//------------------------------// // 17: The Gatekeeper Reborn // Story: Nightmare Moon Crashes the Oblivion Crisis // by Blackdrag-rose //------------------------------// Pandora remembered the Gatekeeper they had fought to get into the Isles, the creature that they wouldn't have been able to kill without the assistance of another mad nord. She was surprised that the creature had been created by some deranged sorceress of some kind and not by Sheogorath himself, though it made sense seeing how it had been slain. She guessed that killing the last one opened the Isles to danger, so it made some sense that they would have to fix the very problem that they created. She wasn't excited about another dungeon, so soon after the last one, but if it meant pleasing Sheogorath then she might as well do it and save the realm from Jyggalag. "So just find and talk to Relmyna Verenim," Pandora said, sighing as her hand touched her forehead, "then convince her to help us rebuild the Gatekeeper. Sounds fun." "She'll help you with your task." Sheogorath replied, almost as if she hadn't said anything, "Strange woman. Has some unusual tastes. A powerful Sorceress. Maybe a genius. And a complete lunatic. All in all, my kind of person. I brought her to my Realm so she could continue to study her "sixth element." Honestly, I didn't know there were five already. She's a bit obsessed with it. And with Me. Makes dealing with her difficult. You shouldn't have any problems, though. No one likes you that much." Nightmare moaned slightly, kind of hating how Sheogorath got off topic whenever he was explaining what their next task happened to be before snapping back to it. She wanted them to finish what the Madgod wanted so the Greymarch could happen, so the three of them could finally face down Jyggalag and end this madness. She turned to Haskill and raised an eyebrow, who looked at their map and pointed at their destination, which happened to be back near the Gates of Madness. With the destination in mind the three of them bowed to Sheogorath, so he didn't decide to smite them where they stood, and left the palace, so they could begin the journey to Xaselm. As the trio made their way to the ancient dungeon they noticed an increased activity of Mazken patrolling the roads of Dementia, no doubt preparing for the imminent invasion of the Knights of Order. Nightmare was itching for another shot at the Knights, so she could punch a hole in Jyggalag's forces and maybe, just maybe, make the Daedric Prince of Order think twice about attacking the Shivering Isles. Even if she wasn't the Princess of the Night at the moment Nightmare would show her enemies that she was a force to be reckoned with, just as Luna was with her magic. What Nightmare wouldn't give for her and Luna to be one once more, despite how much she hated her alter ego she wanted to be whole again. Luna caught the glance that Nightmare gave her, silently sharing her wish that they were whole, as one Princess of the Night was more than enough. Xaselm was just like the rest of the ruined dungeons they had come across in the Isles, though this one was protected by a number of dead creatures of made of flesh and others made of bone. Pandora, seeing that hitting them with arrows would be a waste of her time, threw her hand forward and a fireball flew forward, striking a rotting enemy in the chest and setting it on fire. She spun around and conjured lightning, allowing the bony creatures to be shattered before they could even get close to touching her. One enemy came at her, but she ducked down and drew her dagger, shoving it into the creature's chest before pulling it forward and driving it into its skull. Once she was sure that the creature was dead she pulled the dagger back and shoved its body to the ground, looking around for more of them until she was sure that the guardians were dead. "What the...?" Nightmare started to say, surprised by how her companion had changed in such a short amount of time, but beforeshe could finish she found Luna's hand on her shoulder. "Its HIS power beginning to manifest itself," Luna replied, beckoning to Pandora before backing up, "she's starting to flare and she needs someone to protect her when it happens. You need to be by her side, to protect her in case she starts to surge and tell her exactly how to direct her magic. She'll be a newbie, but with what's happening to her there's no telling what will happen when this madness is over." "And what about you?" Nightmare questioned, wondering why Luna couldn't teach Pandora how to control her suddenly appearing magical abilities, "What will you be doing?" "Figuring out how to join us back together," Luna replied, a smile appearing on her face, "Think about it Nightmare, Sheogorath's power must be weakening right now if Pandora is starting to show new abilities. This is the perfect opportunity for us to break his bonds and become one once more, something I know that we both want at this point. I'll go back into my prison and watch, give you hints when I feel that you need them, but there's something I want in return from you." "Seriously?" Nightmare asked, wondering what her alter ego wanted from her, "And what, pray tell, is your condition?" "That we are Princess Luna no matter what," Luna replied once more, turning back to leave the area, "Let Rend and Shadow know the real us and show our enemies what it means to fight the Princess of the Night." Nightmare's eyes widened as Luna returned to the path they had taken to reach Xaselm, no doubt heading back to New Sheoth to silently watch Sheogorath while devising her plan to rejoin the two of them. She made it sound like a simple thing, admitting that they were one in the same, but Nightmare knew it was something hard to admit, even if it might be true. She shook her head and turned back to Pandora, who was watching her with a strange expression on her face. "Where's she going?" Pandora asked, shaking her head despite the pain she was clearing feeling, "And why