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MageAnon #18: Head Worms

By: MageAnon on Jul 22nd, 2012 | syntax: None | size: 22.04 KB | hits: 221 | expires: Never

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>You are Anonymous.
>And you are TIRED of this bullshit.
>You storm through the hallways of Canterlot Castle, Celestia behind you.
>”Anonymous, I command you to tell me what’s going on!”
>You whirl around.
“Celestia, I care for you, but right now? Kindly step back.” You say, porting upstairs.
>Enough fucking around.
>You were going to settle this crap.
>First, you thought you were all over these issues.
>Now?
>A fucking crazy ass creature confronts you, admitting to horrible atrocities.
>Not only that, but his psyche looked like Swiss cheese.
>To top it all off?
>Something out of the fucking blackest pits of hell looked like it infested his mind.
>You were outside the Night Princesses chambers.
>You can hear her snoring inside.
>You kick open the door, it slams loudly against the stone walls.
>She sits up in bed, looking straight at you.
>You put up a force field around the room, nullifying any noise or outside influence.
>”What are you doing human?” she yells at you, her horn flaring with magic.
“The Birds Sing under the Sycamore Trees” you quote.
>Her face pales, and the magic surrounding her horn dissipates.
“I thought you would listen to that.” You say, pulling up a chair from her dresser.
>”Wh-where did you hear that?” she sputters
“From our dear friend Salazar, now...”
>You spin the chair around, sit down facing her.
“I am going to tell you a little story, you are going to listen, and when I am done, you will tell me all about him.”
>”You forget your place human!” she says, standing on her bed.
>Deity or not, you’ve fucking had it.
“Neither of us are leaving until you tell me JUST WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE!” you yell, arcane power almost dripping from your words.
>You both stare down each other.
>Neither of your wills giving in.
“Princess. I am here to help. But my patience is wearing thin. I have not told your Sister about anything out of respect to YOU. I could have simply gone ballistic and attacked Discord, but I stayed my hand.”
>”What do you know of PATIENCE? I have lived FAR longer than YOU creature.”
“And yet here you are, freshly released from EXILE. You’re unwillingness to let me in on this stupid inane SHIT is preventing me from HELPING.”
>”YOU DARE INSULT US?” she says, her wings flaring.
“That was a low blow, I admit. But, I have lost much, and now I find myself and those I hold dear threatened, I will not make the same mistake!” you say, throwing the chair through the window.
>”Well little mage, it seems we are both running from our pasts.”
“NO. This secrecy and wallowing in the past ends here. TELL ME. WHO WAS SALAZAR?”
>”IT IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!” she yells in the royal canterlot voice.
“IT IS NOW. HE KILLED MY FAMILY. HE THREATENS YOUR WORLD, AND YOU LET HIM LIVE?”
>”YOU KNOW NOT OF WHAT YOU SPEAK!”
“THEN TELL ME!”
>You are standing face to face with the Princess now.
>Her eyes flaring with power.
>But, what is that?
“I see. You too are possessed.”
>”WHAT?” she yells right in front of you.
>Sorry Celestia, it has to be done.
>Before she can react, you give her a swift left hook, your fist crashing into her face.
>She tumbles over the bed, splayed out on the floor.
>The surprise attack has left her unconscious, but not for long.
>You have to act quick.
>You jump over the bed, and place your hand upon her head.
>Once more, unto the breach.
>Your vision fades, and the familiar dizziness overtakes you.
>You awake in a small room, very similar to her bedroom.
>The room however is empty of furniture.
>The only defining feature of the room is a singular window.
>You look outside, seeing that everything is pitch black.
>You can also hear the shuffling of hooves from outside the door.
>Opening the door, you find yourself in...
>A field of flowers?
>Looks like a memory of some kind.
>You follow along, spotting a pair of frolicking figures in the distance.
>They are talking in a tongue you can’t quite grasp.
>Surprising in that fact alone.
>Then again, it IS a memory.
>You can partially make out one of the figures in the distance.
>Of course, it’s a young Princess Luna.
>You can’t quite spot the other though.
>You walk through the field, the flowers withering in your path.
>Like a plague.
>The closer you get, the farther they seem.
>Hmm.
>She was fighting you.
>If you were going to fish out what you needed, you had to get clever.
>Your magic is still working.
>You focus on your surroundings, whipping up a snowstorm.
>Chill winds billow up around you, quickly blanketing the area in white powder.
>You can see the dream beginning to shift.
>The vision changes around you.
>You are now in what appears to be a monastery of some kind.
>The chamber is filled with pews, and ornate stained glass murals line the walls.
>It reminds you of the throne room in Canterlot.
>The room is empty however, save for a single small filly by an altar.
>Of course, it’s Luna.
>Although, she appears to be older here.
>And quite alone.
>You walk up behind her, your footsteps echoing in the empty hall.
>Carefully walking behind her, making sure not to disturb anything, you peer over her shoulder.
>She is clutching an old book, a pressed flower inside.
>One of the same flowers from the field you were just in.
>Hmm.
>Could it be?
>You wander around in front of her.
>She looks up at you and gasps.
