The Terrarians

by Space Wizard Novablast

Chapter 3: the prophecy (part 2)

The doors swung open as a gust if wind sweeped out. It had a weird smell to it, at the same time encouraging stepping further into the sanctum, but somehow warning twilight of the dangers that loomed inside.

"I really don't like this spike." Twilight said with as much calm as she could muster. The shadows that seemed to twitch slightly even when she didn't move certainly didn't help.

"Don't worry twilight, I'm certain nothing bad is gonna happen." Spike assured her.

Thats it, twilight thought to herself. He's jinxed it.

As she walked down the corridors she could not stop thinking about her friends. What had happened to applejack? What about rainbow dash? Had anypony else gone through the portal? And if they had, were had they ended up?

Her thoughts however were cut short when she collided with a door. This one not being mahogany, rather some soot grey wood that twilight had never seen before. It seemed to completely..... Dead, as if it had never tasted pure water or even sunlight.

The longer they ventured in the more apparent this Diablos contempt for all things living became. His walls, unlike those of the throne room, Contained paintings of horrifying places. One specific one caught twilights eye. Being a picture of a bleak landscape with purple trees and dark grey stone. Whatever that place was, twilight did not want to go there.

She opened the dark greying door.

And was met with a sight nopony should have to experience.

The room she stepped into bore similarities to the other throne room, it was long, had banners in it, and paintings as well as a throne. But the similarities ended there. The banners resembled infernos, skulls, even the pictures were morbid, once again twilight caught sight of the weird purple landscape she had seen before. But this time she got a better look at its inhabitants, weird wormlike creatures and what looked to be floating parasites feasting on the remains of humans. She bit her lower lip as she looked around, spotting even more horrific sights that only confirmed this guys insanity. Spike on the other hand, was totally calm, as if he had seen it all before.

And then twilight met his gaze.

He was sitting atop a throne, just like moonshadow had. But this was no gold throne. Rather the throne looked to be made of bones, ribcages provided the seat, what looked to be a spine served as the handles. And serving as the crown jewel, a gigantic dragon skull loomed over the person currently sitting.

He wore armor, just like the rest of her newfound friends. But unlike theirs which looked sturdy and protective. His looked to be made of mist. It seemed to move at its own accord, creating he illusion of a living armor. Or, as twilight thought to herself, just living armor.

Although the most terrifying part was his face, or the lack there of.

A cowl hid his head from onlookers, shrouding his entire face in an unbreakable darkness, it seemed to twilight as if his face was a never ending abyss.

And then the never ending abyss was torn apart.

A pair of slanted purple spots appeared on his face, they instantly locked onto twilight. Suddenly she could feel it. If the previous king -moonshadow- had radiated evil. Then This mans malice was omnipresent, it was entangling. She suddenly felt as if everything was trying to kill her, as if everything in the room wanted her head on a silver platter. She could see the banners moving towards her, becoming longer, like snakes readying to snap the neck of an enemy. She could see the weird parasite creatures floating out of the pictures, making strange clicking noises and slurping at the delight of their new meal. But suddenly a voice broke the terrible nightmare.

"Umm, twilight, are you alright?"

She followed spikes voice, and found herself standing in the same room, with the same creepy scenery, staring into those slanted purple eyes. Nothing of what just happened had happened. She wanted to sigh out of relief but was still paralyzed by those entrancing eyes.

Finally the onlooker decided to stop toying with her and he rose from his chair. He pulled out a staff with a purple triangle on the tip, he pointed it straight at her, daring her to do do anything he didn't permit.

"Who are you?" His voice boomed, making the walls tremble slightly. "And why do you invade my sanctum?" While asking the second question he seemed to get more and more angry.

"I-i-i-i-i." Twilight stuttered incomprehensibly, not doing too well with the whole speaking thing when faced with lurking death.

"You what?" He asked mockingly. "Not only does my incompetent brother send me an unknown creature, but one who doesn't know basic speech. Laughable." He seemed to be getting more and more annoyed at twilights presence. Still that wasn't stopping her from being insulted at his mockery.

"I am twilight sparkle, a unicorn from equestria. I was sent here by your brother because i am 'the one' or something like that."

"Well why didn't you say so?"

Suddenly the whole room changed, the pictures changed from the grotesque images of death and bleak lands, to a land that showed colorful trees, a beautiful landscape, and marvelous creatures. The banners changed from skulls and infernos to banners with gryphons and stars. The throne changed from a mess of bones to a beautiful platinum throne with a dragon wrapping around the edges and corners, in what looked to be a beautiful dance.

Nothing changed about the one on the throne, except his eyes changed from purple to a light blue.

But he no longer radiated evil, there was still an omnipresence, but it felt warm, and light instead of dark edgy and hollow. It truly felt as if she was now in the crystal empire again.

