Mending Light

by Kiromancer

46 - Fire and Shadow

Our party had grown larger with the addition of Old Ed, but this wasn't exactly a source of comfort. Instead, it only served to keep everyone on edge, with Dusky wanting to proceed as carefully as possible and Starshadow wanting to rush us forward. For me, it was simply disconcerting to always feel Amethyst and Old Ed's gaze on me, and wanting to get that attention off of me.

The deciding factor to all of these these tensions was sheer exhaustion. We'd been underground long enough that I didn't even know what time it was anymore. With the goal of getting us secured and rested, Amethyst led us back, directly into the heart of the city. I'd been afraid that something might tip off our foes, reveal us to be outsiders, but the knights who passed us in the streets barely gave us a second glance.

We ended up in a longhouse within the inner city. It reminded me of the Canterlot barracks, set with rows of beds and little else, this was clearly a soldier’s quarters, a fact which only added to our suspicions. Amethyst Vein claimed she’d be back at midnight, though how she knew what time it was, I couldn’t tell. Then, we’d enter the keep through the servant’s entrance, and from there, we’d find Merri.

Dusky insisted we take turns sleeping, watching the main road and the path to the building door. Though, if Amethyst Vein intended to betray us at this point, there was little we’d be able to do against the sheer number of ponies within the city. Despite the weight of everything, we somehow all managed to find some sleep, however restless it was.

Upon Amethyst Vein’s return, we set out towards the Keep, a dominant structure of intricately carved stone. Although I could see no difference in the lighting this far underground, the streets were certainly much emptier. I couldn’t know if it was midnight or not, but it certainly held the same feel as those late hour shifts I'd worked in Ponyville.

We slowed as Amethyst Vein turned down an alleyway. Around the corner from there, we could see a wooden door set into the stone wall, flanked with bright red and orange paint, stylized flames and banners which were as gaudy as they were crude. On either side of the door stood a guard, two knights in equally colorful armor.

We waited quietly out of sight as the two guards talked, pausing only long enough to exchange a flask between them. As Amethyst Vein had said, lax indeed, though they were still a problem standing there, blocking our destination.

Dusky leaned closer to Amethyst Vein to whisper. “You sure they’re not just going to sit here drinking all night?”

She shook her head. “They’re stupid and lazy, but they’re not that stupid. The unwritten rule is the officers turn a blind eye as long as they don’t catch anypony red-hoofed.”

Dusky sighed, shifting to view the guards again. “Seems like even that pretense is pretty lax. I suppose that’s what eventually leaves the hole, though.”

It is inexcusable. An insult. Bellerophon growled. That Firetail allows such sloth, that he holds such open contempt for these ponies.

I sighed. That’s not what we’re here for.

Merriweather. All that we could be certain of was that she would be well guarded. Amethyst and Bellerophon both agreed that she would be held in the inner sanctum, the place that had once been Bellerophon’s throne. It wouldn’t be easy.

I glanced over at Dusky. Her jaw was set, eyes darting as if by instinct. She was worried. She’d be crazy not to be. I was terrified, a small part of me wanted to run and never look back, but I couldn’t abandon Merri and Star. I couldn’t abandon Dusky. She perked up immediately at the sound of movement at the door, and all attention turned back to the entrance.

The guards had packed up, and were heading down the street. This was the moment, and all doubts were swept aside for the moment.

Amethyst Vein walked up casually, getting the door open easily as we did our best to look like we belonged there.

Inside, we found a cramped room filled with decayed wooden frames, beds that had once hosted the servants of the keep but had now been left to rot. The dust was thick on everything, only the path from the entrance to the door into the keep seeing any traffic.

Once we were all inside, Old Ed slipped into view from wherever he’d been hiding. “You’re late.”

“Couldn’t be helped.” Amethyst Vein grimaced. “They boozed up half a flask in front of the door.”

“Figures.” The anger in Old Ed’s eyes was only matched by his disappointment. “I checked up on the north wing. All the servants were accounted for as of an hour ago.”

Star edged forward, stomping a hoof impatiently. “Damn! The ritual. Are we too late?”

Old Ed watched her carefully. “Can’t say. It’s not like he can do the real thing.”

