancing across the light Rainbow's Element was casting. "I really don't think they could afford to craft something as complex as an elevator in this place."
"Uhhhhhhhhhh..." Pinkie gestured at the spacious stairwell. "Isn't this 'spacious' enough?"
"The walls here are perfectly... impossibly smooth!" Rarity said. "No sign of normal quarry dredging. It must be the work of alicorns."
"Well, alicorns can make elevators!" Pinkie Pie smiled. "Remember the Gondolaaaaaa! That was built at the End of the World!"
"I really don't know how much time Onyxxus actually spent here," Twilight murmured.
"Come to think of it..." Applejack rubbed her scalp beneath her hat. "I really wouldn't mind seein' the Machine World sometime!"
"You saw it past Bleak's Plummet when Rainbow touched the 'Utaan' symbol, darling," Rarity said.
"Ehhhh..." Applejack waved a hoof. "That wasn't the same thang. I wanna take a gander at the deep underground doohickey's y'all saw." She bore a freckled smile. "Reckon it's mighty fancy."
"I don't care how fancy that Urohringr crud is," Rainbow grunted. She reached the bottom of the stairwell and peered into dead darkness. "I just wanna find my friend. Wildcard?!?"
As her voice stopped echoing, Fluttershy streaked into view, pointing past the shadows. "Shine your light over there, Rainbow Dash..."
Rainbow did as she was instructed. At last, she caught something—the glint of Bard's staff... then a set of claws. Dark, glinting feathers framed Wildcard's figure. The Desperado flicked a lion's tail in a lazy attempt to "wave" back at Rainbow... then proceeded to pace across the large space before them, observing every little detail that broke through the shadow.
"Seriously, dude?" Rainbow crept up behind him. "How can you see—?"
Wildcard held the staff out, blocking her. He then pointed at the floor in front of them.
Rainbow and her ghostly friends craned their necks.
Directly in front of the petite pegasus was an array of fallen swords, blades, and polearms. A weapon rack had fallen over from where it once was situated against the nearest wall. If Rainbow had taken another step, she might have cut her fetlock on an exposed blade.
"Okay... I won't question it then." Rainbow gulped. "I'll just be thankful."
Wildcard's goggled gaze quietly scanned the room.
Rainbow had to shine her pendant about to see nearly as well.
In a ruby swath, she exposed more junk that had fallen or been scattered across the floor. Supply crates... lengths of rope... tool boxes and machine parts. At last, she caught a glistening assortment of smooth crystals.
"Hey! Twilight, look!" Pinkie pointed. "Is that the stuff you were sensing?"
"No." Twilight shook her head. "Somewhere in this place there are crystals that are still energized."
"After all this time?" Applejack whistled. "Amazin'..."
"Still... those crystals look like they could still be enchanted." Twilight managed a slight smile. "That's incredibly useful."
"It's... it's such a mess in here!" Rarity squeaked. "Look at everything strewn about so!"
"No bodies," Fluttershy said.
The others looked at her.
She looked back. "Unless... th-there are equine remains much deeper."
Twilight and Pinkie shuddered.
"Let's just..." Rainbow paced forward, shining her light further. "...focus on one detail at a time."
Wildcard wandered over to a wooden table positioned against the wall. There was an assortment of metal slabs—imperfect chunks of ore with obsidian black surfaces. Lying on the table's edge was a set of chisels... along with dark black sediment strewn onto the stone floor. The griffin held one chisel in his claws and glanced back at Rainbow.
Rainbow nodded at her reflection in his goggles. "Guess we know where Kepler's beloved map came from..."
"All things considered..." Twilight gazed at the random junk lying on the floor. "...the place is in amazing condition."
Rarity stared thickly at her. "Really, darling?"
"I mean—yes. It was left in a mess. But there's almost no dust! No cobwebs!"
"I smell mildew," Applejack muttered. "It's far from perfect in here."
"Precisely." Rarity nodded. "There's a lot of moisture in here."
