//------------------------------// // Prologue: Destruction of Tartarus // Story: Vengeance // by xd77 //------------------------------// It was just another ordinary day at the School of Friendship as all the students went about their own ways. It was the weekend, which meant that there was no homework, and they were all free from lessons for three days. Anyway, the clock was at 2:57 in the afternoon and the bell was going to ring in three minutes, all the students, including Nate, were finishing up their final class for the day in Applejack's honesty class, some were already putting their books and pencils up in their bags and desks. "And that's how y'all choose the right choice in your ways of honesty, by goin' around bein' truthful about yer' wrong doins'." That's when the bell rang. "All right y'all have a good weekend." said Applejack, "Don't forget about the quiz on chapter 3 of the Honesty History book on Wednesday." All of the students, including the student eight, then got up from their desks and went out of the room as Applejack went through her desk going through some papers. Meanwhile, everyone was looking forward to the weekend, even the student six, except for Nathan because he had been feeling uneasy about something, and this had been going on for at least three days and his friends, along with Zodiac could see it. As Nathan walked with his friends, Zodiac tapped him. "Hey Nathan, are you all right?" he asked. "Huh?" he asked back. "Nate, you really haven't been yourself lately." said Zodiac. "Oh, ah've just been havin' this strange feeling lately." "What kind of strange feeling?" asked Smolder. "The one where ah'm feelin' like ah'm bein' watched by a greater evil." he replied. "Are you meaning to say that something evil is waiting to pounce you?" asked Sandbar. "Exactly, ah've got this strange sense that something escaped from Tartarus and it's out to get me!" he said with a wide-eyed expression, then he collapsed and he could feel his heart quiver with fear, the others soon were very concerned. "Come on kid." said Smolder, picking him up and holding him. "We're all going to Headmare Twilight's office right now." As the other followed Smolder with her tow in her arms, Silverstream put Zodiac on her back and the young eight went over to Twilight's office to see if she could help. Meanwhile, Twilight was in her office reading over work that had been turned in by the students and grading them when she heard a knock at her office doors. "Come in." she said, then the door opened to reveal the student eight. "What can I help you all with?" she asked. "Headmare Twilight, Nathan here has been feeling rather sluggish the past three days." said Smolder as she still had him in her arms. Twilight could see her nephew still quivering, so she got from her desk and went over him. Nathan looked at her with a nervous expression, so she rubbed his head as the rest of the gang looked extremely worried, they had never been this worried about him since his orphanage got destroyed by the storm that Cozy Glow had brought upon his hometown. "Nathan, is this true?" she asked. "Yes, ah've been havin' this strange feelin' that somepony or somethin's out to get me, this has been happenin' for three days now." Nathan said. "Headmare Twilight, he's been saying that something escaped from Tartarus and it's coming for him." said Zodiac. "What if it's true?" asked Ocellus. Twilight thought this over for a minute and spoke up, "Every creature, I know you all might be shook up from Cozy Glow's attack on the magic for her own evil desires. But, that was months ago, she's trapped in Tartarus with Tirek and the Cerberus is watching their every move. We should be fine." "That's where you're wrong Aunt Twilight." said Nathan, still in fear, "For the past three days, ah've had this feelin' that the evil that's escaped is her and ah' can promise you she has Tirek with her. And they are out to do something bad, which involves me!" "Nathan, you're just overreacting." said Gallus. "Yeah, we'll be fine." said Silverstream. "Ah'm not convinced." said Nathan. "Nathan, Tartarus is guarded really well by the Cerberus, I really can't see how you can get a feeling that Cozy Glow would escape with Tirek or any other creature." said Ocellus as she petted his head with her hoof like a dog. "Nathan, sweetie, just take a breather and go stay with the others until you go home." said Twilight. "But, Aunt Twilight....." "Nathan, you'll be fine, Cozy is locked in Tartarus with Tirek." said Twilight, "Now go on." Now even though they tried to convince him otherwise, even as they headed out the door, Nathan could still sense that Cozy Glow and Tirek were out there, and he knew deep down in his stomach that they were going to do something really evil to make Equestria surrender its magic. So even with his friends there to be with him, he felt that certain about it. "Nathan, how can you absolutely be sure that Cozy would even escape with Tirek?" "Ah'm not sure she is, ah' just have that feelin'." he said. "Nate, look at me." said Smolder as she lifted his face up with her hand, "As long as we're here, we will not let anything hurt you." "That won't change mah' feelin'." said Nathan, he then buried his face in Smolder's chest and shook with fear again, now it was really getting pretty serious, Smolder hadn't been this concerned for him since she saw him devastated over the cloned Neighsay and what the clone had done to his home. As she rubbed his back to try and calm him down, she turned to face the others. "Guys, I think this is getting really serious, Nathan is really convinced Cozy Glow is out there." she said. While a few growled in annoyance, Zodiac was finally the first to be convinced otherwise. "Guys, I think Nathan really is telling the truth." Zodiac said. "Well, if it's for Nate's sake, we will all spend the night here in the school and keep watch on him." said Ocellus. "Yona agree with Ocellus, we stay and watch Nathan." replied Yona with a smile. As they grouped together for Nathan, just outside in the badlands in Tartarus, Cozy Glow and Tirek had managed to defeat the Cerberus and killed it thanks to some powerful force that Tirek hid from the ponies. Cozy Glow's cage had managed to bust open from the shaking of the rocks and stalagmite like sections of the prison that separated creatures from creatures thanks to Tirek's new way of preventing them from going back, she was now free with Tirek. "Thanks my friend." said Cozy Glow grinning evilly. "Don't mention it, it was such a easy way of a small development for our new friendship." said Tirek, soon they went up the stairs and fled Tartarus. After they escaped, Tirek and Cozy Glow formed a bomb like shield aimed towards the doors that opened to the dreadful prison and blasted it, causing all of Tartarus to collapse and be destroyed, plus the blast not only killed all the creatures still imprisoned in there, but it shook a massive tremor across Equestria that went into Canterlot. Cozy Glow then pulled out what she and Tirek called a "Revenge List". "Number 1: Destroy Tartarus to prevent any form of re-imprisonment....check!" said Cozy Glow. "Scratched one goal off, what's number 2?" asked Tirek. "Number 2....." Cozy then chuckled evilly, "Destroy the Tree of Harmony that way Twilight and her brat friends don't have any chance of getting their magic back!" "Will it work?" asked Tirek. "It's.....full proof, say goodbye Equestria to your magic.....FOREVER!!!!!!!!" she and Tirek then laughed a very loud evil laugh as a picture of the Tree of Harmony blew by in the wind.