Upon finding a mysterious door, Derpy and Carrot head to a place unknown to all. What they soon find out too late however, that their curiosity would soon put to risk not only their friends, but the entire fate of Equestria and the world around them.
Carrot and Derpy comes across an old book detailing of a door that appears in random locations all around Equestria every hundred years or so. Carrot isn't sure that the legend is real but Derpy's interest is peaked and in dragging her reluctant friend along, both set out to find it in promise of adventure and discovery. But some things are best left alone when they unwillingly awaken a thousand year old grudge that has its eyes set on all those who went against it. When the elements are rendered useless and the princesses are unable to protect their beloved subjects, the fate of Equestria and the rest of the world falls upon the hooves of the unlikeliest of mares.
The sky was bright as Celestia's brilliant sun showered it's rays down below her fellow subjects. Ponies went to and fro under the enlightening warmth of the summer doing business like always. Minding their own and chatting away with friends. In the sky not to far from the average little town of Ponyville, hovered above the mythical Cloudsdale.
Home of the weather manipulating ponies known as the pegasi. Built of clouds and rainbows, the place traveled through the sky following wherever the wind decided to blow it. It was here that Equestria's weather was organized and made.
In the city, a young blue mare who carried a rainbow colored mane whistled to her team. Watching the ponies that were under her supervision, speed through the sky at great speeds. Her eyes keened on their every move and motion.
“Raise those hooves up! I wanna see them working!” she shouted. Her face showing a bit of disgruntled disapproval.
The team blazed through the hoops one by one with a swish of air from behind them as they moved with speed. A heavily masculine pony with muscles of brawn, struggled a little but did just well enough in the eyes of his couch to pass. His tiny wings serving him little to accompany his large size.
“Come on! I wanna see you guys work!” Rainbow Dash as per her name, was growing agitated by the lack of effort that was being put in by her mates. Outside of the heavily muscular pony, everyone else did rather okay when she knew they could accomplish better. Her attention went to her side only to see a light blue, dark maned stallion eating a sandwich.
Her face immediately fell. “Don't stand around and do nothing! Get out there and work! You'll be having lunch in a few minutes anyway!” she nagged.
The stallion groaned and ate the last little bit of his sandwich. Throwing the last piece into his mouth and rubbing off the crumbs. He flew back into formation to join the others in their training.
“Geez, what am I'm going to do with you guys?” Rainbow grumbled. Hoof palming her face in irritation.
A yellow mare flew down and landed behind her with an orange fire like mane. “Hey, hey Rainbow Dash! Whats up?”
Rainbow turned around and smiled at the familiar sight of the young mare. The leader and recruiter of the Wonderbolts themselves that she had grew to love and idolized. Her eyes lit up at the sight.
“Hey Spitfire! Whats up?” she galloped towards her.
“Nothing much, just chillin' ya know? All of Ponyville seems to be doing good today.”
“Yeah! Today is Rarity's birthday party and all her friends are invited!” amusement showed on Rainbow's face.
“So are you going?”
Rainbow flew up into the sky and did a flip of excitement. “Totally! Especially since Pinkie is throwing it so we all should know that it's going to be awesome!" she squealed.
Spitfire chuckled at the excitement of her friend.
As Rainbow landed down from her cheerful spree, a stallion from her training routine fell hard on his behind. Landing on the soft clouds that served as ground to the pegasi ponies.
“Soarin!" Rainbow called. "What are you doing?” Ready to nag him again.
He rubbed his backside in pain. “Me? You mean what is she doing.” Soarin pointed a hoof to the sky were the trainees were trying their best to dodge a grey colored mare.
“Oops, sorry! I didn't mean too....” before she could finish her sentence, she crashed into another trainee.
“Not her again!” Rainbow grumbled. Recognizing exactly who the infamous mare was.
“Sorry, but I'm trying to find Rainbow Dash!” the gray mare questioned. The others were unable to hear or acknowledge the statement that had been made as they tried to organize themselves from all of the chaos. Flying and bumping into each other in a tangle mess of feathers and fur.
“Oh, for crying out loud! I'm right here!” the scream from Rainbow startled the mare but she smiled in relief that she had alas found her. She landed down in front of Rainbow Dash carefully to avoid creating any more trouble than what she had already caused. Flapping her wings slowly and gently as she stood in front of a barrage of confused looks.
“What do you want Derpy? Can't you see I'm busy?”
Derpy was a clumsy mare who for some reason, always attracted disaster wherever she went. She wasn't popular with most ponies but none dared to deny her kindness and generous attitude. Unfortunately, she was still an unwelcome guest among some.
“Sorry Rainbow Dash but I wanted to make sure you got this.” the grey mare pulled out an envelope from her bag and gave it to Rainbow who grabbed hold of the envelope. From a single glance, Rainbow doubted not that it came from Pinkie. It was decorated with an array of stickers and colorful glitter with her name written messily in black crayon. She opened it up only to be startled by a surprise attack of confetti. Stunned she shook her head and read the writing inside:
You are hereby invited to Rarity's ultra super duper all-time awesome amazing outstanding greatest of greats (even greater than Cheese Sandwich. Yeah I said It.) birthday party! Where: Crystal Empire Time: 10:00am to 7:00pm What Day: Tomorrow V.I.P Edition
Rainbow was taken back a bit by how simple and clean it was for something made by Pinkie Pie. Nonetheless so straight forward compared to the style of the envelope when she received it. She stood silent until realizing that it was probably due to Twilight's involvement.
After all, she did take some time to help Pinkie with the plans and invitations but unfortunately, not with the time to send them out. That will explain why they were delivered only a day before the party was set to begin. Pinkie was less than adept when it came to actually planning for a party.
“So what does it say Rainbow?” Spitfire asked curiously.
“It's an invitation to Rarity's birthday party and it's being held in the Crystal Empire and you know what else? I'm a V.I.P guest! This is so awesome!” she squealed in excitement. Holding the letter close to her chest.
"Is that so? I look forward to seeing you there."
"Your going too Spitfire?"
"Yeah. I figured I come. Most if not all of Ponyville got invited anyway's."
"As too be expected." Rainbow stated. “It's practically a public event knowing Pinkie.”
Rainbow made her way towards Derpy and scratched the back of her neck. “Sorry for snapping at you back there. I just wanted to say thank you for the delivering that invitation.”
The grey mare smiled and tipped her hat to Rainbow. “It's fine! I'm just happy to know that I made another customer happy! I better be off, I got more to deliver. See ya Rainbow!”
“Yeah...see you too Derpy.”
Derpy flew off but not without awkwardly flying into them again. Causing the trainees to be thrown off course. Derpy smiled as she blushed embarrassingly.
“Oops, my bad.” She whispered and with that, flew off into the distance.
Rainbow palmed her head with her hoof. “Oh, boy.”
Down in Ponyville, a pale yellow, orange maned mare was setting up shop. Her cutie mark in the picture of three bright orange carrots signified what she her talent was. It was harvesting time for the earth ponies and today was the best day to get it done and for good reason. it was the Annual Ponyville Open Market where earth ponies mostly and other farming equines came to gather as one and sell their crops.
With the sun shining bright and nothing more than the birds chirping to distract her from her work, she could pleasurably get things done for once. She had a knack for growing things, carrots mostly of course and knew more than enough recipes for them to keep an expert cook going for years.
Her stand was set, her wooden cart was parked and filled with carrots of different colors and her jar for coins was yearning to be filled with with the results of her hard work.
Carrot grabbed a thin blanket from her wagon and unfurled it to set it upon the ground. Upon doing so, she pulled three baskets from her cart and placed them on top of the blanket. She grabbed her carrots from the wagon and sorted them out into each basket according to color. Purple, red and the renowned orange into their own.
Becoming slightly bored with repetitive work, she grabbed one carrot out of the wagon, flicked it into the air and threw it down into one of the baskets according to their color with her tail. She hummed a melodious tune as she did the same to the rest. As she did these tricks to entertain herself, the ponies that walked around gazing at what the market has to offer, became onlookers towards Carrot's show.
“Hey Carrot Top! How ya doing?”
Carrot looked up and saw an orange mare with a blonde mane staring at her with a smile. Her cutie mark was pictured on her flank as three red apples. It was none other than Applejack herself who was the daughter of a line of great apple farmers. Carrot couldn't help but notice the baskets that were hooked onto her sides.
“Oh hey there Applejack! I didn't think my first customer would be you. Aren't you going to Rarity's birthday party?"
“Yep! I'm most definitely going. But first I wanna pick up some carrots for granny's ol' carrot cake!"
"I thought your granny made mostly apple pies not carrot cake."
"She makes those too! But every once in a while, she'll make me and my siblings her delicious carrot cake. My granny doesn't just know how to make pies you know! Only the finest of carrots can be honored with the dream of being in my granny's ol' dish and I know just the mare to go to for them!”
Carrot Top could not contain her pride and smiled wildly. “Well you came to the right place then!”
Carrot Top pranced on over to the basket of hers filled with orange carrots and plucked the brightest one from the group. She flicked them into the air and used her tail to smack them into the baskets Applejack carried. She did the same with the others. Bucking and throwing them up into the air and landing them in the baskets with near perfect precision.
Before long, a crowd had gathered to watch her gymnastics. Carrot continued her act for a while until Applejack's baskets were nearly overflowing. The carrot mare had lost herself in her own show.
Applejack counted her carrots. One...two...three...twelve. More than enough for her granny to make her cake. Considering the large size of them all, it was more than enough to probably make two or three.
“Alright then. That's all I need.”
“Are you sure?” Carrot asked. Panting a little between breaths.
“Yep. I'm mighty sure! We only needed six but these are good enough. We'll just use the others for dinner.”
“I'm glad I was of service. Considering how you guys specialize in apples, I'm surprised your interested in carrots.”
“Well, many think that just cuz' we got apple in our blood we ain't good at anything else. After all, we got oranges in our family. We know a thing or two about other produce.”
Carrot let loose a chuckle. “I hear you Apple.”
“Well, I'll better be off right now. Thanks Carrot Top!” Applejack said goodbye as she walked off with the heavy baskets hanging from her sides. Carrot waved goodbye to her before she found herself suddenly swarmed by the same crowd that was watching her. All wanting to buy her precious produce that she had prepared for the day. They rambled orders and pointed money towards her face. Their voices mixed and matched in confusion as each tried to tell her what they wanted and how much.
"Whoa! Whoa! One at a time now. I'll l be able to get to you all much faster one at a time." Carrot didn't like having her personal space invaded but as the wanting ponies lined up behind each other, she felt content enough to go back to work. Using the same tricks and stunts that she had done for Applejack's fair share of carrots, she rolled, kicked and bucked them into the air.
Not missing a shot as they fell into each customers bag, basket and sack. Lost in her acts once again, the day moved progressively fast. The sun in the back beginning to give way to Luna's dusk. Fading away slowly and gently beneath the horizon.
As the day reached it's afternoon, Carrot plucked the last carrot she needed and smacked it into the last customer's basket. He smiled and threw a gold coin into her overflowing jar before leaving.
She wiped the temple of her head. "That should be the last one."
She waved him off and took a deep breath as fatigue gathered in her legs. She picked up the jar of change and spilled it into a bag. Later putting it in her wagon and begun to dislodge her small shop. Taking down the banner and signs scattered about and throwing them into her wagon.
"Maybe I should do tricks more for when I'm doing my other sales." She told herself while smiling.
Carrot placed the last few pieces of her shop set into the wagon and begun to hook herself up to it, preparing to make her way back home. However, her trip back home was to end abruptly.
“Whoa! Look out!”
Carrot looked up at the sky with a confused look but before she could react, she was thrashed up against her wagon. Toppling over the wooden carrier and spilling out the contents onto the ground. The mare's hard earned money was everywhere. Carrot emerged from beneath the pile of debris and gave an angry look to the mail mare who returned it with a wary grin and blush on her cheeks.
“I'm sorry. I've been trying to control myself, but I was caught in a gust a wind and just when I was about to maintain control I spun out! I'm truly Sorry!”
All Derpy received from her was a sigh. Carrot was use to Derpy's destructive nature but was still, nonetheless, annoyed by it. She went out of the pile and brushed herself off before going back to pick up her fallen materials. Placing a fair amount into the wagon as Derpy watched silently.
Still feeling guilt, Derpy zoomed over to her friends side.
“Let me help you with that!”
Carrot said nothing as Derpy swiftly picked up the banner that laid fallen and climbed onto the wheel of the wagon. Attempting to drop it into the cart. Unaware of the wobbling motions of the old fashioned vehicle.
“Derpy! No!” Derpy glanced her way with the banner still in her mouth only to be thrown back by the sudden tumbling of the cart. Spilling out the small amount of contents and falling over on its side. Derpy grinned and blushed embarrassingly. Agitated, Carrot pushed her friend to the side.
"You stay over there while I handle the rest." she walked away with her head hung low as she frowned.
"But it was me who caused it! I should-"
Carrot struck a fast glare to her friend who closed her mouth.
"Just. Be. Still."
Carrot went to finish picking the spilled contents off the ground and gathering the money. Placing them all back where they belonged. Finished, she strapped the buckles onto her that helped to carry the cart away. Seeing that she was done and had calmed down, Derpy approached her who held a happy smile in front of her.
She sighed. "What is it now Derpy?"
“I was just wondering...”
"About what?" she raised an eyebrow. The sun setting further down in the background.
"You see I wanted to check out some books from the Canterlot library, mainly fairy tales to read to Dinky, so I was wondering, will you go with me! To the Canterlot library?!”
“Not right now!”
“Of course not right now! Later on! Like, tomorrow!”
“Why can't you just go by yourself? You went many times before by yourself so why not now?” Derpy clopped her hooves together and looked to the side with a hint of pink staining her cheeks. “Well, the last time I went to the Canterlot library I was trying to get a book from one of the top shelves so I used a ladder....”
“And?” Carrot pressed her friend further. Her eyebrows furrowing.
“....I ended up making dominoes out of the book cases."
"How did you-, I'm not even going to ask."
"The librarian said that the next time I come over, I better have someone with me and I couldn't find anyone who was interested.”
“That would explain why the library was closed for an entire two weeks." Carrot mumbled.
“So will you go with me?"
“I don't know...”
"Please Carrot!" Derpy pleaded. Staring at her with big, bubbly eyes.
Carrot gave in. "I guess I'll go but before I do anything I want to get home and drop off these supplies. Care to escort me?”
“Sure!Why not?”
“I'll go with you tomorrow. It's getting dark anyway so you can spend the night over my house. And by the way, I have Muffins!”
Derpy squealed in excitement. "Are they blueberry?”
Carrot giggled “Of course! You think I'll forget? It's your favorite after all."
As the sun arose across the horizon, the bright rays of the sun penetrated through the window that sat above Derpy's bed. Hearing the tweets of the birds infiltrate the spare room, Derpy slowly sat up in the bed a bit dazed with her mane messy and ruffled. She glanced outside the window and looked about Ponyville. As the small window was open, she said hello to the small two birds that looked at her curiously.
"Hello little birdies." she blinked slowly. Smiling as they turned their head.
Derpy blinked and gasped, scaring away the two small birds as the thoughts of what she was suppose to do today with Carrot came storming back. She quickly stepped out of bed but in her rush, ended up tripping on some of the blanket instead. Her head laid pressed against the floor while her eyeballs spun around. She picked herself up and shook her head trying to place her spinning orbs back like they were suppose to.
After regaining her balance and recovering from the rather embarrassing incident, she shot her way through the short halls of Carrots home and to her room. Swinging open the door she saw her friend in a rather peaceful slumber. Her mouth opened wide as drool pooled onto her pillow.
“Carrot! Carrot!”
Carrot's eyes shot open at the violent shaking her friend was given her.
“What Derpy!? What?!”
“Today's the day we go to Canterlot Library like you promise!”
“Oh yeah.” she yawned. Face still droopy from waking. “That.” she looked to the clock on her wall which showed eight o'clock.
“Derpy.”
“Yes.”
“It's only eight o'clock.”
“Yeah.”
She stared blankly at her and Derpy did the same.
“Nevermind.”
Derpy let go of her friend and Carrot begun to straighten her bed. “You didn't need to wake me up so early. You had me thinking that it was way pass three or something.”
“Sorry. I really don't want to miss out.”
"Miss out on..." Carrot sighed in defeat. “It's fine but next time, don't panic so much. Geez, you nearly scared me half to death.”
"Sorry."
Carrot chuckled. "It's fine Derpy." Carrot finished pressing the last few touches on her bed. “Come on, I'll go make us something to eat. Since it's Sunday, the train for Canterlot won't be running until twelve anyway and so once we're done we can head out. Done deal?.”
"Done deal!"
