//------------------------------// // Chapter 53 // Story: Friendship is Scaleless // by Limescale //------------------------------// Gritting her teeth, Celestia poured the last of her power into her barrier, fighting against the pain as Kalameet’s deathly black breath wore it down. Thanks to her quick reflexes and having just warmed herself up for battle, she’d managed to drive the dragon off her with another blast of sunlight, saving herself from being unzipped from throat to tail by his claws. Unfortunately, while that attack had done wonders against lesser foes, it seemed Kalameet was made of stronger stuff. Much stronger stuff. Feeling the pain at last abate as the dragon ran out of breath, Celestia let her barrier crumble. Before her, Kalameet blew a few final wisps of blackness from his lips and calmly took another huge breath. Across his cheek, there was the faintest hint of where her attack had hit. A bolt of energy pulled directly from the sun, and all it had done was momentarily annoy the black dragon. His retaliation, by contrast, had left Celestia feeling utterly drained. While the sun was quickly recharging her, she’d had to throw everything she had into deflecting his breath, finding that whatever he was able to expel from his mouth, it was neither fire, nor magic, nor any other recognisable sort of energy. The attack had managed to almost obliterate what most forms of swords, spears, spells and other such weapons hadn’t even dented, meaning that whomever this terrifying black beast was, he had made no idle boast about his status. “Kalameet, an ancient presence, huh? I don’t quite understand the part about me fearing you, if we’ve never met before....” Celestia tensed her wings as the glowing essence on the dragon’s forehead blazed with red energy. “But given your untimely arrival and what I’ve learned since coming here, I’m guessing you’re the other presence that was sighted with Manus?” The dragon let out a resigned sigh, then charged forward to gore the princess with his pointed snout. Celestia promptly took to the air and dodged, even as Kalameet brought his claws to bare and slashed violently at her. “As ere thine intuition serveth thee well.” He said, spreading his wings to chase after the alicorn. “Knoweth this though, however the means and whatever the reason thou hast come to be in this most fetid of realms, thou shalt find no salvation hither.” Celestia fired off another shot, driving Kalameet back and giving her some space to maneuver. “I swear to you, it is not salvation that draws me here. Only answers!” The alicorn swore as Kalameet dove at her with his claws bared. She dodged, then summoned several magical missiles to pelt the dragon. “Why are you working with Manus? What is the reason behind your attacks on Equestria?” Kalameet’s head gem glowed as if aggravated by such ignorant questions. “Heh. Wherefore? Such is ever the eternal pursuit of the foolish and blind.” The black dragon sighed. “I couldst bid thee. Bid thee everything thine heart throbs to know! But woulds’t thou believe me?” Celestia zigged left then zagged right as the dragon feinted, as if testing her for where to attack next. Black ichor surged from his mouth as the orange gem in his head blazed in demand for an answer. “Try me. I might surprise you.” The alicorn said, her horn brimming with power. Kalameet chuckled dryly. “Tryeth thee, I already dids’t. Or rather, t’was mine own son that dids’t in mine absence. Thou dids’t not receive his word well at all.” He accused. Celestia narrowed her eyes in confusion. “What?” She asked, unwisely letting her bewilderment lower her guard. Kalameet promptly made her pay for the error with another wide spread of his dark breath, sending Celestia hurtling back to the ground. “Hast thee dashed the memories already, oh long lived and long suffering soul?” The dragon asked in pity as he flew towards the crater his opponent made in the ground. “T’was barely more than a thousand years ago in thine realm. Mine son, he whom thee did entrust with the gifts from the traitorous Firstborn of Gwyn! He did use their knowledge to prepare his dominion for its true purpose, and in return thee did judge him a monster!” Celestia pulled herself back to her hooves, her mind frantically trying to make sense of what she was hearing. “First didst thee imprison him, then when his sentence was served and his soul released, thee did send thine own students to enact his execution!” The dragon scolded. Celestia’s ears perked, then fell flat as she realised what Kalameet was talking about. “Sombra… he was your...” The alicorn turned to meet