Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer's plans for making amends with Celestia are put on hold when an ancient evil awakens in the tombs of Somnambula.
On a peaceful day with nothing to do, Twilight realises it's been a while since she's last seen her own friend Sunset Shimmer. When she goes to visit her, Sunset confesses that she's ready to return to Equestria and make amends with Princess Celestia. Once back in her old homeworld, Twilight, Spike and her friends accompany her to Canterlot to do so.
Unfortunately their plans are put on hold when in the desert of Somnambula, in the deepest tombs, an ancient evil awakens. Someone that has deadly plans for the ponies of Equestria...
A lone scorpion scurried across the scorching sands of the Somnambula desert, desperate for in its search for something vaguely resembling a shelter. The rays of the sun beat down upon the land so much, one would swear there was steam rising off the surface. But it wasn't all endless sandy plains and the occasional deceiving mirage. Far out in the west, where barren rocks began sticking out of the sand, one part of the ground sloped down into a dip where a towering stone entrance was. Either side stood two equally ginormous pillars with imposing canine-esque figures engraved into them. The only two creatures didn't need to worry about the desert's unbearable heat were inside these catacombs.
This pair were in fact ponies. Archaeologists. By the names of Lithic Dust and Field Walker, to be precise. And they were in the midst of a conversation as they passed walls and walls of ancient paintings down the dark corridor, brightened only by the yellow Earth pony of the pair clutching a lit torch in his hoof.
"Gotta say, sometimes being an archaeologist isn't the most exciting thing in Equestria." Field Walker glanced up with little interest at the endless rows of identical walls slowly passing them.
"Yeah, especially when there's nothing to dig for but rocks, dust and, oh, what a surprise, more rocks." The pegasus replied, brushing some specks of dust out of her navy mane as if to make a point. Nonetheless, the two ponies made their way without fuss towards the next entrance to, they assumed to be, yet another empty tomb. Until they both poked their heads around the doorway.
Their eyes snapped open as they were met with rows of tall stone columns, a shimmering artefact balanced neatly atop each one.
"But all that digging's worth it when ya hit the mother lode!" Lithic exclaimed, now smiling wide as she and her colleague entered the tomb, gazing in awe at each treasure that set the room aglow. They ranged from the longest staffs to the tiniest rings, some encased in gold while others were carved from stone.
"Well I think these beauties should fit right in at the Manehatten museum." Field Walker turned his neck to unfasten the buckle on his saddlebag. With that, the two ponies set to work. Lithic flew up to the top of each column, carefully picking up each item in her hooves and passing them down to her partner who, in turn, placed them neatly inside his saddlebag. She occasionally placed some into her own saddlebag. Any that obviously wouldn't fit, such as a staff or a spear, were left as they were.
"Hey, Field Walker!" Lithic's voice eventually broke the monotonous routine. "Check this one out." The pale orange mare flew down lower to give her partner a better look at this particular relic.
Held gently in her hooves was a large golden necklace, moulded into the shape of a beetle and almost identical to a watermelon in size. Its six legs jutted out of the sides like splinters. On the centre of its back, the green jewel-encrusted orb glistened in the light of Field Walker's torch. And where such an insect's pincers would be was instead a long golden chain attached to its head.
"Whoa." The Earth pony merely said, at last tearing his eyes away from the treasure to look at his partner. "Centrepiece?"
"Definitely centrepiece." Lithic replied with a nod, lifting up her partner's saddlebag flap and placing it in there as gently as she could. The fact that she had trouble fastening the seal made it clear that was all that was going to fit inside.
"We'll have to come back for the rest." Field Walker stated, turning around and heading for the doorway as Lithic followed suite, fastening her own saddlebag back up.
"Doubt the other tombs will have anything as gripping as that." She added jokingly as the two ponies made their way to the next row of entrance. Field Walker stuck his head into each one for less then two seconds, being greeted with the blasé sight of blank stone walls.
"Yep, you were right, next one." He said in a disinterested tone, pulling his head out of the last and starting to head down the corridor once more. Lithic started to follow him until a small shimmer grabbed her attention out of the corner of her eye. Turning around to peek into the supposedly-empty tomb, she gazed around to try and determine exactly where that glint had come from.
"You coming, Lithic?" Her comrade shouted from halfway down the cavern.
"Wait, wait, wait." Field Walker stopped in his tracks to look back at her. "I'm sure I saw something shiny in here."
"Nah, that's probably the boredom getting to ya." The Earth pony started trotting back towards her. "Look, it's done a number on me too but let's go already." Just as he took hold of her hoof, the tiny glint flashed in Lithic's eye once more.
"No, hold on, there's something in that wall." She said, yanking her hoof free and moving closer to the end wall, "Like a jewel or something." Sure enough, there was a hint of shimmering green peeking out of the stone, barely the size of a pebble. Choosing her small mattock out of the various tools on her belt, Field Walker watched with scepticism as the pegasus reeled her hoof back and struck the stone with the pointed tip.
Instantly the gem shattered. Not into shards but into a green substance seeping out of the wall like mist. Lithic Dust and Field Walker stared, stunned, as the mist weaved in mid-air like a snake.
