Friendship is Scaleless

by Limescale


Chapter 59

“Through here layeth the tomes I hath shown to few others...” Seath said before scowling as he approached a set of lavishly decorated doors that were hanging ajar. “Though others, it doth seem, have already helped themselves in mine absence.”

Twilight trotted in behind him, finding herself in another room of the Duke’s Archives that just gave her the chills. The walls of immaculately sorted books should have made her feel right at home, if only they weren’t completely devoid of the same ambiance that her former home, and her current home held.

Hesitantly, the alicorn reached to run her hoof along the books on a lower shelf. She came away with not a single trace of dust or grit.

“It doesn’t look like too much is disturbed, at least...” She said while craning her neck to look at the shelves overhead. Her awe at all the knowledge promised by the reams of literature was weighed down by the acknowledgement that said reams were way, way too clean. She hadn’t noticed it upon first arriving at the archives with her friends, but the more she saw of the place the more she felt something was seriously off. The Harry Trotter-like rotating stairs she’d seen in the halls on the way to this chamber held little in the way of rhyme or reason with what parts of the archives they allowed access to, and then there’d been her unwanted tour of the dungeons and their eldritch monstrosities after Logan had incapacitated her and dragged her down there for a fight to the death.

As for this, the wing that Seath had stated he insisted be kept off limits to everyone, even his loyal channelers, Twilight felt a sense of soullessness. Despite the ornate fountain in the center of the room providing a soothing overture of running water, the entire environment felt extremely clinical and sanitized. Like all manner of life and warmth had been wiped away along with the dust.

Steeling her nerves, Twilight made a note to add some curtains, couches, and potted plants to the library section of her castle; make the ambience more warm and welcoming for when she returned to Equestria. If she returned to Equestria...

Seath turned to see his student violently thrashing her head from side to side.

“Dost the organization disturb thee, mine student? After all our joined efforts to organize our lessons and studies?” He asked.

Twilight threw her head down, then slowly brought it up again, raising a hoof to smooth back her askew mane.

“No… no, it’s not that. It’s just… ngh… never mind.” She muttered, scolding herself for letting her negative side get the better of her again. Silently she told herself her special word of the day was ‘when’, not ‘if’. And so long as her friends were still here, albeit in different regions of Lordran, that would remain her special word.

Seath did her the service of still looking concerned, even as he turned back to survey the books on the shelves.

“Regardless, it seems thou hast spoken in error.” He commented, lowering his glasses to study several empty spots on the shelves. “There art volumes missing from their places here. From this, I am given pause to wonder...”

The great white dragon slid back from the shelves, raising the crystal catalyst he clutched in his other hand. With notable caution he prodded at the books the way one might carefully check if a hungry beast was indeed asleep, or just pretending to in order to draw prey near.

Twilight found fresh cause to be scared out of her wits when the reason for her teacher’s actions thus presented itself.

From the pages of the books exploded multiple masses of ghostly blue hands, stretching out on obscenely long arms to claw at everything they could reach with murderous intent.

“Most strange this is.” Seath said in concern. “The safeguards on these tomes art intact, yet still, without means to counter them, Logan did manage to obtain their treasure.”

Twilight backed herself well away from the clawing hands, even as Seath did the opposite and leaned in closer to study them.

“Safe...safeguards? These are....well...what ARE these Seath?” She demanded. Her teacher quietly pushed his glasses up and sighed.

“An experiment, like so many of what fills these hallowed halls. Tragic was the fate of New Londo’s residents, but even tragedy can inspire wonder.” He explained while holding up his catalyst. “Their impervious ghostly nature, melded with the cursed nature of mine own power, did give rise to these. A means most majestic to protect that which is sacred knowledge.”

Twilight nervously looked at her teacher, and the weight in her stomach grew heavier at his almost proud expression as he contemplated the horrific apparitions.

“In time I did hope to guard all the books in the Archives via these means...yet like a wildfire these proved a power able to curse and destroy all who drew near, without discern nor care for who’s lives they stole away.” Seath said, his voice laced with smugness. Twilight did him the courtesy of looking sick.

“So why the heck did you create them then, if they’re that dangerous?” She asked. Seath ignited his catalyst and aimed it at the clawed hands.

“Danger can be tamed and controlled, mine student. This thou hast seen, along with thine friends. For now the means by which these wild visages shalt do what thou bids remains known only to me...but as times doth require that knowledge not be kept hidden...”

Seath swept his catalyst across his front, unleashing a wave of bright blue light that made the ghostly hands draw back from their relentless clawing. They lowered themselves as Seath held his catalyst over them like a teacher preparing to discipline a naughty pupil. Promptly they reached to begin searching among the books they’d emerged from, finding one and pulling it out to present it to Seath.

“Fate is not so cruel that it depriveth one of their means to benefit another.”  The white dragon smiled with greater smugness as he accepted the offered literature and turned to Twilight. “Wouldst thou care to practice this new sorcery, mine student? It doth occur to me, I hath never shown thee this skill thou wouldst find most practical to maintaining thine own library.”

Twilight blinked as her teacher gestured to the demon catalyst slung across her back.

“A keen sense of whence disharmony exists thou dost?” Seath queried.

Twilight furrowed her brow in puzzlement, then looked to the shelves as the dragon nodded to them.

“You mean like when a book is in the wrong place, or a section isn’t ordered correctly? Yes, I do have something of a sixth sense towards detecting that.” She said. Seath handed her the book.

“Familiarise thineself with the mechanics of the sorcery and then we shalt see if thine skill is apt enough to craft it. I must check on my daughter’s well being for now!”

Twilight nodded as she took the book and flipped it open.

“Sure thing. Just, I might want to do a few practice runs before you return.” She said with slight embarrassment. “I’ll try my best not to mess this place up. I promise!”

Seath looked skeptical, but then he considered what he’d seen of his student’s previous ‘practice runs’ under duress and nodded softly.

“I shall return before the eve.” He promised before departing the chamber.

Taking a deep breath, Twilight summoned a scroll and quill for taking notes and began reading the book in her magic.