When they finally arrived at the Canterlot library they were greeted by large clear glass doors. Derpy took the initiative to knock on them. The sound, resounding through the inside. A medium brown mare with glasses on and a cutie mark in the shape of a bookmark peeked from over her spectacles. The Canterlot Librarian glared at Derpy who immediately pointed to Carrot knowing of what she was going to ask her. She sighed and got up out of her seat. She walked towards them with a steady speed and lit up her horn. Using magic to open the wide doors and allowing them in.
“I hope you learned that next time you want a book from the top shelves you can just ask and we'll get it down for you Ms. Derpy.”
“Understood Ms. Books Smart.”
The librarian went back to her desk, sat down and continued checking in returned books. Not paying much mind to the wandering two. Carrot's eyes wandered around the large and tall bookcases that held colorful books of all types. From history, legends, tales and novels, there was a book that laid somewhere for all interests.
It was neat and tidy. So much so, that the light that beamed in from the multiple windows that lined the walls seem to reflect back on itself. An elevator near the end of the library led to the second floor. It definitely earned it's title of being the largest collection of books in Equestria.
“I didn't expect the library to be, be so...big!” Carrot said in surprise.
Derpy nodded in agreement. “Yeah! It is the part of the royal library after all. This one, however, is more open to the public then the Canterlot Archives in Canterlot Castle. Everything here is coded and organized.”
“I didn't think it'll be so tidy either. Well, at least this tidy.”
“That's unicorns for you. Considering Canterlot's filled with them, it's not surprising.”
“Well, where do you want to start?”
“In the storybook and fantasy section of course!”
Derpy galloped in front of her friend and Carrot followed slowly after her. Eyes continuing to wander across the neat and polished ebony bookcases. Taking in fully the sights of the glistening interior.
Right when they were about to go through the books a certain mare walked in with guards at her sides. Her mane and tail sparkled pastel colors of pink, blue, purple and green and she stood nearly a foot taller over her escorts. Gold shoes adorned her hooves and a matching regalia on her chest with a purple gemstone shone brightly like the crown on her head.
“Princess Celestia!” Derpy and Carrot said in unison as they approached the tall mare.
Both bowing down before her. Showing their respects to the ruler of the sun.
“No need to be so formal young mares, I am only here to say a simple statement. Despite what I heard of your, accident,”
Derpy blushed. Scratching at her foreleg.
“I have been noticing that you are only one of the few who visit here regularly Ms. Derpy. You come here mainly for a young filly by the name of Dinky yes?”
“Yes your majes-I mean Celestia.”
Celestia chuckled. “All I wanted to say was that you are most welcomed to check out as many books as you like and stay here as long as you like.”
The librarian's mouth dropped open. A her countenance was one of unbelief knowing of Derpy's previous destructive power that she unleashed in the library. The Princess was truly a benevolent character for if it was up to her, she would quickly have Derpy in and out in a short time. Unable to ban her completely she could at least make it a compromise her way in particular. Unfortunately, she had no say in the matter as her highness wishes undid her own.
Derpy ran up and hugged the princess. A tear nearly forming in one of her closed eyes. “Oh thank you Princess Celestia! Thank you.” Celestia was slightly put aback by the kind gesture but gave a gleeful nod in response. “You are welcome but now if you mind, I must get going. I have work to attend to back at the castle.”
Celestia proceeded to exit the room along with her guards but not without giving a small grin to the librarian who hid her face behind a book. Grumbling about her majesty's decision. She wondered if the princess did this just to irk her nerves. In short reply, the princess merely chuckled. Shutting the glass doors of the library before flying off in her golden chariot that was parked right outside.
Derpy and Carrot took hold of the opportunity Celestia gave them and raided the library trying out all different types. Ms. Books Smart cringed at the minor destruction they we're doing but had no choice but to tolerate it. Biting her tongue outside of grumbling about the entire incident. They went through all the types of genres that lined the ebony shelves. Storybooks, pony tales, history and even spell books. Derpy was interested in every book she picked out and read each one, or at least tried to before her eyes caught onto another. Seeming to have forgotten her main purpose of choosing a book to read to Dinky.
Carrot too was doing her part finding storybooks for Derpy to read but both eventually lost track of time and begun to get invested in each book. Time passing quickly as they went through book by book and case through case. Eventually succumbing to their wandering thoughts.
A soft collection of warmth illuminated the now darkened quarters of the library. The walls were lined with the soft glow of lit candles as they elegantly beamed through Luna's night. Dancing along to any wind that may have blew in from the outside. The blinds of the previously uncovered windows, now laid down as the glass doors themselves laid covered as well by two black, long sheets. Even the small counter where the grumpy librarian had sat not to long before now remained empty.
Carrot had fallen asleep on one of the many pile of books that she and Derpy had created. Half her body limping across one of the messy stacked books. Derpy on the other hoof, stayed completely invested in the multiple books that she had taken off the shelves and gathered next to her. Her pile of literature much bigger than the pile that her friend was now using as a bed. Derpy yawned and closed the book she was reading. She looked at the clock and with sleepy eyes, got up and trotted over to her sleepy friend.
“Hey, wake up.”
Carrot didn't move.
Derpy shook her a little.. “Hey, Carrot, it's time to get up.”
Carrot slowly begun to blink, sitting up and scratching her eyes. “Hm? What is it?”
“It's ten o'clock...pm.”
"What!?" Carrot Top jumped at the news, quickly pulling herself together. “We were here for that long?!”
“Yeah. The moon's already out.” Derpy pointed to the one uncovered window which showed the tiny glimmering stars and full moon.
“Come on, lets go then. You can spend the night again at my place.”
Carrot and Derpy gathered together the books and begun to put them back onto the appropiate shelves from whence they were taken. Making sure to not leave traces of their mess behind lest Ms. Books Smart is given reason to put them up for a trial. After double checking their area for any traces of them that may have been left behind, they made their way to the exit.
But before they could leave a certain figure stepped through the black clothed doors. It was the very princess herself smiling contently without the presence of two guards next to her.
“Are you ponies about to leave?"
“Oh yes your majesty.” Carrot answered. “We were just about to head out towards my house."
“Why leave when you can stay here for the night?”
Derpy and Carrot Top looked at each other in shock.
“Sta-stay here? For the night?” Derpy questioned. Unsure of what she was hearing.
“Of course I do." She said with a smile. "I will be sending some keepers of Canterlot castle to deliver you some blankets and pillows and any other things you may need. If you need anything just ask. Guards will be outside the doors shall anything happen.”
The young mares smiled.
"Thank you your highness." Carrot and Derpy said simultaneously. Bowing down to pay their respects.
"I will be on my way but do enjoy yourselves young ponies. There is a fire place by the way in the back. So if you get cold, do not hesitate to use it and please, just call me Celestia." with that last statement, Celestia exited out of the doors as they closed behind her.
The servants of Celestia that she said she would send, bought blankets and pillows for both of them and hot chocolate as they have requested. They wrapped the blankets around their bodies and snuggled up in front of the librarian fire which Carrot had started using one of the surrounding candles. They both enjoyed the warm glow as it shielded them from the cold summer night. Taking sips of their hot chocolate and snuggling even deeper into their thick blankets, they pleasantly enjoyed each others company.
"Derpy, did you find any books that you could read to Dinky?"
Derpy sighed. “Unfortunately no but I did find some interesting books on something historical.”
“You did? Can I see?”
"I would show you but I can't remember where I placed it....” Derpy looked up, trying to remember.
"Don't tell me you put it away."
"Well I wasn't expecting to check it out! Nonetheless spend the night here."
"True that."
"Lets see, lets see..." Derpy hooved her head as tried to recollect where she may have placed the volume. “Hold on! I think I know now!"
Carrot watched as her friend unraveled herself from her blankets and bolted behind her three bookcases down. Digging through the novel section. All the way in the dusty corner of the lined bookcases laid a beaten up book whose pages lied faded. Derpy, seeing it was the one she was looking for, took it and zipped back to her friend.
"Its a textbook..."
"Yeah, I know."
"The thing looks old and dirty, how old is that thing?"
"The publication on it says that its about three years old. It use to be a university book I suppose."
"I didn't think you were one to read boring ol' textbooks Derpy."
"I'm not but its a last resort when your curious about something."
"Alright then...then what is it that peaked your interest?"
Derpy flipped open the book. Speaking as she tried to find the page that raised her curiosity.
"Theres a passage in the book that details of a kingdom from a long time ago that ruled north of what would later be known as Equestria."
"The north? Where the Crystal Empire now stands?"
"Yeah. Here!" Derpy hooved the page that contained the beginning sects of information. "It states that a vast empire, bigger than the Crystal Empire was settled to the north of the land of what is now Equestria. So yes, it was in that exact location."
"Did it have a different name?"
"The book states that the definite name of the empire is unknown but resources claim that it went by the name of the 'Iron Empire' due to its strength. It specialized in military power and had run ins with other outside kingdoms seeking to obtain the land and wealth for themselves. This vast empire existed long before the princesses and even the Crystal Empire came into being and stretched along the entire premise of the northern lands. Engulfing both the bovine and yak kingdoms which lays in the snowy mountain regions."
"Geesh. That's way less than the Crystal Empire can hold claim to."
"Isn't it? The vast empire was ruled by a pony mare, an earth pony, who was said to have contain 'mysterious magic'."
"Mysterious magic? What did they mean by that?"
"I don't know. The book itself doesn't say much on it but...." Derpy read the text. "'Records seem to indicate that the mare's power was vastly unknown to many as the earth pony was able to use magic very much like that of a unicorn. Her magical abilities even surpassed the well known wizards of the day. This made unicorns, mostly of the gentry, show contempt for her. Seeing as an earth pony had such capabilities that should have remained exclusive to them.'"
"The gentry...I'm guessing the rich ones?"
"Guessed it right."
"So we know that the ruler was one of great talent for an earth pony and that they used magic much like unicorns. We also know that the empire was vast, great and wealthy. I'm guessing this was still during the time where ponies were largely prejudiced against others. Anything else?"
"No, not really..."
"Really? Nothing else?"
"It's not like there's nothing it's just isn't much more information to go on to go deeper into those questions. The textbook itself states that there is very little information to go on outside of sporadic reports and entries by those who visited the empire. Most of those journals were either missing information or have long since been gone from evidence. Especially after the disappearance of the kingdom."
"Wait, the empire disappeared?"
"Yeah. Its stated that the ruler had a sibling, a sister by the name of Aestiva Albus meaning 'summer white' in the kingdoms ancient language. The sister ruled alongside her sister but mostly stayed out of the spotlight. There are reports however that she was very humble and cared deeply about her subjects. Hating politics and court duties, she instead engrossed herself in making friends and getting to know her kin. The royal duties were placed on the eldest sister, the main ruler of the empire who was known as Tempest. Unfortunately, she was struck with an illness."
"An illness? What kind?"
"It...does not say. It states that the queen's sister was confined to her room for the entire few years that the disease ravished her body. Physicans, workers of magic and every doctor came to see her as per the queens request but couldn't cure her of her debilitating ailment. When they couldn't, the queen turned violent against them. Eventually, the queen turned to the use of 'forbidden magic' to try and save her sister in desperation."
"Dark magic?"
"Safe to assume so. However, she just couldn't be save and all of a sudden, the queen and her subjects went mad, seeking to destroy as many kingdoms as they could. Assembling together, the army made it's way through nations and lands. Many believe that the whole kingdom was under some type of curse from the dark magic the queen was dealing with. The princesses of the south sought to bring an end to the rampaging marches of her army and purge them of their madness but when they attempted to use the Elements of harmony to do so, the kingdom...suddenly vanished."
"Sounds like what happened to the Crystal Empire."
"Ironically so and if that wasn't good enough, it ends saying that a part of the empire was left behind. The entire ten miles of the kingdom that surrounded the crystal heart was protected."
"The empire had the crystal heart?" Carrot said with shock. "Are you sure this empire wasn't the Crystal Empire? Perhaps the Iron Empire is just reference to the the strength it had back then."
"I would like to believe that, but history being one of my favorite topics..."
"Your favorite topic is history?" Carrot raised an eyebrow. "Since when?"
"It always has! I don't just read comics all day you know!"
"Sure you do." Carrot sipped her mug while smiling. Derpy had completely forgotten about hers despite the liquid having gone cold.
"I read plenty of other books. Like Daring Do! Or The Fantastical World of Wizard Dunmore!
"Derpy, those aren't exactly history books. There historical fiction books based off of real stuff. Will at least the Dunmore one, the Daring Do one is completely made up....I think."
"It's not. Daring Do actually did those things! She admitted it herself!"
Carrot raised an eye. Such books never entertained her much anyways. "If you insist. I wanna hear more about this kingdom though. What do you think on this empire?"
"Well, before I was interrupted..."
Carrot gave a 'hmpf'.
"Crystal Empire history states that it wasn't founded until Princess Amour came into power. The ancestor of Cadance who was alive during Sombra's time. I believe that the remnant of what was left of the empire came to be what is now the Crystal Empire."
"It had the crystal heart though? Where they get it from?"
"Nopony really knows about the history behind the crystal heart. We know it contains powerful ancient, magic but where from or who crafted it is unknown."
"Got a point. The Crystal Empire probably obtained the heart from the 'Iron Empire and the Iron Empire from....I guess we'll just won't know."
Derpy stared at her book.
"Whats wrong?" Carrot questioned with slight worry.
Because there was nothing left to read in the text book to read that was interesting, I decided to dig through the rest of the historical sections and came across a book about strange artifacts and magical objects."
"Do you have the book on that with you?"
"This time yeah." Derpy grabbed the book from beside her and placed it down after pushing the textbook out of the way. "There was something that was really interesting. More so than that strange kingdom."
"And that is...?"
"In the section describing strange objects, there's a description describing a strange door thats been appearing every hundred years in random locations all over Equestria."
"Wait, who in the world would live that long to know?"
"Celestia and Luna."
"Welp, that explains it."
"Apparently, before they themselves knew, a report of a strange door had came in within fifty years of their early reign . When they first heard about it, it was from a a pony who came across it while in the Everfree forest. At this time, the Princesses resided in their old castle. Celestia, Luna and Star swirl apperently went to go check the door out, but was unable to do anything about it. They couldn't open it using their magic nor could Starswirl."
"So what did they do? Just leave it?"
"Well not until they knew it was a lost cause. They instead got an average unicorn to open the strange door and it work. However, when Celestia, Luna and Starswirl tried to enter through the door they couldn't."
"Did they send the unicorn in?"
"No. Celestia and Luna stated they didn't want to risk the life of one of their subordinates as they didn't know where the door led to. They tried to cast a spell on it but it didn't work either. It seemed immune to nearly everything they did."
"How about destroying it?"
"They tried that too but the magic just deflected it back at them. Strange enough, it didn't work for Starswirl either..."
"It worked for the other unicorn."
"Yeah, I don't know whats up with that. Eventually, unable to do anything else, they left it be. They eventually came back to the door the next day to try something new, but saw that it was gone. Only to appear again in random locations. All other information surrounding the door is a blatant mystery. All that is known is that it appeared fifty years after the disappearing of the empire. It seems to have a set time as well, about a hundred years as described by Celestia and Luna who came across the door more than once. All of this information was from the journal of Gallopio, the famous pony adventurer who came across the door and chatted with the princesses on what it was."
"So like you said, that door is still around?"
"Yeah."
"That must suck, not knowing what to do with a strange and mysterious door that appears all over your kingdom. Who would have known." Carrot took another sip of her mug. Letting out a nice endowed sigh before paying her attention back over to Derpy who was focused on the book intently .
"Is there something wrong?"
Derpy merely looked at her.
Carrot raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay Derpy?"
Derpy's face contorted into a wide grin.
"Derpy, your freaking me out."
"I was wondering...."
"No."
"Oh, c'mon Carrot! You didn't even give me a chance to speak!"
"Knowing you, it's probably one of your crazy ideas."
"Well...I wouldn't call it particularly crazy...
"Derpy." she stretched.
"Since were reading about this magical door...." Derpy's eyes grew large with sparkles. "How about we go out and see it for ourselves!"
Carrot let a small frown show across her face. "Derpy...how do we even know the door will be there when we show up? How do we know it's been a hundred years or whatever?”
"We won't know unless we try! Think about! Maybe it leads to a new world or something! It could be awesome!"
"And where are we even going to start? What, are we going to travel all around Equestria hoping we find it every year?"
"No..... we can start in Everfree!"
"In the Everfree Forest? It's not safe!"
"There hasn't been any recent reporting of ponies getting hurt! Besides, its more unsafe at night anyway. We'll just go during the day!"
"Either way, we shouldn't take the chance." Carrot took another sip out of her mug only to get a look at Derpy's sulking face and wide puppy eyes. She sighed putting down the mug before opening her eyes to take a look into it.
