My Little Anon: Another Story 13-16 (abandoned)

>You pulled your coat from the makeshift rack the next evening

>It was weird; treating evenings as mornings after so long

>You would get used to it again

>It's what you used to do, after all

>You whipped the coat around yourself and slipped your arms through the sleeves

>It was still heavy with mud and encrusted slime, but then again your whole body was less than clean

>Nightmare was, without a doubt, the more pristine one

>Probably did well to reflect your roles in the group mechanic

>You weren't sure how you should feel about that

>You leaned out from the tree line and looked to the left, and to the right

>The pool of peach-colored cream that made up the liquid component of the swamp glowed bright enough to provide you with some light

 

>For all intents and purposes, though, Nightmare was still the better sentry

>You were, actually, pretty useless for the times at which she had you two sally forth

>Oh well

>You had a good idea of why she was only allowing travel at night

>And it wasn't just because her powers were at their height at night

>She wouldn't admit it, of course

>But it was obvious, at least to you, that she didn't want you running off

>How little she knew that, if that was the case, the fear was entirely unfounded

>All this morning, she has called you everything but your name

>'You'

>'Human'

>'Peasant'

>Never by your actual name, though, even though you knew she knew it

>And always with this 'holier than thou' tone and attitude

>But that was alright

>She gave you companionship, and you were pretty sure that you gave her the same thing

>Especially after what she revealed the morning before

>You made no presumptions that some of it wasn't her lying through her teeth

>She thinks that you're stupid

>Everyone did

>You were a little... well, dense

>But no where near what everyone thought of you

>And you, frankly, wouldn't have it any other way

>You satisfy yourself with your observance of the surrounding quagmire and retreat back to your, uh, 'superior.'

 

Looks clear.

>Nightmare had little to get ready

>Clothing? Pfft

>Equipment? Hah

>Just her and her armor, which she kept perpetually clean

>Probably through magical spells that were well over your hornless head

>She paid you a passing, disinterested glance

>“Then we should not tarry.”

>You half smiled at her commanding tone

>Maybe that's just who you were and are

>You like others to be in command, to relinquish control to hands which you felt were more capable

>To not have to accept the responsibility for, and possibility of, failure

>She inspired confidence well enough, even if she was somewhat insulting sometimes

>You noticed, however, that she was waiting

>Her alicorn body was tensed up in preparation

>And glaring at you

>You look back at her with raised brows

>Her ears were turned towards you, extended upwards to their full height

>Oh, you get it

>She was waiting for you to argue

>Waiting for you to object

>You did tend to always contradict her

>But not this time, not after last night's little talk

>You give a somewhat forced grin, throwing up a finger pistol before rocking it forward and then back

You're the boss!

>You grant her

>It catches her off guard, but she is quick to regain her composure

>“You're learning”

>She grinned, slyly

>“I would have never thought it possible!”

>Oh, another 'stupid' joke

>Stay classy, Darkie

>You tracked her as she made her way to the entrance, skipped over the little moat of slime, and waited for you on the other side

>A moment is spent as you notice something

>She is somewhat paler than usual

>You aren't a doctor or anything, so you do not plan to mention it

>But you would also be lying to yourself if it wasn't a source for concern

>You just faked a smile at her jab and cast your worries from your mind

>If something was wrong, she'd tell ya

>You follow suit, leaping over the sludge and onto dry ground

>“Let's go.”

>Just as always, she hangs her head low and starts off

>Just as always, you obediently follow

 

>This quagmire was pretty voracious

>You still couldn't figure out what it was supposed to represent

>If anything

>Thank goodness that Darkie, which you still referred to her as, was taking point

>Your eyes, you have learned over time, tend to see things in higher resolution and to a greater distance when compared to pony vision

>Evolutionary benefit of a predatory species

>Humans weren't nocturnal, though

>You were the subject of a design, a pattern, to fit in a world with different rules than this one

>Darkie had the advantage of being born not of nature, but of arcane aberration

>And having predatory nocturnal vision, as well as a wider field of view

>Field of view, you wager, came from her eyes being so large

>They covered a lot of surface area, including the sides of their head

>One of the many features of ponies that you found to be disgusting

>But, then again, you weren't a scientist

>She could see at night; that's all you needed to know

>That, and her nebula mane and tail were easy to follow

>You dare not leave this one speck of certainty that you have in this lethal domain

>This swamp sucked

>The deeper and deeper you got into it, the less and less light there was

>The pools of peach slime glowed brighter and brighter, but the shunts of light served only to drain color and light more and more from the path

>Well, wasn't really a path

>More like 'wherever Nightmare felt like going'

>Your faith in her was strong enough, despite the fact that you didn't know exactly where you were going

>“Pothole”

>Your thoughts wandered

>Where would you be without Darkie, right now? Your journey would have ended a long ti...

>Wait, what?

Fffth!

>Your foot fell out from under you

>Dark features of the shadow and then the rising horizon slash before you as you crash against the ground, managing to catch yourself on your forearms before you faceplant

>You can feel a millipede – or some sort of creature – dance over your left hand

>Reflexively, you whip that hand up and struggle to right yourself

>You fucking hate bugs

>By the time you get up, you notice that Nightmare Moon was standing before you with a scolding look in her eyes

Sor--

>You try to apologize, but she cuts you off

>“Quit wasting time!”

>She says in an instructing tone before she wheels around

>You watch as she does so, and notice a weakness in her legs

>She was slower than usual, her hooves more jittery. She had to consciously catch herself from falling several times

>Your lips shift into a half frown

Darkie?

>You call, trying to get her attention

>She answers with an exasperated, throaty sigh

>“Did I not tell you my name?”

>Your shoulders sloped down as you slouched

Sorry... Nightmare Moon?

>After finally having turned around, she looked back over her shoulder to you

>“Yes?”

You really don't look well.

>Your companion doesn't answer, and instead looks away and starts heading off once more

>You take some initiative and power walk along side of her before swinging to her front

>Something that catches her off guard and causes her to backpedal before she makes a sound to start scolding you

No, really

>You say in a concerned tone, looking her up and down

Are you feeling alright?

>You had faith in her wisdom

>After all, she was something of a space wizard

>From space

>But you couldn't shake the feeling that there was something horribly wrong

>Her stern glare told you enough about the answer that was to come

>“I'm fine. Now...”

>She's not

>The way she was moving indicates that she is having problems with her basic motor skills

I have an idea

>You interrupt her quickly

>She smirks, smartly, amused by your statement

>“Oh! This should be good.”

>You detect a hint of sarcasm from her sultry voice

>But that's okay

How about you let me do the footwork? I'll carry you.

>She scoffs at first, and then it evolves into a sinister cackle

>“Hah! I take it back! You're just as dumb as before.”

>You lean forward and offer your head, forcing a wide grin

>As she realizes what you mean, she turns her head and glares at you suspiciously

>Distrusting, with her furthest eye squinted, she attempts to calculate your intentions

Come on, Nightmare Moon

>You goad

After dealing with me for so long? You can use a break!

>Why the hell were you doing this?

>You knew full well what this meant

>Your fragile mind and tenuous grip on humanity was threatened as long as she had access to your head

>After all, she was still pretty malicious towards you

>You might never be the same the instant that she gets in your head

>And you'd never even know it

>Tantamount to suicide

>But you also know that you hated seeing her like this

>And even though you shouldn't, you trusted her

>But by the look on her face, you can tell that she had reservations

>You stand up straight, your offer having gone stale

Come on... I'm really worried. I just want to give you a chance to rest, is all

>You admit

>“And what should happen if you get in trouble?”

>She asked in response

Me? Trouble?

>You blow a 'pffft' through your lips

C'mon. I never get in trouble.

>She somehow looks less than convinced, and beams at you with half-lidded eyes and a disillusioned frown

>The only sound or movement comes from her nebula mane wafting in the air as she glares

>You drop the act and slouch, your brows going flat over your eyes

>She raises a brow

Nightmare, I...

>You lean forward once again, clasping your hands together and forcing the widest, most begging smile you possibly can while batting your eyelashes

I want you inside me.

>She holds her glare, and there is an awkward air between you two which grows and grows with silence

>And, only after you have spoken, do you realize the full meaning of what you just said

>You slouch, defeated, your eyes rolling helplessly to the top of your sockets

>You were an idiot

I didn't mean...

>You start

>“I knew you'd eventually see things my way.”

>You are interrupted

>By the time you settle your vision upon your traveling companion, she is giving a wicked cackle that pierces your soul with its warped delight

>She erupts into a gaseous cloud of glitter-matter, and your forehead is instantly the target of her mental osmosis

>It hurt

>More than it did the first time

>You wonder if Darkie was doing that on purpose

>Your hands whip up to either side of your head as your muscles over your face tighten

>Your nails dig into your scalp

>The pain creeps up steadily, from a mild irritant to a full blown migraine

>Oh, God, it felt like your head was under a bullet train

>Like your gray matter was expanding against the inner walls of your brain case

>You groan, and you moan, hissing through your teeth

>But you just can't contain it any further, and you bellow out a horrible scream that echoes over the canopy for miles around

>And behind it is only the evil, victorious cackling of your guest

 

>A moment later seemed like an eternity

>Pain was a powerful, reality warping stimulant

>The human grasp of the passage of time was relative

>And Darkie Hooves knew this, apparently

>By the time it was all over, you could only double over and gasp for lost breaths

Hah... hah...

>You grip your knees, looking to what you can only assume is the floor

Comfortable?

>You ask, audibly

>“Oh, yes.”

>Apparently, this was her preferred mode of existence

Enough room?

>You ask

>“Oooooh~ yes.”

>You hated the way that she said that

>It made you cringe

>You right yourself and run your forearm under your nose

Did you make that hurt on purpose?

>“Mmhmm~”

Why?

>“Because I find you amusing when you're in pain.”

>You frown deeply

>A black jelly-sack that resided in your head and delighted in causing you pain

>Congradu-fucking-lations, Anon

>You've adopted a brain tumor

>“I heard that.”

>What?

>There is a sudden accelerated shock of electrical synapses in your brain, which runs down your spine

Bztztztz!

>Every muscle in your body contracts in an involuntary spasm

>Oh, and pain. Don't forget the bone-wrenching pain

>Luckily, you recover your balance before you fall over again

Hey!

>You audibly protest

>“I am one with your thoughts, now. I would be careful, if I were you.”

>...Fuck, she had you by the balls

>“I do.”

>Dammit

>You place a hand on your forehead, looking off into the distance

>There is a flaw in your plan

>You can't see shit

Hey, Dar--

>There's another painful electrical shock that lifts you off the ground

Ghththh!

Nightmare Moon! Nightmare Moon, I mean!

>You hear a sick, twisted laugh echo through your mind

>“Maybe there is something to this sensation therapy!”

>You hated the Gorpster so much right about now

>“I know what you are going to ask, servant. I will gift you, temporarily, with my sight. Prepare yourself.”

What?

>You don't get it

>But you do, in about two seconds

>Your heart beat increases ten fold

>You are in for pain like you have never felt before

>Having your body warped in such unnatural ways was not something you were entirely used to

>You could feel your pupils stretch and warp

>Your skull transmute as the sockets grow marginally wider

>Your vision is flooded with bright, white light, and you find yourself screaming in agony once more

 

 

>You really, really wish you didn't volunteer for this

>First of all, this new sight was impossible to get used to

>If the pain of Tartarus' grasp was not enough, like a constant twisting of your soul on a million barbs,

>Then this really was just icing on the damn cake

>Black and white

>You could not comprehend color, but you could see blacks and whites clearly

>Nightmare explained that this was due to comparability problems between your biological make-ups

>But it was still an improvement in strict tactical terms

>On the whole, though?

