Chapter 29
“Twi, I’m going to need a second opinion here. On one hoof I promised Soarin I wouldn’t attempt to imitate Daring Do while we’re here so obviously I can’t tell him about this…” Rainbow promptly perked he ears and rolled out of the way as a pendulum with a giant scythe blade on the end swung down through the spot she’d just been standing. “Yet on the other, this place ain’t leaving me much choice, and I know how excited he’d get hearing how I braved the worst it could throw at me!”
Lightning crackled through the air on a course to fry the pegasus. She ducked and spotted a lower platform manned by several serpent warriors, similar to the ones that had tried to carve the party up like salami at the entrance to the infernal fortress.
“Seriously, no wonder Daring keeps hitting up ancient tombs and puts her life on the line over and over again. It’s like the ultimate adrenaline rush!” Dash exclaimed as the four armed, cobra headed monsters cast more lightning at her. “Yeah, keep trying you scaly creeps! The fastest and coolest pony in Equestria laughs at your pitifully slow efforts!”
Dash laughed loud and mockingly as she evaded another volley of lightning. Behind her Twilight followed the more sensible approach of waiting for Seath, Griggs and Logan to clear the area of enemies.
“Dashie, while I’m glad you’re feeling so at home here, do you think you could please not taunt them like that? I’m worried enough just trying to make sure neither of us steps on another pressure plate or falls into one of the other traps here. I’d rather not try to make this harder than it already is.” The alicorn gulped as she looked down the bridge of swinging blades, trying to ignore the pain from Spike bandaging a fresh wound where the alicorn had gotten an arrow through the wing after stupidly triggering one of said traps at the entrance. Granted it had been accidental as she’d been preoccupied with dodging the sword of a serpent soldier but the alicorn still felt like she could’ve avoided it if she’d been more on her guard.
“There is logic in thine friend’s approach, my student. Her distraction of mine creations doth hasten our own efforts to subdue them.” Seath watched for an opportune moment to launch another soul arrow at the man-serpents. To Rarity’s horror and Twilight’s unease, the drake betrayed not a hint of remorse or regret when he took the shot and killed another of the beings he had given life to.
“Your creations…Seath…darling, I know this is hardly the right time to be arguing your views of right and wrong against ours…but could you kindly explain the logic in creating abominations who’s only recourse is to slaughter everything they lay their eyes upon?”
The white drake narrowed his eyes as one of the serpent creatures coughed and tried to rise again, despite having taken several soul arrows. He crafted a heavier version of the spell and nailed it again to make sure it was truly dead.
“Sen’s orders were of the utmost simplicity. T’was the function of this fortress to see that only the truly worthy enter Anor Londo while all other flawed souls be sent to the domain of the Gravelord where they belonged. I merely engineered such life that would be most apt to such a duty.” He stated, plainly and with a disturbing hint of satisfaction that his creations were still performing their function with such gusto. Twilight thought about the Moonlight Butterfly she had helped Seath create as a gift to Princess Luna. A shiver rocked her body as she considered how her teacher had warped such god like skill to produce the murderous atrocities that now plagued their every step.
“And at no point did you ever question the…um…the moral implications?”
Seath shook his head. “T’was the time when I cared little for how my work would benefit Lordran. I created that because I could, because it was my service to the gods that their domain be well protected, and because, for the briefest instance, my efforts were lauded for their depravity.”
“Hardly depraved, Grand Duke. Dangerous as these serpent beings are, their craftsmanship is magnificent! There is no fault in using your brilliance as it was intended!” Logan gushed, seemingly exhilarated to finally voice his approval directly to Seath himself. Twilight and Rarity did everyone the service of looking sick at this celebration of the dragon’s perversions.
“Is…is there’s no other way to get to Anor Londo? We couldn’t just fly there and avoid all this?” Spike asked mostly as a means of changing the subject.