"Derpy, this is ridicoulous. We can't take that chance. Everfree may be home to Zecora but it's also home to a Faust knows what a variety of beasts. Cockatrices being one."
"Oh for pete's sake!"
"Whose pete?"
"Fluttershy handled that a long time ago!"
"Derpy! We still have other dangers to worry about! Have you forgotten manticores? hydra's maybe? Timberwolves? We can't play lightly with those things! Your asking to go find a door that we have the possibility of three percent to find!"
Derpy stood defeated. She looked down sadly at the book that had so ignited a curious spark. "Well...it wouldn't hurt to at least look I guess but all well. It's alright! I'll go by myself!"
Carrot stood in unbelief. Did she not just hear me? "Derpy, what did I just-"
"And besides! Theres no need to worry! I can just fly away super fast if anything happens!"
"Derpy..."
"All I wanna do is go and see if there is some truth to the tale. I'll tell you what! I'll go to Everfree, see if theres a door and if there isn't one, go straight back to Ponyville and let you know! Deal?"
".....whatever you say muffin."
Derpy smiled.
Carrot sat down the mug and pulled her blankets over on top of her. "I'm going to bed now. I'm tired."
"Oh alright."
"Plan on leaving early tomorrow huh?"
"Y-yeah. I promise to keep my word."
"As long as you know the dangers there isn't anything else I can do. Just be careful alright?"
"Yeah. Thanks."
"No problem. Goodnight."
"Night."
And with that nearly solemn approach, Derpy continued gazing at her book. Eventually succumbing to her body's need and fell asleep quietly next to her friend. As the fire cracked in the background she held the book close as she drifted off.
Derpy arrived at her home early in the morning. Knowing that she had work to do as Ponyvilles and Equestria's many mailmares, she first went to accomplish her needed work of delivering letters. Albeit grudgingly so. Thankfully, her job requested little of her and once the afternoon had struck, one o'clock exactly, she quickly took off towards her home. Stopping by her house to prepare for a daring trip but anticipating some sort of adventure one may assume, she did so in hurry. Grabbing two muffins and a first aid kit she stuffed them in her pouch that wrapped around her mid-section and immediately left. Going straight for the Forest as though it shouted her name.
Once there, she carefully landed on the ground and closing her eyes, took a deep breath. Derpy flew into the forest afterwards, not withholding any more time to be wasted. The grey pegasus walked through the thick foliage with the sounds of sticks and leaves crunching underneath her feet. Derpy thought about simply flying through the forest but quickly rethought her decision of doing so.
It wouldn't be a wise idea as the dense foliage and suffocating plant life, gave little room for her fly. She could just fly over top of the forest, but if that were to be done, she would risk easily missing the door that she was so intent on looking for. Derpy continued, passing through multiple trees, sticks, hanging vines, and branches. She didn't know where she was going but figured that maybe if she kept looking she would find it....maybe.
As Derpywalked through the forest, the rustling of vines and leaves could be heard from time to time. Derpy thought nothing of it at first but couldn't help feeling as though something was following her. Derpy eventually shook the feeling, believeing that it was either the wind or the many birds and wild animals that called this place home.
She heard a scream.
Instincts immediately took over and Derpy quickly flew over to the source of the scream but she didn't have to go far to see a very familiar face.
"Ca-!"
She fell. Tripping over her own hooves, Derpy came towards the ground against her chin. Her eyes, spinning in her sockets.
The pale mare managed to begrudgingly pull herself from the sticky mud puddle. She had enough of getting her hooves muddied as already she had managed to step into two so far.
"Derpy?"
"What are you doing here? I thought you said you wouldn't come?"
"I did but the thought of leaving you alone was too much. Especially through a dangerous forest. I came to see you off but when I realized that you were probably in already, I decided to go after you...despite my better judgement." She mumbled.
"Oh. Well, thank you. That was nice for you to do."
"Derpy, are you sureyou want to go through this?"
"Well I'm already here! Might as well go in!"
Carrot sighed. "I won't lie, I was rather curious as well."
"You were?"
"I've been thinking about it all night before I actually went to sleep and this morning. Its been bugging me. If you did find the door, you would go in it knowing you."
"No I wouldn't!"
Carrot gave her a face that screamed 'bull crap'.
"Alright maybe but it would be alot safer if two came along~! That way, if anything happens, we'll be there for each other!"
Carrot made a face to Derpy. She knew what she was trying to do but she gave in. Not by any effort of her friends but because she too secretly wanted to know the secret behind the door, to which none seem to know. After all, if any did, it would have been reported. Her own pride however, prevented her from stating such.
"FIne. I'll go with you. But don't think I'll enter through the door! Got it?"
Derpy smiled with glee. "Got it!" Derpy took off her small pouch that contained her two muffins and first aid kit and placed it on Carrot.
"H-Hey!"
"Here! Take this! It was slowing me down anyway."
Before the poor earth pony could get anything else out, her pegasus friend zipped through the forest, but not before getting a wing caught on something which abruptly stopped her in her tracks and caused her to fall.
She perked back up and gave an embarrassed smile.
Carrot laid her head down low as her face scrunched up into a frown. She stood annoyed...and defeated.
The rustle of vines and grass could be heard as pale and grey hooves crushed the leaves beneath it and other hooves moved from under the overgrown brush. The light of Celestia's sun was the only proof of its existence as the thick, heavy canopy covered the sky. Light beams fell through whatever cracks it could. Shining a pattern of rays down upon the trees.
Derpy flew fast in front. A couple of feet from Carrot whose eyes wandered everywhere. Taking in the uncommon sights. Most ponies avoided the Everfree Forest. It was foreign to them and rot with untamed wilderness. Clouds moved on their own, animals fended for themselves and plants, poisonous and not, grew to great heights and shapes. Realizing her distance from Derpy Carrot attempted to catch up to her.
"Wait up! Derpy!" Carrot cried out as she removed her hoof from a puddle of sticky mud. Making a slightly repulsive face before going to her side. They traveled without much of a word to each other but only to question where they should be going. Continuing to walk as they spoke.
"How deep are we?" Derpy asked.
"We should be in the middle of the forest.”
"I thought we'll see it by now though."
"Did we pass it?" Carrot looked behind her. Contemplating weather or not they did.
"I didn't see anything out of the ordinary."
"Maybe it isn't the time. Ya know? The Hundredth year."
"Scared Carrot?" Derpy joked.
"I am not scared. Merely...on edge."
"Yeah right. C'mon! Lets go this way!" Derpy flew ahead. A bolt of energy suddenly surging through her.
"Hold on Derpy! Wait!" Carrot jogged after her. Unaware of the prying eyes of the forest residents that lied gleaming through the thick brush. Golden eyes set on the two buds.
"I told you to wait!"
Derpy only chuckled at her friend's tenacious spirit. "You'll have to catch up with me first!" The next thing Carrot knew, the pegasus had flew off. Earning a low growl from the panting mare.
"Derpy I swear I'm never going to be your friend after-!" Carrot hoisted herself up out of the pile of dirt and dragged her hooves out of another puddle off mud. She cursed under her breath as she lost sight of the mail mare through the thick brush.
"I am going to kill her!" Once she freed herself again from the trappings of the forest, she went after her friend. Following the same direction the pegasus flew in. Angered by her unwanted playfulness and the fact that she had agreed to this stupid doing. She blamed herself for being a curious cat herself.
She'll never admit it, but her friend knew better. Carrot brushed the vines and overgrown branches out of the way, only to grow more agitated when an unsuspecting branch swung back and hit in her face. It left her in a star like daze which she shook off. With a stern look, she grumbled and moved onward. Not paying attention to her surroundings.
"Derpy?" She stopped half way through her walk and looked behind her. Having heard the rustling of a few bushes. Looking confused she shrugged it off and continued on. Only to be stopped once again by the few ruffled sounds of grasses and a low gutter sound. "Who's there?"
Silence.
"Derpy, if it's you, come on out." Following the mare's command, a wooden paw stepped out of the green shadows. Not long, another timber like paw came out and before the whole creature revealed itself. Standing in front of the mare with it's head held low as it growled. Snarling and wanting like a predator entitled to it's prey.
Carrot backed up with a frightened look staining her visage. Watching as more wooden wolves, that defied the biology of nature, revealed themselves onto her. Growls and snarls filling the atmosphere around them. There were a grand total of six.. All staring closely at the scared pony. Waiting for a chance of movement and provocation.
Carrot bolted. Running and jumping ahead as she dodged the up rooted tree branches and onslaught of overgrown bush as adrenaline flooded her veins. The timber wolves dashed after her with all the instincts of a blood thirsty creature. Howling all the while. "Derpy!" she screamed. "For the sake of Mother Epona, answer me!"
Carrot took a swift glance back to see the timber wolves on her tail. It was times like this where she wished she too was blessed with the power of flight.. She nearly tripped over a ledge before she managed to gain her footing. Twisting her hooves and path so she could lose them until they were out of her sight. She smiled when she saw her friend gorging on an abandoned honeycomb that was dripping with honey. Her face, sticky and stained with the sweet liquid.
Carrot skidded to a stop.
"Oh, Hey Carrot!"
"You were here this entire time! I told you to hold up!"
"I was-"
"Don't worry about it! We gotta go!" The sounds of howls and growls could be heard close behind.
"Are those-?"
“Timber wolves!” Carrot exclaimed. Barely getting the words out through her hazy breath.
Carrot wasted no time to grab her friend by the hoof and dragged her along with wings flapping. They ran through the over grown bush as they attempted to dodge the oncoming predators on their tails. The timber wolves, master of their environment, easily bypassed the over grown bush and uprooted roots with great skill. Jumping, dodging, and ducking smoothly like a perfectly animated film. They howled, signaling the arrival of two others. "Should we turn back?" Derpy asked.
"We can't! There's too many of them!” Carrot panted. “We'll just be cornered!”
"We don't even know where we're going!"
"We never did in the first place! I'll rather be lost and safe than be ripped apart!"
With that statement, they kept running. Not paying any mind to where they we're headed or the need to stop. The timber wolves were only a few feet behind. Ready to attack and pounce at any given moment. They had nothing to defend themselves with. Only a small dagger which did well against creatures of flesh and blood but not those who carried no such thing.
"Ouch!"
"Carrot?!"
"My hoof!" Tangled thorn vines had latched onto her foreleg."At a time like this?" Derpy grabbed her under her hooves. Attempting to pull her out.
"I gotcha Carrot."
The pale mare hissed under her breath as the thorns scraped against her pale flesh. Tearing away the fur and staining the area red.
"Gently Derpy! It hurts!" Carrot winced. The pain tightening around her leg. Shooting stabbing like tinges up into her sides.
"Sorry! But I have to get you out of here!" Howls were heard close by and the two mares panicked.
"Hurry up!"
"I'm trying!" Before the rest could be dislodged from the mare's leg a timber wolf made its way towards them. It jumped up and broke through a few rotting roots that stood out. Demonstrating its strength. Something broke and the two mares could only watch as a tree came tumbling down on top of it. Splinters flew as few whimpers escaped from it before Carrot was freed. The timber wolf's flashy display, had earned itself an unwelcome end.
Carrot's adrenaline neutralized the pain the thorns caused as they checked the outcome. The tree was old and its roots were rotting away. The same roots it broke through was the last support mechanism for the tree. Its recklessness causing the beast's demise. Multiple howls echoed nearby.
“We can't stand around any longer.” Carrot stated. Hearing the sounds.
“We better go.”
“Right.” Derpy agreed. Flying in after her. The wolves continued their chase. Hot on their tails and backs. The two, in their rashness, tumbled out of the thick brush of the Everfree. Rolling onto the ground after tripping over a thick, uprooted branch.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah....just a bit startled. That's all." Carrot stood up on her hind legs. Brushing herself off. “Did they stop chasing us?” Derpy pointed towards the forest. “Look.”
Carrot's eyes were directed back towards the forest, where the timber wolves were gathered. They seemed puzzled as though something was off pointing about the two mares. The beasts looked at each other and with low growls, reached a decision to head back into the forest. Not daring to go any further. Where they bounded to it or perhaps something was amiss that only they could sense? Whatever the reason, Derpy and Carrot were relived to have them out of sight and gone for good. Shall they leave, they'll take a different route than go back into that forest again.
“The castle of the two sisters.” Derpy stated. Earning a slight confused look by Carrot until she saw the old building in the distance. Right over an ancient bridge.
“Never been there before.”
“Neither have I.”
Carrot moved in front of Derpy. “Shall we?” and with a smile, galloped off. Crossing the old bridge that separated them from the crumbled building. Derpy followed in after her.
The castle was an ancient relic of the past. Before the modern time of Equestria. Testament to the ruling sisters long life and their faults. It was still filled with books of all types, mainly diaries of the staff who use to work there, and the old statues, wares and utensils that was used to upkeep the now barely standing artifact.
The poor castle stood as the fairytale story of the sun princess against the tyrannical Nightmare Moon. Her sister turned evil out of jealousy. Consequently being banished for the moon for a thousand years. It was destroyed in that ensuing battle. Now laying as ashes as to what bought forth Canterlot Castle.
The two mares walked through the place as they took in the old sights. Walls were cracked and an alicorn statue a little distance away was half gone and limping over in debris. Old books were scattered, stain and torn. Disrespect to the literature of old. Had Twilight been present, she would have lost it.
Light beamed in from up above as the entire top ceiling had been annihilated. Shining a welcoming brightness on the usually gloomy setting. Entrances to multiple dark halls lined the walls but Carrot felt no interest to walk into any of them. Derpy had wandered off again but she paid no mind.
She winced at the sudden sting of pain and looked down at her wound that had begun to scab but was torn back open from the fall they had. She sat down and grabbed the small first aid kit out of her brown satchel and went to work tending to it. Putting a bit of alcohol to rid any chance of infection (the burning sensation causing her to hiss) and a band aid to protect it until it scabbed fully.
Once she was done, her attention was directed over to the thrones of the two sisters. Marked over them was the torn, stained and faded tapestry of the rulers. Done in mideval style work. In between the two thrones however, was a large stone object that stood out. Pulsing through it like veins, was blue lines.
Derpy stood in front of it.
“What is that?” Carrot approached.
“A door of some kind.” she grew a smile. “I think we found it! The legendary door!”
“It sure is strange. Still...I doubted that we would find it but I stand corrected.”
Vines and grass covered that round shaped object and ice covered its bottom. A blue mist radiated from it that felt of magic.
Carrot stood next to Derpy. Both taking in the unimaginable sight.
“If it is the legendary door...” doubt, still clouding her voice. “It wouldn't be the first time a legend has came true.”
Derpy rubbed her hoof against the stone door. “I wonder how you open it...”
Derpy pushed herself against it. Grunting as the door did nothing special nor open. She gave it a few more shoves but it did little to budge. She was beginning to gain a quickened breath. “It won't open. Does it need magic?”
“Well if that's the case, we sure don't have any.”
“Than what do we do?”
A lightbulb flickered over Carrot's head. “Knock.”
“Knock? What is that going to do?”
“You never know. It's a door isn't it?” Carrot stood in front of the door. Positioning her hoof. “Sometimes the most complicated things...” Carrot knocked three times. “...require only a simple solution.”
The door's blue, pulses stood still and shined a beaming glow. As though something had just been activated. The door's slowly opened as the ground beneath it shook. The stone door turning inward as Derpy and Carrot was being blown back by large gusts of cold wind and snow. Having to squint as a portal showed.
Derpy, going against all better instincts, ran in and long after, Carrot did the same. The blue hues on the door pulsed once more and the doors slowly closed shut. The structure beginning to fade away with the setting sun.
"I-I-Its cold." Carrot chattered. Rubbing a foreleg against her front leg.
"What is this place?"
Derpy's eyes darted around the new found land as she took in the unfamiliar sights. Old buildings and relics laid collapsed and broken in on one another and old. Having been torn down from weather for years as cracks, moss and vines overtook them. Ripped and torn flags laid faded and marked by nature's touch with the rest of the infrastructure having already been consumed by full grown trees and matured bushes, some bearing thorns.
“It's...
"...quiet.” Derpy interjected.. Her voice seemed to echo in the silence. “No birds, no chirping, no cooing. It seems as though all life have died.”
Carrot and Derpy begun to walk around, their eyes turning to see the scenery before them. The sky was aloof with a string of gray clouds that covered nearly every inch of the atmospheric borders. Occasionally, as the clouds rolled passed, dim strays of light would break through allowing some sort of warmth through but the surroundings were bitter. Not unbearable enough to cause hypothermia but cold enough that one would desire a pair of warm gloves for the hooves.
"It seems like some desolate village..." Carrot spoke while grasping one of the torn flags in her hooves. "...or town. It seems that it was abandoned a long time ago."