>The human mind, or at least yours, was not designed nor was it truly capable of this sort of information intake

>Your field of view was wider

>What was once strictly the domain of your blurry peripheral vision became clear as day

>You could see more around yourself, and it was strange

>But it also hurt

>Your bones felt crushed

>Your eyes burned as if they were cut and reformed by hot lasers

>And that wasn't the worst of it

>Actually being able to see let you know what you were walking in to

>Good thing Nightmare was asleep

>You could feel her resting in the back of your mind

>She would probably be laughing at your fear right now as you dredged your feet

>A sea of moss, bacteria-ridden slime, water-born insects of all types

>Some of which latched on to you and tried to crawl up your pant leg

>This was horrible

 

>Rarity would die, here

>And you would follow shortly after, if you hadn't seen what you've seen

>Because, scarily enough,

>The vents of neon noxious plasma, bugs that are probably poisonous, peach colored slime, stench of decay, and creepy feeling of being watched...

>There were still worse things to think about, here

 

>This 'gift' of night sight was more of a curse

>And your increased field of view just made it harder to turn your gaze from the horrors in the distance

>Nightmare got a kick from your suffering

>But... but that's okay. Because she was your friend

>...You could take it

>As you marched through the bog, you behold horrors the likes of which you would have rather not seen

>The accursed spirit of a pony, an innocent enough looking soul, stands as a silhouette in the distance

>Eyes hollow

>Clearly alone, sad, scared

>You wanted to go over and comfort it

>But lo, a gigantic spider, with gnarled knobs on the joints of its legs, stampedes over the forlorn creature and claims it in an instant, curling around the body and twitching as its prey makes futile gambits to escape

>In another scene, you see a second pony

>Just as lost, just as alone, and just as scared as the first

>It is aboard a raft, helplessly drifting along the winding rivers of slime, wishing beyond all possibility for its hell to be over

>The muck parts and swallows it whole before the equine sailor could even scream, starting new levels of torment eternal for the pitiful creature

>These aren't the only images you see

>You see close, life-long friends split apart by expanding gorges in the distance

 

>You see loves that could move the stars dashed apart as two sinful hearts are separated by ethereal chains to an eternity of anguish and torment

>Creatures feasting upon the souls of the lost and the damned, only to regurgitate them and subject them to the same suffering again

>You watch as ponies, sky lined on the shores of the mire, are transmuted into trees

>They try to scream, but shrubbery grows from their mouths, explodes from their eyes

>Their arms become branches, their legs twist into roots

>And then there's you... just walking along, unable to help, just as vulnerable as the rest

>Is this what Nightmare has been seeing this whole time?

>She must have a heart of stone to be able to watch all of this and not even flinch

>She is much stronger than you

>And you weren't sure if that was a good thing

>A healthy thing

>For you, or for her

>This was no place for man

>Man, or pony

 

>It makes you sick

>Devoured by creatures of nightmare

>Transfigured into the landscape

>Emotionally tortured for all eternity by the cold, unsympathetic forces of the cosmos

>Choose your venom

>And, as much as you wish you could say you've seen the worst of it, you have not

>And you were starting to experience it

>Although you could not see, color drained from your body

>Flesh became duller, more white, sickly

>Your will was addled by doubt

>Seeing all of this death and torment, and being unable to do anything about it, was enough to destroy what was left of your noble heart

 

>But you are Anonymous

>You survive, it's what you do

>You press on, no matter what

>Nothing impedes you

>Nothing can stop you

>All have tried, all have failed

>Not because you consciously fight your way through everything

>But because you are so damn passive, a fleshy automaton, that when you are in doubt, the only direction you know to go is forward

>Like a beast of burden equipped with blinders

>You leave things behind, just to see what the future has in store for you

 

>Your thoughts, however, turn

>Your vulnerability is becoming more and more clear

>Despite the humid heat of the swamp, your bones quake

>Your sweat becomes cold

>You find yourself growing uncertain

>The lingering feeling of being spied upon that you have felt since the beginning grows

>You feel as if you are being toyed with

>Like the instant safety is within your grasp, death would spring out and claim you

>How fearful of a creature, the human is

>Is this humanity? Does fear rule you?

>Your pace slows

>You stop

>The head on your shoulders swings left, and then right

>Scanning for what it is that is bringing about this unease

>Like so many years ago, as a small child, you are once again afraid of the dark

>Even though the gift of Nightmare allows you to pierce it, there is still an uncomfortable feeling

>Ignorance

>Not knowing the full extent of what you are up against

>That is the worst part. That's what scares you

 

>That's what scares men most. Not understanding to the full extent what a hostile universe has in store for them

>And here you are, in a universe that considered you alien

>And likely hated you more than anything before because of it

>Like an antibody closing in on a weak virus, it hungered for your annihilation

>...You wish Darkie was with you

>Your thoughts turn to your other source of courage

>Celestia

>Fate willing, she was watching over you

>You've made it this far, right?

>She wouldn't abandon you

>...But, then again, it was you who abandoned her

>You, who abandoned everybody

>And the last thing you remember of your friends was the stare that Celestia gave you when you made your final decision

>'Fare well' and 'take care.' Last words exchanged between you and that world

>You were happy when she left

>Celestia... kind of scared you

>Scared you with what she did, what she could do

>Your obedience to her was the product of fear rather than mutual respect

>Whether or not that was her intention doesn't really matter

>But her power terrified you

>Okay, not a very good source of courage

 

>And, as soon as you thought this,

>The instant that you comprehended it,

>There was a chill wind that cut past you

>You froze in place, struggling against your body's reflex to freeze

 

>You manage, with effort, to put up a guard

>However flimsy and weak it is

>Voices call out to you

>From the surrounding muck and mire

>You can hear them gradually getting louder and more clear

>You look around yourself, hastily

>Throw yourself into a turn, your coat follows you with a crack of fabric

>Your pupils scan across the terrain, looking for the creeping doom that taunts you

>The voices conjoin into one amidst a cacophony of approaching laughter

>It's distant, at first

>Coming at you from every angle, shielded by every tree and break in the land

>But you can start to make out words

>“Celestia, Celestia...”

>The evil tone doth beckon

>“Mighty heir of Equestria”

>You whip around once more, lowering your right fist slightly

>Someone's getting a broken jaw in a few seconds, you swear to god

>“Keep your mind, under lock and bind,”

>You shift your eyes across the terrain

>“Or she just might...”

>You take a step back, a tactical withdraw

>But your body heaves as it impacts something

>“...Molestia”

>You snap around for a third, and final, time

>All up in your grille is a warped visage of Celestia, her maddening cackles of amusement at your >confusion echoing through the swamp

>You do not hesitate

>Your right fist is brought down to your hip before you rocket it upwards through her jaw, turning your hips to commit to the strike

Fth!

>You draw in a breath through your teeth

 

>But your knuckles find only stagnant air as her form dilutes and breaks up, allowing your hand to pass through without incident

>Your already slightly widened eyes widen further

>Celestia, or whoever it is, only laughs through grinning teeth at your attempts and takes a step towards you

>You take a step back and, amidst your frustration, pivot your body into a left hook aimed to drive through her eye

>But, again, she merely parts like so much plasma before your hand passes through without incident

>Helpless, you drop your guard and step back from her

>You can't punch this

>Welp, you're out of ideas

>Finally, your body makes its choice of flight

>You turn and, catching your balance from a near fall, break out into a best-speed retreat

>However, the specter continues laughing in an unbroken stream of mocking tones

>She erupts in a corona of flame and rematerialized right in front of you

>You slam into her, the horn driving through your shoulder and creating a deep gash before you fall back into the shallow muck with a splash

>Your hand whips up to cover the wound before you look up at your assailant

>Wordless, save for the sinister cackle that mimics Celestia's voice, she lowers her head to examine you before she explodes into a thick gas

>And, for the second time tonight, your mind becomes the target of mental osmosis

>The pain?

>It's extraordinary

 

 

>You scramble to a stand, feeling the hostile insects dance against your flesh

>The sensation causes you to gasp, loudly, flapping your hands all over your body

>You were wet once again, damp with mud and sludge

>You probably had so many diseases by now...

>Your footing shifts, looking about yourself hectically

>She's in your mind. Where can you run?

>What can you do?

>Your heart rate picks up against your will

>You try not to panic, and yet you do

>What did you do last time this happened?

>Oh, that's right. Knock yourself out

>Your alien vision settles on a nearby tree, and you attempt to move towards it

>Alas, your feet are anchored in place

>You struggle, you writhe, but it is not something you can triumph over through physical strength alone

>Your body does not respond to your commands

Darkie?

>You plead

Sorry! Nightmare? Nightmare Moon?

>You call

>There is no response

>Not even from your presumed possessor

>It takes a moment for there to be any sort of reaction

>However, a moment later, you think you would have rather it stayed that way

>You look down in horror as you start sinking into the moss

>It devours you, and you can hear the layers of ancient disease-filled muck smack as you are sucked down

No!

>You refuse, reaching your hands for something, anything

>But the swamp conspires against you

 

>The waves of peach colored flesh-slime part, swirl, and in ropy strands rise around you

>Your eyes widen

No, no, no!

Nightmare Moon! Wake up! WAKE UP!

>You beg

>But in an instant, it closes around you, forming a liquid shell

>And then you are overtaken by the will of Tartarus

>It swallows you, and you fall into madness

 

>You rush down through an empty void

>Wind whips up past you

>But you manage to right yourself and land on your feet with a harsh clap of boots against stone

>A quick look about you is taken to comprehend your new surroundings

>A dungeon

>With torture tables, and chests of god-knows-what

>Gates leading into cells uncountable

>And lining the walls are hooks and wall mounts for various sexual toys

>Oh, good Lord

>If you weren't religious before, you were now

>And you were begging for some deity to save you from this

>But you were alone

>You shift your footing, putting up your dukes

>However good that did you, before

>You analyze your situation, looking around for an avenue of escape

>But you are horrified soon enough

>Not by what you see

>Not by what you feel – thank God

>But by what you hear

 

>Oh, God

>Oh, God, no

>No, no, no

>Music

>Music is starting up

>Fuck this

>It's some classy ragtime piano tune

>What the fuck

>Music never bode well for you

>You make a move to get the fuck out of dodge, but just as you start to move, Celestia materializes just in front of you

>Wearing the widest, most psychotic grin that you have ever seen

>And a fedora. Nice.

 

>“Mo~les~ti~a is commin' for you, tonight!”

>She jabs a hoof to your chest, causing you to stumble back

>“I'm gonna get you!”

>“A~non~y~mous will surely put up a fight...”

>A right fist is launched at her face, which she dematerializes from before popping back into existence behind you

>“Y'ain't gonna get through!”

>Her hooves loop around your shoulders, and with a violent shove you are sent into a top-like spin

>You slam, back first, into an upright wooden torture table, which stops your dizzy spin

>Oh, God, you're nauseous

>“Restraints, and whips, and fetish gear!”

>Tentacles start sprouting from the ground, looping around your belt line and yanking down on your pants

>“...Meanwhile you're in your underwear!”

>She squeals in fiendish delight

>Your hands reach down to your pants and bat away the tentacles, which whine and sink back into the ground at your resistance

I see what you did, there

>Molestia grins wickedly at your musical cooperation

 

>“Oh, do beware, dear...”

>She warns

>“Tonight I really want your wiener!”

>An arcane aura overtakes you as her horn glows, levitating you off of the board and tearing your coat from your body

>You don't like this

>“Deedle-dee dee! Remove your clothes!”

>“Deedle-dee dee! You won't need those!”

>“Deedle-dee dee! And some pantyhoes!”

>Your pants transmute into a pair of see-through stockings, and you throw your hands over your shame

>You scream, but you quickly clap your mouth shut when you find that Molestia has managed to pinch your vocal chords to make you sound like a girl

>“Scoop, doobedy-dop, doo wop!”

>Your captor performs an impressive feet of hoof shuffling towards you across the dungeon floor

>“Molestia's comin' for ya!”

>She grins broadly at you, her mane wafting around you and dissolving your clothes

>“You and your gal were having a walk at night”

>You growl at her, your eyes conveying the deep desire to murder this woman

>“Hold your tears, please!”