"But... why?" Fluttershy gulped. "It's almost perfectly dry on the outer surface."
"Maybe..." Applejack shrugged. "...there's some spring deep within this mesa?"
"It could explain why they built this place in here!" Pinkie remarked. "I'd like to have my whistle wet if I was guarding the Dark Side!"
"So... the moisture carried up from a well deep inside... and now it's condensing against the walls of this place," Twilight remarked. She nodded. "It's possible, I suppose."
"The tunnels here do run deep," Rarity said, gazing down with a glowing horn. "I shudder to think how far they go..."
"Twilight..." Rainbow spoke out loud, gazing about. "The mana sources you've been sensing. Is there one nearby?"
"Mmmmmmmmm..." Twilight's eyes narrowed. Her horn strobed, and at last she responded: "Yes."
"Where at?"
She pointed a lavender hoof. "At the far wall."
"You mean in this room?" Rainbow remarked.
Wildcard looked over, headcrest arched.
"She's right, Rainbow Dash," Rarity said with a twinge of nervousness. "I'm sensing... a lever of some kind."
"... ... ..." Rainbow pivoted about. She faced the direction Twilight had pointed. With Wildcard following close behind, she skirted the wall... then finally came to a metal panel of alicorn gold welded to the stone surface. Indeed, there was a thick platinum knob with a hoof-shaped indentation. "Hmmmm... earth-pony friendly."
"Them Emeraldinians were considerate!" Applejack stated.
"Hey look!" Pinkie Pie pointed at a circular etching in the gold metal. It illustrated starry spots orbiting a galactic swirl. "What's that mean?"
"A... symbol...?" Rarity blinked. "I doubt it's meant to be artistic."
"Almost looks like a cutie mark..." Twilight remarked.
"Probably Onyxxus'," Rainbow suggested.
Twilight nodded. "That would make sense."
"Uhm..." Fluttershy huddled in close. "A-are you going to pull the lever?"
"Hmmm..." Rainbow Dash firmly gripped the lever. "That would be a good idea."
"Now Rainbow, before you yank that—" Twilight spoke.
"Zoop." Rainbow jerked the bar hard.
Ch-Chtunnng! A loud reverberation rolled through the chamber. Golden lights flickered... strobed... and went black.
Twilight froze in place, grimacing. Her eyes darted around the compartment.
Wildcard looked around in mute curiosity.
Rainbow stood in place, gripping the lever. She looked across the shadows.
"... ... ...you see?" Twilight wheezed. "You never know what your brash actions might—"
"Zoop!" Rainbow jerked the lever again.
CTHUNGGG!
Bzzzzzt-ttt-ttt!
Sparks flew from the flickering light sources... but swiftly died. All was pitch black yet again, although a low hum emanated from the depths of the underground compound below.
Twilight sighed. "Well, there you have it."
"I... don't think there's enough juice," Rainbow muttered.
"But something definitely happened!" Rarity exclaimed. "I sensed something moving just now!"
Pinkie squinted at her. "Moving?"
"It... it couldn't have been something alive," Fluttrshy said with remarkable calmness. "Or else I would have sensed it."
"I... I think it's something mechanical," Rarity said. "Below us... about three stories deep." She looked at the others. "It directly responded to the lever Rainbow was pulling."
"Hmmmmmm..." Applejack tapped her chin. "Reckon it's some sort of generator thingy?"
"Yes. Yes, I believe it is!" Twilight nodded, a smile forming. "I'm sensing residual mana energy flickering from down below! There must be an engine room to Darkreach... some sort of central distribution center for leylines!"
"We've got a batch of crystals in this room," Rainbow said. "Maybe there's still a way to light this place back up."
"If we're to fully explore this place—much less get situated—then that would seem most essential," Rarity said.
"Woohoo!" Pinkie Pie pumped a hoof. "Let's get the Dark Side Slumber Party going!"
"Easy, Pinks." Rainbow turned towards Wildcard. "Hey, dude. We've got some deep magic crud to do. Better hop up and grab Flynn."