The sudden sound of fracturing stone startled them as a crack began creeping up the wall, splitting off in various directions until it gave the appearance of a spider's web. The same mist-like tendrils oozed from each split as the two ponies watched, frozen with slight fear as each one lit the four torch holders mounted on the walls with a single touch. Field Walker thankfully snapped out of it long enough to pull his partner out of the way as chunks of the wall began falling off the broken wall and raining down where they had been standing. The pair shielded themselves, coughing as a fog of thick dust billowed all around them, mixed with the eerie green mist seeping out of the now-gaping hole in the wall. Lithic waved the dust out of her eyes just as the green mist evaporated into nothing. Through the dust still floating about, the two archaeologists peered into the hole, squinting as they could vaguely make out something in the pitch black.
Field Walker shrieked as a black crab-like claw shot out of the dark at lightning speed, latching onto the edge of the newly-formed hole. Both ponies' breath caught in their throat as another equally massive claw grabbed into the edge as well. They remained frozen to the spot as a terrible shape slowly appeared out of the darkness, growing bigger as its snarling got louder. Unclear as the creature was through the lingering dust, Lithic Dust and Field Walker could just about make out its monstrous claws. Along with many legs. An enormous pointed tail.
And a pair of yellow eyes piercing their souls with a feral glare.
Dropping the torch to the floor, the pair of ponies spun around and shot out of the tomb as fast as their legs could carry them. They were still screaming in utter terror even when they made it outside back into the desert sun. Flexing its multiple limbs, the beast's savage snarling morphed into a low chuckle. Which then became a bone-chilling cackle that echoed throughout the tombs. Eyes burning in the light of the newly-lit torches as it revealed its gleaming teeth through a horrible grin, it finally spoke.
The Friendship Express’ blaring whistle faded as the train chuffed down the line and away from the serene town of Ponyville, its many carriages in tow. Both Princess Twilight Sparkle and Spike continued waving from the station platform until the train had finally disappeared out of sight and the tranquil singing of birds had replaced the deafening whistle and hissing steam.
“I hope Starlight enjoys her weekly stay in the Crystal Empire with Sunburst!” said Twilight with a smile, making her way down the platform slop and setting hoof on the cobbled path back to town.
“I’m sure she will, Twilight.” Spike replied, following suite. “She and Sunburst have lots in common! Like kites and… uh…” He paused for a moment, thinking long and hard to himself. “Actually I’m not sure what else Starlight likes but I’m sure they’ll find something to do together.”
Giving a roll of her eyes with an amused smirk, Twilight and her dragon associate carried on down the path toward Ponyville. Once they had arrived, the pair of them trekked through the bustling town, ponies going about their daily business of either shopping at the market stalls or happily chatting with others.
“Now that just leaves us with the day to ourselves.” Twilight sighed blissfully.
“Yeah, any plans on what we can do?” Her dragon assistant asked, cocking a curious eyebrow.
“Uh, we’ve done that already.” Spike replied. “When Fluttershy needed to find that cure for Zecora, remember?”
“Oh, right.” Twilight said with an embarrassed blush before wracking her brains, trying to think of another activity, “Hmm… ooh! We could reorganize all the books in the castle library!”
“For the sixth time this month?” Spike cocked an eyebrow.
“Well, uh… grocery shopping?”
“We’re already stocked up on food.”
“Cleaning?” Twilight’s tone was beginning to become desperate now.
“Took care of it all yesterday.”
”Well I don’t suppose you have any suggestions?” Twilight really started to get up in the dragon’s face, her eye twitching endlessly. “Anything? At all? Something that doesn’t involve total agonizing boredom?” Spike just barely managed to maintain his balance before giving his answer.
“Umm… not really.”
“Ugggh!” Twilight screamed toward the heavens, standing on her hind legs. “Why does today have to be devoid of anything to do? Why is the universe so cruel?! WHY?!” She ended her Rarity-like scene with a defeated face plant to the ground as various ponies stopped to glance at her, many concerned but equally freaked out. Spike gave a sheepish grin as he tried to think of something to appease his companion, his eyes darting in different directions as he pondered.
It wasn’t until he squinted when his eyes briefly looked directly at the sun that his face lit up like a candle. Turning towards his pony friend still practically kissing the ground, he prodded her shoulder with a claw.
“Hey! What about visiting Sunset Shimmer?” Peeling her face off the terrain, Twilight glanced up at the dragon.
“Huh?”
“Well we haven’t gone through the mirror for a while.” Spike elaborated, “I mean, writing to her is one thing but when was the last time you actually saw her face-to-face?” Twilight thought back to her last trip through the mirror; it had only been a brief visit and even then, she’d most spent more time getting to know her counterpart than with Sunset. And very recently, she’d just missed her come back to collect that new journal and let Starlight tag along for an adventure in the other world.
Twilight sprung to her hooves, beaming widely as if her freak-out less than a minute ago had never occurred.
“Spike, you are a genius!” She cried, twirling him around in an embrace before releasing him, “What would I do without you?”
“Truthfully I’m too afraid to think about that.” The dragon murmured as he gave chase, both sprinting back to her shimmering castle on the edge of town.
Bursting through the front doors, the pair wasted no time storming the castle library and beginning their search on each shelf.