>Uh-oh
>That shouldn’t happen.
>She runs the other way, dropping the notebook, screaming something in a foreign language.
>You pick up the book, and flip through it.
>No writing, just flowers.
>All the same flowers.
>The vision shifts again, the book turning to dust in your hand.
>Now, it appears you are on a snowy mountain peak.
>In the distance, it looks like the monastery you were just in.
>Storm clouds are above, swirling menacing, and crackling with lightning.
>Thank god this is just a-
>KABOOM.
>The Monastery explodes in a violent display of fire and brimstone.
>The clouds overhead erupt with energy, spewing heavy amounts of snow in all directions.
>You can see a distant figure flying quickly in your direction.
>It slams into the mountainside next to you, leaving a huge indentation.
>Rushing over and examining the hole, it appears to be Luna again.
>She is badly injured, her wing bent in a nasty direction.
>But what is most worrying?
>Is the black ichor slowly seeping into her mouth from the crater.
>The vision fades.
>You are back in the real world.
>And you have one angry Princess standing in front of you.
>Think Anon, think.
“Luna, I know how this seems, but there is something WRONG. There is something inside you. We NEED TO GET IT OUT.”
>She stares at you.
>But...
>Those eyes.
>They aren’t the same.
“Oh fuck.”
>You can see a black trickle form at the side of her mouth.
“OH FUCK.”
>You contain her in a forcefield, your will barely able to contain her.
>She crashes against the barrier, guttural tones coming from her mouth.
>An ancient dead language.
>The outer barrier drops.
>Celestia bursts the door open, and stares at you.
“EVIL. SISTER. OOZE. BAD. HELP.”
>Celestia simply stands there blinking.
“DID YOU NOT HEAR ME? HELP WITH THE SHIELD!”
>She nods, her power adding to your own, and a small blob of black ichor forms around the Night Princesses hooves.
>”What is that?” Celestia stammers
“I have NO IDEA. But we need to contain it away from Luna.”
>You split the forcefield in two, securing the Slime away from her.
>Celestia holds it, while you grab the unconscious princess.
>You lay her down on her bed, and open her eyelids.
>Her eyes are darting around.
>She’s obviously in some sort of dream.
>”What is this THING Anonymous?”
>You squat down, looking at the roiling ichor.
>It seems to lash out at you when you get close.
“Can you send it to the Sun?” you ask calmly.
>She looks at you almost angrily, before the Slime disappears with a pop.
“Thank the gods.” You say, plopping down on the floor.
>”EXPLAIN.”
“I will, but I need my suitcase.”
>It appears in front of you.
>You open it up, and pull out a small book.
>It’s a little rinky-dink novel from Earths distant past.
>You flip to a page far in, and read aloud a passage.
“It was a terrible, indescribable thing vaster than any subway train—a shapeless congeries of protoplasmic bubbles, faintly self-luminous, and with myriads of temporary eyes forming and un-forming as pustules of greenish light all over the tunnel-filling front that bore down upon us, crushing the frantic penguins and slithering over the glistening floor that it and its kind had swept so evilly free of all litter.”
>Celestia looks on in horror at the description.
>”Where these creatures REAL?”
“Thankfully no, but THIS? This reminded me of these horrible things. I just hope I am incorrect.”
>You get up, passing her the book.
>”At the Mountains of Madness?” she asks.
“The writer was a strange man, often cursed with horrifying dreams. I had the pleasure of meeting him once. Quite the odd fellow. But, I suspected there was magic to his dreams. I just hope those dreams were not about your world.”
>She looks very concerned about you.
“Who was Salazar?”
>She looks at the book, and back at you.
>”Where did you hear that name?”
“When I went into Discord’s mind, I saw a small creature much like him. He begged me to relay a message to Luna, and to help him escape. Before I could do anything, I was attacked by a much larger creature than the one we just exiled.”
>”So, what is it that you are saying?”
“He’s possessed. Whatever is inside him, was also inside your Sister.”
“Her corruption was minimal, mostly from exposure.”
“His however ran deep. So deep, that he is merely a host for it now.”
>She grimaces at the word host.
“I take it you knew this Salazar?”
>”I cannot say.”
“Celestia. Please. I am trying to help. I can’t help if I don’t know the whole story.”
>”My Sister and I are the only ones who know the whole story.”
“What about the history books?”
>She looks at you, her eyes with a deep sadness.
>”All lies. Fabrications. Myths and Fairy tales.”
“But why?”
>”When we were young, something terrible happened. A secret that we promised to keep until we pass our mantle on to new rulers.”
“It had to do with Star Swirl, and it has to do with the lack of energy to the north doesn’t it?”
>She nods.
“I see. Well, this is where I would normally say everything is OK, but we both know that is not the case anymore.” You say, conjuring some ice, wrapping it in your handkerchief.
>You sit down on the bed, and place it on Luna’s swollen cheek.
“As soon as I mentioned Salazar, she got extremely aggressive.”
“It must have been something to do with the ichor.”
>Luna squirms under the cold, but quickly relaxes.
>This was going to be funny to explain when she awoke.
