-TERRARIA, CAMELOT CASTLE: EXCALIBUR’S CHAMBER-

The doors to the chamber close shut via the guardsmen who had accompanied both the Royal Advisor, Neighsay, and Captain Flash Sentry. Excalibur continues to float in the center of the chamber, constantly emitting a warming light.

“Now where is our little helper?” Flash Sentry inquires.

Neighsay sighs, “She’s waiting for that stupid phrase,” He clears his throat, “Friendship is power.”

“Oh, golly, I’ve been waiting here for a good while,” A familiar voice echoes throughout the room. “You two sure took your sweet time!”

The flapping of wings could be heard moments after which caused everyone to look upward; taking in the form of a small pegasus with a chess piece cutie mark, who was currently descending towards them.

“Why haven’t you removed this blade yet?” Flash Sentry questions, then chuckles, “Zalgo’s partnership with our lord is useless. As is your assistance, pon-”

“You watch your bucking mouth!” Cozy Glow interjects. “Don’t talk about Lord Zalgo that way!” She grunts annoyingly. “And for your information, only an idiot would remove such an important weapon without a plan. Why do you think I waited for you guys?! Besides, we need someone from the royal family to remove it for us, dummy!”

“I will turn you into glue you stupid little-!”

“Silence, both of you!” Neighsay chimed in. “The sooner we all do our part, the sooner we can get this invasion underway.”

Both the pony and blue-haired terrarian glared at each other, garnering an annoyed grunt from Neighsay. The Advisor turns around; towards the guards currently positioned behind him, before saying:

“Secure the castle, and if anyone gives you any resistance… kill them,” The Advisor raises his arms high into the air; clenching his hands into a closed fist, “For the glory of Nyarlathotep!”

A series of roars and exclamations follow suit as the guards raise their arms in celebratory fashion. All while Cozy Glow and Flash Sentry stare angrily towards each other.

-TERRARIA, THE UNDERWORLD-

A series of ash could be heard being kicked up from the obsidian landscape as a group of surface dwellers traversed the realm of the damned. This group consisted of Twilight Sparkle, Tanner The Doll, Echo Silhouette, Starlight Glimmer, Shadow Thunder, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Braelor, Arche, Linn, Pinkie Pie, and Sai Sahan.

“This place is even worse than Tartarus…” Applejack comments, walking alongside Rainbow Dash.

“When the Voodoo Demon captured us, he kept us in some sort of obsidian building,” Twilight responds in the lead with Braelor walking alongside her. “We could hear all kinds of horrible things from there…”

“It was a good call for us to leave Callie up there with Zecora and Celestia,” Tanner The Doll said. “The girl might be Calamitas’s clone, but she should have more training before traversing this realm.”

Starlight ponders on something, walking alongside Shadow Thunder, before commenting:

“I know this isn’t the appropriate time, but what can you tell us about this place? I mean, we know about it thanks to our time here, not to mention what you told us, but is there an origin story?”

“What’s there to say? It’s a place filled with demonic assholes who want nothing more than to cause nothing but fuckery,” Arche answered, walking next to Starlight and Shadow Thunder but making doubly sure to keep Rarity in front of him.

“It’s a lot more than that, Arche,” Linn responds. “This place is filled with the souls of the damned, some of which were sent here by Anubis himself.”

“Long ago and pre-dating Xeroc’s rising, Lucifer was another powerful enemy who also had a ‘rising’ of his own. In fact, it was more of a rebellion,” The Doll said.

“Lady Harmony told me about that,” Shadow Thunder responds. “To put it simply: Lucifer rebelled against Jehovah Elohim, the Ancient of Creation. With a heavy heart, God was forced to cast Lucifer out from heaven, but the fallen angel swore vengeance and created everything we see around us.”

“Woah… that guy made ALL of this?” Rainbow Dash questions, gesturing all around them with a forehoof. “How powerful is this guy?!”

Arche scuffs in disgust before commenting internally:

-Rarity's fucktoy should've been killed...-

“VERY, powerful,” Linn responds. “There’s a reason it took Daedalus, Oblivion--although he wasn’t called that at the time--, Anubis, and various other individuals just to face Lucifer. The event he called The Planemeld is one of Terraria's darkest times.”

Arche snickers, “That is until he got his ass kicked and shoved into a blade. Even lost a good portion of his powers, too,” Everyone else turns towards the pony, “What? My parents told me a thing or two. The guy tried to act tough, he got his ass kicked, and got punished for it. Simple as that.”

“That may be… but the everlasting effect Lucifer left on the world endures to this very day,” Braelor comments. “And what’s worse… he’s not the only one.”

