Friendship is Scaleless

by Limescale


Chapter 36

“Okay, this is seriously freaking me out now.” Rainbow Dash commented as she flew around the skyline of Anor Londo. “It’s like the place hasn’t just gone dark, but also lifeless. I mean, not that I’m eager to see any more of the welcoming committee right now, but still… what the heck happened to everybody?”

Below her, Seath raised his light orb higher, watching as its illumination spread itself out to reveal naught but darkened streets and empty buildings where once the domain of the gods had flourished with their subjects.

“T’is possible that almost all of that which we encountered previously were also illusions. Gwyndolin’s powers of trickery are far reaching indeed.” The dragon replied.

Twilight cringed upon hearing this.

“His powers of manifesting physical creatures are on the same scale as Discord’s? That’s… yeeeesh.” Twilight said, betraying her unease with several frantic flaps of her wings. Seath looked down at her and sighed.

“Do not let thine resolve falter yet, mine student. Do note thine own history attests thou didst first defeat Discord at his full might, then turned him to thine side.”

Twilight looked up at the dragon as he continued to stare straight ahead.

“Gwyndolin may yet prove a far more dangerous adversary should we be forced to face him, but forget not what thou hast accomplished before.” He said. Twilight looked back at Rarity and Spike, then overhead at Rainbow. Recalling what manner of impossible feat she had indeed made possible thanks to the power and the support of her friends, Twilight found the will to shove her fear back down.

“You do make a valid point, Seath… I only fear that facing him may be the only way to get some answers.” The alicorn replied as she contemplated. “I just don’t get it. In your dreams, you said it was Gwyndolin who originally ordered the death of Priscilla. Why in Equestria would he then change his mind and spare her without telling you and Gwynevere about it?”

Seath now regarded his student with that disappointed glare of his, indicating she’d said something stupid.

“Still too rooted in the naivety of innocence is thine logic, Twilight. The Dark Sun hath many a reason to deceive e’en that of his family and teacher. Great are my reasons to suspect his order was but a ruse…” Seath paused as his hand clamped as tightly as they could around his catalyst. “If the undead speaketh truth, and the greater lie of Gwyndolin is revealed, then I shalt voice my suspicions.”

Seath turned to stare with great dubiousness at the Chosen Undead as she followed behind, holding up her skull lantern to help the rest of the party find their way.

“There it is again!” Spike exclaimed as he turned to stare off into the darkness. The female undead turned her lantern in the same direction but found nothing save for more of Anor Londo’s now deserted expanse.

“There’s what again?” She asked as the little dragon gaped and scratched his head.

“I just… I keep hearing… something, like back at Gwynevere’s chambers. Like there’s something following us… but…” Spike looked to Rarity who likewise seemed unsettled.

“Yes, every so often I hear the same. Rainbow, darling, are you sure there’s no one else in the immediate vicinity besides us?”

Cocking a confused eyebrow, Rainbow did another quick sweep of the area leading up to the keep’s outdoor elevator.

“Zip, Rares. There’s not a soul as far as I can see.” The pegasus shrugged. The Chosen Undead strained her ears, and picked up on the very faint but telltale sound that yes, somewhere in the darkness that now gripped Anor Londo, something was on the move.

“The Dark Sun Gwyndolin… Seath, by any chance did he also have a covenant established in his name?” She asked. The dragon turned in confusion.

“That he did. Charged were all of Gwyn’s children with the task of leading those that sought to prove their loyalty through service to their respective cause. For Gwyndolin, it were they that yearned to be called Blades of the Darkmoon, seeking to deliver unto those who hath sinned their deserved justice.”

The Chosen Undead grimaced as she reached for her pack.

“I fear that may explain things then. Physically there may be no other beings in the immediate vicinity, but in other variations of this moment, those servants of Gwyndolin may be trying to find a means of invading and attacking us.”

The ponies all stopped and turned to look at the Chosen Undead like she’d officially lost it.

“Variations of this moment? What the hay is that supposed to mean?” Rainbow said while touching down beside Rarity.

The Chosen Undead pulled out an amber colored orb etched with a design that resembled a slit shaped pupil. Looking at it reminded Spike of some of the other dragons he’d run into over the course of his life, specifically how their eyes looked strikingly similar.

“As we keep telling you, time does not flow in a linear manner here in the domain of the gods. What may seem like one passing moment to us is in fact more akin to a chamber, through which an infinite number of souls are constantly passing through. The effects of what each soul does while in the chamber can be felt by those who come both before and after.” Master Logan explained while pointing to the walkway. “Surely you’ve all noticed the strange messages that keep showing up on the ground everywhere?”

All eyes turned to where the sorcerer was pointing, seeing a short message made of glowing orange letters carved into the stone.

“Those? Well, yeah, I noticed them, but I thought you guys just had a problem with vandals. You know, like the graffiti that ponies spray all over the buildings in Manehattan.” Rainbow said, much to Logan’s ire.

“Those are communications left by souls in different variations of this moment, intended to either pass on advice or warnings to those who may follow in their wake.”

Twilight’s ears rose as she trotted over to the message.

“Yeah… Seath explained this to me. It’s done by using this!” She levitated an orange soapstone from her saddlebags. “You write something with this and it then reappears later, kind of like how Spike’s dragon flame works for sending messages.”

Rainbow cocked an eyebrow as she read what was written on the walkway.

“Right, so what sort of sage advice is ‘I can’t take this’ meant to impart? Besides further disheartening everyone?” She asked, getting a low groan from both Logan and Seath at her lack of respect.

“Regardless, when one swears themselves in service to a covenant, they are granted a small amount of control over this phenomenon. Either they are given the means to be summoned to another soul’s version of events to carry out the will of their covenant, or teleport themselves at will in order to assist or challenge other souls that are in the same covenant.” Griggs explained, mostly to try and prevent an argument from breaking out. It seemed to do the trick as everyone stopped glaring at each other and turned to the orb the Chosen Undead was holding.

