//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Black Iron, White Coat // by Blazer //------------------------------// “You said that?” Rarity fidgeted in place. “Yes. In my craze to gain Trenderhoof’s approval… I may have gone completely overboard.” “Did you follow through?” The unicorn held her head high. “Of course! I dove straight into the mud. Head-first.” Muffled laughter emanated from the blackened slits in the knight’s helmet. Although the humor was at her expense, Rarity deemed it worth it to hear Tarkus’ mirth rather than his hollow chuckles from before. “My, I think I would very much like to share an adventure with you and your friends,” Tarkus sighed, after he had sufficiently calmed himself. Rarity gave a sad smile. “That would be something.” They stared at the bonfire in silence as they returned from their emotional high, once again coming to grips with reality. “Despite all of this bad luck, I’m glad I still had enough good luck to have met you. I would be in a much different situation otherwise." Tarkus bowed his head. “As am I. I would not have asked for a better acquaintance to have appeared in front of me. In fact, Miss Rarity, I’d go as far to say that you’ve saved me.” The unicorn cocked her head. “I beg your pardon?” The warrior turned to the bonfire. “I had already been alone for so long, and thrown myself against that deadly castle so many times, I nearly lost all hope in my abilities. I do not think I would have stayed sane had I not met you. I would have surely hollowed were it not for your company.” A chill ran down Rarity's spine at the word "hollowed." That didn't stop a genuine smile from spreading across her face. “You’re quite welcome, Mr. Tarkus.” Her smile was quick to fade. “I just wish we had met in better circumstances.” The knight shrugged. “We cannot dwell on what we wish could happen, nor what has already happened. If we truly want something to happen, we must make it so.” The unicorn sighed. “Indeed. Except I haven’t the slightest idea where to start on getting myself back to my home.” “Mmm. About that, Miss Rarity…” The fashionista raised her head. “Yes?” “There are plenty of individuals who may have a way of getting you there. Ones who are educated in sorceries that have the ability to do virtually anything within our grasp of reality,” Tarkus explained. “Continue,” Rarity replied, already intrigued. “Although I haven’t heard of any sort of spell to suit your need of returning home, there is a place where you may be able to find it.” “And where is that?” Rarity inquired. “The Duke’s Archives. It’s situated above the eastern edge of Anor Londo. Inside is a wealth of information gathered by Seath the Scaleless.” “You mean the Everlasting Dragon that helped the Gods? “Yes. He wanted to find the secret of immortality, so he looked into studying magic and sorcery to extend his life and live forever, akin to his brethren. Although I’m not sure if he found what he was looking for, he certainly found numerous other spells that are not common knowledge among even the greatest of sorcerers. That is why it was called the Duke’s Archives: It was a massive library containing all of the secrets which Seath had unraveled involving soul magic. I daresay Seath was the greatest connoisseur of magic Lordran had ever seen.” “I suppose Seath wouldn’t mind helping little old me, right?” Rarity ventured. “I’m not quite sure myself,” Tarkus replied. “But the only way to find out is to get there and ask.” Rarity bit her lip. The idea of returning home sounded appealing, but getting there would be a difficult excursion, if it was even remotely possible. And, unlike Tarkus, she was not cursed, and would stay… deceased if she failed. Her desire to return home overrode all logic. There would be nothing she wouldn’t give to see her family and friends again. “Miss Rarity?” Tarkus asked, worried by her silence. “I thank you for this information,” Rarity replied. “No doubt I have been spared countless hours aimlessly wandering this place.” She gave Tarkus another warm smile. “I find myself indebted to you yet again, Sir Knight.” “So you’re leaving for the Archives, then?” The unicorn rose to all four hooves. “Of course! With Celestia as my witness, I will make my return home inevitable! Even if I have to stake my life on it!” Rarity proclaimed. “Quite noble of you, Miss Rarity. However, I will admit that I have seen many knights as noble as you fall in great numbers in Lordran,” Tarkus mused. “This place is unforgiving as it is forsaken.” There was a moment of silence as reality returned, dampening the atmosphere. Just as hopelessness began to set in again, Tarkus stood up. “That is why I will accompany you to the Archives.” The unicorn looked up, eyes still watering from her crushed hopes. “B-but I thought you had given up?” “I owe you my life, and much more. As I have said earlier, you have given me more than just life; having died countless times and to still stand here, I seem to have an excess of that.” The knight chuckled at his own joke, but upon seeing that Rarity did not find it amusing, he immediately continued. “But what you have granted me is another chance for me to achieve my goal: To surpass my Hollowed brethren and survive the trials of Sen’s Fortress.” Tarkus extended his hand to her. “It would be my honor to provide escort to the Archives, in exchange for saving this old knight’s pitiful soul.” The answer was a no-brainer. The unicorn placed her foreleg in the massive hand. “I humbly accept your guidance and company, Sir Tarkus.” Surprise registered on her face when the knight pulled her towards him as he touched his helmet to her hoof. “Upon my honor as a knight of Berenike, I swear to protect you with my life.” Unable to take the