Finally the onlooker spoke, this time his voice was calm and kind. "Greetings twilight sparkle. I am high sorcerer Diablo. I am sorry for the rough greeting, but my brother told me you were coming, so i had to make sure you were the right one." He chuckled slightly, making the ghostly armor bounce a little shifting form before repairing itself.

"What do you mean the right one? Ive heard all these new terms in less than an hour, but i understand none of them."

He laughed a little again, seemingly highly entertained by twilights confusion. "Of course twilight sparkle, if you would please follow me." He walked down from his throne and towards a large piece of cloth. How did i not notice that before? Twilight thought to herself.

He pointed the wand twilight had seen earlier at one of the strings holding the cloth piece. When he had adjusted his aim, a concentrated beam of light purple energy shot out of it, severing the piece of string and ricocheting off the wall and hitting the other one.

Revealing a picture of a lavender alicorn with a purple dragon flying around her, she was clad in white and golden armor and was wielding a sword of the same color scheme. At her side was two other ponies, one of them was wearing a hat fit for a cowpony, holding a rifle, and the other one had hair the color of the rainbow, she was holding a crossbow.

Its showed her and her two friends.

"What.... Is that?" She asked, eyes wide and mouth agape.

Diablo chuckled again, he seemed easy to entertain. "A picture painted long ago by a stranger who came to our lands in a similar fashion to what you went through. He was old, aeons old, he wore blue robes with a matching blue hat, a long white beard. But the weirdest part was the bells, definitely the bells."

"Star swirl the bearded." Twilight whispered, making sure Diablo heard none of what she said. "He's been here?"

"It would appear so." Diablo said, apparently having heard everything she had said. "He was the first to defeat the wall of flesh."

"The wall of what.....?

"The wall of flesh, the creature that for the longest had plagued our world. It is a terrible being, born in hell, raised in hell, slain in hell. By the one you call star swirl."

Twilight was still baffled, star swirl the bearded, her greatest hero of all time had once travelled to this distant world. And he had recorded none of it? Why not? Why would he keep this place a secret?

"But killing it caused more grief than joy, unfortunately."

"What do you mean by that?"

His eyes grew wider, he was obviously not a fan of what was about to happen.

"Well, if i am to explain twilight i will have to...... Change the scenery, if you will."

Now she realized why he seemed so uncomfortable, he had to recreate the scary decor twilight had seen when she first stepped in. But, as she reminded herself, sacrifices would have to be made if she was to save her friends.

"Do it, we need to hurry."

He nodded and looked away, his hand reached towards the ceiling and he clenched his fist, his ghostly armor started twisting and turning and running up along into the ceiling, it started coating the walls, covering everything, from the throne to the banners to the pictures.

And then it retreated back to him.

Once again the room was devoid of life, the skull and inferno banners, the creepy pictures, the bone throne. Everything was the same as when twilight had first entered.

And so was his eyes. Having changed from their calm light blue color into the horrendous torrent of purple she had seen before.

"If we are to find your friends, i must first tell you of our world." Once again his voice seemed to come from inside of her, as if he talked from within her head.

He walked towards the picture of the weird purple land, his footsteps creating large thumps, breaking the silence within the halls of the dead.

"This." He reached a hand up to touch the picture. "Is the corruption, an evil land, housing terrible beings, as well as terrarians." His hand tore slightly into the painting as he said this. "If your friends are anywhere, they are there."

The creepy scenery lifted, bringing twilight back to Diablos usual throne room, she breathed out air she didn't even now she had been holding in. The weight of the dark presence now lifted from her shoulders she felt much better.

"So, twilight sparkle, what are your plans?"

For twilight there was no doubt. "Well, I'm heading in there to rescue my friends of course."

His now again light blue specs frowned slightly (at least that was what twilight assumed he was doing.) "you are not yet ready to face the corruption twilight, i am sorry."

Twilight's eyes widened as she heard Diablos words, her throat became dry and tears welled up in her eyes. "Well what do you propose i do then?!"

"Rest, and take this."

In his hand was now a small mirror, but weirdly enough, twilight could not see her reflection in it.

"What is this?"

"What it is, is not important. But if you're ever lost or in danger, channel your magic into it, and it shall save your life."

She looked down at the priced possession, it looked to be made of silver, and there were even some small jewels encased in the sides.

"What can i do to repay your for this?"

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, not in irritation, but rather in kindness. "Go and rest, you can stay in my library."

"You have a library?" Twilight asked enthusiastically.

He chuckled at twilight obvious interest. "Yes, but i do propose that you wait with your reading. For now you must sleep, you will have to be awake for tomorrow."

Twilight narrowed her face in a matter displaying utter seriousness. "You're right, i cant be tired if I'm gonna be saving my friends."

Again Diablo chuckled, it seemed to be an addiction he had. "Oh no dear twilight, you will have to be awake for so much more than just saving you friends.... So much more."