“Might I presume then that is one such means, Miss Aurelia?” Rarity asked. The Chosen Undead nodded.

“It is. It allows me to place an invitation to others who follow the covenant I belong to. A challenge for us to meet at the crossroads between our separate realms and test our mettle in combat to see who the more worthy servant is.” She explained. Everyone promptly switched back to regarding her like she was mad.

“Wait… wait, you go seeking other souls who are in the same club, or whatever, as you, so you can fight them? Why? What’s the point?” Rainbow Dash asked. The Chosen Undead looked to Seath, who simply shrugged.

“Great can be the fortune to those who are most loyal to a cause, this thou should knowest more than any, Rainbow Dash. For they who repeatedly bare proof of how they hath enacted the will of their master, their master rewards accordingly.”

The Chosen Undead nodded again. “My own triumphs against other followers is partially how I gained the ability to transform as when I faced Pinkie Pie.”

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes, flapped her jaw, and made several other exaggerated expressions while trying to wrap her head around this.

“That… that makes absolutely no sense! Loyalty is enacted for the benefit of everypony! A gesture to show you value your bond with others above all else! You don’t remain loyal because you want to get a reward…” The pegasus broke off. “Although that IS sometimes a nice bonus…” She shook her head and snapped back to her main focus. “One is loyal because they believe in something! Not because someone else orders them to!”

Seath arched a very questioning eyebrow.

“Pray, Rainbow, who did dub thee as the elemental representation of loyalty? Thine history doth clearly state thou did not become such of thine own volition.”

The Chosen Undead nodded once more.

“I’d also ask how is following the doctrine to which I agree with different to what you just described? I joined my covenant because I felt its cause was akin to my own…” She turned up to Seath. “And also because it was living proof that our own history was not recorded in full. I was very interested to find out why.”

Seath looked at the orb, scrunching up his nose as he again thought about where the undead no doubt got it from.

“Fulfill thine side of our… truce… and perhaps I shalt reveal to thee what I know.” The dragon replied, while behind him Rainbow kept arguing with herself.

“But… that’s… nghhhhh… NOTHING HERE MAKES SENSE!” Rainbow cried while throwing her front hooves into the air. Logan silently held his head in his hand while Seath tsked at the pegasus’ still present inability to grasp the concept that had already been described to her so many times before.

“Ahem… with all do respects, Miss Dash, this is not your realm nor your home. You do have to make…” Griggs began before being cut off.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Make allowances for things to be different, nothing works like it does in Equestria, blah, blah, blah.” The pegasus groaned as she massaged her temples. “Look, can we agree to disagree? I’ll accept things are the way they are here, I just don’t think it’s right.”

Rainbow trotted up to stand beside Twilight, hoping the distance from the insanity of Lordran’s natives would help clear her head.

“Dash, I know this is a sensitive subject matter for you, but can you please just try to run with it for now? We don’t need any more upset than what we’re already dealing with.” The alicorn whispered as Dash pulled her mask up over her mouth and pulled her hood over her mane.

“I know, I’m sorry, Twi, it’s just… Loyalty should not be based entirely upon personal gain, or involve killing others who’ve done you no wrong!” The pegasus whispered back. Twilight let a small smile grace her lips.

“For what it’s worth, that was a very elegant way of phrasing your argument back there.” She replied. Rainbow smiled back under her mask.

“Yeah, well… every so often I gotta take a break from reading just Daring Do. Got curious about what the history books define as ‘loyalty’ and looked it up. Was surprising how passionately some of your fellow eggheads write about the subject.” She blushed. Twilight let out a little giggle, which drew the attention of the Chosen Undead.

“Are they always this slow on the uptake?” She asked while stowing the orb back in her pack. Seath snorted and fluttered his wings.

“Some art. Others of their kind learn with incredible passion and speed.” Seath looked back at Twilight. “Though ponder I do if it is truly ignorance that plagues the equines, or their own proof that their methods doth bear sweeter fruit than our own. As thou hast seen, their own world fares far better than ours, e’en under such misguided rule.”

The Chosen Undead’s steps grew tense as she acknowledged this. Her soul chilled as she lifted her lantern for another look at the dark and desolate expanse of Anor Londo. In lore the Great Lord Gwyn had claimed his kingdom would shine for eternity, that under the gods all of Lordran would flourish and never again would any soul be oppressed under the tyranny of the Everlasting Dragons. Granted, for many centuries that was how things were, but still, it seemed ruin came all too quickly. Never did the lore speak of a time as what she’d seen in Ponyville, where even the lowest level peasants lived decent lives and seemed free of the burdens that fear and despair steeped so heavily on every soul in Lordran.

Were ignorance and naivety really such high prices to pay for a strife free existence?

“So, ethics and morality aside, what do we do if we get… erm… invaded?” Rainbow asked, scanning the area around the elevator as the party stepped onto it.

“By the grace of fate shalt we be given more warning than with the other forces that plague Lordran.” Seath replied as he grabbed the device’s control handle and pushed it in the direction to make it descend. “Those gifted with heightened sense birthed by blindness, such as I, can read the writing in the air when fate doth send forth a menace from another time.”

“It also takes several seconds for invaders to materialize once they enter this place, not to mention they make a fairly audible entrance. Provided we remain alert, we should be able to spot them before they spot us.” The Chosen Undead assured, though she noticeably followed Dash in sweeping her lantern across the shadows as the elevator rotated downward to the keep’s lower floors.

“So we actually have something else working in our favor? Dare I ask if there’s also going to be another catch?” Spike commented as the walkway to the keep’s hall of art rose up into view.

“Well considering we managed to make it this far without incident one can always hope not.” Rarity said in relief. “I mean why ever would this Gwyndolin soul need to send his forces to stop us if there was still something else lying in wait here to…”

ZING!

Rarity sensibly broke off as something slipped past her cheek and broke a section of the guard rail next to her. Blood slowly ran down the unicorn’s face as she stared in shock at two new individuals leaping into the art hall’s entranceway. Both were dressed in alabaster robes, worn over an under suit of polished armor. Covering their faces was a heavy and richly decorated veil, held in place by a silver circlet.

