Zushakon gives a sigh as the little ones continued their stories. It was not that he hated them, it was that they wouldn't stop talking. Specially with such hope and happiness in their voice. The ones that only children will have.
"-And that's when Spike and Twilight told us that Fluttershy didn't even had a shed nor that Rarity had a bunch of-" "Huh what are you guys doing here?" A voice spoke, interrupting Applebloom.
Turning to it Zushakon found...not a pony.
It was a small reptile-like creature. With purple scales and a green-ish underbelly. Zushakon knew of this kind of creature...after all his uncle was describe to be one.
A dragon...a very young one at that. Zushakon thinks as he stood up, catching the dragons attention. "Whoa...um...hi." The dragon spoke as he gave a nervous wave of his clawed hand, stepping down the stairs to their level.
"Don't worry about him Spike, this is our friend Zushakon." The one called Sweetie Belle said as she pointed her hoof at the great old one.
Credit where credit is due at least they said my name right without fail THIS time...also 'friend'...loose phrase there. Zushakon thinks before he spoke. "Excuse me...young dragon." Spike became shock at his voice, finding it very deep and yet...light.
"Are you the the one in control of this library? I would wish to find some information on this land's history." Zushakon continued as his eyes looked around, actually taking it in. "This is a very small collection of books, so I wish to see if you have more."
Spike rubbed the back of his neck with a nervous look. "Um...sorry that's kind of Twilight's thing. She's the one in charge around here and could tell you more about the books her then I ever could and she's out right now. But um...I could help...you looking for anything specific?" He asked as he walks to the Great Old One.
Zushakon was gonna replied till he heard the sound of another pony. "Spike where's Twi- Oh Sweetie Belle what are you doing here?" This one appeared to be much older then the others, something Zushakon was appreciated of, as she quickly moved down the stairs and hugged the little white one.
They then began to talk, of what though Zushakon didn't care as he began to notice something from the oldest one. Something odd. Deciding that it was nothing he looked back to the dragon. "Spike is it?" Zushakon called getting the dragons attention as he was staring at the pony. "This Twilight you spoke of...well she return soon?"
Spike gives a shrug at this . "Um...well...that's a hard thing to say." Zushakon gives a tilt of his head in confusion. "Well you see she left with the princesses earlier to somewhere...and she was very worried. I don't even know why...really didn't help that she was still covered in tomato sauce when she left."
Zushakon gives an eyebrow raise. "tomato sauce...? You mean that red substance on the floor over there?" He says pointing at the floor, to a small puddle of red liquid. Spike gives a groan as he begins to walk away muttering something along the lines of 'darn it I thought I clean all of it'.
As he was getting a rag or something to clean Zushakon walks to the puddle taking a little of it on his hoof and giving a sniff.
Blood...not that old too...victim must of died not that long ago...if he or she is dead...probably a pony or not, that I can't be sure...the victim...was insane. There smell of fear...madness...confusion...lust. Zushakon thinks taking another sniff, before he hears the sound of Spike coming back with a rag and cleaning the blood. It seemed that he believes it to be tomato sauces...He's no doubt a child so they're probably aren't telling him what it truly is...how 'human' of them.
"Um...excuse me Mr. Zushakon is it?" Zushakon turns to the voice, finding the white pony, along with the little ones. "My sister and her friends say that you don't have a cutie mark nor do you want one...is there any reason for that?" The white one said with a curious tone. "Also I've never seen somepony with eyes like yours...their very strange..." The white pony then seemed to have a realization of something before saying. "NOT that they're ugly or anything it's just well...that and your horn and...tallness, I would think you'd be a Alicorn or something."
"And you be right." Zushakon says as he walks away from her to a book shelf, looking at the collection. I might as well see if I could read what I could. He thinks, not noticing the surprise looks the others gave.
