My Little Pony Fan Fiction ❯ Chaos Reborn ❯ Chapter 8

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The doors slowly began to close and the sound of tortured souls screaming echoed throughout Tartarus before the doors fully closed. Twilight watched in horror at the door before she turned towards Discord and Sombra and asked, "So how will we find Tirek?"

 

"We need a little help with that," Sombra said. On queue, Cerberus came from somewhere high up and slammed into the ground. The three heads growled at the three before setting eyes on Sombra. Cerberus suddenly sat down and panted happily as he barked at Sombra. Sombra trotted up to Cerberus and patted the three-headed dog under the right heads chin. The dog flopped on his back and Sombra began to pet Cerberus on his belly while saying, "Who's a good boy, who's a good boy." Cerberus's right back leg thumped on the brimstone walkway as his tail wagged rapidly. Sombra stepped back from Cerberus who looked at him with pleading eyes to continue. Sombra turned to the other two and saw Twilight's jaw opened in shock and Discord holding his lion's paw to his mouth stifling his laughter. Sombra cocked his head and asked, "What?"

 

"I'd never picture you act like, like this," Twilight said still in shock.

 

"Well, when Void took over the responsibility of Tartarus. He asked the other God's for a guard dog. Eclipse obliged and offered Cerberus. I've known him since he was a pup," Sombra explained. Twilight watched as Sombra went back to petting Cerberus. She pictured the evil king she saw back in the Crystal Empire and couldn't comprehend how normal Sombra now acted.

 

"Alright boy, we need you to take us to where Tirek is being held," Sombra said. Cerberus sat up and cocked all three heads at him and whined. Sombra petted the left head behind the right ear and added, "Don't worry; I know what I'm doing." Cerberus looked down at Sombra before crouching down. Sombra climbed on Cerberus's back before ushering Discord and Twilight to climb on as well.

 

Twilight walked over to Cerberus and looked up at the three-headed dog. He seemed to give Twilight a friendly smile. It seemed there was no hostility towards Twilight who flew up and landed behind Sombra. Discord walked over and floated up. When he set foot on the back of Cerberus the dog began to growl. Discord sighed and rolled his eyes and said, "Alright, alright. I'll just sit on Twilight for this ride." Discord snapped his fingers and he disappeared in a flash. There was another flash and he appeared as small as a doll on Twilight's back.

 

"Well this isn't awkward at all," Twilight said a little annoyed.

 

"Alright boy, let's get going," Sombra said as he patted Cerberus. Cerberus stood up and suddenly bolted towards the inner workings of Tartarus. Twilight screamed and wrapped her front hooves around Sombra to keep from falling off. Discord laughed as he gripped Twilight's mane as he whipped a cowboy hat around. Cerberus charged through a river of lava like it was nothing. Cerberus suddenly jumped and landed on another brimstone walkway. He then crouched down and let the three down. Twilight was still clutching to Sombra violently shaking. It wasn't just the travel that scared her, but the cages hanging from the ceiling they had passed with beings reaching out towards them moaning, crying, and screaming for Twilight to let them out.

 

"Where here Twilight, you can let go," Sombra laughed.

 

"Yeah," Twilight stuttered as she let go and shakily stepped off of Cerberus's back and onto the brimstone.

 

"Yee-haw that was amazing!" Discord said as he appeared next to Twilight with a cowboy hat and doing his best Applejack impression. After Twilight was able to stop shaking the three began to ascend the brimstone stairs. The stairs seemed to ascend all the way up towards the ceiling. After 20 minutes the three reached the top, out of breath. Twilight caught her breath and looked across the platform. There, standing in the middle was Tirek. Chains seemed to protrude from the floor and shackled around Tirek's wrists and hooves. One chain was protruding from under his body and had shackled around his horse's abdomen. Another chain was coming from the floor behind him and had shackled around his neck.