“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask if she’s free for a visit.” Twilight said to herself, carefully scanning each shelf she flew past.
“Here it is!”
Her eyes lighting up, the Alicorn turned her focus to Spike, balanced on the top rung of the rolling ladder. Held tight in his claws was a neat, albeit somewhat dusty, brown journal with Celestia’s sun cutie mark emblazoned on the cover. Twilight’s aura engulfed the book, levitating it gently out of Spike’s hand and settling it on one of the tables below. She landed gracefully on the chair while Spike climbed back down safely. Plucking a quill out of an inkpot in the table’s centre, Twilight’s magic skimmed through every page before finally landing on a blank one. Then she began to write:
‘Dear Sunset:
Since Starlight’s gone off to visit a friend in the Crystal Empire and nothing much else is happening today, Spike and I are pretty stumped on things to do. Would you be okay if we came through the portal to see you? It has been a while.
Your friend, Twilight Sparkle’
The princess then placed the quill back into its pot as the writing gave a brief glow, indicating it had successfully been sent.
“Now all that’s left to do is wait.” Twilight said confidently. She stared keenly at the page, her hooves drumming on the table’s timber surface while Spike just looked at her judgmentally.
“Shouldn’t be too hard.” She added after half a minute of silence, clearly showing no patience as Spike rolled his eyes.
“Well, Twilight, there is the chance she might be spending some time with her Canterlot High friends. So don’t worry if she doesn’t get back to us right aw…” His reassurance was shattered by a new message materializing onto the page, coupled with the journal vibrating. Twilight gave a squeal of delight, clapping her hooves together.
“Well I’ve been wrong before.” The dragon finished.
“See, Spike. It pays to be patient.” Twilight retained her casual posture while Spike raised an incredulous eyebrow. The pony then began reading the recent message below her own. Once finished, however, she and Spike merely gazed curiously at it:
‘Dear Princess Twilight:
No worries, I’m free for a visit. I actually wanted to talk to you in person anyway. It’s about something that’s been on my mind lately.
Your friend, Sunset Shimmer’
With some modifications and a little rewiring, the mirror to Canterlot High was up and running once more. The moment she’d read Sunset’s message, Twilight had gathered her friends to wait beside the portal just in case something went awry. Gathering their courage, both she and Spike sprinted into the swirling pink vortex once again. And in a flash of white and an amalgam of churning colours, the two of them just managed to stay balanced as they emerged from the other side. Spike was in his dog form and Twilight had regained her upright stature, complete with clothing, hands and the same tiny muzzle.
And standing before the school building, clad in her signature leather jacket with her red and yellow hair falling down her back was Sunset.
“Sunset!” Quickly getting used to her alien legs, Twilight dashed toward her friend who gave a smile in return.
“Twilight! Spike!” Sunset cried, accepting her in a warm embrace while Spike resorted to giving her ankle a friendly hug, “It’s so great to see you again.” Pulling out of the hug, Twilight’s expression changed to a more serious one.
“I came as soon as I got your reply.” She said with concern. “What’s the problem? Is it another magical threat to this world? Did another villain somehow come through the portal when I wasn’t looking? Have the Sirens returned?!”
“No, no and no. Nothing that major.” Sunset replied with a deadpan expression. She gave an amused smirk as Twilight relaxed, her cheeks blushing an embarrassed red colour.
“Oh. Hehe. Okay.”
“But it is something really important.” She added, uneasily rubbing her forearm, “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking recently. And I realised that I’ve spent so much time here in this world, I’d almost forgotten about my old life back in Equestria. Canterlot. My magic. My studies.” She glanced down at the ground with guilt.
“My… unfinished business.”
Twilight and Spike looked at each other as the pieces in their head starting fitting together.
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Spike asked. Sunset inhaled deeply then gave a short nod in response.
“I… I’m ready to return to Equestria and make amends with Princess Celestia.”
Astounded silence now filled the air between them, the only noise being the gentle breeze and the occasional distant honk of a car’s horn.
“Are… are you sure?” Twilight finally inquired, still quite surprised at this turn of events. Sunset nodded once more before looking down at the pavement, remorse clear as daylight in her eyes.
“Well I know that my last conversation with her wasn’t the most pleasant.” She replied. “Just remembering that last time I saw her makes me feel sick. Even if she’s swept it under the rug, I’ll never feel better until I do this. And just asking you to tell her or write to her for me isn’t enough.” She steeled herself though there was a minor twinge of fear beneath her expression.
“She deserves to hear it from me personally.” Her shock melting away, Twilight stepped closer and placed a supportive hand upon her friend’s shoulder.
“Sunset, this is a pretty big step you’re taking. One I’m very proud of you for.” She said, earning a grateful smile in return. “I’m sure Princess Celestia would really appreciate that.”
“Does this mean you’ll be coming back to Equestria… permanently?” Spike spoke up, tilting his head curiously.
“Well… I don’t know about that, Spike.” Sunset responded after a moment of contemplation. “I mean, I’ve been here for so long and made so many amazing new friends thanks to you guys, it practically feels like a new home to me. I’m not sure I’m ready to leave for good just yet.” Twilight gave a respectful nod.
“I understand.”