"A very long time ago."
"The damage here couldn't have taken over night. How long has it been abandoned?"
Derpy shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno. This place doesn't remind me of Equestria."
Carrot looked up at a pony statue. "It sure does to me." she muttered.
"Lets look around! Maybe we can find some cool things laying around!"
"We can but I'm not sure..."
"About what?" Derpy smiled.
"Is there anyone here at all? Where exactly are we?"
"Maybe Equestria?" Derpy stated as if it was obvious.
Carrot gave her an annoyed look. "Why a door in Equestria lead us right back to Equestria?"
Derpy shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno. Maybe it lead us to different place in Equestria."
"You got a point there."
"Come on! We should look around! Oh! Look over there!"
And before the poor pale mare could react, her friend had darted over to look at some statues.
"Carrot! Hey! Look at me!"
Carrot trotted over towards her friend and gave a small chuckle at the too big helmet that she had on her head.
"How you like it? Cool huh?"
"Yeah it's cool Derpy. A bit rusted...and aged but hey whatever floats your boat huh?"
"Now I look like this!"
Derpy pointed towards the statue in front of them. The statue was that of a pony reared up on it's hind legs with a helmet on top of its head. Vines was wrapped across it and seeped through cracks that had formed out of long neglect and erosion.
"Where you find the helmet?"
"Not to far from here. I found it..." Derpy looked around speedily. "...over there!" She pointed to a building not far from them but still some distance away.
"Did you go inside of it?"
"No. The entrance was blocked by rubble but the helmet laid in front of it!"
"Oh." Carrot looked the statue up and down. "Hey Derpy, come look at this."
"What?"
Carrot rubbed her hoof against the bottom of the pedestal and unveiled the plaque that peeked from underneath.
"'In dedication to the great warrior Alex-'. It doesn't say anything more. The plaque words are faded and rusted.
"Who's Alex?"
Carrot shrugged. "Like I know and that doesn't seem to be the whole name. The rest is faded and damaged by wear. I'm beginning to wonder...is this place some lost civilization?"
Derpy gasped loudly and shook Carrot violently. "Carrot! Carrot!"
"What, what, what!"
"Just think about it! It's just like the Daring Do books! Us the explorer trying to find an ancient and lost artifact only to awaken some great evil unto the world and we having to stop it! Just imagine!"
"Well I would like to imagine that won't happen and I've never read any of them Daring Do books so..."
Derpy gasped. This time in shock. "How could you?"
"It's not my taste."
Derpy felt as though a knife went through her chest. "Well I never..."
Carrot paid her no mind and looked down at the barren ground and looked over to a clearing. "Hey, its a path."
"A path?"
"Yeah. Wanna follow it? Might as well since were here."
"Sure, why not?"
"Alright then. Let's go."
The two mares followed the path which lead them shortly into a much more clear view than the dense foliage that seem to threaten to take over. The mares stopped and stood at the sight.
The path led them straight into what was in the small distance a large city. The path itself was lined with once beautiful statues of multiple different races and a few small buildings. Grass grew alongside it and though vines and roots had begun to make it's mark, it was going to surely be a long time til' it could completely elope the city in its foliage.
"Look at all these diffrent statues! I've never seen some of these creatures before! Carrot, you think you can name them all?" the pegasus flew up in front of one that had cloved hooves, large antlers and a small beard coming from underneath its muzzle. "How 'bout this one?"
"I believe that that's a kirin."
"A Kirin? Aren't those eastern like ponies?"
"No. Their more like deer but are said to be descended from dragons."
"Awesome! Oh, oh! How about this one? And this one?"
Carrot gave a sighed but answered all of her questions on the different type of races that were presented in stone form. From kirin to equines, to even dare she say, griffons. Before long, they made way into the city which had to be a spectacular sight into the unknown. The city was larger than they both had expected and seemed largely untouched by mother nature.
The plaza itself was of great space and the surrounding buildings reminded her of the architecture of the ancient Greecian Empire. Most of the buildings were of ornate detail, one building as such had upon it statues of multiple different races lined up together with an winged unicorn being in the middle.
The roads and paths laid cracked and with small holes, some larger than others and the splendor of the infrastructures were largely neglected. Having upon them the age of dust, moss, vines, and the wear of weather. Ever still however, did it leave the impression of a mighty city, if not a kingdom.
"Wow. Did not expect this."
"Look at this! This is so awesome!" Derpy squealed.
She sounds like Rainbow Dash. Carrot thought to herself.
"Oh my gosh Carrot! Who knows what we can find and bring back to the others! Especially Twilight! We'll be celebrities! Showing them all types of rare and old treasures we found! Oh lookie here!"
"Your right, I half wasn't expecting all of this. Anyway, if where going to look around we better do so together. So why don't we...Derpy? Derpy!"
She was gone.
Carrot saw her fly off in the far distance and gave a sigh.
That mare has the attention span of a gnat I tell ya.
Carrot, now lying abandoned by her friend, sought to look around the city by herself. She took in the sights, seeing as most was filled with an eerie air of tranquility. It was silent and little to nothing disturbed the atmosphere. No wind, no bird...it was desolate. Not a sign of life was to be seen nor heard.
She decided to enter some buildings as the mere traveling of streets bored her. As she walked, she waltzed into what seemed to be a small neighborhood containing many residences. The houses were large and reminded her of the large abodes of the wealthy unicorns who trotted around Canterlot and it's near towns and cities but one thing that she noted was how the buildings resided on top of one another with staircases connecting them.
Some of them laid crumbled and broken due to the heavy weight that trees, having rooted themselves on top of the structures, were putting down on them.
She heard a crow and she looked up upon one of the barren trees to see a bird.
It was a completely black saved for its...red eyes to which it had multiple of.
"Oh my..."
It looked at her and Carrot recoiled.
I wish it would stop looking at me.
"Shoo, shoo!" She said. Trying to scare the black thing away but to avail. It merely cocked it's head at her and squawked again.
"Ugh." she grunted in defeat. She continued, ignoring the bird and made her way into one of the large homes whose door was off it's hinges. She was cautious as a large tree had created numerous cracks through the building. She watched as rubble came falling down from the ceiling from her place in the door way.
"Hello?"
Nothing responded as she entered. Their lied before her was a seating area consisting of three elegant sofas encircling a round table with a grand staircase in the back. She went further in and looked at the walls that had pictures depicting a family. They were dusted but remained in surprising good condition.
She gazed at the portrait which had that of a pale blue male stallion with a white mane and beard stand alongside that of a pale pink mare. In front of the mare was a small colt, smiling cheesy.
Carrot made her way upstairs carefully as the wood squeaked beneath her feet. She entered one of the rooms and looked up curiously to see numerous cracks that stretched all the way from the middle to the ends of the ceiling. the room was of the utmost elegance and was very large. A bed lied encompass by a long and elegant blue royal canopy and a large painted portrait of the same stallion that graced the family picture that Carrot saw downstairs, hanged upon the wall.
The walls were aligned with bookcases and books and Carrot's eyes were caught by them.
Just how old are these books? she thought to herself. She picked one up, blew dust off of the cover and read out loud the title.
The Benefits and Downfalls of Oral Magic.
"Oral? I've never encountered that type of magic before. I wonder if Twilight knows about it. How old is this book anyway? Lets see..."
She flipped the first three pages to see if there was a publication date.
She strained her eyes to read some of the faded words.
"April....30...100 BC?"
Carrot scratched her head trying to remember what those letters meant.
"AC means After Coronation, the coronation of Celestia so BC would mean before the coronation of Celestia. Ugh!" she hit her head with her hoof. "Celestia has been in power for a thousand years so that would mean that this book is..." she gasped. "Eleven hundred years old?"
Suddenly rubble begun to fall from the ceiling in great amounts and she looked up to see the the cracks in the ceiling slowly allowing light to peek through. Realizing what was happening she immediately dropped the book and ran out of the building as the home slowly caught into avalanche before her.
Within just a few short minutes, she had found herself outside and panting. She watched as nearly the entire structure collapsed. Bringing with it the tree that had caused it and burying the ancient texts.
"That...was close." she heaved. But she couldn't help but bemoan the fact that the books that she had thought to give to Twilight was now lost in destruction.
Carrot made her way silently. The black bird that had saw her off before, with its multiple eyes had once again returned. This time following her. She tried to ignore it as she looked around the surrounding buildings and infrastructures. She couldn't help but notice the neatness and completeness of everything. Nothing seemed unmoved, touched but left traces that the residents, whomever or whatever they must have been, had seemingly paused in the middle of whatever they were going to do.
She took note as how one home had foul food left in a bowel or how toys laid strewn across humble homes or how markets, some laying on the flatbeds that laid on top of buildings, had now spoiled food that had long turned either to dirt or mush. Their were bags of money left behind and various things that laid scattered about. It was as though there was a sudden rapture of the townsfolk or an urgent emergency had been called to evacuate.
Carrot wondered all over the place with little to no contact with that of her pegasus friend. As she traveled continually though the area where the residences resided, the place slowly progressed into more dense foliage and crumbled ruins with the bitter cold becoming even more evident.
Eventually, the lone earth pony mare had managed to find herself lying in the middle of what seemed to be a grand memorial. The place stood on that of a risen land that stood just a little higher than the land below it with steps leading down into the small valley. Carrot stood on the edge and looked over to see what little she could.
Everything was cold and without life, covered in snow and ice. The clouds up above made it even more barren. Not even trees could be seen with the exception of the lifeless, black sticks that now stood far off in the distance saved the ones here in the now jungle like filled ruins. The place was beautiful and offered a deep contrast to the rest of what depicted a great catastrophe.
Carrot wondered around the seemingly ruined memorial garden and looked at the many statues depicting different types of animals. Carrot walked up to one depicting a caped stallion in armor and on the base of pedestal was a faded plate:
In memory of Morion Great Battle Mage and Wizard
"Morion..." Carrot mumbled. "Are these warriors who died?"
Carrot continued to go to each statue and the next, reading the many plates located at the bottom of the pedestal: Alexander the Great Battler, Rosaline the Gentle Aid, Agriope the Gracious Giver, the list goes on.
But as Carrot laid consumed in her wonder, little did she notice the eyes watching her in the distance.
Carrot covered her nose with her hoof as a sudden, rotting stench over came her. It permeated through the air and suddenly grew stronger in strength. Giving off the wretched odor of decaying flesh.
"Oh my Celestia!"
She backed up slowly turning her head every which way in absolute disgust.
I have to get out of here.
As she quickly aimed to make her way out of the memorial grave yard, she stopped after seeing a strange shadow appear in the short distance from her.
What is that thing?
From the small green fog that had slowly begun to envelope the area, the shadow before her begun to slowly show itself along with a range of other red pupils.
It walked roughly and as it came clearer into view, she couldn't help but notice the disfigurement of the thing before her. It was ragged and old, carrying upon its body no flesh. Whatever left of life it did have was now a nest for squirming worms that dropped one by one as it walked. It was clothed in rusted armor and its sockets were nothing but bleeding red dots where its white orbs should have been.
It was a pony and with it came its company.
Carrot screamed.
"Carrot?"
Derpy lifted her head up from a bin of armor that she was fooling around with as a sound echoed through her ears. She heard another scream and then her name perfectly clear through the silent place and immediately recognized the voice of her panicked friend.
"Carrot!"
Derpy immediately dashed off and after her friend as she followed the sound of the echoing screams. Trying to pinpoint her very location. She eventually made it to the neighborhood where she was and flying over it to the very site of the screams. She never flew so fast in her life as she finally made it to the scene.
The pale mare was being cornered by a mob of the undead which reminded her all too much of her beloved zombie apocalypse comic books.
Still in the air, she screamed back. "Carrot!"
Carrot looked up and saw the grey pegasus in perfect view.
"A little help here!"
"I don't know what to do!"
"Then figure something out!"
Derpy looked down at the ground both ways and a light bulb went off in her head as she saw a small piece of rubble on the ground. She swooped down and grabbed it before flying back up.
She whistled, catching the attention of the mob that cornered her beloved friend.
"Hey!" she threw the rock at one of their heads. Creating a hollow rattling sound. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size!"
The mob, around ten total, removed their attention from the pale earth pony mare and to the grey pegasus, walking mindlessly towards her as though possessed.
"Carrot! Go! Now!"
Seeing them distracted, Carrot ran right passed and through the mob, being sure to not even so much as touch one of them as she did.
Derpy followed after.
"What happened?"
"I don't know!" Carrot huffed. "They just appeared out of nowhere!"
"This is so cool! Its like a zombie apocalypse! We the survivors running-!"
"Derpy! Life and death situation here!"
"Oh yeah...right." the pegasus looked around. "I don't think their even following us."
Carrot begun to slow down. "Their...not?"
"Doesn't seem like it."
The earth mare skidded to a halt. She turned around as she breathed heavily with Derpy flying down next to her.
"Where are they?"
Derpy shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, I guess we were too much-"
"Derpy! Spoke to soon!"
As if offended by their words, the thick foliage shook as multiples of the undead came towards them in frenzy pursuit.
Derpy shuttered and flew after her fleeing friend.
"Their a lot faster than I thought!"
"Yeah, no joke!"
"Where are we even headed? We don't know where we're going!"
"Who cares! As long as it's some place far away from them!"
Carrot paused to catch her breath as Derpy checked to see if the zombie like ponies were out of view. Scanning the area shall anything approach.
"Isn't this the...?"
"The plaza. We're back at the plaza." Carrot huffed. "Wait! The door shouldn't be far from here is it? We can go back through there!"
"Isn't it just a little distance from here?"
"Back through the thin path. Passed the city entrance."
"Right!"
A smell of decay came over them and the area.
"Their not letting up are they?"
"Nope." Carrot stated in worry "Not one bit."
With the smell as a signal they left and pursued through the thin path that they had came through before. Leaving the undead ponies behind as they brushed through the thick foliage. The two mares looked frantically around the small area.
Carrot looked around. “The door! Wasn't it Here?”
“I remember it being here!” Derpy proclaimed.
Carrot trotted over to the place in which the door once stood. Nothing stood where it once was.
“Derpy...I think it's...gone.”
“What?!”
“It's not here.”
“Are you sure?"
“Of course I'm sure!” Carrot snapped. “The door dropped us here! It was here not to long ago!”
"The book...it stated it disappears....at sundown?" The pegasus tried to remember.
"Sun down when? You can hardly see the sun with these thick clouds!"
"It never specified which sun! We don't even know if were in Equestria anymore!
"Great....just great."
“What do we do now?” Derpy asked.
“How am I'm supposed to know?”
Soon the repulsive stench of rotting flesh and decaying corpses filled the air around them. Carrot and Derpy backed up as they held their nose. Squinting their eyes as they fanned their hooves at the invading odor. From the bushes around them stepped the undead ponies whose eyes were glowing a harsher red. It seemed as though the more angrier they got the more repulsive the smell came to be. The two ponies could see their non-existent eyebrows furrow.
"Retrorsum converti."
"What are they saying?"
"I...I don't know."
The mob continued to whisper in unsynchronized moans and speech. "Retrorsum converti..."
“Listen, we can argue later, but for now, we need to find a way out of this mess!” Derpy stated.
“This place is a dead end Derpy and were surrounded. What are we going to do?”
“We'll have to go back through the path.”
Carrot looked at her. “How in the world are we going to do that? We're surrounded!”
“I'll distract them. You just run right through once it's cleared a little!”
Doing as told, Carrot prepared herself as Derpy picked up a piece of rubble and lead some of the undead from the opening of the path. She threw the piece of ruble at the head of one of them. Enjoying the way it's head rattled when she did. Carrot ran passed the ponies behind them as she once again found herself by the fountain in the middle.
Derpy flew after her as the skeletons made a dash after them. The duo ran through the path straight ahead, dodging the debris and rubble that laid across it. The under brush was becoming thicker and a quick glance behind them showed the undead up to speed with them.
They had to keep moving. Eventually the two stopped when they realized the path had led them through a much larger clearing than the one they had came in before. Thick brush was everywhere but the sight of it seemed much more like an adoring civilization had once stood.
Large buildings were scattered across the place as well as signs, billboards and tools. As much as Carrot and Derpy wanted to explore the setting, they knew it wouldn't be long before the grotesque abominations caught up to them.
Another look behind her, and Carrot stood correct. With the horrific odor, was none other than the very ponies themselves. Unremitting in their approach. But from the look of it, she swore that there was now more of them than before.
“There's more of them!?”
“What do they want with us?” Derpy pondered.
“I don't know but whatever it is, probably isn't friendly!” Carrot answered. “C'mon! We got to go!”
