The pale blue magical light that emanated from Rarity’s horn washed over the debris filled streets of the Forgotten City. Pinkie Pie walked close beside her, examining the ruined buildings that loomed over them. Pebbles fell from loose mortar, clicking like loud drums, on their way down through toppled floors echoing in the silence of the city.
“I would consider this dreadfully depressing city to be the most horrifying thing I’ve seen today If didn’t already know of the storm lurking somewhere in this darkness.” Rarity whispered to Pinkie Pie.
“It’s not so bad.” Pinkie Pie mentioned trying to sound cheerful. “I bet the acoustics are phenomenal here.”
A deep groan reverberated across the city. With it, high winds were racing through the city streets and blasting them with sand. The storm rose up out of the city many miles away, although its sheer size made it appear much closer. Lightning and thunder ripped through the storm, shaking the very city beneath them reducing several more buildings to rubble. Pinkie Pie and Rarity watched in silent terror at the enormity of the storm, witnessing the figure of a humanoid dwelling within the heart of the storm by the flashing bolts of lightning that cut across the sky.
Fixated upon the storm, Pinkie Pie and Rarity failed to notice the tarp that had suddenly been thrown over them. Finding themselves quickly being blanketed before feeling their hooves being pulled out from beneath them from the sudden jerk of the tarp. The two ponies fell over one another trying to get their footing, feeling themselves being dragged like a sack of potatoes across sand and stone.
“Whomever placed us within this sack, could they please find it in their heart to let us out?” Rarity asked as politely as a captured pony could.
“Or at least avoid some of the large rocks you’re dragging us over.” Pinkie Pie offered.
The sack was lifted off the ground, almost being thrown as Pinkie Pie and Rarity found themselves falling free from the sack and landing upon a stone tiled floor. Rarity’s horn flashed brightly once more, bringing the dark room to light, with Pinkie Pie dropping into the venusian aikido stance. The tarp used to drag them furrowed across the stone floor, draping itself over a tall figure before turning to meet them, but all they were met with were large yellow eyes.
“We mean you no harm.” Rarity stated quickly, hoping to avoid a confrontation.
“That is what I would have said.” The creature replied.
“So… you’re not going to eat us?” Pinkie Pie asked standing on one hoof preparing a crane kick.
“I feared that the storm would have consumed you. Your light is dangerous here.” The creature replied.
Rarity almost immediately lowered the intensity of her magic’s light, not having realized what a target it would have made them if not for this creature’s rather forceful intervenience. Pinkie Pie lowered her guard, staying close to Rarity to ensure that they had a united front against this creature if it chose to pull a fast one on them.
“Might I ask what your name is? So that I can properly thank you for helping us?” Rarity offered it.
“Name?” The creature replied.
“Yeah, what’s your name?” Pinkie Pie asked again.
The creature turned its head away as if to ponder on this. Rarity and Pinkie Pie looked at one another, surprised at the aspect of the creature having forgotten its name. It was a good while of complete silence and contemplation of the Void Walker trying to recall its name before perking up at the its sudden remembrance.
“Malachi. I was called Malachi.”
“That’s a very nice name.” Rarity complimented.
“How did you forget your name?” Pinkie Pie asked looking confused.
“Having a name makes it harder to say goodbye.” The creature named Malachi explained.
“Well, Malachi, we are very grateful for your help in keeping us safe from the storm.” Rarity thanked him. “I’m Rarity and this is Pinkie Pie.”
“You are most welcome.” Malachi stepped forward bowing his head to them. “If I may, may I ask a question of my own?”
“Of course.”
Malachi reached out his olive black hand lightly swaying it over their manes. “Where are your flames?”
“Our flames?” Rarity repeated sounding confused.
“You might have mistaken us for flame ponies. I’m a normal earth pony and Rarity is a unicorn pony.” Pinkie Pie explained.
“I had no idea that there were other kinds of… ponies.” Malachi remarked sounding fascinated.
“Malachi, if I may, have you seen a flame pony recently?” Rarity asked sounding hopeful.
“We witnessed the one called Smolder, Fire King, stand against the storm, it fled with the Arcana, not long before you arrived.”
