Apollo ran through the head-high golden grass, the footsteps of the huge beast thundering in his ears. He could make out its crested necks up ahead, swaying as it galloped through the rolling fields... he was closing fast. The beast, sensing him getting nearer, let out a primal roar – a mix of rage and terror.

Without warning, a giant rift split the sky above his head. Apollo was sucked up into the sky behind the creature; he cast a rune of brass, but spinning through the vortex he could not stabilise himself to hurl it at the two-headed beast. And then they were spat out into another dimension.

He hit the ground running, barely taking in his surroundings, all his attention focused on his quarry, which had scrambled to its feet and was running for its life. None had escaped him before, and that was not about to change this day. He steeled himself to deal the killing blow... and was thrown from his feet as colours bloomed all around him.

He looked up from the ground at a gold-framed gate that seemed to stretch to the edge of existence, its dimensions defying logic, but was jolted back to reality by a voice that boomed across the snow-covered mountains:

“BEHOLD MY QUANTUM STYLE, INTRUDER! Name yourself, or perish!”

Apollo snarled in frustration as the beast he had been pursuing lolloped over a crest in the steep slope. With a cry of anger he launched himself at the massive shadow that was looming over him. The clouds above the mountains suddenly parted, illuminating his adversary.

What diabolical spawn of the cosmos is this? he wondered.

The being was enormous, standing fully twice as tall as Apollo himself, with a body resplendent in all the colours of the Astral Plane. On his shoulders sat a golden pyramid for a head, out which glared a monstrous, bulging eye.

Quick as a flash, Apollo reached into his robes and clutched his crystal skull, summoning the spirits of the ancestors from beyond the Event Horizon. The souls wailed as they were torn between cosmic forces. Apollo mustered his strength to channel the Runiversal star magic – somehow, he knew it would take no less to match this brute.

“AVAST, YE MEATY CYCLOPS!”

The rainbow-coloured colossus effortlessly deflected the raging starlight that the skull emitted in a dazzling beam; the mountainside warped as he cast his runes, and Apollo wavered, his senses clamouring as time and space distorted around him. He fought for an anchor point for his mind as he felt reality slipping away…

A sharp whinny cut through his fading consciousness and the world snapped back into place. The two combatants faced each other, neither willing to give ground. Apollo glanced down and saw a tiny and very angry-looking pony that had planted itself firmly between them.

The pony stamped its hoof and snorted. “That’s quite enough of your Quantum Style, you think I haven’t beheld it before?! I mean honestly, Rainbow Cakes, what in the Seven Realms do you think you’re doing? You know it’s my snack time. I’ll bet the best grass is already melting, while you two lumbering oafs are busy with all your “Behold This” and your “Avast That”.

The pony paused, turning to Apollo: “Although credit where credit is due… ‘Meaty Cyclops’ is a good one.”

To the side, a feline chuckle alerted Apollo to the presence of another being. Without shifting his gaze from his foe, he glanced out of the corner of his eye and was shocked to see the Ancient Sphinx sat on his haunches, idly picking at his teeth with one vicious-looking claw.

Rounding on the giant, the pony then waded straight back into its tirade. “Now, if I have to behold your Quantum Style one more time, I’m liable to get mighty testy… ice-grass waits for nobody!”

With that, it clicked its hooves and leaped high into the air. Apollo looked on, wide-eyed, as it soared upwards, disappearing into the clouds that curled around the towering gate doors, then turned back to the giant.

The multi-coloured titan shuffled his feet. “Sorry about Lamia… she gets very grumpy if she misses snack time. And you know what bad luck it is to upset a pony, no matter what Astral Plane you’re from.” He scratched his pyramid. “Where were we?”

“Hold on, I think there may have been some misunderstanding,” said Apollo warily. “What business have you with the Ancient Sphinx?”

“Yoohoo, I’m right over here!” called Derek. “I’m the Meaty Cyclops’s familiar if you must know. He’s not a bad chap once you get to know him. Tends to act before he thinks though.”

The giant let out an audible sigh, then drew himself up to his full height and spoke in grand tones. “I am Wizard #777, Guardian of the Gate to the Seventh Realm… and who might you be?”

“I am Apollo of the Event Horizon, Celestial Thelemist and a slayer of the northern quadrant. I extend an offer of friendship to any companion of the Sphinx; he is highly regarded beyond the Event Horizon.”

Derek smoothed his whiskers and nodded officiously.

“And yet… you have allowed the beast to escape me! It must be destroyed before it can cause more harm.”

Sacred Key Master looked sheepish. “Oh… I do apologise, Apollo, I thought the two of you were in cahoots and… uh… you were a lot smaller, so I thought I’d deal with you first and then go after the slow two-headed one…”

The sphinx snickered and preened his wings. The Key Master shot him a glare.

“So, can I take it that you’re not going to try and attack me again?” asked Apollo.

“Yes. But this is my realm, so if you’ll have to follow a few rules.”

Apollo relaxed and smiled up at him.

“I’m sure an agreement can be reached, Key Master. Now, shall we tend to that beast down there?”

The Key Master grinned and extended a hefty hand, which Apollo clasped firmly. The two celestial beings nodded at one another, then set off at a canter down the slope after the monster from the Seventh Realm.

Derek the Sphinx rolled his eyes, yawned, and stretched out on his favourite rock. Exposing his belly to the warm afternoon sun, he promptly fell asleep.

Story Arc Index:

Prologue: Wizard #2875

Part 1: Wizard #3032

Part 2: Wizard #1182

Part 3: Wizard #3282

Part 4: Wizard #3916

Part 5: Wizard #2550

Part 6: Wizard #3919

Part 7: Pony #433

Entered by: 0x24D7…e52b and preserved on chain (see transaction)