The white one then said. "I'm sorry but may you repeat that I wasn't sure tha-" "What is with you lesser species and having to have things repeated to you?" Zushakon interrupted her, turning his head a full 180 degrees to face her. Shocking her and the children before he then springs his wings open, from under his cloak. "I swear to Yog Sothoth your reminding me more and more of humans with every word you speak. Tyu'h fhngky'h acoti human n'ghum hnj'afyoi. " Zushakon mutters in annoyance before he sighs.
"I apologize...that was rude of me." Zushakon said as he turn his whole body to them. "I am mere seeking information and would hate to waste what time of playing this game of meet and greet when I could be using it to find my family."
"You're family's missing?" Scootaloo ask. Zushakon answers her with a nod of his head. "They've been missing...for a long...long time. I'm simply trying to see if I can find anything of..." Zushakon stops as his eyes sees a book on a table on the other side of the room.
One of the children were trying to say something, but Zushakon pays her no mind as he walks the table. His eyes widen as he sees the book's title.
"It can't be..." He mutters as he places a hoof on top of it...tracing the title.
Alhazred's book...where his words live on...The Necronomicon!...wait...who's is this H.P. Lovecraft...and why does it sound familiar?
Celestia gives a sigh as she let what Twilight said run through her mind. "Twilight...is Rarity okay?" She asked with worry as she looks to her student still covered in dried blood. "Are YOU okay?"
Twilight looks to her teacher and says. "I'm okay Princess...just that...I...I'm scared what this might be. If I'm right-" "Twilight I know that it seems that way, but this 'great old one' could be just from a story book you found." Celestia said, placing a comforting hoof on her student. "Don't let your fear cloud what may or may not be real."
"But that's what I'm afraid of most Princess...if it may be real." Twilight muttered as she looked down, but kept walking.
It was then she heard Luna's voice as she said. "Twilight we had heard of you talk of this 'great old one' since we depart from your home, it sounds like one found in a nightmare rather it be a true creature." Twilight gives a sigh at that.
Just then the home of the diamond dogs could been see with a large cave opening. Twilight could remember when she and the others came here once to save Rarity...it...had changed.
Blood was everywhere around the entrance...along with the remains of bodies. Splatter along the ground, covered in cuts or ripped apart. The smell horrible assaulting there noses...Twilight nearly threw up at this, before just swallowing it down as best she could.
"By Discords beard...what in the world...this beast, what ever it may be...is a true monster." Celestia muttered in horror, holding a hoof over her mouth in shock.
Inside the cave, Zushakon, in his original body he feels the presence of three beings outside his home. More of those dogs again? I thought they were all dead...They could be ponies as well...d'tham...I'll just create a another avatar to speak with them, warn them if I have to.
With a thought he grew a new avatar from the shadows near the entrance, the only real difference from his original being a lack of a cloak, as he had no reason to leave here. His avatar gives a breath as it was given life, before he walks to the entrance...at least enough to for them to see him, but that the light was touching him directly.
Just cause one of his avatars were in the light that didn't mean he wanted to be there.
As his avatar gets to the entrance he finds three ponies, two with strange hair colors...they don't even look like hair as more as a mass of some kind of liquid. It was then he took notice of their wings and horn.
Oh...so these are the other Alicorns...judging by the crowns they wear they might be the Princesses...that's odd though. Why would royalty be here? Without there guards? Wait...the one called Spike said that 'Twilight' was with the princesses. If what those first two ponies I met said is true then that means that purple one isn't a princess due to her lack of wings, which means she's Twilight...I put way more thought in that then I should. Zushakon thinks before deciding to announce himself.
"Hello." He said, his voice void of emotion as he stared straight at them. They all took noticed, before taking what looked like defense stances. Each of their horns glowing in a colorful aura.
"Who goes there!?" Princess Luna says as she pointed her horn to the cave looking for who spoke.
It was then the three see a single Stallion as he stood, barely within there sight with the darkness of the cave. They couldn't even tell what kind of pony he was as his coat matching with the shadows around him. Princess Celestia's horn loses it's aura before looking to the others. "Now relax you two...he might know what happened here."