>”The elements of harmony should have dispatched everything though.” Celestia ponders
“From what I can tell, it worked for the most part, but this little bit of corruption hung on, feeding on her memories and angst of Salazar.” You say, waiting to see her reaction.
>”She and the emissary were very close.”
>You knew it.
“Ok, I understand.” You say, placing the impromptu icepack on the nightstand.
“I’m going to need to know this eventually Sunshine.” You say, getting up.
>You walk out the door, and head downstairs.
>First, convoluted thoughts about why you were here.
>Second, feelings.
>Now, Eldritch abominations and secrets from the past?
>Wonderful.
>And here you were thinking you would be able to relax.
>So much for your vacation.
>As you wind down the stairs, you see Shining Armor.
“Shiny, you, me, drinks later?”
>”You alright there Anonymous? You look like you’ve been through a lot.”
“You can only stare into the abyss for so long friend.” You say, patting his back as you walk away.
>”You sure you ok?” he says, turning around.
>You wave as you walk.
“Keep an eye on the Princesses for me. I’m going to go get a drink.”
>”But it’s only noon!” he calls
“I KNOW THAT!” you yell back, striding down the stairs again.
>Two hours later...
>You had a drink in hand, a bottle of AppleJack Daniels, and a book in the other.
>You were in the Library.
>Were you drunk?
>Not yet.
>But you needed something for your nerves.
>That THING was still in your mind.
>There was something about it that was just plain WRONG.
>You had flipped through a ton of history books, but couldn’t find anything.
>Celestia told you the past was hidden, but you didn’t expect it to be this bad.
>There were few enough notes about Star Swirl, other than his mentioning in arcane texts.
>You poured over some of the historical texts about the foreign kingdoms as well.
>The nomadic Dragon tribes, the Gryphon kingdoms, and the mysterious changelings.
>The changelings were your biggest concern at the moment.
>the arid lands of the Apploosian desert were their native home.
>There was little on the Dragon tribes, and the Changeling hordes.
>The Gryphon Kingdoms had an eerie similarity to Equestria though.
>Almost around the same time as its founding, the Gryphon tribes fled the northern lands.
>Same story as Equestria.
>unrelenting Blizzards, and fierce conditions.
>No one knew what sparked these, but you are starting to wonder.
>You take a sip of your drink.
>You love the taste of...
>Milk?
>You spit out the offending beverage, it soaking your shirt.
>Laughter fills the room.
“What do you want Abomination?” you say aloud.
>Discord appears in a chair next to you, a fez on his head, and pipe in his mouth.
>”Oh Anonymous, you wound me with your words! I’m simply trying to be nice!”
“Cut the shit Elder one. You may possess this Creature’s body, but you do not fool me.”
>For a moment, you can see a flash of anger on its face, which is quickly hidden by a smile.
>”Ah, so the youngling knows? What did Salazar tell you?”
“Everything.” You bluff
>”Now now, there is no use lying,” He says, taking a draw on his pipe. “We do share a mind after all.”
“You won’t get much out of me.” You say, relaxing back in your chair.
>”Ever the tough guy eh? Quetzy was a good friend of mine back on your home turf. He was always so violent though.”
>You say nothing.
>”Me? I never liked resorting to violence. It was always just funny to watch your mortals squirm and cower from the most inane things.”
>You take another sip of your beverage, passing him the bottle.
>”Oh? A little kindness to an ancient evil? You sir, and a gentleman and a scholar.” He takes the bottle producing a glass from thin air.
>”The creatures of this world are so out of touch with their history, with the ways of old. It’s a shame really.”
>He pours himself a rather large shot, which he downs in one gulp.
>”It’s time to remind them of their past, and time for the scales to tip.”
>He hands you back the bottle, which you cork.
“What scales?”
>”Oh my, would you look at the time? I must be going. Beard boy is probably looking for me. See you on Hearths warming eve Anonymous!” he says, disappearing in a puff of smoke.
>You wave the comical smoke away.
>Well, that’s a big relief.
>You carefully grab the bottle of hooch by the neck, examining the bottle.
>It’s your lucky day.
>There is a single hair from his lion paw on the bottle.
>You carefully take it, and drop it in a clean glass.
>This could prove useful.
>You grab your satchel, and head back into the main castle foyer.
>You needed to find Celestia right away.
>Walking towards the throne room door, you listen to hear if there are any voices inside.
>You can hear Celestia talking with someone, so you wait outside.
>A few minutes pass, and a white unicorn emerges.
>He glances at you, and gives a snort of disapproval.
>Like you had any fucks to give about some prissy frou-frou stallion at this point.
>Opening the door, you see Celestia sitting on the Throne, reading a scroll.
>the guards notice you, and nod.
>Word really does spread fast.
>Celestia looks up, and sees the bottle.
>”Anon have you be-“
“Not at all. We’ve just had a visit from our good FRIEND.” You say, with emphasis
>”Guards, we are not to be disturbed. Hold my further meetings.”
>They bow, and exit the room.
“He came into the Library, trying to rattle me a bit more.”
>”And?”
“I played dumb, my fears were in somewhat of the right place, but in the wrong direction.”
>”So you are saying?”
