> Silent Ville
>  by RoyalUnicornJohn1994
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1. The travel begins.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 1. The travel begins.

As John started to make his luggage, he hummed happily his favorite song. He had planned this for weeks... nay, for months! He studied and worked hardly to maintain himself for the past three years. It was just fair that he took a week of vacations at least once in a while. Studying and working at the same time was hard work... and a very tiring job.
In time, he had even bought his own house. Nothing too luxurious. Just a humble house which had one room, which he used as a bedroom, his kitchen, his hall, his laundry, and everything else. On the far corner of his room, stood his work station, along with his laptop. Next to it was his mini-kitchen. At the other side of the room stood the door to his bathroom. Next to it, his wardrobe, where stood four or five changes of clothes, now deposited on his luggage.
Once that all was deposited safely on his luggage, he took his phone, his keys, his wallet and his glasses. Once he put his jacket on, he turned to the door, luggage behind him, and closed the door.
Outside, his car stood in the parking place of the road. He took out his keys and pressed the button to open his car.
"Good morning, John!" John turned to see one of his neighbors greeting him. She was wiping the dried leaves off of her garden.
"Morning, mrs. Hamilton. How you doing?" John greeted her with his usual charming tone.
"Doing fine, thanks to Lord." Mrs. Hamilton then noted the luggage he was carrying. "Taking some vacations, I see."
"Yeah. Thought it was time to get a rest from the school, the work. Also, it's gonna be fun to stay away from all those things for a while." John said while putting his luggage in the back seat.
"Well, you work so hard all the days. As you said, it's fair that you take a rest. It was time, too. Have a nice trip." She said while returning to wiping the leaves.
"Thanks. Say hello to your husband for me!" John said while getting on his car.
Once he started the engine, he noted that the gas deposit was almost empty. So, his first stop was going to be Ray's gas shop.
He didn't like that much to go there. Everybody, including himself, thought that old Raymond was crazy. But he was the only one that had a gas shop in there.



Once that the light sign got into sight, he started to slow down.
"Oh, great." He said as the silhouette of the old Raymond showed behind the dispenser. Once that he fully stopped, the man stepped next to his window.
"Hey there, welcome to Ray's pit stop." The man greeted without turning to see who he was greeting.
"Hello, mr. Ray. I'd like you to fill it, please."
"Why, it's my very dear customer, mr. John himself." The old man said at the time he took the hose and put it into the deposit. Once that it was fully done, he noticed the luggage on the back seat. "Oh, so the youn' fella wants to be out for a while, huh?"
"Yeah. I've been planning this for weeks."
"And where are you going, buddy?"
"To the mountains. There's a town in there. I've heard it's a very quiet town."
"Good election, buddy. And what way, if I may ask, are ya gonna take? huh?"
Before answering, John took out a map of the land, inspecting every possible way.
"I think that I'll take the forest's road. It's the most direct one." John said while folding the map again and turning to see old Ray. However, when he turned to see him, he didn't expect to see the old man staring at him with fear. After a few seconds, the man leaned to him with a serious expression on his face.
"Buddy, you don't wanna go through there, believe me."
"Why not? It's the fastest way to reach my destiny."
"Because today it's covered by clouds!" John turned to see the sky. As the old man said, it was cloudy.
"So?"
"So... If you go through there, you might find... her."
The hose suddenly stopped pumping, signalling John that he could leave.
"How much is it going to be?"
"thirty-five bucks."
"There you go."
After handling the money to the old Ray, John started the engine of his car. Just as he put his seat belt, old Ray put his head at the side of John's.
"I'm warning you..." old Ray whispered into John's ear. "I can't deny you the access to that forest... But if you enter... you might not get out of there alive." Just as he whispered the last sentence, the old man retreated with the money.
"Hey, Ray." The old man turned at the mention of his name. "You know. I didn't want to believe the others who live in here. The stuff about you being the crazy guy... But I'm sure now." He said as he put the first velocity. "You're crazy, old man."
And with that, John sped his car and got away from the shop. The old man just watched as he got far.
"I really tried to warn you."



"Last night... I had a dream about you... In this dream... I'm dancing right beside you..." John sang at the same tame the song played on his radio. Driving through that way was relaxing, to say at least. However, what old Ray said kept annoying him.
"Oh, come on, John. Don't listen to him. He's definitely the most craziest man you've ever met." John said to himself as he soon saw the intersection in the road. To the left, went the way through a quiet field. To the right... it went through the forest.
John slowed down, trying to decide which way to take. Suddenly, an idea formed on his mind.
"Why am I doubting?" And with that, he drove to the right way. Suddenly, the words of old Ray returned to his mind once again.
"But if you enter... you might not get out of there alive"
"Pfft. Yeah, sure." He chuckled as he drove deeper into the forest.
Suddenly, he started to notice that the forest was covered by a dense fog. John turned on the fog lights on his car, pretty sure that they would be useful. And it worked. He could see at least 15 feet forward.
However, after a while, he started to feel like if something wes watching him over. John turned to see on his mirror and saw nothing, while at the sides of the road only trees could be seen.
"Come on, John. You're being paranoid. Relax." John said as he kept driving forward. Suddenly, he started to note that the light outside seemed to become dimmer and dimmer, like if the forest was closing above him. Soon, the only lights on the road were the ones of his car.
After a few minutes, the road just kept and kept, making John uneasy.
"Alright. Maybe you took a wrong turn, John. Let's check the map." He said as he slowed down and drove to the side of the way. Taking out his map, he started to check the way. Still mumbling to himself, trying to discover where he was, a chill suddenly ran through his spine.
"Uhggh! That felt odd." He said as he kept eyeing his map. Suddenly, he felt like if someone was really watching him. Turning his eyes forward, he couldn't see anything. The fog was too dense to see something 3 feet away. The sudden feeling of seeing something walking outside sent chills through his spine. Picking up his flashlight, he opened the door.
Almost instantly, a sudden feeling of uneasiness filled him, as he felt something around there. Turning on his flashlight, he started to look around.
"Hello! ... Is somebody there!? ...Hope nobody answers..."
Suddenly, the fog cleared a bit, allowing him to see a few feet away. In a hill at the other side of the road, he saw a figure standing in there. Thanks to the fog, he couldn't quite see what it was. He could see just a shadow.
The shadow seemed like quadruped, almost resembling to a horse. Though, it seemed smaller. John, led by curiosity, started to walk toward the figure. The figure seemed to note him approaching and simply turned around and ran.
"Hey! Wait!" John said as he started to run behind it. When he reached the end of the hill, he noted that there wasn't any sign or track as for where the figure seemed to vanish.
John only sighed as he started to walk back to his car. It was then that his flashlight started to fail.
"Oh, come on! Work, you piece of junk!" John said as he hit it multiple times before the flashlight suddenly flashed well. Grunting in approval, he turned to head for his car, when suddenly a pink face with a smile that sent shivers through his spine, along with a pair of eyes that only had two pins as pupils surprised him.
"Do you wanna have a party?" The face said, scaring John more than anything else, making him to trip backwards.
Recovering immediately, he got on his feet as fast as he could, holding his flashlight closely. Turning around frantically he couldn't see the same pink face of before. That leaved him confused.
"You're becoming more paranoid than before, John. Relax." He said to himself before turning back to his car.
Once aboard, he started the engine and sped up. That forest was making him uneasy, and he needed to get out of that forest as fast as he could.
As he sped up, he started to unfold the map in the steering wheel, trying to find where he was. Eyeing the map for a second, and then seeing the road in front of him, he started to speed up. Even with the fog lights on, he could only see a good ten feet away.
Just as he started to identify where he was, he suddenly, turned his head to the road in front of him. Suddenly, the same figure than before became visible in the road. In the middle of the road.
Seeing it just one second before hitting it, John reacted as fast as he could and turned the wheel as fast as he could. Opening his eyes for a moment, he saw the figure turning it head to watch as the vehicle got out of the road.
"Oh, shit!" John said as he saw that the road was missing, and he was trying desperately to direct the car in the correct direction.
However, it seemed of no use as a tree soon came into sight. All what John could do was to cover his face and close his eyes for the incoming impact.
Everything went black, as he could only hear the loud crashing noise of the front part of his car hitting against a tree.