her opponent’s gaze in shocked denial. “You can’t be serious!” Kalameet’s wrathful gaze ensnared the princess like a net. “As I did expect. Far too lost in ignorance art thou to believe.” He said. Celestia moved to attack, only to find her body now appeared to be paralysed. The red aura from the dragon surrounded her body, intensifying to the point that Celestia felt like she was in an iron vice, her bones slowly being squeezed and crushed as she was lifted off the ground. “Shall I tell thee more? Or will thou denounce me again?” He asked as he rose onto his hind legs and continued to slowly crush the princess. “Might the mark of mine eyes open thine to truth?” Celestia struggled fruitlessly in the air, the agony of her flesh being compressed now joined by a phantom sensation of her magic being crushed under a searingly hot force. It could best be described like a branding iron, pressing itself against her supernatural essence to mark her as a servant to another. “Ne’er can I afford to err now. Without thee, thine realm opens itself to receiveth I and the knowledge I carry. Yet… if thou truly seeketh to hear mine words… what purpose driveth me to forge a new empire in thine lands...” Kalameet raised his forelegs, the black, sword like talons spreading to ensnare Celestia in their grip, yet halting before they actually did so. The dragon bared his teeth, seemingly sincere in his indecision on whether to just kill the alicorn, or try to convince her of his intent... Such hesitance gave Ciaran the vital moment she needed to target the dragon and nail him with a flurry of arrows. While they sadly did little besides clatter useless off his armored hide, she still managed to get Kalameet’s attention, making him drop Celestia so he could focus on exterminating the outside interference. “Ciaran!” Celestia weakly cried as the dragon brought both his front feet down on the assassin. Ciaran dove and rolled like mad out of the way, trying to not be tripped up by the shockwaves of the ground collapsing under Kalameet’s blow. The dragon next whipped his tail around, then swung his head at the purple clothed knight. Again Ciaran proved that while her weapons may be useless, she still had the nimbleness honed from years of battle on her side. “Ciaran, run! You can’t do any good here!” Celestia said as she struggled to get back up. Her horn fizzled with the effort to cast a healing spell, only her magic still felt like it was being subdued under the branding heat. The princess grit her teeth and did her best to power through it as her friend somersaulted over to her. “Don’t underestimate my resourcefulness, Celestia! I am one of Gwyn’s Four Knights. Running from a threat like this is not an option!” Ciaran swore as Kalameet reared back and lunged at the two. Human and pony hit the ground, allowing their enemy’s head to smash through another building and knock it down like a castle made of wet sand. “Ciaran, please! I respect your fortitude, but it’s not worth throwing your life away for!” Celestia ordered as Kalameet shook the rubble off his face and made to blast the prone bodies with his breath. “Ngh… for the sake of Faust, think of Aurelia!” Celestia threw up a barrier to deflect the black flames, cringing as she felt them still burn through her magic in a way that, as far as she knew, fire simply wasn’t capable of. Ciaran’s body stiffened at that. Her hand absently went to her breast, where she felt the soul of Artorias burn hotter, as if likewise pleading with her. “Run! Grgh… now!” Celestia ordered as she was slowly pushed back by Kalameet’s breath. Under her mask, Ciaran scowled. “No, I’ll leave, but I’m NOT abandoning you!” She declared. “Hold him for as long as you can! I’ll see if I can get you some more aid!” Celestia nodded, then closed her eyes as Ciaran whipped out a smoke bomb. She chucked it on the ground and Kalameet was forced to cease his attack as both his targets vanished in a pure white murk. The alicorn broke from her defense to take shelter in what remained of the Oolacile Township, while Ciaran leaped for the rooftops and made for the coliseum. For where she hoped her fellow knight and legendary archer friend was still awaiting her return... *** “Hmm, once more you crawl forth, still apparently holding onto your sanity.” Logan commented as Twilight again dragged herself from the prison cell bonfire. Below her, the two manserpents that had just finished stabbing the alicorn to death pulled their blades from her bloodstain and ran to continue their killing spree. Twilight exhaled weakly and pushed herself back onto her hollowed legs, steeling