//------------------------------// // Stave 2 // Story: The Interdimensional Escapades of one Beetle the changeling // by Ellery Quinn //------------------------------// ----------------------------------------------------------------------The Temple of Evil---------------------------------------------------------- Malgotha tried everything to try and find his nemesis reborn. He knew he would come back, he always did. Scrying, astral projection, tarot decks, interrogating demons, cross referencing all of the above, all he found was a tarot card, left at the gates of the land of the dead. But he knew if he did not use him as the six hundred and sixty sixth sacrifice, that all would be for naught. Many years did he toil, putting greater stains on his already unsalvageable soul. Until at last he found a faint trace of his soul signature, in some backwater realm inhabited by equinoids of all creatures. Their magic though was considerable, and would require some caution. At long last, he was able to narrow it down to a single location, a school dedicated to friendship, as if that was an academic subject. Turns out this incarnation was some kind of shapeshifter. Of course, as usually happened, as that guy usually managed to fake drinking the water of Lethe, her (in this case) memories would kick back in, so he would have to send his two greatest, (relatively) skilled temple assassins ... "Belgox, Betelvox, I have a job for you." The two cultists, fanatically devoted to a multitude of evil gods (notably Cthulhu), murderous, and willing to do anything for Malgotha entered the room. Belgox, the one of the two in a red cloak shouted, "Yeah Boss? What is it?" "I have someone I need brought here for our six hundred and sixty sixth sacrifice. How will you feel about being sent to a school for friendship for a year? You will be richly rewarded." He pulled out a picture of a silver insectoid horse creature. Betelgox, the one in a blue cloak, smiled, "A school for friendship? That sounds really fun!" Belgox turned to his compatriot and sighed, "We're evil cultists, we don't do friendship!" Malgotha replied "Just don't do a repeat of your last job." Belgox replied" That should be easier as there is not a herd of elephants in question to rile into stampeding through the place." Betelgox lowered his head, looking ashamed. Malgotha simply grinned. That is when the two fanatics realized the big spell book on their bosses table was open to a polymorph other spell. ------------------------------------------School of Friendship, Equestria------------------------------------------------------------------- Beetle was late for her generosity class. While dodging through the crowd and running at full speed, she made it just in time to not be spotted Mrs Rarity and slowly sat down to something unexpected. "Class there are two new students I would like to introduce, Belgox," A blood-red pegasi with a pentagram cutie mark, odd for a pegasus. "and Betelgox." A smiling blue unicorn who had a black compass rose like cutie mark, but the one that pointed south was was twice as long as the others. Weird thing is, the names sounded familiar, and untrustworthy, and the compass cutie mark brought the word chaos to her mind. Weird. "They come from... 'Some obscure place in the middle of nowhere, definitely not from a temple to an evil god.' That's... interesting. Now I know they have come a long way so be inviting. " The students went and took seats, and they oddly seemed to be watching Beetle but when she turned to look at them they quickly diverted their eyes. Double weird. After a long lesson on Generosity, Beetle was finally free to head to the library to talk to her friends, a griffon named Ajax, and a dragon named Calphryxius where she noted that the two new students were tailing her to the history section where she was waiting for her friends, straight across from the horror section where both of them seemed to be watching her under the cover of reading H.P. Lovecolt (why they had the writings of someone so intolerant of non ponies was anyone's guess) The next thing she knew they were right up next to her. Unbeknownst to Beetle, Belgox had drawn a slightly anachronistic taser and reached over to give Beetle the full blast, reaching behind the back of betelgox and, "AUGH!" It turns out Belgox's reach was a bit short and everyone stared at Betelgox who glared at Belgox and quickly said while still twitching from the electrical shock, "S-Sorry... This story really is terrifying!" They slowly moved to another, less filled, section of the library. "For crying out loud Betelgox, you didn't need to draw so much attention!" "You'd scream too if you had a taser put to your backside!" "By Cthulhu, this incarnation is tricky! We need to redo our extraction strategy! We don't want a repeat of last time!" Belgox still had the words 'F.B.I!!!! OPEN UP!' ringing in his ears. Unbeknownst to the pair of cultists, they were being eavesdropped by Beetle and her friends, who had shown up and decided to find out what the heck was happening with those guys. Beetle turned to her friends and said 2 words. "Oh [redacted]"