>She instructs

>“That's when I came and abducted you out of sight!”

Oh, God, my jimmies!

>She licks her lips and pats a hoof against your cheek, smiling sweetly

>“Thank you, dear.”

>Your teeth lash out, attempting to bite her big, stupid snout. A quick flinch from her ensures that you miss, though

>“I'm gonna harm ya! Too bad plot armor's not really rape proof! You're gonna hurt, dude!”

>Her horn glows and pulls a series of devilish sexual torture devices over, all of which orbit you

 

>“So cry for me, enjoy this fling, it is to be!”

>“You'll be mine for eternity~!”

Where the hell is Darkie?!

>You aim to interrupt her, flailing your arms in an attempt tp break free of this hold

>“Oh! My, she's with me! And she's quite the thriller!”

>“...Why don't you come and join her?”

...Did you rehearse this?

>“Shh... pucker those lips...”

>Your eyes shoot open as you actually feel her prehensile lips fall upon yours

>You tear away from the kiss and roll your tongue out in disgust

Fleegh! That didn't even rhyme!

>She smiles brightly and winks at you

>“Anonymous, dear!”

>“It doesn't matter!”

>You cross your arms and interrupt her

That didn't rhyme, either

>“Either way, you're stuck, here!”

>Fuck, you give up

>“Oh, you'll be hard!”

>“You will be scarred!”

>“...And prob'ly charred!”

>...What?

>“But, Anonymous, dear, you'll love it!”

>She whips her head to the side, and you are flung harshly into the upright torture table

>Almost hard enough to incapacitate you

>Your eyes roll in opposite directions

>“Mo~les~ti~a is commin' for you tonight...”

 

>She wickedly sings

>“I already got you!”

>“An~on~y~mous tried to put up a fight...”

>You find your hands and legs guided by external forces outside of your control, compelled to whip into a set of open iron cuffs which slam locked over your ankles and wrists

>“...He couldn't get through!”

>The table spins and slams into a horizontal position, and Molestia walks along side the table, running a riding crop down the length of your body as she passes

>“Pleasures are waitin'...”

>“I'm gonna rape him...”

>“So just accept it,”

>“You'll cry just a bit,”

>You struggle against your binds, and she chortles at your attempts as she circles you

>“A happy ending is in sight~!”

>“'Cause Molestia's commin' for your virginity tonight~!”

 

>Everything falls silent

>The lights of the dungeon dim

>You hear a clopping of hooves, and feel her warm, heated breath come to your ear

>“Just lay back and relax, my little human. You'll have all of eternity to learn to enjoy this.”

>Not even the dead can know peace from this evil

 

 

>You struggle against your binds

>Being completely nude in the presence of another is the most alien feeling

>Fuckin' ponies

>Fuckin' Molestia

>You bare your teeth and arch your back

>Attempting to twist and torque your way through the shackles that keep you bound to the torture table

>Sadly, it is to no avail

>And your captor just gives a deep, throaty chuckle at your futile attempts to gain freedom

>Luckily, there's a moment of respite for you as she busies herself choosing which 'toy' to employ first

>But your window of opportunity is quickly shrinking

>Are you a bad enough dude to avoid eternal rape and return to your beloved friends?

>Damn right, you are

>You're fucking Anonymous

>And you have never been stopped before

>You redouble your efforts

>Your left hand is far too weak to break the iron

>But how about your right hand?

>You nearly give your arm a cramp for your efforts

>Dammit

>But you'll be damned if this stops you

>“It's a pity! You were so talkative before. I was hoping to hear you scream.”

>She looks to you with sinister intent, tracing her tongue up the shaft of an equine dildo before she returns to her devious task

>Maybe you can rip the iron cuffs off the wooden surface?

>You press your back and shoulders against the table, and attempt to pull your legs up from their restraints

>The wood groans and whines, but nothing

>Dammit

I can break these cuffs...

>You mutter below your breath

>“You can't break those cuffs!”

>Molestia replies, having heard you

 

>Making one last gambit for escape, you fles your arm muscles to their brink

GGHYEEEEEAHHHHH

>Your neck veins pop

>But you eventually relax

>Fuckin' nothing

>You swore that would work

>But, just like always, your luck sucks

 

>Okay. You need to buy some time

>A few minutes, a few seconds

>Anything

>Suddenly, you think back to her earlier statement

>It gives you an idea

>You lean over as far as your binds would allow

So... you like talking during rape?

>Molestia shivers, fitting a colossal strap-on to her body

>She makes no effort to hide it from you

>And it terrifies you

>“Oh, yes, dear! I love the loud ones! It's fun to hear them scream!”

>Your brows furrow, and your desperate grimace melts away to a sinister grin

>Challenge

>Fucking

>Accepted

>You bite your lower lip, watching as she eventually comes over you with a sly smile across her face

>“You'll be fun to break, my soon-to-be rape-toy. Now...”

Hey!

>You interrupt

What's the safety word?

>She coughs a highly amused laugh, looking down at you

>“HA HA~! Oh, deary, you have no idea what's going on, do you?”

>You wish you didn't

>Fuck

>Fuck

>You need more time

Um, no. Explain it to me, please. Maybe sing that song again?

>Her smile falls to a frown before she raises an eyebrow at you

Yeah – but go reeeeeally slow. Because I'm kind of retarded, and...

>“Maybe later. Rape time is now.”

 

>With a single beat of her massive wings, she skips onto the table and causes the whole thing to shake

>A hungry, predatory smile shows its teeth as she beams a psychotic gaze of insatiable lust down at you

>From her equine lips and teeth come lines of spittle as she closes in for the kill

>You're glad you can't see what might be going on down there

WAIT!

>Molestia blinks and pauses

Question.

>She waits for a moment, more because she's caught off guard than her actually being curious

Do you ever miss it?

>“Miss what?”

Television. I used to watch your show all the time!

>“What...?”

>This was going to be a snap

You don't have to hide it from me, Mister Ed.

I was your biggest fan!

>Celestia let you remember the most useless bullshit

>“Uh.”

Yeah! Remember? Nick at Nite?

>“Deary, my name is Molestia. In about three seconds you'll find out why.”

>You force a big grin and lift your head from the table, almost touching your forehead to hers

Nope! I would recognize you anywhere! I even remember the theme song!

>She cranes her head back, perking an eyebrow at you

>She wasn't used to this sort of... thing

>This sort of thing that you were doing

A horse is a horse, of course, of course!

And no one can talk to a horse, of course!

That is, of course, unless the horse

Is the famous Mister Ed~!

>Her right eye twitches, and she looks over to a nearby chest before her horn glows

>A red rubber gag is levitated over before it is brought over your face

>She clenches her teeth and slams it down, attempting to plug your mouth

>But you cant your head just in time to avoid it as it thumps against the wooden table

 

>Her right eye twitches, and she looks over to a nearby chest before her horn glows

>A red rubber gag is levitated over before it is brought over your face

>She clenches her teeth and slams it down, attempting to plug your mouth

>But you cant your head just in time to avoid it as it thumps against the wooden table

Go right to the source, and ask the horse

He'll give you the answer that you'll endorse!

>She furrows her brows and tries again, lifting the ball before slamming it down once more

>And, once more, you avoid it, causing it to beat against the table at the side of your head

>All the slip-training for fighting paid off

He's always on a steady course!

Talk to Mister Ed~!

>“Gah!”

>She bears her weight down on you, her concentration completely focused on the task of getting you to shut up

>The gag is brought up again and slammed down again

>And again

>And again

>But every time, you dodge it with all the ease of the first time

>Even as she leans forward, her eyes conveying her infinite frustration, and the gag starts slamming down at such a rate that it resembles the 'thump-thump-thump' of a machine gun

>You open your mouth to start the next verse

>But you're cut short when, finally, your lips are pried apart by the gag

>She gives a relieved smile, like a powerful headache was just soothed, and slings the elastic band around the back of your head with her goddamn telekinesis

Mffph!

>You try to convey your dissatisfaction at this most dastardly turn of events

>“People yakity-yak a lot and waste my time for fun~!”

>She continued

>“But Anon, dear, you'll never speak until the rape is done~!”

>That isn't how the song goes

 

>She lowers her eyes to yours, caressing a hoof against your chest as white, slimy tentacles start to rise from the stone floor below

>“Spoilers: That'll be in about... never.”

>You find yourself surrounded by a forest of slithering, dripping reeds that throb and flail as if they had their own individual minds

>The tips each bubbled into knobby protrusions before exploding into a forest of penis heads

>Good

>God

Mff... ffpfh!

>You call her a less than savory woman

>She watches and listens, slightly amused, rocking back and forth with your attempts to sheer her off

Fffpfh mlllpf!

>And, furthermore, you fully intend to kick her ass when you escape

>Try as you might to juke your body out from under her, she is surprisingly massive

>“I love it when they struggle! Hope you enjoy it, Anon, because you're all mine!”

>Your eyes widen as the arrangements of cock weeds rise, turn down to you, and rocket inward to forever take away your innocence

>You slam your eyes shut

>However, just as you had resigned yourself to the will of Molestia, you spasm as a shill overpressure washes over your form

>Your eyes shoot open when the table shifts under the weight of a new occupant

>Looking straight up, you see a black chest heaving over two marshmallow stalks, clad in blue armor

>Looking down to your torso, you see a shocked and appalled Molestia meeting the doubtlessly hostile gaze of a pissed off Darkie

>And, all around you, you can see penis-stalks being blown away by a swirling torrent of spell power radiating from your companion

>Nightmare's voice was filled with malicious venom; you could almost taste her words

>“We shall see about that.”

 

>The scene that had once encapsulated you spontaneously bursts out of existence

>Your frail body jumps; splashing in the peach, bug-infested slime that you fell in before

Oh, God dammit!

>You roar in a whiny tone

>This whole thing has been just another mind fuck?

>Shit's getting old

>Oh well. At least your clothes are back, thank god

>You force yourself to an upright sit, looking to the left and then to the right for any sign of Nightmare Moon

>Upon accepting that sitting in sludge isn't getting you anywhere, you attempt to force yourself to a stand

>Suddenly, seizure

>Your eyes fly wide open as you stutter uncontrollably like an idiot

>Your limbs flail at your sides

>And you flop around like a retarded fish, splashing the filthy chemical enzymes of the swamp all over

>“Oooh~! Darkie! I had no idea!”

>“You will remove yourself from my domain!”

>Voices echo in your mind

>And you can't do anything to ease the pain of your thoughts being split open

>Save for scream

>Lots of screaming

>You writhe and wallow as this internal battle envelops you

>“Come on, Miss Moon! Don't you want to double the fun?”

>“You're depraved!”

>“Uh, hello? Mo~les~ti~a? I molest people! It's what I do! Speaking of which...”

>You didn't want to listen to this

>This... who thing you were listening to

>These sounds echoing in your mind were uncomfortable

>As were the screams of agony

>Sadly, you had little choice in the matter

>“Anonymous! I'm going to kill you!”

 

>Yep, that was definitely Nightmare Moon

>This does not bode well for you

>A shriek of pain escapes your lungs as you feel a horrible rupture in your head

>It was as if your mind physically exploded

>A colossal mass forced through your skull. Incorporeal at first, but electric in quiddity

>The spectral mass of soul-stuff reforms quickly, striking the appearance of ho you now recognize as Molestia

>She grins as she looks down at you, unfurling her large wings – whose feathers have been replaced by yet more tentacles

>Like some sort of succubus, wearing a gaze that pierces through to your soul, she hungrily creeps towards you

>She doesn't even slow as her otherwise pristine hoof is submerged in the sickening swamp slime

>With your motor functions restored, you crawl back away from her, struggling to get to your feet

>Suddenly, your brain feels as if it is parted once more as yet another gust of glitter-matter arcs from your forehead

>The pain is such that your body momentarily gives out, and you fall back into the muck

>Molestia stops her advance when the second cloud takes form, revealing a growling and very irritated Nightmare

>“Oh! Ready for round two, already?”

