The water landed on top of a statue on which it seemed to either turn into a fog veil or flow over it. No, not a statue it was alive and it didn’t look very happy. For the things eyes were focused on me and they seemed to be filled with such a big amount of hate its eyes seem to shine or that was the lava they were made off.
I was wondering why it was staring so intensely at me but then it hit me as my weird dreams seemed to return to my memory once more.
As I looked at the thing better I noticed that it was similar shaped as me. But it seemed to be made of spiky stones and crystals and it seemed to be bigger than the skeleton that was laying on top of those five mountains in a row. From the mouth came the same red light as its eyes and between the plates and cracks of its skin came the same light. It was almost as if its body on the inside of the stone armor was made of lava.
“I see you finally have found me. WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG!? I should destroy you and find a different pawn to do my bidding.” The creatures voice was loud and heavy it made the place we were in shiver but the moment he yelled it literally shook.
“Well I kinda can’t remember anything because some weird hole inside of me and which is as well causing me not being able to hear names.” I said trying to sound not to scared but I am not very sure I was doing a very good job.
“WHAT!? That shouldn’t have happened I have done the soul sever a million times before and … of course it was HIM.” The big thing was surprised by my answer but as he went over what he had done to me his voice turned to malice.
“Uhm, who?” Why can’t I keep my trap shut, WHY?
“Who? WHO? I tell you who!” flames seemed to burst from his eyes and mouth as he got angrier by the minute.
“Like I said before I can’t hear names because whatever went wrong.” I was starting to get so scared any minute I would wet myself any minute now. Though that probably won’t happen because my blather is squeezing itself shut in terror.
“Fine I shall restore your soul to its former state but be warned if you double cross me I shall end your existence faster than you can blink.” At this point spittle flew from his mouth … which caused the rocks too melt into lava where it landed.
Not long after a purple glow appeared on my nose which slowly grew till it covered my whole body. I was not sure what was happening because I felt the same as I always had until a shock raced through my body as if lightning struck me over and over. But if that wasn’t bad enough the feeling that followed was worse because it felt as if someone was trying to stitch a your hearth back in your chest with a rusty spoon and lots of rubbing alcohol.
When I finally came to I was not sure how long I was out but I felt completely sore all over. But then it hit me like a freight train all my old memories of who I was and how I used to act around others. How my life used to be before I came here and more. My opinion of my former life is that I loathed myself. My life in the world of Equestria without a memory had caused me to create an improved personality compared to what I had. Sure it was only slightly better but it had caused me to get out the downward spiral I was in and now I have a chance to make something of myself.
“It seemed you have awaken. Good. You asked me who caused the memory problem. I shall tell you what’s his name is. It’s Random. He is the god of the unexpected, master of unpredictability and lord of improvising. He has a personality just as bad as Discord. They used to be buddies causing chaos to mortal and god alike. When everything came to be as it is now they grew apart and started to go their own way but what neither of them seem to notice that when one pops up to cause mischief the other does as well. Its cause they are connected to the same source of power. While Discord picks his weapon so to say Random blindly grabs something and goes with it.”
“I have my memory back but it is still let’s say scrambled. So could you tell me what you want me to do for you?” I asked hoping for not an another outburst.
“That’s easy I want you to get me out of my prison as that was the deal we struck. Your reward for this was that you could live the rest of your life in Equestria doing whatever what you want to do.” I might not be a professional face reader but even I was able to see the wicked smile on the guys face that there was a catch somewhere.
“And if I might ask, how?” Ah there comes the grumpy face.
“I can’t tell you.” My eyebrow slowly climbed my face.
“What?”
“I can’t tell you because this prison prevents me from telling anyone but before my capture I was complete locked away I created temples with clues for my escape. Find them and release me. Now go my guards are breaking through the last of my strength and they will kill you when they can.” That exact moment explosions on the paths on the wall went off as lava started to pool from it and creatures that looked like me but were made of lava appeared hissing loudly.
“Crap.” Was my only comment as I started to run for my life.
The lava things were slowly multiplying as they started to either spit or throw balls of lava in my direction forcing me to change my direction a couple of times.
“Minions are no longer what they used to be. In my time they were able to save themselves.” The imprisoned god said as his eyes glowed and rocks started to crack and shoot up in the path of the lava balls.
This was my chance it was no or never as I weaved myself between the floating rocks and the flying slash burning spitballs. Time seemed to slow as I jumped through the door and the big wave of lava bodies missed me just barely.
They started to hiss as they moved through the door slowly towards me and the feeling of doom slowly creeps onto me. Those things were probably faster than me and the lava spitting thing made it even harder for me. Meaning I had to either totally stop them or at least slow them or else I was a dead Armor Lizard.
Slowly moving back I started to plan how I could slow them long enough for me to survive which was harder than expected because every plan I came up with ended me dead. The lava creatures were waiting it seems for me to make the first move meaning they probably were thinking it was me who made those floating rocks and they are not sure what else I am able to do.