herself once again for battle. “You are indeed durable for such a paltry, garishly colored beast of burden. A fine example of how one must never judge on appearance.” The sorcerer continued as Twilight charged her horn and blasted the manserpents back to the floor. Though her legs trembled and her breath sounded labored, she still found the will to look up and glare at Logan. “I… asked you a question. Why… why are you doing this?” She stated, while dragging herself over to the edge of the walkway. “I’m not giving up until I have an answer!” Logan exhaled slowly as the alicorn let herself tumble to the bottom of the prison, letting out a pitiful whinny as she landed on her side. The manserpents shook off the impact from their own fall and moved to attack, only to again be caught off guard by Twilight standing and firing another blast at them. “Why? To prove I am the more enlightened mind. That unlike you, I do not wallow about in the darkness of ignorance, but instead have seen the light of what is truly at work here.” Logan replied. “But like any true scholar, I cannot present my findings without proof. None at Vinheim, nor across Lordran, would dare to hear out my insight unless I have the evidence to back it up!” Twilight shot the sorcerer a bewildered stare as she hobbled over to her bloodstain, absorbing the aura from it into her flesh and feeling her strength return to her body. “What evidence? What findings? What-eeep!” Twilight found herself being cut off, literally and figuratively, by a manserpent’s greatsword. She elevated herself off the ground and flew back several feet, erecting a barrier between herself and her enemies. “What does that have to do with me?” She cried. Behind her, the wet schlurp of tentacles across stone made itself heard. Twilight turned and shuddered at seeing the pisacas once again converging on her from the darkness of their cells. “Anything, everything, or nothing at all. That is what I intend to find out.” Logan stated simply as the alicorn backed away from the advancing numbers. “Before Seath was deposited on your world, everything was proceeding as the gods apparently intended. For better or worse, the Chosen Undead had a duty to fulfill, and Lordran’s fate would at last be decided by her actions. Now, thanks to you, all is in chaos.” Twilight jerked her head left and right, trying to keep tabs on the increasing hordes of blue squids and hissing reptilians forcing her back into the corner. She looked in vain at the higher levels of the prison, and her flank ached from the last time Logan had killed her for attempting to fly to safety. “How… ngh… how can you say that? Ngh… what did I do?” She asked, bowing her head as she felt her butt hit the wall. Before her, the pisacas and manserpents spread out around her, cutting off any means of her avoiding dying again at their hands. “Really? Shall I count the ways?” Logan seethed. “Influencing Seath to serve your own ends? Tricking him into teaching you all the secrets he denied us, denied me, for so long? Preventing the Chosen Undead from carrying out her quest, and thus dooming Lordran for the sake of your own realm?” The enemies crowded tightly around Twilight, blocking her from the sorcerer’s view. That suited Logan fine. “Oh, and let’s also not forget the whispers I heard from the channelers. Robbing Anor Londo of its sacred sun, fouling Ariamis’ memory by destroying the Painted World, allowing Seath’s dirty little secret child to carry out her duty of murdering the Great Lord’s own child!” The sorcerer glared at the pile of attacking monsters. “Tell me, exactly how was any of that justified?” To his amazement, Twilight responded. A brilliant lavender glow erupted from within the bodies, exploding them off her barrier and sending them crashing across the floor. Twilight dropped her defenses, panting and shaking on her hooves as she charged her horn again for any adversaries that dared to rise for another round. “Mmm… well, that was unexpected, yet helpful.” Logan rubbed his chin in thought as Twilight got some air in her lungs and started frying enemies as they made to continue their assault. The sorcerer turned away from the action, pulling out a sphere shaped crystal from his robes. “You two shall hear my voice and carry it to your fetid cohorts. This is clearly going to take a while, and I will not have us being disturbed.” He stated to two hollowed soldiers. They groaned and grabbed their heads as the crystal glowed brightly. “You SHALL hear my voice.” Logan said with greater insistence. The hollows writhed as if in pain, then slowly their hands fell