“The scholar’s charge is perilous but necessary to the well-being of all. As one of the Three Pillars of the king’s rule, the scholar must be prepared to appreciate and protect the sanctity of knowledge, however foul or dangerous. Be forewarned that this sorcery is not to be used lightly. Without proper preparation, one risks their anchor of reason being dislodged. Thus one must understand first the danger of the Clawed Curse. It does not work in the manner we know most cursed magic to work. It does not infest the body and transform the flesh, nor is it diluted by the normal means of warding off a curse. This sorcery is designed to affect the mind, much like the knowledge it guards, with a siren like voice that speaks to...wait...siren?”

Twilight paused as she re-read the sentence. She put the book down and looked to the shelves, looming before her like a hazardous temptation. A temptation that concealed a most deadly trap.

“This works like the call of a siren? Like the myth of the Odyssey and the stallion who resisted the call of similar beings by....hmmm.”

Twilight’s ears twisted in opposite directions as she paid closer attention to her surroundings. The impossibly spotless shelves had unnerved her before, but now she had extra reason to be wary of them as she became aware that the room was far from silent. Despite her being the only occupant she could hear murmurings around her. Faint, almost unnoticeable echoes of voices diffusing through the air around her.

With great trepidation, Twilight stepped closer to one of the shelves, finding she could hear the murmuring just a little bit more clearly.

“Okay, so...if I’m thinking about this in the right way does that mean...”

Twilight looked to her scroll and quill. Hastily she levitated the latter and started writing down notes at speed.

“The gift of wax helped Ulysses’ crew avert the danger of the sirens. Possibly the same could work in this case. Just as an emergency procedure if I can’t cast the spell properly...well, I’d have to actually try casting the spell first so...”

Twilight’s face slowly reddened as she realized she was getting ahead of herself. She put down the quill and turned to the book.

“In order to control the Clawed Curse one must draw from their soul the same harmony that the sorcery uses to corrupt all who enter it’s area of effect. Show that your soul resonates the same as the sorcery and you may find use for it in many fields.” Twilight read, then sighed as she looked to the shelves of books again. “Okay, so…as a test run, just look at my surroundings and get a feel for what’s not where it should be. Can’t be that hard. I’ve been doing it for most of my life.”

The alicorn levitated her catalyst off her back and cracked her neck. Slowly she swept her eyes across the room. Even as she still felt the hostility of the impossibly spotless shelves closing in on her, Twilight felt a familiar heat bloom from within. Seath had made a valid point about how he and she shared a passion for organizing everything (even if Seath had often failed to practice what he preached as he’d read through his student’s library), just as they shared a passion for learning, for science, and… well, yes, they both were fond of making lists for their daily activities too.

Twilight clutched that comforting knowledge tightly as she kept scanning the books. She could indeed sense something was out of place, even if she disregarded the obvious point about the cleanliness.

Twilight closed her eyes and focused on what her latent sense was telling her. She fed that into the catalyst, causing a blue toned light to slowly build on the surface of the instrument’s bladed tip.

“Okay, let’s just see what happens...” She said as she approached one of the book shelves and the ghostly hands burst out with intent to ensnare her in their deadly grasp.

***

“You’re doing this for your friends… nrrrgh. You’re doing this for your Spikey-Wikey… ewwww. You’re doing this so you don’t die a gruesome death… gah, gracious Faust, what is this I’m stepping in!?”

From where he was wading through the viscous swamp, Laurentius turned and sighed at the sight of Rarity, once again looking like she was on the verge of vomiting as she sank one hoof into the fetid waters, while trying to yank another hoof free from the sticky, polyp like webbing covering the shore that lead to the former domain of Quelaag. Her efforts only succeeded in causing her to stumble forward, forcing her to sink her other two hooves into the swamp, lest she end up falling face first into the poisonous murk.

“Heavens, I can feel it burrowing into my flesh. It’s rotting away my immaculate coat! Ngh, and the stench! My nose is on fire!”

Rarity’s cheek’s inflated as she pushed herself to step further into the swamp. She cringed and let out a nauseous grunt that foretold of how the poisonous effects of the water, the air, and pretty much everything else in the vicinity were working in fine form upon her being.

“I thought this was going to be like my first Sisterhooves Social. Just tolerate some filth and grime so I can do my part to help out. Urrrrgh, Miss Aurelia is going to get a very stern talking to once I get back. She certainly did NOT accurately describe the… hurrrk… the foulness I’d have to contend with!”

Rarity’s face swelled again as her stomach demanded she empty it of all its remaining contents pronto! Every step make her feel even sicker, every breath filled her lungs with the pollution of disease and decay.

“No amount of washing is going to clean me of this. Nrrrrgh… I’m going to need a full acid bath and chemical peel to purge… ooogh… purge… not a good choice of words...”

The unicorn finally decided if her body wanted to rid her of the building sickness she was going to just let it.

She only stopped herself due to looking up and seeing Laurentius staring at her in disbelief.

“And yes, I haven’t forgotten Aurelia mentioning this place is your home, so I’m probably not casting myself in a very good light with all the whining about it.” She muttered while feeling bile rising in her throat. “I just… ugh… even with this ring she gave me, I’m not feeling at all well!”

Laurentius nodded softly.

“Blighttown and the Great Swamp have long served as the receptacle of everything that the world above deems too unpleasant for their liking. I assure you, many that have visited here, and indeed many who were born here, share your disgust.”

He gestured to a small island rising out of the swamp.

“Step out of the water for a moment, and eat some of the moss clumps you purchased. They’ll help reduce the poison buildup.”

Feeling her strength draining as the feeling of sickness continued to grow, Rarity hauled herself onto the island and weakly reached for some of the flower covered purple vegetation given to her by the very strange undead woman the Chosen Undead had introduced her to prior to dropping her off with Laurentius. That alone should’ve been a major red flag now that the unicorn thought about it. Just the way the withered old woman had spoken of her joy at being imprisoned behind iron bars and how fitting it was that Rarity was going down to the place where only unkempt crooks and liars dwelled so she, the undead, didn’t have to.

That said, as Rarity forced herself to eat a few small bites, and slowly felt the sickness within her abate, she could see why the Chosen Undead deemed such a detour necessary. Indeed as she finished the moss clump and found the act of getting back to her hooves came more easily, Rarity had to recall that if she’d learned anything from her time in Lordran, it was that aid came from the most unexpected of sources.

“Oooogh. Yes, that did help. Immeasurably so.” She said before letting out a haggard cough. “Again, I beg your forgiveness for my behaviour.”

Laurentius gave a defeated shrug as he knelt down next to the unicorn.

