> My little Amnesia > by zombiesurvivor123 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > First day in Ponyville > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Authors note: this story was inspired by a video on youtube with the same title, Wind Rider took a step out into the cool morning air. He had been sent to Ponyville to record data for the weather patrol about how the pegasi were handling the weather and keeping the skies clear unless scheduled otherwise. “They seem to be doing a decent job today”, he commented. The orange tinted sky had only a few clouds here and there, and the sun was peeking over the horizon, showering the nearby lake with beautiful shimmers. Stretching his dark gray wings, Wind Rider flew up into the sky, hoping to meet a few ponies who would show him around. As Wind Rider approached the nearby town of Ponyville, he noticed something strange was going on. Most of the town was empty, save a bright pink pony who's mane and tail looked as poofy as a cloud. “Excuse me, miss”, he called out to the pink pony. She shot over to him in two milliseconds. “Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie. I've never seen you around here before. Are you new? Because if you're new that means that I get to throw you a party!”, she said, faster than you can say hello. “Um, yeah, I'm new here. Anyway, can you please tell me where I can find a the weather patrol leader for Ponyville? I need to gather info for my boss about how the weather is holding up”, he told Pinkie Pie. “I don't know what the weather patrol is, but Rainbow Dash might be able to help you out”, she told Wind Rider. “Thanks,” he said, flying off towards his house. “Jeez, she was annoying”, he said as soon as he was out of earshot. Wind Rider searched the town for anypony who might be able to help him locate Rainbow Dash. His search was fruitless though, given the town appeared to be abandoned. Walking into the town square, he saw a rainbow streak fly across the sky. 'Must be Rainbow Dash', he thought, shooting up into the sky after her. He was one of the fastest fliers in Cloudsdale, so he managed (barely), to catch up to the pegasus. “Slow down will you”, he called out while trying to keep up. Rainbow Dash turned her head and saw the gray pegasus trying to catch up with her. Slowing down her speed to average pegasi speeds, she allowed the pegasus to catch his breath. “Hi, I'm Wind Rider”, said Wind Rider to the cyan blue pegasus. “Names Rainbow Dash”, she responded. “Why were you following me?” “Well, I was sent by my boss to collect info on how pegasi here were keeping up with the weather and the schedule for next month”, he explained. “Anyway, I was looking for the leader of Ponyville's weather patrol, and somepony named Pinkie Pie told me to look for you.” “ Well, you came to the right pony. I am Ponyville's weather patrol leader”, she said. “And as for what you needed to know, we do need a list of next month's scheduled weather patterns.” Wind Rider nodded and reached into one of the pockets on his dark green vest. Pulling out a piece of paper, he handed it to Rainbow Dash, who took it and nodded in thanks. “Well, see you around”, said Wind Rider, shooting off in the direction of his dwelling. At around 4:30 in the afternoon, Wind Rider went outside, planning on doing some flight training. His plans were interrupted by a loud rumble. He hadn't thought about it, but he know realized how hungry he was. Deciding to head into Ponyville to see what food was available, he slid his wallet into a pouch on his vest, he flew off in the direction of the small town. Upon arriving in Ponyville for the second time today, he landed on one of the now crowded streets. Well, they seemed crowded compared to this morning. None of the restaurants that he saw had anything appealing to him. Still searching, he saw a place called Sugar Cube Corner. Walking in the front door, a bell rang that he assumed signaled employees there was a customer. He was greeted two seconds later by Pinkie Pie. “Hi, welcome to, oh hey its you, that one colt I met earlier today. What's your name by the way, because mine is Pinkie Pie or did I already tell you that?” He silenced her by putting his hoof in her mouth, but she still kept trying to talk. “My name is Wind Rider. Do you have anything I could eat?”, he asked, wiping off his hoof on the side of his vest. “Oh sure, we have lots of goodies here at Sugar Cube Corner. What do you want? A cake, a cupcake, ice cream, candy?”, she asked him. Wind Rider felt ready to puke at the sound of all that sugar. “ Do you sell, like, salads or something with actual nutritional value?”, he asked. “No, silly, this a bakery”, she said, still sounding excited. “Okay then, I guess I'll go find something then. See you some other time”, he said, waving goodbye and walking out the door. Walking down an old beaten path, he left Ponyville, hoping to get the rest of the day over with. Walking up a gentle slope, back to his house, he stopped to gaze at the mountain in the distance. If he looked closely, he could see the huge capital city of Canterlot. 'Wow', he thought amazed at the beauty of the floating city. Continuing on his way uphill, he saw a yellow pegasus pony with a pink, normal mane holding a baby bird that had appeared to have fallen out of its nest. “Every thing's alright”, she whispered to the baby bird, gently placing it back into the nest. As she flew away from the tree, Wind Rider trotted up to her. “That's quite a gift with nature you have there”, he commented. The pegasus jumped back in fright. He turned to face her. “What was that for?”, he asked her. “Oh, sorry, you just startled me”, she whispered. “Sorry about that”, he apologized. “My name is Wind Rider. What's your's?”, he asked in a calm tone. “Um My name is Fluttershy”, she said quietly. “Fluttershy, nice name.”, he complimented her. Looking up at the sky,, he could see the sun beginning to set and a few bright stars popping out. “Well, I gotta go. Se ya”, he said, shooting up the rest of the hill to his house. Wind Rider strolled over to his desk, picking up his book on aerodynamics. He was constantly trying to find ways to increase his speed in flight, so he brought this book with him from his house in upper Cloudsdale. Skipping to the last chapter titled “Aerodynamics and flight speed”, he read over highlighted concepts until the moon was high in the sky. Gazing out the window, he noticed how late it was. Closing the book, he trotted up the stairs and into his new bedroom. Laying down on the bed, he closed his eyes, wondering what tomorrow would have in store for him. > Chapter 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The bright morning light shone through Wind Rider's bedroom window. The sounds of bird calls and the splash of fish jumping on the lake instilled a feeling of peace in Wind Rider's mind. As he climbed out of his bed, he walked downstairs, grabbed an apple from the kitchen counter, and headed out the front door. He strolled over to the edge of a pier extending about ten feet out into the sparkling blue water. Dipping his right foreleg into the water, the chill sent a shiver through his body. Grabbing the apple, he threw it in the air and caught it in his mouth, and he proceeded to eat it in one bite. Walking back into his house, Wind Rider headed up to his bedroom, retrieved his vest, and went outside. Heading downhill, he tied the straps on with his teeth, and headed down