from their temples as they stared in lifeless submission at him. “The other equines, the Chosen Undead’s allies, yes even Seath himself. All are either to abandon the archives now, or die until they consent to join your numbers!” The sorcerer ordered. His new subordinates groaned feebly and turned to slink off, out of the prison. “I will know the truth, no matter the cost. Even if I have to call in some… additional assistance!” *** “Grand Duke! Grand Duke! Awake!” Seath was stirred out of his serene meditative state by the panicked voice of a channeler. He turned to see the six eyed sorcerer rushing towards him, his robes stained with blood from several fresh sword wounds. “What fresh issue is this? Wherefore doth thee standeth, thine mantel drenched in gore and thine eyes crazed in fear?” The dragon demanded. The gasping channeler dropped to one knee, either to give Seath the proper greeting, or because the blood loss had weakened him severely. “Treason, Grand Duke! And murder! The hollows, the man-serpents, your… your imprisoned experiments… they’ve turned against us! Someone has overpowered our command of them!” The sorcerer reported. “They… they attacked the ones guarding the entrance to the dungeon. Slaughtered their way through our numbers!” Seath narrowed his eyes, then bolted further up as he heard screaming coming from the far side of the room. “If thy speech be sooth...” He began, then stopped as a crossbow bolt suddenly lodged itself in the channeler’s arm. Screaming in pain, the sorcerer grabbed his trident and turned to face the attacker. Said attacker, or rather attackers, thanked him for exposing himself by nailing another bolt through the channeler’s chest, and a few more in other parts of his body. “Nay, twould be too great a mercy to expect otherwise...” The dragon growled as his servant fell over dead. “Priscilla, awake! Death cometh knocking anew upon our door!” Through the balcony doors, several crystallized archers emerged, alongside a few serpent mages. “Daughter, hear mine voice and awake with haste!” Seath hissed as the crossbreed curled up on his lap struggled to pull herself from slumber. The archers quickly reloaded their crossbows while the mages charged their flamberge swords with lightning. Seath made to grab his catalyst, only to then remember he’d left it in his study after purging the Abyss from Sif. Cursing his misfortune, Seath made to exhale a gust of crystal breath at the attackers. Several more arrows through his neck ensured that would not happen. Though to be certain, the dragon was hit with several rounds of lightning for good measure. Priscilla managed to return to wakefulness just in time to hear her father scream in utter agony, before being blasted against the balcony railing, which then crumbled, sending him and her into the courtyard below. Seath’s cries were cut short as his burned body hit the ground, upsetting the multitude of crystal golems that had been patrolling the outside of the Archives with the resulting shockwave. Ever the durable foot soldiers, they soon picked themselves up and advanced on their master as he struggled to rise. “GRRRRAAaaargghhh… what… what treachery is this? Who doth seek to foul the sanctity of mine residence?” He demanded, yanking the arrows out of his neck as the archers and mages jumped down into the courtyard. He glared at them with righteous fury, then sighed as they simply reloaded and recharged their weapons. In fairness, they weren’t likely to answer him. “Priscilla!” He called, seeing the crossbreed had likewise been knocked for quite a loop by the fall. She pushed herself off the ground, awkwardly trying to comb her hair out of her eyes. “Fa-Father? What has...” Priscilla’s voice died as she cleared her vision of hair, and was met with the sight of many glittering monsters pointing equally glittery projectiles and blades at her. “No!” Seath cried as the hollows let loose with arrows and lightning again. He made to try and stop the attacks in mid-air with his breath, but Priscilla showed that, while she might have been a little slow waking up, she was quick to answer the call of action. The crossbreed dropped onto her stomach again, rolling across the grass as the majority of the arrows sailed over her. Several still found their mark, but it wasn’t enough to stop the crossbreed from getting to where her scythe had fallen nearby. By the time the hollows had managed to notch another arrow in their bows, she’d gotten her hands around her weapon. And by the time they’d taken aim, Priscilla had already sliced several clean through with her blade. The bisected enemies