Just as he started to open his eyes, the sky came into view. It still was covered by dense clouds, making the sun to be barely seen behind them. John coughed as he started to get up. Soon, his car came into view. The front part of the vehicle was completely destroyed. But what caught his attention was that the pilot's door was open.
Somebody got him out of there.
Turning around, he saw the forest still covered in dense fog, with nobody in sight.
"Hello!? Anybody there!?" He expected an answer. "I just wanted to thank the one who got me out of there!"
"You're welcome!" Suddenly, a cheery voice startled him. Turning around, he couldn't see anyone.
"umm... Who said that?"
"Well, me, silly!"
John suddenly noted that the voice was coming from behind him. Turning around slowly, he caught a sight of a pink horse standing in front of him. Though the pink color was something weird, he didn't payed much attention to it.
"Umm... Please, show yourself! I just want to talk!"
Suddenly, the horse started to walk toward him.
"Well, I'm right here, you silly! Unless I wanted to play hide and seek, which wouldn't be fair because I haven't hide and you can see me. But as we aren't playing hide and seek, then there is no reason for me to hide. If you wanna talk, I'm right here!"
John's eyes widened at what happened. The horse... spoke to him.
"... You... can... talk?"
"Of course! Everypony in here can talk! I can talk, my friends can talk, cows talks... heck! Even dragons can talk!" The pony in front of him said while jumping excitedly on the same place.
John just stood in there, watching the pink pony in front of him.
"Ugh... I must have received a very harsh hit in the head."
"Yeah, actually! You were bleeding when I got you out."
John suddenly lifted a hand to feel his head. Confirming what the pink pony said, he felt a bandage around his head.
"... Umm... thanks, then... for helping me."
"No problem!"
John, though puzzled about what was going on, just seemed to have one option.
"Umm... Hey, do you know where I am?"
"Umm... Nope. Now that you mention it, I don't have the slightest idea of where I am. Though, I did see a road over there." The pink pony said while pointing with a hoof to a random direction in the forest. "I think there's some kind of city over there."
"Huh. The map didn't mention anything about a city in the middle of the forest."
"Duh! Of course not, silly! Otherwise, it wouldn't be a secret place, right?"
"Secret? What do you mean?"
"Can't tell you! But it's the only place where you can go. The other road is up there." The pony said while pointing toward the upper part of a cliff.
"I suppose you're right... umm... what's your name?"
"I'm Pinkie Pie! Pleased to meet you!"
"I'm John. Pleased to meet you, too." John said while turning toward the forest. "So... I suppose I better start walking." John said as he started pick up his flashlight and his map and started to walk into the forest.
"That's the spirit! Good luck!"
"What do you mean by 'good luck'? You're not coming with... me?" John said as he turned to look for her. Suddenly, as he turned, he noticed that Pinkie was gone.
"Maybe it was an illusion?" John asked to himself as he started to walk deeper into the forest.

In the distance, the same figure of before showed in the top of a hill, watching intently as the human walked away. A smile on its face showed up, as the figure started to trot after him.
> Chapter 2. The outskirts.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 2. The outskirts.

The forest seemed to have no end. The fog didn't contributed much to ease John's mind, as he felt that something was following him. At every step he took, he felt the same presence of before.
As he kept walking through the forest, he suddenly felt all the hairs on his back to stand, as well as a shiver as he felt a breathing on the back of his neck.
"You smell nice." Said that voice behind him.
"Wha!?"John turned around quickly, lighting his surroundings with his flashlight, trying to find the source of that voice. However, as he turned around, nothing or no one was in sight. John, still with the chills of feeling it, tried to relax.
"Relax, dude. Soon, you'll find help and get out of this forest. You'll look back and say: 'How could that happen?' And then, you'll laugh only at the thought of it." He tried to comfort himself. "Yeah. You'll laugh at it... a talking pony... a talking pink pony..." He started to chuckle as he kept walking.
Suddenly, as he stepped on a certain part of the ground, he felt stones under his feet. Leaning down to observe better, he blew away some leaves, just to find a trail made of stone, leading to another part of the forest. As he turned to start walking toward there, the fog suddenly dispersed on the way. It was as if the forest was inviting him to go in.
"So, you're gonna get walking or what?"
John turned around as he heard exactly the same voice than before. Lighting every single part of his surroundings, he tried to find the source of it. It was soon proven to be in vain, as he couldn't find anything. However, that voice.
...
John started to think that he had already hear that voice. And not too long ago. It was gloomy, but at the same time, sounded sweet. It gave him creeps just to remember it.
Shrugging, he just walked through the stone trail, being engulfed instantly by the fog. John suddenly felt again that presence. It was the feeling of being watched from far.
John turned to the sides to see if there was something over there. Suddenly, the same figure he saw in the road caught his attention. It stood in a hill not too far from where he was.
"Hey!" He called in an attempt to get the figure's attention.
The figure just turned its head to look at him. At that moment, John could see more of it. It was actually a pony! But in difference of the past one, it had its mane straight, covering half of its face, while its tail was also straight. However, as there wasn't too much light, he could appreciate much more.
John started to walk after it when suddenly the figure spoke.
"Don't!" John stopped on his track as the figure suddenly shouted at him. The figure didn't move from its place. Instead, it just remained in there, watching him from far.
John just got curious at that figure.
"Don't... what?" He asked loudly, just to make sure that the figure heard him.
"... If you do it... you'll get lost forever..." The figure said before turning around and walking away.
"Hey! Wait!" John said as he started to move his foot. However, as he turned his eyes to see the ground, he noted that he was on the edge of the road. Suddenly, he got the same sensation of uneasiness as he stepped out of the road.
Just as he put one foot out of the road, he turned around to see if everything was right. As he turned around, he didn't see anything wrong, so he moved his other foot. Again, he turned around to see if something was wrong. However, this time was surprised, for the stone road had vanished. Behind him only stood forest.
"What the!? Where's the freakin' road!?" He said as he started to panic.
"Roads don't move, silly." Said another voice behind him.
John turned around to see another pony. This one was grey with blonde mane and tail. Somehow, her eyes were crossed in a funny way, making her somewhat cute. However, John was surprised to see another pony in there. And it could talk, too.
"... You can talk, too?" John asked curiously to the pony.
"What do you mean? Everypony around here can talk!"
"Huh, yeah. That's what I've heard." He said as he remembered the pink pony. "Anyways... If the road isn't around here anymore... can you give me any directions?"
"I'm afraid I cannot."
"What? Why not?"
"Because I don't know where I am! I'm supposed to deliver this letter to somepony!"
John just sighed. Suddenly, an idea popped on his mind.
"Hey, you're delivering mail at this very moment, right?"
"Yep."
"I will assume that you just delivered a letter not too long ago, right?"
"Right."
John just smiled at the idea that he could find a house.
"Can you, please, tell me where did you deliver it?"
"Of course! It's... umm... " The pony suddenly started to look around with a confused expression. "... I think I forgot!" She said while turning and giving the human a nervous smile.
He just grunted in annoyance at the seemingly lack of memory from this pony.
" Ugh. Alright. I need to go. I have to find the road, again. See you later... um... what's your name?"
"I'm Ditzy Do. But everypony calls me Derpy Hooves. I wonder why."
"Yeah. I wonder." John said in a sarcastic tone as he turned around. "Well. See you later, miss Derpy."
"Yeah. Bye." The pony said before turning around and heading toward a hill. "I have to deliver this letter on that house, anyways."
John stopped on his track and turned back to see Derpy climbing the hill.
"Did you say that there's a house behind that hill?"
"Yeah. It's Fluttershy's home. There's a letter for her."
John suddenly started to run behind her. If there was a house, then he should be able to call for help.
"Mind if I tag along? I need to find some help." John said as he trotted at Derpy's side.
"Yeah, sure. I need some company, anyways. I feel all alone on this forest."
Just as they got to the top of the hill, John could see between the fog a small cottage, surrounded by a small river. The cottage also had around it what seemed to be bird houses.
"I see she's an animal-lover."
"Yeah. Hey, I need to deliver other letters. Can you deliver this one for me?" Derpy said while taking the letter and handling it to him.
"Uhh... yeah, sure." John took the letter and started to take toward the door.
"What a gentlecolt! See ya!" John heard her said.
"See ya?" John suddenly got surprised at seeing that Derpy wasn't around there. John just sighed and turned to the letter on its hand, addressed to some Fluttershy. "Well... might as well do something helpful." He said as he started to walk to the door.
However, at the time he got closer to the door, he noted that the windows were blocked by wooden tables. It seemed like if nobody had live in there for a long time. John turned to the door and lifted his hand, stopping all of sudden at the question of how to deliver it.
"Should I open the door or... knock in there?" He asked to himself as he contemplated the house. Suddenly, at the sight of something moving in the house, he decided. "I should knock."
So he did. He knocked a few times in the door. But at the third knock, the door slowly opened, revealing a dark room.
"Umm... hello?" He asked, trying to see something in the dark. "I'm sorry to disturb, but a pony named Derpy gave me this letter for some... Fluttershy. Does she live in here?" He asked, not being able to see a thing. So he just shrugged. "I'll just leave the letter in this table over here. Sorry for the annoyance this might have caused you." He said as he walked inside and put the letter in the small table. Suddenly, the only light in the room, being provided by the opened door, vanished, leaving the room in pitch black.
"What the!" John suddenly shouted while turning around, finding the door closed. A gloomy silence filled the room, making John more uneasy as he took out his flashlight. Turning it on, he lighted the room, searching for anything in there.
A sudden scream took him by surprise. It sounded feminine, while male grunts could be heard, too. John turned the light toward a door, seemingly from where the screams were coming from.
Reaching slowly for it, he opened it, only to reveal some kind of basement. John started to wonder if he should go down or leave. Suddenly, another pained scream was heard. John started to go through the stairs as fast as he could, only to find something that surprised him.
A pony stood in front of him, hitting another pony below him to death.
"You like that, bitch!? Huh!?" The pony said as he hit the other one again. "What about this!?"
"Stop! Stop it!" John said as he ran against the other pony, knocking him to the ground. "Stop it, right now!"
The pony looked at him with amusement, as if he never had seen a human before. Suddenly, what he was doing before came again to him.
"No, dude! It's not what you think! Stop!" The pony tried to take the human off of him. After a few minutes of doing so, the pony used his hind legs to kick the human off of him. "Stop it! Just listen to me!"
The human stood in where he was, covering his stomach in pain. After a few minutes, both of them got calmed, only observing each other at the only light that was in the room.
Suddenly, John saw something moving in the corner of his eye. It was the beaten pony, trying to stand again. John instantly rushed to help her. Seeing this, the other pony rushed to him.
"No! Stop it! She's gonna kill you!" The other pony said, before putting himself between the human and the other pony. John just eyed him as the second pony slowly got up.
"Let's get out of here." The first pony said, trying to rush the human out of there. "Come on! Before she awakes!" He turned to see the other pony, just before the other stabbed him with large claws protruding from her hoof. The first pony spit some blood before turning his head to the human. "...run ..."
John just observed terrorized as the pony in front of him took out his claws of the dead pony and then proceeded to behead it, the head of the dead pony rolling to John's feet. Then, the pony turned its head slowly toward John, revealing its face. John flinched as he saw the pony's face, which seemed like everything but a face.
The pony made a loud scream before running toward him. John turned around to try to run, only to be knocked to the floor by the pony. The pony lifted one hoof, which seemed to be fused with a long metal claw at the end of it, and tried to stab him. The human used his arm to block the attack, which made the claw to miss his throat by inches. The human suddenly saw something metallic at his side. Turning his head to take a better look at it, he saw that it was a crowbar. However, the pony didn't seemed to stop its assault.
"Stop it! I don't want to hurt you!" The human pleaded, trying to hold the pony as good as he could. The pony didn't seemed to listen, as it kept trying to hurt him. The human then realized something.
"I'm sorry..." He said before forcing the pony's hoof away and taking the crowbar. Making a swift movement, the crowbar on his hand found the pony's head. The human then fell limp to the floor, the pony following suit. The human took off of him the pony, sighing in relief as all of it finished as soon as it started.
Standing up, he took his flashlight and approached again to the pony. Soon, he could see what it was. It was really a pony. Or at least, something similar to a pony. Its skin lacked of fur, as well as his face seemed distorted. His front hooves had claws attached to them. John almost vomited at the sight.
Suddenly, a drop of water startled him. As he pointed his flashlight up, he saw that the ceiling was dripping wet. Suddenly, a pipe broke and more water entered in the room. John started to panic as the water got to his knees in a matter of seconds. He tried to get toward the stairs as fast as he could.
Running as fast as he could, he was about to reach them, when they vanished.
"What in blazes!?" John said as everything in the room seemed to vanish, only to reveal what looked like an hotel corridor with blood painted in the wall, as well as many things were scattered in the corridor.
John started to panic even more, for he remembered that place as if it had been the day before of that.
"How in Heavens did I got here?"
> Chapter 3. The Other World.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 3. The Other World.