towards Ponyville. The town only had a few ponies walking or talking to friends, but it was still early. As he sat down near a tall oak tree, he noticed a green unicorn with a lyre as a cutie mark staring at him. He stared back, and she blushed a little. He laughed a little and winked at her, causing her to blush an even brighter shade of red. Her friend, an earth pony who was pale yellow with a pink and blue stripped mane waved her hoof in front of the unicorn's face. “Lyra, it's not polite to stare”, said Lyra's friend. Wind Rider just shrugged and shot up into the air, soaring to the other side of Ponyville. Upon landing on the other side of Ponyville, Wind Rider noticed that a group of ponies were lined up, like a race was about to start. Walking over to the crowd, he saw Rainbow Dash arguing with a orange pony wearing a cowboy hat. “ Hey Rainbow”, he said as he walked past the two arguing ponies. “Wind Rider”, she called out to him. “Tell Applejack that I should be able to use my wings in this race”, she said to Wind Rider. “Does anyone else here besides you and I have wings?”, he asked. “Well no, but that doesn't mean that...”. She was cut off by Wind Rider waving his hoof. “Well, it's not fair if no one else has wings, so I don't think you should get to use them.”, he said. “I thought you were my friend”, she said, sounding angry. “I just met you yesterday, how does that make me your friend?!”, he asked / yelled back. “I barley know you, so don't call me your friend!”, he yelled at her before storming off. Around noon, Wind Rider began to feel an ache in his gut. Somepony on the side of the side of the street was selling boiled peanuts, one of Wind Rider's favorite snacks. He reached into a pouch on his vest, but found out that his wallet was empty. “Damn”, he mumbled. 'I guess I need to find a job', he thought. He wasn't getting paid until later that week, so he needed something to supply him with a few bits. Searching the nearby buildings for any place where he could work, he noticed a ''Help Wanted'' sign in the window of Sugar Cube Corner. Sighing, he walked through the front door, where he was immediately greeted, once again, by an overly happy Pinkie Pie. “Oh hi it's you again. Did you see the sign? Do you want to work here? Do ya? Do ya? Do ya?”, she asked him. “Well, seeing as my only other option is to go broke, yes, I would like a job”, he said. “YAY! Let me show you around”, she said excitedly. 'Dear Celestia, this is going to be a long day', he thought, following the skipping pony down the hall to the baking room. Cooking trays, bowls, and several ingredients that Wind Rider couldn't identify were strewn across the room. “Could have been a little cleaner”, he mumbled under his breath. Two excruciatingly boring and song-filled hours later After his tour of Sugar Cube Corner, Wind Rider heard what sounded like a bell. Glancing at the clock hanging on the wall near the tables, it read 6:00 p.m. “Aww, it's closing time”, he heard Pinkie say. “Oh, that stinks”, said Wind Rider, pretending to be sad. “Well, I had better go home, see you on Monday”, he said to Pinkie Pie, flying out the front door back to his his house. “Thank Celestia”, he said as soon as he was out of hearing range. Around 9:30, somepony knocked on Wind Rider's door. “Who could be here at this hour”, he said, putting a bookmark on the page he was on in his flight training manual. Walking over to the door, he saw, well, nopony. His doorstep was barren, but there was a lingering felling, a presence, that he could not identify. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something illuminate in the Ever Free forest. 'What the hell', he thought, taking flight to get a clearer look form above. From about thirty feet in the air, he saw that the light was coming from an old abandoned building. One that he felt like he had seen before. He shuddered as he remembered what the building was. It had been Ponyville”s insane asylum, back when almost a fourth of Equestria's popularization had mental problems. The manager said the patients had been treated kindly and gently. In reality, they were tortured, beaten, murdered by any way possible, form stabbing to electrocution. Legend has it that the place was possessed. “Whoa! Did you see that?”, said Rainbow Dash. Her appearing behind him caused him to fall about ten feet, before he flew back up to her height. “Don't do that. Ever”, he said. “Sorry”, she apologized. “Anyway, did you see that glowing thing?”, she asked him again. “Yes, Ponyville insane asylum. Some ponies say that it's possessed or something”, he replied. “Wanna go check it out?”, Rainbow Dash asked him. Wind Rider gave her a confused look. “That depends. Do you want to observe it from the air or actually go inside?”, he asked Rainbow Dash. “I never thought of going inside”, she told Wind Rider. “Fine, but lets not stay to long”, he hesitantly agreed. With that, they both flew of towards the abandoned asylum. > Chapter 3 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author's note: Hello everybrony. Just wanted to apologize for the lack of updates. The holidays have been really busy for me, so I haven't had time to write much. Anyway, here's chapter 3. Hope you like it. Around fifteen minutes after Wind Rider and Rainbow Dash had left the his house to go to the abandoned asylum, a wave of discomfort came over him. Wind Rider began to remember his younger brother and the day he ''disappeared'' about sixteen years ago. Flashback: Wind rider sat in his room, reading a book about the outer space his mother had given him for his birthday. He liked space, almost as much as he liked flying. As he got to the page about nebulae and galaxies, his annoying little brother, Iceberg, ran into the room. “Get out of my room Iceberg”, said Wind Rider, anger heavy in the young colt's voice. His little brother never knocked, or did anything their mother told him to. His little brother shook his head no and stuck his tongue out at Wind Rider in response. “Iceberg, I'm not going to tell you again, get out of my room!”, he yelled at his little brother. “NO!”, screamed his little brother, who grabbed the book Wind Rider was reading and tore up all the pages in a matter of seconds. Wind Rider's jaw gapped open. That was uncalled for. Anger rising in him faster than lava in a volcano, he charged at his brother. Out in the kitchen, their mother heard their fighting. She face-hoofed and walked into Wind Rider's room. “What's going on in here?!”, she yelled so loud that both the colt's stopped pounding on each other. “Mom, look what he did to the book you gave me!”, said Wind Rider. “I only did it because you were yelling at me and being mean”, his brother argued. “Maybe I wouldn't be so mean to you If you actually knocked instead of barging in every five minutes!”, Wind Rider yelled back. “Enough!” their mother yelled at them. "Iceberg, go to your room. NOW!”, she commanded Iceberg, who left the room immediately. “Mom, he always destroys my stuff for no reason. I don't get it. I never do anything to his stuff”, said Wind Rider. It wasn't an exaggeration either. That book was the fifth item of his that Iceberg had destroyed that week. His mother, Moon's Glow, didn't know what to do either. Iceberg had been diagnosed with ADHD and schizophrenia several months back, and the medications Nurse Redheart had given them did little to help the problem. The only option would be to send him to the Ponyville