>The white and gold princess taunts, winking seductively at your companion

>But the obsidian mare just cracks a smile in response

>As you manage to get up to your feet, a translucent encasement snaps into existence in front of you

>Shocked, you look around to find that it is covering you from all angles. And placing your hands upon the inner surface of it, you find that it is solid and dense

>“Now that I don't have to worry about collateral damage...”

 

>Nightmare says, wickedly; her mane and tail becoming more and more violent

>Gentle drifting gave way to uncontrolled currents of arcane motion

>And, helpless as you were, you watched as she drifted a few inches off of the surface of the sludge

>Not by virtue of her wings, however

>But some intangible force that was coalescing in unseen masses

>Molestia sure looked intimidated by this development; knowing more than you do, clearly

>But that did not last long before she narrowed her eyes stamped one hoof forward, flaring her monstrous, warped wings and firing a volley of tendrils at your companion

>Alas, Nightmare was evidently far more experienced at this than Molestia gave her credit for

>Or, at least, more outwardly powerful

>The penis-plants spontaneously combusted as soon as they got anywhere near their target, overcome with an electric discharge present in the air and exploding into fine red mists

>They disintegrated, and this rapid deterioration of flesh ran all the way back down to the succubus' wings and caused her to shriek in pain

>Darkie could only laugh

>This was by far the most vocal you've seen her, save for when she agreed to tell you her story

>It was a sick, twisted cackle. Throaty and evil, it pierced your mind and lifted over the canopy for untold miles with its boisterous power

>But she said nothing besides, and as Molestia attempted to recover from her wounds, your, uh, 'superior' unfolded her wings with a sharp snap

>And as you watched, with a mixture of horror and amazement, you could see the arcane tempests form as she summoned forth the forces of antiquity

>It was just then that you remembered something that Darkie told you the previous night

>'You are easily impressed,'

>You recall her saying

 

>'Such spells are sloppy and uncoordinated,'

>'but useful for cleansing a localized area'

>Familiar flashes of dull light snap and flash through the air, passing through and around solid objects

>It feels like a strong overpressure building in your chest

>Nightmare's psychotic cackling comes to an apex, and she sprawls her limbs through the air before a blinding sea of darkness overcomes the area, the ambient light being parted

>With black being the only thing you can see, you can only guess by the screams of your assailant and the crackle of violent energies what is happening

>It sounds very much like she is being torn apart from the inside out. And, probably for the best, you are spared a view of the mechanics of the whole thing

 

>It felt like an hour, but only a few minutes have passed since that whole display

>As per normal, Nightmare takes the lead

>As per normal, you follow obediently

>You have covered some distance from the site of the spell, but every tree you pass by is charred black

>The ground is turned and darkened

>The light of the coming morning struggles to penetrate the residual darkness created by her

>And the ambient temperature has dropped to levels that discomfort you

>On top of that, you're wet

>You cannot hide your teeth occasionally chattering

>But more your concern, Darkie still doesn't look too well

>She is even paler than before, her former blackness becoming a sort of dark bluish-purple

>And her hooves occasionally betray her, causing her to have to catch herself

>She is as quiet as ever, but you can sense this air of lividity fuming from her

>So you only do this against your better judgment

So...

 

>You start, but she is quick to whirl around and jab an armored hoof to your chest

>That has happened to you too many times today

>“Silence yourself!”

>She hisses, her voice dripping with the same venom that it carried before

>Her headlight gaze caused your eyes to squint as you threw up your hands to defend yourself

>“Do you have any idea of what you've done?”

>“Any clue, at all?”

>Her tone is scolding, as if she was an enraged caretaker speaking to a child

>Your silence apparently tells her all she needs to know

>“Augh! You are so... so...”

>She steps back from you and slams a forehoof into the ground, causing a slight rumble

>The swamp was scary enough; but having Nightmare so pissed at you, even if she wasn't being as overt as she could be, was enough to inspire respect

>Not to mention that it makes you feel bad that you've apparently done something to cause her such distress

Sorry.

>You say, keeping your volume low so as to keep it between you two

>She does not extend the same courtesy

>“You will be! Summoning a demon as powerful as -her- here?!”

>Wait, what? You summoned her?

>“It took everything that I could muster just to temporarily banish her. With a spell that large, higher powers than us will know that we're here! Do you see now?”

Is... is that bad?

>You hesitated to even ask, and judging by her reaction, you should have just held your tongue

>“Oh, believe me, human. You'll find out!”

>She snaps

>“...We mustn’t tarry”

>Nightmare starts to wheel around, and just as before, she struggles to do so

 

>Until, finally, you recoil as you see her already thin stomach heave and convulse

>She gasps, her eyes go wide, and...

>The swamp floor plays host to a waterfall of equine vomit

>You bring a hand to your lips and gaze upon her, your concern for her physical well being at its height

>Poor Darkie; because of you, apparently, she has over exerted herself when she was already ill

>Her knees tremored under her weight, and she breathed heavily to try and make up for lost breaths

>But more than that, she glanced up at you; clearly humiliated by her show of weakness

>There is an awkward air that grows stale between you two

>And, finally, you step forward to close the gap with her before bending over, lowering your head and placing your hand upon it

>She hesitates for a moment, wondering if she can trust you

It's almost morning. I can navigate on my own.

>Still, she makes no move

...Please?

>You ask, hating to see her this way

>She may yell at you, she might toss you across rivers, and she might manipulate you in ways you don't even know

>But she is also a friend, and to you that was priceless

>With less of an effort than before, her horn glows in acceptance and she explodes into a cloud of sparkle-matter, zipping right into your head

>This time, the pain was only mediocre

>And within seconds, you could feel her drift to sleep in the back of your mind

>You may be ignorant, you may be selfish

>But you are Anonymous

>And with nowhere else to go, you move forward

>Just like always

 

 

>It was so much easier to negotiate this wreck of a bog during the day

>So much nicer to do so with your own eyes

>Having Nightmare Moon's vision sucked

>The light of the sky, which conspicuously lacked a sun, stabbed through the canope without incident

>Gaps in the thick cover, where stretches of water parted the trees, made ideal paths for you to follow

>Sadly, although it was easier to see what you were doing, it didn't do much to abate your worries

>Bugs everywhere, feeding on the decay and carrion of the ages

>You couldn't even smell it anymore

>But the sight of so many alien creatures swarming over corpses of those who fell before you still bothers you

>You come to a stop and look at one such display

>You sort of wish you didn't, but you can't turn away from it

>You don't even know what the fuck you're looking at

>Must be the heavily decayed corpse of a pony

>The ribcage is split wide open

>The flesh is practically a greasy pale jelly that stretches across the framework of diseased bones

>Organs? Don't be silly

>You can't see any

>You know they are there, spilled out over the ground

>But a sea of maggots, worms, and grubs swarms over everything

>A throbbing mass of hungry organisms, coalescing over itself and moving in a thousand directions at once

>You can hear the eating in progress

>A feast for a million little mouths

>And above it all, there was a hurricane of flies

>You wish you could say that this wasn't common

>But as you finally manage to turn away, you see that such corpses of various creatures were common place along the banks of the hellish quagmire

 

>Disgusting

>The hard skin that drifted on the surface of the stagnant pools of slime grew thicker as you went along

>It bubbled, releasing clouds of gas as the surface was compromised

>This, you could smell

>It was the smell of ammonia

>You were a man with high tolerances, you thought

>But this smell burned away at your nostrils

>It -hurt- to -smell-

>You to pinch your nose shut, and you were afraid to breathe through your mouth

>This place reeks of death

>You think you've figured it out

>By night, this place is host to your deepest fears

>By day, the result of those fears is on display for all travelers to see

 

>It has been a few hours of constant movement

>If your stomach growling didn't give away your position, nothing would

>It has been a few days since you found those apples

>A few days since Nightmare destroyed the last one for the sake of a joke at your expense

>Ha ha! That Darkie! What a kidder

>You appreciated her company

>But you also appreciated the fact that she was sick

>Since last night, you could comprehend her presence in your mind

>Wrapped up in a blanket of memory matter

>You hoped that she was warm, she deserved it

>But you knew, even though you couldn't see her, that she was heaving

>Her condition was not getting any better

>And it frustrates you that there was nothing you could do to abate her suffering

>Today, that was your motivation

>That, perhaps, by moving forward you would discover the break that both you and she needed

>You climbed over moss covered stones

>You traveled along soggy banks

 

>You waded through icky channels of stagnant, disease-water

>You were, without a doubt, the filthy one of the duo

>And it -did- do well to reflect your roles in the group dynamic

>You were okay with that, now

>Because now that you were carrying your cargo, you felt a new found sense of responsibility

>Responsibility to a friend in need

>Tartarus was no place for you

>And, clearly, it was also no place for your companion

>The light started to fade

>You have been awake for too long

>You could tell this early on. It's been a while since you slept

>Anything for your good friend, Nightmare, though

>While she slept, you worked

>It was a give and take kind of thing

>But you were tempted to just let your eyes drift closed

>Your stride was shortening

>Your feet felt more and more like lead

>And you slouched

>More than once you have found yourself having to stop to catch your breath

>But that was okay. You can go a little further

>Just a little more, and then you can rest

>It would be well earned, you think

>And your friend would think so, too

>Doubly so if you find a way to get them out of this Celestia forsaken swamp

 

>You take one last trudging step before you stop to catch your balance

>The ground here was less stable, softer, harder to negotiate

>You had to be careful

>You were already exhausted

>Good thing you didn't have a mirror. If you did, you'd probably be horrified with how you looked

>Maybe your luck is turning around!

>Sadly, any hopes of that are dashed as the shadows before you coalesce into a familiar form

>You take a step back, putting your weight on your rear heel

 

>The shape of a skeletal pony, with inky black sludge serving as its flesh, pops into existence

>Its eyes – meaty orbs of empty whites – stare at you

>And it wears the same perpetual grin that it always has, with chilling gas heaving from its mouth as it breathes

>This shit follows you wherever you go

>The desert, the obsidian plains, and now here

>“Hello, Anonymous”

>It greets you, its voice a sick gurgle of bursting ooze sacks within its throat

Hey, there

>You return

>No need to be rude, right?

>It chortles and takes a step towards you

>You take another step back

>“You don't sound surprised! Well, I guess you wouldn't. We really,”

>“...really...”

>“need to stop meeting, this way.”

Or at all

>You say, unamused

>Whenever 'it' is around, bad shit happens

>Shit that you generally don't like

>“Agreed!”

>It says, throwing its head back in acknowledgment

>Thick, inky slime splatters everywhere with its movements

>“Which is why this will be the last time, Anonymous.”

orly

>You intelligently rebuttal

>“yarly”

>It brilliantly counters

>You cross your arms over your filthy chest, closing your coat around you

More mind games, I presume?

 

>You ask, giving it a smart-allecky gaze with lifted brows and a shallow smile of amusement

>You, of all people, have the lowest resistance to mind games that you can imagine

>For all you know, you're living -in- an illusion

>But you were fairly confident. You've resisted the temptation before. With Darkie Hooves around, you broke out of Molestia's mind-rape prison

>You did not feel that you had anything to fear if this was the top of Tartarus' game

>It scoffs, but you can tell by the twist of its lip that it isn't amused by your attitude

>“It was somewhat surprising that you managed to escape the Styx. But it didn't take too long to find out how you did it.”

>It creeps forward, its tone getting much lower, and much more aggressive

>“...Now that we know about your little stowaway, things are going to get very bad for you, human.”

>“That is, unless, you hand her over.”

>You don't take too long to come up with your answer

>That's just not the kind of person you were

>You owed Nightmare quite a bit for everything that she has done for you

>And beyond that, she is your friend

>And you have never, ever, betrayed a friend like that

No.