fact that she had just lived out a childhood dream, Rarity fainted. "Are you sure you're alright, Miss Rarity? You just fainted without explanation." "It's... Hard to explain. You see, I've, erm, dreamed of a day where I would enjoy the escort and company of a brave knight." "I still fail to see what is so extraordinary." "Knights and chivalry are all but gone in Equestria. Hearing wonderful tales of heroic knights whisking helpless damsels to safety was what I grew up with. And now,” Rarity sighed, batting her eyelashes at the sky. “I have such a knight that wants to protect me!” She turned to face Tarkus again. “Do you sort of understand what I’m getting at?” If she could see Tarkus’ face, a brow would surely have been raised. “How… peculiar.” The unicorn stood up. “Regardless, I think I am just about ready for that escort, now.” The knight reciprocated, his armor clanking as he rose. “Your escort awaits, Milady,” he boomed as he gave a small bow. “Ooh!” Rarity squeaked. “You’re going to make me faint again!” “Something tells me that this is going to be a very, very long journey,” the knight grumbled. Leaving the bonfire, Tarkus set off for the stairs that Rarity had attempted to flee up earlier, the massive aqueduct looming above them. The unicorn noticed that Tarkus walked at a regular pace—one without caution. “W-wait, there are—!” “Not to fret, Miss Rarity,” Tarkus interjected. “If you’re talking about those creatures that stopped you before, I’ve already taken care of them.” The fashionista glanced about, not seeing any traces of battle save for some smoking patches of grass charred by the flames she had seen earlier. Rusted weapons and cracked wooden shields were scattered about. “Where are the…?” “I moved them off of the cliff. It felt wrong to leave them there." A quiet, “Oh,” was all the unicorn could manage. The duo continued up the staircase, approaching the waterway. At the base of the last staircase before reaching the aqueduct, Tarkus held up his hand. “Wait here. I shall return.” Rarity nodded as Tarkus climbed the stairs, entering a doorway that opened into the wall of the aqueduct. There were a few moments of splashing followed by an unnaturally loud shrieking of an unknown creature. After a few more seconds, Tarkus’ voice carried over the constant roar of the water. “Miss Rarity! Come quickly!” Fear sprang up inside her abdomen as she cantered up the steps, passing through the doorway. She turned to the right, met by only the long empty hallway of the aqueduct’s interior. “Over here!” Tarkus called from behind her. She whirled about, holding back a scream as she did. An enormous rat lay across the water’s path, trailing red into the canal. Bits of fur were falling off in various places, exposing pale, blood-crusted skin. Its enormous eyes were rolled back, exposing solid white broken by numerous veins crisscrossing the eyeballs. A rift was cleft into its head, blood still trickling out of the wound. “Do not fret, Miss. It is quite dead.” Gingerly stepping over the corpse, Rarity edged over to the knight who was kneeling over another corpse, except this was one of the creatures that was guarding the stairs earlier. In its hand, which was raised above the water, was a tightly-rolled scroll. “It’s a spell, albeit a soggy one. But I assume you know all about those, being a unicorn.” “To an extent, although I’m limited to levitation and some simple barrier spells,” Rarity admitted, although she felt quite proud of having acquired the latter from Twilight. However, she felt neither of those would help her here. “Excellent! Then we may have a use for this, yet.” Tarkus pried the fingers open, carefully removing the scroll from the shriveled palm. He opened the scroll slowly, revealing a symbol that resembled an arrowhead. “This looks to be a scroll of soul magic, the most basic form of sorcery we have in Lordran.” He rolled it up again, handing it to the unicorn. A blue aura enveloped the object, prompting Tarkus to pull back his hand quickly in slight shock. A muffled chuckle could scarcely be heard above the running water. “My, my, Miss Rarity. You are full of surprises.” “Levitation; like I said!” Rarity exclaimed, taking offense to the knight’s surprise at her competence. Tarkus bowed his head. “My apologies, Milady.” He stood up, lifting his shield. “However, as gratuitous as our luck may seem, I would caution you from using that spell too often, for soul magic draws on the spirit, as far as I know.” Rarity nodded. As little as she knew of this magic, she needed no more explanation. The two left the aqueduct by way of another doorway on the left wall. Again, Rarity was left to wait alone as Tarkus went ahead to clear whatever lay in wait. This time, she sat at the bottom of a stairwell leading out of the waterway, the only source of light being a strip of partly-cloudy sky peering down at her through the stairwell’s entrance up top. She soon found herself doubting the likelihood of succeeding, which she justified as something obvious. There was little doubt about the possibility of grievous injury, if not death. So far, this “Lordran” had shown little mercy for her hesitation, as well as her curiosity. What lurked around every corner urged her to stay put and wait for help, but Rarity knew that inaction would only put off the inevitability of death for so long. She knew she and Tarkus had no choice but to push on, for both of their sakes. Her eyes drifted to the scroll still levitating in her magic. Fear seeped into her limbs, initiating an involuntary fit of nervous shivers. Soon, she knew that she would eventually have to pull her own weight. As strong as she believed Tarkus was, Rarity forced herself to think of the unthinkable: If Tarkus