“Whatever it is, it’s old. Older than you or I, but not in a similar sense. It’s a force of nature, of your world, but similar to something on mine.”
>”The snake thing?” she asks
“Precisely. Mine fed on bloodshed and violence. Yours is much like a trickster, or a manipulator. It thrives on disharmony and Chaos.”
>”So, Discord’s current personality...”
“Yes, he is basically an Avatar of whatever the greater creature is. The thing inside Luna was a small fragment. From what I can tell, when she became Nightmare Moon, the creature’s influence played upon her emotions, amplifying the negative ones.”
>”So her snapping at you...”
“Was a remnant of its influence. Whatever this Salazar was to her at one point festered and fed this scrap of evil, and so it festered. Not even the Elements of Harmony could cleanse a broken heart.”
>Celestia looks sullen.
“Now, I know this looks bleak. But. You’ve got me.”
>You place a hand on her shoulder.
“This is my fault, not yours.”
>”But, how could it be your fault? You just arrived?”
“I think what happened on my world so long ago, weakened the magical barrier between our worlds. Whatever this THING we are up against is, it is using me to some ends.”
>”But, what could it be?”
“I wish I knew...,” you say.
>The two of you stare out the window at the afternoon light in the garden.
>A certain statue curiously missing from the menagerie.
“We need to follow up on these disturbances. We’ve let it fester and grow for far too long.”
>”I can’t leave Canterlot Anon. Getting that week off put enough strain on my responsibilities as it is. With Discord promising something on Hearths Warming Eve, and all the diplomatic issues that have arisen, I’m stuck.”
“Then I shall go alone.”
>”It’s too dangerous. Especially after what we have already encountered.”
“I have to Celestia.”
>She embraces you with a feathery wing.
>”I just don’t want to lose you...”
>You embrace her.
“I know, but it’s something that must be done.”
“From my research, I’ve concluded that the easiest marker to track so far would be in the Apploosian desert. If I leave now, I should be back with plenty of time before Hearths Warming Eve.”
>She looks up at you.
>”Alright. Nevertheless, I’m sending a detachment of soldiers with you. It IS in Changeling territory.”
“The fewer people I have with me, the better. That way, you show no involvement, and I can operate more stealthily.”
>”You should at least take somep0ny with you. A second pair of eyes is always helpful.”
>Hmm
>You really didn’t want to ask it of him, but you may have to.
>From your research and curiosity, you know the perfect travelling companion.
“Give me three good p0nies.”
>A few minutes later, you emerge with a golden sealed envelope bearing the royal seal.
>Shiny Armor was waiting for you outside.
>”Hey Anonymous, the Princess called for me?”
“Yeah. This is for you.”
>He takes the envelope with his magic.
>He opens it up, his face going pale.
>”I’ve been fired?” he stutters.
“Not fired. Re-Assigned. Welcome to Delta son.”
>Up on a distant mountain peak...
“Have you planted the trap?”
>”Of course! What do you take me for?”
“An idiot who got too caught up in his first taste of freedom to do as he was told.”
>”Ouch! Oh come now, Beardy, you know you love me!”
“I DO NOT CREATURE. YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE I ALLOW IT. REMEMBER THAT!”
>The skeletal mages powers flare, illuminating the test chamber.
“Leave me in peace creature, you have done your job admirably, now let me do mine.”
>”Alright. FINE. I’ll go have fun with your lackeys then.” The Abomination says, poofing away.
“Absolutely insufferable. CLOVER!” the mage yells.
>The unicorn trots over, snapping to attention.
>”Yes Master?”
“The time draws near, how are our sleeper agents in Canterlot doing?”
>”Well Master. The ooze has taken effect, and all it will take is the correct phrasing to have them under our control.”
“Excellent. You have done well Clover.” He says, heading over to a lab station.
>”Thank you sir. Anything else?”
“What about our resurrection experiments? Any progress?”
>”Unfortunately not sir. We still require a two to one ratio for full reanimation. Unless we secured larger amounts of biomass for the conversion, we would simply be halving our current armed force.”
“Hmm. Has the ooze had any effect?”
>”Only detrimental Master. It cuts the required mass by a third, but inflicts crippling insanity upon the target. The last one we reanimated in this method killed four workers before being subdued.”
“Unfortunate. We may have to gather some larger test subjects then. Have our scouting parties returned from the Blasted Lands yet?”
>”They have. There are reports of a few young ones littered around. If we strike soon, we can have them back before the rest of the Tribe is alerted.”
“Finally some good news. Ok. Send out half the current force. Have them bring back as many carcasses as they can.”
>”As you command Master.” Clover says with a bow, heading back up the spiralling staircase.
>Star Swirl walks over to the Gigantic Crystal in the middle of the room.
“Soon. Soon I shall be whole again.”
“ThE BlOoD TiThE MuSt aLsO Be pAiD In fUlL YoUnGlInG, dO NoT FoRgEt OuR BaRgAiN” the crystal chimes.
“I will not. Soon, we shall both claim our prizes we were so unjustly deprived of.”
>Hollow laughter fills the halls of the Monastery.
