Though she was as grey as slate, there was no way Twilight would mistake the pony who stood before her. She leaned close, gazing into downcast eyes.

“Sunset?”

Sunset Shimmer shifted, a tiny motion of recognition. She heaved a long, slow sigh and closed her eyes. There was so much despair in her frown…

Twilight watched in alarm as her former nemesis sank about an inch deeper into the floor, which was not quite up to her knees. She peered at Sunset, but the pony refused to acknowledge her.

“Sunset.”

No response.

Twilight reached up to lift one of Sunset’s ears and spoke directly into it. “Sunset Shimmer.”

The grey-coated pony jerked and Twilight backed away in preparation. After that quick movement Sunset’s body once again became sluggish. Her eyes blinked in a gradual way that Twilight found unnerving. Sunset’s face shifted slowly, her eyes rising to meet Twilight’s in a dull, sleepy gaze.

Sunset finally spoke, her voice coming out like cold molasses. “You know my name…”

“Yes.” Twilight moved close, setting her hooves to Sunset’s shoulder and nodding. “Yes, you’re Sunset Shimmer! I know you. Do… do you know me?”

Another slow blink. “I… don’t…” Sunset shifted again, her head tilting. It was as if even that tiny motion was difficult. There was uncertainty on her face, but then her eyes widened.

“Twilight?”

A thrill ran up Twilight’s spine; somepony who knew her, here in Tartarus! “Twilight, that’s right.” She nodded emphatically, hope sparking within her. “I’m Twilight.”

“But… why are you here?” Sunset’s head lowered, her eyes shifting in thought. Her frown went from sad to confused, but even that shift in expression was time-consuming. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“I could say the same thing about you,” Twilight replied as she observed Sunset’s strange state. “What are you doing down here?”

Sunset’s eyes widened. Her movements were becoming less sluggish, though they were still by no means fast. “You mean you don’t know?” She let out a small gasp when Twilight shook her head. “How can you not know?”

Her head lowered and her entire body began to shiver. Her pupils shrank as if she’d just heard something truly terrible and her words came out shaky. “H-how can you not know?”

Twilight hesitated; what was her relationship to Sunset in this new time? What if she were somehow responsible for this, too? “Sunset?”

Strange sounds came from her old nemesis as Sunset began to hyperventilate. Her eyes went from terrified to furious. “How can you not know?”

Her movements back to a normal speed, Sunset struggled to pull her hooves free of the floor. Twilight stepped back in alarm; in the shadows at the edge of her horn’s light, Sunset's bared teeth appeared almost monstrous. A hoof broke free, thin wedges of stone flying at the sudden escape. Then another hoof came loose, and another.

Sunset squirmed to free her last leg, gritting her teeth and straining. Twilight, suddenly realizing that she might not be facing a potential ally, raised a hoof. “Sunset, calm down! I just wanted—”

Sunset’s last leg came free. The sudden release sent the grey pony sprawling into Twilight and the two fell to the floor. Before Twilight knew it she was pinned on her back and gazing up into grey, furious eyes.

“How can you not know?! Was I so unimportant to you that you went and forgot about me? I hate you!”

Twilight sneered and fired a beam from her horn. It struck Sunset with an audible pop and sent her flying into the air. An instant later she was stuck in midair, legs spread wide as she was held aloft by invisible bonds. She wrestled against the magic, snarling at throwing vicious glares Twilight’s way.

“I was hoping we could help one another,” Twilight announced as she picked herself off the floor, “but clearly I was mistaken. You just stay right there while I make some distance.”

“No!” Sunset squirmed, to no avail. “Don’t go!”

Twilight turned away with a hmmph and made for the hallway.

Sunset’s voice echoed through the darkness. “You owe me, Sparkle! It’s your fault I’m in here!”

Twilight turned and headed down the tunnel, anger and loss mixing within her as she left her old nemesis behind.

Sunset’s voice became desperate. “Please! I did my best for Celestia! Please…”

Her voice grew weak; Twilight found herself pausing. Had Celestia thrown Sunset in here, too? Why? What kind of crime could she have possibly committed to warrant it? Sunset was by no means a good pony, but she surely wasn’t that bad.

She glanced back down the hall, considering her options. She really would like an ally at a time like this, but given Sunset’s manner…

Letting the light fade from her horn, Twilight crept back. She paused at the corner, listening in to Sunset’s sobbing. She was pleading, but her words were subdued and soft.

