Tartarus sure was a long run from Ponyville. It had been so long since Twilight last visited that she had almost forgotten how far away it was—her horn was tired from holding the yarn so long, to say nothing of the decrepit condition her legs were in. But, after hours and hours of running through plains, she was finally greeted with the familiar sounds of screaming banshees and clouds of unnavigable mist.

Luckily, Twilight remembered the layout like the back of her hoof, and before too long, she found her way to the River Styx, and a familiar face greeted her. It was Charon, the ferryhorse.

Charon waved a dandy hello, oar in hoof. “That’ll be five bits to cross, Twilight. Truth be told, I didn’t expect to see you so soon. I thought you’d have at least a couple more years in you.”

“Oh, I’m just visiting,” Twilight said, scrounging for change in Cerberus’s coat. She had forgotten her money at home. With careful precision, she was able to dig out a single silver piece from the underside of his gargantuan paw. “Will this do?”

“Of course,” Charon said. “Be sure to let Hades know you’re here, he’ll be absolutely delighted to see you. It’s been too long, Twilight.”

“No time for that, I have to get back to Ponyville before the apocalyptic cataclysm occurs!”

Charon opened his pocket notebook of scheduled ferries. “Odd, there doesn’t appear to be any cataclysms scheduled for

Ponyville tomorrow. Tell me, does your Ponyville border Hooveston?”

“No?”

“Then you should be fine.”

“I don’t have time to explain,” Twilight said, stubbornly.

Charon shrugged.

A large gate surrounded by hellish flames came into view along with the shoreline. It was just like how Twilight remembered it, flaming skull décor and all. The boat shook, knocking Twilight out onto the ground as it collided with the shoreline.

“Bye Twilight!” Charon said. He tossed the ball of yarn to her, and Cerberus followed.
In front of the gate lay a massive dog post, along with a very distraught pitch-black pony prancing around it, obviously too upset to notice Twilight.

“Oh, I leave for five minutes to sentence some rascals to roll a boulder up a hill for all eternity, and this happens!” he said, holding a broken chain in his hooves. “The CEO of Binding Inc. better have a good explanation for this!”

“Uh, hello?” Twilight said. “I found your dog.”

“My my, Twilight, is that you? And you brought my wittle Cerby-Werby?” Hades clapped joyfully.
Cerberus groaned, eyes rolling.

“Yes, it’s me.” Twilight threw the ball of yarn. “Sorry, I can’t talk, have to save Ponyville and all that.”

“But couldn’t you just stay for a nice cup of tea? You must be dreadfully tired,” Hades said.

Twilight thought about the walk back. The decision was made in an instant. “Well, one or two cups couldn’t hurt.”

---

“So, no scheduled cataclysms for Ponyville?” Twilight asked, perplexed.

“No, but there is a scheduled bug infestation in Canterlot a couple of months from now.”

“Huh. Well, it might be something spontaneous.”

“Nothing is spontaneous, dearie.”

Twilight finished her cup. “Well, I’m afraid I have to go now.”

“So soon? I wanted to show you your own little spot in Tartarus I saved just for you. Oh well.”

“Sorry, but no time.”

Twilight turned to leave and was just out the door, but Hades called out to her just as she had her hoof in the door.

“Oh yeah, and watch out for radiation pockets in Sweet Apple Acres!”