Without question, Derpy flew after her as the undead made their way. They made their way back into the city, into the plaza and through the city running without destination. They looked behind themselves and saw the undead ponies, now more than before, pursuing them at great speed. Speaking the same exact words and language that was unknown to the ponies ears.
"This is getting ridicolous! What are we to do?" Carrot huffed as she glanced back to see her pursuers.
"Carrot!"
Startled the pale earth pony skidded to a stop and from in front of them, from the building covered foliage, appeared others to join the already large mob. They appeared this time almost growling and some bigger than the undead that chased after Carrot and Derpy. They were heavier, larger and one, that resembled that of a decomposing rhinocerous emerged from the lot and carried more rusted armor on it's body than all of the rest.
It shouted in a heavy male and masculine voice. Like one of an elite soldier.
"Relinquo haec loco!"
"Carrot...I think our situation just got worse!" the mares backed themselves up and turned around and ran once again from the mob that now were present only a few feet from them. The ground seemingly shook as the hefty...beast came storming after them. They dared not turn around.
They pushed themselves through the thick leaves and trees before Carrot slipped and fell into a wide ditch. She managed to break her fall grabbing hold of some vines and carefully but hurriedly made her way down. Small waterfalls flowed from the top of the ditch and flowed down into it. Ruins of once a glorious city, now nothing but cracked pillars surrounded it as nature had all but engulfed it.
Derpy joined with her and their eyes immediately laid sight upon an opening that glowed with a faint reddish orange. They took no time to discuss as they made their way inside. The aggressive pursuers caught up seconds later and too without thought, swarmed into the small entrance as the giant stood and watched.
The two ponies made their way down the winding red carpeted corridor without regards to their chasers that came as a ganged mob after them.
Carrot, though the more thoughtful of the two, couldn't help but wonder if they caught her would she be turned into one of them.
She shook her head at the thought.
I really need to stop reading those comic's Derpy gave me.
The undead was determined, not giving up chase. The two mares had reached the border of exhaustion and could hardly continue on. I not for the reserve of adrenaline that pumped through their veins and the desire to survive the onslaught, the two would have collapsed a long time ago. While Derpy had the benefit of flight, poor Carrot's legs could barely retain their limit any longer. Even the pegasus's wings were aching due to the hard flapping of wings she had to muster to keep up with her speedy friend who now, ran alongside her.
A loud rumble resounded and the stairs trembled beneath them. The adventurous duo were knocked off balance as they tumbled down the barrage of steps. Only for them to land at the base of it. A bit dazed and confused from their fall. Derpy landed with a thud on the cold ground and slowly postured herself back on four legs.
Carrot came seconds after her, rolling before stopping herself on her forelegs. The ceiling lying right above the staircase, came falling down as she watched. Leaving only a skeleton head tumbling down as it stopped short in front of Carrot's legs. It's ghostly red eyes staring at Carrot as it pierced her own.
The place was illuminated by torches lining the walls and the ceiling was decorated with ragged spikes and webs and the atmosphere was dry and rigid. Depy regathered herself and shook her head. Vision blurry, she rubbed her eyes only to be greeted by a sinister looking creature.
Staring back at her was an abnormally large, hairy arachnid that carried upon it's back a white cape with a black cross design on it. Around and behind it's legs were mini versions of it that gazed at the mare with their equally as haunting eight eyes.
She was immediately alarmed and repulsed at the sight. She waved her hoof at Carrot who was still stunned at the how quickly the revelation of things changed. She said her name almost calm like as she tried to garnish the distracted mares attention.
Carrot tapped and looked on her sides but felt nothing. He bag was no where to be found. She must have lost it in the confusion and the rough ride coming down the stairs. Thankfully, she wasn't too injured. Nothing hurt internally besides a bruise that was present on her side. She blew out a sigh of gratefulness at the falling of the rubble. Finally happy that her and her friends cursed pursuers had been put to a stop.
Or so she had made herself to believe.
“Carrot! Carrot! Car-rot!”
“What is it?”
“I don't think we're free yet!”
Carrots eyes averted to the large spider that was staring her friend down. Never noticing their presence until now. They were there, camouflaging so great against their surroundings. It was as if they were waiting for them like a butterfly that had mindlessly wandered onto their web. Now they came down to receive their meal which was none other than the two mares themselves.
They were approached and cornered on all sides by the giant anthropods. The spider that stood in front of Derpy, reared its legs and stabbed the ground in front it causing rubble to break on impact. Derpy managed to dodge the attack through a roll, re-positioning herself on her four legs as she stared down at the damage it had caused. She was glad her reflexes acted so fast as she saw the small but deep and rugged hole it had managed to make. She marveled and withdrew in fright at how aggressively strong such a creature was. These spiders were most certainly not your average house kind. They were larger and bigger and certainly stronger too.
“Derpy!” Carrot yelled. Unsure of what to do with the spiders surrounding them both.
Derpy, growing desperate, looked around the place for any sort of escape once again.
"Venit hic."
Her ears perked up at the sound as the grey mare was still trying to dodge the onslaught of eight legged creatures.
“What?”
"Venit hic."
The whispers vibrated in her ears as she took in the familiar tone and words. They certainly was not Equestrian and was all too similar to the sounds the undead ponies were saying. She grumbled as she hoped that the scary zombie like equines weren't still around. The spider jabbed its leg once again towards Derpy but once again, the clumsy yet acrobatic mare had managed to dodge it. The spider however, became stuck in the ground due to it's own force of impact.
"Venit Hic"
Derpy ears perked up once again and she threw her head left and right, looking for the location of where the strange sayings were coming from. Eventually, her eyes caught sight of a small temple like structure in the distance which was aglow with a deep orange light. It had a small, thin path leading to it that started from where she and Carrot now stood.
Dodging another spider, she flew over to her friend who was defending herself with a torch that had fallen down from the wall. Proving effective against the giant insects who kept a safe and manageable distance away from the flame.
“H-hey! Wait!” the torch fell to the floor as Derpy, much to her friends disdain, flew up and carried her over the spider that block the narrow path and was lined with jagged spikes and webs down below. A single slip, and it would be lights out for both of them. It was practically a death trap and the jagged and sharp ceiling provided no more comfort. Derpy had to be careful. If she flew too far down, she could risk injuring her friend but flying too high up and could risk gaining serious bodily injury. The path was longer than she thought and a quick glance behind her saw the spiders hot on their trail. Totally avoiding the danger as the scaled the sides of the wall.
“Why is everything trying to kill us!” Carrot spoke.
“I don't know! But now is not the time to ask questions!”
The spiders, in an attempt to subdue the duo, begun to shoot webs at them. They were unsuccessful as the grey mare used her acrobatic skills to dodge the incoming fires.
“Gah!”
A strike. One had managed to get at one of Derpy's wings. She flapped her other wing viciously while trying to hold up her friend as the other had fallen victim to the barrage of fires. Her wing in a sticky substance. Carrot jumped down onto the narrow path and assisted her friend frantically in removing the webbed trap from her wing.
“That should be it. C'mon!” Carrot made dash and Derpy flew after her. The pale mare tripped and nearly fell into the barrage of spikes when a spider managed to take aim. Holding onto the edge of the narrow path. Her legs frantically rubbing against the walls to avoid being impaled on the sharp structures. Caring for her friends safety, Derpy swooped up and grabbed her again. Carrying her into the temple like structure that stood in front of them.
Spiked chains that enveloped the walls of the building begun to move. They slithered across the walls like snakes and made their way towards the entrance. Glowing with a blue hue, they wrapped themselves around the entry way. Criss-crossing one another until not even a mouse could get through.
It stopped the arachnids pursuit and barred them from continuing any further.
Derpy and Carrot landed with a rough thud against the broken marble stone floor and looked on at the entrance that was now sealed. Carrot took in her surroundings. The ancient hall was decorated with torn tapestry with unfamiliar writing. Stained marble floors and chains, which she witnessed move on their own, engulfed the place. Her eyes shot open as she felt something soft brush against her chin.
“Come with me.”
Carrot looked up to see a smile grace a light coated tan mare. She was thick and slightly bulky. Standing as tall as Celestia. Chains with frost and icicles hanging down laid across her mid section and a spiked metal crown dressed her head. Chains dangling from it as well. Her mane was almost ghost like as it crawled and stretched itself towards the mural on the wall that depicted a blue and white pony staring down on a menacing figure. It touched the walls and with an ethereal glow that mimicked closely to magic, opened up a pathway.
"This way." The mare made her towards the new opened path way. Waiting in front of it to see if they would come in. A gentle and patient smile adorning her face.Carrot looked to her friend Derpy who just shrugged silently in response. They went up to her. “Through here my little ponies.” Her voice carrying a motherly tone similar to that of the sun princess.
Carrot hesitantly was the first to step through as her friend came in after through the opened hole. The mysterious mare followed after, not giving second glance to the spiders who still attempted to push their way through thick chains.
As the small portal closes in the background with the eyes of the ghostly mare staring into it, Derpy shakes herself off in a dog-like manner and with a slight look of disgust, removes the remaining strands of spider webs from her wings and form. Carrot looks around at the barren place that she and her friend was led into which evokes the feeling of Daring-do within her. Bringing back the memory of the novels with vividness.
The hall is larger than that of the room from which they first entered, with large, cracked columns lining the interior. Chandeliers bounded to the icy ceiling that dare not envelope anything below it, laid neatly within a line though some were broken, cracked or like one at a distance, swung as it's bearings were no longer supported as they should. The walls laid covered in engraved murals and artwork that depicted scenes of fighting and discord. The young pale mare's white orbs glossed over the walls as she tried to take in as much of the scenery as possible. Her mind occupied with the detail.
The ghostly mare sighed once the portal had fully closed in on itself and looked at the two young ponies that stood some distance in front of her. Finally stumbling upon the urge to approach them, she calmed herself and went.
"My, my, my, it is not everyday that one receives visitors here in these lands."
Her smooth and gentle voice caught immediately the attention of the two mares who countenances instantly changed from one of wary to a calming joy but quickly changed back over to one of a mixture of curiostiy and wonder when their eyes caught firmly the physique of the pony that stood before them. A sight they did not catch before as their minds were clouded with only the intention of escape.
Derpy slowly approached the mare while looking at her from head to hoof and Carrot followed not to far behind.
"Derpy..." Carrot spoke lowly. Knowing how blunt her friend could be.
"Y-your body..."
The mare tilted her head faintly to the right and smiled knowing clearly what was evoking her.
Derpy's eyes quickly glossed over the mare's thick and half thin bony figure that seemed to be rotting away as she looked. Outside of her ghostly mane and tail and dangling chains, the surface of her body looked as though a butcher had yet not finished its job. The right side of her form was nothing but bone and dangling flesh that had long since either dried or been eaten away. Long having lost it's color while her rib cage had no dermis to keep it hidden. The inside of it, which should have harbored the systems of life, instead laid empty and as barren as the place that the ponies stood in.
Her other half however, seemingly brimmed with life, even though it bordered on the look of a famine individual, it laid claimed to a beauty that once was but sadly, is never to be seen again.
"It looks oddly similar to those undead skeletons that chased us down here."
"Undead...skeletons you say?"
"Yeah. Their the ones that forced us to flee down here. Though, unlike you, they had nearly no flesh on their bones!"
"Your the only one so far that's as close to living as we saw lately." Carrot chimed in.
"I would not be surprised if you knew exactly where you laid as of now. The closest to living you may ever find here would be the undead. As for you two however, it worries me that you two have settled foot here however."
"Why is that miss?" Carrot questioned.
The mare breathed a sigh and looked into the eyes of both of them. Her bearing now having that of worry.
"First before one shall continue any conversation or explanation, it is only of utmost politeness that I have both of your names. What are they my little pon-"
"It's Derpy! Derpy Hooves!" the grey pegasus gave her a cheesy and uppity smile despite her interruption.
"Derpy!"
"What?"
"She wasn't even done talking yet!"
"Oh...sorry." Derpy blushed.
A smile couldn't help but sprawl itself across the mares face as she beheld the young mare's playful mood.
"Sorry about that hehe..."
"Oh it is alright my dear. What about yours?"
"Carrot. Carrot Top."
"Lovely names."
"Now what about yours! Come on! We told you ours now you gotta tell us yours!" Derpy smiled as she pointed a hoof towards her.
"Well then excuse me. I know better than to merely dismiss myself. My name is Pruina, Pruina Albus."
A silence befell the two mares.
"What? Is there something wrong?"
"That's..."
"A weird name." Carrot blinked.
"Carrot!"
"What? It is?"
Derpy couldn't help but chuckle.
Carrot realized her mistake and a shocked expression over came her features. "Oh I'm sorry! I didn't-!"
Pruina gave a laugh. "It is alright! It seems you two may have more in common then you both even realize. Assuming you two are friends, well, friends sometimes take after one another if they've known one another a long time."
Derpy gave a snort and Carrot gave a furrowed look of annoyance to that of her friend.
"Now, with formalities out of the way, I am desperate to know where you are from."
"Equestria." Carrot answered. "Located right above the continent Africanis."
"Equestria...a name all to familiar."
"Where you from there?"
"No, I am from someplace before. Far to the north. I do wonder if it is still around...do tell, how did you end up here?"
"Me and my friend Derpy discovered a book. It told of a door that appears randomly and so we sought it out. I was reluctant however..." she gritted through her teeth. Catching an eye to Derpy.
"She ended up going anyway obviously and, well, we found the door! After searching the sisters ancient castle there It was!" Derpy told.
"And so you ended up here?"
"Not exactly. We ended up in what seemed to be a huge abandoned city-ruin. We ended up here after being chased by those undead skeletons Derpy mentioned."
"We found a small cave like thing, ran into that and some stairs and nasty looking spiders and here we are. In front of you who helped us."
"I see. It sounds as though it has taken a toll on both of you."
"You have no idea." they both said simultaneously as they rolled their eyes.
"Those undead skeletons and giant spiders are guardians of this place. They keep watch over those in which reside here and those that try to proceed."
"...what?"
"It is of utmost importance that you both do not stay any longer. You all should have turned back after encoutering those undead skeletons. To pursue any further no matter your curiosity would be to ignore the warnings."
"And we did! Only for the way out, the door, to have vanished! Poof! Nothing was there when we turned back!" Derpy exclaimed.
"The book we checked out said that the door vanishes with the setting of the sun but it was hard for us to know since the skies were nothing but a continuous grey color. Nor did we think we actually left Equestria."
"You have since far left behind Equestria or dare I say the world itself. Where did you think it would rake you?"
"Just another place within Equestria or the world or something! What are we in another realm?"
Pruina merely gave her a serious look.
"Don't say..."
"The longer you stay here the more trouble it would only cause."
"What are you saying?"
"This place is far from Equestria or any place you know deeply about. This I am afraid is something you know only as mythos."
"And that is?"
"Hel."
Carrot chuckled out a wary laugh. "Ha...haha...your not serious right? Like hell? Hell where the devil lives?"
"Perhaps I should clarify. This is only one part of hell. Tartarus, the Abyss and many others of the varied locations between here. The longer you stay here as a living soul, the more your body will decay until you both are trapped here. This realm is no place for the living which is why it is of urgency that you both remove yourselves."
"We-we'll turn into you? Them?"
"As in them your meaning the undead skeletons that you said were chasing you both then yes."
"This is just great, this is just great! How in the world are we to get out of here?"
"Perhaps there's some way out. Maybe we just need to continue looking! Perhaps we can-"
Carrot snapped her neck around with eyebrows furrowed. "We don't need to do any more looking around! That's exactly what got us in this trouble in the first place!"
"Don't try to blame all of this on me! You act as though I know all of the details!"
"I told you it was a dumb idea to begin with! That it wasn't safe!"
"My little ponies..."
The two mares faced each other with eyebrows staged and forward. Hooves pointing at one another in blame as they found fault.
"Even if I did convince you, you still had every right and option to say no. No pony asked for you to follow me into the forest nor arrive there!"
"You think that I was just going to leave a stupid pony like you to wander off by herself?"
"Young mares..."
The words stung hard into the pegasus's heart. "And a carrot pickin' pony like you could have stayed behind and played in the dirt all day but you didn't! If I was dumb for going into the forest to search for the door then your even dumber for following me!"
"As if one could ever be as dumb as-"
"Foals!"
The two mares stopped instantly as the ghostly mare positioned herself in between the two bickering ponies. Her face showing one of a motherly agitation and disapproval.
"Bickering will not get us anywhere but a waste of necessary time." she looked Carrot up and down. "Especially among friends. If you two are to get out of here perhaps there is one way."
The mare walked forward. Stopping some distance from in front of the two mares and in the middle of the hall.
"If you want to know that way, then I will be more than happy to show you if you follow. I cannot guarantee it will be a way out definitively but it is worth the attempt."
The mares simply looked at her with an unsure expression.
