//------------------------------// // Asar // Story: Macintosh of Arabia // by Crisis_Vyper //------------------------------// Well played. Anput thought to himself as he emerges from the mercury, and looked around to find out where the intruder is. Launching Anput as a projectile is something he has not expected, and as a result his body had suffered several broken limbs and a wing. As he turned to his right, he saw the intruder struggling to keep afloat. Before he could even venture a thought to consider how the being will cope, several broken silver barks descended upon the abomination like swords from the sky and pierced the creature so utterly that the space between the quills on a porcupine are as wide as two pillars on a building. Nonetheless, it seems that the being is not vanquished at all, but instead became more agitated. Like a rising wave, it started rise from the sea of mercury and now floats above it as it picks speed. The being's body started disintegrating, and at its place is a dark indescribable manifestation of red and black energy swirling like a tempest. Before long, it launches itself towards the top of the White Tree to take down the wind elemental. It was soon met by several wards with Saddle Arabian inscription glowing violently above the White Tree, but as the dark tempest forces its way into the barrier, the sound of the warding cracking is echoing throughout the space within the cavern and soon enough it shattered. The force of darkness entered into the sanctum of the White Tree, but was soon met with the raging tempest and a great titanic clash of indomitable will begun. As both forces of nature and un-nature clashed, the walls of the cavern slowly collapses around them and the White Tree is slowly disintegrating by the sheer destructive power of the elementals, Anput realized that the unbelievable is happening before his eyes and knows that he will need to accelerate a few things ahead of schedule. ***************** Suddenly a bright light envelopes the eyes of Big Macintosh, Nurse Redheart and Amanar and they are temporarily blinded by the light. As their eyes regained their sight, they found Vinyl and Fatimah with their forelegs raised and holding a glowing object above their heads. As the glowing subsides, Big Macintosh notices that the object appears to be an intricately decorated disc that appears to be made out of the purest of silver to the point where it appears to be white. Vinyl and Fatimah opened their eyes to notice that there is some kind of artifact before their hooves and as they marvelled upon its beauty, their ears were interrupted by a very familiar voice. "I do not have the time to congratulate you on your success, but instead I will need to bring you to somewhere more important." The cold voice caught everyone by surprise, and as they turned around they saw a figure illuminated by energy. "Anput!" Vinyl shouted as she lets go of the artifact, and pointed her other hoof at the being. "It seems that everything is somehow falling into place to ensure that the line of Asar to inherit the will of Saddle Arabia itself. Hurry, we must make haste. Your storm friend could not hold the threat for long." The guardian looked up to the ceiling to see the rain of dust raining down upon them becoming even heavier. "Threat? What threat?" Fatimah asked. "No time to stand here and talk, I will explain as I guide all of you. Actually on second thought, I do not. Come." Before long the stallion is now galloping, and soon enough the other galloped to match to his frantic pace. Though he did not expect all of them to take the path that no one treads, but they had passed the trials. Now that it has come near to its conclusion, the only thing that is left is now this external intruder and the raging sentient tempest. Before those two could destroy the chamber, he will have to lead them to the place where it will all be revealed. "This is not good at all, and I swear I can hear booming sounds." Redheart muttered as the dust rained upon them and the booming intensified. It appears that whatever is happening out there, it is becoming even more violent by the moment. "Ya think?!?" Vinyl retorted, drawing rolling eyes from the other mare. Nonetheless, deep down both of them are relieved that they are all in one piece and are together again. Suddenly Vinyl's face made contact with the back of the black camel's back, and she wanted to ask the Janissary why he stopped. "The White Throne." Amanar muttered with awe. A white marble temple is now before them with four colossal statue decorate the facade of the temple. Each of the colossal statues are holding a large feather and are seated on a throne, their heads adorned with a white tapering headset with ostrich feathers on either side sitting upon a red bowl shaped crown with a small protruding wire. The facade is topped by a row of baboons, their arms raised in the air in an act of worship. It appears that all the worshipping baboons are facing towards a gilded bronze doors consist of twenty-eight panels, with twenty panels depicting the life of Asar , and the panels are surrounded by a framework of foliage in the door case and gilded busts of prophets and sibyls at the intersections of the panels. Above the archway, a deep red orb glows with a radiant light. "Okay...this is hella creepy." Vinyl said, remembering this particular structure from the dreamscape where Lily Petal had given her the visions to find this place. Three streams of crimson light emanate from the orb and shines on the artifacts that is now in the possession of Big Macintosh, Nurse Redheart and Fatimah. The light slowly turned blue and as the orb turns from a fiery crimson to a tranquil turquoise, the gilded door slowly opens and the three saw a throne room of unsurpassed beauty and elegance, made out of gold, platinum and white marble. The ceiling is filled with fresco of various gold gilded calligraphy and illustrations of legends of Saddle Arabia made out of countless mosaic of marbles. At the center of the temple lies a throne made out from marble and gold, and sitting above the throne is an equine sitting upon the throne. Clad in