does my body hurt?" "Luna is going to find a way to rejoin by now that Sheogorath's bonds might be weakening," Nightmare replied, leading her companion into the ruin, "and its like Sheogorath said, he's preparing you for the fight with Jyggalag. Your starting to receive magical abilities, so now your innate powers are starting to flare, which means we need to take it easy this time around. That means no flaring and taking everyone of our enemies out before they have a chance to defend themselves. I'll show you the ropes as best I can." They entered the ruin without delay, finding a wide open chamber that was filled with more enemies that were identical to the ones that Pandora had dealt with before they passed through the doors. Flames danced around Pandora's hands as she approached the flesh and bone creatures, some of them igniting before she even touched them, while the bone creatures shrugged the flames off. Nightmare, not scared of the flames, stepped forward and swung her battleaxe, shattering their bones as if they were simple twigs and scattering them among the burning bodies. When they came to another intersection Nightmare choose to travel down the tunnel on the left, the one that resembled the root of a tree, though she had another motive. She didn't trust the ceiling above the other pathway, and with how random magic flares were there was no telling what damage Pandora could cause. An enemy decided to step in their way, but Pandora ducked under his swing and placed her hand on his chest, blasting him backwards with her magic. The next room proved a great test for Pandora's magic, as magic gathered around her eyes the moment she approached the group of enemies that were waiting for them. Fire, ice, and lightning moved around her as her hands connected with the skeletal creatures, some of them falling to their knees while others continued to fight against her will. Pandora smiled as her magic formed the shape of a sinister staff, one that Nightmare could have sworn resembled the one Sheogorath carried with him at all times, and slammed the base of it against the ground. The resulting wave of magic tore through her enemies, shattering the bonds that held their bodies together and scattered them all across the chamber. Nightmare swooped in to catch Pandora as the flare ended, somewhat surprised that the flare had happened the exact moment that she used her magic on the large group. It was a good thing, as it cleared the way for them to move on when Pandora recovered from her episode. "That HURTS!" Pandora moaned, shaking her head as she weakly pulled herself to her feet, "You could have told me that a flare hurts and warned me away from having one of them!" "How am I supposed to know when you'll have one?" Nightmare asked, staring down the tunnel they were supposed to use to move on, "If I had my alicorn powers I might have done something to bind the magic and show you how to use it, but without any of my unicorn magic I really cannot show you anything. If you let me take the lead I can bring an enemy into your sights and show you how to channel your new abilities." Pandora nodded her understanding, something that she wasn't used to doing, and fell into step behind Nightmare, allowing her to lead them deeper into the ruins. What came next was the strange fact that there was nothing standing in their way before they reached another door, though Nightmare frowned at the ease of finding the exit. The next area they came to was exactly like the last one, where there were dozens of flesh and bone creatures standing in their way, though it gave Nightmare a chance to have Pandora exercise some of her new powers. When they drew closer to the creatures Nightmare ducked under their weapons and moved behind them, giving Pandora enough time to summon a spark and blast several of them in the back. Those made of bone had their bodies shatter into a thousand pieces, while the flesh creatures burst into flames as the spark ignited their rotten bodies. More of the creatures, hearing the sound of combat, got onto their feet and came charging at them, but Nightmare was quick to intercept them as her battleaxe shattered their bodies. It was the least she could do, as Pandora went down to one knee as she began to sweat, no doubt from the magic that was building inside of her. When the creatures were dead Nightmare walked to Pandora and helped her onto her feet, giving her a break before they dared to continue onward. They came across more flesh and bone enemies, though Nightmare would have none of them damaging Pandora while she was weak from her flares. Pandora was fine with the change to hang back this time, as it gave her some time to focus her energies into summoning a bow that had arrows that would damage their enemies. Once she actually had the weapon she pulled an arrow back and loosed the arrow, letting it tear through a skeletal creature before it connected with a second one, where it exploded and took three more with it. "A little warning next time!" Nightmare shouted, surprised that Pandora could summon such power so soon, "I'd rather not get destroyed in one of these ruins." Pandora smiled and continued her assault, though she choose to hit the enemies in the way back that weren't close to where Nightmare was standing. Their combined efforts ended in the destruction of the entire horde of enemies that had risen to fight them, their bones broken and scattered around them. Eventually they reached another intersection, with one door right in front of them while the second laid to their right, but the both of them agreed that the right door would be the ideal direction for them to travel. The next door they passed brought them to a strange area with dozens of cells, with a number of prisoners that were either being ignored or, if they were unlucky, being tortured by other people. Several of the torturers turned to look at the duo as they passed them by, curious as to what they were doing in their chambers, but then turned