"You know my name."
It wasn't posed as a question though Rarity's expression demanded an explanation. The lanky creature calling itself Barbatum inclined his head in response, both his gnarled grey hands resting atop his equally gnarled cane as he answered.
"I do."
"How?" Rarity asked, her brow furrowing in annoyance, "I'm fairly certain we've never met."
"Ah, we've never met, no, but I know you all the same," Barbatum insisted, "frustrating as it may be, I'm afraid I can give no explanation as to how that is possible at the moment, but rest assured, I bear neither you nor your poor sister any ill will."
"Suppose I believe you," Rarity replied with narrowed eyes, "if you mean us no harm then why have you come? You say you hadn't expected to see any creature out here and yet you come knowing exactly who I and my sister are. What am I to make of such a situation, Barbatum?"
"Make of it what you will, Miss Belle," Barbatum replied with a disarming sweep of his hand, "I know of you and yours, but that is not to say I knew you would be here," he turned and nodded toward the glowing sapling, "in truth, it was the brilliant glow of this little anomaly that drew my attention from afar."
Rarity frowned.
"And... you know what this is as well?"
"I have an idea," the wrinkled old biped muttered almost to himself as he scratched the area where his chin might've been, "but I'm not quite sure how such a thing would have... hmmm..."
Rarity quietly watched the lanky creature for a moment as he continued to contemplate the sapling before him. Her suspicions had by no means lessened, but curiosity began to mix with the wariness.
"Mister Barbatum—"
"Just 'Barbatum' if you please."
"Very well, Barbatum," Rarity's brows creased thoughtfully, "are you... as a resident of the Black Dimension, do you perchance know of Equestria?"
Barbatum gave a grandfatherly chuckle of amusement as he turned his obscured visage toward the mare.
"And who says I'm a resident of the Black Dimension?"
Rarity blinked at that.
"...Are you not?" she asked with a bemused tilt of her head, "forgive me if I sound rude, but I've certainly never seen a creature such as yourself where I come from."
"Oh no, you wouldn't find a creature like me in the world you come from," Barbatum chortled before raising his veiled gaze to the black sky above. There was a brief but pensive silence and when the tall creature next spoke, it was with a slow thoughtful tone, "no, I'm less a resident and more... a prisoner, perhaps? Yes, that seems more fitting, I think." He lowered his unseen gaze back to Rarity and again the mare got the impression he was smiling at her, "A lost soul sentenced to wander this star-strewn cage of madness and despair for all eternity."
"I see," Rarity smiled a helpless, uncertain smile."I'm afraid your answer has me at a bit of a loss. If you're not a denizen of this place, from where do you hail? And how do you know of this sapling and us ponies if you're not an Equestrian native?"
"My home is in a place I can no longer reach," Barbatum suddenly hunched over, throwing more of his weight on his cane as his body was wracked with a horrendous coughing fit. Rarity made to take a step forward but stopped herself as the old biped raised a withered hand. After a moment he straightened back up with a sigh and continued on as if nothing had happened, "In fact, I have ample reason to believe I no longer have a home to return to even were I to be released from this damnable cage."
"Oh," Rarity frowned, "I'm... sorry to hear that."
"Bah, no need to feign pity on my account, Miss Belle," Barbatum snorted.
He turned and began hobbling over to the radiant sapling. Rarity tensed as he drew closer to her sister, but the ancient creature paid the unconscious beast no mind as he passed. He paused a few steps from the crystalline sprout as if unsure whether to continue or not, then took another step before slowly and carefully settling himself down onto his rump with a groan of effort.
Rarity moved to stand next to him, still somewhat wary of his intentions. No matter how she looked though, the veiled biped seemed content to bask in the warm glow of the luminous seedling. There was something odd about how comfortable the creature looked, but Rarity couldn't quite put her hoof on why.
Given what she was now—whatever that might've been—Rarity herself felt some slight discomfort being so close to such harmonious energy. It wasn't enough to keep her away and all it really meant was that she was no longer able to benefit from its warm aura as much as a regular pony might. Barbatum on the other hoof was completely at ease in the light, looking visibly more relaxed than she'd seen him since he arrived.
It certainly raised a few more questions in Rarity's mind, but she shelved them with a huff and instead sat herself down beside Barbatum. The old biped gave a contented sigh, staring into the sapling as he finally continued speaking once more.