Pruina raised an eyebrow. "If you care to follow."
The two looked at one another with an expression of resentment.
Carrot moved her eyes away from Derpy and trotted over to Pruina but when she saw that her friend followed close behind she moved past Pruina and continued forward.
"Young pony..."
"Its foraward isnt it? Its just a straight path."
Pruina looked up to the ceiling and back down to Carrot who continued to move forward. "If I was you I would push aside my anger. You know not what lies ahead."
Before Carrot could wait to respond, the ceiling gave way to the object it held. A small shudder of the grand was felt as a quake shook the interior of the room from the colliding chandelier. Missing Carrot by mere inches.
Carrot turned to look at Pruina who stood next to her friend with raised eyes. Pruina walked towards Carrot along with her friend who gave her a 'thats what you get face'.
"Perhaps it is time to be wise little one." Pruina stated as she walked past.
Carrot gave a sigh as she hung her head down low and followed after solemnly.
Pruina approached the sleepy pair that laid cuddled together like a batch of puppies. Carrots head resting on top of mid-section of her friend while Derpy enveloped her. They raised their slobbering heads and blinked drowsy in response to the mare.
“I saw that you both were moving quite frequently...I took it as a sign that you both were waking.”
Carrot got up and stretched and with her mouth wide opened, yawned as she did so. Her friend shook her head as she blinked trying to piece her mind back together.
“You have no idea. It was cold but it was refreshing. Thank you Miss Pruina.”
“Your welcome. I figured as much it was to be cold considering how you both slept bunched up.”
Carrot looked to Derpy. “Derpy, are you awoke yet? Well, at least completely.”
“Huh? Um...yeah.” Derpy quickly stood and stretched. Letting out a yawn as well as she did. “Alright! Already to go!”
Pruina gave a smile. “Good. We have no time to waste then. Let us leave. I will be your guide.”
The two ponies stepped carefully through the small hole that Pruina made in the wall and glanced around at their surroundings as it closed behind them. A cold wind blew across their short fur coats and caused them to shudder.
“I-its cold.” Carrot claimed as she rubbed her right leg with her hoof.
“It wouldn't be the first time we've said that.”
They stood on a wide open stone plain as a large body of water laid in front of them. The fringes of it, bordered by icy hills and walls. The ceiling stood high and enveloped the scene. Icicles hanged down low from it adding more to the already cold feeling of the icy cavern. A thick white fog covered much of the area and blanketed the river in front of them.
“Everything is iced over.”
Pruina walked over between them and spoke. “Helheim...”
“Hm?”
“Helheim. Land of lost souls. This is the name of the place you both have been sent to since you first arrived. The river of Acheron lies here and you have the privilege of seeing it yourself. Right in front of you.”
“I don't think its a privilege at all to see anything in hell.”
“You can say that again.”
Pruina chuckled. “Perhaps you both are right but at least you have something to go back and tell your pony folk.”
“I assume so but who in the world is going to believe us?”
“Aw come on Carrot! All the crazy things that happen in Equestria and you think that they won't believe that we took a trip to hell? The princesses took a trip to Tartarus for crying out loud!”
Carrot gave a chuckle. “Yeah, your right. Forgot all about that.”
“Your princesses...were sent to Tartarus?”
“Yeah. It was done so by Tirek who was sucking up all the magic in Equestria for his own gain!” Derpy told.
“Thankfully, if I recall correctly on how the story was told to me, Twilight managed to defeat him after the princesses gave her all of their power.”
“Is that...interesting. Perhaps you can tell me all about it on our way across the river.”
“Wait, we're going across the river?” Carrot raised question.
“Well, where else we'll we go? There is only one way from here.” Pruina walked towards a dock to which the young mares followed after. Hanging from one of the poles that held the wooden platform in the water was a small rusted bell. Using her mane as a limb, she grabbed hold of the small chain that hung from the it and rung.
The chime of the bell, surprisingly soothing, echoed throughout the icy cavern with it's sound bouncing off of the walls. When the sound finally stopped the two mares looked around to see what had changed or happened. With confused looks they looked at one another as Pruina stood focused in the distance.
Hoof sounds came to replace the echoing chimes of the bell and the ears of the two Equestrian ponies quickly perked up. It sounded as though whatever creature dare walked did so across glass. They made their way next to Pruina's sides as they gazed into the distance along with their guide. From the density of the fog did a walking figure come into view.
The figure that appeared had no flesh and clean bones as it walked across the surface of the waters as though it was ground. It was cloaked in black and cold air blew from it's empty nostrils as though it was breathing. It wore a black cloak and its bony tail stuck out from underneath the cloth with the end of it pointing into a razor sharp scythe.
It approached the platform and stopped in front of the tan mare.
"Why are you here?" It spoke. Its voice barely audible in a silent and raspy whisper.
"To lead these two home." Pruina answered.
"Are they alive?"
"Yes."
"But you are dead..."
"Yes. Which means that as long as I am dead I cannot leave. So you have nothing to worry about."
"I see...can you pay?"
"Here." Pruina flicked him a shiny gold coin from her tail.
The skeleton pony captured it with it's magic. It's long horn aglow in a black color. It looked at it for a bit before putting it in it's cloak pocket. Setting its black sockets back on Pruina.
"You may pass."
Pruina ushered the two little ponies onto the boat as it slowly rocked under the adding weight. Pruina got in last after them. Her tail hanging from over the boat in the water. Instantly freezing the small patch on contact.
She turned her head to the pony skeleton. "Aren't you going to row us across Acheron?"
"Row yourself..."
Pruina huffed. "Rude and lazy as always I see."
"Prey you drown."
"And grumpy. Even so, your still not as bad as your brothers. Well..." she gave the boat a gentle push with her tail. "We must be on our way. Thank you Acheron."
With a last goodbye to the old skeleton, the three mares set forth into the dense fog.
Calm and gentle winds blew across the mares and through the icy cavern as they sailed along. Pruina guided the boat with her tail that was dipped in the ghastly water. The atmosphere was far from uplifting and everything carried a feeling of dread and haunting that could make any living soul shudder just from the thought of it all.
Derpy's ears perked up at the sudden sound of raspy voices and her ears led her eyes to the source of the sound which was from the waters themselves. Derpy peered closer to the water as her friend was distracted in engaging with the ghostly mare behind her. She could have sworn she saw something but whatever it was faded quickly from her attention.
Derpy bent her head closer to the water.
Pruina caught notice of the careless mare. "My little pony! Care-"
"Ack!" Derpy immediately jumped back into the boat. Shaking its foundations as Carrot looked back at her wide eyed.
"What happened?" Carrot asked. Going to her friends side.
"S-some thing just jumped out at me!"
"From where? The river?"
"Y-yeah!"
Carrot gazed into the body of water and nearly jumped back in surprise herself at what she had witnessed. Ghastly, bony forms of spirits all surrounded the boat. Bellowing in raspy voices that were unclear and a cluttered mess. Appearing white as the fog and river that they dared reside in of.
"This is the River of Acheron. Also known as the river of lost souls. You must not under circumstances try your luck in falling into these waters. Doing so would mean immediate loss of hope from returning back to your homeland."
"What excatly happens..." Carrot gulped. "If we fall in?"
"You'll become lost like them."
"Well, isn't that just perfect."
"As long as your in the boat, there is nothing they can do. They cannot harm you lest you are in there with them so do not worry just beware."
"Right. Miss Pruina."
"Yes?"
"That skeleton thing that you gave the coin to...was that the grim reaper?"
Pruina gave a small laugh. "In a generic term yes. He himself is Acheron by name just like the river. He is the ferry who rides souls across these waters. Each river leads to a different part of hell."
"I see...if you don't mind, may I ask you a few other questions? I'm sorry if it is too much so if it evers-"
"Please my dear, ask as many as you desire to know the answers of. You know how long it has been since the last time I have saw a living soul?"
"....how long?"
"A thousand years at most."
"A-a thousand years?"
Pruina shook her head with a smile. "That is how long I myself have resided here. it is quite lonely. With nothing but pitiful souls to keep one company."
"Thats...awful." Derpy chimed.
"One gets use to it I suppose but there is always a constant yearning to leave. To reach back to where they are from."
"I have to ask, you mentioned those undead skeletons and giant spiders were guardians? How exactly so?"
"Like Cerberus, they keep living souls from entering and dead souls from leaving."
"Well they did a suckish job considering how we're here!"
"Now now. The way you both entered was abnormal by nature. Had you entered normally, having died and had your soul carried here, you would have to get pass the actual gates of the underworld which Cerberus himself guards. That door you entered must have dropped you instantly here than at the gates. The spiders and skeletons were only doing their job."
"Is that so." Carrot turned to catch a glance at Derpy who seemed to be looking at the water. Granted with her head and body far more in the boat than before.
She turned back to Pruina. "I wanted to know, you said you've been here a thousand years yes?"
Pruina nodded her head.
"So how exactly did you end up here?"
Derpy's attention was caught at the question.
"Oh thats such a long story. It can take all day to tell you that."
"But I really want to know! Did you die of sickness, disease or something?"
Pruina gave a sigh. "If you insist, it started a very long time ago. A little bit more than just a thousand years. I was part of a humble kingdom far to the north. During that time I was present a deadly plaque came and enveloped the citizens. Unfortunately, I was one of the victims."
"I'm sorry that happened."
"Well, once the deed is done it is done. Life is fleeting after all. Of course surely you yourself would never be satisfied with such a meager tale now would you? That great kingdom wasn't far from your land Equestria and I wasn't just any old citizen either."
"What were you exactly then?"
"I was a royal practitioner of oral magic."
"Oral magic? Magic...you speak?"
Pruina smiled and gave a nod. "Yes. As an earth pony, I wanted to prove that the manipulation of magic could be obtained even by those born without horns. Now, do not mistake me. I do love and enjoy being an earth pony but I also sought an interest in magic."
"How does it exactly work?"
"Well, if you are willing to listen I'll be more than happy to tell you the inner workings of oral cast magic...if you are willing to sit for it that is. It can get quite...boring to most."
"I'll be more than happy to do so."
Pruina cracked a chuckled. "My, my, my! Aren't you the enthusiastic one! Well then, shall we be-."
Pruina paused.
"What's wrong?"
"Do you hear that?"
Carrot tilted her head. "Hear what?"
"Stay down."
Carrot did not move a muscle as well as Derpy who stood as still as possible. They merely watched as Pruina went and made her way to the front of the boat that carried a small lantern.
Pruina yelled.
"Duck!"
A sudden ball of flame came towards the three that barely missed their heads.
"Stay low!"
"What are those things?"
"Hell's little residents." Pruina gritted through her teeth. "These fiery birds are actually small dragons."
Three to four of the fiery birds were present before them. Coming their way as the another charged up to spit another flame at them. Their bodies being nothing but mere bones themselves alit in flames, shot out another spitball of fire aimed at the small boat that rowed the three across the river.
Pruina deflected the ball back with her tail. Having extended and transformed it into a thick, icy rod. The ball struck the bird who threw it and dropped it down into the spirit filled waters where it was dragged by them.
Another one came to swoop down only for the mysterious mare to quickly grab one of them with her thick and frozen over tail and flung them away from the mares before it melted her tail away.
The last two shot two balls of fire instantly and determined to protect the two mares, Pruina reared on her hind legs and when coming back in contact with the boat, the waters of the river came shooting up as a frozen wall that melted on contact but was thick enough to prevent the blow.
The last two were finished off with a mighty swing of Pruina's tail that knocked them into the icy walls where they dropped into the waters beneath them.
Pruina retracted her tail and it it reconditioned itself back into the way it was.
"Are you both alright?"
"Y-yeah." Carrot answered. "What exactly are those things?"
"I don't know them by any specific name I am afraid. The underworld is a dangerous and unpredictable place."
"That, was, Awesome! How did you learn all of that? No, how could you do that?" Derpy asked with a wide grin on her face.
"Shoot, I wanna know as well! Just how did you do that?" Carrot asked with a wide grin sprawled across her face.
"Oral magic." Pruina winked.
"Oral magic can make you do that?"
"Want me to tell you how?"
"Please do!"
Pruina couldn't help but smile. "Of course."
She made her way back to the back the boat where she was before and went back to steering. Her tail dipped in water, she froze all behind her as the boat moved along passed abandoned and long forgotten wooden buildings that now bordered the edges of the water.
The steady rocking of the ferry boat begun to wind down as they approached the dock until it at last it came to a halt. The eerie fog had calmed a little and the hallowing spirits from the lake could not be seen around the borders where the lake met the grey, dusty land. Derpy rested herself in a ball on the boat floor in order to protect herself from the bitter cold. Oddly enough, Carrot was still wide awoke and had continued her conversation with the elder mare while her friend had ling fell asleep from the boring discussion of oral magic. Carrot, in all formalities found such a thing rude but Pruina found the situation rather entertaining and adorable.
"We are here."
With the announcement, Carrot rushed over towards Derpy and gave her a gentle nudge. "Wake up Derpy! We're here!"
The grey mare let loose a row of incomprehensible grumbles as she rubbed her face. "Huh? Were in Equestria?"
"No Derpy, we're still here in this hell hole. Its just time for us to get off the boat."
Pruina stepped off of the vessel and Carrot joined her side not long after. Derpy stretched her joints and muscles, yawned and looked sideways before finally joining the other two on the dock. The boat begun to drift off soon after on its own and the two young mares looked on as it floated backwards down the same path that they had traveled. Watching until it vanished behind the dense white fog that covered the surface of the weeping waters.
Before them stood a large wall that stood out from the walls of ice that held it's sides. It was a orange to brown color and had a substantial opening in the front of it shaped like a triangle. Like the old building they escaped from the spiders through, old paintings and murals were present all over it. Though faded and cracked with age.
"Through here. Once we are through here, there may be a way that I am familiar with that can lead you back home."
Pruina gave a look to the two mares.
"All set then?"
"Yep!" Carrot stated joyfully.
"How about you my little pegasus?"
"Yeah."
"Then let us move."
As they transverse through the long hall that was present, they soon arrived at a large circle area where in the middle of it rested a broken fountain that had that of an winged unicorn on top of it. Beside it rested the first step of long and upwards spiraling stone staircase that seemed to never end.
When Derpy saw the length of the steps, she bomoaned the fact that she had to walk it.
"We have to walk up that?"
"If you want to go home that is. This staircase leads right near that of the exit to the underworld. Climbing up it is your best bet on leaving. As residents of the living, exiting shall be just as easy as when you entered." Pruina explained.
"Aw stop complaining! A little bit further and you can eat all the muffins you want when we get back home!"
Derpy blinked.
"All the muffins?"
Carrot nodded her head.
"Ugh." Derpy made her way to the stairs with her head hung low lying in defeat.
"Do not worry my little pegasus, the exercise will not kill you.
Derpy groaned at the mare's comment.
As Pruina and Carrot walked ahead side by side, Derpy's eyes gazed among the walls as she walked. Taking in the depictions of scenes that were drawn among them. These were not as faded and eroded as the other murals they have long since passed and the clarity and refines of them was cut neatly and well. Protected by whatever mother nature could have cast upon them.
The scenes interested the young mare as she tried to piece together the images of bony skeletons and windy horses that seemed to be laying siege to a small town as valiant soldiers tried to fight back to no avail. Such a scene was depicted all throughout the wall that bordered the staircase and did not change. However, one scene depicted a castle that seemed all to familiar with a pony that seemed to be screaming at two winged unicorns.
Derpy hastily stepped back when she felt something tingle against her hooves.
With one lifted up she gave a rather confused look as the hoof prints that Carrot and Pruina left behind was imprinted on the steps by a blue hue. Have not noticed before due to her distraction with the art. She looked up towards them and saw Carrot totally oblivious to her hooves aglow with the same blue hue. Her expression completely focused on the mare who held her by the gently by the neck with her tail.
She raised an eyebrow.
"Miss Pruina."
The mare stopped and gave her attention. "Why are you guys hooves glowing?"
"That is simply a result of me being near the underworld exit. As a mere soul per se, the magic here is basically telling me I have a little further to go before I am forbidden to continue."
"Oh...then what about Carrot?"
"That is by mere chance dear. She just so happens to be walking along with me so it is only reasonable that she herself has come in contact with it."
"...oh."
"It is nothing to worry about. Come now dear, we are almost there."
They continued and eventually, a door signified the end of what Derpy described, as a long hike. Before them stood a door that had two large statues of unicorns standing on both the left and right side of it carrying the emblems of the sun and moon upon their chest. On the front of the door was a picture of four heads with one drawn with a spiked crown.
Pruina touched the door with her hoof and an eye on one of the heads glowed the same icy blue color as her hoof. The door opened with a small rumble and permitted the three mares entrance.
Pruina turned and faced Carrot. "Where is your firend Derpy?"