full plated mirrored armour made out of gold and pristine white robes, the remains of the equine above them stares at the entrance in its gold plated death mask inlaid with coloured glass and gemstones with its head resting upon its arm, as if at ease. "Wow...if Princess Celestia saw this throne room, she would have wanted a renovation." Vinyl said bluntly as she admired the artwork above her. "I do not think she would want to be buried in this manner." Redheart said, visibly unnerved by the remains sitting upon the throne. The winged equine walked towards the throne and stopped short of the steps leading up to the throne. The guardian proceed to bow down to the cadaver sitting upon the golden throne. Anput announced in rather archaic Saddle Arabian to the cadaver, and to everyone's surprise, the head turned to their direction and an apparition proceed to arise from the cadaver. Redheart wanted to scream, but instead she was interrupted by the black camel falling unconscious in her arms. It seems that there is something that makes the fearless Janissary faint, and that in turn made Redheart a little more braver in heart. "So...heavy...help..." Redheart said laboriously, and Big Macintosh helped her lift the large bodyguard off her arms and put him down gently on the marble floor. "Good job Redheart, was expectin' ya to fain't to be honest." Nurse Redheart blushed a little in embarrassment and pouted. "Damn, that is so metal!" Vinyl is definitely finding this experience something out of this world, and nudged the little filly, only to realized that she too had bowed down. Death is only the beginning, Vinyl Bridget Scratch of Ponyville. My duties upon this earth is not done yet. "Your middle name is Bridget?" Nurse Redheart said in hushed whispers. "Shut up." Vinyl hissed. The apparition slowly takes form before them, and the apparition takes the form of an equine with regal bearings clad in pristine white robes, and having a rather beautiful and pristine monochromatic coat and mane of grey. In fact, the Equestrians are reminded of Lily Petal when they gazed upon him. As the filly looked up, she slowly rises and takes a good look at her ancestor before her eyes. The apparition looked at them with its topaz-coloured eyes, and smiled. It seems that the latest in my line appears to be nothing more than a youngling, and oh...look at all the beautiful ladies. This is a nice and unexpected surprise. The baritone voice of Asar reverberated and surprised the Equestrians as they were expecting a more archaic language to be spoken. Amanar regained consciousness immediately after hearing the booming baritone voice, and was soon greeted by the apparition of the great founder of Saddle Arabia. The black camel bodyguard is speechless and almost fainted once more if it were not for Nurse Redheart slapping his face with her hoof. Big Macintosh wondered how did Asar knew of modern Equestrian, but before he could complete the thought, the apparition answered him. Big Macintosh of the Apple clan, whoever it is that completed the trial and has been approved by my Swords to meet me will be allowed to be in my presence and not perish. This also means that we will be able to understand each other, as my regalia has such an influence. And Fatimah bint Assad bin Shaddam Khalifah of the Alawiyah clan, my lineage all shares the monochromatic coat and grey mane that you sport upon yourself, but it seems that you have some Equestrian lineage in you as well. The apparition smiled at the filly with the kindest of smiles, but all she could do is to smile uncomfortably back at him. Her experiences with Anput's mind-reading powers is still fresh in her mind and it is a little too soon for her to have her mind read once more. The apparition looked upon his guardian, giving him a stern look. "I am sorry Milord, but I need to know if she is able to bear the responsibilities of your lineage. It must be done." Anput said in apology. The apparition of Emir Asar looked upon the others once more, and once more the rumble from the outside is heard within the chambers and the sprinkles of dust upon the ceiling dropping down upon them once more. Emir Asar looked up, and his regal expressions contorted into a rather worrisome look. It seems that time is not something we can afford. Especially when Setesh's presence is assailing the White Tree. Big Macintosh was the first one that noticed the name, and he could see that Anput grimaced at the mention of the name. "Setesh?" Setesh, Set the Violator, the Oncoming Storm, the Harbinger of Change, The Red Presence...too many names to know the ancient unknown by, but its true name? I know not. Its existence is not something to be ignored or avoided. And Nurse Poppy Wisteria Redheart of Ponyville and Amanaraht Ayoub Talib , you have seen this abomination before though the circumstances of how you have met this entity differ. "Poppy Wisteria?" Vinyl snorted as she whispered back at Nurse Redheart. "Shut up." Nurse Redheart hissed back, and this is why she always used her family name instead. Big Macintosh is visibly pleased to know their full names, and glad that his parents made his name simple and not embarassing. Emir Asar looked upon them, and suddenly everyone's mind was bombarded by an image of a pure white death mask surrounded by a black and red striped headcloth with a serpent at the forehead looking back at them with two painted eyes, and the voices which uttered every kind of sound unspeakable; for at one time it made sounds such that the gods understood, but at another, the noise of a bull bellowing aloud in proud ungovernable fury; and at another, the sound of a lion, relentless of heart; and at another, sounds like whelps, wonderful to hear; and again, at another, it would hiss, so that the high mountains re-echoed. The image flashed for a moment, but as soon as it dissipated, the silence that came after the image playing in its mind is truly uncomfortable. Everyone broke into cold sweat and felt a great overbearing pressure and Nurse Redheart was reminded of the visions that she saw from the Lily Petal's dreamscape, while Amanar remembered the beast that resurrected