Pinkie Pie and Rarity turned to one another, a look of excitement on their faces at the idea of Smolder still being alive.
“Malachi, please, if you would, could you help us find our friend?”
Malachi bowed his head to them. He stepped past them, his cloak gliding across the stone tiles like a ghost as he almost disappeared completely into the shadows. Rarity’s horn gave off enough light to keep him visible as they followed on. Through a doorway Malachi led them, down several flights of stairs, through hallways that brought them further underground.
“Is… this where you live?” Rarity asked after a time.
“Our houses are no longer homes, our lives are no longer valued, but we have found peace in our seclusion.” Malachi remarked as if repeating a rehearsed phrase.
“Because of the storm?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“We have placed blame for the ruin of our world on everything but ourselves. The storm is of our own making and it judges us equally. Punishment and reconciliation.” Malachi praddled off again.
Pinkie Pie and Rarity looked at one another as if trying to figure out his meaning, wondering if asking more questions would answer the ones they had or just make more. Eventually, Malachi stepped through a large open arch way that let out into a vast room. Pinkie Pie and Rarity followed close behind, the magic from Rarity’s horn bathed the room in a glow.
Pinkie Pie and Rarity looked around the room witnessing hundreds of Void Walkers sitting on the ground in distinguished rows. Each faced the far wall with a mural painted to depict a giant humanoid colored with the brightest of colors, towering over smaller humanoids with only black and grey colors to depict them. The creature walked along the edge of the room, escorting Pinkie Pie and Rarity towards the front. They could see that the Void Walkers sitting upon the ground had their eyes closed with their left hand lay open in their lap and their other free hand balled into a fist resting atop it.
“Are they meditating?” Rarity asked curiously.
“Reflecting.” The creature replied.
“May I ask about what?”
“The silence.”
Malachi continued to walk, striding through the lines of other Void Walkers to reach the other side. Pinkie Pie and Rarity followed quickly, taking care to not bump any Void Walker along the way.
“Malachi, forgive me, but what exactly happened here?” Rarity asked.
Malachi brought them before the congregation of Void Walkers before stopping at the mural. He turned around to speak to them holding out is arms to his side to invoke their attention to the mural.
“There were three Eternal Masters that appeared from the darkness of our world, Azimuth the Creator, Zenith the Maker, and Nadir the Thinker.. The one known as Azimuth, our creator, gave us life, the light from the stars, and told us that we were special. We were the first of her creations, blinded by privilege, arrogant of the shadows we casted and thought ourselves better.”
Turning back around, Malachi pressed his hands against the mural. The mural split down the middle, revealing itself to be two large doors that swing in to reveal yet another room. Just like before this room was filled with Void Walkers, all sitting in distinguished rows, facing yet another wall with yet another mural.
“The time of the Arcana was soon to follow, creatures of magic made to protect us and help us accomplish wonders. We marveled at their power, yet their minds were simple, emotional, we reveled in our greater thinking, and built this city as a monument to our masters. This was start of Null’s betrayal, before the death of Azimuth.”
Malachi continued on. Pinkie Pie and Rarity followed closely. The next mural depicted a gigantic humanoid painted with dark colors towering over the fallen colorful humanoid holding a bright painted silver light.
“This marked the end of masters, Zenith killed Nadir for his crimes, and he soon fell back into the Void in which he had came. We were left alone, our fate, left to our own devices. We governed ourselves, turned away everything that was not Azimuth’s making, and it proved to be our downfall.”
Again Malachi pressed his hands against the mural, watching the two large stone doors slide open, revealing something very different beyond this room. From wall to wall, stacks and heaps of cloaks were scattered everywhere, like an ocean of fabric that lay still and forgotten. There was no mural at the end of the room, but a cave entrance that bore no light.
“The storm destroyed everything. Our homes, our world, even the stars, but we realized that none it mattered when it took our friends from us.” Malachi whispered to them.
Pinkie Pie and Rarity stood in silent somber having realized that this was the room where all the cloaks of fallen Void Walkers were kept, a tomb of sorts, or perhaps a memorial to those that had fallen.