"....Derpy?" Carrot blinked. "Oh yeah, forgot about her." she turned her head around and looked until her eyes landed upon the grey mare a few feet away from her down the stairs staring vividly at the pictures on the walls.
"Derpy! Come on lets go!"
"Oh yeah, Right!"
Pruina made her way through the doors and Carrot followed behind but not before being stopped by very friend.
"Carrot, are you alright?"
"Huh? Whay are you asking that?" She smiled. "I'm just happy to be out of here that's all! We can go home and eat all the muffins you want and we can go back and tell our story back to Twilight! Who knows what she may say!"
"You..just seem a bit too excited."
"Oh I'm fine! Just excited. Anyway, Pruina's waiting for us so lets go."
Derpy watched on as Carrot trotted through the doors but her eyebrows scrunched together in wary. She never remembered Carrot's eyes being blue.
As she walked in, pushing aside her suspicion, her eyes laid settled on a wide, open, circular field that contained a pyramid shape stone in the middle of it all.
She watched as Carrot gleefully ran to Pruina's side who stood in front of the stone.
Derpy slowly approached the mare as her eyes glanced around the place. "Um...is this it? The exit"
Pruina gave a look to the grey pegasus and approached her.
Her eyes carrying a glimmer of artistic persuasion and cunning. She placed a hoof under the mixed eyed pony and gently lifted her head as she smiled into her golden pupils.
Suddenly, a scream filled the area as a burst of light all but nearly blinded the grey mare.
“Carrot?”
The gates to the eighth floor slammed shut and the ceiling above exploded in a swirling vortex of reddish orange, thunderous clouds as magic of all dark forms came loose. Derpy's eyes befell the scene before her.
“Carrot!”
She watched as her friend's body stood levitated in the air as her eyes and mouth became as ghastly smoke. A dark shadow figure loomed over her as the smoke from Carrot's eyes and mouth went into the figure that was rooted in the a cursed stone. Sparks of ice came flying from all sides, freezing everything it touched instantly. Leaving nothing unscathed. Pruina was nowhere to be found.
Derpy rushed over towards her friend in utmost desperation. Calling out her name as if she was trying to snap her out of her trance. Her head jerked back as something prevented her from continuing closer to the main point of the scene. She paid no mind to the undead ponies, clothed in armor, that bit her hair in an attempt to pull her away from certain destruction. Some ran in front in order to create a makeshift barricade. Sacrificing themselves as their bodies became frozen in bitter anguish. Thankfully, they secretly blessed the gods for their lack of living biology. Happy to be free from the taste of anguish that would have certainly encompassed them had they had flesh.
Roars could be heard as the place shook. Large dragon like creatures joined the undead ponies as they attempted first hand to stop the shadowy figure that slowly sucked in the body of the pale mare. But it was futile as they became frozen in place at the aggression of the ice. Determined to pin down all who dared to undermine their masters plan.
Derpy choked on her tears as she bucked and kicked her helpful assailants. She did not care weather or not they was there for her safety but instead her mind was filled with the intention of getting ahold of her friend.
“Carrot!”
“Grab hold of her! Pull her away!”
The undead ponies managed to grip tightly on Derpy's mane and tail. Not caring if it hurt her as her life was worth much more. They dragged her from the scene across the snow. Away from the door to the eighth level and back into the door from which she had came through. She bucked and screamed, trying her best to get away from the grip of the undead ponies. Tears came down her eyes as she watched her friends body slowly became anorexic. Rib cage and bones showing through flesh as she gurgled, unable to scream, in unimaginable pain. Her life force being sucked out dry like a raging vacuum sworn on revenge.
“Carrot! Carrot! Carrot!”
Was all she could say as salty tears came down in bitter waterfalls. Stinging against her cheeks. She regretted the feeling of persuading Carrot to come along. She begun to hate herself. Everywhere she went she caused trouble. Everything she did she caused trouble, and now her friend would pay the price for her ridiculous antics.
As the ice begun to creep up on her threatening to freeze, Derpy called out once again.
“Carrot!”
Before all went black as the doors shut closed in front of her with only the faint and last memory being of a cackling feminine laughter.
The air felt like a furnace and the ground felt as though coals were set ablaze with an untamed fire. Despite this however, the grey mare did not rise from her supposed slumber. All around her she felt a burn against her skin to what felt like the falling of volcanic ash but oddly enough, it did not burn her. It did not cause her to remove herself from off the ground but in her ears did she hear the murmurings of familiar sounds.
The speaking, the talking, the whispering and the playful sounds of foals rung in her ears. They begun to twitch as male and female voices were present all around her and beat itself against the bases of her ear drums. Her eyes slowly opened and as she blinked, she saw in her blurry vision small and large hooves that stumbled and stood in sight in front of her.
It all sounded realistic. Was it all a dream? Was she back in Ponyville?
“Will you quit your blabbing!”
“Someone is just upset at the fact that I used to be under the stewardship of Starswirl the Bearded.”
“Ugh, like a grand soldier like me would care about that! I am Alexandrite! The great warrior of the North!”
“Looks like someone forgot the fact that we don't have a kingdom!”
A feminine voice chuckled. “Even after a thousand years they still haven't changed.”
“Yeah. They sure haven't.” The foal next to her answered.
The mare looked towards Derpy and saw her eyelids slowly rising.
“Shush you two! She is waking!”
The two bickering ponies looked on as the mare walked towards the rising pegasus who groaned.
“Are you alright my dear?”
Derpy rose up on her flank and rubbed her still watering eyes with her front hooves. As her mind still tried to clear itself the first thought that came was expressed through her words.
“Carrot?”
“If you do not mind, who is Carrot?”
Derpy looked over towards the mare who stood with no bearing of flesh upon her naked bones, her mane alight with the wrath of kindled flames and her eyes as golden as the material itself. Her countenance bore not one of aggression or fear but even without the life of blood and muscles, could she clearly see a content smile. For her, the sight of an undead pony did not scare her as did before. The other two and the small foal where exactly the same. Bearing little to no flesh upon their bones but the intimidation that she once had was now been diminished by her sorrows.
Derpy answered her. “Carrot...is my friend.”
“Your friend? Is she the one who Queen Pruina took hold of?”
“She is not our queen. She lost that title a long time ago.”
“Alexandrite, even you deep down still honor her.” The stallion adorned with a cape told him.
The rebuked stallion cocked his head. “Hmph.”
“Pruina?” Derpy sniffed. “That's the name of the mare who was suppose to lead us out of here.”
“Is that so? Pruina, the mare who was to supposedly have helped you is also the one who caused the very demise of your friend Carrot. You do remember what happened back there do you?” the mare asked.
Derpy choked. “Y-Yes and I need to go and save her!”
“Whoa whoa there friend. That's not a simple task as slaying a dragon.”
“And since when was slaying a dragon simple?” the mare asked.
“Compared to who were probably going to have to go up against Rosaline, it's quite tamed.”
Morion shook his head in reluctant agreement.
“Small mare, how exactly did you find yourself in this sort of predicament?” Morion asked.
“Me and my friend Carrot went to a library and grabbed hold of a book detailing the legend of a door that appears every hundred years in random locations all over Equestria. We wanted to go look for it out of curiosity and found it in Everfree Forest.”
“A door....” Morion commented. Eyes wandering as though he was trying to jog back a memory. “How would a door lead to here, the Underworld?"
The others looked on equally as confused. Doing their best to piece together the details of the grey pegasus story.
“Yeah. When we got through the door we were in this graveyard like place but ended up being chased by ponies who looked exactly you guys.”
“Like us?” Rosaline questioned.
“Yes. They chased after us and kept reciting some mumbo jumbo we couldn't understand.”
“Of course you couldn't. They were more than likely speaking in our ancient tongue. Question, do ponies of modern day continue to speak like that or at least teach it?”
“Um...no?”
“From the words of Faust is this outrageous!”
Alexandrite rolled his eyes. "Get over yourself."
“Marion please. Anyway, the undead ponies she mostly likely encountered were probably soldiers who were once part of Pruina's army. They were probably trying to warn you of the encroaching danger.”
Derpy hoofed her forehead. “If only I had listened, I could have avoided this mess! Now Carrot is in trouble cause of me!”
“I understand if you didn't dear. I doubt they looked very sightly but I need you to tell us what happened. What are the events that took place after such?"
“Running from them we encountered some giant spiders who had these white capes on their back. We managed to run from them into a small building where we met Pruina. She promised to help get us out of here and back home.”
Morion chuckled. “What a liar...”
“Spiders...the Assuni?” Alexandrite questioned with a slight cock of his head.
"Of course..." Morion mumbled.
“Carrot had so much trust in her I-I didn't even think about turning back. But it was off, like she was acting strangely. I have never seemed Carrot so-so attached to a stranger.”
“Dear, are you sure she was not under some spell?"
"W-well...I did notice at the last minute that her eyes were different. Instead of being green like they usually were they were blue..."
"Why would they suddenly change?"
"Like you stated could have been a spell...a charming spell considering her supposed obssession."
"Know anything about this charming spell, Great Morion?"
"Ugh like I would know everything!"
"Well considering how the Great Sage Morion likes to brag about his greatness I figured you would know about something as little as a charming spell!"
"Why you-!"
"I'm so sick of those two." Rosaline stated.
"I don't blame ya..." the foal agreed.
“I don't understand. What would she want with my friend Carrot?”
“We...are not very sure.” Morion answered. Having had enough of Alexandrite who shared the mutual feeling.
"What do you mean your not sure?"
"We could not discern what was going on by the chaos that surrounded us. We paid no attention to the events unfolding before us. We only saw a mare who didn't belong who needed to get out of there and fast. Had it not been for us you would have froze like our dear ponies."
"You...saved me?"
"We all did." Rosaline stated. "Those undead ponies were soldiers and allies of ours as well as the spiders who were probably trying to warn you of Pruina as a threat. Not a friend. Of course being scared of their appearances, it makes sense that you would run rather than listen."
"And who knows how they might have went about trying to warn you..." Alexandrite commented.
"Carrot...." the reality begun to hit her even so more clearly. The chaos and the scene, the convulsing of her friends body and the laughter. Derpy squeezed her watery eyes and shook her head. Sadness no longer was evident but instead was placed with anger as she flung her tears all over the place.
"What about Carrot! All this talk about Pruina and no Carrot! How are we suppose to know that she's safe? That Pruina hasn't killed her or done something terrible!?"
"Calm now pegasus! We know as little as you do! As for your friend we shouldn't jump to conclusions about her fate."
"I have reason to believe she is not dead. She is perhaps alive."
"What makes you believe that?"
"In honesty I don't really have a reason. But-"
"But we have hope." Morion came in. "Whatever the case may be, regardless if your friend is alive or not, Pruina has a plan and one I am for certain that will not be fulfilled here."
"She is filled with hate."
"Exactly. Hate against not what is down here..." Morion pointed up. "...but what is up there."
"Pruina's plan will not just effect or in this case has effected your friend but will effect perhaps the entire world."
"But Carrot! We need to save-"
"Carrot or millions of innocent bystanders? Pruina has always been itching to escape and this may just be the starting the line in doing so."
"Morion..."
"No Rosaline, she must understand and look beyond her friend."
"But she is just a young mare!"
Morion snapped his head. "Does not matter!"
Derpy bite her lip and closed her eyes. Allowing the tears she had been holding back for so long to pour out in a raging waterfall.
"She is a mare engaged in war for that is what it will amount to. You think Pruina is gonna march up there alone? Facing the world with a single sword?"
Silence.
"I didn't think so. War includes the lives of millions not just one. But in war for every life..." He looked towards Derpy. "...do we fight As per the cold of the Iron Empire Code of Valor."
"That's my boy!" Alexandrite, the battle worn soldier, smiled with utmost excitement.
The familiar name stunned Derpy. "Crystal Empire? Wha-"
Rosaline placed a comforting hoof on the clumsy pegasus's shoulder. “My dear, on your own you will not prevail against Pruina. Only the strength of many will and even then it is just a possibility but one in which we can fulfill."
“As per the code of valor I will not let any pony fall in the face of evil. No matter my relation with them.
“Alexandrite is a great fighter ya' know!” a small foal spoke to which Derpy's attention was caught. They sat next to Rosaline after prancing around after a beaten up ball. From the build of the small pony and its voice, Derpy assumed it was a colt.
“He has slain many warriors and he's in love with the queen!”
Marion busted a laugh.
“Lets not get into that now! Let what passed be the past!”
Rosaline merely chuckled. “Seems like my son Siam hasn't changed either.”
“He is like his father here who doesn't know how to keep quiet.”
Marion rolled his eyes. “Believe as thou wish.”
“My dear Derpy I must ask you, are you willing to fight for your friend but also for the world if it is at stake?”
“Yes! Anything!”
“Now I must ask you this, are you willing to fight for others?”
“...yes.”
“And last are you willing to die for it?”
“Yes-! Wait- I!”
“Too late! Your fate is sealed!” Alexandrite proclaimed.
“But I didn't-!”
“Know this now small pegasus, more than the fate of your friend lies in the balance. Prepare and be ready.”
“For what?”
“War."
Part Ice
Cold air breezed through the winds as the ground was frozen solid. Statues of the once living beings could be seen not to far off from the tomb that laid as the centerpiece of the tragedy. Inside laid a pale mare whose curiosity unfortunately caused such an effect. Her slowly begun to open and Carrot could feel just faintly something cold pressed against her hooves.
She could barely feel her own hooves. She felt bitter as though icicles were eating at her but as her vision became clear the realization of her situation struck her: She was trapped. Confused and becoming distraught, Carrot moved her front hooves upon the icy tomb from inside in unbelief. Only faintly remembering the incident of before. Seeing from the back of her open eyes the paying of a memory consumed in flashes of light, shouting and salty tears.
Carrot pressed against her encasement but true to rock and stone, it did not budge no matter how hard she may have tried. Carrot seeing her efforts were of no avail, looked around from inside. The ground was as bitter and cold and frozen than the coldest tundra and a blizzard aggressively came from all winds. She could not see the sky and the mood was that of a solemn case.
Around her were icy statues of the frozen from her size to the great in the distance whom she believed looked like dragons if they themselves were not.
Carrot's eyes picked up at the sound of light crunching and taps and as she gazed straight in front of her in the distance, she could see the figure of a pony coming towards her. A small smile graced her face as perhaps finally, a prayer had been answered but as the figure approached she could not help but notice it's similar look to her.
“My my my, it seems that a certain pony is wide awake.”
The pale figure walked around Carrots tomb with a smile that graced her face. Her hair as blue as the ice that encased the surrounding area and her eyes as piercing as the color that surrounded her.
Carrot barely responded as she only looked at the pony who was her height and shape but carried the calming expression of the one who bought her here.
"Who are you?"
The mare walked in front of Carrot's tomb and laid down upon the cold, barren ground. Giving her a chilling look as she crossed her two front hooves. Using her mane to make swirls in the snow in what depicted boredom as she made no eye contact with the entrapped young pony.
"The one who led you here."
Carrot stayed silent until here eyes widened in realization.
"You..." she growled. Gritting her teeth in anger. "Pruina! Your behind this? We trusted you! Why would you do something like this? Where is Derpy!"
"Didn't anyone ever tell you that when you are speaking you ask only a question at a time?"
"No more of your silly games Pruina! Where is she?"
"Your friend was pulled away by those wretched soldiers of mine. Be thankful of them. Had it not been for them she would have surely been frozen..." Pruina lifted a hoof and waved it over the area. "...like all of them."
Carrots eyes followed her hoof as she witnessed before her frozen statues of ponies and what seemed to be large dragons alike.
She looked Pruina in the eye. "Why would you do something like this? What purpose could you possibly have?"
Pruina didn't answer her question but instead gave her a side glance. Continuing to swirl her mane in the snow as though she was possessed by something.
"For over a thousand years I've sat patiently for some pony...anything to walk through hell gates in order to be free from this prison." she hissed. "For over a thousand years I've bore long with your princesses happy faces as I watched them from down below enjoy a life that I myself should have lived!"
Pruina cracked the ground beneath her instantly as she slammed down a hoof in rage. The small quake that came from her startled Carrot causing her to fall back slightly with the little space she had.
"The princesses....what do they have to do with this?"
Pruina stood and faced her. Gritting her teeth as she pushed out the words. "Everything..."
Pruina turned around and gave a sigh. "Had it not been for them I would still be up there..." she looked up. "Walking among all races in power, wealth and glory. My name echoing throughout the lands. Instead, because of their own stupidity, I was destined to live my once esteemed life down in this torturous dump!" she snapped her neck at Carrot.
"What are you talking about?"