“Do you think you two could wait here while I go pack a few things?” asked Sunset, “I won’t be long.” Both Twilight and Spike nodded in reply. With that, Sunset turned on her heel, sprinted away from the school and down the lane toward her house. Looking on, Twilight smiled warmly at how far her friend had come and how much she was willing to atone for her past.
It seemed this day wouldn’t be as boring as she thought.
The archaeologists had long gone but the creature in the Catacombs was very much still there.
The top half of this beast was simple enough: a jackal dog with fur as blue as the night sky, similar to Celestia in height. He had a pair of tall ears atop his head. Each of his arms had a regal golden ring around it along with matching gold lines circling each glowing eye. His pointed muzzle curled into a malicious grin, baring his sharp teeth. And his upright canine body was skinny to the point where one could see his ribs.
The bottom half was a different story.
Rather than hind legs and a tail like any regular jackal, his top half rested on the front of a gigantic scorpion.
Four robust legs jutted out of each side like splinters. Its shell was riddled with a line of jagged spikes down the spine, adorned in black and orange stripes. It had a long black tail complete with a massive orange stinger on the tip. And like any scorpion, the claws at the front were huge. With the size of these black ones with orange tips, however, they looked like they could snap a pony in two like a twig. His top half didn’t even have paws like all jackals. Instead at the end of each arm was an orange pincer claw, thin though still undoubtedly strong.
Alsum flexed each of his appendages with a content sigh.
“Ahhh, it feels so good to finally move again after being stuck behind that accursed wall!” He said in a voice simply oozing with malice. He stopped stretching and shaking the dust out of his fur as his tall ears perked up, searching for any sound. But there was none.
“Hmm, strange.” The jackal-scorpion murmured. “All seems quiet. Too quiet.” Alsum made his way to the large doorway and stuck his head out, looking down each end of the dark passageway.
“Helloooo?” He called. Only his echo replied back. “Guards? Anyone? I’ve broken out of my prison! You’d better come stop me!” When no one came running, that same wicked grin returned to his face.
“So my people are all gone.” He said smugly, pulling his head back into the tomb. “Which means…” Alsum’s low chuckle erupted into bellowing evil laughter, resonating throughout the catacombs.
“There’s no one around to stop me this time!” With that, the amalgamated creature made his way out of the large doorway and into the corridor. “With the Scarab of Ghamid, I, Alsum, can now… wait!” He quickly froze in his tracks, thinking to himself. He glanced down at his scorpion half with an odd mixture of contempt and vanity.
“Not knowing how to use it properly is exactly what got me stuck with this wretched, yet quite potent and stylish, body in the first place.” Alsum stroked his chin with one of his pincer claws, though gently so as not to accidentally spear himself.
“So… before I can wield the Scarab,” He concluded, his face lighting up with realization, “I must first learn the incantation to gain control of its power.” Smirking, he pondered to himself one last time.
“Hmm, if I recall correctly, Father always inscribed the history of our people’s relics on his chamber walls.” With lightning speed, the jackal-scorpion turned and scuttled down the hallway towards the various other tombs. At last he found it. Entering the tomb, he gazed at the sarcophagus upon three stone slabs in the centre before turning his attention to the wall. As he thought, carvings and paintings of various treasures decorated every square inch, from the tiniest ring to the grandest scepter.
Finally he saw it. A pictogram of a golden six-legged beetle with a green circle on its back. And above it, a series of ancient hieroglyphs. A vile grin spread across Alsum’s face, showing his pointed teeth.
Sunset had been gone for almost twenty minutes now. The summer sun still beamed down on Canterlot High’s elegant infrastructure. All the while, Twilight leant against the corner of the statue, her fingers anxiously drumming against her skirt. Spike, giving into his dog instincts, bounded up and down as he tried to catch a ladybug in his mouth. He finally stopped with a disappointed sigh when the insect got fed up with the game and flew away. Giving the back of his ear a quick scratch, Spike finally broke the silence.
“You okay, Twilight?” Snapping out of her trance, Twilight glanced down at her canine companion.
“Okay? Of course I’m okay.” She replied, giving the most unconvincing smile in the history of unconvincing smiles, “Why wouldn’t I be okay? I mean, it’s just Sunset deciding to reunite with her old mentor after all these years and having no clue how she’ll react. What’s there not to be okay about?” It wasn’t until Spike raised a skeptical eyebrow that she finally gave in.
“I’m sorry. It’s just… well, this is a lot to take in.” Twilight explained, exhaling deeply through her nostrils. “I mean, it’s been such a long time for both of them. How do you think Celestia will take this?”
“Well there’s no doubt it’ll be quite a shock.” Spike replied, glancing at the portal’s entrance then back to his friend. “I think when we get to Canterlot, it would be best if we give her a heads-up. Just so we don’t risk her fainting on the spot when she sees Sunset.” Thinking about this for a brief moment, Twilight gave a short nod and a grateful smile.
“Good thinking, Spike.” The dog nodded in return just as the silence was broken by the sound of panting. Both turned their heads to see Sunset running up the sidewalk to them, a backpack slung over her shoulders.
“Sorry about the wait.” She said after catching her breath, “Had to pack some things and text my friends to let them know I was going.” Twilight smiled and shrugged in an understanding manner. With that, all three of them took their place in front of the statue. They stared at its stone surface for the longest time. But no one stared more nervously at it than Sunset.
