The Dark Below

by WindigogoGadget

Moth To A Flame

Chatter filled the hall. They had their own table, something smaller for the group of friends that had all grown up together. It was relatively small, but that didn't matter when every table was made for almost a hundred ponies.

"So, Woodshot, what's the daily news this time?"

A grey stallion chewed on a leg of something. Imitation, for the ones with curiosity but not the stomach. "Well, Brick, Word is that they plan on mapping out the second and third layers."

"Mapping? Do you think they're gonna expand again?" Brick Feather asked. He was a Pegasus, black and brown with a white streak running through his mane, heavy set just like his grandfather.

Woodshot nodded and took yet another chunk of what was affectionately called roast beast. It wasn't any particular beast though. "Maybe. I also heard they've been counting up anyone who knew anyone up on the Surface. Whatever that means. Maybe they're working on building a memorial."

"That would make sense." Brick Feather looked at his soup and cracker bread in thought before breaking up his hardtack and dunking it in the rich broth. Unlike the earth pony, he actually had a taste for the real stuff, even if it was just fish. "But I thought they already did?"

"Not one with names. They're building one for the shades and the ponies. At least thats what Marked says."

"Marked? You actually got that big old feather-thing to talk to you?" Brick gawked in surprise.

"Of course I did." Woodshot rolled their eyes before carving into the large 'leg' they'd served themselves. "They just like me better than you, and for the record, they're called feathered serpents."

Brick sat with pursed lips before responding. "I know, I know.. But it feels impolite to ask."

"Don't be afraid to ask. They've seen a lot more bad than we could ever do than just not being polite."

"Right..."

The conversation trailed off into silence as the two continued to eat. Utensils of wood and metal clattered and clinked, and Brick took a sip of mango juice. It wasn't a fruit that grew here, or at least he had no idea if it did or didn't, he'd never seen a mango.

The pegasus licked his lips for a second before a thought occured. "Has anyone ever spoken to the big one?" He asked.

Woodshot stopped chewing for a moment, scrunching his face in thought before finishing his bite. "What do you mean by big one?"

"You know. The big one. The big one?"

Woodshot had to take a drink of his tea, as he pondered whether or not the audacity of this question would get the idiot into trouble. "The big one. The big one. You mean, the one that apparently built the ground we stand on?

"Well, it's not like anyone ever told me its name. And it isn't like the thing ever shows up anyways, how am I supposed to know the name?

"It was taught in class!"

"Well, they always kept switching between something about being envious and destruction, and leviathan. It was hard to follow along."

Calmly, yet very much annoyed, Woodshot quickly cut another piece, took a bite, and took another bite of vegetables- mashed potatoes, then chewed it up quickly, and took an equally swift sip of his drink.

"Envy. Leviathan, Worldbreaker, Worldbuilder, its all a bunch of the same words for, in your words, 'the big one.' Everyone's got their own word, but yeah, it has a name, and its envy."

"Right... Right." Brick Feather decided to hurry up with his end of the conversation as he noticed the increasingly annoyed glare his friend was giving him. "Right. Well, what if we ask him if we can go to the 'surface' or Equestria or whatever the name is?"

For a split second, there was enough silence in the hall that a pin could be heard dropping and clattering into a cacophony of metallic screeches. Fortunately, not a third soul had noticed the preposterously suicidal idea of returning to the surface world.

Unfortunately, there was still one who heard that.

"You want to ask Envy if you can go to the surface?!" He screeched in a whisper. "I know you get some really feather-brained ideas but this takes the first prize here- so let me tell you plainly, we don't go up there because we are going to die! Die!"

The pegasus gulped. “Yeah, I know but... what if it says yes?”

Woodshot’s ears flattened in irritation and his jaw tightened. “I swear if you-“ the stallion cut himself off and took another deep breath. “And why would it say yes?”

Brick smiled wistfully. “You’re right, it’s just that sometimes I get this feeling.”

Woodshot narrowed his eyes as he looked at his friend. “And what feeling is that?”

Brick shrugged. “Like we’re missing out on something, like there’s more out there.”

Woodshot scoffed. “What could possibly be better than staying safe and warm down here?”

The pegasus looked away. “Sometimes I don’t even feel like I’m safe here,” he admitted. “I know it might not make sense but…”

Woodshot let out a long sigh, marking a very considerable dent in his patience. “Listen, Brick. I- You might not be the most comfortable here, but going up there isn’t the answer. I promise. The surface world may look interesting and exciting at first, but that’s just because we’ve never been there. The reality is that is a dangerous, chaotic warzone. I don’t think anyone would last a day up there.”

Brick hung his head, not quite meeting his friend’s gaze. “I know... but I can’t help but think we’re just stuck down here.”

Woodshot snorted. “I’d rather be stuck than dead. Don’t you even wonder what happened to our ancestors, up there on that surface world?” He took a breath, narrowed his eyes and leaned in. "What was one of the lessons they taught us growing up?”