>You answer, flatly

>It cackles expectantly before you, those sickening eyes that it monitored you with slamming shut as it did so

>You were glad that it found you so amusing

>“Hahahehe! We had a feeling you'd say that.”

>That couldn't have been hard to guess. You can't imagine a time that you said 'yes' to a threat.

>Something that you were proud of. Probably the only thing you had to be proud of

>“...We were hoping you'd say that”

>It corrects itself

>“So, how is your little friend doing?”

 

>It lifts a hoof and stabs it towards you, its grin widening from floppy ear to floppy ear

>You narrow your eyes and clench your teeth

>She was doing horrible, and you had a feeling this being knew that full well

>“Do you even know what's happening to her, Anonymous?”

>It asks

>“You might reconsider, once you find out.”

I highly doubt it

>You state matter-of-factly

>Nothing would make you default on such a debt as the one you owed Nightmare Moon

>“Hoho! I'm sure you've wondered why she is so ill, and you are not. Despite the... discrepancy in your cleanliness.”

>You frowned at it

>Yeah, you weren't the cleanest thing around

>But it was right. You did wonder that, just slightly

>“Humans are rare in this corner of Tartarus, child of another world. We are not so well equipped to handle your kind.”

>A sick, muscly tongue runs along its lips as it laps up its own flesh drippings

>“But Nightmare Moon is fully susceptible to this region's microscopic terrors.”

>“And the air is absolutely thick with disease.”

>You don't like what you are hearing, or where this is going

>Your frustration carried well into your tone

Yeah, yeah. Okay. She's sick. I knew that. It'll take more than a head cold to stop her.

>This provoked a wild fit of laughter in the form of a deep, thrumming guffaw from your host

>“HA HA HA! A head cold, huh? Perhaps a little preview into the fate of your, heh, 'friend' is in order.”

>You quirk an eyebrow helplessly

>Your jimmies are starting to become rustled

>“For all your efforts, you stubborn foal, this mire will be your tomb.”

>You unfold your arms from your chest and brace your fists for what evil this way came as a result of your decision

>“Well, Anonymous...”

 

>It drifted up into the air, propelled by unseen fluctuations in gravity as it started with a maniacal laughter that put you right off

>“Take care!”

>You cringe at its flawless mimicry of your voice

>And, with that, the aberration explodes into uncountable little particles

>Which, like fallout from a large explosion, scatter across the land scape and slowly sink down to the ground

>Huh

>You wonder what he meant by 'things are going to get very bad for you.'

>It was probably nothing

>You sniff, clearing your nasal passages before you start forward again

>But before you can land your first step, what remains of a decayed hoof sprouts from the ground

>Followed by another

>And another

>Well, this can't be good

 

 

>Another joined it, and another

>But it wasn't just in front of you

>You whipped your head around to gauge the situation at your inland side

>A hoof was clawing at the ground

>And as you look behind you, you can see the same thing

>As far as the eye can see, the ground was playing host to a wicked garden

>You hiss and narrow your eyes, watching as the hooves grow into arms, and then eventually the decayed remains of pony bodies rip their way from the ground

>They are not subtle, not quiet at all

>They hiss, their mouths dislocated and slathering with eons old bile

>They are also relatively slow, struggling to move against their stiffened bodies

>Jittery, they tremble. Just like Nightmare Moon was, the last time she tried to walk

>Their skins, what was left of them, were pale and discolored

>Just like Nightmare's was fast becoming

>At that, you realize just what this swamp was

>It wasn't just a place for fears to destroy you

>It was a place for viral strains to fester and evolve, turning those damned to this pit into animated cadavers

>They shamble towards you, and your first instinct is to run between them

>But doing so would easily place you in bite range, and there were so many

>Zombies – dozens and dozens of them

>And there were more on the way

>For a moment, you considered holding your ground and fighting them

>But as they crept closer and closer, their hunger for the flesh of the living clear,

>You realized that this was a dismal prospect for you

>And not just for you

>If you are eaten, torn apart by a ravenous horde of nightmarish creatures, what would that mean for Darkie?

>Darkie

>That's it

 

>You take a step back towards the river, descending down the bank as the curtain of doom closes in around you

>Their murmurs and slurred speech wracks your mind

Nightmare? Nightmare! I need you!

>You say before smacking your forehead with your palm

>You hated doing this

Nightmare?

>Nothing

>You hated trying to wake her up, after you assured her that things would be fine

>But dammit, you're in over your head with this one

>You consider, then, trying to swim the swamp channel to make an escape

>You look back to it, only to have that plan dashed just as hard as your first

>Already, there were pony bodies rising from the muck; thick layers of slime and plant matter draping over their forms as they shamble forward to food

>You might be able to make it anyway... but then you remember that humans probably don't like swimming in ammonia

>Well... back to plan A

>You look forward to your best escape rout, which was still clogged by undead bodies

>Fear gripped you. Fear for yourself, and fear for your living cargo

>But you slammed your right fist into your waiting left hand, cracking your knuckles as you sallied forth towards the sea of death

>At least you were awake, now

 

>Adrenaline was one hell of a drug

>You knew this in life, and in the afterlife it still held true

>Fighting these zombie ponies was nothing like fighting living ponies

>You weren't in it to 'win.' To beat them unconscious or to force a technical ruling in your favor

>That didn't exist, here

>All you were concerned with was breaking away and surviving

 

>Something that they weren't making easy for you to do

>Surrounded, it was a game of bowling through what was in front of you before the creatures behind you or to the sides caught up

>The creature before you lunged forward, and in response you threw out your right fist in a hooking motion, committing your body to the blow

>With a crack of bone, the face of the creature buckled and it was sent to the ground

>You hiss in pain; nightmare's bite mark still fresh on your wrist

>To finish it off, you were sure to step on its head before advancing

>Another hissed in anticipation, showing its vegetarian teeth as it charged forth, excited by your proximity

>This hunger that they have must be supernatural

>You take evasive maneuvers, grinding your worn down boots against the moist ground and whipping around it; taking advantage of the equine form taking longer to wheel around than humans do

>That's something you learned from your fighting days

>You hated the fact that it was still a part of your life, but it served you well enough there

>Unfortunately, no matter how much damage these things took, they just struggled right back up

>They were kind of like you, in that respect

>Their bones were brittle. They were imperfect, easy to knock down

>But they kept coming

>And there were far too many of them

>A pair of jaws extends over your shoulder, and you just manage to jostle yourself out of the way before they snap shut with a sickening crack

>You have no intention of fighting these monstrosities for longer than you absolutely have to

>You tumble past several of them ungracefully, the sounds of gurgling voices gibbering their lusts for your flesh filling your ears

 

>Luckily, the end is in sight

>Unluckily, one lucky bastard manages to clench your trouser leg in its teeth, and it yanks with an unholy strength that hoists your foot out from under your body

>Your view of the world flashes before you hit the ground on your shoulder

>You let loose a cry of pain as your joint screams from the impact

>But more pressing than that, you turn your attention to the approaching cadavers

>And, without hesitation, you whip your free leg over your trapped leg

>Your foot collides with the cranium of your captor, severing the skull from the jaw and casting it into the disgusting river

>The tongue still flails, and you watch as a stream of bile squirts from the uncovered throat

>With a cringe, you struggle back to get away from them

>They, whose flesh was too far gone to even make out their cutie marks,

>They, who wanted nothing more than to devour you like a school of hungry piranha

>These creatures were slow; but they weren't slow enough that they couldn't catch you while you were on your back

>You attempt, finally, to scramble onto your feet

>Your gait was longer than theirs. If you could just get upright, you were home free

>The ground was wet and slippery

>The displaced foliage tried its hardest to foil your attempts

>But you managed to get on your feet, and were prepared to bolt

>Before you could, however, yet another zombified pony leapt at you

>They were surprisingly spry once they got close

>At only half balance, you desperately attempt to bat the incoming creature away with your right hand

>To your horror, a pair of decayed jaws snap closed on your wrist

>Your fingers sprawl out and curl inward, feeling a burning pain course through your arm

 

>Your scream is less than graceful as the weight of the attacker drives you back down into the mud

>Instinctively, not knowing what else to do, you slam your left fist into this thing's face

>It tightens its vice-like grip, trying to tear your flesh from you

>Your left hooks into its head

>Again

>And again

>You can't believe that your life is in your left hand, with your right helpless to do anything

>Your left was always the weak, useless one

Ughn!

>You power-grunt

>Finally, you manage to burst your hand through the creature's eye

>And straight through the other eye

>Oh, God

>Why were their eyes so big?!

>All the ichor, all the disgusting liquid fluid, spilled out over you

>The zombie released your arm and roared in pain

>You flung your arm to your side, hauling your assailant through the air before its skull cracked the ground and shattered

>With that, you scrambled onto your feet and grabbed a hold of your wounded wrist, beating a hasty retreat

 

>As you rush past the willows, the stones, and the landscape, you find it harder and harder to see

>The light has given way to the darkness

>The fact that the liquid component of the swamp glows keeps you close. It is your only source of light

>You pant, huff, and puff

>The bite wound stings and burns, far more than you think it should

>But that doesn't matter right now

>What does is that the zombies behind you are fading

>Your lungs feel like they are about to combust

>Your heart feels like it is going to pop

>That would kind of suck

 

>But you are Anonymous; nothing stops you

>Except for when things stop you

>You stop

>You don't always stop. But when you stop, you stop.

>Yet another hoof bursts from the ground, followed by another, and another

>Just how many of these god damn things were there?

>“Where do you think you're going?”

>The familiar voice of the specter from before echoes through the trees

>Great

>Just great

>There's a sinister cackle; you mad

>You set about bypassing them before they can become a threat

>However, from behind a tree, one ghastly creature leaps at you and gnashes its truncated teeth against your coat

>Luckily, the coat is all it managed to get as it tears away from your shoulder, chewing on what its limited mind interprets as your flesh

>You continue on, horrified

>Sadly, you are forced to yet another halt as you come to yet another roadblock of ghouls

>You curse beneath your breath, wheel around, and head parallel to them in an effort to find a gap in their line to exploit

>“Your 'friend' is going to wind up just another mindless carcass”

>The voice calls to you as you finally grow the balls needed to vault over one of the taller ponies

>You roll when you hit the ground, barely managing to dodge a hissing cadaver as it pounces

>You get back up to your feet, finding that yet another is right in your face

>Its lips pull back, exposing its yellow, decayed teeth and a banshee wail for your blood

>In normal situations, you don't kick. But with your right hand down for the count, you have little choice but to throw your hips into a roundhouse, crushing the creature's torso just as it is aiming to bite your face off

>“Tell me, Anon,”

>The voice never, ever stops

>“What do you think she will do once she turns?”

 

>The words brand themselves in your mind as yet another undead monstrosity erupts from the ground before you

>Pale, more freshly preserved

>And it's faster, slamming down a hoof and advancing on you with a wicked cackle

>Thick ropes of saliva spill from between its teeth as it draws its mouth open and tries to take a bite out of you

>But you manage to sway away

>“It won't be pretty”

>The specter won't shut up

>The fresh zombie laughs, still aware enough for a sick sense of humor

>Or, maybe, it was just a creature that has succumbed to madness

>Its head twisting and contorting with every note of its insane 'teeheehee!'

>Which is interrupted by a sudden expulsion of vomit from its mouth

>It takes a few moments of hacking and coughing

>You could escape easily, but your eyes can't tear away from it

>This thing...

>It is just then that you are hit with the full weight of the facts

>This is what Nightmare Moon will become

>It tries to overpower you, unleashing a hellatious scream of hunger and psychotic blood lust

>But you throw your weight against it, ramming your shoulder into its throat

>It falls to the ground where you give it a swift kick in the ribs

>Never the less, it scrambles to get back up with flailing hooves and a twisting back

>You lift your foot and stomp down on its throat, pinning it in place

>“Still can't believe it? I guess no one ever said you were the smart one”

>The sinister voice echoes

>Fuck this place, seriously

>Why does everyone that you ever come in contact with have horrible things happen to them?