>The troops of the Mad Mage mobilize for the Hunt.
>Their quarry?
>Dragon.

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>You are Anonymous.
>And you are TIRED of this bullshit.
>You storm through the hallways of Canterlot Castle, Celestia behind you.
>”Anonymous, I command you to tell me what’s going on!”
>You whirl around.
“Celestia, I care for you, but right now? Kindly step back.” You say, porting upstairs.
>Enough fucking around.
>You were going to settle this crap.
>First, you thought you were all over these issues.
>Now?
>A fucking crazy ass creature confronts you, admitting to horrible atrocities.
>Not only that, but his psyche looked like Swiss cheese.
>To top it all off?
>Something out of the fucking blackest pits of hell looked like it infested his mind.
>You were outside the Night Princesses chambers.
>You can hear her snoring inside.
>You kick open the door, it slams loudly against the stone walls.
>She sits up in bed, looking straight at you.
>You put up a force field around the room, nullifying any noise or outside influence.
>”What are you doing human?” she yells at you, her horn flaring with magic.
“The Birds Sing under the Sycamore Trees” you quote.
>Her face pales, and the magic surrounding her horn dissipates.
“I thought you would listen to that.” You say, pulling up a chair from her dresser.
>”Wh-where did you hear that?” she sputters
“From our dear friend Salazar, now...”
>You spin the chair around, sit down facing her.
“I am going to tell you a little story, you are going to listen, and when I am done, you will tell me all about him.”
>”You forget your place human!” she says, standing on her bed.
>Deity or not, you’ve fucking had it.
“Neither of us are leaving until you tell me JUST WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE!” you yell, arcane power almost dripping from your words.
>You both stare down each other.
>Neither of your wills giving in.
“Princess. I am here to help. But my patience is wearing thin. I have not told your Sister about anything out of respect to YOU. I could have simply gone ballistic and attacked Discord, but I stayed my hand.”
>”What do you know of PATIENCE? I have lived FAR longer than YOU creature.”
“And yet here you are, freshly released from EXILE. You’re unwillingness to let me in on this stupid inane SHIT is preventing me from HELPING.”
>”YOU DARE INSULT US?” she says, her wings flaring.
“That was a low blow, I admit. But, I have lost much, and now I find myself and those I hold dear threatened, I will not make the same mistake!” you say, throwing the chair through the window.
>”Well little mage, it seems we are both running from our pasts.”
“NO. This secrecy and wallowing in the past ends here. TELL ME. WHO WAS SALAZAR?”
>”IT IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!” she yells in the royal canterlot voice.
“IT IS NOW. HE KILLED MY FAMILY. HE THREATENS YOUR WORLD, AND YOU LET HIM LIVE?”
>”YOU KNOW NOT OF WHAT YOU SPEAK!”
“THEN TELL ME!”
>You are standing face to face with the Princess now.
>Her eyes flaring with power.
>But, what is that?
“I see. You too are possessed.”
>”WHAT?” she yells right in front of you.
>Sorry Celestia, it has to be done.
>Before she can react, you give her a swift left hook, your fist crashing into her face.
>She tumbles over the bed, splayed out on the floor.
>The surprise attack has left her unconscious, but not for long.
>You have to act quick.
>You jump over the bed, and place your hand upon her head.
>Once more, unto the breach.
>Your vision fades, and the familiar dizziness overtakes you.

>You awake in a small room, very similar to her bedroom.
>The room however is empty of furniture.
>The only defining feature of the room is a singular window.
>You look outside, seeing that everything is pitch black.
>You can also hear the shuffling of hooves from outside the door.
>Opening the door, you find yourself in...
>A field of flowers?
>Looks like a memory of some kind.
>You follow along, spotting a pair of frolicking figures in the distance.
>They are talking in a tongue you can’t quite grasp.
>Surprising in that fact alone.
>Then again, it IS a memory.
>You can partially make out one of the figures in the distance.
>Of course, it’s a young Princess Luna.
>You can’t quite spot the other though.
>You walk through the field, the flowers withering in your path.
>Like a plague.
>The closer you get, the farther they seem.
>Hmm.
>She was fighting you.
>If you were going to fish out what you needed, you had to get clever.
>Your magic is still working.
>You focus on your surroundings, whipping up a snowstorm.
>Chill winds billow up around you, quickly blanketing the area in white powder.
>You can see the dream beginning to shift.
>The vision changes around you.
>You are now in what appears to be a monastery of some kind.
>The chamber is filled with pews, and ornate stained glass murals line the walls.
>It reminds you of the throne room in Canterlot.
>The room is empty however, save for a single small filly by an altar.
>Of course, it’s Luna.
>Although, she appears to be older here.
>And quite alone.
>You walk up behind her, your footsteps echoing in the empty hall.
>Carefully walking behind her, making sure not to disturb anything, you peer over her shoulder.
>She is clutching an old book, a pressed flower inside.
>One of the same flowers from the field you were just in.
>Hmm.
>Could it be?
>You wander around in front of her.
>She looks up at you and gasps.
>Uh-oh
>That shouldn’t happen.
>She runs the other way, dropping the notebook, screaming something in a foreign language.