"It's not all that strange that I know about Equestria, y'know," he said, and chuckled at Rarity's skeptical look, "oh come now, is it really so hard to believe? Ayafern and Equestria are two sides of the same coin, Miss Belle," he glanced over to the mare next to him, "you could call this place a... dark reflection of your world. The 'Black Dimension' to your 'White Dimension'," he gave another chuckle, this one wry and bitter, "though considering recent events, I suppose things have changed somewhat."
"So... what?" Rarity began after a moment, "you're saying that knowledge of Equestria is common in this place? In Ayafern?"
"Not common, no," Barbatum conceded, "but there was once a circle of scholars and conjurers and the like who, many, many moons ago—long before the war between the Goddess and the God-King—discovered the existence of a world parallel to their own," he gave a slow shake of his head, his tone turning grave, "they made it their life's goal to breach the dimensional boundary separating Ayafern from this mysterious new world. They yearned to discover what secrets it held."
"Interesting," Rarity replied. She remembered Rainbow Dash mentioning something about a massive war back before everything went sideways. "I imagine those scholars and conjurers likely paid a terrible price for their ambitions?"
"A terrible price indeed, yes," Barbatum confirmed with a grim nod, "the fools hadn't a clue of the forces they sought to control, and in the end, they were all laid low by their own folly... all of them, save one."
"A classic tale of hubris and over-reaching ambition," the mare replied with a knowing nod, "and I suppose you were to play the role of the sole survivor in this antediluvian tragedy?"
"Oh no, not me," laughed Barbatum, "I may be well beyond my prime but I'm not quite that old, Miss Belle," he shook his head, and again Rarity got the sense that he was smiling as he spoke, "the survivor of that ancient debacle is of no real consequence to you or me—the event itself has no bearing on my point either for that matter."
"Then why bring it up at all?" Rarity asked with a slightly annoyed frown, "and excuse me once again for my rudeness, but what exactly is your point?"
"My point was simply to answer your original question," Barbatum replied, "the reason I and those few scholars who yet remain know of your world is because of the efforts of those who came before—fatal and misguided as those efforts may have been."
"Hmm," Rarity nodded once, "when you put it that way, I suppose it would make a bit of sense."
"As for why I brought up that mess in the first place," the wizened creature continued, "well, there really wasn't any reason other than to explain why there hadn't been any more attempts to breach the boundary," he fell quiet for a moment and when he spoke again, the smile had left his tone, "...not until recently at least."
"Recently," Rarity muttered before her features creased with an uneasy understanding, "you're talking about the Dead Goddess and the other one... Nel-Baloth I believe his name was."
"Mmm," Barbatum nodded solemnly after a moment's hesitation, "you'd be wise not to speak the God-King's name so openly while you're in Ayafern, Miss Belle," he turned slightly to give the mare a small side glance, "take it as a word of advice from an old man who's seen far too much in his long life."
"Why is that?" Rarity asked in bemusement, "does his name hold some kind of power here?"
"In a manner of speaking, yes," the 'old man' replied, "to the ones who've lost their minds to the madness that shrouds the world, their names mean nothing anymore, but for those of us who've managed to cling to our sanity, the names of the Goddess and God-King hold a great and terrible weight... and for your sake, that is all I will say on the matter."
Rarity had more questions she wanted to ask—many more to add to the pile, but she acquiesced for the time being. Instead, she focused on something else that had been bugging her for some time now.
"Do you... know about me? What I am, I mean," she asked warily, "do you know how all of this happened and..." she cast a slightly pained look toward her monstrous and seemingly comatose sister, "...and how, or even if, I can change my sister back to her original form?"
"Alas, my dear, I have no concrete answers for you regarding what happened to your world," Barbatum replied, sounding genuinely apologetic, "but I do have my suspicions, and while I would never claim to know her motives or methods, I do know that the Dead Goddess has made you into what the members of the Church of the Ebon Star would call one of her Apostles."
Rarity frowned, not sure if she liked the implications of his answer regarding what she was. All the same, she was both surprised and unnerved to find that the word somehow felt... right. She didn't particularly put much stock into religion—very, very few ponies did—but she wasn't unfamiliar with the idea. She'd known that there'd been a movement several hundred years ago to deify Princess Celestia and churches had been erected in her name, but as she understood it, the Princess herself heavily discouraged such worship.