“…please, I didn’t do anything wrong. I worked so hard. Celestia, why? I just want to go home…”

Sunset kept on, her words repeating after a while. Twilight felt her heart cracking at the pathetic sounds. Again she wondered: what did Sunset do?

Twilight glanced around. She noted a pony near the last bend of the tunnel who just stared at the wall, down to his knees in stone and a blank expression on his face. A look to her left saw a nilgiri who was pounding her horns rhythmically against the wall without purpose. The creatures down here were mad and seemingly beyond help. Twilight felt a renewed fear, something she was starting to be familiar with. She didn’t want to be trapped down here alone with these wretched souls, but she didn’t know the way out…

Sunset had reacted. She’d recognized Twilight, could talk to her. Maybe she too was going mad, but Twilight would take her over isolation. Maybe she would have some grasp of direction in this place. Besides… Twilight really wanted to know why Sunset was down here.

Her decision made, Twilight stepped back into the small space. She could barely make out Sunset in the dark, her quiet sobs painful to hear. Twilight’s horn glowed, illuminating Sunset’s grey body and moist face. The captive pony looked up; there was nothing but misery in her eyes.

Twilight tried to make her voice as soothing as she could. “Why are you down here, Sunset?”

Her prisoner shifted, perhaps in an attempt to wipe her face. Unable to pull it off, she merely sagged. “You… you really don’t know?”

Twilight shook her head. “I am not the Twilight you know.” She opened her wings demonstrably, her feathers brushing against the subterranean walls. “I have no knowledge of what happened.”

Sunset’s head rose. She eyed Twilight, despair and confusion combining strangely on her face. “Th-that doesn’t make sense.”

She was right, and that was a relief; it suggested she was still capable of rational thought. Twilight sighed and released her spell, slowly lowering Sunset to the floor so as to not hurt her. “Please, Sunset. Tell me.”

Sunset landed and dropped to her belly, her legs apparently unable to support her weight. She stared up at Twilight, sniffing as she rubbed the moisture from her cheeks. “Celestia put me here. When you replaced me.”

Twilight leaned back, eyes going wide. “What?”

“She said I was to be an example to you,” the grey mare whispered, head bowed and ears tucked. “You forgot. Am I really so insignificant?”

Twilight set a hoof to her lips, trying to take this in. It couldn’t be. There was no way Celestia would be so cruel! Twilight thought on everything she’d seen so far, how all the creatures down here were clearly going mad. Sunset had to be well on her way to insanity. Was this idea of Celestia throwing her down there the first signs of her mental collapse?

She took a hesitant step forward, wondering how to gauge Sunset’s mental state. “Surely you don’t actually believe that Celestia, the source of all that is good, would do such a—”

“You were there!” Sunset leapt to her hooves, the fire in her eyes once more. “Don’t talk like it didn’t happen. You dueled me for the apprenticeship. I begged at Celestia’s hooves for mercy. She made you personally push me through the gates!”

Twilight backed away, but Sunset’s energy was short-lived; she collapsed to the floor once more and covered her head beneath her hooves. The poor thing was shivering like a leaf. “I wasn’t good enough. I’m sorry I wasn’t good enough. How could you just forget me? I want to go home…”

There was enough information now for Twilight to at least know that Sunset wasn’t all there. How could she have conjured such an image of Celestia? Of Twilight, too? Worse, she believed it! But even as Twilight reflected on Sunset’s sorry mental state, she could also see that her former enemy hadn’t completely succumbed to madness like the other denizens of this terrible place.

Maybe she could be saved.

Could Twilight take such a risk? Sunset had made up this story in her head. What was the real story behind her imprisonment? She might have done something truly horrid.

But she’d come in via the Gates of Tartarus; maybe she knew how to get back to them.

Sunset would want to escape with her, though. Twilight would have to agree to that. Could she make such a deal?

Did she have a choice?

Twilight stared down at Sunset, noting her pathetic countenance. She was torn by the conflict within her: a need for a guide to help her escape, a desire to protect Equestria from what may be a dangerous pony, the welling sympathy for a pony clearly at the end of her rope.

The sympathy won.

“Sunset?” She knelt before the pony, trying to catch her eye. “I’m trying to escape. Do you know the way to the Gates?”

Sunset’s raised her head to stare at Twilight with disbelieving eyes. “You… you’d take me along?”

