-TERRARIA, DESERT BIOME, ANUBIS’S PYRAMID-
The entirety of Anubis’s throne room was completely filled with shock as everyone from Home Town simply stared towards the ancient deity with matching expressions.
“T-Twilight?” Rainbow Dash inquires in a sorrowful tone. “Yharim turned this world’s version of my best friend into… a god eating, m-monster?” She then takes on an expression of absolute fury as she exclaims: “What the buck is Yharim’s problem?! Who the buck does he think he is to just buck around with other lives like this?! He’s even messed with Pinkie Pie!” She then slams a forehoof onto the golden table and declares: “I say we go out there right now and hunt that bucker down!”
“Rainbow Dash,” Applejack comments which catches the cyan pegasus’s attention; who also starts to take heavy breaths. “We need to remain focused, R.D. That no good Yharim has undoubtedly caused all manner of wrong in this world. However, let’s not rush to our own deaths. Ya’ know all about what that rotten apple is capable of and we sure ain’t ready to tackle it. We’ll cross that bridge one day, Rainbow… we just ain’t ready.”
“I understand your anger all too well,” Echo Silhouette comments as everyone turns towards the humanoid changeling with curiosity. “My condolences to you all for having to suffer at that monster’s hands.”
“You see?! Even this world’s changelings aren’t spared from that guy!” Rainbow Dash exclaims.
“If you don’t mind,” Terralestia injects. “May I ask you what that traitor has done to you?”
The features of the humanoid changeling instantly morphs into one that matches Rainbow Dash’s own: Fury; along with a pinch of disgust. However, it wasn’t just Echo who reacted to terralestia’s question as every changeling in the room instantly halted their actions and looked towards Echo.
Echo takes a breath and clenches his fists before saying:
“He tried to recruit my mother, the Queen Of The Changelings, and by extension... us, into his gathering of evil doers and heartless monsters,” This causes a series of gasps from certain individuals before he continues: “Oh, he tried to put on one hell of an act. Trying to make it look as if he was some innocent scholar who wanted to do ‘research’. My mother wasn’t fooled and saw right through his lies! But… what he did next, would hurt us in more ways than even he could ever realize.” Tears were threatening to leave Echo’s light blue eyes to which Sai Sahan comments:
“We… understand if this is a painful conversation. Perhaps we shou-”
“No. It’s fine, terrarian,” Echo assures before he then takes a breath and continues: “Yharim… he killed my mother, destroyed our hive, and nearly vanquished our hive mind, just because she rejected his ‘offer’. The only reason the hive mind was spared is due to my mother passing it onto me, before Yharim could deliver a finishing blow. Thus making me the current ruler of the changelings. Those of us who remain, that is.”
“Good lord… and here I thought Skeletron was a nasty son of a bitch.” Jeremy The Angler comments.
Echo takes a moment to recollect himself before saying:
“What’s worse is that even after all of that, he still wasn’t done with causing us further pain.”
“What?!” Everyone exclaims in unison.
“Killin’ yer’ mother and family wasn’t already ‘good’ enough fer’ him?! Ya’ got ta be bucking kidd’n me!” Applejack roars out as she internally sympathises with the humanoid changeling.
“Insolent monstrosity!” King Amidias exclaims as he then stands from his seat, conjures a trident, and slams it down onto the floor. “That devil knows no bounds to his treachery and tyranny!” The Sea King then focuses his gaze towards Echo and says: “I would like to extend my utmost condolences to you and your people. Me and my beloved subjects have suffered a similar fate.”
As this is going on, Rainbow Dash leans into Anubis and says:
“Ok, seriously, does this world try its very best to make everything Yharim’s fault?”
“You have nooo idea…”
……….
“I thank you for that, King Amidias,” Echo responds with a bowing gesture before he continues: “Yharim’s greatest sin was when he cursed us... to forever be unable to gather love.”
“No way,” Applejack comments in utter disbelief. “B-but, without being able to harvest love, y-ya’ll would-”
“We would’ve died and the changeling race would’ve gone extinct. Although, my mother did have a backup plan… but I have no idea what became of it.”
“What was this plan of hers?” Rainbow Dash inquires.
“My knowledge is limited due to my mother playing it safe. From what I do know, however, is that she hid away a young Queen; in order to ensure our kind’s future. You must understand, these events happened during the Time Of The Ancients, over two thousand years ago.” Echo responds.
“T-two thousand?!” Applejack exclaims. “How in the hay are ya’ll still so young like that?!”
“That’s where I come in,” Anubis responds. “Echo here, along with those who were left of his hive, happened to be trekking through my desert. The very same desert you’re all in now, of course. I’ll give you the ‘too long; hurry up’ version of it: I made them immortal in exchange for their servitude. And before any of you even say it, no, I did not force them. I’m a proper god and fairly laid back, not a dick.”
“Lord Anubis is correct,” Echo comments in a proud tone. “I admit that I was hesitant at first but I couldn’t bear to see my fellow changelings die off due to starvation. So, I took Anubis’s offer and never regretted it to this very day.”