“Trust us, it’s actually safer this way. The air over and around Anor Londo is patrolled by an army of bat winged demons; horrid creatures that will not hesitate to kill on sight all who try to enter the god’s domain without proving their worth against Sen’s traps first.” Griggs as he summoned more arrows and cast them at the enemies. “Fret not, though, Master Logan and I have already made it through this place once before! We’ll make sure you do the same!”
Logan sighed and pinched the brim of his hat as Dash swooped down to blow a raspberry at the fallen serpents.
“Provided, of course, you do your part in taking precautions.” The older sorcerer mumbled as Dash continued to make a spectacle of herself, dipping and rolling between the pendulums with ease. “Speaking of which, you may wish to tell your friend not to get too close to the pit below us. It’s filled with more of the titanite demons, who wield a far more powerful form of lightening magic.”
“What!?” Twilight’s eyes lit up and she took to the air. “Dash! Dash stop! Don’t go any lower!”
The pegasus duly halted her descent as she suddenly found the space below her occupied by her lavender friend.
“Twilight, what are you…huh?” A movement from the shadows drew Dash’s attention. “What the?”
The shadows were promptly cast away by a blinding flash, revealing a circular claw on a pole projecting out to snag the ponies between its pincers. Dash dodged it effortlessly. Twilight, due to still being hampered by her arrow wound, proved easier to catch.
“Hey, what the! TWILIGHT!”
The alicorn promptly found herself being raised back up into the air as she’d hoped, only to then be slammed back down onto a surface that, mercifully, felt softer than expected…as well as slick, viscous, and sticky.
“No! Hey, let go of her you monster!” Dash swooped back in as her friend was pulled from the floor and slammed against it a second time, knocking her free from the claw’s grip. She promptly landed and stood defensively in front of her friend as the one responsible for the less than pleasant greeting pulled itself out into view. It could best be described as some manner of humanoid creature, made of a smooth, rock like material that bulged with muscle. At the top of its torso it bore a set of horns in place of any discernible facial features, fashioned like the claw on the end of its weapon. It also appeared to be missing a leg, forcing it to hobble at a slower pace as it closed in on the two ponies.
“Ow, ooogh, figures. I try to do a good deed and get punished for it as always.” Twilight groaned as pain stabbed at every bone in her body.
“You okay, there Twi?” The pegasus said while keeping her eyes locked on the approaching monster.
“Y-Yeah…I will be…in a minute.” Twilight attempted to raise her head, only to experience some force of the ground pull frantically to keep her pinned against it. “Dash, I can’t move!”
Rainbow looked down and found herself beset by the same problem. “Neither can I! Looks like the floor is covered in…tar, of some kind.”
The stone creature raised its catch pole, which proceeded to sparkle with bolts of lightning.
“Uh, Seath? Griggs? Logan? A little help?” Rainbow meeped as she frantically flapped her wings to try and counter the adhesiveness of the tar covering her hooves. The creature reared back as if to swing its electrified weapon at her. Mercifully another hail of soul arrows and bolts dissuaded it from doing so.
“Thanks. Rarity! Going to need a little of your levitation magic!” Dash flapped her wings harder, feeling the tar slowly lose its grip on her hooves. One finally popped free from the muck, then another. As Rarity’s magic enveloped Twilight, the blue pegasus wrenched her remaining two limbs and sighed in relief as they were released from their bonds.
“Okay, we’re going to get Twilight out of this muck!” Rainbow ordered as she nabbed the nape of Twilight’s neck with her teeth. The alicorn groaned and her friend released her. “Uh, making sure to be gentle of course.”
Rarity nodded and grit her teeth as she fought to lift Twilight without jostling her too much. The stone creature silently roared as it fell to the barrage of sorceries, collapsing and then dissolving into a mess of white light. Souls surged up to infuse into the sorcerers and help them recover from their effort.
“Twilight!” Seath jumped down into the pit. “My student, fair thee well?”