Zushakon notice that the blue one began more lax at that, though he could see her her muscles were still tense, meaning her guard wasn't fully down.Smart...futile...but smart. He thinks before he looks to the one he knew as 'Twilight', as she seemed more hesitated to lower her defense.
"But princess he could-" "Twilight please...he could be the only survivor of what went on here" Celestia interrupted giving a more stern face as she looked to Twilight.
Twilight looks back to Zushakon and gives a deep breath before the aura of her horn disappears.
Celestia then looks to Zushakon and says. "Hello there sir. I'm sorry if we startling you." She says before giving a small bow of her head in apologize. "No need for that...you're incapable of startling me." Zushakon said with bored tone as the other ponies back at the Liberty were trying to talk with him as he was studying the Necronomicon. He'll just keep ignoring them. "If you have nothing of importance to speak then leave."
Celestia seemed to be a bit taken back by his tone before clearing her throat, however before she could speak Luna shouted. "How dare you show such rudeness to our Sister! Apologize to our sister this instance!" Celestia gives Luna a look but becomes shock as Zushakon says. "I care not for you nor your sister. As I see it you are disturbing me in my home...I'll repeat myself once more. If you have nothing of importance to speak then leave."
His tone nothing but a bitter cold as he stared at them with blue eyes...the only thing of color they could truly see from him.
"Well surly you've notice the blood and bodies here!" Celestia nearly shouted as she waved a hoof over it all carnage, Zushakon eyes move to look at them. "My student, Twilight here, had a friend find a diamond dog...very injured and seemed to...gone insane, telling that the rest are gone as well. Can you tell us what happened?"
Zushakon gives a nod, pleased to have confirmation on his thoughts of the purple pony being 'Twilight'. Hmm seems that not all those dogs did killed themselves...If one was alive that would mean there's more...it's never just one. He thinks before his eyes looked to Twilight as he realize...she was studying him, looking for something. He could tell through her eyes she was afraid...of him? Maybe...who killed those around?...another possibility.
However through that...he saw something that really drew his attention.
Curiosity and intelligence.
He couldn't help but let his own curiosity grow at this. It never mattered what species it was, or how old they were to him, once he found something with TRUE curiosity and intelligence he wanted to know of them...to match wits with them.
"MY SISTER ASKED YOU A QUESTION YOU WORM!" Luna shouted growing impatient with how the stallion was just staring at them. This seemed to snap Zushakon from his thoughts...which annoyed him greatly. The insult didn't help.
"LUNA!" Celestia said in anger as she glared at her sister. "I'm sorry dear sister, but what ever had done this, is still out there. We cannot be wasting our time on this questioning." Luna said as her voice lowered with a bit of a guilty tone.
Celestia said at this, knowing Luna was right. "No...you are right. Sir...I'm sorry to be straight to the point like this, but do you know what had done this to these dogs?" She said looking to Zushakon with her leadership tone. "If so please come with us. You need to help us find-" "That we'll be unneeded." Zushakon interrupted her.
He then lifts and points a hoof to one of the remands of the diamond dogs. "Nothing had done this to these...'diamond dogs' as you call them...what you see here was all done by their own hands, as they murder themselves and each other." Zushakon spoke, not caring for the shocked looks the ponies gave.
"Wait..." Twilight spoke, taking a step forward. "What did this...what could have made them do such a thing?!" Zushakon could almost feel his avatar smile at that question. However before he could speak Twilight continued. "To murder there own friends...Princess I told you this. A Great Old One might have awaken!"
Zushakon eyes widen at those words. The first time he heard one of these ponies talk of his people. He could tell she didn't know a lot but enough to be afraid. He then wonder how she knew...till he remember his other self, studying the Necronomicon back at the Library which he believe she was in charge of.
"Twilight we don't know of that." Celestia said, though she tried to sound strong Zushakon could hear the denial in her voice. but Twilight seemed to stood her ground at this. "But Princess if I'm right then that would mean it would be awaken. It could be Cthulhu!"
