A New World, An Old God

by Northern Desert

Chapter 2 - A New Routine

“What’s your name, pal?” The strange octopus creature asked the fallen king, his abrupt friendliness throwing the dark unicorn off guard.

Sombra looked around the room, seeing a sand-like structure all around the place. As he attempted to get up, he felt himself start to float. “I’m...underwater?” Sombra mumbled to himself, unsure on how to feel about his predicament. He remembered his supposed final seconds: how close he was to reclaiming his throne...then he blew up.

Into thousands of pieces

“Okay, so you may feel a little...dazed,” The creature said, his cheery attitude lighting up the room. “But, you get the gist of what happened. You went boom and long story short, the Crystal Empire lived happily ever after!”

Sombra flinched slightly, put off by the sheer glee in which the creature had explained the events that had transpired. Even more so was that if he truly ‘went boom’, then he had died…

And yet here he was

“What...what did you do, and how am I still alive!?!” The dark unicorn demanded, increasingly worried on the exact nature of his revival. There were many kinds of magic that could do the task, but most of them ended up with horrifying results such as slow zombification or loss of one’s personality.

“Well, that’s not how most thank their savior…” The octopus snorted behind the king, somehow changing location in a matter of seconds. This only increased the tension of the room, the tyrant charging a red glow from his horn.

Rolling his non-existent eyes at the ex-king’s action, one of his tentacles lashed out and swiped the horn from the unicorn’s head. Sombra stared in shock as his more valuable tool was taken from him in mere seconds, clean off as though it didn’t exist. There were no broken pieces, no lasting pain...it was as though it never existed to begin with.

“Sombra, Sombra, Sombra,” The creature sang, wrapping the king up in one of his large arms and squeezing him to his squish side. “We’re all friends here, so no need to get hostile.” With a flick of one of his other seven arms, a holographic image appeared, showing the fallen unicorn his old kingdom. “You see, Sombra, you and I are looking for the same thing. Control!”

The creature dropped the king and played a clip of Sombra’s defeat at the hooves of the two sisters and his later death. Sombra let out an audible growl at the two scenes, glaring daggers at the monster next to him.

“Unfortunately for you, your plans never succeeded...” The strange being said, his ever-smiling face forming a smug smirk. “But this time--” Another clip played, this time with the unicorn actually ruling over the Crystal Empire, with both ponies and some new odd creatures all holding an empty stare with the king’s fear magic clearly influencing them, “--there’s something new! And all you need is a little help in using them to finally get what you deserve.”

“Is that what this is!?!” Sombra barked, grinding his teeth together as the creature spoke honeyed words to him. “You’re going to ‘offer’ your help to me, help me enslave these new animals so that I may rule of my empire!?!”

While the existence of these new beings was interesting, and maybe he could manipulate them to his own advantage, Sombra was no fool. He knew a deal when he saw one, but this deal would have a catch. This creature brought him back to life not out of the goodwill, but in order to use him as some kind of pawn.

“Come now, Sombra old boy,” The creature said with hurt, raising his arms up in mock defense. “Here I am--” he said dramatically, bringing three of his arms up into the air, “--trying to just help a bro out! Can’t a villain just want for one of his peers to succeed?”

“Does this help entitle some sort of ‘equal benefit’ for both parties?” Sombra sneered, his experience with these kinds of ‘wish dealers’ had always ended with some sort of negative for him.

“Well of course!” The creature laughed, shaking his head at the king’s words. “Why would I bring you back for nothing? No, I have plans, my dear friend...but in order for them to succeed, I need you to successfully cause strife and terror in the Crystal Empire.” He once again played the clip of a victorious king while also holding out a tentacle with blue fire alighting from it.

“We can’t win alone...” he said, his many mouths starting to whisper many promises to the tyrannical unicorn. Offering him power, wisdom, and control over others. “But together, we can make them kneel to their true leaders!”

Sombra stared at the extend arm, multiple thoughts on both the pros and cons of this arrangement swarmed his mind. While the monster was correct that together they would have a chance, his wish to rule along with the creature was non-existent. He’d probably take care of the octopus after all was done...but even then, he risked a lot working with an unknown.

Letting out a sigh, the reluctant unicorn reached out his hoof and shook with the strange animal before him. “I assume it would be for the best if we...team up,” Sombra said, struggling to say the last part of his sentence. The creature’s mouth open even wider with a smile at the king’s words, giving the unicorn a firm shake.

“However, when all is done...I never want to see your grotesque form ever again,” Sombra growled, his brow furrowed into a scowl. “The further apart the both of us are, the better.”