“Your words were a bit harsh, but also sadly true. As you might have seen when we passed the entrance to the Demon Ruins, the majesty of Lordran is only a skin deep facade. Beneath the majestic towers of Anor Londo, all the filth and pestilence that were cast down from the gods’ domain have continued to grow and multiply with the approaching dark.”

The hooded sorcerer looked around at the mutant insects and creatures infesting the swamp.

“My old teacher told me that once this place was a serene and lush vista. Perhaps not as pleasant as the areas above, but suitable for those who wish to be close to the raw, unrefined power that has helped shape the world. Much like the art that the Witch and her daughters made possible in Izalith, this was a realm of basic, natural excellence.”

Rarity followed Laurentius’ gaze with heavy doubt. All she could see were more monsters, more danger, more filth, and more death as far as her gaze could focus.

And yet, back down by the Demon Ruins, Discord was conversing with two such monsters… both of whom had seemed as pleased as the undead merchant to see friendly faces, and had welcomed the chaos god as best they could.

“And thus we’re pursuing Aurelia’s claim that even now there is some of that excellence left to be made use of. Much like every time I go searching dusty and empty caves because I can sense that somewhere, amidst their dreadfully bland faces, lies a perfect gem for one of my latest designs.” Rarity sighed.

“That would explain why the little that remains of my flame took to your flesh as naturally as it first did my own.” Laurentius said as he bade the unicorn to raise one of her hooves. Reluctantly, Rarity wiped her left hoof on the ground then placed it in the pyromancer’s hands.

“A true pyromancer is always in tune with nature. They see the value others do not.”

Laurentius traced the quarter area of Rarity’s hoof, causing flames to ignite in the wake of his fingers.

“As unsavoury as the art is considered, it is the one true means of attaining the ultimate fantasy: to touch and command the fire that first birthed our world.”

Rarity’s leg shook as her entire hoof burst into flames. Clenching her teeth, she straightened the limb and told herself to be calm. As unsettling as the sight of her burning hoof may be, Rarity felt no pain, nor did she smell the stench of flesh blackening.

“My teacher had a few other sayings of that nature, but I don’t believe I can do them justice. He always was better with words.” Laurentius concluded as he released Rarity. The unicorn brought her flaming hoof to her face, staring at the mystical dance of heat and light swirling in eternal harmony upon her being.

“Well, now hold on. I believe you’ve still made your point, dear. As simple and uncoordinated as it may be, fire nevertheless has its own beauty, and its own worth to be appreciated. I certainly can attest as one who’s spent many a Nightmare Night just basking in the glow of the bonfires that are lit around Ponyville.”

She smiled while prodding at the dancing flames with her other hoof… only to then mash her hooves together in shock and smother the fire as a boulder crashed into the island.

“Sadly, as always, no one will permit me to finish such a poetic appraisal once I get going.” She said while glaring at the infested barbarians standing on the shoreline. They repaid her scorn by throwing more boulders at her. “Ugh, we’d best move on. Away from these uncultured swine!”

Laurentius gave a defeated shrug as the two hastily scrambled back into the water, wading away from the shores and into the deeper recesses of the swamp. Across the fetid terrain they searched, pausing only when Rarity needed to medicate the constant poison build up from the waters, or the seemingly endless swarms of mosquitoes and leeches proved too troublesome for them to evade.

Even as their efforts continued to fail, Rarity did get the opportunity to practice with the basic pyromancy spells Laurentius had schooled her in before they’d embarked from Seath’s archives. As strange, and draining as the act of casting fire from her hooves proved, bit by bit, Rarity’s ability to aim and send a target crashing to the ground in a ball of flame became more and more like another part of her nature.

Sadly, even this eventually proved of little worth in helping the duo achieve their aim. When at last both Rarity’s stock of moss was running dry and Laurentius’ energy reserves were depleted, the two knew they had no choice but to accept the inevitable. The sight of the shore leading back to Queelag’s domain, thus indicating their travels had only resulted in them going in a giant circle, didn’t help either.

“I suppose this means it’s time to throw in the towel.” Rarity sighed.

“Aurelia did state this Quelana only showed herself to those she deemed worthy.” Laurentius replied with sadness. “Perhaps I should’ve expected I would fall short of the requirement.”

Feeling the sickness building in her again, Rarity pulled herself onto another island directly in front of the shoreline and let herself collapse on the sands.

“My dear Laurentius, we can’t start thinking that way! Even if all the evidence supports it...” Rarity’s voice trailed off as she flinched and grunted. “No, no, I can’t go back empty hooved! Just… give me a moment to rest. Then we can see if there’s some area we missed, or perhaps she may be in one of those rickety structures I glimpsed a ways back...”

Laurentius nodded. This was a fair point.

“If it pleases you, I do recall a particular spot my teacher was fond of using as his thinking patch. I could go and see if perhaps fortune may smile and he is still resides there.”

Rarity looked to the shoreline, and the barbarians scanning the waters for something else to crush with their boulders. As much as she didn’t fancy being left alone, she wasn’t feeling up for another trek through the toxic water either.

“Please do so. I’ll… I’ll make my way back to the bonfire once I feel well enough.” The unicorn sighed. “Just don’t be too long.”

“I shall strive not to. Be safe until I return!” The pyromancer bowed to the unicorn, making her blush as he turned and headed back into the depths of the swamp again. Rarity watched his figure shrink and diminish, until she had only herself, and every single danger that could stand the wasteland around her, for company.

“Still a tragedy all I’ll have to show for this trek is a ruined coat and the putrid smell of rot clinging to my mane.” Rarity groaned as she rested her head on the sands. She looked to her sprawled hooves, snorting softly as she stared at the one she’d been using to cast pyromancies.

“Well, maybe that’s being a bit short. At least I proved my merit with a completely new area of magic.”

“Indeed you did. Rare it is to meet one soul with such a natural gift...”

Rarity jerked back upright, then turned to see a figure sitting against the stonewall rising up from the island. Dressed in a simple but stylish array of black robes with gold trim, the slender figure raised its hooded head to Rarity, revealing the ashen white features of a female human.

“Rarer still it is to meet a second, who is neither undead, nor even a species I recognize.”

Rarity folded her ears back as the female chuckled morosely.

“But then again, my own mother brought forth many a horrid beast in the wake of the Flame of Chaos, and these lands spawn more strange and terrible abominations with each passing year. Perhaps you are simply the latest to be birthed from the bosom of darkness.”