>That's the worst part

>Every single person you have ever interacted with, it felt like, fell victim to some great misfortune

>Your color drains, and you clench your good hand against your chest

>Your eye twitches as you think about it

 

>The creature under you squirms and gnashes its teeth, but you are confident that you have it where you want it

>The specter reminds you

>“You can still save yourself, though. Still hand her over.”

>Once you hear that, though

>That fake, artificial, fabricated tone of giving a damn

>You furrow your brows and look down to the creature under your foot, to see it smiling up at you

>“What do you say?”

>It asks, revealing that the specter's voice was coming from it

>Darkie has done so much to help, protect, and preserve you

>Rainbow Dash? Celestia? Twilight? All the others?

>They didn't matter. You left all that behind

>Right now, there was only one thing that mattered

>You had, exactly, -one- friend

>One loyalty

>And you would never just 'hand her over'

>And if she does kill you?

>Well

>That's a bridge you'll cross when you come to it

>You decide not to give the offer a verbal answer

>It didn't deserve one. If Tartarus knew you as well as it said it does, it already knew what you were going to say

>You twist your foot before applying your body weight

>The ghast chokes, coughs, and the neck crunches under your assault

>Eventually, it is severed, and the creature goes limp; its long equine legs ceasing their struggling and falling into place with a clop of hooves

>You raise your foot from the mess

>But you cannot enjoy your victory

>Yet another leaps out from the surrounding environ after you

>And another

>The howls and screams of more nightmarish creatures rings in your ears

 

>And you find them starting to surround you

>You take off at best speed; your only option

>You cannot punch your way out of this

>They cackle as they give chase

>But you have purpose, and your running gait is still longer than theirs

>You can maintain a lead

 

>It isn't long before you are beset upon by yet another trial of a swamp that wants nothing more than to destroy you

>The ground has split to present you with creatures that intend to kill you, the water is a toxic slime,

>It makes sense that the air also wants to kick your ass

>You hear a buzzing racket descend from the canope

>You look over your shoulder, and are met with something that terrifies you more than anything you have seen thus far

>And it wasn't fair

>You gasp – probably the worst thing you could have done with lungs that were already overtaxed to keep you moving at the rate you were

>It was a swarm, a tempest, of the angriest looking insects that you could imagine

>Flying in wobbling, drunken trajectories, their long, hair-like hind legs lazily dangling under them as they went

>Wasps

>Bees

>Whatever they were

>They were the sum of all of your fears

>And they were huge, gargantuan

>Each easily able to fill your hand

>And there were what must have been hundreds of them

>The thick hum of their wings drowned out all other noise as they closed in on you

>And you could only look forward, shut your eyes, and try to squeeze whatever performance was in your body out

>Death by zombies?

>Whatever

>Death by zombified Darkie?

>There were worse fates, you thought

>Being stung to death by a hundred angry hornets?

>Fuck that noise

 

>You tuck your coat closed around yourself, trying to reduce drag

>Not like it was helping much

>You swerve around a tree, and vault over a fallen log

>The obstacle course of this more is getting to you

>But, you start to realize, it's becoming less and less of a swamp

>And more and more of a forest

>The ground is still damp and slippery, though

>Loose foliage is still your enemy

>Your footing is far from secure

>But you manage

>The smell of ammonia is gone

>The stench of decay fades

>But you aren't out of dodge

>You hear the distant whooping and howls of the undead behind you

>And that buzzing, which only gets worse

>Just then, yet another goddamn hoof explodes from the ground in front of you

>It causes you to stumble to a stop as it quickly grows into a foreleg, and hauls a decayed body from the earth with a satisfied slap of its lips

>Your eyes twitch

>You'll never escape this, will you?

>But you have to keep trying

>If it was just you on the line, fine. You'd give up

>But it wasn't

>You had someone to protect

>Someone who needed you, probably more than she would ever admit

>It was just then that you feel one of the bugs land on your left shoulder

>And then another

>And another

>All over your back

>All over yous shoulders

>All over your legs

>You shouldn't have stopped

>Oh, God

>You watch in horror as a stinger is made ready

>Good lord; it's so big that you can SEE it

>The appearance, the wicked, angry look of these insects was enough to make you run, screaming, barreling over and through everything in your way

 

>And you did, moving in unpredictable zig-zags through trees and over stones

>But what came next was... well, this was hell, after all

>You suffered

>You suffered more than you had ever suffered before

>Having your head nearly crushed was nothing to this

>Your time in the diamond dog caves was a vacation compared to this

>Because as the first stinger came down, punching through your layers of clothing and javving theough your flesh to dump its venomous load,

>You might as well have been incapacitated

>The pain was immediate as it was excruciating

>Your blood boiled and burned

>Quite simply, your ability to function reasonably shut down, and you could only scream

>And scream

>It was quite pathetic as your howls echoed through out the realm of tartarus

>No amount of mental discipline would help you

>These weren't mind games

>This was real

>And it didn't stop

>Because after that first stinger jammed into you, it was joined by others

>More, and more,

>New holes were torn into you, and those holes were raped

>This was your Tartarus

>You knew it

>You tried to stumble forward, tried to get away from it

>But as more and more stings were placed,

>More and more venom injected,

>You found it harder and harder to keep your consciousness

>And with one of those goddamn zombie ponies stalking you, pleased at the prospect of an easy kill, it looked like this was your last hurrah

 

>You make one last effort to move, but that was it

>Your body gives out, and you collapse into a gully

>You tumble against the ground, gravity and physics being your guide as you bounce and roll into what you assume will be your grave

>And Darkie's, too

>It was hardly fair for her

>The sound of rushing water comes to your ears

>You feel yourself fall into a deep stream of water

>Current whips you about, bending you to its will

>Slamming you against rocky crags jutting from the surface of the rapids

>The wasps are pulled away

>But the pain is still there

>And it remains until you finally pass out

>Sorry, Nightmare Moon

>You did your best

>And so did your human

 

 

>Sometimes you wondered; were you created by a higher intelligence?

>Crafted by the hand of god to serve a pre-scripted purpose or function?

>Or, perhaps, you were just a product of chance

>An arrangement of atoms, a disgusting creature of meat and matter, that came together randomly and for no particular reason

>Either way, you came to the same conclusion every time

>It didn't matter

>Because however it happened you were blessed, at your creation, with a bottomless pair of lungs

>Your screams of fiery anguish echo over the vast expanse of emptiness and saltine wasteland

>For untold kilometers, if there was anything alive, it would have heard you

Ah-ha-how~!

>You scream

>“Stop whining, human”

>You sniff, trying to halt your rolling tears

Darkie! Oh, God, slow down!

>“What did you call me?!”

>There is an echoing slap of hoof against flesh

I'm sorry! I'm sorry!

>“Say my name, human!”

N...night...!

>“Say it!!”

Nightmare! Nightmare Moon! Oh, God, stop! It hurts!

>“You're not getting out of this one! You've been begging for this”

>She scolds, venom in her voice

>What a pal, that Darkie!

>Your voices echo out of the shallow canyon that you have taken refuge in

I know! But not so rough!

>“You are such a foal!”

>You felt so powerless, so helpless

>And the burning didn't stop

>This was the worst kind of pain

>You were so humiliated

>You felt that you could never show your face again after this

Am not! Come on, Nightmare. I'm not used to this sort of thing!

Especially not with a pony!

>“Fine! If it'll shut you up, we'll take it easy.”

>Your cries of pain die down to pitiful sobs, clenching your eyes closed as your 'friend' completes her task

Th... thank you, Nightmare Moon

>“This isn't going to be a regular thing.”

>You nod

>“Humans are so disgusting...”

 

>A while later, you are once more following Nightmare as she leads the way

>As per usual

>But you look down to your wrist, which is wrapped in torn strips from your coat

>Not the most sanitary wrapping, but what else was there?

>That zombie back in the marsh got you good

>You didn't realize until after the fact, when Nightmare noticed and pointed it out

>Necrosis was spreading from the tooth marks

>Thankfully it was shallow enough to keep you from having to amputate the whole limb

>All you had to do was cut out the dead tissue, and luckily that obsidian shard made a good cutting instrument

>Try as you might, you couldn't do it to yourself

>Good thing Darkie Hooves, here, could be talked into doing it for you

>For the small price of you shutting up for an hour

>Joke's on her. You're actually not much of a talker, anyway

>She was rough, but you didn't go into it thinking there would be no pain

>And she did as good of a job as you could have hoped for, even using her magic to burn deep wounds closed

>Hurt like hell, though

>And the fact that this place was a salt field did not make it any better

>Salt was even in the air, and you could feel it

>Even through the wraps, it burned

>But you promised your comrade silence, and silence you would give her

>You busied yourself, instead, in observing your surroundings

>What a desolate place this was

>The ground was a dirty gray. Just flat gray

>Saline sediment formed a rocky surface under you, covered by a regolith of loose material

>Harsh winds cut over and through you and the land with the same ease, attempting to erode what remains of your sanity in an echoing howl that was ever present in your mind

>That, however, you have experienced before

>Occasionally you pass a stone that is still but, curiously, trailed by markings that extend to the horizon

>Over the eons, these rocks have slowly crawled through the wasteland in a futile journey

>It was then that you noticed something

>The stones bore markings of faces

>Frozen, unmoving, but faces none the less

>These souls, just like the others, would never find an end to their torment

>Sentenced to, forever, glide with no aim or direction

>To meander with no objective, no hopes, no dreams, and no goals

>Never to have to make a decision – or never having the opportunity to

>To simply exist in the most basic manner, any way the wind happens to blow

>It makes you cringe

>What a horrible way to spend the remainder of eternity

>Lethargy at its epitome

>These must be the souls of those who did nothing with their lives

>The ones who just went with the flow. Never asked questions, never acted on their own for good or evil

>Those who were content to let the world happen, and wasted their opportunities

>Kind of like you, really

>Well, that's what you would be like, if it weren't for all these freakin' adventures that you get thrown into

>Oh, shit

>You lost count of how many seconds have passed!

>So how were you supposed to know when you could talk again?! You had some questions for your companion

>Okay, okay, calm down, Anonymous. There are thirty-six hundred seconds in an hour, and you left off at...

 

>Seeing Darkie Hooves being so content was comforting

>You were still happy to see that she was once again the obsidian mare that you met

>If she had turned into a ghast the likes of what you were forced to see, what would you have done?

>Thank goodness she was stronger than that

>You appreciated her strength; her willingness to lead

>You wish you could adequately convey how thankful you were to her, but you knew her well enough by now

>She wouldn't have it

>Actually, whenever you opened your mouth, she seemed to get upset

>So you were content to just forget your deal and offer her all the silence you could give her

>Seeing her with her neck upright, confident as she scanned the horizon and marched on, was reward enough for you

>It was the closest thing that she had to being happy

>Well, other than causing you pain. That always seemed to put her in a good mood

>You wondered, really, if your company was as appreciated by her as hers was by you

>You kind of doubted it

>The sound of her hooves beating the ground as she moved gave a steady break to the chaotic chorus of maddening currents that tried so hard to strip you of what remains of your humanity

>Her ethereal mane and tail were a beacon of light for you to follow, giving you direction in a world that would otherwise be content to see you lost for all time

>And her voice was a reminder, even if it was harsh, that you weren't alone

>Not any more

>You always complained about being lonely in the overworld. But you didn't know what loneliness was until recently

>Even when Nightmare scolds you or yells at you, even when she calls you a stupid 'foal,' you are at least reminded that someone -is- there, and you don't have to face life – or unlife – on your own

>Nightmare was anything but a nightmare. She was a godsend

>It wasn't until then that you realize something

>Something that almost makes you gasp

>With the sky as dark as it is,

>And the ground being what it is,

>This looks more like the surface of the moon than anything you have ever seen

>Does Nightmare see it, too? What could she possibly be thinking?