 

"Welcome to my humble abode," Tirek said as he moved his arms. The chains rattled as he did this. He then snarled, "What do you want?"

 

"You know exactly why we're here," Sombra said.

 

"Yes, Chaotic has returned and you're gathering the other Epitaphs to fight him," Tirek said before he added, "but why should I help you?"

 

"He'll throw the world into utter chaos," Twilight said before she continued, "You're the Epitaph of Void. You have to help!"

 

"I don't have to do anything," Tirek said matter-a-factly before a smile formed on his face and he added, "I'm here in Tartarus so his chaos won't reach me. I'm safe, even if I'm here in utter hell. However, I'm safe and you have nothing you can offer me to help you."

 

"Your freedom," Discord said flatly with his arms folded in front of him. Twilight and Sombra looked at him in shock before Discord continued, "You help us and I will help you gain your freedom." Tirek looked at Discord with an eyebrow arched before he started laughing.

 

"How can you offer something you know you cannot do?" Tirek laughed before he continued, "Your chaos magic can't release these chains or get me out of this hell. You have nothing." Discord rolled his eyes and extended his Griffin's claw. A sphere of swirling magic appeared in it.

 

"I'll give you enough magic to break the chains yourself. This magic will allow you to help us outside of Tartarus without anyone knowing. Once you've helped us, I'll help you," Discord explained.

 

"Discord!" Twilight yelled in both shock and anger. She had trusted him and now he was once again helping Tirek. She wanted to obliterate him then and now, but felt a hoof on her shoulder. She saw Sombra shake his head and mouthed trust him. Twilight stared at him for several minutes before she nodded.

 

Tirek stared at the sphere and slowly reached out towards it. Before he could grab it, Discord quickly retracted back before shaking his lion's finger and saying, "Now, now. Unless you agree to my terms, I will not give you this." Tirek snarled but soon a smile formed on his face.

 

"You have no choice, you said it yourself: you need my help and without me. You can't beat Chaotic," Tirek said.

 

"True, but wasn't Void the one that said you can be replaced?" Discord retorted. Tirek snarled and glared at Discord who still had his smug smile on his face. Discord then threw the sphere from his Griffin claw to his lion's paw waiting for Tirek's answer.

 

"Fine," Tirek said through gritted teeth. Discord smiled as the sphere landed on his Griffins hand. A bat appeared in his lion's paw just before Discord flipped the sphere into the air and watched it fall. As the sphere fell towards the ground, Discord swung the bat. With a loud crack, the bat hit the sphere and shot it towards Tirek. Tirek lifted his hands to protect his face and when he didn't feel the sphere he moved his arms away to see the sphere floating in front of him. The sphere lowered and seeped into Tirek's chest.

 

Tirek felt the surge of magic and he began to grow. The chains whined as they tried to contain him. Suddenly the chain's snapped releasing Tirek from their grasp. Tirek had grown to about ten feet tall. Tirek looked at his hands before a sly smile formed on his face and he quickly grabbed Discord by the throat. He lifted Discord up and laughed, "You stupid Pony loving abomination. Now that you've given me the means to fight, I'll simply take your magic and the other Epitaphs magic and kill Chaotic, and then I'll rule this pathetic world."

 

Discord didn't seem amused or even scared. He seemed annoyed and impatient. Discord snapped his Griffin's claw and a surge of electricity shot through Tirek's body. He screamed and let Discord go. Discord floated back down to the ground and brushed his fur. Discord sighed and explained, "I knew you couldn't be trusted so I infused my own magic into the sphere. This way I will send a surge of electricity through your body if you disobey me. If you venture too far away from me the sphere will detonate and boom. We'll have a downpour of Tirek." The electricity had ceased and Tirek lay on the ground breathing heavily before he finally stood back to his hooves. Discord's sly smile grew as he asked, "Do we have a deal?" Tirek snarled before he nodded.