“You ready?” Twilight asked, giving an encouraging glance in her direction. Taking a deep breath, Sunset mentally decided there was no turning back now.
“As I’ll ever be.”
At last, Spike, Twilight and Sunset each took a step forward and disappeared into the camouflaged vortex.
True to their word, Twilight’s friends were still waiting outside the mirror in her castle library. Their casual chatting amongst them finally stopped as a magical whirring sounded from the portal. The machine powering it roaring back into life while the five ponies all stared in anticipation. The pink swirls in the mirror’s surfaces finally emitted a bright white flash, causing everypony to shield their eyes. When the light died down, three figures emerged from the shining gateway.
Twilight and Spike, both back to their respective forms. And behind them, a saddlebag slung over her back, trying to stand on her hind legs was Sunset. Twilight quickly caught her before she had a chance to fall over.
“Thanks.” She said, sheepishly straightening her punkish red-yellow mane, “Still gotta get used to that.” Twilight chuckled before gesturing to her five friends, all of them giving welcoming smiles.
“Sunset Shimmer, I’d like you to meet…”
“Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.” Sunset finished. Dumbfounded, everypony instantly stop smiling and gave a single blink simultaneously.
“Umm… pleased to meet you.” Rarity replied, albeit quite awkwardly.
“Freaky-deaky!” A certain pink pony added, holding her hoof to her head in amazement. Sunset quickly realised what she had said, prompting her to awkwardly scratch the back of her head.
“Oh, yeah.” Her amber cheeks blushed a deep shade of pink, “I forgot you guys aren’t the, y'know, other versions of you that I’m friends with.” Applejack raised a dismissive hoof, smiling understandingly.
“It’s alright, sugarcube.” She gave a brief chuckle. “Honestly, we’re still tryin’ to wrap our heads around this whole other world counterpart thing.”
“I can vouch for that.” Twilight murmured to Spike, memories of her unexpected run-in with her own counterpart flooding back.
“Eh, I doubt the other me is as awesome as I am.” Rainbow Dash said, giving a flip of her multi-colour mane. “Can’t beat the original.” Sunset merely rolled her eyes in amusement; as far as she was concerned, both Rainbows would get along perfectly if they were to ever meet.
“But it’s so nice to finally meet you after everything Twilight’s told us about you.” Fluttershy said, stepping forward and extending a foreleg for a hoofshake. Smiling, Sunset reached out to take her hoof. That is, until Pinkie Pie bounded in front and grabbed it instead, giving Sunset’s hoof, along with Sunset herself, a vigorous shake with both her hooves.
“Yeah! Welcome to Ponyville, Sunset!” she cried out eagerly as the unicorn struggled to keep her balance, “Or in this case, welcome to Ponyville AND welcome back to Equestria!” Finally wrenching her hoof out of Pinkie’s grip, Sunset nonetheless kept her smile as she rubbed it better.
“It’s a pleasure.” She then paused to look down at the crystal floor, wearing a slightly embarrassed grin. “Heh, I’m just sorry the first time we ever saw each other face-to-f… well, muzzle-to-muzzle was when I stole Twilight’s crown.”
“That may be true,” Rarity stepped forward, smiling warmly, “but from what Twilight’s told us, you’ve really done a lot to turn yourself around, darling. So I think we can let bygones be bygones.” Rainbow hovered next to Sunset, placing a casual foreleg over her shoulders.
“Yeah! You’re cool in my book.”
“Any friend a’ Twilight’s is a friend a’ mine.” Applejack added with a tip of her hat whilst Fluttershy nodded affirmatively. Sunset glanced across at Twilight joyfully as the Alicorn gave a small nod that said ‘yeah, I knew they’d like you’.
“So tell me.” She said after letting all this affection sink in. “Anything major happened around Equestria lately?”
“Sunset, we’ve got quite a bit of catching up to do.” Twilight replied, cocking a playful eyebrow whilst placing a hoof on her shoulder. Once again, however, Pinkie beat them to the punch, now randomly holding in her hooves an open scrapbook as she pointed to each photographed event she rattled off.
“Like the fact that Princess Cadance and Shining Armor now have an Alicorn baby called Princess Flurry Heart, the Changelings are all good now, my sister Maud’s moved here to Ponyville, Spike reached out to the dragon kingdom and here’s a pretty big one..." Yanking a camera out of her mane, the pink pony immediately took a photo of Sunset and slapped it onto a blank page once it was printed out. "You’ve just come back to Equestria!”
Once she'd rubbed her eyes, Sunset looked at the picture of her startled self.
“Buuuut aside from that, nothing too big going on.” The party pony added nonchalantly, stuffing both the camera and the scrapbook back into her mane.
“To the ages, I shall bring about peace and abolish any plight. No, wait a minute… Grrrargh! Why must blight and plight sound so similar?”
All that echoed throughout the lone Catacombs of Alkulb was the frustrated muttering of Alsum.
Still in his father’s tomb, the jackal-scorpion was currently facing away from the Scarab’s pictogram on the wall, trying to memorize off by heart the incantation scrawled above it. But from mixing up parts of the sentences to saying “will” rather than “shall”, it had taken quite a few tries. Deeply resisting the urge to tear up the tomb, the creature took a deep calming breath.