“I think. Don’t feel like I broke anything but…” Twilight cringed as she kept struggling against the sticky muck coating her body. “Let’s get back on the upper platform first. It’ll be easier to check myself over when I’m not trapped like a fly in a spider’s web!”
A foreboding crackle of electricity echoed around the pit, signifying some entity was not pleased to hear this. Out of the darkness two more of the titanite demons emerged, lighting their poles up in preparation for battle.
“Course the residents would prefer we stay, wouldn’t they?” Rainbow Dash growled and spat on her hooves. “Right, change of plans. You get to safety, Seath. I’ll hold these cretins off!”
Seath raised an eyebrow.
“And how dost thou plan to do such with neither armament nor discipline in a magical art?” He asked, to which Rainbow Dash zipped up towards the ceiling of the chamber.
“Watch and learn! Oh, and also get out of the way, please.” She replied. Deeming at least the last part made sense, Seath flew out of the pit with Twilight clutched in his arms. This left the titanite demons free to face Dash’s full wrath as she swooped back down towards them at Mach velocity. They prepared to reduce her to ash with the power of their lightening, she ensured they never got the chance by suddenly exploding into a streak of rainbow colors, rocking the fortress to its foundation with a tremendous shock wave in her wake. Griggs, Spike and Logan found themselves being launched back into the entrance hallway. Seath, Rarity and Twilight made due with adding another recess to the wall as they were smashed into it. The titanite demons, being too low to make use of either of the previous options, caught the full force of the rainbow rocket and were blasted back into the shadows of the pit. As the shocks of the explosion subsided, everyone regained their senses and staggered back to their respective feet, hooves or tentacles.
“By Gwyn’s beard…what was that?” Griggs gasped as he stumbled back towards the edge of the pit. This quickly proved to be a mistake as Rainbow Dash’s head promptly popped up in front of him and gave the poor sorcerer the umpteenth scare of his life.
“That, Mr. Griggs, was my patented Sonic Rainboom! A totally awesome surprise I keep stored for when I either need to wow a crowd, or in this case, teach some cretins a lesson about hurting my friends.” The pegasus lifted herself up and over the platform, revealing her hooves were wrapped around one of the catch poles the now ex-demons had been wielding.
“Also managed to nab this right before I blew those weirdoes out of this world. Anyone got a better use for it or can I hold onto it?”
Returning his glasses to their proper position on his face, Seath blinked in amazement at the sight of the grinning pegasus.
“For the feat of taking down two titanite demons with little more than thine speed and apparent luck, I believe thou hast earned it as thine reward, Rainbow Dash. Its enchantment will suit thee well, given thine nature.” He replied. Dash’s grin grew wider as she twirled the pole on a hoof then used it like a pogo stick to launch herself into the air.
“Just…ergh…please Dashie, don’t pull any more stunts till we’re out of here.” Twilight pleaded, groaning as she tried to get up and felt her battered body ache in protest. The pegasus glee promptly went out like a light. Seeing her friend lying on the ground, Rainbow clenched her teeth and bowed her head.
“Hey I had it covered Twilight, you didn’t have to throw yourself in harm’s way!” She declared before adding in a softer voice. “Seriously, Twi, I don’t want you hurting yourself anymore than you already have.”
Shaking his head, Seath pulled his estus flask from the carrying pouch slung across his chest and handed it to Twilight.
“Drink my student. T’is best you begin to make use of this as it will heal thee faster than traditional measures.”
Twilight took the flask in her magic and chugged the healing flames, wincing as her mouth burned with the infusion of heat. Much as she hated it as a reminder of her new status, it at least did the job of fixing everything that was wrong with her in one fell swoop.
“Thank you, Seath. Sorry we got a bit ahead of ourselves there.”
Deeming his heart rate and breathing were back at a healthy level, Griggs stepped forward.