>You pick up the book, and flip through it.
>No writing, just flowers.
>All the same flowers.
>The vision shifts again, the book turning to dust in your hand.
>Now, it appears you are on a snowy mountain peak.
>In the distance, it looks like the monastery you were just in.
>Storm clouds are above, swirling menacing, and crackling with lightning.
>Thank god this is just a-
>KABOOM.
>The Monastery explodes in a violent display of fire and brimstone.
>The clouds overhead erupt with energy, spewing heavy amounts of snow in all directions.
>You can see a distant figure flying quickly in your direction.
>It slams into the mountainside next to you, leaving a huge indentation.
>Rushing over and examining the hole, it appears to be Luna again.
>She is badly injured, her wing bent in a nasty direction.
>But what is most worrying?
>Is the black ichor slowly seeping into her mouth from the crater.

>The vision fades.
>You are back in the real world.
>And you have one angry Princess standing in front of you.
>Think Anon, think.
“Luna, I know how this seems, but there is something WRONG. There is something inside you. We NEED TO GET IT OUT.”
>She stares at you.
>But...
>Those eyes.
>They aren’t the same.
“Oh fuck.”
>You can see a black trickle form at the side of her mouth.
“OH FUCK.”
>You contain her in a forcefield, your will barely able to contain her.
>She crashes against the barrier, guttural tones coming from her mouth.
>An ancient dead language.
>The outer barrier drops.
>Celestia bursts the door open, and stares at you.
“EVIL. SISTER. OOZE. BAD. HELP.”
>Celestia simply stands there blinking.
“DID YOU NOT HEAR ME? HELP WITH THE SHIELD!”
>She nods, her power adding to your own, and a small blob of black ichor forms around the Night Princesses hooves.
>”What is that?” Celestia stammers
“I have NO IDEA. But we need to contain it away from Luna.”
>You split the forcefield in two, securing the Slime away from her.
>Celestia holds it, while you grab the unconscious princess.
>You lay her down on her bed, and open her eyelids.
>Her eyes are darting around.
>She’s obviously in some sort of dream.
>”What is this THING Anonymous?”
>You squat down, looking at the roiling ichor.
>It seems to lash out at you when you get close.
“Can you send it to the Sun?” you ask calmly.
>She looks at you almost angrily, before the Slime disappears with a pop.
“Thank the gods.” You say, plopping down on the floor.
>”EXPLAIN.”
“I will, but I need my suitcase.”
>It appears in front of you.
>You open it up, and pull out a small book.
>It’s a little rinky-dink novel from Earths distant past.
>You flip to a page far in, and read aloud a passage.
“It was a terrible, indescribable thing vaster than any subway train—a shapeless congeries of protoplasmic bubbles, faintly self-luminous, and with myriads of temporary eyes forming and un-forming as pustules of greenish light all over the tunnel-filling front that bore down upon us, crushing the frantic penguins and slithering over the glistening floor that it and its kind had swept so evilly free of all litter.”
>Celestia looks on in horror at the description.
>”Where these creatures REAL?”
“Thankfully no, but THIS? This reminded me of these horrible things. I just hope I am incorrect.”
>You get up, passing her the book.
>”At the Mountains of Madness?” she asks.
“The writer was a strange man, often cursed with horrifying dreams. I had the pleasure of meeting him once. Quite the odd fellow. But, I suspected there was magic to his dreams. I just hope those dreams were not about your world.”
>She looks very concerned about you.
“Who was Salazar?”
>She looks at the book, and back at you.
>”Where did you hear that name?”
“When I went into Discord’s mind, I saw a small creature much like him. He begged me to relay a message to Luna, and to help him escape. Before I could do anything, I was attacked by a much larger creature than the one we just exiled.”
>”So, what is it that you are saying?”
“He’s possessed. Whatever is inside him, was also inside your Sister.”
“Her corruption was minimal, mostly from exposure.”
“His however ran deep. So deep, that he is merely a host for it now.”
>She grimaces at the word host.
“I take it you knew this Salazar?”
>”I cannot say.”
“Celestia. Please. I am trying to help. I can’t help if I don’t know the whole story.”
>”My Sister and I are the only ones who know the whole story.”
“What about the history books?”
>She looks at you, her eyes with a deep sadness.
>”All lies. Fabrications. Myths and Fairy tales.”
“But why?” 
>”When we were young, something terrible happened. A secret that we promised to keep until we pass our mantle on to new rulers.”
“It had to do with Star Swirl, and it has to do with the lack of energy to the north doesn’t it?”
>She nods.
“I see. Well, this is where I would normally say everything is OK, but we both know that is not the case anymore.” You say, conjuring some ice, wrapping it in your handkerchief.
>You sit down on the bed, and place it on Luna’s swollen cheek.
“As soon as I mentioned Salazar, she got extremely aggressive.”
“It must have been something to do with the ichor.”
>Luna squirms under the cold, but quickly relaxes.
>This was going to be funny to explain when she awoke.
>”The elements of harmony should have dispatched everything though.” Celestia ponders
“From what I can tell, it worked for the most part, but this little bit of corruption hung on, feeding on her memories and angst of Salazar.” You say, waiting to see her reaction.