“If I… If I have Bellerophon, can he even do anything?” Even with Bellerophon being agreeable, I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. I didn’t want to think about what Firetail’s plans for Merri would be otherwise.

“A control spell. In the very least, a geas.” Star was ready to lead the charge down the hall.

Dusky stepped up alongside Star with a sigh. “We’d better move, then.”

“With things as they are, we will have to part ways here.” Old Ed gave a sharp breath, and I knew the tone. He knew exactly what was at stake here. “Take the hallway to the intersection and turn left. Pass two more intersections, then turn right, then left at the next. This will get you to the concourse just outside the sanctum. From there, you’re on your own.”

Amethyst came closer. “Wait. I’m going too. I must see Firetail’s foulness for myself. Then there can be no denying his betrayal.”

“Don’t be foolish!” Old Ed snapped at her. “If you’re seen, you’ll be tied to them. He’ll brand you a traitor and the hope of our ponies will die with your fall.”

Amethyst didn’t back down, but she let out a fierce growl. “But, how can I just sit back and force foreigners to do our work for us? We have always fought with all our strength to preserve our homes and we have always succeeded. This is our fight.”

No. Bellerophon’s voice urged in my head. They have suffered too much for my hubris, for my misguided anger. Generations of ponies have suffered. This is my fight. Tell them… tell her, I’m sorry. For everything. For the hardships she and her ponies have endured looking to a false hope. Tell her.

I came forward to set a hoof on Amethyst Vein’s side, only to have her whirl. I pulled back, but shook my head and looked her in the eyes. “No, Bellerophon says that isn’t true. It’s his fight, started by ancient, misguided anger. He says… he says he’s sorry for the hardships you have endured and that tonight, he will do what he can to put things back on track.”

Dusky watched me, the concern on her face obvious. “Night? What is he planning?”

Nothing. Bellerophon responded, a resignation in his voice. We’re here to free your friend. My temper has guided me to many rash decisions. I will not make more ponies suffer for another poor choice.

“Nothing more than what we’re already doing.” I shook my head. “He says he’s already done enough rash things in his life.”

“That’s a relief.” Dusky smiled, and my heart skipped a beat.

“I… I understand.” Amethyst lowered her head, looking like she’d just been struck. “If our cause is to be championed by Lord Bellerophon, then I will obey.”

No. No more of this. No one else dies because of me. Bellerophon sighed. This is no order, and there will be no talk of obedience. Tell her to live her life. Tell them all to live on their own terms, not beholden to some old legend. They expect so much from me, it is the least I can give them. Tell them I’m sorry.

I nodded, and turned to look Amethyst in the eyes. “Stop. He says it’s not about obedience. He wants you to live. To live your lives for yourselves, not for some old pony from a different time. That is his gift—and apology—to you.”

Amethyst Vein stared at me, mouth open without response.

“I see.” Old Ed stepped up and set a hoof to her side. “Thank you, Lord Bellerophon. We will consider your words.”

I let out a long breath. “That’s… that’s all he could ask.” I was ready to go. There was something about this place that was starting to weigh on me, like pressure building around the edge of my mind. The sooner we rescued Merri, the better.

---

We moved as quickly as we dared through the keep, eyes and ears open for whatever guards may have been posted. Out of the abandoned servants quarters into a kitchen crammed with empty crates and pots. We had to move slowly to ensure we didn't knock anything down, though we found the lack of any sentries more than a little disquieting.

The disrepair and quiet darkness continued until we reached the central concourse. There, it was like a whole new structure, polished and repaired with fresh paint and tapestries proclaiming the new ruler in residence. I could almost take this room and imagine it in Canterlot, leading to Princess Celestia’s throne.

Here, however, we found our first guards, two ponies walking through the great pillared hall in a long patrol. They only seemed half awake, or even half aware, and would hopefully not even notice us as we moved towards the throne.

That was where our first real hurdle within the keep came into play. Although it was likely we could sneak past them, the only way forward was two great doors at the end of the hallway. They were just too big to get through unnoticed, which left us with only one other option, a small side entrance into the throne room, hidden and locked.