Rarity glared, even as her ears cautiously swivelled forward again.

“I assure you, madam, that I am none of the above, nor do I deserve such degradation despite not looking my best!” She declared while drawing herself up to her full height and grandly sweeping her hoof through her sweaty, filth ridden mane. With her point thus made she then added in a softer voice. “By your statements, however, dare I presume you are Miss Quelana?”

The female nodded softly.

“That I am. Dare I presume your reason for being here, based on your conversation with that poor man, and your reckless torturing of the wildlife, is to seek my pyromancy?”

Rarity stared in deep suspicion at the hooded lady, but nevertheless she approached her and daintily sat down.

“Yes, Miss Aurelia was quite adamant I should seek you out, both to see if you could teach me anything about pyromancy, and also if you’d be willing to help us with some... well, let’s call them minor setbacks, that we’ve been having during our tour of your world.”

Quelana sighed with an air of grim humor.

“A distorted creature with a most distorted view of affairs. Whether you be born of chaos or not, you are still quite a fool.” She mused, seeming to take pleasure from Rarity’s offense and growing ire. “As much a fool as my other pupils… which presents the query of what may you make of yourself if I were to train you...”

Rarity casting hoof began to feel hot again, neatly matching that of her temper.

“You say my former pupil directed you my way. When last I spoke to her I charged her with a most gruesome favor: to free my mother and sisters from their torment. Since then I have sensed chaos’ grip on Lost Izalith has been weakened...”

Quelana clenched her fists as she stared at Rarity from the shadows of her hood.

“Dare I ask, do you know of this, strange one? Has my former pupil at last freed my mother from the Bed of Chaos? Granted her the peace I had neither the bravery nor the strength to give?”

Confusion momentarily swirled with Rarity’s annoyance. She thought Quelana’s question over, her memory stirring at the use of the words ‘Bed of Chaos’. Her face then turned a delicate shade of green as she connected the term with Seath’s explanation of where the bizarre fire insect Discord had adopted as his pet had come from.

“Your mother… the Bed of Chaos...” She said in sickly realization.

Quelana nodded expectantly.

“It is faint, but I sense the essence of Izalith upon you. I abandoned my mother and sisters and fled to this land. Now I roam these parts, feigning ablution and pretending to seek answers. It was not until the undead who calls herself Aurelia encountered me that at last I had but a moment of terrifying hope… that at last the thousand years my mother has spent in cursed atonement may be ended...”

Rarity felt a lump of nausea rise in her throat. She subtly placed a hoof over it to force it back down while trying to think of how to respond. To lie in order to make Quelana feel better and thus grant her what she wanted was a horrible idea… yet to tell her the truth could possibly be worse...

“I… mmm… I fear your mother… that is, if what you are saying means your mother is whom I think she is...” Rarity coughed and bowed her head, told her nerves to be quiet so she could phrase her answer as diplomatically as possible. “Those ‘minor setbacks’ I mentioned have resulted in your mother being… well, she isn’t here anymore. She’s in our world, Equestria!”

Rarity forced herself to look at Quelana, only to see no apparent reaction. The dark robed female sat as still as a statue, and her hood hid too much of her face for the unicorn to discern any sort of expression.

“I CAN say that one of our number has been making sure she is very comfortable and being well looked after, though!” Rarity quickly followed. “Certainly she seemed quite content when I last saw her… so, uh… does that help at all?”

Again the static image of Quelana just stared at her. Rarity hastily thought back over some of the less pleasant business dealings she’d endured while selling her clothes and braced herself as she had then for the worst possible scenario.

“Your voice betrays no lie. Mmm, it is not quite the release I hoped for...but perhaps that is for the better...” Quelana said mysteriously while standing up and approaching Rarity. “Tell me, strange one, the means by which you traveled from your world to here, could it allow me passage back to this Equestria?”

Rarity thought for a moment and gave a cautious nod.

“Considering it also allowed Aurelia to drop in on us… and Seath before her...”

Quelana halted in her pace.

“Seath? The scaleless traitor still lives too?” She asked, sounding afeared, yet also somewhat morosely amused.

Rarity forced a nervous smile.

“Suffice to say, yes, I believe getting to Equestria from here is very possible. Certainly I and many of my friends are hoping it is.” She answered.

Quelana raised an ashen fist, resting it against her heart as she stared at the unicorn.

“You said you came to be my pupil… while you indeed possess the gift, I ponder if you understand what mastering it will entail. To pursue pyromancy, you must give something up. There can be no gain without sacrifice.”

Rarity inhaled sharply and drew herself back to her full height. Admittedly the gesture fell a bit flat as even standing up she still only came up to Quelana’s waist, but her intent was still plain to see.

“I expected that would be the case. Aurelia said you would desire one who is of a big enough heart and a generous enough spirit to give up anything for the safety of her loved ones. Rest assured my good Quelana, I am possessed of both in great measures!”

Quelana let the silence hold for as long as it took for Rarity’s resolve to start faltering; which equated to about six or so minutes before the unicorn’s legs betrayed a nervous shudder.

“That shall be proven in due course. For now, I shall not squander this gesture of goodwill. I shall only ask for one thing in return for making you my pupil.”

Rarity braced herself again as the hooded female sat down on the sands before her.

“I will teach you everything I know. In return you will take me with you back your world so that I may be reunited with my mother.”

Rarity blinked in surprise, then slowly her ears folded back again as she digested the possible intent behind the request.

“And if I do, what will your purpose be? My friend… has grown rather protective of his charge.” She replied with heavy suspicion. Quelana seemed to relax a bit at that.

“Then he is a better soul than I. Truthfully, I cannot say what I will do once I see my mother again, for I never dreamed I would have the opportunity.”

The hood rose to let Rarity gaze into its shadows once more.

“May you please just trust I will make the best possible use of this unexpected blessing? Just as I trust you will put my teachings to the best possible use when you are inevitably made to do so?”

Rarity’s ears slowly rose to their normal position again.

“Yes, that sounds fair enough.” She replied.

“Excellent. Then let us not waste more time. Even as the flames fade, still do they devour all those who do not rightly fear them.”

Rarity exhaled slowly as her rump lowered itself onto the sands again.

“Don’t worry, another reason I’m here now is because I have quite enough to fear.” She admitted.