sanatorium, a place where foals like Iceberg were sent. They were supposedly given treatment and help until the diseases became more mild or they spent most of their lives at the asylum. By now this seemed like the best choice. Moon's Glow told her son what she decided to do, went upstairs, and came back with Iceberg, asleep on her back, and a bag of his personal Items, and walked out the door. End Flashback Wind Rider and Rainbow dash landed in front of the asylum. It was a grisly sight. Moss hung down from the walls, window s were smashed, a tree had smashed through the right side of the building, and graffiti covered every available surface. “Wow, It's even creepier up close”, said Rainbow Dash. She turned her head, looking around for Wind Rider. She found him standing next to a tombstone. Etched in the hard slab of stone was the word 'Iceberg.' “Who's Iceberg?”, Asked Rainbow Dash. “My little brother. He had a few mental disorders, so my mother sent him here. That was sixteen years ago”, he told Rainbow Dash. He received no response. “Rainbow”, he called out. Still no response. As he scanned the surrounding area for Rainbow Dash, he saw a note hanging from the entrance. It read “Come and find me”. > Water monster > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 'Come and find me? What does that mean', thought Wind Rider. He looked around, scanning the barren trees for his companion. No sign of her. “Dash, c'mon. This isn't funny anymore!”, Wind Rider yelled. No response. All he heard was the howling wind. Suddenly, he heard hoof steps. Now he was really freaked out. He turned around. “Dash?”, he called out. “Your friend isn't here now. You must turn back, or you will suffer the same fate as her!”, called a pony from the shadows. “Show yourself!”, yelled Wind Rider. Out from behind a clump of trees came an alicorn. She was pure white, and her mane, tail, and wings were made of fire! “Who are you?”, asked the grey pegasus. “I'm known as Fire Bolt, but that's not important. You have to get out of here now!” “What about Rainbow Dash. I mean, where is she even? I'm Wind Rider by the way.” “If I'm correct, she must have captured by the gatherers”. Said Fire Bolt. “The Who?”, asked Wind Rider. “They are ponies, who once worked for this place. Most of them were actually in hiding, but the shadow caught up with them none the less. They roam this sanitarium, hideously deformed, hunting down whoever they can for reasons still unknown.” “Wait a minute”, Wind Rider interrupted. “Your Saying that freakin' MONSTERS captured Dash? That doesn't make much sense. Besides, how wold they get her in the building? All of the doors and windows are sealed shut.” Fire Bolt shook her head. This pegasus wouldn't understand that both of them were in danger, and that his friend was most likely dead. The wind howled, causing her flames to flicker for a brief second, causing the near area to go dark. Suddenly, a low noise came out from the depths of the sanitarium. It was soft, so it had to be deep underground. Yet still, Wind Rider could hear his friend calling out to him from the lower section of the building. “Wind Rider, Wind Rider”, she called, although it was only a barley audible whisper. “She's still alive!”, Said Wind Rider. “We have to go after her, get her out of the building.” “No!”, yelled Fire Bolt. “If we try to rescue her, we will be captured, killed by the Gatherers!” “Look, you can stay out here and be a scared coward, but I'm going after my friend”, said Wind Rider. He walked over to the large wooden door, grabbed the handle in his mouth, and pulled with all his strength. It didn't budge. Fire Bolt Looked at the grey pegasus, who kept on pulling at the door. She sighed and walked over to him. “Let me help you with that”, she said, grabbing the other handle and pulling just as hard as Wind Rider. The door, began to wiggle and creak. Both of them gave the door one more hard pull, and the door came free, sending both of them flying backwards into the court yard. Wind Rider stood up, and brushed the dirt off of his green vest. The door was wide open, revealing the dark, gloomy hallway. Wind Rider walked to the entrance once more and looked over his shoulder at Fire Bolt. “Well, are you coming or not?”, he asked the white alicorn. Fire bolt stood up, turning toward Wind Rider. She nodded, and walked up next to him. Both of them stepped inside. Fire Bolt's flames helped a little to help with the darkness, but not by much. Wind Rider looked around the room. Inside was a small desk with three drawers and a cabinet. A single lit candle lay on top of the desk. Wind Rider walked over to the desk, and notices there was another note on it. He read it over. Hello, Wind Rider. As you may have noticed, your little friend has gone missing.she is still alive, but it is up to you to find her. Please, do take this key. And remember, you must hide from the Gatherers, or else you WILL be killed. Have a fun time! Signed, Anonymous “Okay”, said Wind Rider. He looked at the drawers, and opened the top two. Only the third one had anything in it. Two Small cylinders lag inside. Each had Tinderbox written on the side. He grabbed the tinderboxes, placing them in a pouch on his vest. He opened the cabinet and found an oil lantern, full of oil. He handed it to Fire Bolt, who used her magic to light a small flame on the wick. The room suddenly got brighter, as the lantern lit up about thirty feet in front of them. A steel door lay in front of them. Wind Rider ran up to it, and grabbed it It was locked shut. Wind Rider remembered the key. Running over to the desk, he grabbed the key in his mouth and ran back to the door, placing the key in the lock and turning it to the left. The door unlocked with a soft click. Fire Bolt stared at the grey pegasus as he ran back and forth. She could understand why he was in suck a hurry, she would be to. But did he have to be so noisy. “Wind Rider, slow down. Your making to much noise. Remember, were not alone here!” she hissed at him, “Oh, sorry”, he apologized as he lowered his pace. He slowly opened the door, and all seemed clear. The hallway was empty, yet full of water .Wind Rider took a step in to the water, when suddenly something growled, and a water monster started jumping and snapping at him, taking a small chunk of flesh out of his right wing. Wind Rider screamed like a little filly and fell back out of the doorway into the main room. To add insult to injury, Wind Rider landed on his left wing, causing it to bend upwards. He cried out in pain as the water creature sank back into the murky depths. > Deeper we go > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Listen to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWhUPlFnAe8 Wind Rider lay on the ground, pain coursing through his body. It was like an antagonizingly long needle covered in flaming poison was jabbed into his wings. Ow. Now, most of the time, Wind Rider didn't feel this much pain. He had suffered worse cuts and sprains. The monster's teeth must have injected some sort of toxin into the wound. But, they had to keep moving if they were to save Rainbow Dash. Yet, Wind Rider couldn't move very fast with the pain in his wings. He needed some sort of medicine. Fire Bolt looked at Wind Rider's cut open wing. The wound was deep, and she thought she could see the bone. She didn't know a spell that could heal the wound fast enough for them to continue soon. Looking around the room, Fire Bolt saw a small chest facing a dark corner. She grabbed the lit lantern and trotted over to it. Using a simple spell, she used her magic to open the chest. Inside was a note and a bottle labeled LAUDANUM. NOTE: WORKSTATION LOG 1 It has come to my attention that a great leap forward in the technologies of medicine must be made! I have gathered information on herbs, blood, and everything else that could ever be possible to heal a pony. Let it be known that I, Ellis Jackson, will not rest until this potion is made. So far, I have a working title of “Laudanum”, but that will most likely be subject to change when the project is finally done, I will continue to document my findings, and eventually come up with the greatest invention of the 1800's. I will go down in history. Fire Bolt set the note down, and grabbed the bottle of Laudanum. 