“I couldn’t agree more, you egotistical jerkass,” The octopus laughed, his many maws gibbering in the madness of his laughter. “Truth be told, my hope is to never set foot in that crystal candy land! Such a place is only worthy of someone of your standard.” The creature laughed more at the king’s expression, withdrawing his tentacle and clapping four of the eight arms together, a black void appearing behind Sombra.

“See you around...what was your name again?” The unicorn sneered, not really caring on the exact identity of the abomination before him.

“Nthoggom...Old God of the Sea, and soon to be all of Equus!” Nthoggom chortled madly, one of his arms lashing out and smacking the bewildered king into the back portal. “See you soon, buddy...oh, and try not to die too soon!”

And with those final words, the ex-king began to fall through the blackness of a seemingly never ending void. The last sounds of the creatures laughter echoed throughout this strange world. And upon looking down, Sombra saw a ground covered in snow heading towards him, or in his case, he was heading towards it.

With impact inevitable, the unicorn growled at the sight of the drop. His form slowly oozed with black mist and as he left the tube-like void shoot the shadows launched towards the ground, allowing him to safely descended to the cold ground.

“I can’t wait to kill that guy…” Sombra huffed, using his returned horn to once again activate his shadow magic and sink into the ground.

---

---

Noggin was waving as the evil king departed from the Old God’s underwater palace, his smile never wavering as Sombra dropped down into the void. As the portal closed, Noggin chuckled at the interaction he had with Sombra.

“Oh, I take it all back,” Noggin sighed happily, clearly pleased on his decision to bring back the tyrant of the crystal ponies. “He will prove most entertaining...when he dies of course. Right now, all that he is is one big countdown to when he gets iced!” The Old God said his last word aloud, hoping for anyone to hear his pun.

Realizing that no one was around, he chose to slunk around and find his two followers. Passing along the long hallways, the ancient being reminiscing in his imprisonment and failures.

Well, he did have his shining moments. Moments where plans went accordingly and the right pieces had been set in the perfect place...but looking back on all that had happened, Noggin just couldn’t help but feel disappointed with himself.

“Thousands of years sure do a lot of damage on my moral,” The Elder Being grumbled, drifting through the dark and empty halls.

Even now he felt trapped because of that damn Goddess and her last resort spell...those seven lights that had appeared before him and used to entrap his body in a shiny statue, casted deep within the sea. His forces were scattered and his original eight lieutenants were destroyed while he lay alone on the seafloor bed.

“But I could never replace them, my dear children, who led my armies and were intrusted with my plans,” Noggin thought, smiling at his last play before his defeat. “One that would ensure my future...to create the next generations of my followers!”

For while the Goddess and her warriors were powerful, they could not simply destroy his children. With his final breath before it too became trapped in gold, Noggin laid a powerful spell on his most loyal of servants. This spell binded them to his life force and power, so that even if they were to ‘die’, they could come back in a new body.

Reincarnation after reincarnation, this cycle lasted for many years, some living to this day, and each one as powerful as the other. His magic seeped into each one of their souls, revealing them their purpose at a young age. Well, except that they were reincarnations...he wanted them to be their own person and not feel the pressure of the past mistakes. But nevertheless, he was there with them since the beginning.

“These sort of feelings are beneath me,” He recited, thinking back to what he had learned countless years ago. “And it is unbecoming for me to even view those I created as something more than mere tools…”

“Lord Noggin?” A voice called out, catching the tired creatures attention. Swimming up was King Tidal, his blue scales gleaming with what little light remained in the palace. “Did all go according to your plan, Boss?” The sea serpent questioned, still skeptical of the Old God’s plan.

“Do you doubt that my plan not work?” Noggin questioned, giving the now nervous serpent a smirk. “That somehow, through my countless centuries of planning, that convincing a sniveling god-wannabe would be my undoing?” He asked jokingly.

“Of course not!” Tidal proclaimed, relieved that his leader was able to succeed, but also quick to assure the Old God that he did not doubt Nthoggom’s intellect. “I was simply worried that Sombra, through his great stubbornness, would attempt something rash or work against us.”

“Do not mistake our partnership for friendship,” Noggin laughed, using his magic once again to display a live feed of the ex-tyrant. “Sombra will attempt to betray us once he feels confident enough to do so, and in the process he will ultimately fall to one of these new creatures.”

The king gave a shrug, not really caring on the fate of the arrogant unicorn. But his concern of their pact with him still made Tidal uneasy, for the idea was to keep Nthoggom’s return secret...and reviving the tyrant of the Crystal Empire would raise eyebrows. But the deed had been done, and the likelihood that anyone would consider that a giant octopus monster from the ocean revived Sombra over the king’s own stubborn need to survive is far fetched.

“So...what now?” The serpent asked, realizing that they never truly discussed what the Old God’s plan was.