>It must feel horrible, forced to experience it again

>You slouch, overcome with empathetic feelings of helplessness

>Poor Darkie

>She doesn't show it, of course. You find her to be difficult to read

>But as you two march onward – hoof and foot carrying your intrepid duo – you are sure that she must be torn up inside

 

>The light is starting to shift, so Nightmare is going to want to stop soon

>Good thing, too

>You've been going for a while on no sleep

>But that's okay. Because you did it for your friend's sake

>It didn't take long before she stopped, her hooves planting firmly under her before she looked back at you with expecting eyes

>You already knew what it was that she needed you to do

>Your eye sight was better than hers in anything save for total darkness

>You gave her an understanding nod and jogged forward, looping past her and moving forward a little ways before you came to a stop and looked into the distance

>You placed your hands over your brow, squinting your eyes to focus

>In the swamp, there were so many obstacles in your way that it was hard to scout

>Here, there was nothing to scout

>It was frustrating

>And you knew that Nightmare's patience had its limits

>You turned to face her and held up one finger, asking her to give you a minute

>She did not reply beyond shifting her lip and sitting back on her haunches, giving an exasperated yawn

>In an attempt to increase your view, you make for the only appreciable landmark near you, which was a large formation of rock jutting from the loose salt

>It was the kind of rock that was rough enough that it kind of hurt to climb

>But you managed it, and took a stand at the top

>Thankfully, your work yields results and you excitedly jump down from your perch before making your way back to your companion

>Time to break your vow of silence

Hey,

>You say, almost like you're reintroducing yourself after so long

There's some crags off in the distance.

>You throw a finger over your shoulder in the direction of your shelter

I'm not sure if...

>Before you can finish your sentence, she rights herself into a full stand and unfurls her gigantic wings

>With a single beat, you are overcome with a monstrous tempest that forces you to raise your arms in defense

>She lifts off the ground gracefully, not giving you a second thought before she takes off through the air, leaving you behind, heading toward the indicated direction

>You are left, alone, bemoaning several grains of salt that landed in your eye

>If you had any water left to spare, your eyes would be gushing from your tear ducts to try and purge the foreign matter

>But you didn't

>So you were left to struggle with it on your own

>God

>Dammit

 

>It didn't take you too terribly long to catch up with Nightmare

>She was already curled up and asleep, her nebula mane and tail wrapped about her

>You couldn't fight off a smile that came to your lips, seeing her like that

>For apparently being such a terrible force of malice and world-destroying hatred, she was kind of...

>You don't want to think 'cute.' But it is nice to see her relaxed and less hateful towards everything

>When she was still part of Luna, you have to wonder if anyone seriously gave them a chance

>Yeah, Nightmare Moon could be manipulative and downright not nice, but how much of that was really her? You couldn't see a monster, no matter how hard you tried

>You have to wonder, as you gaze at her still form,

>Just how close are you to your destination?

>Just how much longer until you can once again see your friends, and not have it be some illusion?

>Darkie said it best when she said that she just wants to exist

>So do you

>But now you're walking in to freaky stalker territory, watching her sleep

>You were tired, too, anyway

>So you better catch whatever sleep you can

>You threw off your coat, rolled it into a makeshift pillow, and found yourself a nice, shaded spot to set yourself down

>Sleep came fast. Sleep came easy. You felt you deserved it

>You'll bother Nightmare with your daily barrage of questions later

 

>Fucking shit

>Your eyes fly open, shifting from left to right in your sockets

>What was that?

>What the -fuck- was that?

>You hold your breathing for a second, listening

>...It was the wind

>Good

>You look over to Nightmare Moon

>Okay, she's still sleeping

>The fort is secure

>Your eyes drift closed once more

>And you start to fade back to sleep

>Fuck, getting woken up in the middle of sleep leaves you ruined

>The silence persists; the only two appreciable sounds being the howling wind, which is broken by the cragstones, and your own breathing

>Nightmare shuffles slightly, a single hoof extending to stretch before being drawn back under her body

>Her tongue lashes the roof of her mouth, generating a smacking noise before all falls quiet again

>This reminds you of nap time in kindergarten

>Except without the mats that smell of pee

>Instead, you have a pillow that smells of swamp slime and ammonia

>But still, it's peaceful

>You move your right hand and cringe, giving a little hiss through your teeth as your wrist moves the wrong way

>Fuck

>This shit hurts

>One thing's for sure. You aren't using your good ol' right any time soon

>But that's okay, because truth be told Darkie over here does most of the fighting anyway

>You hear a note strike in the aether surrounding you

>And your eyes, again, fly open

>The fuck was that?!

>Your eyes sting and burn like hell

>And you're that 'kind of tired' where even when you close your eyes, it just makes it worse

>But fuck this, something's up

>It's way too early for this shit

>You sit up from your resting spot, shove your arms through your coat, and hold it closed over your chest

>You take one last glance at Nightmare before you go about to investigate this eerie feeling

>Better you than she. She admitted that her powers weren't at their best in the day time

>And you're sure those slit-eyes probably reflect too much light to enable her to see what's coming as well as you

>You have a hard time imagining what could possibly threaten you two out here

>This place, as you have already observed, is pretty desolate.

 

>You leave the safety of the crags, light flooding your vision

>It stings, as predicted, and you lift a hand to shield yourself

>Your eyes squint, and you look about your surroundings

>You don't see anything

>You quickly become agitated; but something woke you up and you aren't stopping until you find it

>You turn and move through the rocky outcropping once more, coming out the other side and scouting out the surroundings

>This is the far side of the shelter. You didn't get a good look at it before

>There was a rocky ridge line in the distance

>Other than that, nothing interesting

>This place sucked

>It was fast wearing down on your otherwise good mood

>Every day you would sleep

>Then every evening you would wake up

>Check to see where you are

>And, yep, still on Namek

>Every goddamn day

>Your eyes are starting to adjust

>The invasive beams of light are starting to sting less and less as your pupils focus and cope

>And you start hearing notes strike the air around you once more

>But they are more frequent than before

>Bullshit. You know something's coming

>You run your eyes across the ridge line, and are able to make out the skylined silhouette of a pony

>A black, slimy pony

>One that you know all too well

>From the distance, you could feel its empty eyes gazing back at you with bottomless hate

>The fact that you, a frail, impotent creature, were still resisting the punishing gravity of Tartarus was causing it ever increasing levels of stress and frustration

>Not only that, but you stood between it and Nightmare Moon, who it conspired to keep here forever

>Just as it conspires to keep you here, forever

>The moment is eerie and awkward

>It did not know how to attack you, how to make you or Nightmare submit

>You are moving along, even given the ethereal binds which weigh you down to the plane with no hope of escape

>You have resisted mind game after mind game; lie after lie; and have come to expect them

>You have endured a wave of the undead, and being stung one hundred times by one hundred hornets

>The land was always venom, the air you breathe is heavy and laced with endless depression for a life that might have been, had you done things differently

>But still, you and Nightmare Moon persist. Your wills are strong

>And your stalker – this thing of Tartarus – hates you both for it

>It's getting desperate to stop you

>Which makes you wonder why it suddenly explodes into a cloud of vapor, vanishing from sight

>You blink

>Why would it follow you this far just to poofle?

>The music starts to become more comprehensible

>And as your attention turns to it, you start to, with great effort, remember the tune

>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dnZHea_TI0

>And you look down into your palm, watching as the color drains from your surroundings

>The ground was already gray, but the sky becomes a colorless plane and your body becomes a shade of white

>You take a few seconds, mouthing a definite “what the...”

>But Tartarus isn't going to afford you much longer, as your attention is drawn to a section of rigde line that rises to the sky

>Hold on

>That isn't ridge line

>It's a giant carapace

>Your eyes widen and you shift your footing, taking a step back

>As it rises more and more over the ridge, you see a set of legs, and two massive claws hefted high into the air

>The thing must be sixty feet tall

>A pair of feelers whip and writhe above its body, drawing your attention to the face of the creature

>Like so many of Tartarus' denizens, it is not sleek or smooth looking

>It is misshapen and grotesque

>A thing of your nightmares

>The mouth is a lippy upper jaw with yellow stained teeth jutting down in disarray

>A pair of large, goofy googly eyes rest in deep rockets recessed in the armored plating of its body

>And they narrow upon you with greedy anticipation of an upcoming feast

>A feast of human flesh and bone

>This must be the part of Tartarus where bad B-movies go to rot

>And the music suddenly makes sense

>You are snapped out of your epiphany when you notice the colossus driving towards you, its predatory instinct commanding that you play the role of prey

>Immediate appraisal of the situation confirms that, no, you cannot punch this

>And so, as you have become so adept at doing, you turn and run to the only source of safety that you knew

...Niiightmaaaare!!

 

>Seconds seem like far too long as you reach the rocky alcove

>This thing

>This giant enemy crab

>It moves a lot faster than you do, covering far more ground with its multi-legged gait

>And every time one of its legs slam down on the ground, it breaks through the sediment with a loud crush

>Which is why you are surprised when you reach Darkie to find that she is still asleep, comfortable and oblivious as she was half an hour ago

>You have to admit, she looks kind of cuYOU DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS

>If the echoing roar of the advancing crustacean doesn't wake her up, you have doubts that there's anything that...

>Wait

Darkie!

Darkiedarkiedarkiedarkie!

>She cringes and her ears snap closed, shutting you out

>God-fucking-damn, she can sleep through a lot

Nightmare!

>You call again, before you finally break down and kneel down next to her, nudging her back and forth with a push of both hands against her shoulder

>Instantly, her headlamp eyes snap open and focus straight on you with a shift of her pupils

>You cringe helplessly, wondering if this was a good idea

>“You had BETTER have a good reason for...”

>But she is not allowed to finish, as the monster rams its meaty claw into your little hidey hole, trying desperately to grasp one of you

>The rocky crags make this an awkward task, but you and the magic mare are forced to the sides of the rock formations to avoid the grasping pincer

It followed me home!

>You explain, and then you force a smile to try – try – and lighten the mood

...Can we keep it?

>“You! I... UGH!”

>She groans, her nebula mane taking on a static quality which you are sure represents her being frazzled

>“You idiot!”

I'm sorry!

>You sway to avoid a flail of the claw, which strikes the crag just by your head

>“I swear to all the stars in the universe, human...!”

>The claw whips back and forth, frantic in its attempts to snag either one of you

>Loose chunks of hardened salt fall as it struggles

Hey! I didn't do anything!

>“You lead it back to our hideout!”

Yeah, but...!

>Fuck, she's got you there

>You shut up really fast

>She rolls her eyes at you and groans, realizing that scolding you just isn't worth it any more

>But then, as if to remind you that you two are about to die, the chitinous claw backs out of the rocky shelter, only to be rammed through the spaces between the crags over your heads

>The points of the claw drive into the sediment, breaking the ground and throwing up clouds of salt regolith in a choking haze

>You both cough, and Nightmare is forced to take evasive action before the claw clamps down on her

>Through some tricky maneuvering, she manages to slide through the claw before it snaps shut, and ends up pressed against the stone next to you

>“Human, can you run?”

>She asks, her tone shifted

>Apparently she has come to the conclusion that, right now, survival is more important than blaming you

Yes! Good idea!

>You say, excitedly, and you immediately shimmy yourself off of the wall and start a retreat towards an opening opposite of where the beast waits

>Maybe you can outrun it if you and Nightmare get a head start

>But almost immediately, a bluish purple aurora of magic comes down over you and lifts you off the ground,dragging you through the air

>“Wrong way, servant.”

>She instructs

>You squawk questionably before you are catapulted straight through the air, out of the crag, and under the belly of the beast

>Your panicked yelling as you careen into a slap against the ground, and then a rolling tumble, grabs the attention of your attacker and it is quick to pivot; narrowing its massive eyes on you

>By the time you regain your wherewithal, you can see a massive crab claw coming down upon you

>Your eyes widen and you roll out of the way, ignoring the pain in your wrist

>You can feel the overpressure of the impact as the rock where you once were is demolished into a pit of loose gravel

>You stammer to your feet, heart filled with dread

>From this distance, you can see the mammalian mouth of the otherwise crustacean beast dropping with thick ropes of spittle that break and plop on the ground as it tracks you

>And, looking straight out from where you are, taking your eyes off of the monster looming ahead of and above you...