“Kaaaay, Rares… what was that about pressing our luck?” Rainbow whispered with dripping sarcasm, right before the new arrivals demonstrated the party was not welcome by pelting them with throwing knives.

“EEEEEP! Well I… I didn’t mean… oooh dear!” Rarity scrambled to throw up a defensive barrier as the white clad souls drew more knives and continued to fling them with abandon. “Miss Aurelia, may I ask what these brutes have a problem with?”

The Chosen Undead promptly whipped out Artorias’ shield, crouching behind it as she forded through the hail of flying metal blades.

“They’re the painting guardians I told you about. It would seem unlike the other occupants of Anor Londo, these were indeed beings that stayed behind, rather than abandon the city.” She mournfully explained as the robed warriors ceased with the knife flinging and each drew a pair of short dueling swords.

“An unfortunate obstacle, but one we must take comfort from. Their cause for protecting this hall would be lost, lest there still existed something within it to protect.” Seath declared as he spewed crystal breath over the guardians. The Chosen Undead whipped out her chaos blade and shattered the gleaming frozen bodies, only to reveal an entire legion of likewise attired beings running up from their posts in the hall to fight the intruders.

“Right, so we gotta dance our way through their ranks to wherever this painted world is…” Dash commented, cocking her head as several of the guardians did a fancy twirling series of movements as they drew their blades. “As in literally dance… apparently.”

Rarity cocked an eyebrow, then narrowed her eyes as more of her opponents flipped their swords and gracefully pirouetted into a combat stance. To everyone’s shock, she dropped her shield and whipped out the gargoyle axe with her magic.

“Well then if it’s a spin around the ballroom you want, I can accommodate! En Garde you oafish brutes!”

***

“So, you managed to not only talk down the fabled battle wolf of the Knight Artorias, but also befriend her.” Laurentius said in awe as he beheld the mighty lupine lying by the bonfire. “I ponder if you understand what a truly impossible feat you’ve accomplished, fair Fluttershy.”

The pegasus awkwardly rubbed her leg and gave a small smile.

“I… I guess so? She was injured and needed help. I just did what I always do for those in need.” She replied. The pyromancer shook his head and continued to stare at Sif in disbelief.

“If only more of us were capable of such feats as ‘just something we always do.’” He said. Fluttershy’s expression grew strained.

“Do… do you think you can get him safely to Seath’s Archives? I… I’m afraid the next part is something only he can do.”

Laurentius nodded eagerly.

“Of course, my noble equine. Permit me only to get your friend’s new oven going, and I shall return to my studies on the Lordvessel at once!”

He turned and applied a fireball to the large pile of sticks under the crude stone structure Pinkie Pie and Applejack had put together. Mopping her brow, Pinkie smiled and popped a chef’s hat on her head as the oven roared into life.

“Yipeeee! Alright, time to rustle you all up some decent food! See to it our tummies aren’t among the things growling in want.”

Several deathly groans echoed across the shrine, causing Applejack’s fur to stand on edge.

“Ah trust we ain’t gonna have to stick around here much longer, Mr. Laurentius, sir? Ah mean, Ah pride myself on bein’ an outdoors sorta mare, but there comes a time where even Ah start hankering’ for the safety o' four walls.” She said tentatively while looking at the many pathways leading away into the depths of Lordran, all of them promising new nightmares for those who foolishly strayed too far from the bonfire.

“I assure you, I only need a little more time. Soon as I’m confident I can get everyone to the archives in one swoop, we shall take our leave of this place.” The pyromancer soothed as he stepped away. “Believe me, I have no desire to deal with the likes of Frampt for any longer than I have to.”

Laurentius headed off to resume his business with the serpent. Behind him, Trixie continued alternating her stare between forlornly gazing into the flames, and suspiciously peering at the resting Sif.

“Would anypony mind if Trixie at least found a quiet spot? She needs to do some hard thinking… and such cannot be done while there are… nnnn… distractions.”

Sif raised an ear at the unicorn’s seething tone. She dared to look up, but Trixie simply turned her head as if deliberately trying to ignore her.

“Sure, just stay inside the dotted line.” Discord replied as he walked by wearing a hard hat, a tool belt, and balancing a cute little picket fence on his shoulder. “It’s where I’m going to install the perimeter defenses so nothing else can sneak up on us.”

Applejack and Fluttershy stared in disbelief as the chaos guard marked out a space on the dotted line he’d painted around the shrine and pushed the fence into the ground.

“You really think THAT’S going to keep them hollowed out?” The farm pony asked. “Ah mean, Applebloom could vault over that with one good gallop!”

Discord merely smiled and pulled out several cans of spray paint.

“Well if this doesn’t deter them then a few of these insulting messages I’m going to leave on the outside should, and if neither proves successful, well….”

Discord snapped his tail and a bed of very sharp crystal spikes shot out of the ground on the pony’s side of the fence.

“I think a page from Seath’s book should make them regret not heeding my warnings.” He said with a maniacal glint in his eye. From where she was kneading dough and stirring batter, Pinkie narrowed her eyes.

“Still feeling a bit raw that I’ve managed to acquire more souls than you currently, Discord?” She asked, snickering at how her words promptly wiped the smile off the draconequus’ face.

“Well, we do what we must, for survival… and because we feel like it. As hazardous as this place is, the potential for entertainment does seem limitless.” He grinned in defiance before leaning down to spray paint all over the fence. “Now let’s see… is ‘doodiehead’ one word, or two?”

Trixie groaned and trotted over to a spot that looked more secluded than the rest of the shrine, containing only a few clay pots and little else. She sat down on her haunches and pulled her cape around her body, stewing in her own thoughts.

“So this is how it goes. Trixie starts out sitting around wondering what to do with herself, finds her supposed calling, makes a mess, goes away, comes back and makes a bigger mess, repeat until she finds herself here. Right back where she started.” The unicorn sighed while burying her head in her hooves. “What’s the use? What worth is a washed up and now undead magic user?”