“Yet still you proved there is more to you than would initially be apparent. I confess I’m somewhat curious to see what else you equines are capable of.” He stated politely. Taking this as a request for her to show off more of her skills, Dash promptly switched back to her more boisterous self.
“Well, allow me to take the lead then! I got the timing of these pendulums down pat now from my earlier stunts so I’ll scout ahead and see what other nasty surprises are laying in wait!”
Before anyone could protest, the pegasus was galloping across the bridge to the next chamber, dodging the swinging blades without even needing her wings.
“Shall I warn her about the additional man-serpents waiting up ahead? Or their little prison area that I ended up in?” Logan grumbled as he followed at a much more careful pace. “Or shall we all assume she’ll handle the rest on her own while we go to gather the demon titanite resources she unwisely left down there?”
Getting back to her hooves and exhaling in relief, Twilight picked up her catalyst.
“A little bit of both. Let’s just grab what you need and not let her get too far ahead.”
***
“Please keep up. There’s multiple paths through the woods and we can’t afford to get separated.” The Chosen Undead called from the front of the group.”
“We’re right behind yah, Miss Aurelia…just…hmm.” Applejack stopped and took in the scene around her. “Flutters, Trixie, Pinkie, refresh mah memory. When we were walkin’ through the parish back there it looked to be around midday, maybe early afternoon right? Ah wasn’t just imaginin’ the sun burnin’ brightly over our heads right?”
“No, you’re right Applejack. It was a very lovely afternoon despite the…ummm...questionable company that we ran into.” Fluttershy replied while following her friend’s gaze. “If you’re referring to how did it manage to become the dead of night in the time it took us to cross the room exiting Mr. Andre’s shop…well, your guess is as good as mine.”
Looking up at the black, starless sky that hung over everyone, Trixie gave a shrug.
“Well as stated, this place is called the DARK-root Garden. The name may have been meant literally.” She guessed.
“Yeah, like the day/night cycle of this place is broken and it’s just stuck permanently in night mode!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. ” Like last Nightmare Night when Discord froze time around Ponyville so the night would last longer and everyone would get more candy!”
“Ah yes. What an unappreciated effort that was.” The draconequus mused wistfully. “Seriously, a longer than normal night was part of the very foundation for that holiday! How could it be a crime to commemorate that with a few extra hours of darkness? I mean it wasn’t like I left you all to stumble about blindly. I turned several of the flowers around town into flashlights so everyone could still see where they were going…much like someone thought to do here, oddly enough…”
Discord plucked one of the glowing plants that were growing wild throughout the wood, providing enough illumination that everyone could at least make out their immediate surroundings. “Huh. If nothing else, this place could give the Everfree Forest a run for lush beauty and the variety of colorful plants. Oooh, there’s one that’ll look perfect around the borders of my flower bed! ”
He reached for an exotic looking fern with red tipped leaves. The fern promptly showed it wouldn’t stand for his antics by exploding out of the ground, revealing it was in fact attached to a giant tree like monstrosity with flailing whip like branches covered in razor sharp thorns.
“Uhh…actually on second thought I take that back! The soil in my garden would probably not be suitable to such an…eeep…animated breed!” Discord replied as three more tree monsters burst from the ground to attack the party. He promptly summoned a giant pair of pruning shears as one of them swung its branches at him, nabbing the offending wooden limb in between the blades and snipping it cleanly off the creature. It staggered back as if in pain, only to then twist its torso around and smack him with its other branches.
“Well clearly someone hasn’t been doing their job in maintaining the upkeep of this place! Tsk!” The chaos god commented as he traded the shears for a chainsaw and revved it to life. The tree raised its limbs as if signaling surrender, Discord held his chainsaw at the ready in case it stepped forward in submission.
He quickly saw he was right to keep his guard up when the tree then collapsed on him and tore into his flesh with its thorns.
“OW! Hey, that’s fighting dirty! OOOH! Also that’s going to leave quite a mark! OW! Yes very sharp! OW!”
