The Road Less Traveled

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXstck3A4ko) What has been seen, cannot be unseen. Though the streets of a dead Ponyville are past him now, the memories of it will linger with Nar for the rest of his life.  The Astral Highway System offers no comfort to a weary soul, such as his. It's unfathomable expanses, and those that lurk within offer no solace. Only confusing routes, vast emptiness, crushing loneliness, and an unhealthy dose of paranoia. Nar set out into the AHS in search of a way home, but he knows the chances of finding one are slim. He's far more likely to get lost, and go mad in the depths of this plane than he is to ever see his family again. Yet, he persists. The reality of his situation weighs heavy on his mind, but determination, and a near unshakable conviction to see his loved ones again keep his legs moving, and mind stable.  Three highways. That's how far he's gotten so far. Without a way to tell the time, it's impossible for Nar to know how long he's been in the AHS, or how long he spends in each highway. He tells himself not to think about it. If he starts to worry about time, he'll wear his sanity down sooner, rather than later. He can feel the plane slowly gnawing at the edges of his mind. Nibbling away at his sanity with slow, but steady hunger. A quick meal, bottle of water, or a quick nap help to keep it at bay, but it never goes away completely. The only way to rid oneself of the Astral Highway's hunger, is to leave it entirely. Traveling through a vast, empty expanse, Nar can't help but notice an abundance of ash piles dotting it. Close inspection reveals the piles to be almost identical to the ones he found in the dead streets of Ponyville. Experience tells him to turn back, and find another route. He almost follows through with that plan, when something else catches his eye. Something appears to be laying just beyond one of the piles of ash. Surveying the area, Nar sees no sign of any threats, and moves in to investigate. It's an arm.  The grayish-blue fur is undercut by the cold, pale skin underneath. It appears the arm was ripped off at the elbow, leaving the lower half here, while the upper half continued with whoever it belonged to. Closer inspection reveals the faint traces of dried blood around the arm. As well as a barely perceptible trail that leads further into the highway. Ideas formulate inside Nar's mind, but he opts to push them aside for now. Despite his better judgement, he opts to follow the trail to where it leads. He really should just turn around, and find another route, but curiosity drives him to venture deeper.  Following the trail of dried blood is difficult, given how faded it's become. At times, Nar finds himself having to retrace steps. All the while, he finds himself having to avoid piles of ash littered around the highway. While following the trail, a blur of bright color catches his attention in the corner of his eye. Turning his head to look over, Nar is greeted by a scrap of clothing in bright yellow, as well as a few mangled threads of straw from a hat. He has no doubts of who these are from. Given the arm he saw earlier, Nar is not confident he'll find himself alive, and well at the end of this trail of blood.  The trail of dried blood leads Nar to another door. With great caution, he slowly pulls the door open, and steps into the threshold beyond. Lights impair his vision. A stale, electric buzz fills his ears, and the smell of decay fills his nostrils. Blinking away the spots in his eyes, Nar's vision adjusts to the harsh, sterile lights. Slowly, a large, clinical looking hallway comes into view, with a massive metal door blocking his progress. Approaching the door, Nar finds a folded piece of paper that has been placed atop a floor tile in front of the metal door. As he kneels down to pick it up, the faint sound of something scratching against metal emanates from the metal door. He does not notice.  Rising to his feet, Nar unfolds the paper to see what could be inside. What he finds is some sort of letter.  "Here lie 4 brave souls, who sacrificed themselves to stem the tide of horrors that lie beyond this door.  Three of these souls were some of my closest friends, and colleagues.  Rush Gale. A brave, and competent leader. He received the call for aid shortly after our party had exited subspace after a grueling expedition, and made the decision to assist. Though battered, Rush lead the charge into subspace to assist the adventurer who called for aid. Dawn Glare. A spirited, and tenacious woman with a passion for exploration. When Rush made the decision to render aid, Dawn nearly rushed off to help all on her own.  Igneous. A headstrong dragon with a big heart, and compassion for all. When the call for aid was received, he insisted we focus our efforts on protecting civilians. When we were informed that we would be locked behind the door ahead in order to stem the tide of horrors, he accepted his fate without hesitation.  I do not know the name of the fourth soul who gave their life here, but I know they were brave, and held a great love for the town of Ponyville, and those who inhabit it. He was the first to witness the breach, and called for backup. Though it seems he attempted to locate the source of the breach before help arrived, and as such, was nearly killed before he arrived here. He had locked himself in the control room of the complex beyond these doors, and required our assistance to initiate a lockdown. He was a father, son, brother, and friend to many.  I feel great shame in knowing I was not brave enough to sacrifice myself alongside my friends. I can only hope that one day, someone reads this message, and will remember their names." With great care, Nar folds the paper back up, and gingerly tucks it into his backpack. Silently, he vows to give Rush, Dawn, and Igneous their proper place among the Wall of the Lost when he returns home. For now, though, he needs to find another route. Otherwise, he won't even make it home in the first place.