It hadn't really hit her until that moment, but now she had to ask herself: Was this religious worship? She couldn't help but think of Pinkie and her family but that seemed more like a cult than any respectable religion. No, what Rarity felt was something more fundamental—a deep devotion that had been carved into her very soul the moment the Goddess had taken her life. She couldn't quite explain it, but there it was. This was no religion, but something more. Something other. Some indefinable force that compelled her to worship Skal-Gazaath.
"And just what is an Apostle exactly?" Rarity asked, almost desperate for an answer, "What does that mean? What is this Church of the Ebon Star?"
"If you're asking me what kind of creature you've become, I'm afraid I can't say for certain," Barbatum replied with a shake of his head. "According to the congregants of the Church, an Apostle is a holy being crafted in the Goddess' image and exists solely to carry out Her Will—or so they say." He paused and turned to look at Rarity. She couldn't make out his expression but when he next spoke, his tone was curious, "Tell me, Miss Belle, does that sound accurate to you?"
Rarity opened her mouth to refute the claim out of principle, but found she couldn't quite get the words out. When she stopped to think about it, wasn't that more or less exactly what she'd become? Wasn't that the reality she'd been pondering over not too long ago? The fact was, that description was closer to the truth than the mare was comfortable with now that it was spelled out by someone else. Unsure how to respond, she simply shut her mouth and grimaced at the wizened creature before her. Barbatum merely gave a thoughtful hum before turning back to the glowing sapling.
"Well, in any case," he continued, "the Church of the Ebon Star is much easier to explain. Put simply, it is a congregation of creatures who rejected the God-King's rule and worshipped the Dead Goddess as their one and only deity. During the war, it was the Faithful who made up much of the Goddess' standing army."
"I see," Rarity replied, "and does this Church still exist? Are there... any more of these Apostles?"
"Oh, I'm sure there are still some lingering remnants of the Church wandering about somewhere," Barbatum answered with an airy wave of his withered hand, "but the Church of the Ebon Star was all but wiped from Ayafern by the end of the war, at least for the most part. I know there were several Apostles before the war, but the only ones that remain that I know of are the Goddess' Fell Guardian and the Faithful Pet."
"The Fell Guardian and Faithful Pet," Rarity repeated to herself. It was the first she'd heard of the Fell Guardian, but the Faithful Pet... Could it be the same beast that attacked Ponyville? Would that make the thing that took over Spike, the 'Fell Guardian'?
"It's said that those two were the original Apostles," Barbatum said, not noticing Rarity's pensive expression as he continued, "two divine beasts that arrived with the Dead Goddess when she first alighted upon the lands of Ayafern."
Rarity said nothing to this. She already knew of the Dead Goddess' true identity and that the original mare behind the eldritch deity wasn't from this world but came here from another Equestria. When and how she had first arrived, Rarity didn't know, but she was curious about the two companions the Goddess supposedly brought with her according to Barbatum. There were still a great many questions Rarity had about the world of Ayafern but Rarity chose to move on for the time being.
Given her current situation, she'd likely have plenty of time to learn more. Beyond a growing sense of urgency, she also didn't quite trust the old creature calling itself Barbatum—at least not yet. If he did have a solution to her biggest concern, then maybe she could extend a proverbial hoof in trust if not outright friendship. For now, she didn't want to reveal just how much she actually knew about the Goddess. Instead she decided to discuss the main issue that was eating at her mind.
"What about Sweetie Belle—my sister," she asked, once again turning a concerned eye toward her monstrous sibling, "do you know of any way to return her back to the way she was?"
"On the subject of your sister, well... that's a bit harder to say," Barbatum replied after a moment. His gaze drifted over to the transformed filly in question and he gave long and contemplative hum, "perhaps... theoretically, if you could untangle Ayafern and Equestria from each other—and assuming you find yourselves in Equestria when the dust settles—then there might be a chance," he paused, then shook his head sadly, "but alas, I wouldn't know how to bring such a resolution about and I doubt it's even close to possible at this stage."
Rarity didn't respond immediately. She knew there was a plan to restore the power of Harmony to the world, but neither Twilight nor the Goddess had said anything specifically about restoring the affected ponies to their original forms. It might have been implied but Rarity herself wasn't so sure. All she could do now was hope that solution presented itself. In the meantime, Rarity wasn't sure what to do at this point. The world was foreign and full of danger. She could handle herself, sure—she'd already demonstrated that to herself.
