Ghosts of the Past

[Author Note: The Equestrian Spec Ops facility was built entirely underground aside from a few corridors and rooms above ground to disguise it from normal society]

March 27, abandoned Equestrian Spec Ops facility

Temperature: -31 degrees fahrenheit

Time: 9:02 P.M.

Shadow’s eyes opened slowly. The area around him was destroyed, all sorts of debris sprawled across the floor. The room was familiar through all of the destruction.

“The... administration office in the Equestrian Spec Ops facility?” Shadow thought to himself as he got up. The sound of hoofs steps came from in the distance, but slowly faded away into the darkness of the facility. Shadow walked over to the lantern on the floor and picked it up, putting the handle around his neck. There was a headset next to it. It was blinking, a message coming through. Shadow picked it up and put it on.

“You’re awake, good.” The administration stallion said through the headset.

“What did you do with Dusk and Clarity!?” Shadow yelled, his voice echoing in the abandoned facility halls. The sound of hoof steps grew in volume again, fading away a second later.

“I suggest you keep your voice down. You wouldn’t want them to find you.” The administration stallion said.

“Who? What are you talking about?” Shadow said quietly, looking around him.

“The facility has become quite... mysterious ever since you set off the explosives. As you can tell already, the only light source is that lantern of yours. I also suggest you keep that lit, the spirits aren’t too fond of ponies invading their darkness.”

“Stop toying with me, what did you do with Dusk and Clarity?”

“You’ll have to find that out yourself. The facility is quite large, you should probably get moving, they don’t have much time.” The stallion said.

“Hang on a second, wait!” Shadow said. The headset only gave back static. Shadow lifted the mic from his mouth and pointed the lantern around the area. The facility was dark, nothing visible a few meters from the light of the lantern.

“I didn’t think the explosives would do this much damage.” Shadow thought to himself. Although the facility was destroyed and the heating systems malfunctioned, the cold air from the surface was not able to get down to the lower levels of the facility. Shadow walked out of the administration office and out into the Spec Ops facility hallways. The halls were long and dark, seeming to go on for miles in the darkness. An eerie sensation came over Shadow as he looked down the corridors. The headset he had on beeped, another message coming through. Shadow put the mic in front of his mouth.

“Shadow, are you there?” A voice said through the headset. The voice was different from the administration stallion’s voice.

“Who is this?” Shadow asked, looking down the other hallway. The voice sighed in relief.

“Good, you’re alive. Now listen carefully. The facility is dangerous, whatever you do, do not let that lantern go out, the spirits will find you that way.”

“Wait, what are you talking about? What spirits?”

“They are extremely hostile, they will not hesitate to kill any pony or anything, in particular you. If you see one, you run. Even though you have a light source, that doesn’t mean you are completely safe.”

“Hang on, slow down!”

“Do not get close to them, they will see you, and they will take you. The light is the only thing keeping you alive.”

“Hey, wait a moment!”

“Don’t do anything to attract attention to yourself. Keep vocal communication with anything minimal. Stay out of sight, it’ll save your life. The light keeps you hidden, so you don’t have to completely avoid them. There is a box of matches in the bottom of the lantern, use them sparingly. Good luck, you’ll need it.”

“Wait!” Shadow said. The radio went silent, static coming through again. Shadow turned the headset off and put the mic up again. He turned around to start going through the facility, but stopped. A faint glow was coming from down the hallway, growing in intensity in the distance. A faint fog started to form down the hallways, growing denser as the light got closer. The silhouette of a pony was in the fog and light, walking towards Shadow. A cold breeze moved through the hallway, and the lantern went out. The silhouette stopped and stared at Shadow. Shadow stood in shock, not knowing what to do. He frantically opened the compartment on the bottom of the lantern and took out a match. The silhouette started to walk closer, the glow starting to become within reach of Shadow. He felt a feeling of isolation and terror as the glow got closer, the cold air becoming increasingly frigid as the silhouette got closer. Barely audible whispers came into earshot.

“Take him... he is the one...” They spoke out. Shadow’s heart pounded as he lit the match. The light from the match flared and the silhouette stopped. It moved its head left and right and started to walked back in the direction it came. Shadow let out a sigh of relief as the glow, cold air, and whispers faded away with the silhouette down the hall. Shadow put the match into the lantern and it lit up.

“They can’t see through light...” Shadow thought to himself, staring down the hallway. The hall was dark again, the only light coming from the lantern. Shadow turned around and started walking down the hallway further into the facility.

“Clarity and Dusk are down here, I’ve got to find them.” Shadow thought to himself as he walked. The halls made twists and turns, some of them blocked off from the explosives that Shadow had set off. The atmosphere was eerie, the occasional sound of hoof steps growing and fading in the darkness.

______________________________________________________________________

Shadow came to a large area, tables and lunch trays scattered across the floor.

“The mess hall. I really did some damage on the facility, didn’t I.” Shadow said to himself quietly. The ceiling of the mess hall had giant holes in it, the debris laying on the ground, tables crushed beneath. The other exit of the mess hall was blocked by a chunk of the ceiling. Shadow started to walk, but immediately stopped. There were multiple glows in the room above the mess hall, streams of an eerie icy blue light cutting their way through the dark into the area below.