As the human realized where he was, he started to panic more and more. It wasn't natural. That place had been demolished years ago!
Suddenly, his head started to ache, and he was forced to kneel from the pain. Suddenly, the corridor around him seemed to lose some color, to give place to a corridor clean and ordered.
John observed in awe as a kid ran through the corridor with a red and green ball on his hands. John saw the kid running toward him, until the kid suddenly stopped in front of him. His face suddenly changed from happiness to a grim of nervousness. Noticing this, John tried to comfort him.
"Hey. Relax. I'm not gonna hurt you."
"What the fuck are you doing!?"
The human turned around to see a strange man standing in front of him. The more John seemed to watch him, the more frightening the man seemed. John could only stay in there with fear as he heard the kid behind him start to whimper.
"But, daddy, I was just playing with my ball!" The kid said while tears started to fill his eyes.
"Play with it outside! It's not proper to use it inside!" The man growled before starting to walk toward them.
John suddenly stood on guard to prevent the man from doing something bad. Just as the man was mere feet away from him, John started to panic.
"Stay away from him!" John said as he got ready to attack.
Suddenly, the man passed through him as if he didn't exist. John got surprised at this. How could he just pass through him? it was impossible!
John turned around to see the man walking through the corridor, next to the frightened kid. Just as he passed next to him, the man threw a punch to the kid.
"Get the fuck out of my way!"
John could only watch in surprise and disgust as the man walked away as if nothing had happen, leaving the poor kid crying and whimpering. He felt something within him starting to emerge. It was a feeling that the swore to never feel again: hate.
"Hey, you!" He shouted at the man, passing next to the kid. "I'm talking to you, fucking bastard!"
The man just kept walking, until he reached a certain door and opened it, passing through it. John turned to see the kid whimpering, in order to try to comfort him. However, as he turned around, he found himself in another room. At the far corner of the room, a woman washed the dishes while humming a happy song. John suddenly felt chills running through his spine as he recognized that voice.
"... Mom?"  John got closer to inspect her. A tear escaped from his eyes as he realized that he actually was seeing his mother. "Mom!" He opened his arms to hug her, but all he felt was air as he closed them. He then tried only to touch her, but his hand passed through her as if she didn't existed, just like with that man.
Suddenly, both, John and his mother got surprised as the front door crashed open, revealing the same man than before. John started to feel again fear for him.
"You bitch! Watch better your son! He was playing indoors!" The man said while walking angrily toward her.
"Playing outside is dangerous! There are too many cars passing!"
"I don't care! It's YOUR son, not mine! But make sure that he doesn't ruin MY reputation!"
"How can you say that!? He's YOUR son, too!"
"No, he's not! He's just a bastard that you brought with you when you got into my life!"
"..."
"I swear. If I'd knew my life would have been THIS miserable with you at my side, I'd better married someone else."
John started to breath heavily. That feeling of hatred toward the man started to increase rapidly.
"Stop it, now!"
John tried in vain to hit the man in front of him, the one insulting his mother. However, his fist only made contact with air, as he realized that he couldn't touch anything.
Suddenly, the man turned away and headed toward the exit. Before he could take another step, he noticed a small face peeping in the room.
"The fuck are you doing in here!? I've already told you to get out!"
"Sorry, Daddy! I will leave now!"
"No!" The man rushed to the door and grabbed the kid by his shirt, dragging him inside. "Now you've done it! You're gonna get it, boy!" The man said while unbuckling his belt.
"No! Daddy! Please, not!"
"Peter, no!" The mother said while stepping between the boy and the man.
"Stay out of my way! I've already have enough of this son of yours! He always disobeys me!"
"You will NOT hit him, Peter." The woman stood in there with a serious face. "You'll have to get over me, first!"
The man didn't say anything. He just lifted his hand with the belt on it. "... So be it." The man said before lowering his hand at high speed, hitting the woman on her face.
"NO!" John rushed to stop the second hit, but he only passed through them.
Suddenly, he turned, expecting to see more of the crude image in front of him. Suddenly, turning around, he didn't see anything but the room, turned upside-down, with blood on the walls and things covering the floor. He just sighed and started to walk.
... What did just happen? What did I see? Why did I see my mother?... Wait... the boy... it was... me?
He started to think as he walked out of the room, entering again in the corridor. Suddenly, a round object in the floor caught his attention.
It was a red and green ball. John took it and inspected it. Suddenly, a thought came to his mind.
... Maybe... just maybe... If I had listen to him... I could have avoided what happened...
A single tear escaped from his eye, as well as the ball fell from his hands, making plastic sounds when it bounced in the floor.
It was my fault... It was my fault...
Another tear escaped from his eye, falling to the ball at his feet. Suddenly, the ball started to roll away from his feet. That caught his attention, as the ball started to roll seemingly on his own.
"What the...?" Suddenly, the room started to light again with a reddish light coming from the end of the corridor. John observed intently as the light became stronger, as well as more things started to move in direction toward the source of the light.
John just stood in there, staring as all the things went toward the light. Suddenly, the light seemed to shine brighter, as it took form in a transparent round object.
"I have a bad feeling about this." John said as he started to walk backwards, getting away from the light. Suddenly, a huge bookshelf near of the light started to move. Slowly, it was engulfed by the light, which seemed to disintegrate it on its interior. John then noticed a strong wind coming from his back, which started to shake his hair and his clothes. John started to wonder what was happening, when the light started to advance toward him, engulfing another bookshelf in the floor. It was then that he connected the dots. "Oh, FUCK!"
John gave an immediate turn and started to run away from the light. Turning his head around to see, he noticed that the light was getting closer to him. In a desperate attempt to escape, he started to run faster through the seemingly endless corridor.
John kept running as the same thought of before kept wandering on his head. He could see the face of his mother when the man hit her with his belt, he could see the red eyes of the man staring at him all the time. He could see the whole scene repeating itself again and again on his head.
Suddenly, a door at the end of the corridor caught his attention. Over it, a shining sign with the label "exit" shone. John just started to run faster as he felt the light getting closer to him.
At a few feet from the door, he suddenly felt on his hand a burning sensation, as if it were on flames. Turning around his head, he noticed the light just a foot from him.
Time seemed to become slower, as he fought to reach the exit. The sudden feeling of being engulfed caused him to panic, as he tried to speed up. After what seemed like an eternity, his hand finally reached the door. Turning the knob, he opened it with a lightning-like speed.
As he passed through the door, he suddenly felt his feet touching nothing. He couldn't hold a scream of panic as he started to fall to an infinite darkness, instantly filling his vision with black.