Brick sighed and looked away. “That we are better off down here, safe and sound. We’re lucky to have what we have here, and we should be grateful.”

Woodshot let out a exasperated hiss, “That’s right!”

Brick looked up at his friend and his expression was solemn. “Don’t think that I haven’t been grateful.”

"I know you aren't ungrateful. But it's as if you completely forgot about why we're down here in the first place." Woodshot murmured softly.

Brick shook his head. “I never forgot.”

Woodshot gave him a curious stare. “Then why do you dream about going up there? You know the danger. You’re not that much of a fool, you know better than most how much of a deathtrap it is up there. Especially with your grandfather being one of the survivors.”

“I don’t know,” Brick said meekly, looking away. “I just… I don’t want to spend the rest of my life down here.” He took a bite out of his bread and looked at it, watching it fall apart and crumble. “I don’t want to live in the shadow of the past. I feel like there's something more up there.”

Woodshot was struck silent for a few moments.
“Brick. I get what you mean but… you know we can’t just ask ‘the big one’ to let us go, right?"

Brick shook his head. “Of course I do!” he said hastily. “I was just thinking out loud, Woodshot.”

Woodshot looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Just thinking out loud… right.”

Brick rolled his eyes. “Oh come on, it’s not like I actually considered it. I have too much sense for that.”

Woodshot just laughed. "You? Having sense? Oh that's funny. Which one of our changeling friends is pranking us this time? Shellac, Turpin?"

“Oh, shut up!” Brick yelled, causing heads to turn in their direction.
Woodshot laughed as he waved to some other ponies, and then he turned back to Brick. “I’m serious, though. Do you honestly think asking Envy to let you go to the surface would end well for either of us?”

“I told you, I wasn’t going to,” Brick said with a scowl. “I was just thinking out loud. It would be nice to see it, though. The surface world, I mean. There’s got to be something more than what we have here.”

"But this is the surface world. You're practically in it already, this world is a mirror of that world, what do you expect to find up there other than old ruins?"

Brick gave him a deadpan stare. “It’s not the same. I know this mirror world was built to mimic the surface, but it isn’t the real thing that our ancestors escaped. It can’t be. It feels different down here, you know?”

Woodshot rolled his eyes. “Oh, so you can feel the difference, can you?”

“You’re laughing at me, but I swear I feel something in this room, like its missing something.” Brick looked around at the large crowd gathered in the dining hall and shook his head. “I don’t know just-“

Woodshot narrowed his eyes. “Like you said earlier, I know you’re not a child. You’re not going to ask Envy to let you go up there… but this is starting to feel like something deeper than that….”

Brick turned and looked away, not meeting Woodshot’s gaze. “Like… something is calling us up there… I don’t know how to explain it, I just… I just have this urge to get up there. Don’t tell me you haven’t felt the same way?”

Woodshot leaned in with a sigh. "No. I don't, because I don't want to end up like my grandmother. Burned by Celestia herself."

Brick was taken aback by the comment. “Your grandmother? I didn’t know she even fought in the war.”

"I have no idea if she did or didn't. Grandpa won't talk about it and Mom won't say much either. I had to piece it together from what they told me." Woodshot murmured, taking a comforting sip of his tea.

Brick was silent for a moment, then he finally asked. “So how did she get burned?”

"Tch. Tactful much?" Woodshot said bitterly. There was a pause as he thought.

"Village raid." He spoke softly. Such words were still... Taboo, to speak of. Violence wasn't unknown to them, but one did not flash the weapon of a killer to its victims. "They suspected their town was harboring shades. Brought everyone out for 'cleansing'."

Brick’s stomach dropped. “They… burnt her because they thought she was helping the Shades?”

With a gentle nod, he replied. "Apparently so, and that counted as high treason against life itself, so they..." Woodshot made a motion with his hooves, like a hammer being dropped. They dropped a beam of sun on her. Complete and utter immolation.

“Jesus, I-“ Brick was speechless. “And your grandfather?”

"Escaped to a friendly changeling colony with my mother before the evacuation plans were in full swing. They'd only stayed a month before they detoured at Dis for supplies, they were supposed to be at Central Hive, but.. Well, the attacks held them up here."

Brick was silent, taking in all the information. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

Woodshot sighed. “Can you believe it? They were willing to burn someone alive on a hunch. And if they'd gotten him, I probably wouldn't be here.” He said, gesturing to himself with a hoof.

"The ponies up there, they are savages. We might live among weird creatures and things that look like monsters and a few things that don't even have names, but up there. Up there are real monsters." Woodshot continued

Brick nodded, and for a moment there was silence.“What if I told you I still wanna go up there?” he asked quietly.

Woodshot scrunched up his face again, and sighed. Had his hoof not been busy he'd certainly drag it across his face.
"Your funeral."