Star prepared to get into position, violence apparent in her stance, but Dusky reached out to stop her, quietly pointing to one of the guards as they walked along their patrol. A key ring hung from his barding, the keys to the inner throne, almost certainly. Star stopped, and as she understood, she gave a silent nod. With that, Dusky slipped into the hallway to get into position.

She set herself against a pillar just outside the range of the patrol, pressing against it as best she could to remain unseen. She was breathing deeply, her ears twitching as the two guards approached.

I wasn’t breathing at all, ever second afraid those two guards would see some shadow out of place and the whole plan would fall apart. I tensed, but Starshadow placed a hoof in my way, shaking her head. Not yet.

Dusky’s wing extended out towards the guard, finding her mark, but at the last second, she pulled back. She settled back into the pillar and waited. I could feel my heart racing, as every part of me wanted to rush out there to help, but I knew that would accomplish nothing.

The second pass could not have come soon enough. Again, Dusky reached her wing out, and this time she eased the keys away.

The relief didn’t last long, as the guard stopped. “Huh?”

Starshadow readied herself. If Dusky had been discovered, we’d not have much time to subdue them.

The guard paused, then turned his head back, looking for his keys, surely. A moment passed, and his head turned back to his other side. “Ah!” He lifted his head, a flask in his mouth, taking a long, leisurely drink. It seemed the lax rules didn’t only apply to the guards outside the keep. After surely drinking the flask empty, he replaced it to his side and moved on. Dusky had won our way forward.

She looked back at us and nodded, then began to move back over to us. Her steps were stiff, deliberate, as if she was doing everything in her power not to gallop back. She looked like she’d just flown a marathon, completely drained from that bit of thievery. Soon enough, she rejoined us, and we snuck our way to the throne room door.

I kept watch as Dusky tested the keys in the lock. The guards lazily continued their route, Either completely unaware or simply not caring about their duty. Probably both. There was the faint click of the lock, followed by the creaking of the door. The noises all seemed to echo through the concourse, but the guards made no sign that they’d even noticed. As Star and Dusky moved forward, I gave one last glimpse out into the hall, then stepped back and followed to the throne.

The long pillared hall continued past those grand double doors, all leading up to a pair of stone chairs, strangely simple looking for the keep. The chairs were flanked by red banners adorned with Firetail’s crest, further announcement of his claim to this place. It was becoming clearer why Amethyst Vein was so frustrated with him.

Beyond the darkness and the freshly hung banners, the throne was empty. Merri was being held elsewhere.

“Guess it was too much to ask for the easy escape.” Dusky sighed.

“Indeed.” Star moved through the throne room, searching for our next route. The deeper path beyond the throne. She called out to me, but addressed Bellerophon. “You are certain this will take us to this ‘Forge’?”

Tell her I am certain. This was a passage I had installed for my own personal use.

I cleared my throat nervously. “Bellerophon says there’s no way he could forget his personal passage.”

Star turned back towards me. “Many things can change over one-thousand years.”

By itself, the Forge is of unrivaled value in this world, and the effort required to modify these tunnels, to deny themselves access to such a tool, would require a masochist or an idiot of epic proportions. Firetail may be the latter, but even he should be able to recognize The Forge’s worth.

There was that pain again, that strange pressure inside my head, whenever Bellerophon spoke. I hesitated a moment, then nodded. “Bellerophon says that The Forge is one of the most valuable artifacts in the world and that somepony would have to hate themselves very much to put so much effort into cutting off easy access.”

Dusky raised her voice as much as she dared. “Regardless, we’re not going to get anything done standing around. This is our safest bet. We need to at least check it out before we consider storming the front door.”

Star sighed. “Good point. Let us make haste.”

The tunnel in question moved us deeper beyond the throne, down into the unknown. The floor had been repaired recently, with signs of recent use, though it hadn't been prettied up like the throne and concourse.

With a stable floor and an open tunnel, It wasn’t long before Star’s speed increased to a swift canter. I sped up as well, hoping we weren’t running headlong into a trap, but it was hard not to understand Star’s desire to go faster. Her sister was somewhere up ahead—or at least, we hoped.

She came to a stop at a large stone door, carvings across the surface of it depicting old pegasi designs that looked straight out of a history book about Commander Hurricane.