tumbled to the ground, their souls erupting and disorientating their comrades for a brief moment. It was a moment Seath put to good use by unleashing a force wave that sent crystallized spikes surging up from the ground and into his servants’ bodies. The curse effect of his sorcery and a violent swipe of his tentacles finished them off. “Father! Thine neck!” Priscilla cried. Seath looked at her in puzzlement, then cringed as he felt his blood hardening across the arrow wounds. “T’is… t’is minor. Naught that shall hinder me!” He swore before noticing the bloody stains growing out over Priscilla’s gown. “But of thineself...” The crossbreed looked down, gritting her teeth as she raised her scythe and sliced off the shafts of the arrows lodged in her flesh. “I shall likewise endure, long enough that we may not be felled by these foul beasts.” She pointed to the crystal golems who likewise seemed intent on causing harm. “By my side thou will stand again? E’en if to destroy what thou hast created?” Seath nodded glumly as the golems picked up their speed, charging the two with their club like arms raised. “By thine side, daughter, for better or worse.” He swore as Priscilla hefted her scythe and joined the dragon in battle. *** Trixie stared dubiously into the great chasm before her. It looked as dark and threatening as the rest of the current area, yet still her travelling companion swore it held something of vital importance. “You’re sure this is it?” She asked. “Heh, certain lassie! It’s dark, there’s no lava from the Izalith ruins, has to be the one.” Patches promised. “Granted, there was a bit more shimmer down there last time I checked.” Trixie increased the glow of her horn, as bright as she could muster. She could sense something was moving at the bottom of the hole… and… if she looked hard enough. “Trixie… Trixie thinks she can still see something shimmering.” She said before raising her voice. “Hello? Is someone down there?” Silence echoed back up, disturbed only by the shuffling of feet dragging themselves across stone. “Hello?” Trixie called again. Silence replied as before… for a moment or so. Then, to her amazement, a weak voice creeped out of the darkness. “Who… Who comes here?” It said. Trixie felt her skin tingle. Beside her, Patches looked down into the void and whistled with similar surprise. “I am the Great and Powerful Trixie! A… um… a soul who’s come to rescue you. Uh… that bone pile… the Gravelord Nito said you were down here!” The unicorn called. Patches turned to her, his eyes widening as his surprise grew all the more at this revelation. “The… Gravelord? You mean… you’re a hollow?” The voice replied in fright. Trixie grit her teeth and tried to cast more light. Unfortunately the depth of the hole proved too much for her to see what was at the bottom. “Well… no… not exactly. Not to the extent Trixie can’t get you out of there, whomever you are!” She replied. The shuffling suddenly paused, to be replaced by the groan of something empty, and dead. “Oh… oh thank goodness! But please be careful! There are two fierce Hollows here! They were once brave knights… my former escorts. Who would let such strong spirits be Hollowed so? Heavens… Is there nothing… Nothing at all to be done?” The voice cried as the shuffling resumed. Trixie furrowed her brow in worry. “Look, are you okay? Can you walk? Trixie’s grasp of the unicorn levitation spell is a bit rusty… but maybe she could find a rope or something to get down there… and then get you out!” Trixie looked around the rim of the hole as the voice let out a few panicked gasps. “I… I am uninjured… but I fear if I move… my escorts will find me!” It meeped, gasping again as another groan broke through the darkness. “I… I fear my voice has already alerted them.” Trixie winced. “Okay, okay, there’s gotta be something! Maybe I could lash the bones from a few of these skeletons to make a ladder, or… wait...” The unicorn’s ears rose and she reached for her saddle bags. Patches’ eyes lit up as Trixie drew out the homeward bone. “Pinkie said this could get me out of here in a flash… if only there was some way to gauge how deep this damn pit is, just so I know if my powers were up to safely get me down to the bottom...” The unicorn grimaced as she looked down into the blackness. “Well, can’t help you there… but I know a handy alternative...” Trixie made to turn to Patches, only to suddenly feel something hard and leathery slam into her flank from behind. Automatically, she kicked her back legs out to buck, but quickly realised this to be a fatal mistake as she upset her balance past the point of no