Wildcard fidgeted in place, reticent to leave.
"Hey... it's okay..." Rainbow smiled assertively. She rubbed her pendant to intensify the waning, harmonic glow. "I've got the girls with me. I'll be totally safe."
Wildcard still hesitated.
"Look, will you friggin' go and bring our bald wizard down here already?" Rainbow huffed. "Y'know, Bard was big on protecting me too... but even he knew when to keep from being clingy."
Wildcard exhaled. The Desperado managed a brief smirk beneath his beak. He waved with the staff in his grasp, turned tail, and glided back up the stairwell in a murking shadow.
Rainbow stood alone with her ghostly friends orbiting.
"You... uh... reckon it'll be a while before he comes back with Flynn in tow?" Applejack said.
"Hrmmmff... probably," Rainbow said with a nod.
"The wise course of action would be to wait right here until they return," Twilight said.
"Yup!" Rainbow turned around with a devilish smirk and pressed on. "Let's explore some more ruins!"
Pinkie giggled.
Twilight face-hoofed.
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ZOOP.
Looks like they found some possible tools and supplies. And plenty of weapons. Nothing looking like food though, unfortunately, but there's a possible water source.
Hmm...crystals and obsidian-colored ore left around. I'm starting to wonder...
Airship maybe?
So, a underground generator room, a water source, and mana crystals? Hmm....
Fifty jumping jacks, ):(. Knock 'em out!
"Zoop!"
So, looks like they are starting to get somewhere regarding supplies, though I doubt I would want to eat any of the food left behind, two hundred year old lettuce
. As for why Wildcard can see in the dark, I had forgotten that he wears goggles, which likely could have thermal based night-vision built it. Not low light, that doesn't work in caves or similar such structures, but thermal can.
As for what they found, the scattered mess tells me that the occupants left in a hurry, question is where to, and more importantly, why?
Looks like a home base to me, water source, generator room and a rather large assortment of weapons. Sup MTV and this looks like an Emeraldian Crib
They dug too greedily... and too deep. You know what lurks in the dark places of the world.
Shadow... and flame.
Rainbooooww stttaaaaahhp!
Wait for the party! Don't split the party! It's dungeon delving 101!
First pull on the lever notifies the system that action may be required.
Second pull on the lever activates the system to be ready for triggering at a moments notice.
Third pull on the lever triggers the system.
Such is the rule of three.
Four thou shalt not count to.
And Five is right out.
Oh boy, there is gonna be something even deeper underground that wants to kill them, isn't there? I mean, Dash has never had it easy, so why now?
OH FUCK NOW I'M GIVING IC IDEAS!
If they actually find someway to reach Emeraldine through Darkreach I'd probably die of laughter
Hmm Rainbow you are being rather stupid right now but that is par for the course at this point. I hope she doesn't run into anything down there. ...Oh, who am I kidding she will.
Wildcard spent time in a supermax prison where he was told he would never see the sun again, so he paid an ex-surgeon inmate to shine his eyes so he could see in the dark......oh no, wait a sec, that was Riddick
The first stage to every abandoned base mission ever - the quest to restore generator power
8284394 You mean they'll be stumbling around in "Pitch Black"?
It never hurts to get advice, you can always ignore it later after all.
-Through the path long forgotten, into the darkness long begotten. Ofolrodi.
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Runes are for exploding whatever abomination they'll inevitably bump into down there, not exploring!
Zoop
Wildcard is kinda part eagle so I guess that means he can see better maybe .
And then they run into a giant pony-killing robot thing.
Considering Rainbow's history with caves, you'd think she'd be a little more cautious.
But on the bright side: Water, supplies, batteries, and who knows what else. All in all, a pretty nifty pit stop.
8284861
I always found that perfectly ordered campaigns, where everybody does exactly what they should make for the most boring stories. Go Rainbow Dash go, delve those dungeon depths!
8284809
You're going to get me back in shape.