Another sigh and the unicorn lapsed into silent and saddened contemplation. It was only when she heard a rustling from nearby that she lifted her head again.

“Oh… uh… hello there. I do hope I haven’t disturbed you just now…”

A human with dirty blonde hair emerged from a shadowed part of the enclosed area. He was dressed in a heavy amalgamation of plate and leather armor, and carrying a handsomely painted shield in one hand with some manner of spiked club in the other.

“I… uh… couldn’t help overhearing your lamentations just now. They sounded similar to many grievances I blame myself for.” He said meekly with a shameful bow of his head. Trixie arched an eyebrow and cautiously stood up again.

“And just who are you?” She asked, to which the human winced and backed away.

“My sincerest apologies, we are indeed not acquainted. I am Petrus of Thorolund, guardian to the Lady Rhea… well I was…” He sighed while sitting down on the ground. “I was meant to accompany her on an Undead mission… only, after she arrived and we embarked to her duties I… er… I found myself separated from her. I scoured near and far but found no sight of her, leading me to at last retreat back to here when all other options were exhausted.”

Trixie stared idly at the crestfallen knight.

“Considering the layout of these lands, Trixie is amazed you managed to accomplish that much. What mission could persuade any to come here, when it seems the only thing to find here is death?” She asked scornfully. Petrus shrugged in sadness.

“To seek that which would one day grant us with magnificent powers. For a cleric such as the Lady Rhea, there is no greater honor than to undertake a task in the god’s dominion, and one cannot allow their resolve to falter in the face of the dangers that roam these lands.” The knight put down his shield and scrubbed through his messy hair. “Though I fear your doubts have now been vindicated. I promised to see M’Lady safely through her journey here, and through my own shortcomings I have failed.”

Trixie’s scorn faltered. Petrus seemed so broken up and ashamed of himself she found it hard to rue him for his foolishness.

“If you were aware of Lordran’s dangers, why in Equestria did you agree to come here?” She asked cautiously. Petrus kept his head bowed, as if to hide the tears threatening to fall at any moment.

“I am a follower of the Way of the White, a covenant pledged to assist all members of the cloth. Faith and Miracles make us a most notable force to be reckoned with, yet here I now am as an example of how pitiful that force is against the might of the hollowed.” He said in a voice cracking with lament. “Oh Your Highness… where have you gone? I am entirely to blame for this… Oh woe is me. I am unworthy, deathly so!”

Trixie scrunched up her nose, her own desire to leave this poor soul to his little pity party caving into the side of her noting how similar his predicament felt to her own… and thus deserved at least some sympathy.

“Miracles, you say?”

Petrus nodded. “Those that serve in faith to the gods, reading their lore and opening themselves to revelation, eventually learn the ways of unlocking their power. They are an art as old as when the Great Lord Gwyn led his knights and the other lords in the war against the Everlasting Dragons, thus beginning the Age of Fire.”

Trixie’s curiosity rose. “Power? As in it’s a kind of magic?”

Petrus shook his head. “Nay, Miracles do not require one to corrupt their soul or their living essence as with Pyromancy or Sorcery. Only that one permits their body to be used as a medium to channel the grace of the gods.” He said while getting a confused look on his face. “But this you should already know. I sense the essence of a great power about you.”

Trixie’s ears wilted again. “Trixie would like to think that. However, recent events have demonstrated she is by no means as Great or Powerful as she once believed herself to be.”

Petrus looked even more confused as he stood and walked over to the unicorn.

“Yet there is a familiar aura about you. One I recognize as that generated by a talisman’s enchantment.”

The unicorn’s ears rose again. “A talisman?”

The knight drew a bundle of rich cloth from his armor.

“This, the means by which one may call upon the power of the gods flowing through their bodies. They are typically made from divine cloth, or hair…”

Trixie narrowed her eyes, only to then open them again as she looked to her cape.

“Well… Trixie’s show attire was made according to the same patterns and weave as was allegedly used to make all of Star Swirl the Bearded’s clothes, and the lining is from the pelt of an ursa major, though Trixie hardly thinks either of those could be considered divine.”

Petrus hesitantly reached out and touched the hem of the unicorn’s cape, staring at it in wonderment.

“Most curious. I ponder… if I may… would you try something with me?”

Trixie narrowed her eyes and lit her horn.

“Depends. Trixie is in no mood for more tricks!”

Petrus promptly let go and held up his hands.

“I assure you it is nothing of the sort. I merely wish to sate my curiosity as to why I sense the power of miracles in one clearly not of these lands.”

Trixie narrowed her eyes but still sat down again.

“Okay, but don’t try anything funny.”

Petrus nodded and reached to gently hold her cape again. His hands began to glow with a brilliant golden aura… and Trixie blinked as a myriad of messages in glowing letters appeared on the ground around them.

“By the gods… I… I didn’t think that would work!” The knight gasped as he stood up again. “Your attire, whatever it is made of, appears to function exactly like a talisman.”

Trixie nodded without really listening, too busy was she in scrutinizing all the inscriptions.

“What… are these? More so, what are they referring to?” She asked while reading. The majority of the messages consisted of only one or two words, mostly exclamations of ‘Here!’ ‘Path Ahead’ ‘Try Jumping’ and, strangest of all, ‘Imminent Merchant’.

“Communications, from the gods themselves as the faithful believe. While many prefer the use of soap stones to communicate with those out of vocal range, those versed in the miracle ‘Seek Guidance’ can uncover many words of wisdom left by those of a higher power.”

Trixie grabbed a hooffull of her cape in her magic and stared at it.

“You did this, with Trixie’s show garb?” She asked, too amazed to remember Petrus had already stated that to be the case. To his credit the knight nodded softly.

“It would appear I did. How, I cannot say, only that the evidence before us shows it can be done.” He replied. Trixie pressed a hoof to her chin, watching the messages slowly vanish again into nothingness.

“These miracles… do you know more of them?”