“I’m so… so sorry, Malachi.” Rarity mumbled.
“Beyond this room is the entrance to a vast network of tunnels that stretch out across our world. The Fire King is sure to be hiding somewhere in there, but I cannot follow you further.”
“Why not?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“If the storm calls again, it is my turn to stand before it. I would be thinking that this is the last time we shall meet, Pinkie Pie the earth pony, and Rarity the unicorn.”
“What? No, you can’t!” Rarity refuted him.
“Come with us! We’re here to help you! That’s why Sparky’s here, we’re going to save your world!” Pinkie Pie insisted.
Malachi’s yellow eyes softened, it reminded them of Wingston and his way of showing gratitude from behind a hood.
“There are many cloaks here of friends that met the storm before I, and now it is my turn to do this for others. For friends that still fear the storm. I am not afraid anymore, that it is why I am not reflecting like the others, I’ve made my peace and I am ready.”
Pinkie Pie moved to argue again, but Malachi gently placed his hand upon her head. Gently fluffing her poofy hair, finding amusement out of it.
“Goodbye, Pinkie Pie the earth pony. Goodbye, Rarity the unicorn.”
Malachi’s earlier words of having to say goodbye when knowing some pony’s name seemed to ring true as Pinkie Pie and Rarity found it difficult to say. They wanted him to believe that he would be saved, that this wasn’t a goodbye, but a promise. In the end, neither of them said nothing, prompting Malachi to bow them one final time before returning to the room before. Putting his hands on the edge of the edge of the door, Malachi to pull the stone door closed.
“We’ll be back, Malachi. This isn’t a goodbye, but an until next time.” Pinkie Pie said confidently.
“That’s right! Just hang on until we find Smolder and we’ll figure out a way to save your world.” Rarity chimed in.
Malachi shared no more words with them. The soft glow of his yellow eyes disappeared with the closing of the stone doors. Rarity and Pinkie Pie looked at one another sharing a strong desire to save Malachi and the rest of the Void Walkers from such a terrible fate. Flashing her horn, Rarity magically teleported Pinkie Pie and herself across the room to the edge of the tunnel entrance. Pinkie Pie stepped into the tunnel, taking a look around at the walls seeing darkness further within, making the assumption that it went on for quite a ways. Turning back, Pinkie Pie noticed Rarity at the edge of the cloaks fiddling with something near the stone floor.
“Rarity?” Pinkie Pie asked curiously.
“It isn’t much, but it’s something.” Rarity said proudly.
There was a rather small bundle of multicolored ribbons packed into a small pile, being held in place with a circle of small rocks. With a small spark of her horn, Rarity set the small pile of ribbons alight as the small flame flickered in the darkness.
“It’s perfect.”
PInkie Pie and Rarity paused for a moment. Letting the silence that Malachi talked about sink in, realizing that their own thought and fears over the storm were loud and clear in their heads. There was nothing to distract them of their own thoughts, except for their conviction of saving Smolder, Malachi, and the rest of the Void Walkers from this storm. Much like Malachi, Pinkie Pie and Rarity pulled themselves away, able to continue on, putting others before themselves, and hoping that their sacrifices would ultimately pay off in the end.
The long tunnel had finally let out into a cavern to which Mira was familiar with. It took a few wrong turns, a dead end and nap, but we eventually found our way back to Azimuth's Tomb to which I knew the rest of the way from there. Mira's cave had seen better days. Her battle with Null had torn apart the fields, shattering the land in some rather large ways. The cave had been split in two, one side significantly raised higher than the other. Large amounts of black sand had poured in, several of her jars had been knocked over with some even being smashed. I carried Mira over to large chunk of rock that had fallen from the ceiling. I tapped the rock a few times, judging it's density, before hitting rather hard with my hoof. A loud crack echoed through the cave, a razor thin cut appeared within the rock as my magic pushed the upper half aside. With a loud thus the upper half of the rock fell to the side revealing a clean cut through the rock now acting as a slab.
“You're weird.” Mira mumbled after witnessing it.
“It's a flame pony thing.” I muttered.