***

In the eerie peace of the Ash Lake, lost amidst the mess of roots from the great arch trees, Spike found himself indeed witnessing an incredible phenomenon. A powerful rush of wind and sand assaulted his front as the four great wings before him spread themselves out, revealing the body of the one being he distinctly recognized, yet couldn’t believe he was actually seeing.

“Whoah… you’re… that’s...” The dragon hesitated as his larger counterpart folded its wings behind its back, allowing it to meet his gaze with its own eternal stare.

“But… Seath said… I mean, he talked about you… well not you, but your kind… told Twilight and me all about what happened when the gods fought you...”

Spike paused again as the stone dragon parted its lips, revealing its lethally sharp teeth. He quickly stepped back, turning to Aurelia with an expression that was equal parts awe, confusion, and fear.

“Spike, do you know what this is?” Applejack queried in confusion as she stepped up to behold the great beast.

Spike nodded breathlessly.

“Yeah… it’s an everlasting dragon. Seath said they originally lived, and ruled, I think, over Lordran in a previous time known as the Age of Ancients. He mentioned they absolutely hated him for… uh… multiple reasons. So when the gods showed up he told them how to fight them, and...”

The little dragon exhaled and shook his head.

“But Seath said they were all wiped out. He distinctly mentioned, and I quote, ‘And the dragons were no more.’”

Rainbow Dash had to arch a very dubious eyebrow as she stepped away from the bonfire.

“Right, and yet, Aurelia, didn’t you mention there’s a whole valley full of dragons on the way to New Londo? Oh also, something about an undead dragon that you fought in the Painted World? Or was it something about a dragon that tried to roast you alive in that Undead Burg place?” She challenged.

The Chosen Undead removed her helmet and sighed.

“The longer I explored this place, the more evidence I found that the gods’ claims may have been exaggerated. When I ran into a merchant that told me of this, a testament that the very victory which allowed the Age of Fire to begin was itself partly a lie, I had to see it. Searched every inch of Lordran, till finally I found it...”

The undead warrior approached the stone dragon. Its gaze softened upon recognizing her, and then as she dropped to her knees before it, it lowered its head in greeting.

“My time serving as its apostle has been revealing to say the least.” She concluded.

Rainbow Dash’s ears rose as she picked up on a scratching sound behind her. She stole a glance at the path leading away towards the main area of the Ash Lake, and spotted the outline of a maneater clam, just like the ones at Seath’s archives, warily stepping into view to investigate the new arrivals. Her ears rose even higher as she recalled what Twilight had mentioned about those, and how they came to be.

“Hmmm, so what you’re saying is, this big guy here is proof of some conspiracy? A sign someone’s been playing fast and loose with history to make themselves look better?” She queried.

The Chosen Undead retrieved a cloth sack from her pack, setting it down before the stone drake, then opening it to reveal a fresh offering of dragon scales.

“Indeed, hence why I swore myself into its servitude, as one… unpleasant secret to another.” She sighed while holding up her arms in prayer. The stone dragon closed its eyes and swept one of its massive front legs over the scales. They vanished in a flash of white light, and the dragon flexed its body as if relieving itself of some unseen stress.

“And going on what you said back at the archives, you think Seath might know something about this secret? Just like his own little secret of Priscilla?” Rainbow Dash grinned. The stone drake opened its eyes again, locking them on her in quiet curiosity as it rested its hand upon the Chosen Undead’s head, blessing her once more for her show of loyalty and dedication.

“Possibly. Unfortunately, I have only suspicions to go on, for while it has shown me much of its true nature, it has said nothing of how it came to be here, or why it was allowed to live while its brethren were killed off.” The Chosen Undead apologetically admitted.

Rainbow Dash looked up at the stone dragon. It continued to regard her in foreboding silence, not that that seemed to bother her.

“Mmm, well a lot of Daring Do’s stories do focus on how the really dark and juicy revelations are only told to those who are worthy to hear them.” She shrugged.

“Indeed, which is why I asked for your help, Spike.”

The smaller dragon looked very confused at this.

“I have happened across many creatures who’ve proven to be as intelligent as we are, yet due to either the difference in our races, or because one of us lacks something the other has, I’ve only been able to communicate with a few of them. It’s entirely possible such is the reason this ancient beast has remained as you see now. I may possesses the ability to assume the form of a dragon, but my soul is not as such.”

Spike blinked and stiffened as the stone dragon turned its gaze to him.

“As you, however, are the same as it, perhaps you may be able to understand it in ways no one else can. Indeed, perhaps it will be willing to take you on as another apostle.”

The Chosen Undead lowered her hands as the stone dragon cocked its head. Its four great wings fluttered in evident intrigue as it looked to her, then back to Spike.

“Right, you’re thinking I can level with it as only a fellow dragon bro can huh?” Spike rested his hands on his hips as he contemplated, then shrugged.

“Well considering this flies in the face of… at least half of Seath’s tales of heroism, I gotta know what it has to say.” He smiled as the Chosen Undead rose and put her helmet back on.

“I will show your friends where the basilisks reside here. Ideally, we shall all reconvene having enjoyed a change of fortune.”

Rainbow Dash snorted as she turned around and drew her rapier.

“Eh, if the only other thing we gotta worry about is more of those calamari walkers, then this’ll be a breeze! Come on, let’s go stir up some action!”

The pegasus was off like a shot, weaving in between the arch tree roots with pinpoint precision.

Spike watched her departure with a dour tone.

“So… should I tell her that calamari is not in anyway similar to clams?” He queried. Applejack sighed and straightened her hat.

“Jest let her have her moment, Spikey. It’s nice that one of us at least is still finding something to be excited about.”

The farm mare trotted with heavy hoof steps as the undead warrior showed her the way out towards the main part of Ash Lake. Spike wished her well as he turned and awkwardly cleared his throat.

“Right, uh, so back to what I said previously… um… dunno how much you’ve been told of what’s been happening lately, but we’ve been told a lot about you by Seath.”

The stone dragon gnashed its teeth as it stared Spike down. Again, the little dragon tactfully stepped back a few paces.

“Yeah, I can imagine that name still probably ticks you off even after all this time. He told us about the hard feelings between you and him… and what he helped the gods do… and… erm… well… okay, on second thought, that’s probably not a good topic to start the conversation off.”