Petrus nodded. “Several, of the basic disciplines. I am no great master, only a faithful enactor of their majesty.”

Trixie now stared at the warrior with new respect, and curiosity.

“Could you perhaps show Trixie what you know?”

Petrus looked intrigued, only for his expression to immediately lapse back into uncertainty.

“Great is the potential I sense in you, but the ultimate effectiveness of a miracle is determined by one’s effort and faith to the gods. If it is more that you wish to know of you would do well to establish the same covenant as I did.”

Trixie nodded, feeling her body burn with a strange new warmth…something almost akin to hope.

“So long as Trixie is waiting on her…ermm…friends, she can afford to humor whatever you require to show her more of these powers.”

Petrus nodded enthusiastically. “Very well. Then first, a Covenant with the gods, then we shall see what else you are capable of!”

***

“Rarity… Rarity careful there! RARITY THERE’S ONE RIGHT BEHIND YOU!” Twilight cried as a painting guardian unleashed a flurry of throwing knives at the unicorn. From where she was trying to wrench her axe from where it had become lodged in the stomach of another guardian, Rarity turned, dropped the weapon and threw up her barrier. Sadly she wasn’t fast enough to stop the first blade from sinking into her flank but the rest clattered uselessly off her magical force field.

“RARITY!” Spike now cried as the unicorn fell to her knees, blood staining what little white remained of her antiquated gown from the wound.

“Nghh… it’s… it’s not that bad, Spike. Just… grrr… I’m going to need some help getting it out and… patching the wound.” She grunted while extending her barrier around the dragon. The painting guardians attempted to press their advantage, but Twilight and Griggs were quick to fight them off.

“Spike, how is she?” Twilight asked while gasping for breath.

The dragon winced as he checked the blade sticking out of Rarity’s body.

“As she said. It won’t take long to mend… but… yeeeeeesh.” Spike cringed as more of the white robed beings somersaulted down from above. “It’s going to take longer than we can afford to drop our guard!”

Twilight grumbled and ran in front of her friend, launching alternative waves of soul spears and magical bolts, cursing as her opponents danced in between her shots.

“Rainbow, it’s getting crowded down here. Any chance of some help?”

From where she was darting in and around the rafters, the pegasus sighed in aggravation.

“Not likely Twi, it’s just as occupied up here! If I stop being a nuisance to these morons, then you’re going to be having an even worse time.” She shouted while swatting her catchpole at one of the guardians standing on a narrow beam. The robed hollow looked at the oncoming weapon as if amazed its opponent was actually dumb enough to try such an obvious tactic, then it simply jumped and cartwheeled onto a new part of the beam to resume hurling knives at Rainbow.

“Arrrgh… not that this is any picnic either!” She growled while dodging the flying daggers. “Hey, only one of us is allowed to be fast and nimble here! No one likes a copycat!”

More guardians ran across the rafters to aid their fellow being, forcing Rainbow to duck underneath the beams where she at least had some small amount of cover.

“Seriously, if I didn’t have my friends and collateral damage to worry about, I’d sonic rainboom this whole damn hall and be done with it!” She lamented while searching for a new vantage point to attack from.

“An excessive course of action… yet not one without merit…”

Rainbow looked down in time to see an eruption of white crystal breath shoot past her and cover the rafters in jagged spikes. The guardians promptly leapt back towards the rear of the hall as their footing suddenly became a lot more hazardous.

“Priceless and irreplaceable as this hall may be, we come only for Ariamis’ painting! If these lost souls seek to give us no choice then no quarter shalt we render unto them!” Seath vowed as he fired a soul spear from the doorway and smashed the crystallized beams.

“Aid thine fellow equines, Rainbow Dash. T’is time this battle was brought down unto the natural level!”

Rainbow let loose a short sigh of relief as her attackers were driven further and further back by the destruction of the rafters.

“Fine, just, try to keep the debris from hitting anyone on the way down.” She said while swooping onto the floor and galloping over to her friends. “How we doing here?”

Twilight frantically dabbed up the last of the blood and used her magic to cauterize Rarity’s wound.

“Not too bad, considering there seems to be no end to the opposition.” She sighed as more guardians appeared seemingly out of thin air. “Frankly, I’d follow your idea of just bringing this whole hall down on top of them… if I only I knew which of the paintings is the one we want to save."

Spike narrowed his eyes through the lavender haze of Twilight’s barrier, catching sight of something far beyond the wall of white robed assassins.

“Well, call this a wild guess, but might it be that giant work there at the back?” He said while pointing. Everyone followed his direction, and several eyes widened as they beheld a majestic ceiling to floor tapestry depicting a glorious winter landscape.

“Uhhh… could be? Wow… how the hay did we not see that on the way in?” Twilight pondered as she dropped her barrier and launched a salvo of spears at the guardians.

“Well in fairness, it’s not like we were given much of a chance to sight-see.” Rarity said as she stood and winced at the pain from her wound. “In any respect, these damned beasts seem quite keen to prevent us from reaching it, so I deem that as good a sign as any that that indeed is the correct painting.”

The unicorn retrieved her axe and held it at the ready in her magic as the guardians rolled and dodged Twilight’s blast and tried to converge on the ponies.

“But how we’re going to get to it with this rabble in the way is a different matter…” She sighed. Spike turned and felt his heart beat harder as his beloved Rarity stood ready again for battle, despite having already taken a considerable hit. He looked for a means to assist her, and his head frills shot up as he spied a pair of dueling swords that had been dropped by one of the slain guardians.

“Same way we always face adversity, together!” He declared, snapping up the blades and giving them a test. Their short, stubby shape meant he’d have very little reach, but on the flip side, they were at least light and manageable for his small frame. “Rarity, you were doing pretty well dancing solo against these guys… but would you be open to dancing with a partner?”

Rarity looked turned and promptly looked horrified, only to then blush uncontrollably.

“Oh Spike, as if I could ever be so selfish as to make you put yourself in harm’s way for me…”

Knives clattered loudly off Rarity’s tail axe. She promptly dropped and ducked as more were thrown at her from the sides.