Using my wing I lifted Mira from my back, carefully laying her down on the slab. She looked very exhausted, although it was a far cry better than what Null had done to her.
“So what do I need to do to fix you?” I asked looking her over.
“Get Hoopoe’s feather.”
I turned towards the broken wall that had claimed much of Mira's stone jars. The feather she spoke of had been spared for the most part, having fallen from the stone shelf and buried beneath the black sand. Magically lifting the feather I brought it back to the slab, giving it a few food shakes to get all the sand out of it.
“If the jar isn't busted, which with my luck it was probably first to go, bring me Kana’s goo.” Mira instructed me taking hold of the feather.
I stepped over to the jars, silently hoping that the jar she needed had been spared being smashed. I honestly had no idea what I was looking for and the jars that had not been destroyed had all manner of things in them. There were several that had something that looked like goo which made it even more difficult.
“This it?” I asked picking up a jar with my hoof.
“Does that say Kana on it?” Mira asked in a condescending tone.
Looking at the stone jars I could see some rather loopy looking markings on it to which I could not make out. I took a guess and lifted another jar seeing more of the loopy writing.
“I can't read it.” I confessed.
“That’s because you don't speak Arcana, stupid.”
“Then how am I going to find it?”
Mira groaned. “I’ll just do it myself.”
“No, no, I’ve got it. Just let me know when I find the right one.”
I lifted another jar up to show her, wondering if this was the one she needed, but she shook her head no.
“I’m going to die from the poison, I know it.” Mira mumbled sadly.
“Nonsense. Wingston got stabbed with a Queen Spider fang and he’s alright. Quit being a baby.”
“Just hurry up, stupid.”
I rummaged over the jars, trying to figure out what the goo of Kana looked like.
“I can see it from here, it's that one.” Mira mentioned.
I looked up to see Mira pointing her finger towards the group of jars and I still could not figure out which jar she was referring to.
“This one?” I asked lifting another jar.
“No.”
“Is it this one?”
“Are you seriously guessing right now?”
“How about this one?”
“Look where I'm pointing. No, no, I'm looking right at it. Slowly dieing over here, stupid.”
I lifted another jar turning to look at Mira.
“Yes, that's the one.” Mira confirmed for me.
I brought the jar to Mira who placed the feather over her. It nearly covered her entire body for being only a half of a feather. She laid there expectantly.
“Well?” Mira asked from beneath the feather.
“Well what?” I asked.
“Are you going to pour the goo or not?”
I hovered the jar over the feather nervously. “Just like… all over?”
“The minute I stop dying from poison I'm going to slap the flames off of you, Smolder.” Mira muttered with a sigh.
With that I proceeded to pour the goo from the stone jar over the feather. Like sludge it poured out, coating the feather. The moment I finished pouring the last bit of goo the feather erupted into black flames. It quickly began to melt, covering Mira from head to foot in black sludge, but it all seemed to be what was supposed to be happening.
“You… okay?” I asked slowly.
Mira's yellow eyes opened, breaking the thin layer of sludge, turning her head slightly towards me.
“I will be. I just to need rest for a while.” Mira said through the goo.
Mira lifted her hand, scooping some of the sludge from her chest and held it out to me. I looked at it with confusion, watching it slowly bubble in her hand and not knowing what she wanted me to do with it.
“Take it, it’s for your cuts.”
I frowned at the color, the smell, the bubbling nature of the goo and respectfully shook my head no. Mira hissed at me as she flicked her arm out my way, throwing the goo in my face while it hissed from my flames.
“Just do it.”
Oh the smell. It if wasn't for my flames I could have sworn I felt the goo burning my hide, but I tried not to make a scene. I scooped some of the goo from my face with my hooves, watching it bubble from the heat of my flames before rubbing it up and down my arms. There wasn't much that Mira had thrown at me, although the minute it came in contact with my cuts it had them healing instantly. I worked as much of the goo as I could over myself, getting a good portion of the cuts, but ran out before could finish. Mira had her eyes closed once again, resting on the slab, letting the goo do it's work.
“How long is this going to take?” I asked curiously.
“Does it matter?” Mira asked sounding annoyed.