“Sombra was but the first in a long line of scrapes that have littered this world,” Nthoggom said, using his magic to switch the feed to an imprisoned insect-like pony. Her long, dark, cerulean mane hung down, almost completely obscuring her face. She laid on a stone floor, tired and alone.

“For I have had plans,” The feed changed once again, focusing on a cloaked individual who aimlessly traversed on a muddy road as rain and wind battered the figures rags. “Ones that have begun since the beginning of my imprisonment. Plans that have been spearheaded by the predecessors of ‘The Eight Arms’ since my voice could be heard from the dark caverns of the sea.”

“But now I must make alterations...” Noggin mused, somewhat scowling while still keeping his eerie smile. For while he had many pieces in play, and some that would come in later, operating them would become extremely more difficult.

“And yet...I can’t help but feel more enthusiastic than I originally was about this whole ‘world domination’ thing,” The eldritch abomination laughed heartly, his many mouths joining in and making the laughter even more bone-chilling. “I mean, I was almost ready to quit, but things are different now, I promise you that!”

“Well, I’m happy to hear that a couple of centuries of not being able to do anything physical didn’t dampen your mood,” The king said, giving a genuine smile as he said those words. “But I do have to ask then...what was it that inspired you to continue after being released, what new thing has come that drives you to be so jovel?” For while Tidal was happy that their efforts were not in vain, he was unsure of what could have brought the Old God’s groove back.

Nthoggom seemed to ponder on a proper answer of those words. For it is difficult to explain the reasoning about going against a powerful deity and her creations, and to fight on their home turf to boot. It was then that it came to the creature, the true reasoning of his excitement.

“Because, loyal Tidal,” Nthoggom laughed bitterly, giving the sea serpent a tired look, as though he was sick. “Countless ‘ancient villains’ have come and gone before and after me. They’ll pop in when no one expects it, have this world’s inhabitants on the edge of defeat, and then get stopped at the last moment by this world’s ‘current generation’ of heroes...this cycle repeats and repeats...it gets depressing after awhile.”

“This isn’t the only place I’ve seen it too, you know…” The Old God said, swimming out of the hallway and continuing to an unknown location. Tidal turned and followed him, desperately wanting to ask one important question that only the alien creature could answer. “I’ve been to other places, not like this one mind you, that got boring far too quickly. That’s why I came here, to find something new...for something to change…”

“Pardon my abruptness then, Lord Nthoggom,” Tidal said impatiently, his head swarming with dozens of questions that he had wanted since he was young to ask the Old God. “But if you’ve done this song and dance before...if this world is truly in this neverending cycle...why not get to the point!?!” His last words caught the creature by surprise, the ferocity and determination that flowed from the serpent. “Why not end this game of cat and mouse, like you have done for the other worlds you’ve spoken of? What is to stop you once you regain your power and simply win? No heroic quests, no mind games, just one fell swoop!?!”

It was then that Nthoggom began to laugh once again. But not out of bitterness or to mock Tidal, but in pure joy.

“Because now...” The eldritch monster chortled, the top of his body stretching upwards and more razor toothed maws appeared on his lower body. Soon, a red light started to emanate from the mouths, displaying hundreds of strange creatures acting in different ways. Some working alongside the inhabitants of Equus, while others causing mindless havoc. Each one of these strange and fascinating creatures and expressions of lostness and confusion.

The feeds of these creatures whizzed by until it ended upon the familiar form of Arceus. With the strange equine were countless others of his supposed kind, each different in almost every way and yet displayed a sign of power and an aura of superiority to the other monsters that had previously been shown.

"̬̠̰͖͂ͮ̒̊ͧT̺̬̜͋̏ẖ͙͉̝͐̽͌̂e͎̖̟r͙̞̿̑ê̬͎̘̦̯̥ͨ͒ͮ̿'̘͉͍̖̗̂ͪ̚s͛̓ ̫͙͚̄̋s̪̖̰̳̈́̄ö̲́ͪ̊ͪͯm̘͙̖̞̥e͎ͬ͂ͤ̆̒ͭ̿t͋̂́̓ḧ̼̼͖́̈́ͨ͑͒ͅi͔͖̺͇̻͑n͚̠̻ͦͯ͆̊̈ͥͬg̲̮̤͔̺ ̭͈͈̟ͪͤ́ͨn̬͋̉̉̑͌e̯̓ͅw̜̻̠̭̼͚!͖̔ͭ"̳̮͗͋̉̉

Author's Note:

Hello Everyone!

So yeah, a little bit of a filler chapter for you guys. Next chapter will finally throw us into the plot, so be ready for that!

This chapter was edited by [Glitchhunter5000]!

Northy out!

Comments

[jonathan90g]

Found this story by chance and I'm glad I did. If I'm not mistaken he seems to be inspired by me Yogg from Warcraft. I hope one day you will continue this interesting story.