Twilight nodded. “If you help me get there, yes. I don’t think you deserve to be here anymore than I do.” She stood and offered her hoof. “Can you help me?”

Sunset studied the hoof as if not knowing what it was. After a couple seconds she averted her eyes, ears folding back once more. “I know the way… but to escape Tartarus? It’s never been done before. We wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Twilight kept her hoof out and offered a comforting smile. “You don’t know until you try. What’s worse? Wasting away down here or trying to escape?”

Sunset stared at her, face locked in an ominous frown. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. It very well might be worse trying to leave.”

Twilight found this… alarming. “Really?”

“Really.” Sunset shook her head and turned away. “We’re safe if we stay here. I mean, I don’t want to be turned to stone... but there are worse fates.”

“No!” Twilight moved to stand in front of the pony once more. “You can’t think like that. If there’s a chance to escape we have to take it.”

“You’ll get yourself killed.” Sunset shivered and averted her eyes. “Or worse…”

Realizing that her old foe had given up some time ago, Twilight chewed her lip and considered the situation. How long had she been down here? “Sunset, please. I’m going with or without you, but without will be harder. Together we have a chance!

"Come on.” She set a hoof to Sunset’s shoulder. “Let’s get out of here.”

Sunset pushed Twilight away, albeit gently. “It’s a fool’s errand,” she muttered with a shake of her head. “You really don’t know what’s out there. Don’t go, Twilight. You’ll regret it.”

Twilight wilted. “So you’ve really given up?”

Sunset turned away and said nothing.

There was a long, anxious pause. A pang of loss filled Twilight, for she now understood that Sunset had truly lost all hope. It was painful to think about, and Twilight wished she could think of something to change the pony’s mind. Yet Twilight wasn’t about to force Sunset; she would have to find a way out on her own.

“I’m sorry I disturbed you.” Head hanging low, Twilight turned for the tunnel. “I’ll look for my own way out. You can go back to being a stone, if that’s what you really want.”

“You’re still going?”

“I have to get home. I have to fix my mistake. I can’t do it here.” Twilight glanced back at Sunset, who was watching her with uncertain eyes. Was she going to change her mind?

Seconds lingered. Sunset said nothing. At last Twilight sighed and turned left, ready to begin her dangerous—

“That’s the wrong way.”

Twilight paused, a spark of hope igniting in her. She turned to see Sunset trudging closer with head low. “You’re coming?”

Her old foe gave a hesitant nod. “I’ll show you how to escape Limbo, but no more. I wouldn’t dare leave.”

A relieved smile crept upon Twilight's face. “What changed your mind?”

“I don’t know.” Sunset averted her head in an anxious display. “Maybe I just want to do something different.”

Twilight studied her miserable countenance. She just seemed so... wretched. Heart bleeding at the sight, Twilight found herself hugging the poor pony. “Thank you. I appreciate it, Sunset.”

Sunset pulled back and turned away. “You won’t.

“In a few hours you’ll wish you’d never met me…”

They had passed through the main cavern once more, Sunset all but ignoring the mindless creatures that filled the place as she led Twilight to a seemingly random tunnel. The princess eyed the unfortunate creatures as they left, not sure whether she should feel contempt or pity. “So you call this place Limbo?”

She hurried to catch up to Sunset, using her horn to illuminate their path. Her guide didn’t bother to answer the question. Twilight examined Sunset, noting her ever-depressed expression and grey colors. She was so different from the Sunset she’d met in the human world. Looking at her, she wondered how two ponies who looked perfectly alike could be so phenomenally different.

Twilight didn’t want to be nosy, but her curiosity was getting the better of her. “If you don’t mind my asking, what happened to everypony’s colors? To your colors? It’s almost like you’ve been discorded.”

Sunset’s pace slowed as she heaved a heavy sigh. “The better term would be 'discarded'…”

Twilight winced. “I’m sorry. If you don’t wanna talk about it…”

Sunset paused and turned to point in the direction they’d come. “The cavern of Limbo and its adjoining tunnels. The creatures that are deemed useless and unimportant are forced to stay here, at the place closest to the tombs of the draconequus. Here the chaotic magics of the dead draconeqii are the strongest, and they drive all inhabitants of Limbo insane.”

Twilight stared back at the cavern as Sunset continued further into the tunnel. “Well that explains a lot,” she admitted before following. “But… what about the colors? And turning to stone?”