“Patience, Alsum. You know what they say: eighth time’s the charm.” Taking on a more relaxed posture, Alsum recited the hieroglyphs once more, clearly and with power:
O Scarab of Ghamid, bestow upon me your powers grand and bright. To the ages, I shall bring about peace and abolish any blight.
Looking back at the wall, he relaxed once he saw that he had spoken it correctly this time.
“Ahh, that’s better.” He said self-assuredly, “Once I get my paws… erm, claws on the Scarab, I’ll certainly abolish any blight. The blight of ponykind, that is.” A devious chuckle escaping his lips, Alsum slowly crawled past his father’s sarcophagus, stroking the lid with a claw.
“My reign is near, Father.” He leant down closer towards it, murmuring mockingly. “It’s a pity you won’t be around to stop it.” He pretended to think for a moment. “Oh, wait. No, it isn’t.”
With a vile cackle, Alsum left his father’s chambers and scuttled down the dark passageway. At last, the golden glow of the relics tomb came into view. His smirk only grew as he entered.
“And now the Scarab’s power is…” Any trace of evil joy vanished completely once he saw the barren pedestal where the desired artefact had been.
“WHAT?!”
Alsum’s enraged roar shook some dust out of the cracks in the walls.
“Gone?!” Whipping around, the jackal-scorpion prowled down the tunnel and around the Catacombs, searching high and low in every tomb.
“Father must have hidden it somewhere!” He muttered furiously. Heading back to his father’s tomb, his new claws on his scorpion half grabbed the edges of the sarcophagus lid and wrenched it off with ease. That proved to be a mistake as Alsum instantly averted his gaze from inside the stone casket, gagging in disgust.
“Eurgh, definitely not buried with it.” Still looking away, he hastily put the lid back in place and forced the disturbing image out of his memory. Having searched the entirety of the Catacombs, Alsum headed back into the relics tomb, fuming.
“WHERE IS IT?!”
Panting lividly, he looked around the tomb as he tried to think of any other place the Scarab could possibly be. He started to calm down as he noticed most of the stone columns that displayed each treasure were also bare.
“Wait… most of the relics are gone.” Alsum thought long and hard, wondering why his father would confiscate half of their people’s most valuable relics. That's when it hit him.
“The ponies…”
Remembering back to his reawakening, he recalled the two archaeologists gazing up at him in terror through the dust. He also remembered they were each wearing bulging saddlebags.
And both filled to the brim with relics.
“Why, those putrid little thieves…”
His face contorted into a menacing scowl, Alsum was out of the relics tomb, rushing out of the Catacomb’s exit and into the desert at lightning speed. His squinting eyes momentarily adjusted to the blinding sunlight, having been stuck in a stone wall for over a thousand years. His scorpion legs stabbing into the boiling sand, Alsum ascended rapidly up the slope leading down to the Catacombs entrance and onto higher ground.
Putting to good use his senses superior to any canine, Alsum held his head high and sniffed at the air. At last, he recoiled in disgust once he finally caught their scent, his head whipping to the left. Though not in sight, they had definitely gone that way. His long jackal ears folded back as he let out a snarl through his clenched teeth.
“No one steals from Alsum and gets away with it unscathed.”
“And did you really gain dazzling new ensembles with those geodes when you fought that deranged camp director?”
Trotting along the gravel path, Sunset nodded casually at Rarity’s question. The umpteenth one about her adventure at Canterlot High she had been bombarded with. After having taken the amber unicorn on a friendly tour of Ponyville, along with Pinkie taking pictures of her with every citizen possible, the Mane Six were now escorting her in the direction of the train station.
“Yep.” She simply said, snacking on a cupcake held in her magic aura. “At this point, my friends and I have faced so much craziness, hardly anything surprises us anymore.”
“Now that, we have in common.” The ponies gave a laugh at Fluttershy’s little joke. Wiping a bit of frosting off the corner of her mouth, Sunset smiled gratefully.
“Thanks for the tour, everypony. Everything here is just as nice and welcoming as the mirror world.” She paused briefly to finish off the last bite of her dessert. “Mmm… especially Sugarcube Corner’s cupcakes.”
“No problem at all, Sunset.” Twilight replied kindly. Turning around briefly, Sunset couldn’t help gazing at the crystal castle standing tall over the rooftops of the town.
“And I gotta say, Twilight, your castle looks a lot bigger on the outside.”
“Yep, that’s everypony’s usual reaction.” Came Spike’s flippant response.
“Come on!” Rainbow Dash’s voice broke up the friendly chat, coupled with the sound of billowing steam and a shrill whistle. “If we don’t hurry, we’re gonna miss the train to Canterlot!” Everypony turned their attention to the train standing in place as they neared the station.
“Gimme a second, Dash!” Applejack grunted, a rope clenched between her teeth. “Just gotta get somepony to co-operate!” She was dragging a desperate Pinkie Pie along the ground towards the platform, camera held in the tip of her mane as her hooves clawed at the dirt furiously.
“But I didn’t get a picture of Sunset with Cheerilee, Roseluck or DJ PON-3 yet!” The party pony pleaded loudly, trying to break free from the lasso around her waist. “They’d look adorable together, you guys! ADORABLE!”