return and tumbled over the ledge of the pit. “If you survive, well, you’ll see why I had to do this. And if not, that bone and whatever other treasure you’re carrying will sell for a fine price.” Patches said from above as he lowered his foot and watched the unicorn plummet into the darkness. “Sorry lass. Nothing personal! It’s just what I do.” *** With a heavy thump, Gravelord Nito landed on the floor of his layer. Dusty creaks echoed around the vast tomb as the cloaked mountain of bones rose to his full height, then brandished his greatsword for battle. Naught but silence and cold greeted the gravelord. No skeletons rose to welcome him home, no phantoms materialised to challenge him for his soul. The tomb was as lifeless as he remembered… save for one glaring difference. “Vestiges of death doth mark our home still. Our servants catch but a wink of their dreamless slumber. Heat hath long since rendered this abode masterless...” Nito ticked off the things he remembered being present in his residence. “And yet...” The gravelord held up his hand, noting he could still see it. “The darkness that once embraced us to its bosom, hath now fled. The Great Lord’s light returns, but dost not seal us as before...” Nito looked around the chambers, following the rays of light as they danced and wove through the stalagmites and stalactites. “What affront is this? That which hath called to us from all corners of Lordran? Drawn us home once more?” Nito kept his greatsword at the ready as he carefully walked around to where the giant coffin he slept in lay undisturbed against the chamber wall. Before it, a bonfire that had no right being in his domain burned brightly but silently. Nito cocked several of his skulls at the sight. He stepped closer, lightly poking at the flames with his blade. “At the center of death’s realm, an effigy now sits? A monument to its passing, yet also a beacon for its return?” Nito knelt before the flames. He extended his hand and felt their enchanted warmth, yet in true fashion, this only added to his concern. “T’is as we, a thing that is yet should not be.” The gravelord drew his hand back in disgust. “What is this that doth seek to mock our plight? Flames of the mind? False illusions?” Nito stared into the fire for answers, for some sign of how it came to be when death still reigned in the Tomb of Giants, and why it had so insisted upon his prompt return. “All… ngh… and… grgh… n-none… of wha-what thou… GRARGH… suspects!” Nito looked up, shocked, yet curious to see a great swirling vortex of darkness opening overhead. “Oth-Other gods… ngh… useless… grgh… only knew… what flames let them see!” A familiar simian hand emerged, opening to expose the horrid burned flesh covering its palm. “But thou… grgh… condemned like I… hrk… to… hrrrrk… to darkness… and hate… thine eyes shalt true… ngh… truly be opened!” The hand moved to grab Nito, but the gravelord backed away and raised his greatsword. “And who art thou, that claimeth to know death as an equal?” He demanded. The hand paused as it encountered the tip of Nito’s curved blade. It drew back, shaking and shuddering terribly. “Am… am… ngh… Manus… bearer… grgh… of Lord Soul… f-father… and ally of darkness… GRRRGH… so easily forgotten by all… save...ARGH… save by they that seeketh… HRAGLE!... seeketh to exploit… and abuse!” The hand clenched into a fist and smashed itself into the ground. This in turn made for a very unsteady landing for Vamos as he descended into the Gravelord’s domain. “Nee… Need you! Ngh… for plans… HRGH… to see truth… ngrgh… to save off-off-offspring… ARGH!... sp-spread death across all ages!” Vamos shakily got to his feet, checking none of his bones had been knocked loose by the impromptu fall on his pelvis. Seeing he was still mostly intact, the skeleton blacksmith readied his hammer and crept around to the source of the cacophonous conversation. “Thou who art stranger… and did strive to abduct us before… now cometh again offering salvation?” Nito said, several of his voices tinged heavily with suspicion. The hand pressed itself into the crater it had punched, steadying its shakes. “S-Seen hath I… be-beginning… hrk… and end of all. Dark Soul… grgh… opened mine eyes to all. Ngh… must ensure… ah-ah-all is not undone. Ngh… thine aide… grgh… is vital!” Vamos rounded a stalactite to see Nito lowering his sword. “What aide dost thou expect death to lend? What cause is thine that shalt entice we who deem all equal and none worthy of higher grace?” The gravelord challenged. The hand raise and opened as if to grab him again. This time Nito stayed put. “B-Betray thine cause… for