Zushakon avatar's jaw drops for a moment at what Twilight said...before a sound began shooting from his mouth, a sound he never had made before. It seemed he lost control of his other Avatar as it to was making this sound. Like the oxygen that was in it's body was shooting out of it's mouth in a alarming rant.
Before he realize it, he's real body was doing it's own version. Though...different in a way.
It was a moment before he realize...he was laughing. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Zushakon laughed, not noticing the look of shock the ponies were giving his avatars. Then then felt the very ground shake as a loud booming sound came as well, from the cave.
Twilight and the princesses had to cover there ears as they could feel their ears pop at the loud booming sound.
It took a moment but Zushakon was able to regain control of his avatars and stop their laughing, along with his own. "haha...oh...My apologize..." The Zushakon avatar at the cave said, while the other at the library seemly looked back to the Necronomicon without paying the others any mind as they were asking what he was laughing about.
"That's something I've never done before." Zushakon said taking in more oxygen to speak clearer. "Twilight is it?" he asked looking to the purple pony. "I must give you a much deserved congratulations. Not only for managing to find the Necronomicon, but also for...amusing me."
Her eyes widen at the name of the book. "Wait...how did you know I have the Necronomicon!?" She shouted in surprise, taking a step back in fear. "Because I'm currently studying it with another of my avatars at your library...do not worry your friends are not being harm mind you." Zushakon said with a honest-amused tone.
"Avat-..." Twilight stops herself as she realize what he just said. Zushakon then gives a bow as he final decides to introduce himself to them. "I am The Great Old One, Zushakon. Child of Hastur and Shub-Niggurath. Nephew to my uncle, Cthulhu. That is the reason I believe I laugh." Zushakon said standing back up straight. "To think of me as the Master Of R'lyeh? That is amusing."
Twilight could been seen shivering in fear at this. "Y...you...you..." Till Luna step forward, an anger look on her face. "If you are this 'great old one' then YOU are responsible for what's happened here!" She shouted in anger with her horn glowing in blue aura. "YOU MONSTER, HOW COULD YOU DO SUCH A THING!?"
Zushakon gives a bored look in replied, already lost his amusement with the loud voice of Luna's. "My responsible you say? To be fair, It's there own fault for this happening to them. I decided to repay them for freeing me by giving them the diamonds they wanted and they try to enslave me in return?" Zushakon said giving a scoff at the end. "Disgusting weak creatures of greed. I didn't even need to harm so much as a hair on their body as with one look at my true form they went mad and killed each other. I then destroyed every source of dreaded light they had inside, before eradicating there bodies. Through it disgusted me to do so, having to resort to cleaning flesh and bone, like some hungry shoggoth. However the smell of them would get distracting after some time and could attract other beings...it would seem I forgot about the outside. I'll take care of it later when the sun is set." He finished, not once seeming to care for what he did before turning around and beginning to walk off calling out to the other ponies.
"Hear me now, my true form is in this cave. You may enter but be warn, Your sight will be the first to go in this darkness before your mind will follow, and then you will know suffering. And I do not wish for unneeded blood on my hand. Return to your Library Twilight, My other Avatar will be waiting." He called out before his voice goes silent, in the darkness of the cave.
Twilight, Celestia and Luna stood there with shocked looks on their faces, before Luna's turn to rage. "That...that...monstrous...evil...vile...AHHHH!" Luna screams before opening her wings and charging in to the cave, the cries of Twilight and Celestia are heard, telling her to stop, but she had already entered the cave.
...And she will regret that decisions for the rest of her existence.
Her eyes widen as she finds...there was nothing. There were no light, nor anyway of tell where she was. Her horn led up, trying to shin some light in the room...only to be horrify as she still couldn't she anything. the darkness just swallowed her light. She turns around, stilling using her wings to fly, and becomes shock to find she couldn't even see where she came from. "That's impossible...I kept moving straight...but..." Luna mutters...not even hearing her own echo.