Sunset lifted a lock of her own mane in demonstration, not bothering to look up as Twilight came alongside her. “The creatures of Limbo, griffon and pony alike, have been deemed useless. We waste away in our worthlessness, understanding that nopony wants us even in the damned dark of Tartarus. We sink deeper and deeper into despair and desperation, and our colors fade with our hopes and dreams.”

Twilight stared at her guide, pity swelling within her. Suddenly Sunset's hopeless manner made a lot more sense. Did this too come from the wild magic of the draconequus? If Twilight were to remain down here, would she too have become grey and lifeless?

Sunset paused and sat, raising her hooves to stare at them with a pitiable frown. “Those who have lost all hope… who are at last rendered worthless by their own self-pity, are absorbed into the walls and floors of Tartarus. So wretched are we in the eyes of all that we are little more than stones to be walked on, so Tartarus puts us in our proper place.”

The idea filled Twilight with a distinct horror. She took Sunset’s hooves in her own. “Listen to me: you are not worthless. You will never be a mere stepping stone, Sunset.”

Sunset would not be consoled. She pulled her hooves from Twilight’s grasp and walked past, head hung low. “Celestia didn’t want me. The Lords didn’t want me. I’m nothing more than the muck in their horseshoes.”

Twilight walked alongside her, lowering her own head to try and catch Sunset’s eye. “If you come with me you’ll see you’re far better than that.”

“No I won’t."

That was all Sunset would say. Twilight wanted to be encouraging, to help Sunset regain her old enthusiasm and will, but she wasn’t sure how to approach this. Who knew how long she’d been stuck down here, wasting away and being driven mad by the magic of the tomb?

Maybe if she could show Sunset that she was useful. “So… you know a lot about Tartarus?”

Sunset gave a nod, the motion so small Twilight almost missed it.

“Good.” Twilight offered a smile, but Sunset didn’t even see it. “You mentioned some ‘Lords’. Who are they?”

The words came out of Sunset’s throat in a slow manner, almost as if she were reverting back to that depressed state she’d been in when Twilight found her. “The Lords of Tartarus. There are seven, and each one claimed a piece of territory amongst the caves.”

Twilight considered this news. “So they’re like the leaders of Tartarus?”

“Something like that.”

Lips set in a frown, Twilight studied Sunset closely. This wasn’t having the effect she’d hoped for, but she needed the information. Pressing on with a hopeful tone, she asked, “But Limbo, that’s close to the Gates, right? We don’t really have far to go.”

“You shouldn’t be so optimistic,” Sunset grumbled with a sneer, her head turning away. “They dump their detritus in Limbo because it is closest to the tombs. Tartarus was originally created to protect the world above from the magic of the dead draconeqii.”

The meaning of her words hit Twilight like a hammer. “Y-you mean we’re at the very bottom of Tartarus?” Sunset’s silence was all the confirmation she needed. “Sweet Celestia. B-but these Lords, they’re reasonable and diplomatic, right? And if not we could just go around—”

“Just stop.”

Sunset leveled Twilight with a glower. “Stop acting like there’s hope. There is no hope. You are going to die down here and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Twilight countered the expression with a haughty frown. “Well of course there’s no hope if I maintained a defeatist attitude. I know you’ve been down here a while, but you shouldn’t be so quick to assume defeat.”

“Quick.” Sunset let out a snort and jerked her head away once more. “You haven’t seen what you’re up against. I bet you won’t even get past Limbo’s guard.”

Twilight paused. “There’s a guard?” Sunset didn’t stop, so she moved to catch up. “Why would Limbo need a guard?”

“To keep the trash from climbing into the Lords’ territories,” Sunset grumbled. “Seriously, how’d you even get down here if you didn’t see all of it?”

Twilight hesitated, the memories of Celestia’s error a fresh wound in her mind. “A… mistake was made. I was sent here directly.”

To Limbo. Where the least wanted prisoners were forced to reside. Had Celestia sent her to this specific area for a reason? A lesson, to make Twilight think she was worthless?

“I have to get home.” Twilight bowed her head and sagged. “I don’t belong here. If I can just get out and get back to Canterlot, I can fix everything.”

She could feel her new companion's eyes upon her. “Nopony thinks they deserve to be here,” Sunset noted. “Not at first, anyway. Give it time.”

Twilight shook her head. “But I didn’t do anything.”

“That can be a sin in and of itself.”

