-TERRARIA, YHARIM’S KINGDOM: ARENA-

A large oval-shaped structure created with the same ancient bricks of the Temple was now becoming lively as a series of shouting roars out throughout the underground kingdom.

Many of Yharim’s guards stood at various posts while the screaming of the kingdom’s denizens pulsated. It was certainly food for thought on how such a large number of individuals could actually call this underground biome their home, especially given the one who ruled over it.

Incidentally, and among the many guards, two individuals were currently conversing amongst themselves. A male and female terrarian.

“How’s the armor, Tirek?” Princess Cadence whispers to her companion.

“Why do I need to wear this stuff again..?" He responds. "I may not be the sharpest sword on the rack, but I’m pretty sure that I need to actually touch things with my bare skin to drain magic… And I can’t fight.”

Cadence chuckles, “If we pull this off right, we won’t need to get involved with any conflicts. Remember, we’re trying to escape from here with as few problems as possible,” She gestures all around them, “This match offers us a good chance to blend into their ranks.”

Tirek looks at her with a deadpan expression, “Because getting closer to the enemy is what we should be doing… Whatever you say, Your Majesty.”

“You don’t think I know that?” She questions, then smirks, “I’ve ‘met’ someone here who can help us. How else do you think I got us these armor sets?”

“Honestly, I just saw you pull it out of your inventory, so I have no idea.”

On cue, another feminine figure arrives and is accompanied by a kitsune, albeit on the shorter side.

“Psst, hey, Princess,” Sweetie Glutonia whispers into Cadence's ear, “I brought someone I’d like you to meet. My sister.”

“Um… hi…” Murmurs the kitsune shyly, looking downwards and shuffling her paws.

Cadence smiles vibrantly and lowers her abdomen to meet the kitsune’s eyes, “You must be Crystal Moonbeam? Sweetie Belle’s told me all about you, and she’s been a big help to me and Tirek.”

“Yes…” Crystal responds, then looks away, her gaze fixing on a pink mare walking into the arena, “I hope she’ll be okay…”

……….

Among the large crowd, an individual was currently posing as a bystander. A male terrarian who was a friend, or at the very least, an ally to Mena: Braelor.

“Damn you, Cosmos,” He said with an annoyed tone. “Because of her challenging Mena, Statis and I had to change our plans drastically. Luckily, while Mena contends with Cosmos, Statis can carry on our plan alone.”

Braelor then looked up to the largest booth that was easily distinguishable from all the others and comments:

“Statis, I hope you’re not being an idiot over at Draedon’s lab,” He then places a hand to his chin in thought, “If what we learned from those documents are true, the containment that holds Calamitas’s clone prevents them from sensing each other. In addition, the documents for the construction of that ‘Mech’ Draedon created to counter Brimstone Witches should be there.”

The terrarian places both of his hands onto his lap, and sighs, “By the grace of Twilight, please succeed and be safe, Statis…”

-TERRARIA, YHARIM’S KINGDOM: DRAEDON’S LAB-

On the farthest reaches of the underground kingdom lies the main laboratory of the cyborg: Dr. Draedon. Various guards could be seen walking in and out of the large mechanical doors to the facility; accompanied by scientists.

A man was currently donned in lab attire as he approached the entrance to the laboratory. Before his very eyes were two heavily armored guardsmen donned in golden attire; wielding energy-based spears.
The man approaching them was of course the sole survivor of his ninja clan, and a dear friend to the uncorrupted Twilight Sparkle: Statis. With his disguise donned, he waves his right hand and says:

“Good afternoon, gentlemen,” Statis then reaches into his lab coat’s breast pocket and pulls out a card, “Here you are, my identification card,” He offers the card to the guard on the right side of the mechanical entrance, who takes it within their grasp.

Incidentally, four turrets were positioned just above them as blue energy emits light from the weaponry. The guard on the right nods to the one on the left as he proceeds to place the card onto the panel behind him. A ‘beeping’ sound is made seconds after as white steam is let loose by the now parting mechanical door which retracts into the ceiling of the doorframe.