>You can see Miss Moon just standing there, watching, from the relative safety of the crags

>You're mad

>She just sacrificed you!

>Your attention returns to the more pertinent issue just in time to see the same claw coming down once more

>Since you're on your feet, it's easier to run out of the way – leaving the meaty appendage to crash down in your wake

>Knowing that you cannot outrun the beast, and that Nightmare would likely just throw you right back out if you sought shelter in the crags again, you spring under the crab where it cannot immediately see you

>When it predictably pivots in place to try and find you, you dart out between two of its legs, making a spirited dash into the wasteland

>Maybe you can find a canyon, or another crag, or something

>So long as it takes this thing a few seconds to find out where you went, the head start should be enough to--

 

>Your wind is knocked from your chest as a bony claw slams shut around your body, and hoists you helplessly into the air

>You did not expect it to be able to wheel around so quickly

>Thanks to the curved nature of crab claws, you have enough room to keep from being cut in half

>But the blades inside of the pincers are still in your sides, and you can't help but holler in terrified pain

>You kick your feet through the air, hoping to wiggle yourself free as you are hoisted higher and higher

>Alas, as you struggle, it feels like the claw only tightens around your helpless frame

>Without any options left, you raise your left hand and bring it down like a hammer against the vice with a helpless thump

>Ineffective

>Well, shit

>In seconds, you find yourself under a rain of thick, ropy spittle as you are brought to the jaws of your impending doom

>You didn't stand a chance, but you weren't going down without at least one last thing to say about it

>Fuck Darkie for doing this to you for her own sake

>You -almost- hope that she gets it next

>No, no. That isn't fair, Anonymous. You shouldn't think like that

>But god damn if you aren't pissed

>The scent of millennia of bacterial and fungal growth, plaque and tarter build up, rapes your nostrils

>As the teeth of the beast attempt to close on you, you thrust your right foot into the lower row, locking your knee in place

>At the same time, you thrust your left hand up into the descending upper jaw, hoping against hope that >your left arm will be strong enough

>You would feel so much more secure if your right wasn't almost completely disabled

>At first, it seems like you have drawn the line

>The lower jaw is locked in place; the beasts muscles straining to break the bones and tendons which stubbornly resist it

>However, the upper jaw continues to descend, albeit more slowly

>The teeth, although flat, do taper down to an edge designed for tearing

>And so, like a saw, your palm quickly succumbs to a laceration that brings you intense pain

>It's a disgusting feeling; its mouth juices mixing with your blood inside the wound

>Well, fuck it

>If this is your last straw anyway, you throw up your right hand to reinforce the efforts of your left

>And although the pain in both your palms and your torn up wrist are excruciating, it buys you a few precious more seconds of life

>In a few moments, you wager, you're going to get to see what the insides of a crab look like

>You figured you'd be more sad at the time of your death

>You know, a lot of sappiness and tears

>But right now, you're just livid. So full of hatred that the universe twists and contorts as it recoils away from the mental curses that echo in eternity

>Your knee buckles, and you try to get your left foot to swing into place but your position is awkward

>It's going to close its teeth around you and scrape you out of its claw

>Dammit

>Why the hell does Tartarus keep throwing things at you that you can't just punch the hell out of?!

>This wasn't even fucking fair!

>By now, you notice, you are covered in thick, oily solutions from its constant drooling

>Your grip is failing

>Partially from the limits of your physical ability to hold out against the creature's superior muscle mass

>Partially because of the pain wracking your arms as your palms are sawed through

>Partially because the sludge spit is making you lubricated and, well, slippery

>Fuckin'

>Applejack would love you right about now

>It was just then that you heard a noise

>Sounded almost like a jet engine starting up

>There is a hellatious crack, and you are overcome by a veil of lavender color

>Your chest feels like it implodes before your body recoils, and your grip finally slips

>You vanish into the beasts' maw, and are promptly swallowed down into the throaty digestive system

>Muscular action crushes you, coats you with alien enzymes to break you down for digestion almost instantly

>You have never been so scared in your life. You never thought that this would be how you go down

>But it doesn't last long

>Fluid, sticky and green, washes over you and shoves you right back up the same spasming tubes which forced you down

>The beast heaves, and you find yourself flying back out the way you came before you crash against the saltine ground

>Only, now, you are covered in a pale slime, sitting in a pool of muck and mucus, stomach acids and bile

>You dare not open your lips

>This whole thing was traumatizing

>And you look down into your palms, searing in pain, to find a fine mixture of bodily fluids and your own blood bubbling and sinking into the wounds, agitating and infecting what were already grievous injuries

>You then look on from where you sat, finding the giant enemy crab looming before and over you just as before

>What is different is that Nightmare Moon stood under it

>A residual cloud of spell power swirling in a loose beam, leading up through the monsters' stomach

>Which had a sizable hole punched straight through

>“Still standing?”

>She mocks as the colossal crustacean stammers and waddles to maintain its balance

>You watch in a swirling mixture of amazement and terror as she plants her hooves more solidly into the ground and thrusts her horn upwards; its eerie glow growing in intensity as she concentrated

>It didn't take too long before the nature of her spell took shape

>The light was repelled from her, pushed away by the onset of shadow generated by her haunting power

>The sky immediately over head goes dark, as if it had been drained of life

>A barometric pressure wave blasts you, throwing you onto your back as the spell fires off in the form of a dark ray

>The beast roars as its plastron belly us torn asunder, and its insides are blasted out through the carapace plate that formed the protective upper shell of the body

>You can't help but wince at the display as the beam widens

>The racket is horrible, not subtle at all

>It resembles the scream of a turbine engine

>Before long, the beast is engulfed by the veil of power and, with one final scream, is incinerated

>The legs, which are all that remain of your would-be doom, collapse like so many trees against the rocky ground

>Nightmare is left heaving heavy breaths before she regains her composure

>You furrow your brows, glaring at her as you sit up from your muck-bath

>She returns your gaze with callous disregard before turning and sauntering back over to the rocky crag that was your shelter

>She can act all cool about it

>But you are livid

>Even after what you just saw her do to that gigantic monster, you resolved yourself to share a few words with her about this little partnership

 

>It didn't take you long to get back to the makeshift camp

>Most of that time was getting a hold of yourself

>Previously, you were shaking uncontrollably from the shock

>Being swallowed wasn't like how it's shown in all those Saturday morning cartoons you remember

>Where the hero simply cuts their way out

>No, it was far more cruel. And you felt more helpless than you ever did before

>You weren't in control

>You were never in control

>And it didn't do any favors for your temper to see Nightmare Moon already curled up, comfortably sleeping away the day

>That, or she was faking it

>You couldn't blame her

>You might just have done the same thing to avoid what was coming

>You haven't been this mad in a long, long time

>If ever

>But when you get mad, you kill people and things

>So you do your best to swallow it

>Without showers or baths, you were filthy

>Your fingers were webbed with thick bridges of spittle and digestive enzymes

>Sludge draped from your body in sloppy sheets that dripped carelessly against the ground

>And you smelled. Horrible

Hey.

>You call to get her attention

>No answer

Hey!

>You call again, somewhat more aggressive

>Takes all of your willpower to keep from kicking her in the head to get her ass up

I'm talkin' to you!

>Finally, she pries open a single eye and focuses it on you before she cringes in disgust at your state

>She lifts her head off the ground and cranes her neck as far away from you as possible

>“Revolting...”

>She comments

>You ignore it. She knew damn well what was up

What the hell was that, huh?

>Your tone is indignant, and you can tell by the twist of her lip that she doesn't like it

>“Me saving your worthless life?”

>“Again?”

>Your breathing picks up, and your hands tighten into fists

>Despite the pain, which you were numbed to by now

I could have died!

>“But you didn't.”

>She remained so fucking calm about it as she answered

>Your rage was off the charts

Don't screw with me, Nightmare! I trusted you!

>“I already told you, Human. My powers quickly deplete during the day.”

>You grit your teeth as you listen to her rationalize everything

>“I had to attack it's weak poi...”

Shut up!

>You cut her off, and this earns you a hostile glare

You don't even care! You would have been just as content if I had been killed!

>You slap your hands to your sides, causing a little splatter to fly off of you and land a little too close to her for her comfort

>“Calm down, human. And...”

>She pauses, lifting an armored hoof and nudging it forward several times

>“Back away, please.”

>And now she's just ignoring you

No! No, I don't think I'll calm down! Was that your idea of a joke, back there? Was that your idea of comedy?!

>“A Divine Comedy, yes.”

>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zXDo4dL7SU

>Nightmare shows her teeth in a smile

>The best you ever got was a cricket

>So now she's stealing your thunder?! She's messing with the group dynamic!

You know, you're the worst friend I've ever had.

>Her grin shrinks into a frown as she recoils, her eyes widening before she pushes herself off the ground, standing before you

>“Ho ho ho! You were serious?”

>You crossed your arms over your chest, shaking your head slightly and letting your mouth hang open

Yeah? Why wouldn't I have been?! You told me that you wanted love, wanted friends, so I thought...

>“Wanted!”

>She cut you off, putting emphasis on the last syllable

>“Wanted love and friendship! And look where it got me.”

>You barred your teeth, your frustration just growing more and more with every sound that escapes those lips of hers

>“All I want now is to get out of Tartarus, and you were useful for helping me get out of the Styx. Do you understand, servant?”

Now hold on! We've been traveling togeth...

>“Because you always follow me!”

But I...

>“And even IF I wanted a friend; what makes you think that you'd be worthy of the title?”

>You shut your lips and listen

>“You are filthy, a disheveled mass of dirt and grime. Is there even a living thing under all that?”

>She strikes the edge of her hoof across your face, showing you a thick layer of coagulated grease before she scrapes it off on the ground

>“And on top of that, your intelligence quotient is below fifty five.”

>You glare at her with a straight face, not knowing what exactly that implies

>She gets the hint and gives an exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes at you

>“...It means you're medically retarded.”

Heeey!

>You object, but she continues

>“And let's not forget your rudeness. The talking, and the talking, and the talking! Nature has yet to produce a sound more broken and irritating than that which comes out of your mouth!”

>You would bite your lip, but you don't want to give this shit a chance to get in your mouth

>So instead you lean away from her by a few degrees

>“While we're at it, human, let me ask you: Are all your kind such low-life, groveling cowards? All you've done is run to me whenever you get in trouble!”

She leans forward at you, but still maintains a distance as she jabs a hoof forward, but never touches you

>“If I had one of those silly 'bits' for every time I have had to rescue you from certain destruction...”

Alright!

>You throw your hands out to the side, and then drop them to your sides

I get it! I got it!

>She smiles to herself, content at what you must look like

>You feel like hell, slouched and having difficulty maintaining eye contact

>But you are also still pissed

>Extremely

>And she just peers at you triumphantly

>Like she just 'won' something

>Well, whatever

>Maybe she did

>Because you sure did lose something

>You don't know what it is, but you can feel it. And you lost it but good

>You whirl about and take your leave from the crags, heading out into the salt wastes

>Fuck this

>Nightmare watches you as you leave, staying silent for a moment before she calls out to you

>“Human”

>You come to a stop and look over your shoulder

>She jots her hoof in the direction that you two were headed before you stopped

>“That way.”

>She says, correcting you

>Your blood boils before you turn and start heading off in the indicated direction

>But you don't get far before you hear her mocking laugh ring out from behind you

>“Ha ha ha! You aren't serious!”

>Yeah, you kind of are.

>And you're all out of words

>“You wouldn't dare!”

>So here you are, once again

>“Human?”

>On your own in Tartarus

>“...Anonymous?”

>And you're better off