"Your stupid princesses. Banished by their own injustice, I've waited patiently for some pony to bear my curse..." Pruina rubbed her mane on the Carrot's tombstone. "...and that pony, would be you."
"...what..."
"When your princesses banished me, the cursed they placed upon me was severe. I was doomed to the bottom pit of the underworld with no real rite of passage. Simply thrown unable to be blessed with either eternity in heaven or hell, I wondered with the rest of my kingdom in isolation. My only source of company being the beasts of this place, my hated kin and a sphere ball I found and infused with magic to allow me to gaze upon the surface world and its happenings. But I knew that every magical spell has a hole, it was just a matter of time to find it."
"And that was me?"
The mare smiled. "Partly. Do your princesses really think that I would just sit idly by and not do anything? My magic is restricted greatly yes but not all of it. I stayed down here honing my magical abilities."
"Through oral magic?"
"Some pony's been listening. I needed a way to break it, the curse and it's bounds on me. I couldn't destroy it, but I could replace the pony it held which was me with another. The dead are unable to leave the underworld and by the time I had managed a plan I needed more than just a replacement in my stead...I needed a body."
Carrots eyes widened and her mouth trembled in stuttering words that couldn't come out.
"I was then a soul, something rotted away. I needed a body to escape, to go back to the land I was unjustly expelled fro. But first that called for a living being to enter into my domain. I couldn't leave so I needed a hook to fish for it. That door was just that."
"You made that?"
Pruina chuckled wickedly. "Impressed? That door was one of my greatest feats. To create even a partial or half working entrance to the underworld is a feat. Of course actually making the gates of hell appear upon the surface of the world is practically impossible but a little magic can craft a direct or indirect entrance. Even if it's half-working product."
Half-working...is that why it disappears?
"When I saw you two through my crystal ball having made your way here I was excited, perhaps brimming too much so. But I knew those annoying subordinates...no, rebels of mine would try every attempt to stop you. I crossed my hairs hoping it wouldn't be so but alas my prayers were answered as the door disappeared from view."
"You knew about everything..."
"I planned everything, with chance and with skill."
"You mentioned your subordinates trying to stop us...and dragging Derpy away...are you talking about those undead skeletons that chased us?"
"Them and those cursed spiders. All soldiers of my long forgotten kingdom...well, almost forgotten. Now reduced to some measly city state in the middle of a desert plain. Ruled over by a 'princess of love' and her good for nothing husband."
The details hit the imprisoned earth pony. "Cadance and Shining!"
"Ah yes...that's there names. How could I forget. First my banishment and the last remaining part of kingdom goes to a pressy princess by Celestia's decree."
"Your empire?"
Pruina sighed as she picked up some snow using her tail and swirled it around in the air. Creating a circular panaranma view for Carrot to see.
"Perhaps I should start from the beginning during the reign of the Iron Empire or what you ponies now know as the Crystal Empire."
"Long before the Princess known as Cadance came into view or even her mother, there was to the far north as you know, the Crystal Empire."
Pruina showed the earth pony a panoramic view of the lavish empire. Carrot's eyes widened as she gazed upon the grandeur of it. Large and tall buildings dressed in crystal and marble filled the view as different races of all types walked among each other peacefully.
"The land of the far north was a land of prosperity and beauty. Driven by their rich resources of minerals and precious stones. Buildings of marble and crystal could be seen every step and races which ponies and other kinds never laid eyes upon can converse and intertwine with one another in open unity. While others were fighting and bickering among one another, all races were welcomed with open hooves. It was a place of splendor and riches, a utopia for it's time."
"And lemme guess, it's ruler was you?"
"Indeed I was. For three hundred years did I rule in peace and care. Protecting my kingdom and ruling over my subjects who held me to high esteem. You have me to thank for the empire your princess now rules over. It would have never came to be." she sighed.
"You...founded it?'
"Of course as well as most of the traditions that dare come to be celebrated til this day. I was there where alicorns in abundance ruled over lands and I was there when they disappeared. Certainly, it only made sense that I would come to found my own land." Pruina gave a small laugh.
Carrot merely narrowed her eyes.
"And my reign would have lasted til your day had it not been for your precious princesses."
"What is with your hatred towards Celestia and Luna? Whatever you have done surely you deserved it!"
Pruina snapped her neck towards the earth pony. "Whatever I have done does not amount to the punishment I had received! You ponies carry your princesses in such high regard that you believe them to be infallible. Incapable of doing any wrong or poor judgement. But like us both here they have past sins and I am one of them." Pruina gritted through her teeth.
Carrot swallowed as she watched with nervous eyes the bitter mare.
"A plaque begun to ravage the northern lands. Prance, the independent states of what would soon be Equestria, various kingdoms. It spread like wildfire and it was only a matter of time before such an atrocity would reach the far, cold north. Ponies and other races were dropping like leaves on an autumn morning. By this time your princesses have been came into power. I had been kind to them, meeting with them to attain a newly forged set of affairs."
"You were allies with them?"
"I was." she hissed. "When the plaque, the black plaque had reached the lands of what was then Equestria they tried desperately to search for a cure but no magic seemed to help. Fillies, colts, mares and stallions all fell victim. Growing deathly ill and dis-configured until you could not tell them apart. I however was determined to find a cure. No matter what it took. When no simple medical or healing spell could work I turned to last thing I knew of."
"And what would that be?"
"Black magic. I made a contract with hell's residents. In exchange for the knowledge of worldly magic I knew of they would give me power to cure any illness, a panacea to the problem at hoof and any other that should come. I was enlightened, grateful and in my desire to spread the good news I told your dyarchal rulers about my findings but they viewed it as too much. Saying the consequences of demons knowing the ways of pony magic or of any kind is too much of a risk. No matter how much I tried to make them see how the benefits outweighed the costs they refused my proposal. Forbidding my practice. But I wasn't going to let my subjects or kingdom die to because some uppity ponies said so. I continued my practice in secret, striving for a cure by the time my kingdom was struck. I was aimed to not only save my subordinates but my family as well and all those under me knew that. But some...were like the princesses."
Carrot looked on with intense interest as the scene on the panoramic view changed to a mixed group of races sitting at a round table.
"Word of me continuing the my practice spread to the princesses and the United Council of World Leaders, to which I was apart of. I became ostracized, viewed as a danger. They threatened the stability of my kingdom by removing their support needed imports and threatened me with removal from the council. I was enraged, angered that they would not heed me. I refused to stop my practice and your princesses, so called doing it for the greater good, saw fit to remove my ability for magic right when I was nearly finished with my contract with hell itself."
"W-what happened?"
"My kingdom was destroyed. That is what happened. My subjects were dropping like flies and my family, my stallion, my sister, and my foal all fell to the same disastrous disease. The air was filled with death and soft chatter was soon replaced with aggressive mourning and weeping. My kingdom came to a halt and the ones that were dear to me succumbed to painful sores, and hectic fevers and coughs. Nothing I could do could make them go easier onto the next life. All because Celestia and Luna wanted to pretend as though they were above every pony and every one." Pruina hissed.
"That...doesn't sound like them. It's hard to believe that."
Pruina gave the earth pony a sinister smile, as eyes as cold as night pierced through her own. "Hard to believe but nonetheless true. I refuse to submit to the rule of some pony or some thing below me. I marched onto their kingdom once demanding answers as well as my subjects but they succeeded in my defeat. But now..." Pruina chuckled. "...but now I will be the one who will succeed in theirs."
The ice pony, used her tail to swipe away the panoramic view. It dissipating into the gentle wind. The tanned mare turned her back on the young earth pony as she opened her mouth to let out a command.
"Enascor!" her voice echoed through the cold landscape and the sound of her voice was like that of a roaring lion. Soon after, the ground beneath Carrot begun to shake. Rumbling the very foundations of he ricy, pyramid shaped tomb. Carrot looked down beaneath her and saw her tomb beginning to erect itself into the air.
"W-wow!"
Two great, horse like beasts came from both the right and left side of Carrot. Carrying her in between them on a solid, icy platform that was tied to both of them by chains.
The earth pony watched on as ponies, icy soldiers that too lacked any flesh, begun to emerge from the very ground that the ice witch stood upon. They were soon joined by icy golems, small dragons and even the dreaded windigo, as they all came forth at command of the queen herself.
Pruina looked back at Carrot with an intimidating smile.
"Be proud my little pony. You are going to witness front and center the greatest victory of all of history. I will bring upon your princesses and the whole of Equestria a storm much bitter, much colder than any windigo storm can and could deliver."
Carrot narrowed her eyes and stared at the mad mare with false confidence. "The Elements of Harmony will stop you."
A warmth overcame the room as a fire burned in the background of the grey pagasus. The radiant warmth of the fire helped to remove or at least, uplift the bitter feeling of the blizzard cold. Two undead ponies discussed the manners of what had recently transpired hours ago in front of the blazing fire. Their long capes, adorned with the same red cross as the spiders, draping behind them. A spider, wearing the same hung from the ceiling by it's abdomen. Stretching out its limbs close enough so that they would not burn but be warmed by the welcomed heat. The room itself was part of a small building, a remnant of Pruina's kingdom that had been banished and scattered about across the icy caverns of hell.
It wasn't in best condition as red curtains laid ripped and seemingly sewn back together in an attempt to preserve it as long as possible and the walls were beginning to peel. Paint flaking off at almost every touch of a hoof or claw. Derpy's body laid wrapped underneath a rather old blanket. It was thin and worn but served to alleviate some more of the cold that had managed to dodge the warmth of the fire.
She ruffled her feathers underneath the blanket and scooted her body further under it as she laid next to Morion whose hooves laid on an opened book they both were reading. Derpy looked over to her left as she saw a small baby spider crawling among a stack of books that contained information on different styles and types of magic and history.
Aw how cute.
Derpy thought as the spider merely looked at her.
“Pay now attention pegasus! Important matters are at hoof!”
Derpy gave a disapproving groan. “I know but...it's so boring!”
“Weather it is boring or not my dear it is important that you know this information.” Rosaline chimed in.
“Where is Alexandrite? That armored pony?”
“Probably off training with the other soldiers. Even in death he does not cease to swing his sword.” Morion answered. “Which means he is either in the training room so named or outside.”
“In the cold?”
“That does not phase him. Besides, like us, he's dead anyway.” the stallion stated bluntly.
“True...”
Derpy's eyes wandered to the back of her. Setting upon the sights of the fire and the capes of the two ponies who stood in front of it.
“Hey, what does those crosses on you guys capes mean?”
“They are suppose to be a symbol of our loyalty until death to our kingdom. An oath is sworn upon our hearts to which I and soldiers alike carry with great respect. Unfortunately, that was not to be. At least, to some of us.”
Rosaline walked over and laid next to them both. Interested by the conversation that was being discussed between them. The two did not mind her intrusion.
“What...exactly happened between you guys and Pruina?”
“A lot of stuff.” Morion stated as he looked down at the book. Though he bore no eyes, Derpy could see his hurt clearly expressed.
“What Morion means is that we care about Pruina deeply but what she is doing, what she has done before in the past we do not approve of. Morion is, after all, her most faithful of students and learned most of his magic under her reign. I was a personal ambassador and representative of the queen. Alexandrite, was one of her most faithful and greatest soldiers.”
“Wow. So you all know her pretty well huh?”
Rosaline chuckled. “Of course we did. We all, including Pruina, were like family. She was a kind pony, beloved by all.”
“Really? She sure didn't seem like it. Well, at least til' recently.”
“Pruina must still be upset over what transpired over a thousand years ago. Who would have thought she'll carry a grudge for that long.”
“Grudges are not something that just disappears. If some who live long can hold it til death then I am not surprised that Pruina can hold it past that.”
“What crawled in her fur and died to get her so salty?”
“Fleas and a lot of them.”
Rosaline gave Morion a look. “A feeling of being judged wrongly. We were not present in all that unfolded. We only know what others had told us and what Pruina, before our banishment, have told us.”
“The black plaque came among us and various other nations. So deadly and contagious was it so. Ponies, gryphons, horses and others were dropping like leaves. At this time, it wasn't long before your princesses became rulers and the the Crystal Empire, our home, had formed an alliance with your newly founded land.”
Derpy was caught off guard. “Wait, just wait. Your both from the Crystal Empire? How?”
“Our Queen founded the empire. The crystal heart that protected us from the cold, was also crafted by her.” Rosaline explained.
The revelations shocked the pegasus. “That wicked mare did all of that?”
“Indeed she did. In order to keep back the sporadic and hectic blizzards. The fuel was the emotion love as such was of abundance and more resourceful than a material item.”
“It seems odd that Pruina, whose carrying a grudge would make something of, well, love.”
“Indeed it is but such things did she do. So powerful was her ability to learn and understand magic as an earth pony that not only did she craft a powerful artifact but almost as a blessing, bestowed upon her a longevity unheard of in the day and even now.” Morion flipped through his book.
“Pruina was not always a hateful and deceptive pony. She was one like your princesses. Loving, caring and a noble leader. Accepting all those no matter how different. The Crystal Empire reigned during the years when the alicorns roamed the world in abundance and still stood after their fall.” Rosaline explained.
“What exactly happened for Pruina to get banished down here? And you guys too?”
“Like said we only know so much but from what we understand so far, when the plaque struck, Pruina was determined to find a remedy. No matter the costs. No magical spell known or even crafted so far during the time worked so Pruina turned to the last thing she believed could help and that was Black magic.”
“Isn't that just dark magic?”
“No. It is not. Dark magic is the twisting and corruption of white magic. Black magic are magical properties gained through the use of devils.” Morion explained.
“Like demons?” Derpy said in shock.
“Yes. Demons. Contracts.”
“But your princesses did not approve and forbade her from doing such. Worried what gifting the knowledge of worldly magic to devils could do. Of course our queen continued until finally your princesses had had enough. Taking away her ability to do magic for a time. After that, a domino effect seemed to have happened. The kingdom fell into ruin with the decreasing populace and the entire empire was under medical emergency. Our economy, stability and subjects had all but depleted into nothingness and for Pruina, like us, she lost her family. Her sister, her stallion, her foal. Having succumbed to the effects of the reapers breath.”
“That's..horrible. But it seems weird that princess Celestia and Luna would just do something like that.”
“In their eyes they did what they believed was of necessity. In our eyes and Pruina's...” Morion flipped a page in his book. “...they disgraced us. The nation grew bitter, angry and wanted an answer from the princesses. Pruina believed she was done wrongly and in so set out to cast her own mark of justice.”
“By doing what?”
“Removing your princesses from the throne. But I and even my dear Rosaline and a few refused. As much as we ourselves we're angered, marching onto Equestria for war would not solve any problems but our queen didn't listen. Blinded by rage.”
“Some of those who were in opposition even went so far to tell the sun and moon princesses themselves on what was to befall them. Against their loyalty of the empire out of moral obligation. This gave ample time for them to prepare and only fueled Pruina's rage more. Both the Crystal Empire and Equestria went to war but Equestria emerged victorious and out of Pruina's sin we too paid punishment. Your princesses used the elements of harmony which sealed away not only Pruina, but her forces, army, and even nearly all of the kingdom.” Rosaline continued. “I still remember her last words. “'I will return'”
“Since then we been scattered through out the plain of hell itself. Guarding Pruina's confinements out of what little we could do. This, something like this, is what we were desperate to prevent.” Morion added.
“It is of importance that we get your friend back little pegasus. Morion, do you have any idea as to why Pruina may want with her friend anyway?”
“I'm not sure but considering all of these magical spells she know of and could use and the circumstances surrounding us currently, I believe she used a soul transfer.”
“Soul transfer?”
“In short, she stole your friends body.”
Derpy's eyes widened. “What?!”
“That scene that happened hours back seem as though Pruina was sucking the soul out of your friends body and replacing it with her own in her body.”
“W-why would she do that?”
“To probably escape. The dead can't leave but the living can. If she has a living vessel its a one way path out of here since the living doesn't belong anyway.”
“She did mention something like that but that leaves one more problem, you all are dead! How are we going to go after her once she leaves hell? I'll be alone!”
Morion chuckled. “Hardly. Pruina is cursed just like us. We all are bounded to that curse. Pruina being the heart of it all as it was cast upon her first. Wherever she goes, we have privilege to follow.”
“So let me get this right, since she's leaving you guys can leave too?”
“In simple words, yes and when we do we must be prepared to face her along with you." Morion closed the book he was reading with his hoof and gave a sigh before standing up. "I have a rather firm understanding on what magic spells she may use but that does not guarantee she'll use everything I know of now. We shouldn't be surprised if she has a few tricks up her tail. As for you pegasus, I have since discussed over with Alexandrite of what shall be done with you."
The mage, took hold of the book in his dim magic and placed it over alongside the other stacks of books that littered the floor. "Be sure to rest up now while you have the chance. Your going to need all of which you can get."