The gate is still intact. Bellerophon mused to himself, a hint of pride in his voice. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised they’ve found a way in, if Broken Tooth is truly the one behind all this.

“Stand Back.” Star lowered her head, horn beginning to glow.

“Whoa! Hold on!” Dusky moved closer, waving her hooves. “At least let me try the keys before we go blasting things apart.”

Bellerophon laughed in the back of my mind. Or, you could try the actual key.

I shook my head. “Wait, um, Bellerophon says there’s no need for that either.”

“Oh?” Dusky looked at me curiously, then stepped aside. “Well, I guess it is his castle.”

The lock. Set the bracer against it.

I nodded, stepping up to the door. The stone lock looked like any other, but if magic was involved, looks could always be deceiving. I raised my right hoof, placing the bracer up against the door. The darkness grew, for just a moment, and then whatever spell was in the bracer began to glow softly, and the door responded in kind. The door slid apart, opening the way.

“I should have guessed.” Starshadow nearly grinned. “You had some powerful allies.”

Power attracts power. Sometimes possessing it has its benefits.

It took me a moment to recover, shaking off the shadows in my mind. I forced a smile back at Star. “He says sometimes being a ruler has benefits.”

“So it seems.” Star moved past me, back on the hunt. She barely looked before she turned down the newly opened tunnel.

Unlike Bellerophon’s passage, however, this wasn’t just a tunnel, but a wide hallway like the concourse up above. A dim orange light grew in the distance, like sunrise creeping over the horizon to fill the halls, but with a strong heat all its own.

Starshadow slowed as the tunnel widened. Whatever that orange glow was, it filled the room, and I almost wondered if we'd emerge out into a terrace, with the morning sun filling the sky with the first reddish orange hints of dawn. I'd seen enough sunrises working the morning shift to know that would not be the case.

The hallway ended outward into a great amphitheatre, like a concert hall in Canterlot, stone bleachers arrayed in an arc around a center stage. Beyond that stage, there was no wall, but instead an open pit that was the source of the orange light. The heart of the volcano, a boiling pool of liquid fire.

We should have been cooked where we stood, this close to the lava. Somehow, the temperature in the room and the hallway wasn't even making us sweat.

An old enchantment. This is The Forge itself, and the magic of this place funnels the heat into the forges. Bellerophon commented as I looked about.

The Amphitheater stretched out to the left and the right, deep tunnels surrounding the crater of the volcano, all glowing orange with power and fire. Around it all, there was the barest shimmer of distortion, a shield of some sort, keeping the great heat at bay.

Although we didn't have the heat to worry about, there was a much greater concern to our mission. The Ostfriesen guards were all very much present, the bright colors of their armor all but washed out in the lava's glow. They were scattered about the amphitheater, some carrying weaponry, others trying to repair old damage in the stone.

Upon the stage stood a figure dressed quite elaborately, even by the standards of Ostfriesen. An earth pony wearing golden armor that caught the light of the fire below and a long cloak that hid his flank. A plumed helmet sat upon his head to complete the look. It seemed almost certain this was Firetail, and sure enough, not far away was Merri, bound, unmoving, with two guards standing over her.

"Two dozen guards and Firetail." Star swore.

“There’s no way we can take them on. Honestly, I don’t know if I’d be a match for one of them. We’ll have to find a way to sneak around and slip her out.” Dusky frowned. “Somehow.”

“I will distract them while you retrieve Merriweather and Night secures our exit." Star’s tone of voice made it clear there was no room for negotiation.

"Are you crazy?!" Dusky hissed back. "Even if you don’t engage them, they’ll corner you. And if all three of us can’t even take them on, what good will that do?"

Star narrowed her eyes at the golden figure on the stage. “As somepony so obsessed with his status, Firetail is bound to certain rules of Ostfriesen etiquette. I will ensure he and his knights focus on that.”

Dusky looked like she was about to protest, but whatever words were there died on her tongue.

Starshadow lowered her head, fixed on her target. “They are getting ready. There will not be another opportunity. Save my sister." Without another word she moved down into the amphitheater.

Dusky swallowed hard and turned to look at me. Her eyes spoke volumes. Even with Bellerophon and Star, we were grossly outnumbered. What could we even do? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You'll stay safe?"