Spike winced as his giant counterpart continued to glare at him… only the anger slowly began to drip from its face the longer it held its unblinking stare. Bit by bit, its head lowered as its features faltered. On either side of its body, its wings wilted against the branches of the arch trees.

Spike cautiously leaned forward as the stone dragon reached to clasp a hand to its face, marring the strange black fur covering its head and neck. Silently, it slammed its hand back down on the ground, leaning heavily on it as it swept the great length of its tail too and fro.

“I uh… I’m sorry if I upset you?” He queried. His body went rigid as the dragon caught him in its unwavering, eons old stare.

To his surprise, it shook its head in dismissal of his fears.

“No?” He asked.

The dragon silently shook its head again.

“So… yes? I mean no… or...”

The dragon’s wings and shoulders slumped as it realised it had already confused its little counterpart. It straightened up again, its magnificent chest inflating as it took a deep breath. Gracefully it raised its arms skyward, flapping its wings to lift itself gently out of the strange mess of tree branches it was sitting in.

Spike held his ground against the renewed storm of wind and sand as the dragon elevated itself to reveal its hind legs (which was a surprise in itself as Spike thought of how Seath lacked the same) crossed in a typical meditation like pose. The dragon lifted its head skyward, turning itself around to let Spike see its form from all angles, and witness how the eons spent in the lowest, most remote area of Lordran had done little to tarnish its everlasting majesty.

With its little show done, the stone dragon settled itself down in its tree seat again, staring expectantly at Spike.

“Uh… wow. Okay, that was certainly an impressive little stunt show.” He smiled a big smile… which promptly shrank as he saw the stone dragon’s expression hadn’t changed.

“Erm, I mean, there wasn’t much to it, granted, but what little you did was still fantastic and… uh...”

Spike choked as his larger brethren stared at him with evident disappointment.

“Erm… I’m sure if you went on tour in the Dragon Lands with that it’d get rave reviews!” He hastily replied.

The stone dragon exhaled slowly and flapped its wings to levitate itself into the air again. Spike raised a hand to shield his face from the resulting sandstorm, peering through the narrow slits of his eyelids as the dragon made a new gesture. Its front claws curled to frame its crossed legs, showing off how exquisitely they twisted in and around each other.

“Wha… What are you doing?” Spike cried as the stone dragon gestured to its legs again before setting itself down. “Are you… do you want me to...?”

Greater disbelief and disappointment flared in the stone dragon’s eyes. It nodded towards its legs again.

“Wait… you mean you want me to copy what you’re doing?”

Another nod came as the dragon clasped its front claws together, resting them in the mess of branches where its lap most likely was.

“So… I need to sit? Like this?” Spike plopped his butt on the sand, doing his best to fold his stubby legs in the same manner as his larger counterpart. He nervously gripped his hands together and rested them in his lap. The stone dragon seemed somewhat consoled by this.

“Great. So we’re making progress.” Spike exhaled in mild relief. “And… now what?”

The stone dragon leaned forward. Its eyes no longer seemed to radiate disappointment. Rather, they seemed to be trying to make sense of the sight of Spike doing his best to maintain the odd pose.

Spike cocked his head as the giant beast turned its head to the left, showing off how one of its horns curled straight back, while the other jutted out to the side. Its gaze remained fixed on him as it turned its head the other way, then slowly rose to an upright sitting position again.

“Uh… okay. Yes your head is very asymmetrical… but that’s a good thing! Too much symmetry in a body never looks right. Part of that… uh, what did Twilight call it? The Uncanny Valley effect!”

This seemed to catch the stone dragon’s interest.

“You know that? I mean, you can understand me, right?” Spike queried.

The dragon nodded.

“Great, okay. So now I gotta figure out why I can’t understand you… or rather what you want me to do to understand… wait...”

Spike looked down at his folded hands and crossed legs.

“Twilight said this is a pose usually assumed during meditation exercises. You sit like this and try to focus your mind outward… or is it inward?” He looked up at the towering dragon. “Whichever, if you wanted me to sit like this, does that mean...”

The stone dragon teeth slowly clasped together, forming the vague shape of a grin. Taking this as a sign he was hopefully on the right track, Spike closed his eyes and tried to remember what Twilight had taught him about meditation.

“Okay, let’s try it out at least. Just gotta pay attention to your surroundings. Feel your body on the ground… listen to what’s around you… don’t get distracted by your internal thoughts… oh, and breathe. Just breathe.”

Spike slowly drew in a lungful of air, and just as slowly let it out. He counted the breath, then drew another and counted that too. Carefully he counted off ten breaths, then reset back to one and counted again, while he strained to listen to the air around him. Despite the relative stillness of the Ash Lake, he became aware that the surrounding area wasn’t entirely silent. There was the far away sound of small waves breaking upon the narrow stretch of beach, and the muted chatter of his friends as they made their way to a far off part of the lake.

Resetting his breath count again, Spike winced as he became aware of more of the ambient noise. There was what sounded like the very distant clang of a bell… some sort of repetitive metallic report that was almost musical in its tone...

And there was… chanting?

Spike shut his eyes tighter as he tried to focus. He could just make out some sort of collective voice… a very odd, and totally alien chorus that dropped and rose in unequal rhythm. Yet still, it seemed to beckon him, to beg for him to listen a little closer.

He obeyed while trying to not lose count of his breaths, leaning his head over to one side, then the other as the chorus seemed to circle around him.

Aaaaaallllllll.....aaaaaalllllll....

Spike coughed and stopped his breathing for a moment. That was definitely not just some vague sort of enunciation. That was a definite word.

Cautiously he cracked his eyes open to stare up at the stone dragon. It looked down at him with a expression of faint hope. Did that mean he was correct in his assumption?

Spike closed his eyes again and resumed counting his breath. It was hard to not get distracted by idle thoughts or mental worry, but he recalled Twilight saying that was to be expected when one first tried meditating. If one found their mind getting derailed, then they needed to gently coax it back to focus again.

Spike did that, and really concentrated on the circling chorus.

Aaaaallll....aaaaaaalllll....aaaaallll iiiin oooone....aaaaannnnd oooonnnne whhhoooo iiiiisss alll....

Spike jolted out of his trance like state, reeling from the impact of being able to now discern a complete sentence. His gaze rose to the stone dragon again, while his ears strained to pick up the voices again.