Twilight shot her guide a dark look. “Now who’s talking about things they don’t know? I had no way to know that goin—”

“Be quiet.”

The hackles on Twilight’s back rose as she glared at Sunset. “Excuse me?”

Sunset shot her a warning glance. “Be quiet! We’re almost there.”

Her claim knocked the anger from Twilight’s mind. The alicorn glanced around at the tunnels, which all appeared exactly the same to her. How did Sunset know where they were? Yet, as Twilight continued to scan their surroundings, she realized that they were alone. No ponies lingering in the shadows, no griffons looking miserable and lost. The two ponies were on their own.

Why did that make Twilight feel anxious?

A familiar sound reached her ears. She perked them and tried to determine a direction, but in the echo of the tunnels she couldn’t manage it. “Is that water?”

Sunset nodded, gesturing forward. Twilight peered in the dark and realized that the tunnel opened up into a larger space up ahead.

“You might want to dim your horn.”

Twilight glanced at her guide, but Sunset was peering unpleasantly at their destination. She decided to obey; why have a guide if she wasn’t going to heed her advice?

They stepped out of the tunnel and found themselves on a rise. They’d passed into a much larger tunnel, stalactites dripping water from a ceiling far above their heads. And below, flowing at a swift pace, was a river. Not a creek, not a stream – a river. Twilight gazed at it in wide-eyed wonder; the thing had to be a thousand feet wide! The water was black as night, but flowed along in a smooth and quiet rhythm.

Sunset sat and gestured to the dark river. “Behold Lethe, the River of Mindlessness.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at the name. “Err, right. So where’s this guardian you mentioned?”

“He lives in the river,” Sunset claimed. “He makes sure nopony can get past.”

Twilight gazed out over the river and saw that there was another tunnel on the far side of the river. “So that leads out?” At Sunset’s nod she grinned. “Well, this should be easy! I’ll just fly us over and—”

“No.” Sunset shook her head. “I told you, I’m not coming. Besides, you’ll never get past the guardian.”

“But I need your help.” Twilight turned and grabbed Sunset’s hoof. “Please, Sunset, I don’t know the way.”

“You’re not listening to me!” Sunset jerked her hoof away with a sneer. “You will not make it. Period. I am not going to commit suicide with you.”

Twilight glared at her guide, a fire burning within her. The self-pity was really starting to frustrate her. She was determined to instill some hope in Sunset, and there was only one way she could think of to achieve that: she closed her eyes and focused, the magic rapidly spreading to cover both of them.

“H-hey, what are you—”

Their world flashed violet. An instant later they were on the rocky shore of the river.

Sunset took a step back, eyes going wide and head whipping around. “W-what have you done? I don’t want to be here!”

“Tough.” Twilight grabbed her and thrust her towards the river. “We’re going together. Now let’s cross this thing.”

Sunset’s hooves locked as she stared with horrified eyes at the water. “Are you crazy? No! We can’t touch the water, it will make us forget.”

Twilight looked over the pony’s shoulder at the innocuous river. “Forget? Forget what?”

“Everything!” Sunset tried to backpedal from the water, but Twilight held her in place with magic. “It’s called the River of Mindlessness or a reason! We can’t go in, we can’t drink, we can’t touch it.”

“Seriously?” Twilight shook her head. “That makes no sense. How can water do that?”

“Anything is possible with the magic of the tombs,” Sunset reminded her with ears folded.

Twilight considered that response. “Okay… that actually makes sense.”

A splash of water caught her ears.

“Where’s the fun in making sense?”

For an instant – just an instant – Twilight envisioned Discord hovering just behind her, but when she turned around she saw something she’d never expected: a sea serpent. A very familiar sea serpent, at that. She gazed with jaw loose at the purple-scaled creature, his amber mane a limp mop over his grinning face.

It took Twilight three tries to form the necessary words. “S-Steven Magnet? What are you doing down here?”

Steven, his serpentine body rising out of the water just at the shore’s edge, lowered his head to peer at her with a playful smile. “Do I know you?”

Twilight took a step back, worry beginning to fill her. “N-no, I guess not.” She pulled Sunset back, forgetting that she’d locked the pony in a spell. Sunset was gaping up at the sea serpent with an expression of abject horror.

“Good.” Steven went straight once more and clapped his hands together with a grin. “Good, that’s exactly how it should be! Have you come for a swim? That would be absolutely delightful.”