I knew she had to try to save Merri, and she knew it too. We'd gotten this far, we couldn't turn our backs on our friends. I stretched forward to give her a nuzzle. "I will. And you too. No heroism."

She blinked at first, it must have seemed like an insane request considering where we stood and what we were about to do, but then her face flashed with realization, and I knew she understood what I wanted to say. Don’t die. She nodded, and softly nuzzled back. "No heroism."

She turned back to the amphitheater, and as Star made her presence known, Dusky disappeared around the corner.

I sighed. That was the hardest part. Not any of the fear, the doubt, the potential for violence. It was that moment of watching her go knowing we may never get a chance to see or speak to one another again.

Down below, Starshadow approached the stage, her voice echoing through the amphitheater. "Firetail!"

He turned from examining a scroll, a moment of disgust on his face quickly replaced by recognition. "My, my, the prodigal sister returns! Truly, this is a special day! Your sister and I have talked so much about you, Starshadow."

"I am uninterested in your little games, Firetail." The guards had all turned to face her as Star stood tall, raising a hoof to display her blade. "I am here to regain the honor that was stripped from my clan by your accusations."

There was an almost stunned silence that hung over her words before Firetail began to laugh. "Seriously? Seriously!? I don't know how you found me, or how you got in here, but that's really all you want? To invoke some old honor duel?"

I stayed close to the wall of the hallway, trying to keep out of sight. I leaned in, glancing towards Merri's unconscious form to see if Dusky was there yet. So far, no sign.

Starshadow eyed her foe, moving up towards a short stair that led up onto the stage, positioning herself so that Firetail was facing away from Merri. The guards there glanced back at Firetail as she approached. "An honorable death is more than you deserve. You are both a liar and a traitor, Firetail."

Firetail shook his head, raising a dismissive hoof to the guards. They stepped aside, letting Starshadow onto the stage. "You have no idea what we're doing here, do you? Ostfriesen is shackled by old laws of honor, and bloodlines, but you know as well as I do the truth of Tapioca's ancestors, and all the lies your honor is built upon. Bellerophon saw it even then."

She snorted back. "I know you have been telling these ponies that Justicar Bellerophon will return to them, to lead them in some justified campaign for vengeance. But that is all just you feeding them lies. The royal lineage of Ostfriesen is as much Bellerophon's as it is Tapioca's."

"We all know that, but that's not what those ponies outside this keep believe. I doubt you, heir to the great deceiver herself, can convince them otherwise." He smirked. "Of course, you could be of some use to us, I'm sure. Much like your sister is going to be."

I glanced back towards Merri. Dusky had her up, the bindings undone, but she looked unsteady. I clenched my teeth, silently sending Dusky whatever strength I could. A low drumming made my ears twitch. It didn't quite register to me, but Bellerophon was experienced enough to recognize the noise immediately. Hooves on stone. They are coming.

Shifting away from my vantage point into the amphitheater, I turned to look down the tunnel. The bright light behind me only made the tunnel that much darker, but the rapidly approaching sound of running was quickly becoming apparent. I sighed, raising the hoof with Bellerophon's bracer. I guess it's up to you.

He took control, and the hoofblade magically emerged, the glow of the lava making it blaze like a sword of light. I could hear Bellerophon counting to himself as the ponies appeared. Two, four... no, six. Six from behind. Twenty five in the room behind us. I do hope you will not stop me from doing what I have to.

I floated outside my body, trying to look back towards Dusky, but something felt different this time. In the past, there'd been the moon, overhead. A calming, dream-like presence. Here, in The Forge, there was something dark and dreadfully oppressive unlike anything I'd felt before. N-not much choice, anymore. We're committed.

Bellerophon shifted into an offensive stance, beating my wings to test the width of the hallway. The six ponies arrived to face me, all dressed in the brightly colored plate of Ostfriesen natives. The two in the front leveling halberds, while those in the rear held blades in muzzles and magic.

"Lower your weapon, in the name of Lord Firetail and King Bellerophon."

With a smirk, Bellerophon began to lower his blade. "I would not wish to disobey King Bellerophon." In the moment that they began to lower their halberds, he rushed forward.