'So it's supposed to heal someone who's injured?', she thought. 'Convenient'. Carrying the bottle over to Wind Rider, Fire Bolt quickly read the back. It said that for the potion to be activated, it must be ingested. “Here, drink this,” she said to Wind Rider, levitating the bottle out in front of him. “What is it?,” Wind Rider asked, confused. “Laudanum, it's some potion that should heal your wounds”, Fire Bolt explained. Wind Rider looked back at the bottle, then back at her, and shrugged. “What have I got to lose?”, he said before chugging down the bottle. Wind Rider immediately started to feel the pain leave his body, and his wing afflictions began to mend themselves. The potion had worked. “Wow”, said Wind Rider. “Did it work?”, asked Fire Bolt. “No, it made it worse”, replied Wind Rider, his voice filled with sarcasm. Fire Bolt just rolled her eyes. Wind Rider stood up, and turned around, facing the doorway. The monster was still, silent. Almost as if it had vanished. Wind Rider grabbed a book, and threw it into the water. The monster immediately splashed over to the book, and remained there. Grabbing the lantern in his mouth, Wind Rider walked over to the edge of the doorway, and set down the lantern. He splashed the water right in front of him, and the water lurker swam right up to him and growled. Wind Rider turned around and grabbed a chair. Carrying it over to the place where the monster was, he began smashing down on it. Blood splattered the walls. A small whimper was heard, and every thing went quiet. Deciding to leave the chair fragment's where they were, Wind Rider turned to face Fire Bolt. “Check around this room, there might be other things we can use before we continue”, he told her. Fire Bolt nodded, and walked over to the eastern corner of the room. Wind Rider checked the west corner. A small stack of shelves was pushed against the wall. On it was a small golden statue of a pony, kneeling down with a sword in it's hoof. “Stephano?” Wind Rider whispered. Yes, it was Stephano, the small statue his Wind Rider's father had given to him as he lay on his death bed. He picked it up, wrapping his hoof around it. “Allos Wind Rider', Wind Rider said in a mock prussian accent. Fire Bolt turned around when she heard Wind Rider mutter something. She turned around to ee him talking to a gold statue. “Wind Rider, What are you doing”, she asked. Wind Rider quickly turned around and stuffed Stephano in one of his vests pouches. “Nothing”, he said quickly, his eyes darting around the room. “Well, I found some oil for the lantern, so we should keep going.” Wind Rider nodded in agreement, and they both walked to the doorway, through the water and into another large room. A sign on the side read “Main hall”. “I got a bad feeling about this”, Wind Rider said to Fire Bolt, before both of them, carrying the lantern as their only souce of light in the dark room, ventured down the hallyway. Author's note. Hey people. I finally got another chapter cranked out. I'm sorry that they're so short, but I don't have much free time to write around my house. But, I do my best. Comment's and criticism greatly valued. Thanks. > Barrels > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- As Wind Rider and Fire Bolt headed down the corridor, A strange sense of comfort swept over Wind Rider. The large hallway would allow him to have plenty of time to escape should a gatherer appear. His mind then wandered to the gatherers. What were they before they transformed. How did they transform. He decided to ask Fire bolt if she knew. “Hey Fire Bolt, do you know how the gatherers became the gatherers?”, he asked. “I haven't a clue”, she responded. Wind Rider shrugged. He had a feeling that they would find out soon enough. They both rounded a corner, and entered another passageway lit up with torches. Wind Rider turned off the lantern to conserve oil. “What's this”, he heard Fire Bolt ask. He turned around and saw her looking at a note on the ground. Wind Rider looked over and saw that it was from someone's journal. It read; 31st of August, 1839 I've lost count of how many days I've been stuck in this Celestia forsaken castle. Horrible monstrosities roam the halls, searching for anything that moves. I have become quite comfortable with a small bedroom at the end off the hall. The creatures haven't reached there yet, but I still barricaded it as a precaution. Time is not on my side. If anyone finds this, you may want to know that I saw a cyan blue pegasus wandering around this castle. She may be of assistance to you, for she had a bag full of food and supplies. Whoever may read this, I wish you luck. Red Flare. 'She's free!', Wind Rider thought with joy. “Someone else is here? That's odd.”, said Fire Bolt. Wind Rider wasn't paying attention though. He was to busy trying to figure out how they were going to find Rainbow Dash. “We should keep moving”, he said. Wind Rider folded the not and put it in one of his vest's pouches before they continued down the hall. Halfway through the hall, Wind Rider noticed some barrels next to the wall. He walked up to them, stood there quietly for a second before yelling “BARRELS!!!”, and knocking them over. “I don't trust you”, he mumbled. Fire Bolt just starred at him. “What? Everyone knows you can't trust barrels”, he said. He only earned a more confused look from Fire Bolt. He shook his head. “Never mind, let's keep going. The sooner we find Dash, the sooner we can leave. Fire bolt nodded in agreement and they continued down the hall. They passed a few more barrels. Wind Rider was about to attack them when Fire Bolt yelled, “Don't even think about it!”