Sunset and Twilight glanced at one another as her pleas continued to go unheard, finally giving each other an amused smile.
“That’s Pinkie Pie for ya.” The pair of them laughed at their simultaneous statement before making their way onto the platform.
Once everypony was comfortably seated in their carriage, there came a jolt and the train was away. Sunset stared out at the town of Ponyville growing smaller and smaller, the sunlight glistening off the tip of Twilight’s towering castle. Her smile soon faded as her gaze redirected itself to Canterlot in the distance, hanging off the mountain in all its regality. So many memories of that gorgeous city. That lustrous castle. Not many of them pleasant the more she looked back on them.
“Sunset, darling? Are you feeling alright?” Snapping back to reality, the unicorn sharply turned her head away from the window to glance at Rarity. She along with the others were staring in her direction quite worriedly.
“Hmm? Oh. Yeah, I’m fine.” Came her hasty reply. “I mean, it was really nice of you all to show me around Ponyville and introduce me to everypony.”
“Hmph. Not everypony.” Pinkie sulkily stuffed her camera and uncompleted scrapbook back into her mane, slumping against her seat with a pout while grumbling under her breath. As everyone rolled her eyes, Sunset’s amused smirk faltered somewhat.
“It’s the ‘visiting Canterlot’ part of my trip that’s got me worried.”
“What do you mean?” asked Fluttershy, her brow furrowed. “Isn’t visiting Princess Celestia again something you’ve been wanting to do for a while?”
“Well, yeah.” Sunset replied. “I mean, it’s so relieving to finally be able to talk to her after all these years.”
“Here comes the ‘but’.” Rainbow rested her cheek on her hoof expectantly.
“But at the same time, it’s…” The amber unicorn sighed deeply. “…pretty terrifying.”
“I don’t see whatcha got to fret about, sugarcube.” Applejack straightened her Stetson with a confident smile. “I'm sure Princess Celestia’ll welcome anypony with open arms and a smile, especially an old student.” Shaking her head, Twilight stretched out one of her wings across Sunset’s back comfortingly.
“I'm afraid it’s not quite as simple as that.” She said softly.
“Twilight’s right, Applejack. You didn’t see the last conversation we had.” Sunset winced as the painful memory once again slithered through her mind. “It was… unpleasant, to say the least.” Pinkie blew a dismissive raspberry.
“How bad could it have been?” She asked optimistically. Sunset gave her a deadpan stare.
“I demanded power even though I hadn’t done anything to earn it, along with accusing her of being selfish and keeping me from my true potential.”
Twilight’s comforting wing never left Sunset’s back as she sighed once more.
“So I have no idea what to expect.” She directed her sight down at the floor sadly. “For all I know, she could take one look at me and slam the door in my face.” Taking her wing off her back, Twilight placed a hoof on Sunset’s chin and gently turned her gaze towards her.
“Sunset, you’ve already done so much to earn forgiveness from everyone.” The Alicorn said with firmness. “I witnessed firsthoof just how much you changed for the better. You realised that you couldn’t just take power without earning it and improved upon yourself.”
“Well, with a little help from that giant rainbow laser you blasted her with.” Spike quipped, earning a tiny snort of amusement from Sunset. Even Twilight couldn’t help smiling slightly.
“Well, yes. But the point is, Sunset, you showed everyone you were worthy of a second chance.” Giving a nod of encouragement, Rarity joined in the pep talk.
“And if you can tell Celestia about all you’ve done to help your friends back at… Canterlot High, was it… I think she’ll be more than willing to see the light.”
“Yeah, she’d have to be totally nuts not to forgive you!” A sharp glare from her friends caused Rainbow to scratch the back of her head with a blush. “Heh… which she isn’t, of course.”
Applejack got down from her seat opposite Sunset to trot over and place a hoof upon her shoulder.
“And you can count on all of us being right behind ya every step of the way.”
“You betcha!” Pinkie popped out of her seat and embraced Sunset tightly, which she thankfully didn’t mind all that much.
“Besides, Princess Celestia’s really not the type of pony to hold a grudge.” Fluttershy added in a confident tone. Looking around at them all, Sunset’s smile gradually returned. Chuckling slightly, she politely wriggled out of Pinkie’s grip.
“You girls are right. Guess I am overreacting a little bit.” She said gratefully, looking back out of the window at the approaching Canterlot.
“Maybe this day won’t be so bad after all.”
Only the lonely sounds of the gentle wind and heavy panting echoed across the desert.
Having convinced themselves what they’d seen in the Catacombs was a result of the heat, Field Walker and Lithic Dust were now focused on heading back to the village of Somnambula to rest up before heading home. But the scolding sun wasn’t helping matters. And neither was the weight of their bulging saddlebags containing both their tools and the artefacts they had gathered. Still they pressed on, trying to ignore the sweat soaking through their clothes.
Letting out a breath, Field Walker stopped walking for a moment. The Earth pony turned his head over to his right saddlebag to pull out his flask of water.
But he froze.
“Do you hear that?” Stopping in her tracks, Lithic Dust looked over at him, cocking a puzzled eyebrow. Curious, she held a hoof to her ear and listened closely. A mysterious, barely audible sound carried on the desert wind reached her eardrums.