“They must know I’m here...” Shadow thought to himself. Shadow looked around the mess hall. The serving line for the operatives didn’t have any streams of light on it, a perfect route to sneak past. Shadow quietly walked behind the serving line counters and worked his way around the debris on the floor. The lights from the spirits in the room above moved around aimlessly, wondering the area. Shadow worked his way to the door on the other side of the room and stopped at the chunk of the ceiling blocking the doorway. Shadow put his front hooves on the debris and pushed, his back legs sliding slightly. The sound of something falling on the ground came from the mess hall. A spirit fell through one of the holes, looking around the mess hall. Shadow pushed harder, the debris blocking the door moving slightly. A cold breeze filled the room as two other spirits fell into the mess hall, the glow around them lighting the area they were in. Shadow pushed harder.

The debris rolled away from the door and slammed against the floor. The spirits turned to look at Shadow, the glow around them gaining a slight red tint. Shadow kicked the door open and ran out into the hallway, dashing down the hall to the right. He stopped in front of a door on the left of the hallway and pushed it open, closing it as he ran inside. He propped himself against the wall next to the door and let out a sigh. The sound of three sets of hoof steps came from the hallway. Shadow steadied his breathing, his breath visible as the glow from the spirits passed by the door. Shadow looked through the window on the door. Two of the spirits had passed.

The other was standing in front of the door. Shadow quickly ducked back down and backed up from the door, hiding behind a desk close to the wall. The door slowly opened, the cold air intensifying as the spirit walked inside. Shadow blocked the lantern as a gust of wind came off of the spirit, the flame inside the lantern flickering. Shadow looked over the desk. The spirit was visible now, not just a silhouette against the glow. It had no pupils or irises, its eyes blank and lifeless. Its mane and tail were falling out, only a few strands of hair sticking out. It’s mouth looked as if it had been stitched together. It's coat was a light and icy blue, scratches along its legs and body. Shadow shuttered at the sight of it and ducked back behind the desk.

“Where did he go...?” A faint whisper said as the spirit walked around the room. Shadow slowly crept his way around the desk and along the wall, making his way to the door. The spirit had its back turned to him, looking left and right at the walls. Shadow pushed the door open lightly and quietly walked into the hallway. A cold breeze came down the hallway, and the light in the lantern went out. Something stopped Shadow as he started to walk, a feeling of deep paranoia and isolation. He strained to turn his head back to the room, his eyelids being forced open. The spirit was staring at him, its eyes and the glow around it turning red.

“We will never forgive... he will pay...” A whisper said as the spirit walked closer to Shadow. Shadow’s heart pumped faster as the air became more frigid around him, the spirit slowly walking closer. The glow was pure red, encircling Shadow as the spirit walked in front of him. Shadow tried to run away, but was frozen in the place he stood, not able to move a muscle.

“He will pay for what he did... he will never leave...” A whisper said. The spirit raised a hoof to Shadow’s face. Shadow gasped for air, the spirit’s icy touch draining Shadow of life. The edges of his vision started to close in, the darkness taking over. Shadow could start to hear bone chilling screams filling his mind, scratching away at his sanity. A light from down the hall emerged and the spirit stopped. It took its hoof off of Shadow’s face and looked around. Shadow fell to the floor, his eyes staring off into the darkness beyond the light.

“He got away... we will find him...” A whisper said. The spirit started to walk away in the opposite direction of the light and disappeared into the darkness, the glow around it turning back to a cold blue. The light walked closer to Shadow and set down on the ground, the flame inside the lantern flickering as the cold air subsided.

“Shadow! Are you alright?” Dusk asked, shaking Shadow lightly. His eyes dilated, moving around to look at the hallway as he returned to consciousness.

“Wha... what happened?” Shadow asked, putting a hoof to his head.

“You tell me, all I saw was you standing in front of a silhouette with a shocked look on your face. Where are we?” Dusk asked. Shadow got up and re-lit his lantern, Dusk's and his lantern lighting the area around them.

“Remember the old Spec Ops facility?” Shadow asked.

“Do you mean... this is the old Spec Ops? What happened, its barely recognizable.” Dusk said, looking at the hallway. Shadow stayed silent for a second.

“Lets just say I got the revenge I wanted at the time.” Shadow said, looking down the hallway behind him.

“Where is Clarity?” Dusk asked.

“That’s what I’m trying to find out. The administration stallion sent us here as a death sentence, but I am not going to let that happen. It’s been a while, but I can still find my way around the facility. I think the operative quarters are just down the hallway, we can start to search for Clarity there.  Do you have any matches with you?” Shadow asked, starting to walk down the hallway.

“Yeah, I think so.” Dusk said, tilting her head to look at the bottom of the lantern as she walked along side Shadow.

“Good, then I think administration gave us the same things. Let’s only hope Clarity has a source of light, too.” Shadow said.