The chaos god finally just teleported himself out of the creature’s grip, leaving it to tumble to the ground as he materialized behind it.
“I dare say, you’re worse than the plunder vines!” He said while driving his chainsaw into the tree’s body. Bark and sap flew everywhere as the tree’s accomplices rushed to its aid. Behind them Siegmeyer and the Chosen Undead rushed back from there they’d been scouting ahead, drawing their weapons and laying into the wooden abominations.
“Figures. The ents always pick the most inconvenient spots to lay in wait.” The female warrior groaned as she chopped away at the wooden enemies with one of her broadswords.
“Yes well, could be worse. I mean at least this lot isn’t armed like the ones we ran into in Oolacile. Dreadful surprise those were.” The onion headed knight commented as he cut his own way through the beasts. “Yet strangely similar in their behavior now that I think about it…hmm, I do wonder if these are a related breed…”
“Well there’ll be time to ponder the botanical aspects later, right now let’s just try and avoid becomin’ compost here.” Applejack said wearily as one of the tree creatures turned to her. She darted under its swinging branches and knocked it back with a solid buck of her back hooves. “Don’t even try it you! Ah’ve dealt with trees all mah life, and whether you’ve got roots or feet, Ah know how to beat you into submission.”
The ent remained unconvinced and raised it branches to trap the earth mare under its weight just like its fellow monster had done with Discord. Spotting this for the golden opportunity it presented, Applejack bucked it again in the trunk.
“Fine, if yer going to ask fer it!” She said while driving the creature towards a bend in the path. It staggered backwards as leaves and broken bits of its body dropped off onto the ground. Applejack ran forward to finish it off with one more brutal application of her hooves.
The ent promptly fell away from her as the ground beneath simply ceased to exist.
“What the…oh horseapples!” Applejack cried as her momentum brought her over the edge of the cliff into a lethal drop into the void beyond. “FLUTTERS HELP ME!”
Wind whipped around the farmer’s body as she plummeted in free fall. For a time that seem to stretch on forever, Applejack tumbled and turned in the merciless pull of gravity, her life flashing before her eyes…
…and then all too soon she found herself being stopped in midair as an aura enveloped her and a pair of hooves securely wrapped themselves around her barrel.
“We’ve got you! Please, remain still!” Trixie ordered as she helped Fluttershy pull their friend back onto solid ground.
“I’m sorry we took so long! I…I had to grab your hat first.”
Applejack raggedly grasped for small sips of air, pressing her hooves into the ground to check all of her was now safe from danger.
“That’s…that’s quite alright. You did fine, both o' you.” Applejack gasped as she placed her Stetson back on her head. “Starry apples, okay…so everthin’ wantin’ us dead obviously isn’t enough, we need to watch where we step too.” She whispered before collapsing into the ground. “Thank you again, Fluttershy, Trixie.”
Fluttershy took a fright filled gasp of air and then smiled. “As…as you said, we’re in this together. No pony leaves another’s side.” The pegasus looked over into the bottomless void and shivered. “Course, it might be worth asking Rarity if she could sew us some parachutes when we meet up with her again. I noticed quite a lot of the terrain around here seems to terminate in similarly fatal drops.”
Hearing the snapping of twigs behind her, Trixie whirled around to see one of the tree monsters stumbling towards her.
“Well while that may not be good for our health…it might be useful for getting these out of our mane.” The unicorn retrieved a smoke bomb from her saddle bag and hurled it on the ground. The tree monster reeled back from the blast, allowing Trixie to dart behind it and blast it. The creature stumbled but managed to regain its footing, so Trixie blasted it again, and again, till it finally slipped off the cliff side and joined its brother in the void below.
“Not that Trixie wishes to offend any more than she already has, Miss Aurelia, but given you demonstrated a strong grasp of fire type magic when you first arrived in Ponyville, is there any reason you can’t just burn these…things?” The unicorn panted, cracking her neck and feeling oddly invigorated as a soul shot up from below and infused into her body.