8285497
Maybe, but I've lost tack of the Total Party Wipes that have happened because someone in the party thought it'd be fun to "scout ahead" without the rest of the party as backup. I mean, Dash is guarded by plot armor, sure, but I can easily see this going horribly wrong. This is what I meant in earlier comments about Dash and the Herald getting cocky and complacent with the Dark Side. Its gonna bite em in the butts sooner or later.
8284945
It worked in Jurassic Park.
Also in Aliens.
Rainbow Dash's experimental probability for running into tentacled, slithering, pointy-teethed, or chaos-seeping Things in caves is 100%.
Her experimental probability for escaping aforementioned beasties is also 100%.
Unfortunately, Rainbow Dash is biased toward experimental probability rather than theoretical.
Gotta get those lights on, man.
And here's a random thought brought about by entirely too much Sunless Sea over the last few days. You think that some Dark Sider ally that Rainbow eventually comes across would freak out upon seeing the sun during a return journey? Might drive them mad.
All I'm saying is HE SUN THE SUN THE SUN THE SUN THE SUN T
Just wait till we get deep enough and wake up some spooky ghosties that aren't as friendly as the girls.
And this is how Rainbow pulled a Peter Griffin.
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8285802
Bonus points if they have to defeat the ghost to restore the energy.
Rainbow, just make sure that when you're jacking up the generator... If you hear clicking, be sure to have a shiv ready.
Ain't no spiders this side of the plane.
Or general erosion, apparently.
8285594
Ehhh... Bard's experimental probability for being alive was 100%, and he died.
Come to think of it, you have some fun with this. eg What's Dash's experimental probability for being a fugitive in new nations she finds?
8285876
Rather low, relatively speaking.
Heh! I wonder, though... maybe there are paths through the machine world. They must be really dangerous, though, even aside from the part in the middle where gravity gets reversed.
The wise course? Have you met Rainbow?
Zoop!
Obligatory
Looks like the ancient horses forgot to pay their electricity bills. Now they've gotta go and fix up a generator to get the lights working. I'm getting some less than positive vibes about this place and what it used to be used for. Can't wait to see how it all turns out, though.
~SolidFire
That's it. That's the fic.
Looks like they might be able to restock on some supplies before trekking on. Can't wait to see what else is in this place!
And now we must be wary, for the caverns go on miles deep, and before you sleep, consider that the thing that ended those who came before you is still unnamed, unencountered, and slumbering within this sanctum of shadow...
My mind is still with that red crystal. I wonder if it could be Skystone.
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8285837 Five minutes later:
Given how often Rainbow points out how stupid ideas always work, you'd think twi would've realized there's no point in always taking the smart option. Or maybe she's just in denial.
Wildcard's eyes are basically riddick eyes, methinks.
Darkreach is giving me alien vs predator vibes, and that's not a good sign. Maybe it's just a generator.
So Fluttershy can sense dead bodies too. Was this established earlier?
8289991
Maybe Twilight could try reverse psychology.
I wonder if powering this place up is a good idea or not. They abandoned this place long ago, and that means who knows who actually owns that place now.
I feel like this would be a good time for the Ethereal Five to start phasing through walls again. Surely they can just go down three stories and see what it is for themselves? Maybe it's too dark, I guess.
There’s no way it can lead to Emeraldine. They haven’t even traveled nearly close enough to be underneath that yet.
It took me this long to realize Wildcard is literally Riddick....
ZOOP!
9093196
I knew there had to be a reason I was envisioning Wildcard's goggles the same way. I'm not sure why I didn't put two & two together sooner though.
Might as well get the place up and running, there is bound to be some kind of intel that can be used to plot their next moves, and if nothing else scavenging for supplies is never a bad thing.
11/13/2019
16:25 UTC
Absolutely Zoop. I’ll say the same thing if I’m in ancient ruins and decide to pull a mysterious lever
Rainbow Dash ≠ The wise course of action.
You should know that by now, Twiggles.
Zoop!