“Well, you know, just trying to ask the right questions. I’ve never had to take care of a pony before.”
“You bedside manner needs a lot of work.”
“You’re going to be okay though, right?”
“Smolder…” Mira whispered.
“Yeah?”
Mira turned her head to me, her eyes opening again, and her hand reaching out for me. I took her hand with my hoof, smiling warmly at her.
“I’m sorry... for everything.”
I took her hand with both hooves now. “It's cool.”
Mira scoffed a laugh. I could see her yellow eyes becoming glassy, tears beginning to swell in her eyes.
“Why, Smolder? I tried to kill you, I stole your fire, I got your mom killed. How are you okay with this?”
I stepped closer to the slab, resting my head down next to hers.
“It was kind of messed up to steal my fire.” I said watching Mira choke a laugh. “And Null took her from me, not you.”
I could feel Mira’s hand gripping my hooves tighter now.
“You know, a very wise pony once told me that hate can dig very deep into us if we let it. That if you allow yourself to feed on that anger and hatred you’ll feel empty forever. You let yourself believe that my mom's death was your fault, and you ended up hating yourself for it. Digging yourself deeper into that despair, but stopped before you got too deep. I've already forgiven you for what you did and didn't do, Mira, so please forgive yourself and help me stop this monster that took my mom from us.”
Mira smiled at me. Choking back a few sobs, gripping my hoof as hard as she could trying to reassure me of her resolve in this.
“Thank you, Smolder.” Mira whispered softly to me.
I could hear the rumbling if my own stomach cut the silence. This earned a laugh from Mira who pulled her hand away from me to rest again.
“I'm going to go look for those gross furry things you said were okay to eat.” I said begrudgingly.
“It’s a fungus.” Mira mentioned.
“A fungus?”
“Keep an eye for some larvae from the maggot worms down here, we can make a stew stew out of it for a better taste and is a good source of protein.”
“What did you used to eat before having to scrounge for this… stuff?” I asked feeling nauseous.
“Light was enough to sustain us, eating was just a something we did for fun.”
“Have you ever tried an apple?”
“A what?”
“An apple, it grows on a tree, its red, tastes way better than some gross maggot or fungus.”
“What’s a tree?”
“Okay, I’m going to go find some fungus or something. I’m laying down the law right now and saying that we’re not having maggot larvae tonight. Or ever for that matter.”
Mira smiled. “If you want to go looking for your brothers, Smolder, just say so.”
In truth, I was hungry, but I was also going to use it as an excuse to go looking for my brothers as well.
“How did you-”
“There’s no way you could have gotten your fire back without help. I’m guessing they helped you with it.”
“My… father helped me, actually.” I muttered.
Mira turned her head to look at me, seeing my uneasiness over it.
“Why would he help you?” Mira asked.
“He knows that the others are going to try and save me. He’s planning on escaping along with us. I’m afraid I’ll have to face him again to make sure that doesn’t happen.” I told her.
“He’s a monster, Smolder. There’s nothing but cruelty in him. Don’t try to-”
“I know.” I said quickly, not wanting to bring up these feelings again.
Mira could sense my apprehension towards my father. It was different than when she scolded Glow for trying to save that Mad Pony. Glow was trying to save someone she loved, while Smolder was being tormented by the very pony that should be loving him unconditionally. Mira knew how much pain and sadness Smolder tried to hide from everyone, she had been in his mind enough to know how cruel his father had been to him, but he still was so very kind to every pony else.
“Try looking in the left end of the Azimuth’s Tomb.” Mira mentioned rolling her head back over. “That’s where I find most of the fungus and sometimes hoofprints.”
I lifted my head feeling a sudden swell of excitement in my heart. “R-Right.”
Heading back towards the tunnel I took another glance back at Mira wondering if I should really be leaving her alone. Her cave was pretty much destroyed, anything that would come for her would have to come through me first so I felt a bit better on leaving her alone for the time being.
Mira glanced over at the tunnel watching the light of her flame pony fade away.
“Glow, he's not a sad pony.” Mira whispered to herself. “He’s a kind pony. He’s kind.”