back to their duties. They found Relmyna Verenim, their target for this mission, standing in the middle of the chamber, though she was pretty angry the moment they approached her. "You!" Relmyna nearly screamed, clearly ready to tear them apart, "I remember you two. You're two of the three adventurers who slew my Gatekeeper, are you not?" "And how would I serve Lord Sheogorath without having access to the Isles?" Pandora asked, raising an eyebrow in the process while trying to be as pleasant as possible, "But that doesn't matter anymore, as our Lord has asked me to enlist your help to construct a new Gatekeeper." "I see." Relmyna said, clearly wanting to destroy the two of them and resisting the urge to do so, "Sheogorath is too important to come on his own account? He sends his mortal lackey? Well, then. I trust my servants didn't give you too hard a time getting in here. Haha! Very well, your tone is more in line with my station, so I will tell you what you need to know. Yes, powerful magic indeed. It is proper that you bid me kindly, lest I show you the meaning of pain and suffering. Alas, I am still distraught over the destruction of my sweet child. I cannot return to his womb. You must do this. You will travel to the Gardens of Flesh and Bone. There you will gather mystical components needed for the ceremony. Go fetch me Blood Liqueur, Osseous Marrow, Dermis Membrane, and Essence of Breath. And take this key. It will allow entry into the Gardens and give you direct access to my Sanctum." With that said Relmyna waved her hand and beckoned for them to leave, wanting nothing more to do with them until they returned with the components they needed. Fortunately there was another door around the corner, leading them back out into the Shivering Isles so they could determine where the next dungeon was located. Nightmare had an answer for that question, as they had found that Gatekeeper's body behind a locked gate, so it would stand to reason that they already knew the exact location. So they quickly returned to the road, remembering where the secret entrance was located, before they ventured back into the Fringe and passed Passwall once more. What surprised them was that the amount of corpses they found outside the Garden didn't rise to fight them as they approached the main gate. They entered a chamber where Nightmare had them walk slowly over, her eyes glancing at the ceiling, which clearly could crack and fall if they stepped on the wrong stone. They came to a root tunnel that was, once more, blocked off, but Pandora pressed her hand on the barrier and it shivered away from her, as if it was reacting to her new magic. The second barrier they came to, passing another passage, refused to be torn down as easily as the one before it, so they simply choose to retrace their steps and use the other passage. The moment they entered the new area they were attacked by a creature that immediately spotted them, but Nightmare smacked it with her weapon and took its head in a matter of seconds. The duo approached a chamber after making their way through the tunnels, though they made sure to be ready as some creatures came after them. They eventually reached a chamber that held four statues, each of which seemed to be waiting for something to wake them up, though Nightmare had a better idea. She burst into the air, swung around the statues, and landed behind them in a lower area, where she found a blood soaked room and the first item they needed. She pulled a vial out, provided by their newest ally, and dipped it into the pool, taking it out after a few seconds before swiftly returning to Pandora. They continued up towards another door and find themselves in another root tunnel, which brought them to a rooted door that they recognized immediately. This time Pandora opened the way and they turned into a turn, approaching yet another door that allowed them to advance onward. They found another locked barrier that would not let them pass, so they turned to the south and moved that way, following it down and around as they fought against the skeletal creatures that called the ruins home. Once the creatures were dead, either being shattered by Nightmare's battleaxe or Pandora's magical arrows, they reached a bridge that overlooked the second requirement. The moment they were sure nothing would come after them they leapt to the lower level and quickly collected the strange mushroom, before turning around and heading down a tunnel. Eventually, after hacking and blasting more enemies out of their way, they reached another intersection, though Nightmare spotted something ahead of them and moved to see what it was. It was another strange plant, but she sensed the importance in the area around it and immediately collected a piece of it, just as was requested by Relmyna. With three items in hand they returned to the intersection and picked the southern route, heading even deeper into the ruins for the final item. As they entered the new area Pandora spotted a hazy green fog lingering in the air, which she immediately started to follow as Nightmare followed behind her. Nightmare's battleaxe flew into the heads of their enemies, as she protected Pandora from harm as they twisted and turned around the area, as if it was a maze. Neither seemed to care in the beginning, but as they progressed Nightmare started to get annoyed with how long it was taking to reach their destination. That was, however, until the fog led them right to a mysterious font of energy, one that they both assumed was the source of the fog that Pandora had followed. They swiftly collected the fourth and final component that Relmyna asked them to collect before heading towards the exit, mainly ignoring many of the enemies that stood in their way. Once they were out of the Gardens they returned to the road once more and began to journey back to Relmyna's hideout, so they could rebuild the Gatekeeper at long last. -------------------------------------------------- "You have returned