“I could, but they often carry valuable resources that we’re all going to need soon enough.” The Chosen Undead drew out a dagger and began cutting at a purple moss that was growing on the body of her opponent. “This for example is very good for curing the poison from animal bites or if you accidentally coming into contact with a toxic substance. If I used my pyromancies I’d risk destroying it in the process.”
Trixie turned up her nose as the soggy wet clump of plant matter. The Chosen Undead just reached over and dropped it in her saddle bag regardless.
“Trust the good lady, you’ll be glad to have it with you later on. Think of it as a souvenir of your first successful victory here. You didn’t handle yourself too badly at all.” Siegmeyer replied as he shouldered his zweihander. Trixie looked down at the wooden corpse and her disgust faded into melancholy.
“Only because you gave Trixie this to enhance her powers.” She said, studying the Bellowing Dragoncrest Ring on her leg. “Just like with the alicorn amulet, Trixie is only made Great and Powerful because of help from a secondary source. On her own, is she really anything other than a worker of cheap parlor tricks?”
Ripping his chainsaw out of his own opponent, who by now had been reduced to a gory mess of splinters, Discord hmmed softly as he took in the arboreal massacre around them.
“Well least we give this place some much needed weeding.” He mused while dismissing his weapon. “Now, why don’t you continue onward to wherever it is you’re going? Best I hang back and make sure these weeds don’t sprout anew while we’re distracted.”
Discord summoned a large cloud and a spray apparatus filled with some rather sickly looking chemicals.
“Nothing like a little shower of DDT to get rid of any pesky, unwanted plants!” He said while spraying the chemicals into the cloud then making it rain all over the vegetation, which in turn quickly began to wither and die.
“Indeed, come there’s another bonfire just up ahead.” The Chosen Undead guided the party through the woods to a toppled mess of stone blocks surrounding the ever inviting flames that promised relief, however temporary. Beside them stood what appeared to be a door decorated with a glowing circular recess. “You may want to take a moment to ready yourselves. Beyond this door is the home territory of the Forest Hunter Covenant and beyond them is their leader, Alvina. Much as I’m sure they’re going to be very displeased to see me again, we must make our way through their numbers if we wish to gain an audience and get some answers.”
Applejack swallowed hard as she let the fire warm her. “Ah take it that means we’ve got more killing to do?”
“Well, we do, the Chosen Undead and I. You’re of course welcome to join in but we’ll understand completely if you’d rather hold back after that last tussle.” Siegmeyer replied. “A life of peace is a privilege one should not be so quick to sully.”
Applejack looked to Trixie, who looked to Fluttershy. The latter shivered terribly and gazed at her hooves, pondering if she really had it in her to start spilling blood. The former two looked to the ents had fallen and contemplated if they were ready to take the step up from killing animated lumber piles to killing beings of the same sentience and stature as their new friends.
“We’ll just have to see what happens…Ah guess.” Applejack replied as the Chosen Undead inserted the crest of Artorias and pushed open the doors.
***
“Okay everyone, stop here. I can hear rumbling in the distance and the floor slopes downward in this next hallway which usually means….” Rainbow Dash cautiously peeked her head out of the doorway, then promptly yanked it back as a stone boulder came rolling down the hall, threatening to flatten any unwary soul foolish enough to step into its path. “Yep, called it! Wow, this really is like something straight out of A.K. Yearling’s writing! Damn I should’ve asked Discord for his camera to record this. She’d be thrilled.”
The boulder crashed down into the depths of the fortress. After a moment’s pause the rumbling started again and a second boulder rolled down to follow the path of its predecessor.
“Well once we figure out how we’re going to get past this I’ll mention it in my next letter to Celestia.” Twilight sighed as a third boulder rolled past the doorway. “What manner of contraption is making this possible?”