Twilight’s fear faded quickly at the serpent’s playful manner. He certainly didn’t seem like much of a guardian. She glanced at Sunset, who looked ready to bolt at the first opportunity. Better to not let her go just yet, though Twilight wondered why she was so terrified of the seemingly harmless Steven.

“No, thank you.” Twilight took a step forward and offered a friendly smile; this was an opportunity she had no intention of losing. “I just came to admire you, if that’s alright.”

“Oh, but of course.” Steven struck a dainty pose, flicking his unkempt mane and winking. “Who wouldn’t want to admire me?”

“I don’t think there’s a pony in Tartarus who’d pass up the opportunity.” Twilight leaned forward and gazed up at him with big eyes. “Can I ask you a question, oh great guardian?”

“Of course!” Steven gave a flamboyant bow. “My children are free to ask whatever they like, but be warned: I can’t guarantee the answer will be pleasant.”

She didn’t know about that latter half, but Twilight had what she was after. She ignored Sunset’s frantic head-shaking and sat at the water’s edge. “How did you get down here?”

Steven’s body rose high in the air, his arms spreading wide. “Why, I belong here! I am the heir of Discord, arbiter of chaos and lover of the ridiculous.”

That made Twilight pause. “Discord’s heir…?”

“Indeed!” Steven struck another classy pose. “Why else would I have been created here, so close to his tomb? Why would the Lords keep sending me wayward souls to watch over, such as yourself? I am the prince of absurdity, created in Discord’s image, and you are all my children.”

Twilight stared at him, then turned her gaze upon Sunset to whisper, “Is he serious?”

Sunset’s eyes were locked on the sea serpent. “P-please… let me go…”

The tombs. Twilight gazed up at the sea serpent, wondering at his story. “So, how long have you been down here?”

“Well, I don’t know.” Steven dropped back into the water in a leisurely pose. He sank down until just his head was visible, looking like an irregular orange and purple island as he grinned. “One loses track of such things when he lives in a river of forgetfulness. What does it matter?”

The waters swirled at his motions and Twilight took an alarmed step back; suddenly she didn’t think the river’s name was due to somepony’s creativity. “Umm, I guess it’s not important. But are you really Discord’s heir?”

Steven rose up a little and gestured to himself. “I admit I don’t look exactly like a draconequus, but there are some similarities and I’ve never met another creature like me. At least, not that I recall.” He splashed the water playfully, and Twilight had to leap back to avoid getting wet. “What other excuse is there other than that I was created to carry on the legacy of that noble race?”

Understanding dawned upon Twilight as she watched Steven swim circles in the water, whistling a tuneless melody. The magic from the tombs had to have driven him crazy just like the others, and living in the river made him forget everything about who he was. The combination had to be responsible for his inane conclusions, it was the only logical explanation.

But was he dangerous?

“Well, this is all fascinating.” She stood and leaned close to the perfectly-still Sunset and whispered, “You ready to cross?”

The response came out as a terrified hiss: “No!”

Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes, then turned a beaming smile upon the sea serpent. “You’re responsible for keeping your… children safe, yes?”

“But of course.” Steven paused his circling to shoot her a questioning frown. “Are you sure you didn’t take a dip without me knowing? You seem awfully forgetful.”

Twilight chuckled to hide her nervousness. “Maybe I did and just don’t remember?”

Steven let out a loud guffaw. “How silly of me! Of course you wouldn’t remember.”

Twilight offered as charming a smile as she could manage. “Right. Well, I have an important message to deliver to one of the Lords. Do you think we might be able to cross?”

Steven had resumed his backwards swimming with a delighted grin. “Oh, you want to—” He paused, eyes opening wide. He rose with a splash, towering over Twilight with fangs bared.

“Nopony leaves. This is the task given to me by the Lords. You must belong to a Lord to leave.”

Her mind working frantically for some appropriate counter, Twilight stepped back and wrapped a hoof about Sunset’s shoulder. “B-but we do belong to a Lord, both of us! We’d really like to report back to him.”

Whoever ‘him’ was.

A forked tongue slithered from between Steven’s teeth. He lowered himself so that he was once again level with the ponies, peering at them.

“…you lie. The Lords don’t send ponies down here. I would have to carry them across.”

Twilight gestured to the water. “Would you remember if you did?”

He glanced at the river flowing beneath him, but he didn’t lose his critical frown. “No… I suppose I wouldn’t. But I can tell when a pony belongs to a Lord. I must, for it is part of my task to keep the Lords’ followers from entering Limbo.”