Brick gave his friend a hurt look. “What happened to you being my friend? Are you really going to just sit around and let me run off and die?”

"Of course not. I'd say I'd told you so before you died."

Brick narrowed his eyes in mock anger. “You know, for someone who is supposed to be my friend, you are incredibly unhelpful.”

“And you’re incredibly stubborn… What, exactly do you want from me? A pat on the back for braving the surface? A medal? A statue? Because I’m pretty sure there’ll be plenty of those for whatever brave pony would even attempt such a feat…” Woodshot said with a smirk.

“I know I’m being reckless… but…” Brick bit his lip, looking away, his expression torn. “I can’t stop feeling like there has to be something out there. It’s all so… boring in this settlement. Everything’s the same. Same people. same routine… same food…”

"Well, why not go deeper then? Try to help them map out the lower layers.?"

“Map out the lower layers?” Brick asked, looking up. “I guess yeah, maybe. I… I don’t know, maybe you’re right, I should stay here and help with that. It’s just hard… seeing all these ponies stuck here, down so far from the real sunlight in this boring settlement, and knowing that there’s a whole world above us that our ancestors escaped.”

Woodshot sighed. "In all seriousness. I can't really put up much of an argument against your suicidal idea. The only reason I'm not making a huge fuss, at least now that the shock has worn off, is because Envy is the only one who could probably magic an opening to Equestria, and there's no way in any circle that they'll do that if there's even the slightest chance of anypony getting hurt."

Brick chuckled with a slight sigh. “Maybe you’re right. I don’t think either of us would like the odds of us actually getting to the surface world. At least not intact.” He laughed slightly. “It’s crazy to think about though… a pegasus of all ponies, asking one of the makers for permission to go to the world above. Can you imagine how Envy would react to that request?”

“I don’t even wanna imagine how it would go. Do you think it would actually just obliterate us right on the spot? Or maybe it would laugh. I don’t know which one is worse…” Woodshot rubbed his chin. “What if it thinks we’re trying to pull off some kind of joke or something?”

Brick snickered. “That’s a nice thought for a minute. I imagine a pegasus showing up and asking one of the four creators of this World to let them off like its some kind of amusement park ride… I can already imagine Envy’s response.”

“You kidding? I’m pretty sure Envy’s expression would be completely stoic, like they’re trying to decide whether or not we would be worth wasting its time with. Then its eyes would narrow and it would ask us if we had lost our damned mind.”

Brick laughed. “And what would it do once it’s determined that yes, we have indeed lost our damn mind?”

“Who knows?” Woodshaw said. “We’d certainly become a prime candidate for the next horror story for sure, though. How long do you think it would take for word to spread throughout the entirety of our settlement about the two dumb ponies who asked Envy to release them?”

“I bet we would become laughingstocks before we even leave the room.” Brick chimed in. “It wouldn’t take long. Maybe a few days. It wouldn’t matter how fast we left after asking, we would never hear the end of it.”

“They’d make fun of us for generations.” Woodshot said with a frown. “We’d be a lesson in what not to do, as part of the education. How two silly ponies asked Envy, patron saint of sanctitude, to let them leave, and then they did- “

Brick interrupted. “Or didn’t, because it would probably vaporize us on the spot.”

Woodshot paused, glaring and him completely unamused.

Brick rolled his eyes. “Lighten up, Woodshot. We both know I’m not actually going to go running to Envy and ask this ridiculous question. But I can’t help but think about what our ancestors must have felt like when they were all escaping to this world. Was it exciting? Thrilling?

And the worst part is… this settlement will be the same now as it was back when our ancestors fled, as it has been for thousands of years. Everything so boring, so static, it’s as if we’re a society forever frozen in time.”

“At least it’s better than having to fight for our lives up there.” Woodshot muttered.

Brick smirked. “That is true. I don’t know, but maybe it would be better to live a boring life than get myself killed. Then again…” he bit his lip, pondering the thought.

"Would it really be that bad?" Woodshot cut in. "To know that your entire life will be peaceful? That all you do is live on like the rest of everyone in this settlement, and in, maybe a few hundreds of years to come you will be nothing but a footnote in history? A history, guaranteed to actually have someone around to read it?"

“That’s the problem,” Brick said after a long pause as he looked away. “That’s what’s been making me think about this so much. All our lives are going to amount to nothing in the end. No one will remember us… in this settlement. It’s why I’ve been contemplating something so ridiculous, so reckless… I’m getting desperate. Desperate to make something of myself so I can see the rest of that world there above us. If all I do is be forgotten by everyone here, I might as well be forgotten somewhere amazing.”

Author's Note:

This chapter was previously named Exodus

So now the story begins again, where one descended from the tower, this one ascends from their pit. Both tempted to the sun, one with wax wings, the other, flesh and bone.

Let us see if anything changes this time.