“That said, yes you’re right that we need to go at this together, and there are a few moves that I can’t hope to pull off without somepony to assist me so… well, just promise me you’ll be careful!” She gasped as Spike awkwardly dodged a pirouetting swing from one of the guardians.

“Sure thing… Twilight, give us some cover!” Spike replied, his voice rising in confidence as he rose to the occasion of getting to fight alongside his crush, both of them putting their lives on the line for each other’s benefit! Twilight let a small smile grace her lips as she charged her catalyst again.

“I’ll do my best. Let’s give these creeps cause to reconsider their aggression!” She declared while pressing against the crowd of enemies.

Behind them, Seath redirected his focus on ‘widening’ the hall’s doorway a bit, enough for his giant form to be able to fit through so he could join the battle proper. Inwardly, the dragon now acknowledged how much of Anor Londo’s architecture seemed purposely designed to only permit beings of a relatively lesser stature access. It was a facet he’d previously ignored due to almost never leaving his keep, or only venturing where the other gods congregated, but now he had to wonder if there was perhaps another intent, perhaps another means of ensuring certainly souls did not venture to where they were not wanted.

Unfortunately his pondering was cut short by the tear of several throwing knives cutting into his back. Roaring and turning around, he noticed several guardians flipping onto the walkway behind him, their white robes shimmering with the dying embers of fresh resurrection.

“Curious… the flames giveth thee back thine lives, yet not from the sources I know of.” He growled while belching crystals all across the walkway. “Be there a fire of Gwyn unknown to the masses? A secret means for certain souls to replenish their puppets at a moment’s notice?”

The painting guardians gave no answer, not that Seath really expected them to. He smashed his catalyst on the ground, growling as the nimble little cretins leaped and somersaulted to safety. They drew more knifes and halted his attack with a hail of razor sharp steel… until another force then jumped in to give them something else to worry about.

“We can find out later. Right now, the equines need you inside to take care of the ones between them and Ariamis’ world.” The Chosen Undead said. “Focus on that, I’ll cover you from behind.”

Seath straightened his glasses and arched an eyebrow as the female warrior swished and swayed her way into the main body of robed assailants, blocking their swords with her shield and coating her own weapon in their blood over and over again.

“Strangely familiar is thine fighting style, now that I take the time to observe it… hauntingly so…” The dragon mused as the undead kicked one guardian off the catwalk and pinned another to the floor with her blade.

“Well, I had some very adept teachers… before everything fell apart…” The female replied, sweeping her foot under another opponent and tripping them up. She ripped her chaos blade out of her previous target and gave it a new place to call home in the prone guardian’s belly.

“Adept indeed… worthy of Gwyn’s knights, even…” The dragon replied. This seemed to offend the Chosen Undead in some manner, judging by the way she turned and glared at Seath as if to demand what relevance that was to him. Unfortunately, this momentary distraction gave the guardians a perfect opportunity to aim for, then riddle the female’s sword arm with their knives. She cried and clutched her disabled limb, cursing the fact that she hadn’t thought to repair or change her armor beforehand.

“You can speculate all you want later, just make it so I can save Priscilla!” The undead ordered, adding in a darker tone. “And you can save Sif, as we agreed.”

Seath scowled, but nevertheless returned to breaking down the wall around the hall’s doorway. As the final few blocks of stone were coated in crystal and smashed to rubble, the dragon glanced over his shoulder, watching the Chosen Undead drop her shield and grab her sword with her off hand. She resumed fighting the endless stream of guardians with little change to her combat prowess, giving the white dragon cause to shudder as a myriad of fragmented memories emerged from the depths of his subconscious, suspicions that he promptly shoved aside as being too horrible to contemplate for now.

Instead, Seath rammed his way through what remained of the hall entrance, spraying crystals all over the floor to thin out the numbers attempting to flank Twilight and co from behind.

“Griggs, Logan, where art thou?” He shouted while beating down what of the guardians that managed to resist the curse effect of his breath.

“Over here, Grand Duke. We’re a bit pinned down, I fear.” The younger sorcerer lamented as he cast a homing soul mass at the guardians who’d forced him and his colleague into the corner. One of the white robed warriors took the blast for the sake of its counterparts as they jumped and nimbly took up new positions. “Truly, who could have imagined mere art hall caretakers could be so bothersome and agile? Or so numerous for that matter?”

Logan grumbled as he took a deep breath and waited for Griggs to finish his attack.

“If you’d kindly step aside, I MIGHT be able to even the odds a little. Show our founding father what his literature has enabled me to do!”

More knives were hurled at the elder sorcerer. He deflected them with his barrier, then summoned an immense flurry of crystal homing masses, enough to descend upon the advancing guardians and strike them down wherever they stood. Few still tried to evade, but the gleaming projectiles simply altered their lock and chased them till they ran out of energy.

“Observe the finer control, the greater damage, the flawless crafting. This is what a true student of yours can accomplish, Seath!” Logan proudly declared… to little more than the clashes and clangs of continued combat. He raised the brim of his hat and observed Seath grabbing two guardians with his tentacles, pulling them from where they were hacking relentlessly at Twilight’s barrier and instead smashing them relentlessly against the marble floor.

“Erm… do you require any assistance yourself, Grand Duke?” Logan asked, feeling a tad spiteful that his show of perfect mastery had gone unnoticed. Fortunately Seath then turned and saw the elder sorcerer standing amidst a carpet of slain bodies, prompting him to nod.

“Yea, Master Logan, if thou would but turn thine craftsmanship upon this woeful lot, it would please me greatly!” The dragon said with a weary air. Logan trembled with giddy nerves.

“You need ask nothing more then!” He declared, summoning more crystal soul masses and sending them to mow down the final mass of gathered guardians. While few on the fringe managed to duck behind pillars and evade the blasts, the ponies were elated to find their would be assassins suddenly wiped out in no time flat, their souls fleeing their bodies to infuse into the sorcerer.