The silence...the darkness...It reminded Luna all to well of her time on the moon. She...then began to feel something with her eyes.
It dug through her brain. She couldn't even breath...feeling like she was gonna suffocate in here. She...she need to get out...need to find light, or anything like it. "Tia...! TWILIGHT...! ANYPONY!" She screamed...but had gotten no answer in return. She let's her wings stop flapping, hopping the feeling of the ground could relief her...it didn't as she...didn't feel anything.
Her hoofs where on nothing but air. She tried to step forward, but could touch anything to move. So she began to flap her wings...desperate to try and move. But no matter how hard she tried she couldn't. It was like this cave in no way follows the rule of gravity or space. "Let me out!" She shouted, hoping that Zushakon could hear her. "Let me free you MONSTER!" She shouted, her horn lighting up as she shoots a beam of pure magic out into the darkness. "LET ME OUT, LET ME OUT!" She shouted again and again, firing beam after beam of magic...but it did nothing.
She scratches her eyes as the feeling grew to be itchy...but no matter how much she scratch the feeling just keep growing worst and worst. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME!?" She shouted as the itching grew worst. Luna could tell it wasn't the area around her eye but her eyes herself were causing this. She continued to scratch hoping to stop the painful itching.
it didn't.
Before Luna knew it...she felt time pass. Seconds in this darkness became minute...which grew to minutes...which grew to hours...which grew to days. "Please...let me out." She mutters...begs as she place her hoofs under her eyes...or where her eyes used to be as she scratched them out days ago. She could still feel the blood on her hoofs...the pain still there. "Please...I'm sorry...please...I want to go back home...I want to see Tia...please." She cries...if she still had them she be crying her eyes out.
Do you fear me?
"What?" Luna said...still unable to see, but happy that she heard something else. Till a sound was heard...a sound of several animals...and they were getting louder. Luna couldn't tell how...but she could make out each type of creatures coming for here.
Crows...Cats...Owls...Moths...Vultures...Bats.
She could hear their them...coming for her...and they were hungry. She tries to move...to leave...but she still remain...she couldn't run. Luna didn't want to die, she refuse to allow these creatures to have her as a meal.
It's not your choice to make.
Luna hears the voice again, but ignores it as she lights her horn with Magic...holy to be horrify s she feels it drain from her.
Don't be afraid...it's only nature...running it's course.
Luna then feels them pile on her, Cats digging into her legs, rats as they climb her noses...and enter her eyes, eating away at her brain. She screams as moths devours her wings, that allow crows to enter her mouth, forcing themselves down her throat, pecking and pecking, as they tear her insides apart. Luna tries to scream only to be muffled. The pain just kept getting worst as though Owls and Vultures began ripping into her stomach and throat, the bats are all she feels them chewing through her ears to get to her brain.
she tries to move get them off...but that only made them eat faster and more savagely.
...before she goes limp...with the last words she hears.
That is not dead which can eternal lie, And with strange aeons even death may die.
"Luna...LUNA!" Luna's eyes open in shock as she takes a huge gasps of air. As she begins to to realize what happened, she found she had her eyes, and that she was being devoured by those animals. She then finds Celestia and Twilight were looking to her with very worried faces as they were all outside of the cave. "Luna are you okay?!" Celestia said as she held her sister.
Luna...then burst into tears. "T-TIA!" She screams before hugging her sister, crying as she had never before. "IT WAS SO HORRIBLE! SO DARK, SO SILENT! OH CELESTIA I WAS IN THE PITS OF TARTARUS ITSELF!" She cried as more tears began to fall.
"That was merely a warning."
Luna seemed to freeze as the voice spoke, wile Celestia and Twilight both look to Zushakon as he was deeper in the cave, the only thing visible were his blue pupils. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!?" Celestia shouted as her horn flared in yellow aura, giving a angered look that Twilight had never seen her teacher give.