Aaaaallll iiiiiinnnnn ooooonnnne....annnnnd oooonnnneeee whoooo iiiiiissss allll...

“You… you can talk!” He gasped.  The stone dragon nodded solemnly.

Maaaannny weeeerrrreee weeeee oooooncceee… aaaaancieeeent aaaaaannnnd foooorrrreeeeever… maaaaaany weeeee aaaaarrrrreeee nooooow iiiiiinnnn thhhhhiiiiisss oooonnnneeee.

Spike got back on his feet, biting his lip as he fought to keep his focus.

“All in one, and one who is all. Many in one.” He repeated, tracking down over the stone dragon’s body. “You mean… you’re like a hive mind? Like Chrysalis’ changeling drones?”

The stone dragon cocked its head in confusion.

“Sorry, uh, let me put it another way. This one dragon… the guy, or girl I’m speaking to now… is actually like a shell, holding many minds… or souls… or thoughts or… uh… well you get what I mean right?”

Another solemn nod came from the dragon.

Maaaaaaannnnyyyyy… thoooooughhhht deeeeesssstrooooyed… beeeeetraaaaaayeeeed yyyyyeeeeet saaaaaved.

Now Spike nodded.

“Yeah… that’s what Seath said… sort of. Well, this is different to what I was expecting.” The little dragon exhaled. “Give me a moment here.”

He sat down again and took several deep breaths.

“Okay just let me focus. Let me focus.”

Spike dipped his head and then straightened himself up.

“So, were you always like this? I mean, back when you were many… as in you had many bodies… that hadn’t been destroyed yet and… uh… dang. That sounded like such a simple question in my head.”

He nervously looked up at the stone dragon again. To his surprise, the great beast just swayed its body to and fro indifferently.

Fiiiiiiirrrrrrsssst iiiiiinnnn maaaaannnnyyyy yeaaaarsss. Naaaaaturaaaalllly aaaaaaassss weeeee… yeeeeeet nooooot ooooof thiiiiissss laaaaaaannnnd...

Spike nodded.

“Yeah, my name is Spike. I’m Twilight Sparkle’s number one assistant.” He cleared his throat. “Do… do you have a name?”

The stone dragon shook its head.

Nnnnnnooooo ooooonnnnne beeeeeingggg. Nnnnnneeeeeevvvvveeeerrrr oooooonnnneee iiiiiinnnn aaaaaannnnnyyyy aaaaaage. Aaaaaalllll weeeeerrrreeee oooooonnnnneeee. Onnnnneeee iiiiiisssss nooooowww aaaaallll.

Spike stuck a finger in his ears to clean them out. He tried to focus on filtering out the trailing chorus of voices, focusing on just one or two so he could make better sense of what they were saying.

“Okay, so even when there were tons of you, you still existed as this sort of union of minds. Boy, Twilight’s gonna really be keen to hear about this.” He sighed while bracing himself. “So I know most of what happened to you, I mean your race… you got your stone scales ruined by lightning, burned by fire, poisoned by miasma, all sorts of terrible stuff.”

The stone dragon rumbled, unconsciously flicking the side of its head with the deformed, backwards curving horn.

Deeevastaaaating waaaass the Waaar of Fiiiire. Fiiiirst foooor theee goooods… theeeen, foooor weeee.

Spike nodded.

“Yeah cause Seath… well, you know.”

The stone dragon returned the nod, though this time it did so without the signs of anger from before.

Beeeetraaayyyaaall… iiiinevitaaable… Seaaaath… diid aaass he waaaasss meaaant toooo...

Spike raised his head.

“As he was meant to?” He asked.

Neveeeer waaaasss ooone of usss. Oooone voiiice. Oooone beeeing. Aaaalllways alone… apart… aaalienated.

Spike carefully nodded.

Haaaated uuuusss fooor our scales. Eeeenviiieed uuusss for our scaaaales.

The stone dragon gnashed its teeth in silent sorrow. Spike again nodded in sympathy.

“He did have some real hang ups about being mortal, and basically blind… and I’m pretty sure the fact you have legs and he doesn’t probably was a sore spot too.”

The stone dragon dipped its head.

Cuuursed was he. Cuuuursed to die. Cuuuursed to be different.  Cuuuursed to be… what we cooould nooot.

Spike’s head fins rose at this, as his counterpart restlessly thrashed its tail from side to side.

Eeeverlaaasting… neeever changing… fooorever the saaame… yet then caaame the fire… the disparity… the change.

Spike noted the chorus around him was growing somber in its tone. The lament exhibited by the dragon before him echoed with every voice that surrounded him like a vortex of woe.

Feeearred the change, we did. Reeeepelled change for yeeeaarrsss. Never reeealised… waaasss meant to happen. Seath… Seeaath was change… saaaw what WE lacked… whaaat we envied...

Spike cocked his head.

“And what was that?” He asked.

The sands around him rumbled as the chorus warmed their voices up for a crescendo.

Greater thaaan Seath weeere we, yeeet lesser, too. Seath caaame wiiith the aaages before us. Waaas a god beeefore the gods. A fire beeefore the First Flame.

Spike’s head fins stiffened in realisation.

“Yeah, he did mention several times about a land called… uh… dang, what was its name?”

He looked to the saddlebags Twilight had said to take with him for the trip. Hastily, he grabbed for one of the scrolls in them and read through the notes summarizing what Seath had told Twilight of his past.

“Verdite… yeah, he was originally the White Dragon God of that place… at least, until one of its inhabitants rose up and killed him for… uh… well, apparently he did a lot of the same questionable things there that he’s been accused of here.”

Spike looked up at the stone dragon for its commentary. The great beast dipped its head in a manner that seemed to convey a strange sympathy.

Neeecesssary is Seath. Neeecessarry for change. Bliiind were we to that beeefore, but defeeeat… defeat made us see!

Spike scrunched his face up in confusion.

“Necessary? You mean… what he did to you was necessary?”

The great beast thrashed its tail from side to side in frustration and anger.

Sooo much do we see noooow. Ages begin, thuuus must they also end. Soooought to prolong Aaaage oooof Aaaancients. Puuunished weeere we fooor our acts. Now goooods do as we did.

Spike blinked and scratched his head.

“You’re saying the Age of Fire was meant to end like the Age of Ancients was? Meaning the gods… or, no wait...”

The little dragon rolled the scroll out to check something further down its body.