He opened his eyes, still trying to see something from the absolute darkness surrounding him. Suddenly, he felt something below him, something wet. As he got into his feet, he suddenly noted that there was water in the floor.
As he tried to identify where he was, a light turned on behind him. For a second, he started to panic as he remembered the red light, but started to relax as he noted a small flashlight under the water just behind him.
As he took it, he suddenly felt again that chill through his spine. It was in there. The same thing that had been following him since he entered the forest. Now he realized it: IT was the guilty one of him being in there. The hairs on the back of his head arose when he felt a breathing on his neck, as well as hearing low giggling.
"... You're so funny."
"Wha!?" John turned around as he heard again that voice. That feminine voice that always spoke to him when he started to get nervous. At first, he thought, he payed no attention to it, thinking that maybe it was just his imagination. But now, looking at what just happened to him, there was no doubt about it. Something wanted to wipe him out.
...
But what? Or who? Who have he hurt before? What did he do to deserve someone wanting him dead?
Suddenly, the same image of before, of his mother screaming in pain invaded his head, and the same words than before returned to him.
... It was my fault...
The flashlight on his hand started to dim, until it finally shut off.
"Oh, come on! Not again!" He shouted as he started to hit the flashlight, until a light shone up. The hairs on his back stood up as he realized that the light shining was of a reddish tone. He turned around to see a small swirling in the water, just from where the light was shining.
"Oh, no. Not again!" He shouted as he started to run away from the light. Suddenly, his eyes got locked on a door in what seemed to be the end of a corridor. Suddenly, the light started to move again toward him, even when it started to float over the water.
John started to run as fast as he could, being interrupted by the water. When the burning sensation got to his hand again, he sped up, taking the knob of the door and twisting it. His foot passed through, finding again no floor immediately, but finding a stairway under it.
With no time to lose, he put his other foot in the wooden stair and turned around to close to door, just when the light seemed to reach the end. John held firmly against the door, hoping to stop the light from entering. From the lower frame of the door, the red light of the object shone, signalling him that the light was still there.
After some nervous minutes passed, the light seemed to disappear from the other side of the door, John let go of the door, sighing in relief. However, he forgot that he was on a stairway.
"Wuf. That was clo-o-OOOSE!" He shouted as he felt backwards through the stair. Suddenly, while his body hit against the cold floor, his head hit against something cold, but soft.
Just as he opened his eyes, a light suddenly shone. John got up as fast as he could, trying to locate the source of the light. He sighed again in relief as he noted that the light was from a flashlight in the floor. HIS flashlight.
Turning around, he gave some steps backwards as he noted the body of the pony, still with the crowbar stabbed on its head. John took the flashlight from the floor and turned around to see the head of the pony who tried to warn him. Just as he started to walk toward him, he suddenly felt water falling on his head. Turning his head up, he watched as the ceiling started to get more and more wet.
"Oh, no. Not again!" He shouted as he went toward the stairs and got up as fast as he could. Opening the door, he suddenly remembered what happened on the other side. But seeing as the water started to rise its height, he opened the door and passed through it. He got surprised at the sight of the first room in which he entered to the house.
"... How?..." He asked as he started to panic once more as the sound of water running on the other side of the door.
Forgetting about his temporal confusion, he started to run toward the door to the outside.
In a quick movement, he got out, forgetting even to close the door behind him. He just kept running out of there. Out of that scary place.

John lost track of how much he kept running. He just wanted to get as far as he could. Just as he started to slow down, he turned around to see if there was something behind him.
Suddenly, he lost his balance as he tripped with something rather big on the floor. His face instantly bit the dust and leaves scattered on the ground.
"Oowie!" A feminine voice behind him shouted in pain.
John got on his knees and turned around, just to see a pink mass on the ground. Realizing what he had done, he turned around to offer help.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to trip with you!" John tried to apologize as he walked toward the pink being.
"Owie! No problem! Just watch better where you run to!"
John noted while he helped the pony up that it was the same pony he met earlier.
"Oh, sorry, umm... Pinkie, was it?"
"Yup! That's my name! You remembered it! You remembered it!" Pinkie said while hopping happily in place. In an all of sudden fashion, she stopped and turned to John. "By the way. Why were you running like a crazy mad pony?"
John then remembered why he was running in first place.
"Hey. Haven't you seen something bad over here? I mean, really, REALLY bad?"
"I don't know what you're saying, silly! Everything around here is really good! Even the animals are good!"
John just sighed and took a few seconds to think about what to say.
"Pinkie. I mean it. Where am I?"
"I've already told you! You are near of the town! You'll find help in there! Look!" Pinkie then pointed toward the forest.
John started to walk cautiously toward where Pinkie pointed him. In the distance, he got sight of something square. It seemed to be some kind of sign. Getting closer to it, he noticed that the road of stone was near of the sign.
He then proceeded to take a look to the sign. On it, there was something written.



Welcome to


Silent ponyVille.



He then noticed an equine figure standing in a hill not too far from him, standing in the middle of the stone road.
"... Welcome..." The figure said in a feminine and quiet tone, resembling a lot to the one of Pinkie. "... Welcome to Silent Ville..." The figure said before it was engulfed in a cloud of fog.
> Chapter 4. Welcome to Silent Ville.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 4. Welcome to Silent Ville.