She could seek out Fluttershy and Applejack, but Twilight had already sent Twinkleshine, Minuette, and Lemon Hearts—her fellow Apostles Rarity realized wryly—to take care of that matter and she had Sweetie Belle to worry about. There were the Goddess' Fell Guardian and Faithful Pet to consider, but when Rarity had asked about the two creatures who'd invaded Ponyville, Twilight—the Goddess'—informed her that she'd seek them out herself. There were already plans in place and pieces moving on the board, though some of them were still unaccounted for.
Nightmare Moon was one such piece. Rarity didn't know if she'd survived the Collapse and even if she did, she had no idea where to even start looking or if she was okay. The only thing Rarity had been told was to take care of her sister, but she couldn't exactly do much about that other than to keep watch over her for now. Large and powerful as Sweetie Belle may have appeared, it still wasn't safe to move her. In this place, there was likely always something worse waiting just around the corner.
And so, the mare sat before the sapling, chewing on her thoughts and wondering what her next move would be once Sweetie Belle finally woke from her comatose state. She'd gotten so lost in her own head in fact, that she'd very nearly forgotten about the decrepit biped sitting next to her. It wasn't until Barbatum suddenly stood up with a strained groan that Rarity remembered the 'old man'.
"Well, it's been a pleasure, Miss Belle," Barbatum began, favoring his walking cane as he got to his feet, "but I think it's best if I take my leave for the time being."
"Oh? So soon?" Rarity asked, slightly surprised at his abrupt announcement. From the outside looking in, this would have seemed a simple chance encounter, but Rarity wasn't quite sure that was the case. To her, the man clearly had a purpose in coming here, and though he'd given the mare a lot to think about, the knowledge he shared she likely could have gotten from the Goddess herself. None of what he'd talked about did much to help her current circumstances. Then again... "And 'for the time being'? Are you implying that we'll meet again?"
"Perhaps we will... in time," the biped replied in a not unkind tone. He brushed some stray dirt from the back of his tattered coat and fully turned to face Rarity, "but for now, I have business elsewhere and you have a sibling who will likely have many questions to ask you very soon." He nodded to Sweetie Belle and Rarity followed his gaze. Her eyes widened as the bear-like beast that was her sister began to shift and stir.
A low growl of discomfort escaped the creature's fang filled maw, but her eyes didn't open quite yet. Rarity was by Sweetie Belle's side in an instant, looking over every inch of her monstrous form. "Sweetie Belle," she whispered, unsure if she should fully wake her sister or leave her to rise on her own, "it's alright, Sweetie. I'm here. Rarity's here. I know you must be scared and confused, but you're not alone. Your big sister is here to watch over you. All will be explained. We'll get through this together, don't you worry..."
Rarity continued to murmur words of comfort and encouragement as the transformed filly slowly and groggily came to. She paused as she once again remembered Barbatum, but when she turned to regard the wizened old man, he was already gone. It was just her and Sweetie Belle amidst the effulgent glow of the Harmony sapling, with no evidence of Barbatum's existence to be found anywhere. As a creature who could appear and vanish just as suddenly herself, Rarity wasn't too surprised by his absence. What did surprise the mare were the words that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once.
"By the by, if you've no place in mind to go, there is a small town to the east not too far from here. The inhabitants are hardly a friendly lot, but I believe you may find something of interest there. Whether you choose to go or not is entirely up to you, but whatever your decision, I wish you and your sister the best of luck..."
Barbatum's voice faded away like a distant echo, his final words punctuated with one last dry, dusty laugh. Silence followed in its wake, silence save for Sweetie Belle's low growls and whimpers. Rarity herself was left to wonder not for the first time just who or what Barbatum really was. Had his true purpose been that final message all along? If so, why all the banter? What did he gain? What was this small town and, if she decided to follow Barbatum's advice and go, what exactly would she find there?
After thinking on it for a few moments, Rarity shook her head. It wouldn't do any good to worry about it now, and it wasn't as if she didn't have time. Rarity could decided on a course of action after she made sure that her sister was okay. After all, ensuring Sweetie's safety and mental well-being was going to be enough of a challenge as it was. No need to make things more complicated than they already were.
One step at a time, Rarity. One step at a time.