Though...Twilight could see that Zushakon, even with only visible things as his pupils, still held a bored look. "I knew that one of you might try to attack me, or try to follow me. So I gave a warning. What Luna saw...is nothing compare what I well do to those that come to my home without my blessing. This is my home...where you're nothing but an annoyance. I allow you to enter to retrieve your sister, if you try to do anything against me as she had...I will be least merciful." Zushakon said, looking to the anger Celestia before he looks to Twilight. "I would suggest you leave, and not return till you bring something of importance to me...I will met you at your Library miss Twilight. I have questions...as I know do you. Till we speak again."
Zushakon then looks to Luna as she stared at him with tear stain eyes. If he were a lesser being he might had felt pity for such a weak species...too bad for them he wasn't. "Princess...do you fear me?" He says, lower his voice to a near whisper the echos the walls.
Before it erupts in Luna screams and begs as she wanted to leave to get away. Twilight gives a gulp of fear as Zushakon fades away in the shadows.
She...she didn't know what to say. Luna ran in to the cave with her and Celestia following her...and before they were even here for a second they found Luna screaming as she was crying on the floor.
As they were leaving the cave Celestia looks to Twilight and says. "Twilight...I'm sorry for doubting you. This 'great old one' is far evil then Discord or Queen Chrysalis...I have to take Luna home. I ask you...no beg you..." Celestia said, holding the shaking Luna close to by with her wings. "...you must gather your friends. I will bring the elements, with them we could-" "PRINCESS NO!" Twilight shouted interrupting her before looking down in shame.
"I'm sorry...but...we can't. He is powerful far beyond us...maybe even the elements. We only saw a avatar of his...his true form will drive us mad like the diamond dogs. There's nothing we can do. How are we going to use the elements if we can't even look at him...and what if they don't work, and anger him?!" Twilight said as she kept her eyes on the ground. "Besides...he's not evil."
Celestia seemed taken back by that. "Not evil...Twilight look what he did to the diamond dogs...what he done to Luna!" Twilight picks her head back up and looks right at her teachers eyes. "The diamond dogs were trying to enslave him and Luna charged into his home, in raged...! He reacted to us, not acted. Besides...he can't be evil." Twilight finishes as she looks back down. "That would mean he HAS a balance of good and evil...but he doesn't cause he's above good and evil...He's omnipotent."
Silence met them at that...the only sounds being Luna's soft sobs.
Till Celestia spoke. "...I...I refuse." Twilight look to her Teacher confused. "I refuse to believe that. A being of that power existing. Twilight, I'm sorry truly I am...but I cannot allow such a CREATURE LIKE THAT TO BE REAL!" She shouted before taking a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "...I will take Luna home now...do you wish for me to drop you off back in ponyville?" She asked, her horn glowing with her magic as she does.
Twilight though shakes her head. Without another word Celestia leaves in a flash, teleporting back to her castle. And leaving Twilight as she stood outside the cave of Zushakon. "...why..." Twilight, looking down, muttered with a low tone of anger in her voice. "Why won't she just BUCKING LISTEN!" She shouted in rage. "HE'S A GREAT OLD ONE, A GOD TO ALL OF US! HE COULD DESTROY US WITH AS LITTLE AS A THOUGHT!" She finished before taking a deep breath and begins to walk home.
Though she was angered at the arrogance of her teacher and worried for Luna...She felt mostly fear...and dare she say excitement of meeting and speaking with this being, as she remembers him him saying they've both had questions for each other.
She just hopped that her friends didn't anger the being.
"-And darling i must know who even gave you that cloak, oh such a bald color, it doesn't match with you at all!" Rarity on and on as she had the either time, The younger ponies having left earlier he thought he finally have some peace and quit.
How wrong he was.
I swear on my father and mother, if I'm given a true reason to destroy this entire species, this one dies first, slowly and painfully.
(Author's Note:
Thank you all for reading this. I wanted to give the mood of 'don't fuck with Zushakon'...I hope I did that right. Please leave a comment.)