Doors replaced with wooden tables preventing anyone to get in... or out. Windows were also blocked with thick wooden tables. Some constructions even had a quickly built second floor, seemingly to stay away from the ground.
Every single house seemed to be empty, abandoned... the city was desert.
At every single direction in which John looked to, he couldn't see a single house which didn't have a blockage on them. It was until then that he realized that the only sound in there was the wind running through the city and the occasional chirp of a bird in the distance. The fog was still present in the city, giving it a frightening look.
The ground moved under his feet every time he made a step, making a loud noise of rocks hitting against other rocks. The more he walked around, the more frightened he felt. And with good reason, for he felt again that presence that welcomed him.
"... Huh. Such a welcome." He said to himself while looking around.
While Pinkie told him that he might find help in there, it didn't seem like someone could help him. There wasn't anyone or anypony around there! In fact, it seemed like no soul had been in there for an eternity. Suddenly, his eyes focused on something in a wall. A red stain. He could only stare in fright at the possibilities rushing through his mind.
"The hell happened in here?"
The human couldn't take off his eyes from the stain. It seemed to cause a paralyzing fright in him. Suddenly, he noticed the trail of dried blood leaving that place, as if whatever had been killed in there had been dragged out of there. In curiosity, he started to follow the trail.

After a few minutes, he noticed the trail leading to an alley, as well as the limbless body of a pony in there. The pony had what seemed like police clothes. Even with it being a pony, John could compare it with a human police.
Suddenly, he started to hear something... A buzzing noise. Turning his head around, he suddenly noticed that the buzzing noise was static coming from a small radio in the police pony's belt.
Getting close to it, he finally could hear clearly the static of the radio. Just as he took off the radio from the pony's suit, the static became more and more noisy. Suddenly, he started to hear something else: hoofsteps.
John turned just in time to hear clearly the shadow of a pony walking toward the alley. However, for John's misfortune, the shadow also had claws on it, for the figure, with each step, made his claws to scratch the ground.
Turning frantically around, he suddenly noticed a fire stairway. Getting up as fast as he could, turning around to see the shadow becoming bigger and bigger with each step it took.
Finally reaching the top, he peeked past the border and saw what was happening in the ground. His eyes widening as he saw the pony who was entering in the alley.
The pony was, if not the same than he saw a while ago, very resembling. Its face twisted in a sickening way, his fur gone, replaced with a palish skin. John could only stare at it, wondering if it survived or if it was another one, both ideas frightening him to the core.
Suddenly, the pony stopped. Its ears perking and turning around, hearing something. It was until then that John noticed the radio's static sounding as louder as it could be. Rushing to turn it off, he turned just in time to hide at the sight of the pony turning its head toward him.
The radio remained silent, while his breathing tried to low down. John could only stare at the cloudy sky as he waited, hoping and praying that the pony would eventually get out of there.
After what seemed like an eternity to him, the sounds of hooves getting away from there got to his ears. Finally peeking from his hiding place, for his relief, John couldn't see the strange pony. Sighing, he got up and noticed something strange. As he turned to the sky, a few drops of water made it to his face and the ground.
"Great. Just GREAT! I'm being pursued by monsters, but if that's not bad enough, now it starts to rain." John thought to himself.
Thinking about getting back to the ground, he realized that the pony could still be around there. And judging by the last time, it wouldn't stop until one of both got killed. Thinking about it, he decided that it might be safer for both of them if he stayed away from the ground for now. He didn't liked the idea of killing another living being.

Turning around, he suddenly noticed that a window not too far away from him was open. He started to walk toward it when something caught his attention: the other windows were blocked by thick wooden tables. As the idea of getting in or staying out remained on his head, a thunder sounded in the distance, at the same time as the rain got heavier.
Not finding another choice, he turned to the window, grimacing as he tried not to do too much noise. Once inside, he noted that the room he was in seemed to be upside down, judging by the things scattered in the floor and the red stains on the walls.
"Hello? Is anybody here?" John couldn't help but feeling nervous. He just broke into an unknown's house. Least he could do was to make clear that he was in there.
However, as he walked around, he suddenly noted a small draft coming from the window. It was a fresh one, and with some dampness on it. Listening closely, he heard the sound of the rain just at the other side of the door. That made him curious as for why the rain could be heard inside of a building.
Opening the door, realization finally hit him as he watched that a part of the building was lost, giving place to a huge chasm.
"The hell?"John just stood in awe as he watched more closely. Turning around, he watched that the other part of the building still was present, giving place to a corridor where several things laid scattered in the floor. It seemed as if whoever lived in there made an improvised fortress with everything they could find.
Peeking from the upper part of the fortress, John suddenly caught a glimpse of a pink tail turning the corner.
"Hey! Wait!" John tried to climb as fast as he could.
Turning the corner, he got surprised at the sight of the empty hall. The pony had vanished.
John started to walk through the hall, noticing a stairway leading down, John supposed, to the first floor. Taking it, John could clearly see that the huge chasm affected the first floor, too, for a part of the wall seemed completely broken and in ruins.
However, something caught John's sight with much interest. There seemed to be some kind of bridge from some part of the ground beneath the house that lead toward the other side of the chasm, leading to another part of the city.
For his misfortune, John also noted that the bridge was too far for a simple jump to reach it. It was then that he noted that the bridge seemed to hang from what seemed to be a sewer.

Finally gathering the guts to get out again, he pushed open the door. In the middle of the street, an entrance to the sewer could be seen  Nervously, he took some cautious steps forward until he reached the sewer entrance. Getting in, he suddenly started to feel pretty nervous, for he saw the shadow of a pony in the corner of the building.
Soon, the putrid smell of the sewer reached his nose, making him to cover it with his hands. Finally reaching the end of the tunnel, the sound of the water hitting against the wall on the opposite side of the chasm filled the place.
As John stood in there, amazed and frightened by the deep of the chasm, the hairs on his head arose when he heard the sound of water splashing, signalling to him that something was after him.
With no time to lose, he turned and started to run through the bridge, stopping all of sudden when he noted that the bridge was pretty unstable. At each step that he took, the bridge started to swing in a very frightening way, not to mention the strong gust of winds which made the bridge to be more unsteady.
Suddenly, the sounds of hooves clopping in the sewer caught his attention.
Turning around, he saw a pair of eyes, which were lidded, but they just had a hint of craziness on them, making John more uneasy. Suddenly, he remembered those eyes. They were the same that he saw when he entered the forest.
Finally, the pony showed itself completely under the soft light of the day. John could clearly see her then.
"... P-Pinkie?" He asked as he recognized that pink fur, that darker pink mane and tale, as well as the tattoo-like printing on her flank. What caught him by surprise was the sharp knife that she wield on her mouth.
Spitting it, she took the knife on her hoof and started to walk on three legs.
"My name is not Pinkie." The pink pony said before entering the bridge, adding more weight for the fragile bridge which seemed about to break. "My name is... Pinkamena."
"What?" John asked in disbelief at the sudden change on her. "Alright, Pinkie. What's the game?"
"This is no game." The pink pony said before charging forward. "This is your end!"
"Hey, wait!" John said before the bridge started to shake with each step from the pink pony.
Suddenly, both of them turned around at the sudden noise of one of the rope holding the bridge breaking. Pinkamena, however, didn't seemed too affected by it, for she turned around and started galloping toward him again, knife on hoof.
Not seeing another option, John turned around and started to run as fast as he could to the other side of the bridge. That was until the other rope holding the bridge broke.
John shrieked in panic as he hung himself of a table of the bridge. Panting and still in shock, John suddenly noted a whimper below him. Turning his head, he noted that Pinkamena had stabbed a table, trying to hold as hard as she could with her mouth.
John then turned his head up to see the end of the bridge just a few feet from him. Still panting, John started to ponder what he would do.
"What do I do? What do I do? Should I let her fall of should I help her?"
> First option.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Still pondering about what to do, he suddenly heard a low whimpering. Turning his head down, he noticed that Pinkie, or as she called herself, Pinkamena, was trying to hold tightly to the knife, only for the knife to start moving out of its place.
"... Fuck." He cursed as he started to get down to her. "Hang on. I'm coming."
Pinkamena just looked up as John got closer and closer to her. In her eyes, a malicious idea started to form. However, just as she was planning what to do next, the knife moved another inch out of its place, causing her to shout, interrupted by the knife on her mouth.
John turned his head down 
"Hang on! Just, hang on!" He started to sped up, though the wooden tables seemed to make it slower. John started to pant as he frantically tried to reach her.
Just as he got to her reach, the tables below Pinkamena's position suddenly dropped, making him impossible to reach her body.
"Give your hoof!" John said as he hung with one hand and the other tried to reach for Pinkamena.
She slowly tried to prop her hoof up, trying to take his hand.
"That's it! Just... a little... more..." He said as he stretched as far as he could, while Pinkamena did the same.
Suddenly, just in a fraction of second, everything turned upside down, as the knife finally slid off of its position, Pinkamena shouting loud and John even let himself go of the table he was holding to, hanging of the final table in an attempt to reach her.
His hand was only inches of touching Pinkamena's hoof, but it only met air, as he watched wide eyed as Pinkamena fell to the chasm.
"NOOO!!" He shouted as Pinkamena's shout suddenly stopped and a loud crash sounded in the chasm. Soon, the sound of the wind was the only think that could be heard.
"... FUCK!" John cursed as his hand punched the rock of the wall, his eyes not moving from the place Pinkamena fell to.
Slowly, he started to climb up again.
> Second option.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Still pondering about what to do, he suddenly heard a low whimpering. Turning his head down, he noticed that Pinkie, or as she called herself, Pinkamena, was trying to hold tightly to the knife, only for the knife to start moving out of its place.
He was about to do something, he wanted to do something. But the knife on her mouth made him change his mind. Just as he started to climb up, the low whimpering of Pinkamena could be heard again, making him to turn his head again and see her eyes looking directly at his own.
"Sorry, but you wanted to kill me. What guarantee do I have that you're not going to kill me if I help you?" He said as the final inches of the knife slid off of the table, making Pinkamena to fall to the chasm with a loud and panicked scream.
He just sighed as he kept his way up.
> Chapter 5. Diamond caves.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 5. Diamond caves.