The first in line fell with a gash across his throat, but the second had a moment more to prepare, and she'd lifted her weapon to try and deflect Bellerophon's strike. It saved her life, but wasn't enough to keep back Bellerophon's strike, the momentum pushing the mare into the wall.

The hallway wasn't exactly cramped quarters, but with five attackers, it was cramped enough that it was hard to maneuver without Bellerophon leaving himself open. For every strike he could manage, the five others were ready to meet his blade, but he gave them no opportunities to strike back. The biggest danger was the unicorn in the rear, who magically twirled his blade into and out of combat without exposing himself, allowing him to push at Bellerophon without getting in the way of the his companions. The other three spread out, harrying from the left and right while the mare with the halberd continued to drive from directly in front of us.

I tried to get some sense of what was going on behind us, but could only faintly hear Dusky yelling, and more fighting. That same heavy darkness pressed upon me from all around, and I could feel a creeping claustrophobia upon my mind, something I'd never felt before. I couldn't move or see anything beyond the battle that Bellerophon fought to secure our escape.

That battle was going poorly, however. Bellerophon may have overshadowed them all in power and perhaps in skill, but these guards weren't lazy. The unicorn's blade lashed out, cutting a line across my foreleg. Belle hissed, the injury not deep, but enough to buckle his leg momentarily. The mare to the left lunged over eagerly, hoping to take advantage of the wound, only to find Bellerophon springing forward to meet her, driving the hoofblade into her chest. He pulled back quickly, removing the blade and dodging backwards before the others could take advantage of his exposed side.

He backed out the doorway, emerging into the amphitheater. Behind him, another six soldiers had weapons drawn. I could just barely make out the room, almost as if I were swimming in ink. I stretched out, trying to find the others. Dusky?

The darkness whispered to me. All dead.

Panic rose in the pit of my stomach. No! No, it can't end like this.

Bellerophon paused, turning to take in the situation. It’s no good. They’ve been surrounded. Damn it all. Night Flurry, I... I am sorry.

Two guards came closer to Bellerophon, setting hooves against him. He shrugged them off, only to earn a kick to the side in response. As he staggered back up, they pushed him forward to the stage. Dusky, Starshadow, and a bleary looking Merriweather stood nearby, guards surrounding them all. And standing upon the stage, his face livid even through the murky darkness, stood Firetail.

He held a hoof to his face, a deep cut still bleeding. He was practically screaming in rage as he stared down Starshadow. "You... filth! How dare you, how dare any of you!? I will be King of Ostfriesen, and nothing, not Queen Papaya, not the Knights, and especially not unworthy trash like you, will stop me."

Bellerophon chuckled, drawing the immediate ire of our host. "Unworthy trash? Every pony that stands here is a thousand times more worthy than you. You are just a power hungry fool who can't even see when he's being used."

"And just who in Tartarus are you? No colors, no clan?" He spit in Bellerophon's face. "Is this the best help that the great Starshadow could find to help her? My how the mighty have fallen."

Bellerophon only smiled. "This is who I am." He held up his hoof with the bracer.

One of the nearest guards began to prod him with a spear, only to have Firetail wave him away. The would-be ruler eyed the bracer, the hate on his face changing to shocked recognition. "That's... you're Bellero..."

His words were drowned out by the sound of a hurricane. It was like the Badlands sandstorm all over again, a solid wall of wind and fury crashing down upon the room. The darkness that had steadily creeped upon my mind since we’d entered the keep now took shape.

It descended from above on leathery wings that blocked out all vision before crashing into the stage of the Forge. Perhaps it wasn’t as big as I'd imagined from the old stories, but it was still large enough to bite a pony in half. Rows of jagged teeth jut from its mouth, perfectly sharp and exceptionally deadly, save for one large tooth which was broken at the base.

"Lord Bellerophon." The black dragon rasped, its voice like poison. Broken Tooth's head craned down as he loomed over Firetail, staring at us with a smile that was much too wide. "Welcome home."

Comments

[Yami Vizzini]

Getting some Goron City flashbacks from this place.

Looks like things have come to a head. Again.

[Kiromancer]

7814216
Ostfriesen is the kind of place where things only ramp up in scale. Though, admittedly, I don't know if it's even possible to one-up a Dragon appearing..