with all the components?" Relmyna asked the moment they returned to her, receiving a nod from them both, "Excellent. All that remains is to choose the body parts. Fearing one day someone might manage to kill my child, I have been preparing a new body. I've created versions of each appendage, with various enhancements. You must choose one of each. I am attached to them all. Artist's prerogative. Select one pair of legs, one left arm, right arm, torso, head, and heart. See me when you have finished your selections." Nightmare wasn't sure that this was something that she, a Princess of Equestria, should be involved in, but Pandora seemed lost when faced with the magical properties of each body part that Relmyna had created, so she sucked it up. She glanced at the various pieces hanging around the chamber, taking account of every ability that had been created while telling Pandora of her findings. Eventually they settled on a brutish warrior Gatekeeper that could deflect the hardest of blows, as it seemed like no mages ever came to the Isles, save for the one they saw at their first dungeon. When they returned to the angry women, because she was still rather pissed with them killing the previous Gatekeeper, her mood seemed to lighten. "You've made your selection." she replied, staring at the combination they had selected, "Now, we travel to the statue of our Lord, in the Fringe. There we will perform the ceremony. Make haste!" Sure enough the three of them traveled back to the Fringe, only they stopped where the previous Gatekeeper had stood, defending the statue of Sheogorath and the Gates of Madness. Nightmare was positive that she was hearing the sound of an approaching army, though she didn't need to look much further as she spotted them drawing closer to Passwall, which was defenseless. Relmyna had them place the pieces of the Gatekeeper into a small pool that opened in the middle of the circle, before having them back away as she collected the four components from them. "At the beginning of the worlds were five." Relmyna intoned, causing the area to darken all of a sudden, "Fire, Water, Earth, Air, and Light. Darkness turned into day, the void took form. Hidden away, by virtue of its own self-awareness, was the sixth, containing within it the five which birthed it. Flesh! Meat with the desire to consume like Fire.... Blood, liquid nutrient, that ocean which casts pearls of life upon the shores of existence.... Bone, branch and stone of the body, giving shape and structure.... Breath, child of air, bestowing movement, the stirring of spirit.... And last, the light of Flesh, the illumination of Soul -- perception, thought, memory, imagination.... I summon thee, walker in Flesh! Flesh of true Flesh! From those waters of Oblivion which sire thy kind. Come to this altar. Join with this body. Quintessence of Flesh joined with the Essence of Flesh. Absolute in mortal. Immortal bound to contingent. I bind thee Atronach to this body, henceforth Gatekeeper of the Shivering Isles." The ground seemed to shake as Nightmare watched what happened, just as a creature, nearly identical to the one they had slain to get into the Isles, appeared from the pool, which sealed itself the moment the creature stood before Relmyna. "My child." Relmyna said, saying the word as if it brought joy to her heart while a tear rolled down her face, "It is time to fulfill your destiny. Stand guard in this land against all those who seek entry not bearing the mark of Sheogorath's favor. You shall know them by the coldness in their minds. A darkness of spirit. What's this? My child, they are coming. Destroy them! Show them your true power! Watch my child destroy the interlopers, or run to Sheogorath. Either way, tell Him of our doings here. Send Him my tribute... and my affections." Nightmare and Pandora, knowing the last bit was for them, backed up to behind the statue and watched the army of Knights enter the area, though their gaze was held by the Gatekeeper. The Knights charged at the massive creature, who replied in kind by swinging his bladed arm and carved several of them into pieces with ease. One hit the Gatekeeper in the chest, but the reflective aspect that Nightmare had picked kicked in and knocked the Knight to the ground, where he was shattered in seconds. Nightmare had to resist the urge to draw her battleaxe and help the Gatekeeper, merely because she wanted some fun as well, but it turned out that there was no need. Eventually the Gatekeeper returned to his post, having crushed each and every Knight that had dared to attack the Gates of Madness, much to Relmyna's joy. The duo looked at each other and sighed in unison, deciding to return to New Sheoth and report their success, once again, to Sheogorath and Haskill. -------------------------------------------------- When the two of them returned to the palace of New Sheoth they found Sheogorath and his servant exactly where they expected them to be, though Nightmare noticed no sign of Luna the entire time. She had to admit it, she was wondering how they could breach the magical bonds that were keeping them in their current state, separated into a pegasus and unicorn without their alicorn powers. Luna was as skilled as her sister in researching, which she hated to admit with every fiber of her being, which meant that she would be able to figure this puzzle out as well. It was times like this that made her wonder where Starswirl the Bearded disappeared to, as he had been next to them one day and then vanished without a trace. "A new Gatekeeper!" Sheogorath exclaimed, clearly pleased with the progress they were making while somehow missing the fact that Luna was missing at the moment, "Excellent. We might be onto something with you, after all. That should keep out the stragglers." "Lord Sheogorath!" a Golden Saint shouted, barging into the throne room and coming to a stop before the throne, "I apologize for the intrusion, but you must help us! Order has attacked Brellach and routed us!"