Panting, John climbed the remnants of the bridge toward the other part of the sewer. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to him, sweat covering his head and his lunges taking sharp breaths, he reached the floor.
Once standing again, having recovered from his panic attack, he turned back to watch once again to the fog covering the chasm.
"There was nothing that could have been done." He told to himself as he sighed.
Turning toward the sewer, he noticed the stairs leading up, seemingly, to the upper part. Deciding for it, instead of the dark and creepy tunnel ahead, he reached for the stair, starting to climb.
Suddenly, the stair stirred for a moment, surprising him. John could see at that moment the upper part of the stairs, which was heavily damaged due the water.
After a few moments, the stair finally failed, sending the lower part, along with John, to the ground. Turning his head to the tiny light which passed through the top part, John sighed in defeat.
"Guess I'm not going that way."
With that, John was left with only one option. Sighing, he started to walk through the dark tunnel, the infinite darkness almost instantly surrounding him.

"Seriously, what happened back there? What was that thing in the cottage? Why did I saw my mother... and him? Why did that light wanted to absorb me? I haven't done anything bad in my life... right? I mean, sure. Who hasn't done something which they don't regret later? Nobody's perfect, after all... right? I can't understand.
What about Pinkie? First, she was this lively when I met her... but then again, back to the bridge, she seemed like if she wanted to kill me. But... why? What were her reasons to behave like that?
...
Maybe she had reasons..."

Still lost on his own thoughts, John suddenly felt his feet touching air. With no time to even react, he started to fall. Once again, his only choice was to close his eyes in order to wait for the incoming hit.
However, fate had other plans for him. John opened his eyes to see a small light coming from the end of the tunnel he fell from. The light shone brighter and brighter until it became blinding to his eyes. Thinking it was his end, he prepared for the worst.
When he reached the end of the tunnel, a sharp pain of friction ached on his back, as well as feeling a wooden sensation scratching his back. Stopping all of sudden, he managed to open an eye, just for a drop of rain fall on it. Suddenly aware of his surroundings, he found himself in some kind of wooden platform which hung from a wall in a huge chasm. However, this one didn't seem to be the same than he saw before.
Once on his feet, he started to walk toward the border of the platform. Now, judging by the binoculars installed in there, it seemed like it was used to be touristic stop. Once in the border, he glanced down to try to see the end of the chasm.
"Pretty big, huh?"
John turned as fast as he could after hearing that voice. However, not too far away from him, stood a stallion with brown mane and white fur. A golden coin flipping on a hoof that he didn't use to stand, almost in a boring stance. John didn't know if he should trust that stallion, so he just played along.
"Y-Yeah... pretty big." He only answered, waiting for whatever might happen to happen on that moment.
"They say that down there are snake-like creatures living in holes, which attack in the moment they see something on the eye of their caves... You know the whole city of Canterlot could fit in here and there would still be left space enough to fit Manehattan in here?" The pony said in a seemingly repetitive tone as he stared into the chasm.
"Uhh... yeah. Look, I'm looking for a way to get out of-"
"Get out!? What are ya saying!? It's impossible to get out of here! There's no way!" The pony abruptly interrupted John, seemingly annoyed for something. The pony just sighed as his gaze returned to the chasm. "... Sorry. It's just... We don't have too many visitors in here... and the only visitors we have don't stay here for too long. They don't even reach the half of the journey."
"..." John just looked at him with suspicion growing upon him. "... It's alright... I'll just leave and let you be." John turned around, instantly finding a set of wooden stairs leading to an opening in the wall.
"Hey!" John turned at the voice of the pony calling for him. "Maybe you can take the Diamond dog's cart to transport you to the other side of the city. I've heard there's a pony in there who knows something about an exit. What's her name?... Vinil... something... I think she might help you."
"What for? I could just walk to the other side."
"Didn't you see the huge holes all around Ponyville? There's really no other way but to go underground."
Not seeing other option, John just sighed and turned completely toward him.
"Thank you, mister...?"
"Grey... Grey Hoof."
John just nodded his head and turned to leave, not before seeing the pony one last time, who just stopped playing with the coin and tossed it in the chasm, still with that bored face of his.

After a time, and annoyed of so many stairs, John finally reached the end of the wooden road, revealing a metallic door hidden behind a rock on the wall. After pushing the rock away, John was able to reach for the handle of the door.
Pushing it open, John started to get nervous at the sight of the inside of the cave: darker than the darkest night.
Taking out his lamp, he turned it on, instantly lighting the cave. He entered the cave reluctantly, almost like if he knew something bad would happen in the moment he set a foot inside.
Seeing nothing bad happened, he stepped fully inside, lighting the insides. On the roof, stalactites hanging. On the ground, stones filled the place. There were some parts of the caves forming walls, almost seemingly like a wall. Entering deeper, he suddenly turned around in time to see a pink pony closing the door.
"Hey, NO! WAIT!!" He ran as fast as he could, only for the door to be fully closed in front of him. John tried in vain to bang at the door in hopes that it would get open. Panting and tired, he just sighed. "... Guess I'm not going back that way."
Turning around, he started to walk  through the dark tunnels, which seemed to close upon him, giving him the feeling of uneasiness. Still, it didn't seem to be another way. He gave himself a few hits in the chest for the courage and kept walking.

For once on his life, he started to fear the darkness around him. It carried such an air of death and craziness. And it didn't help the fact that he felt like something was following him.
crack
John turned around at the sudden noise of a stone hitting the floor. As he kept walking backwards to see what made the stone fall, his feet suddenly, instead of stepping in dirt, stepped in wood. Turning around, he suddenly found himself in some kind of underground cabin. On a sign in the top of the cabin, it read:



Diamond Dog's cave.
A place to learn about diamonds!




"Diamonds, huh?" He said as he leaned closer to see another tunnel going further. "I have to see it by myself."
As he walked further through the tunnel, he realized that the tunnel was actually designed to be some kind of boardwalk. Seeing it, he actually could see that it had been a touristic place.
"Wonder why they close it... " He wondered to himself as he started to walk closer to the central point. Once in there, he found some wires on the floor, leading to a small cabin next to a souvenir shop. Getting in the cabin, he instantly saw some kind of power source. Pulling the lever up, sparks flew from the box, but in the outside of the cabin, lights could be seen.
Smiling at his current luck, he was suddenly distracted by a distorted voice.
"Is anypony there?" A female voice asked from a small radio in a small table. "Please... somepony... anypony... answer... My name is Vinyl Scratch... I'm trapped inside the mayor's office... if somepony can hear this... please... answer..."
John just stood in there as he thought about that pony he just heard. Grey had mention something about some Vinyl, but could this be THE Vinyl he spoke of?

