It's About Time, part 2.5: Journey to Tartarus

[no_vampires_plz]

As the three humans, one Hyrulian, one unicorn, and one demon-dog press forward, the character of the woods around them changes. The undergrowth gets denser, the canopy above lets in less light, and the flora in general is much more... exotic than what one usually sees in the woods by the lake.

"Now, I know that the pathway to Tartarus starts somewhere in this general area," says Twilight. "But I don't know of its exact location. It's not something that ponies really want to advertise."

Comments

[gorgonfondness]

"At least he seems to be recovering just fine," Mia comments as she follows, trying her best to keep up while keeping an eye out for trouble.

[sky_child]

"Did you need me to carry it again?" he asks.

[basic_powers]

"I think that'd be best..."

Maybe 84 can just have some fun time scratching Cerberus's ears or something as they hurry down the tunnel.

[fiss84]

"Okay here you go Link. Good sword fighting by the way," 84 says once she's flown over to him. That done, she'll back up a pace and walk next to Cerberus and try to pet him. Giant puppy!

[no_vampires_plz]

They continue on for a while in relative silence.

Then, a light appears somewhere ahead--not the eerie greenish light of fireflies, but sunlight. The tunnel is coming to an end.

[sky_child]

Link grins a little in relief.

And also a little. It's the end of the tunnel, but is it the end of their troubles or the beginning of new ones?

[basic_powers]

More to Moon Shadow's relief, that light means fresh air. That means the stink of Night Crawler guts isn't as heavily present around him.

"We're almost to Tartarus!"

[fiss84]

"Yeah," 84 says as she pulls herself off the ground. Only on Equestria would a party of adventures be relieved to be almost to Tartarus.

[no_vampires_plz]

But they're not quite there yet. The exit to the tunnel is still some distance off... and as they approach, our heroes see three quandrupedal silhouettes standing at the threshhold, facing them.

"Halt!" barks a baritone voice with what an Earth native would recognize as an Australian accent. "Roight, who goes 'ere?"

[gorgonfondness]

Mia steps forward, her mien that of the lady rather than the fighter.

"We are ambassadors serving as escorts to Cerberus, guardian of Tartarus."

[no_vampires_plz]

"Ambassadors from where, exactly?" asks another voice, with a similar accent, but more of a tenor.

"Don't like the look of 'em, mate." A third voice, much deeper. "Purple one's a unicorn, all roight, but what the bloody 'eck are th' rest of them?"

[sky_child]

"We're just helping her escort Cerberus back home. We don't mean any harm."

[basic_powers]

"By the way, you guys have one heckuva bug problem back there in the tunnels."

He's just going to reach up to try and scratch at a spot on Cerberus' chest, since being his size, he can't really reach the ears on his own.

"My name's Moon Shadow."

[fiss84]

"And I'm 84. We are here to help," 84 says floating mid-air with her arms akimbo.

[no_vampires_plz]

"A likely story," sneers the tenor voice. "You're just another lot that escaped while the gate was unguarded, aren't you? Well, off to the Threshold with you!"

"If we had escaped from Tartarus," Twilight points out, "why would we be coming back, and bringing Cerberus with us?"

"She's got a point, Bruce," the bass voice murmurs.

"Roight," says the bariton voice. "What's this about a 'bug problem,' then? Which beasties got loose?"

[gorgonfondness]

"Some literal fireflies and a huge centipede," Mia answers. "As far as insects go, anyway."

She bows her head low.

"Forgive me for not introducing myself before. I am Mia Malfoy of the Ausa dynasty."

[sky_child]

"And I'm...Link. Of Skyloft."

why doesnt he have a fancy title

[no_vampires_plz]

"And I'm Twilight Sparkle," says Twilight with a polite bow of her own. "In the name of Princess Celestia, I beseech you to let us pass."

The three silhouettes confer in hushed whispers for a long moment before turning back to the group in the tunnel.

"Roight. You can pass," says the baritone voice. "But no funny business."

"Yeh, and we'll be escortin' the pup," says the bass voice.

[basic_powers]

"He's a very good dog, for what it's worth, even if he did try to bite the Mandrake."

Really, so long as the big puppy goes to his right and happy home, he's happy.

[fiss84]

Something about the voices isn't sitting right with 84 so she's going to keep her guard up.

[no_vampires_plz]

As the party approaches the tunnel exit, the three silhouettes are revealed to be... sheep. Sheep wearing slouch hats and carrying spears, which they've politely shouldered to allow the weird bipeds to pass through. Then they start gently herding Cerberus along. "There you go, old boy," says the sheep with the bass voice. "You've been a naughty puppy, haven't you?"

"It wasn't his fault," offers Twilight. "He was loopy from mandrake toxin--probably from the same one we fought further back in the tunnel."

"A mandrake as well??" says the sheep with the baritone, who seems to be the leader of their little group. "Blimey."

[gorgonfondness]

"It was quite the adventure," Mia concurs.

[sky_child]

Link keeps silent, his eyes on the road ahead. After everything that's happened and everything he's encountered in the bar, he's finding it hard to be surprised by deep-voiced sheep.

[basic_powers]

...honestly, he was half-expecting old Greek Centaurs at this point, but it's sheep herding a dog which is...

...Okay, yeah that's definitely weirder than the Greek Centaurs.

"Honestly, the Night Crawler was by far worse than the Mandrake."

[fiss84]

"I don't know, being swarmed by those fireflies was pretty bad." 84 does her best not to stare at the sheep with spears as while they are odd, this is their world.