. Wind Rider just quickly walked away from the barrels so as to avoid Fire Bolt's anger. Celestia knows what she would do. They continued until they reached a bedroom, presumably the one Red Flare was hiding in, only to find that no one was there. On a desk, however, there was an extra lantern full of oil. Two sanity potions and a bottle of laudanum also lay in the cabinet in the desk. The drawers contained five tinderboxes. After searching the room for anything else of use, Fire bolt picked up the other lantern and they headed into another section labeled, 'Study.' After about twenty minutes of wandering the study, They both figured out that they needed to find a switch of sorts. To make the time pass, Wind Rider began to sing a song quietly to himself: I used to rule the world Chunks would load when I gave the word Now every night I go stow away Hide from the mobs I used to slay They once were terrified Every time I looked into their eyes Villagers would cheer my way For a hero I was, that's what they'd say One minute we had it all Next our world began to fall Away from all that it had once become They all cried for my help, but I stood there numb I gaze off into the boundless skyline Noteblock choirs playing in the sunshine Turn 'round pick up my sword and wield The blade that once forced evil mobs to yield And hope one day that this chaos and Destruction turns for the better. Never a bow in hand And that was when I ruled the land It was the creepers and Skeletons Blew down the doors and boxed us in Arrows whizzing by like streaks of light I tried all that I could to stay and fight As the undead roamed the street Families broken at my feet Life itself suspended by a thread Oh, why is it that I wasn't dead I gaze off into the boundless skyline Noteblock choirs playing in the sunshine Turn 'round pick up my sword and wield The blade that once forced evil mobs to yield If this battle should leave me slain I know that Herobrine calls my name Better to take a stand And that was when I ruled the land I gaze off into the boundless skyline Noteblock choirs playing in the sunshine Turn 'round pick up my sword and wield The blade that once forced evil mobs to yield If this battle should leave me slain I know that Herobrine calls my name Better to take a stand And that was when I ruled the land Fire Bolt looked over at Wind Rider when she heard him singing. She enjoyed the tune. “Where did you learn that song?”, she asked. “My father taught me it when I was little. Before he left my mother” he answered. Fire Bolt nodded and continued to search. Now listen to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YxxCSIj2JI A few minutes later, Fire Bolt heard a groan. Taking a look down the hall, she saw someone, or something, walking slowly their way. Fear hit her hard, and she ran back into the study, slamming the door shut. “What was that all about?” Wind Rider asked. The door being smashed down was his answer. He quickly grabbed a hold of Fire Bolt before pulling her into a closet and closing the doors. He had just enough time to jump into the other closet and close it's doors before the Gatherer entered the room. Authors note: Hey guys. I'm SO sorry for not updating for so long. I just never got around to it. Anyway, here it is. Enjoy, and please leave a comment. P.S. The song that Wind Rider sang was Fallen kingdom by CaptainSparklez. Heres a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-sH53vXP2A > Untrusted Statues > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Listen to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wHyawHl_4Q&feature=relmfu Wind Rider held his breath as the grunt walked across the room. It was gargling and moaning for a minute or two, and then it began growling as it smashed down a door, obviously looking for the source of the scent that it could not locate. It's grunts and groans began to get weaker and weaker as it descended down the staircase. Wind Rider breathed a sigh of relief and opened the wardrobe door, stepping out into the room. (Turn off the music now and listen to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWDzqUud3jU&feature=relmfu) “It stayed for so long. Did it know we were there?”, Wind Rider asked Fire Bolt when she stepped out of her closet. Fire bolt did not respond. Her breathing was quick and stressed, and her legs were shaking. 'She looks pretty frazzled', Wind Rider thought. Wind Rider looked around and saw a dresser in the corner of the room. Walking over to it, he rummaged through the drawers and found a few more bottles of laudanum and a bottle of blue liquid. Reading the label, he noticed it read “Sanity Potion”. Pretty convenient for their situation. He turned around and walked back over to Fire Bolt. “Drink this”, he told her, and she quickly downed the blue liquid. Almost immediately she began to feel her head clearing, her breathing began to slow down, and she was able to stand upright again. “Thanks”, she said. Suddenly, the door slammed shut, and the two of them could hear a low, insane laugh. Turning around, Wind Rider saw about three statues of royal guard armor standing behind them. He immediately grabbed the helmet of one in his hoof and slammed it across the other ones, knocking their helmets off. “I don't trust you!”, he screamed at them. Fire bolt gave him another confused look. “What?”, he asked. “They teleport right behind us and you look at me all strange when I say I don't trust them? What's the deal with that?”. Fire Bolt rolled her eyes and noticed a note lying on the floor. I 'm being forced to wander this damned asylum again. One of those...things...broke down the door. I hid in the wardrobe until it left the bedroom. Gathering up what supplies I can, I will make my way to the west side of the asylum. I may not last another night. As to whoever may find this, there appears to be some sort of storage room down the flight of stairs behind the door on the right. Head there if you are in need of a hiding place and some supplies. However, I haven't explored the whole thing yet, and some monsters may still be lurking down there, so be cautious. One more thing, why do I find lit candles in locked rooms? -Red Flare Fire Bolt showed the note to Wind Rider, who read it over and looked at the knocked down door. “Please don't tell me that you want to go down there”, he said. Fire Bolt nodded her head, and Wind Rider groaned in frustration. “Fine, we might get some better supplies anyway”, he said, picking up his lantern and heading down the stairs. Listen to this now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM26TC44KYY The storage room was only lit by one candle, which cast an eery glow around the room. Wind Rider noticed an oil barrel near the corner. He walked over to it and used half the oil to refill his lantern. Fire bolt did the same. The lanterns helped to light up the room a lot. Wind Rider opened a large pouch on his vest and found fifteen tinderboxes. Noticing the unlit torches on the wall, he used up all but four. The room was now well lit. This was both a blessing and a curse. Monsters would see them more easily, yet they wouldn't go insane from the darkness. They both blew out their lanterns. “We should spread out and see what we can find”, Wind Rider said to Fire Bolt. He handed her a satchel that he found on the floor. Putting one on himself, they headed into separate rooms to gather supplies. Ten minutes passed before the two met back in the main storage room. “Find anything?”, Wind Rider asked. Fire Bolt nodded and emptied the contents of her bag. Wind Rider did the same. He then counted up their supplies. “Three oil jars, twenty tinderboxes, four laudanum, two sanity potions, one loaf of bread, three keys to rooms we have no idea how to find, and two full lanterns. Not bad”, he said. “Oh”, Fire bolt said, taking a note out from the bottom of the bag. “I also found this.” Wind Rider read it over. Regarding closing of the Wine Cellar Red Flare and his fools have endangered my research long enough with their absentminded handling of pony vessels. The sheriff is keeping a watchful eye on the forest and is killing my trusty servants. It is only a matter of time until they follow the trail to the asylum. I need to lock Red Flare and his men up to avoid further investigation from the public. Either the Princess's Guards leave or they starve. Whichever comes first, they can rot for all I care. Maybe I will feed them some wine, it would