one soul. P-Plant seed… GRAGLE! Seed of death! Ngh s-see the truth! See all who shal-shalt die for thee!” The hand cautiously closed around Nito’s body. Still the gravelord did not resist. “All who shalt die? This thou swears?” Nito queried as he was lifted off the ground. “S-Swear!... Thou shalt see! NRGH! Thou… shalt… see!” Nito turned his head upon hearing the creak of dry bones, followed by a high pitched cry of surprise as another body hit the chamber floor far in the distance. Vamos stepped out into view as the hand lifted Nito up into the portal, catching the gravelord’s gaze. Nito nodded silently, then seemed to gesture to something behind the blacksmith as the portal snapped shut and vanished into nothingness. A moment passed, during which Vamos remained staring at the empty air, trying to make sense of what he had just witnessed. “*Huff*... *Huff*... Vamos!” The skeleton was finally shaken from his thoughts by the sound of Pinkie Pie galloping around the stalagmites to catch up to him. “Wha… *huff*... what was that ruckus I just heard? Wha...” The pink mare paused as she took in the giant empty coffin, and the bonfire burning in front of it. “Where’s Nito?” She asked frantically. Vamos took off his helmet and scratched the rough dome of his skull. “Erm… wish I had an answer for ya lass. Thought the main party for the end of the world would be here, but it seems someone at the last minute decided to change the venue. They just dropped by to collect Nito and take him to where the real action is.” Vamos huffed angrily. “Typical, they leave me behind to have to witness oblivion all on my lonesome. Damn elitists!” Pinkie’s jaw dropped. Her mane fell like withered leaves all down her head. “Nito’s been… kidnapped?” She whispered, before letting out a choked scream. “No! No, we have to find him! I have to get help and go to where he’s been taken!” Vamos ceased his skull scratching and now looked at his companion as if unsure whether to laugh at her, or pity her for her loss of purpose. “Right, and… how are we to do that exactly? Nito didn’t just go for a nice little stroll through the bonfires. He got snatched away via some seriously bad sorcery!” The skeleton pointed out. Pinkie’s eyes bugged as her mane hung like wet, oily string all around her hollowed features. She slumped onto the ground, her body faltering under the weight of failure. “But… my master… I killed so many in his name… all these trophies I collected...” She whimpered, before her eyes grew even wider, the pupils pulsating with frantic, maniacal inspiration. “Wait… the trophies… the eyes of death!” She reached into her saddlebags and drew one out. “Nito’s still alive… these allow me to invade other worlds… I could… yes, I COULD!!” Vamos cocked his head as the pink mare’s mane inflated and deflated, like it was connected to a set of bellows. “I can do this… WE can do this!” Pinkie exclaimed. “We?” Vamos queried as his companion erupted in deranged laughter. “Me, the girls, our allies here...” Pinkie’s mane deflated again. “Even her. Hee hee, the worthless little happy go lucky weakling is finally gonna prove useful!” More nervous, insane laughter echoed around the chamber. Vamos propped his hammer on the ground and leaned on it thoughtfully, observing Pinkie’s complete mental collapse like he was appraising a fine work of performance art. When she then jerked her head back up, threw out one of her back hooves, and twisted her neck around so much it was like she was trying to decapitate herself, the skeleton blacksmith felt like applauding. “Oooh, but what… ngh… wait… tingling knee, stiff neck, cricked shoulder… wait a minute...” Pinkie whirled around, looking frantically at all corners of the dark chasm. “Vamos… where’s Trixie?” The skeleton followed her gaze, returning his helmet to his skull as he became aware that their party had been reduced by one. “Huh… thought she was just behind us. Mind you, not that I was paying much attention. The bone towers, those cute little skeleton mites that kept trying to bite me ankles off, the Pinwheel imitators, lot of stuff that’s been demanding my attention on the way down here.” Vamos commented with a shrug. “Can’t say I’m surprised, she either got lost or just lost herself along the way. Was bound to happen sooner or later.” Pinkie glared at him and furiously rubbed her neck. “Ngh… dammit, so that’s why. Guh, as if having dealing with the balloon head wasn’t enough!” She groaned. “Alright, you’re going after Nito, I’m going to grab us some back up!” Vamos paused and slowly cocked his head to the side. “Right… and… how am I going to do