The very same guard turns back to Statis and says:

“You’re good to go, Dr. Kadinsky. Pardon the hold-up.”

‘Kadinsky’ waves a dismissive hand as he takes his card back from the guard, “Meh, don’t worry about it. We’ve all got to do our jobs, right?” He questions then shrugs before entering the structure as the guards nod to him in response.

……….

As Statis continued to traverse the lab; disguised as Dr. Kadinsky, he could see various experiments being worked on through a large mirror for every room he passed by. In one instance, he could’ve sworn he saw a project that allowed the scientists to control a zombie plaque or a virus. Another scenario involved a large insectoid-like entity that was labeled: ‘Nuclear Terror.’

“Another bug that will no doubt cause harm to everyone,” Statis muttered with a side glance before looking forward, “Just like that Plaguebringer Goliath he recently had transported to another jungle facility.”

“Kadinsky! Get over here, now! Draedon is about to unravel our latest creation!” Another scientist exclaims as they lean out of the entrance to a room; waving their right hand.

“I’m coming!” Statis responds with a wave of his left hand as the aforementioned scientist leans back into the room. While ‘Kadinsky’ makes his way towards the room, he says internally:

-The beauty of Statigel Armor is that it can morph into the form of anyone else, in a fashion similar to a slime, provided the person I’m imitating matches my size to keep up a ruse. It’s a relief that Kadinsky was similar in build to me… would’ve been awkward if people saw him gain a few inches in height, for instance.-

He lets a few other scientists into the room before entering it himself.

As ‘Kadinsky’ turned the corner, he could see a gathering of the scientists who were looking up towards a balcony. Three individuals stood up there, their arms and hands resting on the silver railing: Dr. Draedon, Isabella The Steampunker, and J42-0N The Cyborg.

A nearly autotuned voice escapes from Draedon, “Good afternoon, everyone,” The mechanical being says as he takes his metallic hand off of the railing, “Today marks a large jump in our scientific endeavor.”

The crowd of scientists applauds in response, Statis now blending into their ranks. A gesture from Isabella causes the crowd to cease their clapping. Draedon continues:

“As you know, our latest project has been kept under a veil and not even Calamitas herself knows of this,” He points towards the crowd below with his right hand’s index finger, “Keeping this project from her very eyes is of the highest priority. Each and every one of you is a part of my personal staff. And even Yharim has given us permission to carry out our tests here.”

-Something he will one day come to regret.- Draedon says internally. He then turns to Isabella who, in turn, nods before taking over:

“If you turn towards your left, you’ll see two metallic doors. What lies behind them is our greatest achievement,” The Steampunker says, gesturing towards the aforementioned doors. She then brings out a remote and presses down upon the red button with her right thumb.

A ‘sksh’ sound escapes from the now parting doors, and as they did so, a large glass cylinder could be seen which was filled with red liquid. Within this liquid, the outline of a female humanoid with tubes strapped to her face could be seen. She was also curled up in a pose similar to a baby within a mother's womb, her hands folded against her chest as her legs were bent upwards, almost meeting her hands in the process.

The Steampunker presses another button on her remote as the lights turn on within the cylinder. The naked form of a woman with silver hair lay submerged within. A woman who was indeed the spitting image of Calamitas herself.

A series of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ are let loose by the crowd of scientists, but ‘Kadinsky’ narrows his eyes and says internally:

-And there she is. Now, to shatter that glass without being spotted. And thanks to doctor Kadinsky himself, I left the documents for their little Underworld Project within Calamitas's room.-

-TERRARIA, YHARIM’S KINGDOM: ARENA-

The audience begins to roar out even louder than before as the form of Yharim appears at the top of the largest booth. Incidentally, the other booths etched onto the numerous walls of the arena held a figure of high importance within the underground kingdom.

“Let’s get ready to rumble! Haha!” Terraria’s own version of the Storm King shouts from his booth.

“What a meaningless event,” Signus comments from their booth. “Twilight hungers for the essence of a god. Perhaps, if the Kitsune Tyrant loses, we could convince Yharim to satiate our master’s appetite.”