As he got out from the cabin, he suddenly looked at his surroundings. In the center of the cave stood a huge stone that seemed more like a pillar than a stone. Getting closer to it, he saw a sign just in front of the stone.



Tartarus' obelisk.
This huge rock (standing at 14 hooves and 3 feathers) was found by the diamond dogs living on these caves. Not too long after finding it, the diamond dogs left, saying that the rock was a divine signal that they had dig far too deep, and now, they were at the Tartarus' doors. However, myths talked about the huge stone having a huge resemblance to the obelisk that stood in front of the Tartarus, receiving its actual name.
Unicorns are already investigating this stone, due to it having strong magical properties. It is highly recommendable not to touch it.




John just turned its head toward the stone, watching it intently. However, something in the wall caught his attention, for some glimmers could be seen on it. It was then that John realized that the whole cave had diamonds showing on the walls.
He couldn't help but stare in awe, admiring the beautiful show of titillating gems on the walls... that was until he caught sight of a reflection that wasn't made by diamonds, but by eyes.
John could feel all the hairs on his back standing at the sight of a pair of yellow eyes watching him from a hole on the wall. Slowly, a huge figure emerged from the hole, revealing what could have been a wolf or a dog, but with its skin completely bare. Its eyes lacked of life as drool dropped from its lipless mouth.
Soon, what john assumed to be a diamond dog, finally got out entirely of the hole, revealing its bulky figure, making a roar than made even the cave's foundations to tremble. Scared, John started to walk backwards, trying to stay away from the beast. The dog seemingly had other plans, for it started to run after him.
John, seeing that his life was in danger, turned around and ran.
"Oh, SHIT!!!"
The beast made another roar and started to chase after him through the endless caves. John tried his best to stay away from the beast, but it soon became hard, for the tunnels started to get smaller.
"Crap! oh, no!" He shouted as he started to crawl quickly through a tiny tunnel. Glancing back, he saw the diamond dog digging its way past the entrance of the tunnel. John started t crawl faster as he realized that the dog wouldn't stop until it reached him.
Finally, seeing some light at the end, he started to crawl even faster, the sounds of the claws of the diamond dog digging on the ground, getting closer to him, sounded on his ears. As soon as he got out of the tunnel, he started to glance around to try to find some way to get out of there. Suddenly, a huge boulder caught his attention, for it was just above the end of the tunnel. Picking a wooden plank, John quickly made his way to the top of the boulder.
With no time to lose, he put the plank between the wall and the boulder and started to push. Sweat started to drop from his forehead, trying desperately to close the entrance between the monster and him. Suddenly, the boulder was free from the stone wall, making John to fall backwards, along with the stone.
The dog didn't even had time to notice what happened, for the boulder dropped just as it was starting to get out of the tunnel. All John could listen before he hit the floor was the pained yelp of the beast as the boulder fell on it. As for him, his head suddenly hit the floor, knocking him out. The last thing he could see was the shadow of a pink pony standing next to a sign that read:



Diamond dog's cart.
The ultimate attraction for the family!
Follow this tunnel to the next checkpoint.
Be sure to ask the manager, Grey Hoof about the touristic travel.



> Chapter 6. The crystal museum.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It doesn't matter if you try to hide it... it was your fault.
Your fault
Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault.
Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault.
Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault.
Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault. Your fault.

"Wah!?" John opened his eyes, instantly noticing the darkness surrounding him. Waiting for a few moments, John could finally see the light weakly filling the tunnel. As his eyes finally got used to the weak light, his eyes focused on a pair of lifeless eyes right in front of him.
His eyes widened as the creature that almost killed him came back to his mind, sending a jolt of Adrenalin through his body, forcing him to jump back to his feet and back as fast as he could.
Once that he was at a reasonable distance, he looked at the two pair of eyes of the being who seemed to be staring right at his very own soul, only to realize the body they should be attached to was nowhere to be found. Only the head was present, the rest of the body had vanished under a huge boulder.
John sighed in relief as he got up, ready to leave all that behind. A flashing light suddenly pulled him out of his thoughts, as he turned around to see a small light bulb shining over a sign.




Diamond dog's cart.
The ultimate attraction for the family!
Follow this tunnel to the next checkpoint.
Be sure to ask the manager, Grey Hoof, about the touristic travel.




John's mind flashed with image of the stallion tossing the coin to the chasm.
"... Damn, but the entrance's sealed." John said as he walked towards the sign, noticing an arrow pointing towards a small wooden building with a big sign flashing under the same name as the one at his side.
Assaulted with doubts, he turned his sight to the cave (as little as he could see), searching for another way. That place seemed to set traps under seemingly important buildings, John deduced. Therefore, as long as he could avoid important-looking buildings, he might be safer.
Unfortunately for him, when one is trapped inside a cave, there are almost no other ways aside from the main one. Who knows how many of those side ways were actually closed caves with dead ends. Not to mention the fact that more of those diamond dogs could still be roaming out there in the cave.

With a long sigh, he glanced back at the shack. Not really seeing another option, he started to walk.

As he entered the shack, he noticed two things: It was definitely too small for him, seeing as he had to lean forward slightly just to be able to walk.
The second was that the shack was actually another tunnel, seemingly built to be some kind of museum, dedicated first to the diamond dogs, and then the ponies who seemed to work after the dogs left.
It was the later John stared at in confusion, seeing as the equipment the miner ponies had was strangely similar to the ones human miners had. In fact, even the pick was similar, only smaller.
"How does that even work?"
"We use our hooves."
John jumped slightly in shock at the voice behind him. Turning around, he saw another pony, this one wearing the very same equipment the one behind the glass had. That was strange enough, but the other thing John noticed was the heavy bag at his side.
"These are diamonds, in case you're wondering." The pony said as he started to walk past John.
"Hey! Wait!" John said as he ran after the pony. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
"The name's Silver. Silver Plate."
"What's with ponies and their names? Alright, Silver. Look, I'm looking for a way out of here, and... now that I think about it, how did you got here?"
"Ah work here, ya know. Digging out diamonds and all that stuff."
"Yeah, I noticed by the gear and all." John said as he watched the pony's back. "But what I meant is... Isn't this mine abandoned?"
"Yeah, it is abandoned. But there are still a couple of us that still are around here." The pony said as he got closer to a wall with a small twinkle on it. "Most of the others weren't that lucky."
John raised an eyebrow at that phrase.
"What do you mean with most of the others?"
"How many ponies have you seen in here?" Silver asked as he took his pick on his mouth. "Ah'm shure none offher, wight?"
John thought about Grey Hoof, and the pony at the cottage in the outside of the city. And maybe even Pinkie. And the... mailmare... Aside from them, none other.
"Hello? Can anypony hear me?" Both, John and Silver turned their heads towards a radio in a small table, where a female voice could be heard. "Hello? If anypony can hear me..." Before the female at the radio could end her phrase, static started to sound.
John took out his small radio, too, turning it up, searching for any signal.
"We're a couple hundred hooves down here, fella. Don't get your hopes too high." Silver said as he started to dig once again for another diamond.
All John could hear was static once again, but there was something strange about it. It seemed to increase in frequency at each moment. John's eyes widened as he turned to Silver, seeing him about to dig for another diamond.
In the fastest way he could, he stretched his hand, taking away his pick.
"Hey! Watcha doin-"
"Shhh!"
Silver watched in confusion at the human, until a strange sound was heard. Silver's eyes widened as he removed the human's hand from his muzzle.
The two turned at the end of the tunnel, where a red light started to shine.
"Oh, no." John said, a sudden chill running up his back as he looked at the light. Still with fear on his eyes, he turned towards Silver, who had the same look of fear as him.
"Mate... It's time for one of us." Silver said as he pushed the human off of him.
John stared at him in confusion, when he noticed the light becoming brighter. By instinct, both broke into a full run, going back towards the shack.
Suddenly, John noticed the pony going towards a small hole in the cave's wall. 
"Where are you going!?"
"Ya better look for another way, Mate. Yer too big for this one!" Silver said before vanishing through the tunnel.
John turned around, looking for another exit while the light shone brighter with every passing second. At last, he found some kind of door with the label "mining" on it.
Without a moment to lose, he made a full sprint towards the door, the red sphere of light now shining fully into the cave he was in. Once the door was fully into reach, John opened it quickly, allowing himself a glance back, only to notice something strange.
The sphere of light actually seemed to be inside the wall, while its movement was followed closely by a series of runes craved into the wall.