in a sense solve both of my problems. “Huh. That hoof writing looks strange. Almost familiar”, Wind Rider said. “That is weird”, Fire Bolt agreed. Another insane bout of laughter echoed through the room as all of the torches were blown out. Both of them quickly lit their lanterns. “What was that?!”, Fire Bolt asked. “I have no clue. Let's just keep moving. The sooner we find Dash, the sooner we can leave”, Wind Rider said. They continued deeper into the storage area, looking for any door to the wine cellar. Several minutes passed, and Wind Rider thought he heard the sound of Rapid breathing. “Is that you breathing so fast?” he asked Fire Bolt. She shook her head. “No, that's not me”, she said. Oddly, the sound stopped, only to be followed by the sound of hoof steps. Wind Rider set down his lantern, turned around and came face to face with the same grunt from earlier. It swung it's clawed left fore hoof at him, which he dogged and hit it in the face. It went tumbling to the ground, and he grabbed it by it's deformed head, dragged it into an old, conveniently placed prison cell, beat the living crap out of it, then left the cell and locked the door. Stop. Listen to this now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWhUPlFnAe8 Fire bolt starred at him, and he jut shrugged, picked up his lantern, and the two continued down the hall. Several more minutes passed before they found a door with a sign next to it labeled upstairs. They headed upstairs to an enormous hall. Almost all the doors were locked except for one labeled “Private Study”. He opened the door and found a very nice study leading to a guest bedroom and closet. Fire bolt was still in the hall looking for supplies. Wind Rider walked over to a chair. “Hey there Mr. Chair”, he said. “Hey, Wind Rider”, it said in a higher pitched voice. “A bro snuck up on us a few hours back. Did you tell him to do it”, Wind Rider asked Mr. Chair menacingly. “No”, it said. “Just remember, when you see a bro, go chair mode. Like this: chair mode activated, BOOP!”, it said before going quiet. Wind Rider laughed and searched the guest room for anything of use. He found a key and a note explaining about a steam machine and a key to the wine cellar. “Hey Wind Rider”, he heard Fire Bolt call. “You may want to come check this out!” He headed down to where she was, and finds a large trail of blood leading into an open hallway lit with red candles. Author's note: Hey guys. I was finally able to update before a whole month since my last update. YAAAAAY!!!! > The REAl dark descent > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The hallway was large, open, and extremely dark. The candles did little to combat the unusual, almost supernatural darkness. Wind Rider looks over at Fire Bolt. “We have to go down there?” he asks, emphasis placed on the word 'there'. “I believe so. See that sign next to the door?” Fire Bolt asks. Wind Rider focuses his gaze on a sign wit strange looking letters. “What about it?”, he asks. “It's written in Latin. My Latin is a bit rusty, but I think it says 'torture chambers'. It would probably be the best place to start looking for your friend”, Fire Bolt answers. Wind Rider takes another look down the hallway, and an uneasy feeling begins to brew up inside of him. “Fine”, he says, “But lets take and inventory check first. You make sure you have everything you need in your satchel, and I'll do the same with mine.” Fire Bolt nods in agreement and begins sorting the items in her pack. Wind Rider removes his pack from his side and begins to rummage through it. He manages to count up: 1.32 tinderboxes 2.2 sanity potions 3.3 bottles of laudanum 4.1 large oil potion 5.5 small jars of oil 6.his journal 7.some string 8.Stephano “Okay”, Fire Bolt says. “Ready to go in?” Wind Rider says, reluctantly, “Yes.” Slinging the packs over his shoulder, Wind Rider and Fire Bolt head down the hallway. An erie whispering noise emitted form every which way. Puddles of water coming from dripping, rusty pipes in the ceiling dotted the cobblestone floor. After a minute or two, metal bars that served as windows to the torture chambers, each filled with blood. “Dear Celestia, this place is creepy. If a grunt...” Fire Bolt began. “Bro”, Wind Rider and Stephano say in unison. “Whatever. If a grunt comes in front of us, we wont be able to see where we're going. And since when did Stephano talk on his own?” Fire Bolt asks. “Oh, he started talking to me ever since I found him here. You thought it was me talking to him, didn't you”, Wind Rider asks. “Well, yeah. It's the only logical explanation...” She begins before being cut off by Stephano. “Jesus Christ, Fire Bolt, I'm not Wind Rider's puppet!” Stephano yells out of Wind Riders satchel. She gives Wind Rider a look of confusion. “Yeah, he doesn't take things like that to lightly”, Wind Rider whispers. “Will you two stop talking and let me out? It's getting very stuffy in this pack”, Stephano complains. Wind Rider unhooks the straps and pulls Stephano out before putting him in a pouch on his vest. “Much better”, Stephano says. “Why do you keep him, exactly?” Fire Bolt asks Wind Rider as the turn a corner and enter a room labeled 'kitchen' in Latin. Wind Rider pulls Stephano out of the pouch and sets him on a table next to a candle. “Once you warm up to him, he's a pretty cool guy to hand around. He just doesn't like you because your new, so he doesn't really know a lot about you. Plus, he's been stuck in this asylum for god knows how long. Give him some time”, Wind Rider says. “Anyway, we need to continue. This isn't exactly the safest part of the castle to be in. Who knows how many grunts...” Fire Bolt says. “Bros”, Wind Rider and Stephano say again. “Fine, BROS, are in this area. It's to dark to see even ten feet in front of us. Let's just get through this place as quick as we can and move on through the asylum”, Fire Bolt finishes. “Okay then. Let's move on”, Wind Rider says plainly, placing Stephano back in his vest pouch. They leave the kitchen and re-enter the torture chambers. The trio walk down several corridors, the two lanterns actually lighting up quite a bit of space. The whispering noises have been replaced by an eerie, cold silence. Their hoof steps echo through the damp hallways, and Wind Rider keeps looking over his shoulder to make sure no gatherers are following them. (20 minuets later) “Wind Rider, take me out of this satchel! It's hot in here”, Complained Stephano. Wind Rider rolls his eyes and removes Wind Rider from the bag before setting him on his head. “Why must you always keep me in that damn satchel?” “Two reasons”, Fire Bolt said quickly. “One, so he doesn't drop you like he might when you're on his head, and two, because is keeps your mouth shut!” “What's her problem?” Stephano asks Wind Rider in a barley audible whisper. He just shrugs his shoulders as a response. They all walk in silence for quite some time when they reach a blockage in the tunnel. A note lies next to a candle about three feet away from the rubble. To whom it may concern, I have prepared the explosives you needed for clearing the flood drain. I can't stress enough how important it is that the mixture is handled with care. Please try to tell your featherbrained servants this before you go ahead with your plans. The liquids are not by themselves explosive and should be kept separated to avoid further mishaps. I have arranged two large vats in the next room for the ingredients. All