fell, would she be able to defend herself? It was a scenario she would rather not face, but it was something she had to at least consider. The scroll crumpled slightly as Rarity’s magical grip tightened. She determined it was better to cross that bridge when she came to it; she did not need any more stress than what she had on her plate at the moment. She wondered what Twilight would do; the lavender unicorn’s solid reasoning had sorted out dozens of logistical problems that the fashionista had encountered not only in her business as a dressmaker, but also in more life-threatening situations. A pick-me-up from Pinkie Pie wouldn’t have hurt at that moment, either; to laugh at the problems and have the willpower to believe that everything would turn out fine, despite any and all circumstances. Combined with the fortitude of Applejack, and the gung-ho attitude of Rainbow Dash, there would be little to stop them. And if anypony was to take a fall, Fluttershy would be there to… Reality returned, instantly evaporating her wishful thinking. She was alone. The unicorn sighed shakily, holding back a sob. At this point, seeing any familiar faces would be welcome, be it somepony that she thought was the most unpleasant of all her acquaintances. Even hearing Discord's voice would be welcome at this point. “My, my. Somepony’s had it rough!” Discord mused. Rarity whirled about, searching for the source of the voice. “D-Discord? Where…?” “I’m here. Calm down, Rarity,” Discord sighed, the voice now directly behind her. Instinctively, the unicorn turned about and grasped the Draconequus with her forelegs, hot tears spilling over her cheeks. “Oh, my goodness! Thank Celestia, you’re here!” “Why thank her? I mean, it’s sort of her doing that I was able to get here, but I’m the one sticking my neck out for you.” Rarity released Discord from her embrace, wiping away the tears that blurred her vision. However, when she looked upon the demigod, she noticed something odd about Discord’s appearance: His entire body was glowing gold, as if he was outlined by sunlight. “Discord? You’re glowing…” “Yes, yes. I know,” Discord mumbled, waving a hand dismissively. “Just listen up, since I’ve got some—!” “Oh, dear, you would not believe some of the things I’ve seen, what I’ve been through!” Rarity gushed, relief flooding her body. “It’s just so good to see a familiar face! I can’t begin to express my gratitude for you coming to get me! It’s just that—!” “That’s just it, Missus Crocodile Tears. I’m not here to bring you back.” The unicorn immediately fell silent. The Draconequus took the opportunity to continue. “The way things work in this world, I cannot use magic as I normally do.” “But… But I thought you had the capacity! You teleport wherever you wish with a snap of your claws!” “Although I’d normally be able to bring you back without a hitch, this isn’t Equestria, which is practically overflowing with magic. This place, however… It is starved of it. It is as if the very air thirsts for it, and steals it away before I can put my own magic to use. Any spell I attempt more complex than levitation is immediately drained of its output." The unicorn's frown deepened. "So... I'm stuck here...?" "Unfortunately,for the moment. I'm not even sure how you and your friends ended up here..." "Wait, friends? You mean...!" "Yes, yes. Twilight and the others are somewhere around here as well. However—!" The pony squeaked with pure delight, ignoring any further comment from Discord. "Oh, thank goodness! I'm not alone!" "I'm not finished." "Do you have ANY idea of how horrible it feels?!" "Actually, I do; thousands of years worth. Now—!" "Thank Celestia, they're here! I just need to find Twilight! "Are we really doing this?" "She'll know what to do. She'll have a plan to find the others." "Can we not? It isn't exactly the most appropriate—!" "Ohh, I do hope she's alright! I barely lasted a few minutes alone, myself!" "Miss Rarity!" "Yes? Sorry, did I miss something?" Discord's legs began to evaporate. "As I said earlier, this place is starved of magic; it's sapping Sunbutt and Full Moon's magic that keeps me here." He leaned closer. "Listen, just hold on until evening; Luna will visit you tonight while you dream, and she may be able to work something out with you, then." "Wait, could there be a way to get back?" Rarity asked, feeling a little better about the whole "never returning home" business. "I can't think of anything, but the Princesses may try and pull something. They're persistent ones; I'll give them that." Rarity nodded, still brimming with hope. "Oh, and one more thing," Discord's head bobbed up and down, now missing its entire body. "I wouldn't stay with that gentleman you've paired with." A chill ran up Rarity's spine as the demigod vanished, leaving her with those words. A few moments passed as the fashionista waited in silence, hoping for the chance that Discord could reappear. "Ohhh!" She stamped a hoof in frustration. "Why does he have to be so cryptic!" "Am I being cryptic?" The unicorn whirled on the knight standing behind her. If she could see his expression, she judged that it would be one of bewilderment. "Oh, n-nothing! Just... Erm, reminiscing about something somepony told me the other day!" "Did you remember a way to get home?" "Aha, silly me! I've already forgotten what it was!" "Huh? Oh. Pity." There was a long pause before the knight turned on his heel. "Let's keep moving. There's a bonfire up ahead." As the knight clanked back up the steps, the unicorn sighed, not exactly knowing why Discord left her with that. An uncomfortable mixture of doubt and suspicion echoed deep into Rarity's mind. She shrugged off the feeling with some effort. All would become clear when the visit from Luna came.