Fear overdrove his common sense, and instead of look for any other clues about what the light did next, his arms quickly pulled the door, sealing it completely. The static on his radio still was present, but it was almost ignored as John held the door shut with his body, sweating profusely as he hoped the door could resist.

Daring to look down, he noticed the light pouring out from below the door, signalling him the sphere was still on the tunnel. It was in vain, he thought. He had seen the light pierce through walls, to just phase through them as if they were nothing, just air. Then, if it was in vain, why did he insist so much on pushing the door.


Finally, after moments of tense waiting, the light finally vanished, while his radio stopped all the static that signaled him of any occurrence. Instead, it was replaced with silence. A silence which was broken with far sounds of water dripping down on another part of the tunnel, and even some rocks rolling down in the distance.

Those were the natural sounds of caves, under other circumstances, relaxing and calming. But no there, no. It was eerie, a reminder that a silence like that only meant that other things were out there, just waiting.

And that was the only thing he could do: wait. Wait for anything, be it good or bad. His nerves rushed as he watched the cave with concern, just as he waited for anything to jump at him.

Finally, after a few minutes, he realized only his imagination had been in the move for the moment. He was completely alone.

John sighed in relief as he finally let go of the door, finally allowing himself to take a breath. That moment of relative stillness was interrupted with one single sound that sent a chill down his spine: the lock of the door.

"Hey!" John instantly started to try and twist the knob, only to find it to be as resistant as an iron bar. "Hey! Open up! Silver! Is that you!?"

John's heart sank as he heard a feminine giggle on the other side of the door. It was a sweet voice, but it also carried a certain dementia to it. The fog and the bridge came to his mind as those blue manic eyes came back at full force on his mind.

"There's nothing left to do here~!"

John stared at the door for a few moments, waiting for something bad to happen, his body already reacting in the only natural way as he got on guard. Yet, that didn't happen. The door simply remained shut. Suddenly, another giggle.

"You have to keep going! The surprise is up ahead!"

John turned around and lit his flashlight, instantly seeing a sign on the wall that immediately caught his attention.




Now entering the immersion section of the mine.
Feel the life and sensations of the ponies who once mined here!




John turned his head towards the door, but sighed as he realized the pink pony wouldn't open it until he played by her rules. With no other option, he started to walk into the darkness of the mine.





It had been a while since John started to walk, and the only things he had seen yet so far, were more exhibitions of mining tools, carts and other stuff. In some parts he could see some mannequins with the shape of the little ponies he had met before, each and all of them with gear and a pick next to them.

Even with all the stuff he had seen, he couldn't just process how ponies were able to use a pick with their hooves.

Crack

John turned sharply at the sound, finding one of the mannequins had fallen onto its side, as well as some stones laying next to it. Just to be sure, John turned to the ceiling, almost expecting to see a pair of yellow eyes, just like before.

Much to his relief, no eyes were present. He let out a deep sigh he was holding back, afraid that it might alert something. His eyes drifted down, ready to get the mannequin back to its place.

Of course, had the mannequin been there.

His eyes widened when the only thing he could see in the dim light of the cave was the gear on the floor, but in the place of the mannequin, hoof tracks were only in there.

Instantly turning his flashlight on, he started to look everywhere with the light, only managing to find more tracks, but no mannequin. His hearth started to beat faster each moment that passed, by every turn he took to look at what had taken the mannequin.

Finally, after many tense moments of searching around, his eyes caught sight of something. At the other side of the exhibition, was a pony, staring at him.

"Uhh... hi?" John asked cautiously, causing the pony to lean its face slightly to a side. However, there was a loud cracking noise that was made when the pony turned its head.

Chills went down John's spine as he flashed the pony with his flashlight, revealing it to be the mannequin that had fallen over. Lipstick was used to crudely draw a sickening smile, while mascara had been used to mark where its eyes should be. Messy strips of a mop had been put into its head, resembling a mane.

The mannequin started to move once again, each of its articulations making sick cracking noises by every twist they made.

"... Y-Y-You are a-a-alive..." John's hairs stood up as he heard a sickly sweet female voice coming from the mannequin. "... H-How i-isss that... posssib-ble." John, though nervous, decided to speak with it. Any other thing might have already attempted to kill him.

"... I'm not from around here... I just stumbled upon this city after having an accident."

"O-Oh, w-we ssee..." The mannequin turned its head away from him, John assumed in deep thought. "... Sso you a-are... the one the p-pink one sspoke ab-about."

John's senses stood on edge at the mention of the pink one, almost expecting something to jump at him from the darkness.

"I-It's alright to b-be afraid..." The mannequin turned its head at him once more. "... But y-you do not have to be affraid of me... it'ss the otherss you m-must be aware."

"... Why?"

"... If they find you... t-they will want you to join uss..." John's nerves were already running wild with fear, but the mention of possibly dying definitely broke the calmness he had left.

"... I must get out of here."

"I-indeed..." The mannequin started to move once more, heading towards where it had been moments earlier. "... You will find a-a mining cart a-at the end of thiss tunnel... it will lead you to t-the other sside of the miness... you'll be ssafe there..."

As the mannequin ended its speech, John's nerves were once more racked as the makeup on the mannequin's face suddenly fell to the floor, with an almost liquid consistency.

Not really knowing what to do, and seeing as he wasn't dead already, he decided to follow the mannequin's advice, not that he had much choice. Steeling himself, he turned at another section of the tunnel, seeing as it was the one he had been pointed to.

Before he left, he turned to look at the mannequin one last time. If not for the fact of seeing it with his own eyes, the rows of seemingly lifeless dolls would have been intimidating but only that, not as terrifying as seeing one moving and talking like that.
But apparently (and without much choice), he decided to believe these... dolls were there to help him, or at least that one.

"... thanks."





About half an hour later, John was a nervous wreck, a deep feeling of paranoia filling him every time he saw a small movement, or heard something. Of course, being in a dark and creepy cave didn't help a lot, adding to that the creatures he had seen yet so far.

Still while pondering what he had done to deserve being in that place, John's ears caught more sounds of water dripping. Usually, when in a cave, water dripping down can be distinguished when it falls, as it makes a solid sound when it hits a rock, a stalagmite. But when it makes a metallic sound, it's far more surprising.

John's nervous expression was replaced by a surprised one when he turned a corner and found another wooden platform. As the others before it, it also had a barrier to prevent people... er, ponies to fall down, but in one section, there were a few missing boards.

Upon a better look with the help of his lamp, he noticed some signs at the side of the literal hole of the barrier.




Now entering
The mining cart.
An attraction for the whole family! Jump in and see with your own eyes the rest of the mine! See ponies on their usual agenda of mining and extracting the necessary diamonds.




"Not the most appealing description." John said in a flat tone as he moved the light ahead of the sign, only then noticing the iron tracks. The iron tracks! The cart!

John realized that this was what the others must have been speaking about! The cart that could lead to safety! To that other pony who could maybe show him the exit! Yes!

His excitement died instantly as he moved the light around the tracks, only then noticing something that made his heart not only stop beating for a second, but to also feel strangled, and a cold feeling to move up his spine.

There was no cart!

Looking ahead and behind through the tracks, there was simply no carts! Not even a couple of wheels, if anything!! Nothing!!!

John shouted in rage and desperation as he kicked away a small stone, the loud crack of its landing sounding what seemed like miles away. The last vestige of hope had just vanished, and he was left with nothing.

All the walking had been in vain, the fact he barely survived before had been in vain, everything had been in vain!!

He fell to a knee as he rubbed his head in desperation, trying to decide what to do. He couldn't stay there, for god's sake! He had to move away, he had to escape!

*Hiissssss*

The harsh chirring of metal scrapping against metal filled his ears, softly damaging them while he struggled to cover them, least he wanted to get deaf for life.

"HEY THERE!"

That voice... a cold chill ran down his body as he heard that voice again. With wide eyes, he turned to the tracks with a soft buzzing on his ears, instantly locating a small engine with several carts attached to it.
On the engine, with her sweet smile and life filled eyes was the pink one.

"Want me to give you a ride? It's free!"