“Gywn, yeah, the head honcho of the gods, he tried saving Lordran by keeping the fire burning… except, if what you say is true that would mean… woah… WOAH!”

Spike dropped the scroll as realisation descended upon him, however, unlike the times when he hit upon the answer to a riddle or the solution to a problem he and his friends were dealing with, he felt no cheer. Instead a dark, heavy chill settled itself upon his being, weighing him into the ground as he began seeing the connections in what the Stone Dragon was saying.

“You mean… that was a mistake? Gwyn was wrong to keep the fires burning?”

The stone dragon snorted and stirred up more sand with the flapping of its wings.

“So this? Everything that’s happening around us, that’s the result of the Age of Fire not ending when it was supposed to?” Spike asked while shielding his face from the sand.

The stone dragon nodded.

Avenged aaaare we nooow.... our demise terribly aaatoooned… by darkness… by the curse… by the god king’s terrible First Sin.

Spike looked up at the towering beast with renewed fear. All around him, the Ash Lake felt more alien, more hostile. The relentless chanting echoed in his head with neither satisfaction nor lament at what it was revealing. Every voice sang with a droning sense of grim resignation, that the stone dragon’s situation was worse than before, now that it had at last figured out where its kind had erred, and where those who had destroyed its kind had erred in the aftermath.

“I see… crud.” He hoarsely replied, feeling his throat had gone dry. “Um… so… does that mean Aurelia’s quest to link the fires… what will that actually do?”

The stone dragon’s unflinching stare bore into Spike’s body like a cold, icy spear. He hugged himself and tried to hold back his shivers as he became aware of just how damn small he felt.

Loyal is our aaapostle. Noooble is our aaapostle. Her fate… tooooo traaagic for her own ears.

The everlasting beast bowed its head.

Saaaame choice as every other undead. Terrible choice. Wooorthless choice...

Spike furrowed his brow.

“What do you mean by that?”

A white flash of light enveloped the stone dragon’s hand. It held it up for Spike, revealing the same eye like orb the Chosen Undead carried with her.

Choooice will be made… again and again… across all aaaages. No change… no diiiiference. First Sin affects all… nooow and ever after.

The stone dragon placed the orb on the sand in front of Spike. He avoided looking at it and forced himself to meet his larger counterpart’s gaze again.

“So, is that it? There really is no hope for Lordran?” He demanded.

The stone dragon paused. Spike’s heart seized as for the first time, it averted its eyes from him.

Understand hooope? The voices chanted in query.

Spike screwed his face up in bewilderment.

“Uh, yeah? Hope’s seen us through a lot of terrible times in Equestria! Heck, it’s partly what’s helped us make it this far through Lordran!” He stated, only to feel his heart sink as the stone dragon looked at him with the same air as a lost and confused child. “You don’t understand at all what I’m talking about, do you?”

The stone dragon snorted.

Everlaaasting are we. Never changed. Never learned. Hoooope… despaaair… looove… haaate… daaaark… liiiight… we know not what theeese are. Only Seaaath knew… he… and his otherrr...

Spike’s meditative breathing promptly stopped. Despite the bonfire being all of 10 or so feet behind him, his back felt like ice was seeping down in between each of his scales.

“His… other?” He fearfully asked.

The stone dragon did him the service of trembling as he trembled, though it seemed it did so less out of fright and more out of anger.

Seeeath believed he waaas alooone. He was not. Made as one of two gods he was… and as one of two terrrible beasts he still iiiis.

The sands around Spike shifted with his shivers.

“There’s another… like him?”

The chanting voices reached a fever pitch as the stone dragon raised its hands.

Noooot like him… different to usss… but not as Seath. A black beast… spaaaawn of the Abyss… ancient as weee… the briiinger of calamity.

Spike nodded dumbly as the weight in his heart grew worse.

“Calamity… like what Princess Celestia said was supposedly going to befall Equestria… okay, this just got way more serious than I’d have liked.” He muttered while swallowing. “Um… can you tell me more about this other beast? This bringer of calamity?”

The stone dragon nudged the covenant orb with its finger, rolling it towards Spike’s lap.

Ended has the time ooof aaaanciiiients. Sooon we shall truly be nooo mooore. Buuut throuuugh our apostles, we maaay yet liiive on.

Spike warily looked down at the orb. The narrow slit like pupil on it stared at him with a sense almost like want… or possibly greed.

Draaagons still live in your time?

“Yeah, they do.” Spike replied. The stone dragon rested a bit easier in its nest like seat.

Taaake uuuus with you there. Shaaare what we tell… aaasss warning and lesssooon.

Spike finally realised he’d been holding his breath for a while. His lungs burned with the demand for air, and he duly sated their need with a much needed inhale.

“Right, sure… even though I didn’t exactly get along with the dragons I ran into...”

Spike finally hung his head in defeat.

“Screw it, this is too important to worry about how it’ll be received!” He said while snatching the orb from the sand. It promptly lit up like a miniature sun in his hands, infusing its brilliant light into his scales. In his shock, he dropped it again, only for the light to keep clinging to his body, soaking him in an alien warmth that both made him feel stronger, yet also afraid he’d leaped into something without checking if it was dangerous first.

“Agh! Wha… What just happened?” He demanded. The stone dragon lowered its hands to the ground again.

Aaaalready one of us. Path will be diiifferent than other apostles. Agreeement wiiilll be the saaame.

Spike glared up at the the stone dragon.

Returrrn our scaaales… preserve our exiiissstence… ooourrr knowledge and poooower shall be yours!

Spike exhaled in slow resignation.

“So, those are your terms, huh? You give me something, only if I give you something in return?” He asked. The stone dragon swept its hand across the space between it and Spike. Another white flash blinded the purple dragon, and upon clearing his eyes, Spike found himself staring at a small stone fragment etched with the bas relief of a dragon’s head.

Graaant transcendence of liiife… traaansformation and power needed to be our apostle… to be ooourr heraaald.

Spike sighed and stood up again. His legs were starting to cramp from sitting in the meditation position.

“So that means you’ll now tell me more about this supposed counterpart to Seath?”

The stone dragon nodded and Spike reached for a blank scroll and a quill pen.

“Alright, spill. Your apostle, and herald, and whatever, is listening. Even if he’s pretty sure he won’t like what he’s about to hear.” He said while starting to write.