>”She and the emissary were very close.”
>You knew it.
“Ok, I understand.” You say, placing the impromptu icepack on the nightstand.
“I’m going to need to know this eventually Sunshine.” You say, getting up.
>You walk out the door, and head downstairs.
>First, convoluted thoughts about why you were here.
>Second, feelings.
>Now, Eldritch abominations and secrets from the past?
>Wonderful.
>And here you were thinking you would be able to relax.
>So much for your vacation.
>As you wind down the stairs, you see Shining Armor.
“Shiny, you, me, drinks later?”
>”You alright there Anonymous? You look like you’ve been through a lot.” 
“You can only stare into the abyss for so long friend.” You say, patting his back as you walk away.
>”You sure you ok?” he says, turning around.
>You wave as you walk.
“Keep an eye on the Princesses for me. I’m going to go get a drink.”
>”But it’s only noon!” he calls
“I KNOW THAT!” you yell back, striding down the stairs again.

>Two hours later...
>You had a drink in hand, a bottle of AppleJack Daniels, and a book in the other.
>You were in the Library.
>Were you drunk?
>Not yet.
>But you needed something for your nerves.
>That THING was still in your mind.
>There was something about it that was just plain WRONG.
>You had flipped through a ton of history books, but couldn’t find anything.
>Celestia told you the past was hidden, but you didn’t expect it to be this bad.
>There were few enough notes about Star Swirl, other than his mentioning in arcane texts.
>You poured over some of the historical texts about the foreign kingdoms as well.
>The nomadic Dragon tribes, the Gryphon kingdoms, and the mysterious changelings.
>The changelings were your biggest concern at the moment.
>the arid lands of the Apploosian desert were their native home.
>There was little on the Dragon tribes, and the Changeling hordes.
>The Gryphon Kingdoms had an eerie similarity to Equestria though.
>Almost around the same time as its founding, the Gryphon tribes fled the northern lands.
>Same story as Equestria. 
>unrelenting Blizzards, and fierce conditions.
>No one knew what sparked these, but you are starting to wonder.
>You take a sip of your drink.
>You love the taste of...
>Milk?
>You spit out the offending beverage, it soaking your shirt.
>Laughter fills the room.
“What do you want Abomination?” you say aloud.
>Discord appears in a chair next to you, a fez on his head, and pipe in his mouth.
>”Oh Anonymous, you wound me with your words! I’m simply trying to be nice!”
“Cut the shit Elder one. You may possess this Creature’s body, but you do not fool me.”
>For a moment, you can see a flash of anger on its face, which is quickly hidden by a smile.
>”Ah, so the youngling knows? What did Salazar tell you?”
“Everything.” You bluff
>”Now now, there is no use lying,” He says, taking a draw on his pipe. “We do share a mind after all.”
“You won’t get much out of me.” You say, relaxing back in your chair.
>”Ever the tough guy eh? Quetzy was a good friend of mine back on your home turf. He was always so violent though.”
>You say nothing.
>”Me? I never liked resorting to violence. It was always just funny to watch your mortals squirm and cower from the most inane things.”
>You take another sip of your beverage, passing him the bottle.
>”Oh? A little kindness to an ancient evil? You sir, and a gentleman and a scholar.” He takes the bottle producing a glass from thin air.
>”The creatures of this world are so out of touch with their history, with the ways of old. It’s a shame really.”
>He pours himself a rather large shot, which he downs in one gulp.
>”It’s time to remind them of their past, and time for the scales to tip.”
>He hands you back the bottle, which you cork.
“What scales?”
>”Oh my, would you look at the time? I must be going. Beard boy is probably looking for me. See you on Hearths warming eve Anonymous!” he says, disappearing in a puff of smoke.
>You wave the comical smoke away.
>Well, that’s a big relief.
>You carefully grab the bottle of hooch by the neck, examining the bottle.
>It’s your lucky day.
>There is a single hair from his lion paw on the bottle.
>You carefully take it, and drop it in a clean glass.
>This could prove useful.
>You grab your satchel, and head back into the main castle foyer.
>You needed to find Celestia right away.
>Walking towards the throne room door, you listen to hear if there are any voices inside.
>You can hear Celestia talking with someone, so you wait outside.

>A few minutes pass, and a white unicorn emerges.
>He glances at you, and gives a snort of disapproval.
>Like you had any fucks to give about some prissy frou-frou stallion at this point.
>Opening the door, you see Celestia sitting on the Throne, reading a scroll.
>the guards notice you, and nod.
>Word really does spread fast.
>Celestia looks up, and sees the bottle.
>”Anon have you be-“
“Not at all. We’ve just had a visit from our good FRIEND.” You say, with emphasis
>”Guards, we are not to be disturbed. Hold my further meetings.”
>They bow, and exit the room.
“He came into the Library, trying to rattle me a bit more.”
>”And?”
“I played dumb, my fears were in somewhat of the right place, but in the wrong direction.”
>”So you are saying?”
“Whatever it is, it’s old. Older than you or I, but not in a similar sense. It’s a force of nature, of your world, but similar to something on mine.”