that exactly? The Gravelord didn’t really design his abode to make it convenient for people to leave, you know. Death being the final resting place and all that.” He said simply. Pinkie nodded with equal simplicity, then grabbed the skeleton with her front hooves. “Well he didn’t factor on a mare with an innate knowledge of shortcuts and sequence breaking! Come on, time’s wasting and I need more XP!” She said, hauling the blacksmith over her head. “Wha… shortcuts? What are you on about now? Hey, careful! These bones aren’t as sturdy as they once were! Why are you running head first towards that wall? Wait… STOP!” Vamos kicked and argued fruitlessly. *** In the throne room at Canterlot, Luna and Starlight watched as Princess Ember, the newly crowned dragon lord, demonstrated her aptness as a fellow monarch and warrior. To the side, one of her entourage held the dragon scepter as Ember slowly executed swing after swing with the Moonlight Greatsword. Though her form proved to be flawless, her expression indicated she was deeply troubled. With each successive move, her gaze remained fixated on the glowing blade, her brow furrowing in heavy thought as she executed a grand horizontal sweep, causing the blade to suddenly glow brighter and unleash a wave of energy towards the far wall. Several of the palace guards promptly ducked for cover as it surged towards them. Luna promptly shot up from her seat and threw up a barrier to protect them, only to stumble back as the energy wave exploded upon impacting against her magic. “Ack! Sorry I… I didn’t think that was actually going to work.” The dragon said, exhaling in amazement as she held the sword up close. “That’s… that’s fine.” Luna coughed as she dropped the barrier and got back on her hooves. “At least it proves Starlight was right about that sword having some apparent affiliation with dragons, particularly those of a high intellect.” Ember nodded as a flicker of suspicion crossed her face. “As well it should.” She said, carefully running a finger along the luminous blade. “You swear, on both your honors, that your account of how this came into your possession is true?” Luna looked confused, Starlight looked slightly worried. “On my honor, and as an eyewitness.” The black alicorn said. “The undead warrior Aurelia brought it with her from Lordran. She only left it here because she couldn’t wield as you were able to wield it just now.” Ember’s suspicion faded as she studied the sword. “And by her account, it came out of the tail of a dragon, one from her world, not ours...” She commented, now sounding just as bewildered. “Yet… it behaves exactly like the fabled weapon from our own lore...” Starlight’s eyebrows rose. “You mean you recognise it?” Ember furrowed her brow again, as if searching her memory. “Well, daddy told me about an old legend… about two dragons that embodied light and dark. They were born to rule the world together, but their own respective affiliations drove them to butt heads and eventually desire to kill each other. As such, they both had their followers create a weapon infused with the elemental power that would oppose and destroy their sibling.” She said, noting how Luna’s eyes widened. “No one knows what happened to them, or their fabled weapons. All that’s known about the latter is one was said to glow with the purity of moonlight… and the other was stated to be a slayer of the dark.” Ember shrugged as she lowered the greatsword from her face. “Honestly, I had to wonder if daddy was just plagiarizing one of the stories concerning you and your sister, Princess Luna, at least until you showed me this.” Luna let out a choked exhale, rubbing her forehead with a hoof. “I don’t think it’s a plagiarism, nor an exaggeration. In Seath’s dreams, I saw him be killed with that very weapon… in what he says was another time and another land...” Starlight nodded uneasily. “And in the lesson notes at Twilight’s castle, there’s several mentions of how he believes in a previous life he was a dragon god, one of two...” The unicorn took a deep breath. “Okay, this just went from confusing to creepy.” Ember snorted and balanced the Moonlight Greatsword on the tip of its blade. “So, is this something you think we should be concerned about?” She asked hesitantly. Starlight’s ears perked forward as she pondered and thought over this new revelation. “Maybe. It could be something you can help us with at least, if you don’t mind sending a slightly strange request back to your father.” The unicorn said as she pulled out a scroll and read through it. “Tell me, does the name ‘Austin Lyle Forrester’ ring a bell?”