 

"Good," Discord said as he turned and walked towards Twilight and Sombra. He suddenly stopped, turned, and added, "Oh and one more thing"

 

"What?" Tirek said with a bit of venom in his voice.

 

"We'll need you to get in touch with Void," Discord said. Tirek narrowed his eyes and Discord quickly said, "We just need to ask for information nothing more." Tirek continued to glare at him before he nodded.

 

He placed his hands close together in front of him as a small orb of white and black appeared between them. Tirek took a deep breath and began to chant, "I call an audience with the God of Oblivion who surveys from the empty blackness between all plains. For I wish to be taken to the nothingness where all life begins and all life ends. For we are born of the nothingness and die in the nothingness." Tirek slammed his hands together and squashed the swirling sphere before a blinding light erupted from between his hands and engulfed the four.

 

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Twilight covered her eyes with her right hoof as the light intensified before suddenly disappearing. Twilight removed her hoof and looked around. All around her was a thick inky darkness. She felt something above her and looked up. Her mouth dropped at what was above them. Glowing, swirling black smog spun around in the air with glowing yellow light with it. The swirling smog began to take shape as it lowered towards them. The smog soon resembled a 400-foot long snake. Its body resembled the night sky with glittering stars. Many of the stars had started to resemble constellations. Its large white forked tongue flickered from its mouth as twelve ruby red slanted eyes shot open and all looked down at Tirek.

 

"My dear Epitaph, how long has it been since you've contacted me?" the large snake asked. His voice did not reverberate from his mouth but seemed to echo in everyone's mind.

 

"God of Oblivion," Tirek said.

 

"Void," the snake said before adding, "You should know I don't like anyone being that formal."

 

"Void, I've contacted you because my companions wish to ask you a question," Tirek said as he motioned to Twilight, Discord, and Sombra. Six eyes moved to Discord while the other six moved to look at Sombra.

 

"I see," Void said before he lowered towards Discord and added, "Epitaph of Chaotic. You wish to know why your God became corrupted."

 

"Yes," Discord said as he knelt down and bowed to Void.

 

"Rise Epitaph of Chaotic," Void said as he continued, "Like I told my Epitaph: I do not like those around me to act so formal." Void then let out a sigh and admitted, "I do not know why my friend became corrupted, but one of the other Gods might know. find the other Epitaphs and ask the other Gods."

 

"Where are the other Epitaphs?" Twilight asked. All twelve eyes suddenly shot towards her. Void slowly moved towards Twilight as his white forked tongue flickered at her.

 

"I smell the two princesses on you," Void said before he lightly blew a small puff of black glittering smog. The smog swirled and took the shape of a map with eight glowing dots. Void moved away and explained, "This map will help you find the other Epitaphs." Void then blew another puff of glittering smog that engulfed all four of them. Twilight coughed and felt her body grow dizzy and feel faint.

 

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Twilight's eyes shot open and looked around. She was back in Tartarus with Discord, Sombra, and Tirek. She looked down and was shocked to see a map lying on the ground at her hooves. Her horn glowed and the map levitated up to her eyes.

 

"Looks like we're going on a wild goose chase," Tirek said as he walked up to Twilight. She jumped away from him and he simply sighed, "Calm yourself; because of Discord I can't hurt you."

 

"So, who do we go after first?" Sombra asked.

 

"I think I know who to get," Discord said as he pointed to a bright brown dot. Tirek let out an annoyed sigh and simply nodded. Discord smiled and said, "Alright let's go." He was about to snap his Griffin's claw.

 

"No!" Twilight yelled stopping Discord. She let out a relieved sigh and added, "I'll teleport us there. I don't have enough food in my stomach for another vomit fest." Discord let out a sigh and simply nodded. Twilight's horn glowed and a lavender aura wrapped around Discord, Sombra, Tirek, and Twilight before they disappeared in a flash of lavender. Cerberus looked up at the long staircase and whined not seeing the red circle being etched in the brimstone behind him.