______________________________________________________________________

Shadow and Dusk came to the entrance of the bathrooms, which would lead to the operative living quarters. Shadow pushed the door open carefully and peaked his head inside. There was a faint glow coming from inside one of the stalls, and icy breeze coming from the bottom of the stall. Shadow motioned his hoof for Dusk to follow quietly as he slowly walked inside. They crept their way along the floor, trying to make as little noise as possible. Shadow fought to ignore the feeling of fear and horror as he passed by the stall, the frigid air blowing against him. Dusk followed afterwards, letting out a quiet sigh of relief as she passed through the glow. They made their way to the other side of the bathroom, a half destroyed door barely hanging on its hinges in front of them. Shadow lifted the door off of the frame and set it lightly on the ground, peaking back at the stall. The glow was still coming from the stall, flowing in an eerily majestic way. Shadow and Dusk walked into the operative living quarters. They walked away from the bathroom and further into the living quarters.

“That was a little close.” Dusk said, looking around the room. The room was barely touched by the explosives, only a few holes in the walls and ceiling. Most of the beds were turned over, the pillows ripped apart, some of them stained with blood.

“It doesn’t look like she’s here.” Dusk said, poking at a pillow on the floor.

“Hang on, look at this.” Shadow said. He was holding a journal, owned by one of the former operatives of the Equestrian Spec Ops. Shadow started to read the journal.

“Day Three. We’ve been trapped inside the facility for three days. We’re all scared, no pony knows what happened or how it happened. The exits of the facility have been blocked off by debris, no pony able to move it out of the way. The ten of us have navigated our way to the food storage. This should last us a while, but I’m not sure how long.” The first page read. Shadow flipped ahead a few pages.

“Day twelve. We are running low on rations, three of us have already starved. The water has been cut, the pipes destroyed in the blasts. We sent a team down to where the water was cut off around two days ago, hoping that the area would have some water in it. We haven’t heard from them since.” Shadow flipped ahead a few more pages.

“Day twenty two. The things we have heard from the halls... I can’t begin to describe them. Screams of pain and horror, sounds of bones being snapped and ripped off from flesh, I... don’t know how much longer I can go. There are three of us now, we are held up in the operative living quarters. I think the other two are planning something... I don’t know what. I know they are, I’m not going to let them get me.” Shadow flipped ahead a few pages and Dusk put a hoof up to her mouth. The words were written in blood, the page wrinkled and ripped in places.

“Day thirty. It’s just me now. The screams have stopped, the only sound I hear is the occasional dripping of the blood from the ceiling. I... I couldn’t stand what I had done. I’m writing with blood and bone, my quill and and ink had gone missing. I see things in the hallways, strange glows and a cold breeze coming from them. I’m going to see what they are, they seem nice.” Shadow closed the journal and dropped it on the floor.

“How could they do this to themselves?” Dusk said, looking at the journal on the floor.

“I can only imagine what made them go insane like this. I almost feel bad.” Shadow said. He walked over to the end of the room and pushed open the door, the door creaking quietly as it slowly opened. The hallway it revealed was pitch black, the area in front of Shadow lit up by the light of his lantern.

“Dusk, in here.” Shadow said, motioning his hoof for her to come. Dusk walked over to Shadow and they stepped into the hallway. The hallway was silent aside from Shadow and Dusk’s hoof steps as they walked along. The hall seemed to go on forever, no end in sight as they continued on. The walls started to gain distinct scratches on them, the scratches peeling off the paint on the walls. There were streaks of blood along the floor and walls, more and more blood stains appearing as they walked along. They came to a halt at a door.

The door was a bright red, the color of the blood that surrounded it. Shadow lifted his hoof up and lightly pushed the door open. The door slowly opened, revealing the room inside. The room was not recognizable any more as the storage room it used to be. The walls, ceiling, and floor was painted with blood, strange symbols traced into the blood stains on the floor and walls. The boxes and other storage equipment were torn apart and out in a circle around the room, most of it burnt. Dusk and Shadow stood in shock, the display in front of them overwhelming. The sound of faint hoof steps came down the hall behind them, growing in volume as a faint glow pierced through the darkness.

“Dusk, shut the door.” Shadow said as he walked further into the room. Dusk quietly shut the door and followed Shadow into the middle of the room. There was another journal in the center of the circle, a knife next to it. Shadow picked up the journal and opened it, only three pages left in the journal. The writing was written in blood.

“She got away, but not without me getting a little sample from her. I think I'm the only one left, the others are gone. I lost my other journal a while ago, I just found this one not too long ago. The Spec Ops came in here again to retrieve their information about a month ago. They didn’t make it.” The journal said.

“The blood is still wet. This must have been recent.” Shadow said, poking at the page. The blood smeared across the page, making the writing a blur.

“You don’t think...” Dusk started to say, looking at the page.

“I’m not sure.” Shadow said. He dropped the journal and walked back over to the door. The glow down the hallway was gone.

“We’re going to have to start looking for her harder.” Shadow said, starting to run down the hallway with Dusk. Next Chapter: Insanity Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 23 Minutes