you need to do is to mix the liquids and you are ready to go. Silent Echo “Okay, so we need to find these ingredients in order to get rid of the debris”, says Wind Rider. “Stephano and I will search for the ingredients, but I need you to look for more oil and such”, he says to Fire Bolt. However, as they turn separate ways to go look for the materials and supplies, a voice says in a clear, serious tone, “You won't get through the grunt's down here without my help.” Wind Rider and Fire Bolt turn around to see a female pegasus with a black coat and mane with part of the mane covering her right eye.A strip of white runs through her mane and tail, and she has a white lightning bolt for a cutie mark. Her eyes are a soft blue in color. “Who are you?”, Wind Rider cautiously asks the strange pegasus. She gives him a look that sends cold shivers down his spine. “My name is Silent Echo”, she says. > The eastern tunnel > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wind Rider walks uneasily alongside Fire Bolt. Why are they following this pony? They just met her in the belly of a forsaken mental hospital, for crying out loud. She has told them nothing about herself, other than that she knows how to avoid the grunts and knows where the laboratory is. The latter is actually crucial. In order to get through the debris, Wind Rider needs to find some chemicals that, when mixed to together, are highly reactive. And it might be difficult, no, it would be difficult, to obtain these compounds on his own. But how did he know that this pony wasn't leading them straight into a trap? A room full of grunts, all ready to flay the flesh off if his skeleton? Into some room filled with fungi that give off deadly poisonous gasses? Something in his gut tells him she's not, though. I mean, who would be stupid enough to walk up and speak to the Powys they were trying to murder? he thinks as they walk along. The ground begins to slope downwards at an alarming angle. "Be careful here," silent echo says. "This slope will lead to the eastern tunnel." "What's the eastern tunnel?" asks Wind Rider. Before Silent echo can answer, Wind Rider slips and begins to slide, or rather roll, down the slope at a rapid speed. Both him and Stephano begin to scream, wind rider out of panic, Stephano out of pain from being crushed in the pocket he currently sits in over and over as Wind Rider rolls. "Owowowowowowow! Stop rolling you pice of crap!" Stephano screams from the pocket. He gets his wish when the ground becomes level again. Wind Rider comes to a stop, coughing. He looks at his surroundings. He's in a very large tunnel, one that must be about twenty meters high. He can see about ten feet ahead, but then it's just black. A single torch burns in its container on the wall beside him. "Wind Rider, take me out of this damn pocket or I swear that I'll feed you to the barrels!!!" Stephano screams at him, and his voice echoes down the hall. Wind Rider removes him, and as he does he hears a soft crunch, like broken glass. He sets Stephano on his head and checks his satchel. It's covered in a dark bluish liquid that looks similar to ink. Oil. And in the oil are the shattered remnants of his lantern. He pulls out the metal frame and notices that everything inside the pouch was ruined. "Hey, are you okay?!" Wind Rider hears Fire Bolt scream from down up the slope. She and Silent Echo emerge from the darkness. Wind Rider throws his satchel and its ruined contents at the wall, and it plops into a drainage ditch on he side that is flowing with a bit of water. "Yeah, I'm fine. But my lantern broke, and the oil ruined all of the stuff in the satchel." Silent Echo's face reflects seriousness and concern. "A shame. We probably could have used the items in it. Do you have anything in your vest that may be of use?" Wind rider checks. "A few tinder boxes and a bottle of Laudanum. That's all I've got." Fire bolt laughs. "You've still got Stephano," she says. Wind rider looks up at the statue on his forehead. "That's true." Stephano shouts indignantly, "I am not Wind Rider's little doll!" Silent echo grins. "Ah, Stephano. It's been a while. About six months, I believe?" Stephano glares at Silent Echo and says nothing. Wind Rider begins laugh along with Fire Bolt. "Wait, wait, wait. You two know each other?" "Unfortunately, yes. She's the one who gave me the ability to speak." "And thats a bad thing?" Wind Rider asks. Fire bolt rolls her eyes. "Some would argue so," she mutters. "No matter," cuts in Silent Echo. "Now, you guys have a couple of choices as to where we can move on from here." She motions to a wooden frame on the wall. Inside is a map of the entire facility's subterranean levels. "Now, we can gather the ingredients that Fire Bolt mentioned, so you two can clear the debris. That option requires less time but more effort, and judging by how old many of the items in this building are, the chemicals may be too old to be able to react properly." She points to a section of the large map with her hoof. "This is the eastern tunnel. See all of the small lines branching off of it?Those are small corridors. This spiral one...here leads to the level that the debris is on. If we get to it, we can ascend the stairs and emerge on the other side. This is the preferable method, as an explosion will most certainly alert the gatherers in his part of the asylum. If we travel through the tunnel, then we can get to the other side quietly. It will just take more time to do so." "How much longer are we talking about?" Wind Rider says. "If we can avoid any brutes, then there should be only...an hours time difference. Two if we stop to look for replacement supplies to make up for the ones that were ruined." Wind Rider considers this. "Okay, I'll think the one that doesn't put us in jeopardy is best." Silent Echo chuckles. "Wind Rider, we are still going to be in jeopardy.there are brutes down here." "What's a brute?" "It's similar to a grunt, but much more lethal. They have their heads split in two, are covered in in plates of metal in a similar fashion to clothing, and their left foreleg is replaced by a large blade that could cut your head clean off." "How will we know of ones coming," he asks. She responds after a moment of thinking. "You'll hear this low groan, kind of like a whale. That's when you need to run and hide." "Freaky shit," Stephano whispers to Wind Rider. "Yeah, no kidding." "Let's still go through the tunnel" says Fire Bolt. Wind Rider nods in agreement. Silent Echo agrees, and tears off the map, folding it up. She hands it to Wind Rider, who puts it in a vest pocket, and they get moving. The tunnel is damp and damn near terrifying. They travel, searching for the right exit for about a half hour when Wind Rider hears the soft creak of metal. They all stop, frozen, listening for more. It comes again, and is followed by a low moan that sounds not like a whales, but one straight from hell. Fire Bolt holds her lantern up high, trying to see more things in the dark. She does. Because that's when they all see a horrendous monster with a large blade, it's head split open and filled with teeth, coming at them, and fast. Wind Rider screams like a little filly and sprints away from the monster. So do the others. They run, fast as they can, for maybe three hundred yards or so when Silent Echo spots a metal door. It's dark inside the room, perfect for hiding. "In here!" They all duck into the room, and Silent Echo slams it shut. There's no lock, not that it would help, so Fire Bolt begins to stack up heavy crates in boxes against the door. The brute sprints right up to the door and begins to throw its mass against it again, and again. The crates begin to move. Wind Rider and Fire Bolt hide behind a large pile of crates. A small hole in the wall big enough for one pony is where Silent Echo takes refuge. The beast slams itself against the door once again,and the crates come tumbling down and away. Then, slowly, as if trying to scare them into trying to flee, the beast lets out a hellish shriek, much different from its normal moan, and enters the room. > A helpful hint? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Listen to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODIyUwS2p2M&list=PL6674FE0F7323E5BC Crapcrapcrapcrap, Wind Rider thinks as the...what did Silent Echo call it? A Broof or something? Ill just stick with scary dude. He cowers behind a crate, his whole body numb, as the scary dude shuffles right beside him. The only thing keeping it from tearing the poor grey pegasus to shreds is the ever present darkness. However, Wind Rider can still Make out the creatures silhouette by the dim light coming from a lit torch in the tunnel outside. It’s skull...dear celestia, it’s skull is split open. Bits of bone poke out like splintered wood, and he notices that they're almost like teeth. How can this thing still be moving? It’s brain must be destroyed...he thinks. It crosses his mind that something more beyond his comprehension is at work here. Not that it matters now. The beast turns away from him and shuffles over to a stack of large pieces of wooden debris, where Fire Bolt is hiding. Unfortunately, even with the strange darkness that seems to swallow excess light, her flames are still emitting a faint glow. Not one easily noticed, but the light still catches the attention of the beast. And if it sees Fire Bolt... Listen to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qqTU7zc1As&list=PL6674FE0F7323E5BC He cant let that happen, and what he does next seems to be out of his control. Wind Rider stands up, and whistles to get its attention. it works. Just before the beast is about to look behind the pile of rotted wood, it hears Wind Rider and faces him, letting out another horrific moan. This sends a chill down the pegasus’s spine and turns his legs to jelly, but he takes a deep breath and steels himself. “Hey ugly! I hear you're so stupid you couldn't pass nap time in preschool!” Okay, really bad insult, but its not like the beast could understand him anyways. it did understand the tone of Wind Riders voice though, could sense the lack of fear. And it didn't like that. It rushes Wind Rider, who screams like a little filly and bolts out of the room, back into the tunnel. The scary dude follows, determined to chop the pegasus up into tiny pieces of bloody flesh for the rats. Wind Rider sprints down the hall, out of the torches light and into unknown darkness. He hears Fire Bolt call out his name from a distance, her voice echoing down the dark hall. But its quickly drowned out by the sound of clanking metal as the monster draws near. Wind Rider runs as fast as his four legs can carry him, but he is barley able to keep a few yards ahead of the beast. Wind Rider sees light. Another lit torch, directly ahead. he can see it, held in place on its metal holder. Maybe... A plan begins to formulate in his mind. All living things have some sort of fear of fire, right? Not that this thing could be qualified as living, but if any of its lower brain functions were still operational... Wind Rider reached up and hit the bottom of the torch. it shot out of the holder and landed on the floor. he seized it with his right fore hoof and spun around. The beast was quite literally on his tail, trying to hold him down. He pulled free though, and waved the torch in its face. It howled and leapt back, startled by the flame now being waved inches from its face. Wind Rider grinned. “Back! Back I say!” Stephano, who had fallen off of Wind Rider’s head a few yards back yelled, “Thats cliche bro!” Wind Rider grinned at the statues comment and focussed on the beast, its only eye locked onto both of his. It let out a low rumble from its throat, not quite a growl, it sounded more like it was trying to communicate. Then it slunk away into the shadows, down another, smaller tunnel connected to the side of the main one. Wind Rider let out a sigh of relief. Now it just has to stay gone. Silent Echo and Fire Bolt run up to him, following the light of his torch. Fire Bolt Says to him instantly, “What were you thinking? Do you know how dangerous that was?!” He doesn't t know how to respond to that. “I don't know Fire Bolt. Just, the thing was about to find you and i just couldn't let that happen.” “And you gave us a helpful piece of information about how to ward off Brutes,” Silent echo adds before the awkwardness in the air gets any thicker. “Now we know that large flames can ward them off.” Wind Rider picked Stephano up off of the cobblestone floor. “If that’s the case“ Said the golden statue, “then how come they don't avoid us when were with FireBolt?” Theres a moment of silence. Yes, that is odd. Could it have been because the flame was so close? Or does the flame have to not be part of ones body to work? Whatever the reason, he was just glad that his plan worked. “Look, it doesn't really matter. It worked. End of story. Now can we please get a move on? The tunnels are probably swarming with brutes, and I don't think one torch will hold them all off.” At Wind Rider’s suggestion, they all head off down the tunnel. taking several turns down a few smaller ones. Wind Rider keeps the torch for light and as a precaution. After another hour or so of walking, They reach an iron door, which to Wind Riders dismay is locked. He doesn’t want to spend another moment in these tunnels. But then, Silent Echo reaches into her satchel and removes what looks to be a thin, white needle. She jams it into the lock and jiggles it around. Theres a click and the door creaks open. Inside is a large stairwell, going up in a circular fashion. They ascend and reach an actually normal looking door. Thankfully, its unlocked. Silent echo opened it. “Were almost there. The torture chambers are hidden around here somewhere.” They enter the room, which is full of more modern devices. Electrical lamps and the like, versus the older stuff near the entrance. Silent echo opens a dest drawer and pulls out a couple of flashlights. “Here. Use these instead of the lanterns. It'll help pierce the darkness more. But use them sparingly. I don't know if there are any spare batteries. Wind Rider blew out the torch and took hold of the flashlight. It was sleek, painted black, definitely could be used as a bludgeon. When he turned it on, it let out a bright whitish light. He turned it back off. Sweet. Silent Echo opened a door on the opposing wall. It leads down a sleek corridor, with cells for containing the mentally insane on each side. “There are three levels,” she said, “And then there is a hatch that leads to the torture chambers. You know, where the doctors performed all sorts of disturbing procedures on the patients.” Wind Rider nodded and shinned his flashlight down the hallway. “Great. Well, lets get this over with. Im really tired of this creepy building.” And they proceeded to walk down the corridor, not knowing of what might lay behind that hatch.