My luck ran out as one of them lost their patience and started to spit at me. I dove out of the way which caused the others to act as well. I had a plan but no idea if it would work or not so having no other choice than to go with it. I jumped against the wall and dug my way into it and started to dig a spiral tunnel around the hall way. The lava things roared and started to spit at the walls, roofs and floors causing the tunnel to slowly boil and eat through the rock. From time to time I showed myself in one of the corners so that they wouldn’t stop spitting.
After spiraling around the hallway at least 15 times I dig a hole from the ceiling and land on my feet. I gave a look to the entrance and saw that lava was nearly covering every inch of the part I had been digging. The creatures were roaring and hissing load in rage as they saw me and came at me hoping take to take me down.
But just as the creatures started to run a loud rumbling was heard as the part of the hallway started to crumble. My digging had destroyed the integrity of the hallway structure and the heat cause the rock to expand now causing it to collapse right on top some of the creatures.
Giving a smug smile I started to walk till a loud crack wiped that smile from my face. I looked down and saw a big long crack in the middle of the ground going slowly towards my exit. I ran fast as I could as suddenly the hallway collapsed behind me.
It seemed it never ended as I ran from the collapsing tunnel that seemed to get closer slowly as I could feel peddles hit my smooth skin. I was nearly out of breath from running so much and my vision was blurry from the lack of oxygen that reach my brain. I felt a pretty rock hit my back causing me to stumble and slide over the ground before coming to a stop. Curling up into a ball I awaited to get crushed by the ceiling as I heard a loud crash and got covered by rocks myself.
After a minute I popped up from under the pile of rocks and I saw that the collapse had taken the whole hallway but that I had only just made it to the room I had woken up in. Dragging myself out of the pile I noticed that I truly had been lucky because I would have been crushed if I had been any slower.
“Ah, you have returned my friend. Do tell me what you have seen I must know.” The transparent pony asked getting close in my face.
I told everything I had seen and what happened to me since the moment I had left this place. “Oh, now that I can hear names again can you tell me your again?”
“Just amazing it means the crystal is a portal to Tartarus and only your kind might be able to use it without dying. But of course I can do that for you. I am Ancient Lore in my occupation many call me Master of the Lore, people I met call me Ancient or Lore depending on the culture but my family calls me Al.”
“… Al?”
“Indeed … Al. I know a name normally donkey’s or cow’s have but I got it from my niece Daring Do and the family liked my new nickname and took it over. I have tried to change it a few times but to no avail.” Ancient said as he scratched the back of his head.
“Have you found a way to get out of here?” I asked looking around.
“Well no. but I have found something else.”
Ancient floated to a wall where used to be a rock wall but now there seemed to be a stone tablet, with a few holes, that covered most of the wall on which someone had drawn many small pictures. His eyes seemed to glitter in excitement off this as if it was something amazing. I was not sure what to make of the tablet with the weird drawings on it.
“What… am I looking at?” The pictures looked nice but anything else was beyond me.
“What you’re looking at, my dear friend Granite, is the history of everything even pre-dating time.” Ancient was looking with glee at this discovery but then his face dropped and he looked kind of sour. “But the problem is that the most important parts have been destroyed by those cursed roots and the pieces are too small to put back together.”
Just as he said I now noticed that there indeed were a few parts gone one close to the beginning and two somewhere in the middle.
“What it says is this.” Ancient stopped as rumbling started and an eerie red light was coming from behind us.
We looked around and saw that lava was slowly coming from the entrance I had come from and it seemed that it was flowing, from the cracks, pretty fast.
“I think we got to go.” I stated.
“Indeed.” He agreed with me.
“How?” We slowly turned pale as we looked at each other before sweat started to drip from our heads from the heat and fear. I am not sure how Ancient did all that being sort off dead and that kind of stuff but yet he did.
We started to panic and I ran to the spot I woke up and started to look around fast. “I need an exit, NOW!” In the corner of my eye I could see those things slowly appearing from the slowly pooling lava.
Then it became dark.
Blinking a few times trying to see in the dark but it doesn’t get better so I try to move my claw to my face but it is stopped. There seemed something around my head and I as I felt around the object it was made of metal like material. From the other side I could hear soft screaming and it seemed the ground was rumbling in a way that didn’t feel like an earth quake.
“Ah, your awake brilliant how you got us out of there. Not sure how but still brilliant.” Ancient started happily to blabber in my face. It seemed he was stuck in the strange shrine as well.
“Alright now to get this thing off.” I said as I started to scratch at the metallic shell and slowly shredded it to piece till I was able to pull my head out.
Looking around me I saw what caused the shaking I kept on feeling and it seemed that this was truly not my day. The temple itself was collapsing and big pieces of worked stone started to fall from the roof. The group I had gone towards the temple were running around trying to dodge the falling stone and not many were successful doing so.