the dead on that fateful night. Their expressions soured a lot more as they realized what they are facing against. Macintosh, unsure about the matter at hand is perplexed by the situation. However it was the unicorn that broke the silence. "Anyway, you know why we're here for, pops. Give us the thingie that everyone's talking about, gotta get us some bad guys." Vinyl cuts to the chase in her usual unintentional rude way. But at the same time, she is putting up a brave front as this eldritch abomination that she saw is a being that surpassed all the threats that Equestria faced. Her hind legs are still trembling as she spoke. However, Vinyl noticed that the apparition of the great monarch looked at her with the same kindness and sorrow as those given by Lily Petal in the dreamscape. I can not help you with the Luminize. It is not within this sanctum. "What the...what do you mean you can't help...and what do you mean it is not within this sanctum?!?!" Vinyl snarled at the apparition in disbelief. The apparition touched the unicorn, stunning her into silence. Vinyl could feel the cold touch of the apparition of Emir Asar, and it is not the most pleasant feeling she had experienced. The Emir's face changed slightly for a moment, and he could only give a kind smile reserved for a reunion with a close friend. The apparition answered her with an answer they did not expect. This is because it is already in your possession. "Come again? How did we get hold of it? Isn't this whole structure meant to guard the Luminize?" Now it is Redheart's turn to be surprised. When did they have the Luminize and how did it even look like? The more the white mare thought about it, the more it does not make sense. Perhaps I should rephrase my answer in another way; the White Tree is designed to hold the Luminize, but who said that the Luminize is within the White Tree to begin with? Big Macintosh, Vinyl, Redheart, Amanar and Fatimah all looked at each other in even greater confusion, and they turned their attention towards the apparition of the Emir seeking for the answer to the riddle. The Emir smiled and scratched his mane, before giving out a sigh. I had truly intended for the Luminize to be kept here, but the night before I passed on it faded away before my very eyes. All I got for a reason is a feeling, something that could not be explained in words. Indeed, throughout my time taking care of the Luminize, the Luminize is more a will than an artifact. "A will?" Big Macintosh asked. The Luminize is an omnipotent and omniscient thing. It guided all of you here by its will and if it were not for the Luminize, all of you save my my heirs will die breathing the fumes of the quicksilver within the sanctum of the White Tree. Alas, it seems that each one of you are connected by an intricate and intertwine web of fates that the Luminize chose all of you to be here in the White Tree. The Equestrians immediately thought of Lily Petal, and how her guidance had time after time brought them forward. This chain of thoughts is not lost on the Emir, and he smiled sorrowfully once more. Vinyl remembered the dream where she saw the red stars forming into glittering fiery road that engulfed the dreamscape in a hue of red. "The Bloodpath...", Vinyl voiced out, "the sign of great uncertainty and a need for a guiding light to shine in the darkest of moments." I see, you too have seen the Bloodpath in your visions. That is the same vision the night before the Luminize showed itself before me.The journey ahead is fraught with great peril, but it is the flower that blooms in adversity that is the most beautiful. Both Big Macintosh and Redheart looked at the unicorn with surprise, both because of how her sentence is not littered with lingos and her knowledge of something they do not know or receive in their visions. Vinyl realized that the Emir had just completed the lines that Lily Petal said to regarding the Bloodpath. I had always believed that it will return someday, and it will be in this place where I first saw the Luminize. As the time goes by, and my spirit acknowledging all my heirs within the confines of the White Tree, none have seen the Luminize's grace of presence, let alone experience its presence. It seems that it had found you first, and how similar the circumstance is that it happened with a vision of the Bloodpath. "Then...why did it lead us here if we already have it?" Vinyl asked. It must have realized that you need help to put the dark fates to a stop. My Regalia is such a help. "If that is the case...what does this have to do with your orb?" Big Macintosh said in a confused and frustrated manner, seeing that there is even less sense in what the Emir is talking about. He takes the symbol of the Abu Hamza's clan out from his clothes, and this catches the attention of the Emir. To the red pony's surprise the Emir smiled once more, though his smile is a little more sorrowful than before. As Emir Asar looks at the symbol of office, the red stallion wondered if he had done something wrong. The Emir takes a few steps forward and stops right before the stallion. The Emir touches the Mark of the Steward with his hoof, and smiled even more. Big Macintosh realized that there are tears running down the apparition's face. I guess this is fate after all. Thank you Big Macintosh of the Apple clan, for showing me this. "Wait...what the hay? What does ..." The Emir shakes his head, and looks at the stallion's green eyes with his own topaz-coloured eyes. Big Macintosh sees the same eyes that Sheikh Abu Hamza showed him on the night he received the orb with a tear drop falling down his eyes. It is in your hooves now... And all of you have my blessings! The Emir's speech is directed at the mortals within the White Throne and the apparition immmediately turned away from the red pony and soon was barking orders to Anput in their archaic tongue. Big Macintosh knew it in his heart that he was handed something even bigger than he thought is possible, and this will be the start of something much bigger that will decide the fate of the world. The first step towards realizing this grand purpose is to get out from the White Tree.