“Geez… okay, that was messy, but effective.” Rainbow panted as she let the catch pole fall from her mouth and let herself wilt onto the floor next to it. “Thanks for the help, Mister Logan.”

The sorcerer tilted his hat back even further, revealing his face to almost be glowing with pride as he strode towards the equines.

“Well, for those of us still struggling with the art, a more experienced mind is always handy.” He said. Twilight looked at him in aversion but held her tongue.

“Well now, let’s not forget who else did their part. I must say, Spikey-Wikey here was quite dashing in how he helped keep those troublesome brutes off me.” Rarity smiled. Spike joined Logan in the glowing expression.

“Like I said, give me something I can properly work with and look out all those who dare to harm my friends!” The dragon made a show of twirling the dueling swords in his hands, then slamming them into the belt of his outfit. He thanked the gargoyle helmet for hiding his immediate flinch of pain as he felt the blades then slice through the fabric and cut a long line across his scales.

“Eeeeee… though uh… might be worth getting a bit more practice in… just so I can do a better job… eeeee…” Spike gingerly secured his weapons then clasped his hands over the blood leaking from the cuts. “Any chance I could have a moment of privacy to bandage myself up?”

Rarity gasped and then shook her head.

“Certainly not, Spike! You were generous enough to tend to my boo-boos, I can certainly spare a hoof to do the same in return! Take your jacket off and let me have a look!”

Spike looked at the unicorn dismissively.

“It’s fine Rarity, just a few scratches…” He began before finding himself enveloped in Rarity’s magic.

“Nonsense! The fair maiden always tends to her knight! And given this has so far played out like a fairy tale, however twisted and depraved, what’s the harm in humoring a few more tropes if it means helping my friends survive the ordeal!”

Spike’s jacket and belt were quickly removed along with his helmet. He offered little resistance, too smitten was he with the roles between him and the unicorn of his dreams now being reversed.

“Well when you put it that way… how can I refuse?” He said. “You’ll be sure to kiss them all better right?”

Rarity now looked at him aghast.

“Spike, you know you’re not supposed to do that with open wounds! It spreads germs! And if you recall we just finished cleaning my exquisite features of the blood from all these dreadful rabble.” She declared. The purple dragon looked crestfallen, though he nevertheless let Rarity clean and bandage him up.

“Oh well, had to give it a try…” He lamented, hearing an aggravated sigh from Rainbow.

“Yeah on things that could do with a try, could you try getting back into the fight asap? Cause it’s looking like it’s about to start up again.”

All eyes followed the pegasus’ gaze, and several hearts dropped to see the Chosen Undead backing into the hall, swamped with throngs of freshly resurrected guardians.

“Is it just me, or do these guys seem to be coming back faster than we can put them down?” Rainbow queried as she too backed away from the approaching wave of enemies.

“If they are, then we’ve got a serious problem.” Twilight said while turning to the massive painting on the far wall. “Assuming this thing functions like a portal, that is it acts as both entrance and exit, then these guys will just be waiting for us when we try to leave.”

Grigg’s mood sank even further as he ran to aid the ponies.

“A very unfortunate truth, Twilight. Some of us will have to remain behind and try to hold them off till you return.” The sorcerer said as he blasted the guardians with his soul spears. “Assuming of course, we can hold out that long.”

Everyone, pony, human and dragon looked at each other with uncertainty. Considering what it had cost them just to get into the hall, holding position was not all that viable of an option.

“Well… we have to try… right?” Spike said as he hastily tugged his outfit back on and grabbed his swords.

Seath tightened his grip around his catalyst, his eyes fixed in a look of utter determination.

“I must… at least.” He said while lunging to smash aside a guardian trying to leap upon the Chosen Undead from behind. “Get thee my daughter, undead. Only make haste! Remain here I shalt, and halt their advance!”

Twilight looked up at the dragon with horror.

“Seath, you can’t hope to keep fighting these guys off alone!” She cried. Logan wasted no time in stepping between her and her teacher.

“He won’t. I shall make the stand as well! Nothing will get past us!” The elder sorcerer declared, even as his opponents sought to put his claim to the test, a foreboding, eerie hum announcing that they were about to receive some major reinforcements.

“Wait what’s thaaaaa….” Rainbow Dash politely cut her question off as a black shadow materialized behind the white robed guardians, followed by another, and another. “You know what, don’t answer. I’m just going to assume this is nothing good.”

Seath snarled in wrath as a bevy of names flashed across the air before him.

“The Blades of the Darkmoon hath revealed their presence, coming for vengeance with many an… artistic name.” He wearily confirmed as the armored dark shadows drew a multitude of lethal looking weapons and entered the guardian ranks. Twilight gave a dry swallow as the odds steadily rose further and further against them.

“Well… this pretty much seals the deal. Even if we all stay here we can’t hope to hold off this many!” She declared. Seath shot her a scolding glare as he charged his catalyst.

“And were we to flee into the painted world, they would lay siege till we could hold out no longer. There is no alternative, mine student, the line must be drawn here!” He declared, even as the insurmountable force of enemies prepared to charge and finish the party off. It indeed seemed nothing short of a miracle would help the party now.

Lo and behold, to everyone’s surprise, such a miracle decided to then reveal itself in order to draw the fabled line. No sooner had the wave of guardians and invaders made to push forward than they found themselves being pinned to the ground, a torrential storm of soul spears raining in the hundreds upon them from above. Seath backed away as his vision suddenly swam with the perspectives of thousands, a power of his that had been severed during his time in Equestria suddenly being reestablished to confirm help was at hand. The ponies did him the service of looking up, their jaws dropping open as a veritable legion of new beings descended from above.