“Great, you survived hoof over the gem and let’s get the buck out of here before we get crushed as well.” The Boss didn’t look happy, not that was any different than normal, as he pretty much commanded to hand over the gem, what was on the floating hexagon, on top of the altar.
“Sorry, boss. But I kinda swallowed that one.” I had pretty much from this guy and now with my memories returned I pretty much didn’t need him anymore.
“You did, WHAT!?” He looked shocked and he went from dark blue to purple and I expected a blood vessel to pop, at least. “I am going to gut you like a griffon does with a fish and pull that gem from you.” He said before drawing his sword.
“YOU will do NO such thing. Not while I am around Steel Hoof.” I heard the voice of Ancient before he popped from my head and flew towards the boss pony who’s name seemed to be Steel Hoof. “I send me too that same gem while knowing it was trapped didn’t you!?” Ancient was no longer slightly transparent but seemed to be more like a miniature blue sun the way he was shining in anger.
“No, how? But … you died!? Your laying over there how can you…” Steel hoof said shocked as he dropped his sword and moved backwards in fear. But as he did there was a loud noise sounding, it lasted not longer than a second, but it did sound a bit like metal moving fast past something. The boss pony stopped moving as blood came from his mouth. A thin vertical line, made from blood, running between his eyes and seemed to disappear in his hair line. It was almost like something had cut him in two… correction something had cut him in two I rectified myself as Steel Hoof fell both left AND right.
“But, but, but, I wanted to scare him for getting me killed, maybe give him a ticket to the men in white not kill him.” Ancient said as he looked guilty at the dead body(s?) of Steel Hoof.
“Therapy comes later but first let’s get out of here!” I pretty much had to shout over the rumbling now. Ancient disappeared in a bright flash and I wanted to be happy for him going to the other side and probably mourn him but that had to wait.
The room seemed to burst in flames as from the middle of the altar lava started to flow causing the remainder of the room slowly collapse into the lake of liquid fire.
This was my cue as I started to run staying in front the collapsing tunnel only just inches and the red light coming from behind me was enough for me to know that I didn’t want to fall. I had a few times a bit of luck as the collapsing slowed down half way through the tunnel and I was safe it seemed. Don’t expect me to slow down because I dare to bet that would be a very dumb idea.
When the end of the tunnel came in sight I could dance, laugh, scream in … in frigging terror as the universe truly HATED me. I mean what else could it mean if the crater was almost completely filled with LAVA. My jaw had pretty much hit the floor as I looked down from the temple.
Of course the universe truly hated me as from the entrance, I came from, was spraying the liquid fire all over the place. I had no other choice and I ran down the stairs and jumped to a floating rock that was passing by.
The temple now imploded into the lake of lava. Which moron built their temple in the middle of a volcano? And the wave caused me to hold on the rock as I was pretty much was surfing now. I was steering the rock away from bigger rocks that were picked up by the wave and came towards me.
The rock I was on was getting near the top of the wave and I knew that any moment I would get swallowed by the wave but then I saw my rescue. Multiple rocks coming were slowly getting in my reach and if I had to guess they should be able to support me. Sweat was pouring from me from as I had to wait for the rocks to get in my range, probably from the lava as well.
It was now or never. I thought and jumped on to the first rock, then jumped again, over and over. But the flow of the wave was just too fast and I got flung through the air causing me to spin fast so that everything was a blur. I closed my eyes because I was getting sick and all I could do was wait for the pain of burning from burning liquid stone. What I got wasn’t what I expected but still painful.
Landing back first on a rocky service before I bounced further down a hill hitting pretty much every stone that was taller than a few foot sticking out of the ground. Slowly getting up from the rough landing I looked up with a groan to see that I had been thrown out of the crater and that the giant wave of lava had thrown out some of its content, along with me, but it wasn’t enough that it could reach me.
Then I noticed the sky it was a dark purple and that would mean that the skeletons would be able to leave their tunnels and other safe havens. When not moving I thought that I was in terrible pain but having to run after all that it was just the worst I ever felt even worse than the avalanche I had caused all that time ago.
Around a half a hour under way to the base when I felt the ground shake once more. I looked back to the now active volcano and saw that it wasn’t exploding once more but what did cause the shaking? Just at that moment a big boney foot crashed down on top of a hill around thirty feet from me. Looking up I could see it was one of those giant skeletons and it was moving at a slow speed for something that size but because the size it still went faster than I could.
It than it me. The direction that thing was going it was towards the town. I had to warn them because none of the defenses were made for something that size. But the moment I went over the last hill, what gave me a good sight off the town, it was already too late the thing had pushed its head into the hole and was chewing even rocks to pieces. Some Pegasus were able to fly to safety but weren’t able to get far as smaller skeletons jumped from the big one and on top of the survivors leaving none alive.
Having no place left I went north as they had said the nearest trading camp was located But first I had to get past a legion or twenty before I was safe.