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

[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.

[no_vampires_plz]

The tunnel opens out onto a rocky strip of seashore, perhaps a dozen yards wide at most. On one side, the ocean pounds relentlessly against the beach; on the other, a steep cliff towers overhead. A cursory glance, however, reveals that it's not a cliff, but a wall, in which is set a massive pair of wrought-iron gates. Something green, feathered, and the size of a large house is bashing itself against the inside of the gates, trying to force them open.

Cerberus bounds ahead of the group, turns to face the gates, and bellows a mighty "GRRRRROOOOOOOOOOWF!" at the feathered thing. It immediately backs off.

The smallest of the sheep-guards looks proud. "Good boy."

[gorgonfondness]

"It seems our task is complete," Mia says with satisfaction, looking at the wall and the huge creature housed within.

With a wave, she adds, "Goodbye, Cerberus. I'm glad we could help you find your way home."

[sky_child]

He lets out another relieved sigh--one he can actually enjoy this time.

"Don't give them too much trouble, okay?"

[basic_powers]

"SHOW THAT BIRD WHO'S THE ALPHA DOG AROUND HERE!!" Moon Shadow howls towards Cerberus, hands cupped around his mouth.

"..thanks for escorting us the rest of the way."

That was directed more so at the sheepguards. Soldiers.

[no_vampires_plz]

"Eh, weren't nuthin'," says the baritone-voiced sheep. "'S our job t' make sure Cerberus is looked after properly, roight, Bruce?"

"Roight, Bruce," says the tenor-voiced sheep. "We had a dilly of a time keepin' the gates shut while he was gone, lemmie tell ya..."

[fiss84]

84 is hovering trying her best not to feel sad that she's never going to see the giant puppy again. Then she gives into temptation and zooms over to give Cerberus a big hug.

"No more biting Mandrakes okay? Take care big guy!" she commands.

[no_vampires_plz]

Cerberus wags his tail and attempts to lick 84 with all three heads at once. He succeeds with only one of them, but given that his tongue is as large as she is, that's more than enough.

Twilight giggles a little to herself. "C'mon, guys. Let's go home."