Lunaris, or now known as Siranul, sat in his own booth with various members of his cult positioned around him. Then, one member leans in and whispers something into his ear. The leader of the Lunar Cultists nods and waves them off before commenting:

“So the Moon Lord has claimed a world made entirely of lava and fire, and its inhabitants also evolved to reflect their world,” He chuckles, “Lord Razeem called the result of his latest conquest: The Solar Pillar.”

……….

Within the large booth of the Jungle Tyrant, Yharon’s behemoth frame acted as the background for Yharim’s current position. The Jungle Tyrant spreads his arms apart and shouts:

“Ladies and gentlemen! I welcome you all to this evening’s grand event!”

The crowd roars in response; in a celebratory fashion, but dies down as Yharim raises a hand and continues:

“Today, we have two competitors unlike most this arena has ever seen!” He points towards Mena, “Our first combatant is the first of her kind ever to grace this battlefield. No, not the first pony, but the first Demi-Ancient!”

As the crowd goes wild, a conversation would now take place as Mena says internally to Yharon's psyche:

-Yharon, can you tell Yharim to shut up? I want to get this over with quickly.- All the while, she digs a hoof into the ground, scanning the battlefield mechanically.

Yharon laughs lightly, but low enough as to not allow Yharim to overhear his laughter, -My brother was always ‘enthusiastic’ about his arena matches.- He responds mentally.

As this goes on, Yharim then points towards Cosmos, “And her challenger, arguably the reason for this event: The Kitsune Tyrant!”

……….

Among the crowd, Crystal’s eyes begin dripping black fluids as she stares at her sister’s challenger. She seems to murmur something and points a paw directly at her mother, blackish energy radiating from it.

“You are no mother to me. May you suffer in this battle a thousand times the pain you have made me suffer.”

A vivid multicolored energy radiates from Sweetie Belle’s form as her eyes darken; her fangs growing to become more prominent. Her voice also deepened momentarily as she says:

“You… I hope you die…”

Sensing the actions of her half-sibling, Sweetie Belle glances towards the kitsune and comments in a lowered tone:

“Ah, a good old curse, eh?” The Demi-Ancient shrugs, “I’d personally rob her of her powers, and she can’t resist it since she’s not an Ancient,” She grins, “But that works too.”

Tirek eyes the changed kitsune and the Demi-Ancient, Sweetie Belle, with trepidation.

“Uh… Make sure you keep that paw of yours pointed away from me, Miss.” He comments.

Cadence slaps the terrarian on his shoulder plate, “Oh stop it, you. She’s a cutie.”

Tirek rolls his eyes, “There’s a reason the term ‘cute but deadly’ came about… That otherwise adorable fox over there is probably the definition of it.”

As they continued to observe the coming conflict, Sweetie Belle comments internally:

-I hope you’re doing ok, Statis. I managed to secure Princess Cadence, and once I get the signal, I’ll get us all out of here once the plan is in action.-

……….

The crowd suddenly dies down once more as Yharim performs a gesture and teleports onto the field, standing just between both Cosmos and Pinkamena.

“So here we are, and it goes without saying, but if either of you tries to pull anything here,” Yharim says before he clasps his right hand into a fist, “I’ll stop both of you, permanently.”

“You might have to because I’m not going to be stopping until that bitchsune pays for hurting my sister,” Says Mena in a quiet tone, a knifelike edge to it.

“Hah! Keep talking, whelp. I’ll have you crying just like I did to your mommy.” Cosmos responds with laughter.

Yharim nods to them both, “I actually meant that you two are free to butcher each other, but don’t go destroying my kingdom in the process. It’s worth more than you two combined,” Yharim turns in place; fluttering his cape before teleporting back to his booth. He then turns to his left as a man standing before a large gong prepares to strike it.

Down below, Cosmos spits into her hands and rubs them together, “I’m going to enjoy this.”

Mena, however, seems to stay silent, eyes locked onto her target. A vaguely pink energy seems to be radiating from her.

-Mena, with Yharim watching us, I won’t be able to reveal myself. So Toxin will need to aid you in this fight.- The inner voice of Skeletron comments.