Not sure if it was a good idea, Twilight stepped forward and gestured to herself. “Then judge me. Do you think I belong in Limbo?”

He leaned close, a hand rubbing his chin as he scrutinized her. His breath blew her mane back and she had to fight not to stare at his surprisingly sharp-looking teeth. She stood resolute and prayed he would see whatever she needed him to see.

“No.” He pulled back from her, but only a little. “I am not sure where you belong, but it is not Limbo.”

There was a gasp from Sunset. Twilight glanced back to see the pony staring at her with wide eyes.

“That one, however…” Steven’s eyes locked on Sunset, whose grey cheeks paled under his gaze. “I can see the despair, the loss, the uselessness. She most certainly belongs in Limbo.”

Twilight stood between Sunset and Steven with a hopeful look. “But I was sent here to pick her up! You don’t want to anger my Lord, do you?”

The sea serpent loomed close, snake-like body rising high behind him as he set his claws to the floor around Twilight and hovered. He gazed down at her with an intense malice, teeth exposed as the dark water dripped like saliva from his jaw. “And to which Lord do you happen to owe your allegiance to?”

It was a challenge, that much was clear. Twilight felt her heart sink, lips faltering as she tried to think of a name. She couldn’t just spit one out, could she? She began to consider trying to teleport across the river with Sunset, but it was an awful long way. If she messed up…

“Reddux.”

Twilight glanced at Sunset. Her guide’s wide eyes were locked on Steven’s fangs as she hissed the name. “Reddux. Say it.”

Reddux? As in Reddux the Tyrant?

A rumbling growl emerged from Steven’s throat, the resultant blast of warm breath making her mane flail wildly. She turned to give him a look she hoped was more confident and determined than she felt. “Reddux. My lord is Reddux.”

The serpent abruptly pulled back from her, wide eyes shifting about as if he expected to be attacked at any second. The claws on his fingers retracted as his hands rubbed together in anxiety. “I… I see. In that case… b-but why would Reddux send a pony all the way down here?”

Sensing her opportunity, Twilight stepped forward and struck an authoritative pose. “You would question my lord?”

“No!” Steven raised his hands as if expecting a blow. “No no no, not at all. You may pass, and give the Lord my, umm, my greetings.”

“Thank you.” Twilight gave a firm nod. “If you would be so kind as to form a bridge? I would rather not forget the task my lord has assigned me.”

The serpent nodded enthusiastically. “Of course, anything for a servant of Reddux! And p-please let him know that everything’s fine down here, no need to come by for a visit.” He promptly dropped his head to the rocky ground, his long body going straight across the water. “Just walk on over.”

“I appreciate it.” Twilight turned to Sunset, who was staring at her as if seeing her for the first time. “Are you going to come along quietly?”

Sunset’s eyes shifted from Twilight to Steven, then back. It was a thoughtful, cautious gaze. After several seconds she nodded. “I’ll go. Release me.”

The spell was dropped and Sunset took a moment to stretch. Casting one last fretful look Twilight’s way, she turned and climbed up Steven’s head. “Sorry,” she whispered to the serpent as she climbed over his moist mane and walked swiftly across.

Twilight heaved a relieved sigh and made to follow. “Thank you, Steven. I’m sure Reddux will be pleased.”

He waiting until she was past his mane and on his back before responding. “O-of course. If Reddux is happy, so am I.”

But even as Twilight relished her success, a terrible fear was creeping into her mind. Reddux the Tyrant existed in this time too, but in this world he wasn’t dead. If she had to get past him…

Perhaps this wasn’t going to be all that easy, after all.

Author's Notes:

What, Steven wasn't scary enough for you? Good, because he wasn't supposed to be. I consider him something of a 'wannabe' Lord of Tartarus. We've only just started; it wouldn't do to ratchet up the fear from the get-go.

Reddux is a character I've mentioned frequently in my stories, but he only ever appeared in Trixie vs. Equestria. I have a story planned that shows us who he was and why he is so feared, but there's no telling when I'll get around to it. As for this story... well, he's a Lord of Tartarus. No way he's not at least making an appearance. Would he be on the cover art otherwise?

We are now past Limbo, which for this story can be considered the initiation phase. Now it's time to start the real journey. From here on in each chapter will be completely devoted to a particular Lord's territory. Which Lord will be first, hmm?