//------------------------------// // A Very Merry Meet-Up // Story: Dimensions of the Elder Gods // by Balkanboy //------------------------------// Chapter 7: A Very Merry Meet-Up Plummeting to his death was the worst experience he had ever had in his life. Okay maybe the second worst. The worst was when a cultist attempted to bring Nyarlathotep into the world through his stomach, but we won’t get into that right now. Most people would have given up by now, resigning themselves to their fate, but Peter, Peter had... Oh, who am I kidding. Peter thought he was going to die, and was bawling his eyes out while Franko was deathly silent. He had no idea what to do, no spells to help them, no last minute advice, and the only perso- pony that could help them had left in a random direction in an attempt to find him. He should have taken her advice and stayed tied to the chair. As the ground came closer and closer, fear made his mental capacity smaller and smaller until the only thing he could think about was wiggling his arms about and screaming. You know if I was a book this wouldn’t kill me... I think. Peter responded with screaming. What, nothing to say? No last words? Peter’s answer was the same. I guess this is goodbye then. It did well and truly seem like the final goodbye, but through an extraordinary stroke of luck, a courier pegasus called Primo Class was speeding along, on his way to deliver his mail load to the inhabitants of Ponyville. This job was simple enough, certainly no trek through Diamond Dog country which would almost always result in his shorts being ripped to shreds. His badge on his shirt said ‘Through rain, snow, sleet and hale, we always get Ponies their mail.’ It should be noted that after this night he made a formal complaint regarding his employment contract and whether or not the fine print stated anything about falling ape-fiends. Peter’s collision with him certainly wasn’t enough to slow him down substantially, and the ponies flapping was to no avail, but as his streak of luck continued, they hit another... and another... and another, until finally they hit the ground at a reasonably safe speed. That was a bit of a deus ex machina if you ask me. Something up there must like you. Yeah, or saving me for themself... Limping away from the tangled heap of ponies, he took a moment to gather himself. He was no longer in Ponyville he knew that much. The field they had landed in was full of apple trees, each one bristling with fruit, though some of them had been painted, why he didn’t know. He had fallen from... There was nothing there. Just a few clouds, though he didn’t pay much attention to that. He sat down on the grass staring up at the sky in disbelief until shaking himself and proceeding with his next task of finding the Everfree Forest. Fluttershy was the only one who could get him home. She knew the pony who was supposed to help him, not to mention he felt a little guilty for leading Tyral to her. He could see a barn not too far away on a hill overlooking the entire area, and a house right next to it. Probably the owner’s place. I think we should steer clear of it. I’m not so sure... It’s the best vantage point for miles. I think I should at least get a look. You’re the boss. ------------ ‘Okay girls, the princess should be here-’ There was a bright flash of light and a whooshing sound. ‘-soon.’ Princess Celestia trotted up to the Mane-6-currently-turned-Mane-4 all the while looking around cautiously. She nodded to them. ‘How nice to see you girls. I got your scroll, is everything okay?’ Twilight stepped forward. ‘Yes princess everything is fine. We have the monster you told us about in custody at Rainbow Dash’s house.’ For a split second the princess’s face showed exactly what she was feeling; overwhelming relief at finally stopping it and making her job that much easier, then her brain kicked into gear and she reverted to a calm, happy smile. ‘That is a relief to hear Twilight. Was there anything else?’ Twilight shifted her gaze left and right. She had left out the part about Fluttershy being kidnapped because she wasn’t sure who to trust other than the princess. The army had done it, leading her to believe that there was some kind of conspiracy going on, and if any personnel at the castle saw it, maybe she would be inadvertently giving away the fact that they were onto them? ‘Well, Fluttershy was taken into custody by the army...’ Her expression froze. ‘Sorry Twilight, could you repeat that?’ ‘The soldiers arrested Fluttershy for assaulting an officer.’ The white alicorn would have laughed herself to death if she didn’t think Twilight was serious. Fluttershy was the epitome of kindness, there was zero to really, really, really slim of her having done something like that. ‘I will look into it Twilight, I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding. Now, regarding the monster...’ ‘Uh, Twilight...’ Rainbow Dash appeared from around the barn. ‘Rainbow Dash, nice of you to join us. I take it you will lead us to the monster?’ She looked at her expectantly. She smiled gingerly. ‘Uh, yeah, monster, heh, about that...’ Applejack sighed. ‘What’s wrong this time Dash...’ ‘Well you see I just went to- and then I- and he fell- and I tried, but-’ She covered her face frustratedly, while the mares tried to work out what exactly she had said. ‘Did you say he fell darling?’ Asked Rarity, a concerned tone overtaking her voice. She nodded. ‘Ah.’ Their faces turned rather pale as they all turned to the Princess, and Pinkie Pie’s hair looked dangerously close to bursting. Celestia was at a loss. She wasn’t quite sure if it would be possible to tell them that this had technically made her job easier without them thinking that she was some sort of heartless monster. Not that she’d wanted it to pan out this way. She’d much preferred if he had been alive, but hey, you can’t have everything. ‘That is rather... unfortunate to hear Rainbow Dash. Is there any particular reason?’ She shook her head. ‘I just went to get some food, and when I came back he was gone. He must have jumped out or something...’ ‘I see.’ Celestia sighed. ‘I suppose we’ll have to find the body then.’ Everyone was quiet. ------------ As he got closer he could see that there had been someone there recently. There were fresh hoof-prints and a strand of multi-coloured hair What was her name, Rainbow Dash that was it. She’s been here then? Looks that way. Hopefully they aren’t coming back anytime soon. He trekked onwards, his injured foot slowing him down. His first action was to go inside the barn, before closing the doors behind himself to not attract attention. Next, he climbed the (rather small) stairs leading up to the first floor. The large barn window provided a good vantage point, and he could see Ponyville off in the distance. Most of the shutters were closed, but there were a few that had light shining through them, and they acted as his landmark, aside from the towers of Canterlot looming over in the distance. The Everfree forest seemed to be a few kilometers away, close enough to do it in a day, but not close enough that he would do it right now. It was the middle of the night and therefore (contrary to popular belief) the worst time for sneaking about. Look at the moon, it’s flickering. Flickering? That can’t be right. Just look. At first it was hard to spot, but after looking at it for long enough he could see that it was indeed flickering. He suddenly got the feeling that he was being watched, yet again. It felt like back at the factory, those few nights ago. He moved away from the window. It didn’t feel right being under the moon.His next task was to find a bale of hay that would hide him adequately from anyone who carelessly wondered in. After taking his pick, he settled down, taking off his coat and covering himself with it. ------------ As Celestia had asked, Luna was scouring the land for the monster. She had initially been watching it through a number of complicated spells, one including the moon, but after that had failed, she decided to undertake the less taxing task of ‘feeling’ the land for hi- it. So far nothing. She groaned in frustration and levitated a glass of water to herself, taking small sips. The night was unusually calm, calmer than normal. Even the crickets were silent, and, she didn’t know why, that scared her. It was like what many ponies had referred to as the ‘calm before the storm’. Maybe it had something to do with the monster, but maybe it didn't, she didn’t know, and that was what she didn’t like. Another one of the many qualities she shared with her sister; they both hated feeling helpless, clueless and unable to control the situation. She got back to work. Tia would be asking for any news in a few minutes. ------------ Peter sat up, his body aching from the stiffness the cold had brought on. ‘What another glorious day,’ he mumbled to himself. After a few minutes of making sure everything was where it was supposed to be, he gazed out the window. It looked like it was almost noon. ‘Shit, I overslept!’ He hurried down the ladder, and pushed the barn doors open. He was about to leave for the barn when he noticed the five mares from yesterday standing in a semicircle a few metres away from him. This is the second time... Luckily for him they weren’t focused on him. He quickly scrambled behind a few barrels of what smelled like cider. In between the barrels he watched them. They seemed to be discussing something, and they all seemed a little grim. Maybe something had happened to Fluttershy? He continued to survey them, but they didn’t seem to be saying much. When they did, they spoke in hushed tones, so he could barely hear them. After a few minutes he decided to move on, and things would have gone a lot smoother if he hadn’t turned around to find a small red maned, yellow filly staring at him. After a few seconds of mutual shock, she screamed. From behind him he heard somepony, probably the orange one, say, ‘That must be Applebloom!’ He immediately sprinted off towards the forest. As soon as he put weight on his injured leg , he fell over swearing. Gathering himself, he limped away as fast as he could, not looking back. The unmistakable sound of hoof steps came from behind him, and he increased his speed, panicking. If they got to him, they could easily overpower him despite his height advantage. His only chance was the forest. Fortunately for him, the girls didn’t actually know which way he went, otherwise they would have been upon him much sooner. It was this respite that allowed him to slip unnoticed from the field. At least, so he thought. Behind him a pegasus soared into the air, breaking to a stop several metres above the ground then searching the land around her. After some time he came to the forest stepping into the foliage. The forest was alive with animals, chitters and all, the sounds of bird songs soothing to the ears. Behind him there was a light purple flash and some coughs. I thought that had been too easy. Once more he limped as fast as he could. This time however he didn’t have the same advantage as last time and, while the undergrowth hindered them, it wasn’t enough to save him. Soon a bridge came in sight, and it looked like it had been recently repaired. A few symbols had been etched into a stone tablet that had been set next to it, symbols he seemed to remember... ‘Hol’ it right there!’ The orange pony jumped in front of him, blocking his path. He tried to slip past her but she bucked him in the stomach sending him flying backwards. He started to retch as his nerves kicked in. The ponies formed a circle around him, and when it was obvious he wasn’t getting out he sat down, rubbing his leg. It throbbed now, most of the pain having subsided into numbness. ‘How did you survive?’ Asked Rainbow Dash, still slightly dumbstruck by the turn of events. ‘What, the fall? I got lucky,’ he responded without looking up at her. She took it, deciding that was the best answer he was going to give her on the subject. ‘So are you ponies going to do something, or just stare at me?’ He looked around at them. They were tired from having to chase him so far, though the orange one and Rainbow Dash didn’t look as exhausted as the rest of them. His adrenaline hadn’t quite subsided yet, though, as he tried to formulating a plan to get out. Nothing came to mind. Twilight stepped forward. ‘You’re coming with us Peter.’ He threw his hands up. ‘We’ve already been over this, I can’t. I’ve got a perso- pony to save, and a home to go to.’ ‘But Princess Celestia sai-’ ‘Look, never mind what the princess said. If you were dropped into a strange land full of creatures you’ve only heard of in myths and had one chance to go home, wouldn’t you take it?’ ‘Wait, we only exist in myth?’ She questioned him, surprised. he rolled his eyes. ‘Yes, I can tell you more later if you want, but right now I have to go save that friend of yours. She isn’t exactly the type of pers- pony to be in a prison cell.’ Twilight faltered. He genuinely wanted to save her, it wasn’t a ruse. ‘Stand down girls.’ Rainbow Dash turned to her. ‘What? He’s an enemy of the state, we have to take him in!’ The purple unicorn sighed. ‘I know Rainbow Dash, but... he’s... he’s just trying to get home. It’s better than having him imprisoned isn’t it?’ She was about to say something, but the pegasus couldn’t think of a better argument. Not at that moment anyway. ‘Besides he’s willing to help save Fluttershy, so why not let him?’ She just shrugged and gave up. He stood back up and started crossing the bridge. ‘Hey, where’re you going?’ Asked Twilight, who chased after him. ‘There are these ruins up ahead. The cultists are using it as their headquarters, and something tells me that she’s there.’ ‘And, uh, what is this something, exactly?’ Asked Rarity who trotted up beside him. ‘A hunch.’ ‘Yer goin’ on a hunch.’ Stated Applejack, slightly mortified. ‘Yep. I’ve found that they tend to be right.’ ‘So what’s the plan!’ Pinkie Pie started looking under rocks and in bushes as though looking for something. ‘Go inside, get Fluttershy, get out.’ Twilight raised her eyebrow. ‘So what you’re saying is, no plan.’ ‘Yep.’ They continued on in silence. I wonder who that friend of Fluttershy’s is. Which one? The one who’s supposed to help us get home. Oh yeah. Do you think we should ask... these mares? It can wait. It’s only going to make you less focused. You’re right. They trudged on. As they went further, Peter realised something. The birds had stopped singing. ------------ ‘Fluttershy, look at me. It’s going to be fine. They don’t want to do anything to you, they can’t. You’re an element of harmony. The princess will- will punish them if you do.’ Tears streamed down her eyes as the colt in the next cell wailed in pain, every so often the sound of bones snapping interrupting his unending screams. The soldiers were talking about a ‘chamber’ and some ‘ritual’, then when the crying had reduced to a whimper, Slate saw through the door bars that somepony brought a scroll into the other cell. They both listened promptly, Fluttershy suppressing her crying to quiet sobs, as the soldier read something muffled out to the prisoner. ‘Yes! I’ll do it!’ He managed to rasp out. As they dragged his body out, Slate covered Fluttershy’s eyes and grimaced at the colt. The soldiers had broken everything with the exception of his head, probably to allow him to talk unhindered. When they disappeared round the corner, he removed his hooves. She had stopped crying now, but the tears were fresh on her cheeks. He wiped her face dry with a rag they had left in the cell. ‘You’ve got to be brave Fluttershy. I know it’s a lot to take in, but there are worse things that could happen.’ ‘L-l-like what?’ She stammered, shaking slightly as a draft rolled in from... somewhere. ‘Well, it could be-’ Wait a minute. A draft! He pressed himself right up against the back of the cell wall and started to tap. Maybe there was a secret passage behind the wall... No, nothing. It wasn’t hollow. The draft must have come from somewhere else. ‘Uncle Slate?’ ‘Huh? Oh yeah, uh, well you could be alone. That wouldn’t be very nice would it?’ ‘I guess not,’ she replied quietly. He sat down and stared at the wall. There wasn’t a lot to do in a prison cell, and Fluttershy probably didn’t feel like talking. ‘How about we play a game?’ She looked up at him. ‘A game?’ ‘Yeah a game. Y’know, to raise the spirits.’ ‘Oh, okay. What did you have in mind?’ That was a good question. What could they play locked in a small room? ‘How about eye-spy? It’s as good as any.’ She nodded, even smiling a little. ‘Okay, now, I spy...’ ------------ Tyral had asked for another prisoner, and he wanted it now, so apparently the soldiers were supposed to lay off on the long beatings. The soldiers walked side by side down the dark corridors, past a few robed ponies who were cleaning up the remains of a monster that had accidentally come through the portal. They took a few turns, then walked some more until they came upon the holding cells. The first guard looked around. Empty. All except one. They approached it, and as the second guard opened it, the first one entered. Now he had a choice. The colt or the mare... In the end he decided the mare. The captain had asked for another pony quickly, so they weren’t going to do much to whoever was picked. At least this way she wouldn’t suffer as much. ‘You.’ He pointed to her. ‘Get up.’ The colt immediately sprang up, sending the guard into a combat stance. ‘No, please leave her. Take me instead!’ He loosened up and smiled under his helmet. He’d heard that line hundreds of times in the last two weeks, and while at first it might have seemed heroic, it was felt pretty tacky now. The second guard used his horn to sit him down and keep his mouth shut. The first returned his attention to the mare. ‘I said, up.’ She didn’t move, frozen in abject fear. He rolled his eyes. He trotted over to her to pick her up, but when he came close she suddenly opened her wings and flew to the top corner of the cell. He started chasing her around as the second guard watched in amusement until he finally decided to stop the chase with a magical smack to her head. She hit the ground with a thud and a cry. Unfortunately for the guards, this meant that Slate was momentarily free of his invisible shackles, and as the first guard turned to meet him, a hoof slammed square into his chest, breaking a few ribs. The second guard once more incapacitated the grey colt, but this time rendered him unconscious so that he wouldn’t cause any more problems. The first guard got up and kicked his body. ‘I was going to show some... restraint, but now, well you've pissed me off.’ As he came closer, she whimpered, too weak to move. ‘Hey, careful, she might try to fly off again,’ the second one said. The first smiled. ‘Well, we’re just going to have to fix that aren’t we...’ She made herself smaller as she cowered in a corner. He reached with both his hooves, clasping her wings with them. ‘Don’t hurt me...’ She pleaded almost silently. ‘Too late.’ ‘CRRRRACK.’ (Sorry for the long wait, but writers block has hit me hard. For the last month I sat in front of the screen unable to write anything. Hopefully the next one will arrive sooner. As always, comments are nice as they encourage me to write a lot more, a lot faster.)