“Yeah. What is that?”
Deducing the sound was coming from behind them, the pair of archaeologists slowly turned around to gaze at the endless dunes in their wake. The sound became clearer and clearer, almost like eight pounding drums. Coupled with growling. A terrible shape finally made itself clear through the blowing sand.
Both ponies’ eyes widened at the sight of Alsum barrelling towards them at top speed, his eyes burning with rage.
“Sweet Celestia!” Lithic cried out.
“RUN!”
Neither of them made it very far.
Before Lithic Dust’s wings could even get her hooves off the ground, Alsum had seized them both in the monstrous claws attached to his new body. The two of them struggled furiously in his suffocating grip.
“Let go of us!” Lithic wheezed, trying in vain to pry the claws off her abdomen, even resorting to feebly punching them with her hoof.
“I don’t think so, you miserable little bandits.” The jackal-scorpion snarled, holding the two ponies close to his muzzle. “You’ve stolen something that belongs to me.”
In one swift motion, he had snatched Lithic Dust’s saddlebags in his smaller claw and was searching through it impatiently, tossing out tools and Alkulbian relics. When it became clear what he was looking for wasn’t in there, Alsum let out a growl and violently tossed the pegasus onto the sand.
“Where is it?” He growled, seizing the trembling Field Walker’s saddlebags and tearing it open with ease. Instantly his greedy eyes were illuminated in the green glow of his intended prize. Throwing the tattered saddlebag aside, Alsum held in his claw the beetle-shaped relic, the green crystal orb on its back gleaming in the desert sun.
“Yeeees…” He sneered, a horrible chuckle escaping his throat as he held up the treasure in triumph. Lithic Dust and Field Walker could only stare in both confusion and terror.
“At long last! The power of the Scarab is finally MINE!”
His moment of triumph promptly fizzled as the beetle’s gem centre crumbled in his grip, falling to the sand in a shower of dust and shards. Alsum’s once-proud grin contorted in a blend of horror and fury.
“What?! No!” He screamed, his eyes darting back and forth between the Scarab and the green powder. “Of all the crystals in this wretched world, why must glowpaz have the shortest life expectancy?!”
He hadn’t realised he still had a terrified Field Walker clutched in his scorpion claw until something caught his eye. A gleam of sunlight reflecting off something.
Something green.
Calming down somewhat, the jackal-scorpion’s gaze directed itself to something peeking out of the top of Field Walker’s shirt. Leaning in closer toward the pony, Alsum inquisitively reached out one of his pincer claws. Out of his shirt, he gently pulled a necklace coiled around his neck and adorned with shining glowpaz. His yellow canine eyes widened.
“Where did you get this?” His question came out in a whisper.
Lithic, still not daring to move, stared from her spot on the ground as her partner finally found his voice.
“I, uh…” Alsum’s brow furrowed into a determined glare, shutting Field Walker up again.
“I must have more of this to rebuild the centre.” He snapped his head up to the yellow Earth pony’s face, baring his teeth.
“Tell me! Now!”
“N-No!” The stallion replied defiantly, albeit still shaking. “I’m not talking!” The jackal-scorpion let out an irritated growl until the orange coat of the other pony caught his eye. The intensity in his eyes softened as his lips curled up into an innocent smile.
“Oh, really? Well that’s quite a shame.” Lithic Dust’s eyes widened as Alsum turned his attention to her. Before she could even spread her wings, she let out a pained scream as one of the beast’s legs pinned her to the sand, the pointed tip digging into her back.
“Your friend here did seem like quite the spirited one.” Field Walker could only stare fearfully as Alsum’s gigantic stinger found itself hovering dangerously over his partner’s head.
“I’m still getting acquainted with this new body, you know.” The amalgamated creature said casually, as if chatting about the weather. “And I’m quite curious to see whether this venom of mine can paralyse.” His sinister grin returned as Lithic struggled desperately under his leg.
“Or worse.”
“No, stop! Please!” Field Walker shouted at last, holding out a hoof. Alsum’s glance returned to him, his stinger lifting away from Lithic’s head just slightly.
“We… we got these necklaces from the town of Somnambula!” The Earth pony cried. “The ponies there gave them to us for good luck before we came out here! Just please don’t hurt her!” Looking into the distance, Alsum narrowed his eyes at an ambiguous shape on the horizon. Once he made out the vague form of small buildings, he finally released his grip on both the ponies.
“Hmm.” He murmured to himself. “So glowpaz is not as scarce as it used to be.”
Alsum looked up to the heavens, the signature hideous cackle sounding from his throat once again. Field Walker and Lithic Dust flinched as Alsum, at lightning speed, wiped around and swiped his claws at both of them. He snagged both of their glowpaz necklaces and voraciously stroked them with the tip of his pincers.
“And once I have all that I need, Equestria shall hear my name… and TREMBLE!”
The pile of crystal dust disappeared into the winds as Alsum began his trek towards the distant town with a twisted laugh and an equally twisted smile. Nodding at one another, Field Walker feebly gave chase after the monster as Lithic Dust finally took to the skies and soared away as quick as her wings could carry her.