“What in all of Faust’s holy name?” Rainbow Dash whispered as the new forces landed before her and let her take in their forms. Each was dressed in a very heavy looking purple robe, decorated with archaic symbols and strange golden armor plating. Looking at them from her vantage point, Rarity recognized their attire as being identical to the outfit Seath had requested she make him for Princess Luna’s birthday party… only these beings were a lot smaller, and were also wearing helmets… decorated with a design of six eyes stacked in pairs atop each other....as well as wielding giant tridents…

“You… you are…” Logan paused in his thought, then promptly dropped to the floor as several of the purple robed beings began to do a synchronized dance, or possible a kata of martial arts moves, similar to the fighting style the painting guardians had employed. A strange blue aura began to form around the former’s numbers, causing their tridents to glow as they rose them high… and then proceeded to unleash Tartarus itself on the enemy.

“Uhhhh… should we be worried about this?” Spike asked as he watched the formerly frightening number of opposing souls now take their turn as the ones being frightened. The painted guardians danced and jumped to evade the endless hail of sorceries while the Darkmoon invaders crouched and tried to hide behind their shields. Neither did much to save them from being beaten back by the force of the strange purple dressed saviors.

“Nay… Nay…” Seath replied, sounding shockingly relieved as he rubbed his eyes. “T’would seem thou abandoned hope too quickly… fate hath not yet deprived us entirely of its grace…”

The helmeted trident wielders slowly widened the gap between the opposing hordes and the party, allowing a few at the back to turn around, approach Seath and fall onto one knee.

“Gracious Grand Duke, we welcome you back! Your return shows we were not wrong to hold out hope and await till we could again serve at your side.” One of them announced in joy.

Seath coughed, still bowled over by the sight of those he’d almost completely forgotten about in all the drama that had befallen him.

“Mine channelers… Mine faithful channelers! E’en in this time of utter strife thou remain as punctual as ever.” The dragon said, choking up as he beheld his servants wasting no time in giving it everything they had to defend him as they always did.

“Wait… you know these weirdoes, Seath?” Rainbow Dash queried as she tried to make sense of the scene before her.

“Yea… for centuries did these, the finest minds and greatest masters of sorcery Lordran could bear, swear themselves in servitude to me. Hoped did I that e’en as I was guest of thine own kingdom they would await till I returned. As always, they disappoint me not.”

Two of the channelers turned and bowed in welcome to the ponies. Rarity meeped and placed a hoof to her chest, Spike whistled at this new revelation, Twilight narrowed her eyes and backed away, having previously seen exactly what these robed followers had done in service to Seath.

“You had your own army waiting here the whole time? That’s… well… disturbing, but still kinda cool actually...and right now also very, VERY welcome!” Rainbow Dash exhaled, glad she was not about to have to fight to the death again. “Pretty slick moves your boys got there too.”

“They art trained to the best of my abilities.” Seath said with growing pride as the channelers turned and stood to attention.

“Short shall be the time we require to clear away these foul opposers. Your archives have been reclaimed, we shall escort you to them.” One of them said while holding his fist up in salute. Seath shook his head.

“Nay, faithful one, there is business we must attend to here first.” The dragon replied as he looked at the pitched battle. “Where is the Chosen Undead?”

The channelers turned and gave a signal to their brethren. Bodies were flung and blasted against the walls as the horde of guardians and invaders were parted, allowing two channelers to drag the exhausted female warrior out of harm’s way.

“Thine would be executioner is here for her judgement, Grand Duke. Do you require her immediate death?” One of the channelers happily raised his trident in preparation to finish the battered undead off. Seath politely winced and held out his hand.

“Nay, hold thine acts! This one was foe before, but friend for now. There is a service she has agreed to perform for me, and for these equines! Mend her wounds and let her recover.”

The channelers looked up at their duke in bewilderment, but nevertheless lowered their weapons and reached to fish out the undead’s estus flask from her pact.

“Priscilla awaits thee, and the faithful lay down their lives for thee. I trust no more need be said about what is expected now?” Seath asked coldly as the Chosen Undead drank and groaned from the relief of her wounds burning away.

“I haven’t forgotten. Just make sure it’s safe for us all to return once we find her.” The female proceeded to tear off her destroyed armor and hunt in her pack for something else to don. “Who’s coming with me?”

Twilight and co looked at each other, all of them reaching the same conclusion.

“We will. It looks like Seath and his… erm… troops have things well in hand here.” The alicorn replied. The undead nodded and dressed herself in a striking set of golden toned armor, decorated to look like it was embracing her around the chest area.

“Then let’s not waste any more time. Are you all ready?”

Spike looked up at the great painting as the Chosen Undead pulled out the strange doll.

“Sure… I mean, it’ll just be like when we entered the world of my comic books, right? What’s the worst that could happen?”

Rarity looked at the dragon in dismay.

“Spikey-Wikey, darling dearest, please don’t start that as well!” She said as the Chosen Undead stepped up to the painting and pressed the doll to its canvas.

The ponies and warrior vanished in a flash of white light, leaving Seath and his minions to press on with their fight… and hope for the best.

***

Far below the pitched battle a lone being dressed in brass armor knelt before a bonfire, the flames illuminating a wall of statues depicting Lordran's great gods.

"Almighty Light of our Dark Sun, your faithful followers have joined the fray to wipe out Seath and his plague. However, I sense the presence of his foul taint already within Ariamis' painted world. We press forward with the poor excuse for protectors of our Great Lord's tapestries, but Seath's forces have again returned to their master and resumed their blasphemy against your holy word. We cannot hope to stop them from reaching the crossbreed now!" The Lady of the Darkling morbidly reported. Silence held for a very tense moment before the reply came from all corners of the chambers.

"Calm, my most loyal and courageous soul. Thou hast done well to divide their forces. Ariamis' realm is barred from us by the monstrous channelers...but another yet stands waiting should atonement for sins committed throughout his lives be demanded. Velka hath faltered in her duty to enact such atonement, thus in her stead shalt I collect what he oweth to us!"

The brass armored warrior clenched her fists as the voice of her master continued.

"Go and aid our noble brethren good lady. Tonight we purge the filth from all realms of the Great Lord's holy city. Tonight, Ariamis' fetid offerings shall at last be cast to the fires, along with Seath, his followers, and all that he hath wrought upon Lordran!"