“Whoah oh, dude, you’re awesome!” Rainbow Dash exclaims as Anubis extends a fist towards the pegasus; beckoning her to perform a fist/hoof bump to which she obliges happily.
……….
Some time goes by as both Anubis and King Amidias nods to each other before they then stand from their seats.
“Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Anubis. It shall prepare us for the coming battle in The Sunken Sea.” The Sea King comments as he then bows in a gratuitous gesture.
“Think nothing of it. Consider this my apology for jumping to conclusions,” The ancient deity then places his hands onto his waist as he throws his head high into the air and lets out a loud laugh before saying: “Good thing we managed to clear that up before things got heated. I would have smacked you lot around and ordered my changelings to serve what was left of you to the creatures of the desert.”
Upon hearing those words, everyone present, aside from King Amidias and the changelings, suddenly went pale in the face as an awkward silence followed afterwards. Then, both The Sea King and Anubis starts to snicker as the ancient god says:
“You should’ve seen your faces! Hah!”
“I always like to use that one,” Amidias comments. “I sometimes tell travelers that I’ll feed them to a pack of sharks. They obviously become afraid before I say: ‘Just kidding’.”
“Hah! I like that one! Maybe I should conjure a pack of Sand Sharks and do the same?” Anubis responds as he ponders on that suggestion.
Both Rainbow Dash and Applejack were currently wearing nervous smiles as the cyan pegasus comments in a hushed tone:
“These guys have a pretty messed up sense of humor.”
“Says the mare who scares ponies with thunder clouds.”
“Well, I… touche.”
“If I may ask, lord Anubis,” Sai Sahan comments to which Anubis recovers from his laughter and turns his gaze towards the terrarian. “What became of the Crab Cultists that were seen coming here?”
The ancient deity then takes on a mischievous smile as he replies:
“Let’s answer your question, with another question,” Anubis then conjures forth seven separate coffins as everyone present could hear the muffled screams of various individuals from within. “How long do you think it takes for someone who’s buried alive to reach the mummification phase?”
Everyone’s eyes were simply shot wide open as they instantly realized that the screams were coming from trapped members of the cult. Anubis then snaps his fingers which causes the coffins to disappear in a whirlwind of sand before he says:
“I may be a fair god, even a kind one. But, if you come into my pyramid and try to do some sus stuff… you’ve earned yourself a coffin.”
“Sus?” Jeremy The Angler inquired all while the rest of the group were now stunned in a cold sweat.
“It’s an ancient god phrase, don’t think too much of it,” Anubis responds as the entity then claps his hands together and says: “Now, you’ve wasted your time here long enough. I shall open a portal for you to access The Sunken Seas. In addition, I shall send Echo here with you all; to aid you on your quest.”
“By your will, Lord Anubis.” Echo Silhouette responds.
Upon saying those words, Anubis’s eyes and body start to glow with a powerful blue aura as a large number of sand suddenly starts to spin around; fashioning a portal in mere moments with blue energy filling the anomaly’s center.
“This will take you to your destination and I shall keep it open until your return.”
“Ok, no, I am not going into that. I mean, how do you even know it’s safe?!” Jeremy The Angler inquires.
“That’s a perfectly good portal! I should know, I made it!” Anubis roars out in response.
Heeding to his request, everyone starts to enter the anomaly with King Amidias and his soldiers stepping in first. Terralestia steps in next as Jeremy The Angler remains hesitant all while Echo, Sai Sahan, and the two ponies are positioned behind him.
“H-hey, I h-have an idea,” The Angler says hesitantly with strands of sweat starting to form. “H-how about I just-” Suddenly, his words are cut off as Anubis’s large frame towers above him. The ancient god then picks up The Angler with his right hand and says:
“Would you rather I use you as bait to capture Sand Sharks?”
“On second thought, your portal LOOKS LOVELY!” Jeremy roars out as Anubis casually tosses him into the portal, all while everyone who still remained were laughing in response.
Rainbow Dash was just about to hop into the anomaly before she then glances towards Anubis and comments:
“We need to totally hang out again. You’re pretty scary when you have to be but you’re still awesome in my book.”
“Hah! You remind me a lot of Athena. But sure, I don’t mind rolling out the table again to chat with you all. Maybe you can show me that sonic-rainboom of yours.” Anubis responds with a thumbs up.
“I’ll hold you to that!” The cyan pegasus exclaims proudly as she flies into the portal, followed shortly by Echo and Applejack. However, little did the farm mare know, Anubis stares into her shadow as he winks towards a certain humanoid bird who still remained hidden throughout the entire affair as the ancient god comments in a hushed tone: “Been a long time since I saw one of your species, kenku. My condolences for what happened to Torinago.”
Suddenly, after everyone disappears into the portal, Anubis’s features turn into absolute anger as he turns his gaze to another individual. Someone who remained rather silent throughout their entire time being in the throne room: Tanner The Guide.
“Don’t think that I don’t see you, demon. Tell me, what’s Nyarlathotep up to these days? Or Legion? Or should I refer to him as: The Wall Of Flesh?”