“Ooh! Does it work similarly to the GrimDark?” Pinkie Pie questions which instantly garners the attention of her fellow ponies. “My sister told me that the GrimDark has various overlords, some of which she protected me from while we were there. I never really paid much attention to that stuff, but Mena never really wanted me to get into it anyway.”

“We are going to have an extensive interview about that, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight responds, looking over her right shoulder with her curiosity etched onto her features.

“Actually, yes,” Braelor answers. “Just as the GrimDark has its various ‘overlords’, The Underworld has beings that are very similar. Lords and Empresses, even deities, who rule over their own sections of this hellish realm. Some are 'bad', others are 'good', some can even be 'neutral'. It just depends on how lucky you get when you meet one of them.”

Some time passes by as the group are now in the process of traveling through one of the many obsidian cities that littered the hellish realm. It was certainly an interesting thought to realize that actual civilizations once dwelled here. Who or what races could even think of calling this place home? True, there were the demons, but some pondered on the fact that actual races from the surface also lived here. The most familiar among them being the Brimstone Witches, although their story rises and recedes in and out of The Underworld.

Suddenly, a commotion catches the attention of everyone present as the ponies begin to flicker their ears in response. All while the entire group takes on combative stances.

“Be on guard, everyone… we’re being watched,” Braelor says as the entire group starts to draw their weapons and scans the buildings all around them.

“Pinkie, dear, can you feel anything?” Rarity questions, floating her Book of Skulls within her aura. “I’m really hoping you have one of your ‘Pinkie senses going crazy’ moments. At least we’ll know what we’re dealing with.”

The party pony turns her head left to right, “No, Rarity. I don’t feel anything… but someone is definitely watching us…”

“Well that’s helpful,” Arche comments, a small bit of sarcasm present in his tone. “Either they’re good at hiding, or those senses of yours need some fine-tuning.”

“Hey!” Pinkie responds with scrunched features.

“By the holy blade… Lady Linn?! Is that you?!” A new but familiar voice calls out from nearby which instantly garners the pink-haired terrarian’s attention. Both a man and a child turn around a nearby corner as it is revealed that the duo was hiding, their clothes covered in ash.

“Royal Advisor, Neighsay...?!” Linn shouts.

“Wait ah’ minute, we just saw ya’s up at-”

“No!” Neighsay interjects, cutting off Applejack’s words. “That thing is not me! You must listen very closely, the Voodoo Demon wasn’t alone! There are other monsters among us all!”

Everyone present was absolutely shaken by this revelation as eyes were widened in response.

“The demons of The Underworld have already put their plans into motion! Me and this innocent child are the only ones who managed to escape!”

The group turned their gaze towards the crying brown-haired terrarian child who hid behind The Advisor’s left leg, faces of sympathy forming onto their features. However, Pinkie Pie’s eyes were widened even further as she zips towards the child and worriedly brings them into a hug.

“Oh my gosh! How did those meanies take you away from The Cakes, Pound Cake?!” The pink mare asks in utter concern.

“I knew that child looked familiar!” Starlight Glimmer says. “I’ve seen him in the pictures littering the Cakes N’ Bake.”

“Well, don’t you worry! Aunty Pinkie Pie will get you-”

“No!” The child shouts in fear, tears still pouring down, “I-I don’t wanna go back to them…!”

This naturally confuses the pink mare as she tilts her head sideways, “But why, Pound?”

Pound Cake sniffles, “Th-they’re n-not mommy and daddy… they’re monsters who’re pretending to be them,” The child wipes his tears with his left arm, “Mommy… daddy… my siblings… t-they…” Unable to complete his sentence, the child buries his face into Pinkie Pie’s chest, crying uncontrollably.

“Well then, we’ll go get them back!” Twilight shouts after recovering from her shock, all while the rest of the cast looks on in sympathy. “We won’t leave innocent people to-”

“You don’t understand!” Neighsay interjects. “There is no ‘getting them back’!”

“W-what?!” Rarity questions in shock. “Whatever could you mean by that, darling?”

“It should be obvious…” Echo Silhouette responds with closed eyes. “That child’s emotions… I know it well, I sense it… it’s the pain of great loss.”

Applejack’s eyes widened, “W-wait… are y’all say’n…”

Neighsay nods regretfully, “This poor child’s family… is dead.”

However, before anyone could press the issue further, a haunting voice echoes throughout their local area. Possibly even all of The Underworld as Pound Cake cowers further into Pinkie Pie’s chest.

“Ah, it’s so nice to see you all… we’ve been preparing for this moment, and you’re exactly where we want you to be.”

“It’s the monster!” Pound Cake shouts in utter fear. “The one who… w-who… ate everyone.”

My apologies for the super late chapter, things got pretty chaotic in the good old RL.

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.