>”The snake thing?” she asks
“Precisely. Mine fed on bloodshed and violence. Yours is much like a trickster, or a manipulator.  It thrives on disharmony and Chaos.”
>”So, Discord’s current personality...”
“Yes, he is basically an Avatar of whatever the greater creature is. The thing inside Luna was a small fragment. From what I can tell, when she became Nightmare Moon, the creature’s influence played upon her emotions, amplifying the negative ones.”
>”So her snapping at you...”
“Was a remnant of its influence. Whatever this Salazar was to her at one point festered and fed this scrap of evil, and so it festered. Not even the Elements of Harmony could cleanse a broken heart.”
>Celestia looks sullen.
“Now, I know this looks bleak. But. You’ve got me.”
>You place a hand on her shoulder.
“This is my fault, not yours.”
>”But, how could it be your fault? You just arrived?”
“I think what happened on my world so long ago, weakened the magical barrier between our worlds. Whatever this THING we are up against is, it is using me to some ends.”
>”But, what could it be?”
“I wish I knew...,” you say.
>The two of you stare out the window at the afternoon light in the garden.
>A certain statue curiously missing from the menagerie.
“We need to follow up on these disturbances. We’ve let it fester and grow for far too long.”
>”I can’t leave Canterlot Anon. Getting that week off put enough strain on my responsibilities as it is. With Discord promising something on Hearths Warming Eve, and all the diplomatic issues that have arisen, I’m stuck.”
“Then I shall go alone.”
>”It’s too dangerous. Especially after what we have already encountered.”
“I have to Celestia.”
>She embraces you with a feathery wing.
>”I just don’t want to lose you...”
>You embrace her.
“I know, but it’s something that must be done.”
“From my research, I’ve concluded that the easiest marker to track so far would be in the Apploosian desert. If I leave now, I should be back with plenty of time before Hearths Warming Eve.”
>She looks up at you.
>”Alright. Nevertheless, I’m sending a detachment of soldiers with you. It IS in Changeling territory.”
“The fewer people I have with me, the better. That way, you show no involvement, and I can operate more stealthily.”
>”You should at least take somep0ny with you. A second pair of eyes is always helpful.”
>Hmm
>You really didn’t want to ask it of him, but you may have to.
>From your research and curiosity, you know the perfect travelling companion.
“Give me three good p0nies.”

>A few minutes later, you emerge with a golden sealed envelope bearing the royal seal.
>Shiny Armor was waiting for you outside.
>”Hey Anonymous, the Princess called for me?”
“Yeah. This is for you.”
>He takes the envelope with his magic.
>He opens it up, his face going pale.
>”I’ve been fired?” he stutters.
“Not fired. Re-Assigned. Welcome to Delta son.”

>Up on a distant mountain peak...
“Have you planted the trap?”
>”Of course! What do you take me for?”
“An idiot who got too caught up in his first taste of freedom to do as he was told.”
>”Ouch! Oh come now, Beardy, you know you love me!”
“I DO NOT CREATURE. YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE I ALLOW IT. REMEMBER THAT!”
>The skeletal mages powers flare, illuminating the test chamber.
“Leave me in peace creature, you have done your job admirably, now let me do mine.”
>”Alright. FINE. I’ll go have fun with your lackeys then.” The Abomination says, poofing away.
“Absolutely insufferable. CLOVER!” the mage yells.
>The unicorn trots over, snapping to attention.
>”Yes Master?”
“The time draws near, how are our sleeper agents in Canterlot doing?”
>”Well Master. The ooze has taken effect, and all it will take is the correct phrasing to have them under our control.”
“Excellent. You have done well Clover.” He says, heading over to a lab station.
>”Thank you sir. Anything else?”
“What about our resurrection experiments? Any progress?”
>”Unfortunately not sir. We still require a two to one ratio for full reanimation. Unless we secured larger amounts of biomass for the conversion, we would simply be halving our current armed force.”
“Hmm. Has the ooze had any effect?”
>”Only detrimental Master. It cuts the required mass by a third, but inflicts crippling insanity upon the target. The last one we reanimated in this method killed four workers before being subdued.”
“Unfortunate. We may have to gather some larger test subjects then. Have our scouting parties returned from the Blasted Lands yet?”
>”They have. There are reports of a few young ones littered around. If we strike soon, we can have them back before the rest of the Tribe is alerted.”
“Finally some good news. Ok. Send out half the current force. Have them bring back as many carcasses as they can.”
>”As you command Master.” Clover says with a bow, heading back up the spiralling staircase.
>Star Swirl walks over to the Gigantic Crystal in the middle of the room.
“Soon. Soon I shall be whole again.”
“ThE BlOoD TiThE MuSt aLsO Be pAiD In fUlL YoUnGlInG, dO NoT FoRgEt OuR BaRgAiN” the crystal chimes.
“I will not. Soon, we shall both claim our prizes we were so unjustly deprived of.”
>Hollow laughter fills the halls of the Monastery.
>The troops of the Mad Mage mobilize for the Hunt.
>Their quarry?
>Dragon.

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