“I’ve got this, no problem! This… uh… kicksuno? Eh, whatever, she’s going to be surprised at how vicious I can be when my host hates someone.” Says Toxin with a light-hearted tone. “I’ll just have to eat her like every other person I’ve faced!”

With a gesture from Yharim, the sound both of the combatants were waiting for echoes out as the large gong is struck.

Sorry for the delay in uploads, everyone! Some personal stuff happened, but we're back on schedule!

Character inventory/equipment:

Fluttershy: Statigel Armor(pony, equipped), Overloaded Blaster, Eviscerator, Crimslime Staff, Corroslime Staff, Slime Staff, Finch Staff, Snow Flinx Staff, Hornet Staff, Blood Clot Staff, Deathbringer Pickaxe, Blood Lust Cluster Axe, Healing Potion, Honey Comb(equipped), Brain Of Confusion(equipped), Mana Polarizer(equipped), Honeyed Goggles, Slime Mount, Staff Of Necrosteocytes, Purified Jam.

Rainbow Dash: Necro Armor(pony, equipped), Star Cannon, Minishark, Eviscerator, Aquatic Discharge, Bloody Rupture, Deathbringer Pickaxe, Blood Lust Cluster Axe, Healing Potion, Aero Stone(equipped), Brain Of Confusion(equipped), Bone Glove(equipped), Mana Polarizer(equipped), Victory Shard, Slime Mount.

Zecora: Crimson Armor(zebra, equipped), Dune Hopper, Sausage Maker, Beenade, Tooth Ball, Aorta, Deathbringer Pickaxe, Blood Lust Cluster Axe, Various Potions, Rocket Boots(equipped), Honey Comb(equipped), Sand Cloak(equipped), Brain Of Confusion(equipped), Bloodstained Gloves(equipped), Bone Glove(equipped), Mana Polarizer(equipped), Honeyed Goggles, Skeletron Hand.

Starlight Glimmer: Meteor Armor(pony, equipped), Space Gun, Starfury, Vein Burster, Purple Phaseblade, Deathbringer Pickaxe, Blood Lust Cluster Axe, Mana Potion, Healing Potion, Victory Shard, Rocket Boots(equipped), Aero Stone(equipped), Brain Of Confusion(equipped), Mana Polarizer(equipped), Bone Glove(equipped), Slime Mount, Book Of Skulls, Skeletron Hand.

Rarity: Meteor Armor(pony, equipped), Space Gun, Hornet Staff, Snow Flinx Staff, Ice Mirror, Blood Clot Staff, Deathbringer Pickaxe, Blood Lust Cluster Axe, Mana Potion, Angel Wings(equipped), Brain Of Confusion(equipped), Mana Polarizer(equipped), Slime Mount, Book Of Skulls, Skeletron Hand, Staff Of Necrosteocytes.

Applejack: Crimson Armor(pony, equipped), Vein Burster, Orange Phaseblade, Deathbringer Pickaxe, Blood Lust Cluster Axe, Rope, Metal Detector, Healing Potion, Angel Wings(equipped), Honey Comb(equipped), Flurry Boots(equipped), Brain Of Confusion(equipped), Mana Polarizer(equipped), Honeyed Goggles, Slime Mount, Bone Glove, Skeletron Hand.

Twilight Sparkle: Meteorite Armor(pony, equipped), Space Gun, Book Of Skulls, Deathbringer Pickaxe, Blood Lust Cluster Axe, Mana Potion, Ichor, Victory Shards, Aero Stone(equipped), Brain Of Confusion(equipped), Mana Polarizer(equipped), Slime Mount.

Pinkie Pie: Crimson Armor(pony, equipped), Vein Burster, Blue Phaseblade, Bloody Rupture x2, Aorta, Deathbringer Pickaxe, Blood Lust Cluster Axe, Metal Detector, Angel Wings(equipped), Honey Comb(equipped), Flurry Boots(equipped), Brain Of Confusion(equipped), Mana Polarizer(equipped), Bone Glove(equipped), Honeyed Goggles, Slime Mount, The Blood Butcherer, Skeletron Hand.