“A giant on the roof. Yes really.” Griggs said. “Saw it on my last venture through this place, dropping boulders down a chute as methodically as clockwork.”
Seath arched an eyeridge from his own position back in the pendulum chamber (the passage being too small for him to fit through).
“Sen did boast of such a plan: to chain an enslaved of the race that did stand among mine kindred in the Age of Ancients, make it work for its worth permitting entry for those who wished to prove theirs. A foolish venture I deemed it to be…how impressive that Sen should prove my expectations to be made in error.”
Twilight mentally counted the seconds as a fourth boulder rolled past the doorway. She determined there was enough of a gap between each for one to just make it to the end of the hall, though from what she could tell the boulders were being dropped in further away than that so that didn’t mean one would be out of danger if they succeeded.
“And the only way to reach the roof is to head through this?” The alicorn asked as a fifth boulder kept the process going, rolling to further flatten the bodies lining the hallway into the ground, and trail their spilled blood behind it as a memento of their demise.
“Well it looks worse than it probably is.” Rainbow Dash replied, trying to keep a smile on her face. “I mean yeah there’s not enough room for us to fly over the rocks, but seeing as I totally breezed through the pendulums back there I can probably find a way through this too!”
“We already did once before.” Logan said with subtle disdain. “At the top there’s a device that directs the boulders to run down one of four paths. The Chosen Undead used it to access the cell area where I was… temporarily made a guest of the man-serpents. If one of us could make it up there they could no doubt reroute the boulders to fall somewhere more convenient for us.”
As a sixth boulder rolled past the doorway, Rarity propped her chin on a hoof in thought.
“Twilight, why don’t you take the lead with me on this one then?” She said. Igniting her horn, the unicorn caught the seventh boulder in her magic and grit her teeth as she slowly brought it to stop. Stepping cautiously into the hallway, she began pushing the boulder back the way it came, using it as a barrier to halt the next one that came rolling down behind it, then the one after that. “This is going to take both our strength…ngh…but if we can clog up the flow…ghrgh…then Spike can squeeze past the small gap between the rocks and the wall…”
“And reach the device to change the direction of the boulders! Good thinking, Rarity!” Twilight jumped in to merge her magic with the unicorn’s and help her push the growing conga line of rocks. Both equines shuddered every time another boulder crashed into the back, but combined, their power seemed enough to hold the growing weight at bay.
“Spike if you wouldn’t mind?” Rarity asked, her voice sounding as polite as ever despite the strain showing on her face.
“On it. Don’t worry about me!” The little dragon plastered himself to the wall and very carefully began to scoot his way down the crowded hall. At the back of the party Seath checked his surroundings and searched his memories.
“In times past, Sen did order an elevator to carry him from here to the roof so that he might survey his domain as its master.” The dragon looked to the ceiling and spotted a small hole. “Rainbow Dash, there may yet be a way to speed along thine own passage!”
The pegasus zipped back into the pendulum chamber and Seath pointed to the hole.
“Right okay! Should be a piece of cake! I’ll see what I can find up there!” The pegasus slid her catch pole up into the aperture, using it to check all was clear before flying up into the darkness.
“I shall make haste to join thee. There is little one of my stature can do in the interiors of this place.” He sighed before flying back out of the fortress’ entrance. In the middle of it all, Griggs and Logan looked at each other.
“How fascinatingly quick the Grand Duke is to aid such foreign folk in braving the troubles of our lands.” The younger sorcerer commented.
“One wonders what favor they could have offered him in exchange for his aid. How great it must have been, considering all the offerings and tributes I sent him from Vinheim were met with naught but silence.” Logan replied jealously.
***
“Well, bothersome weeds aside, this place really is quite romantic!” Discord replied as the party carefully tread deeper still into the forest. “I mean the lighting, the ambiance, the quiet sense of peace, that waterfall I hear in the distance, who thinks we should spread out a blanket and have a little picnic?”
The chaos god summoned a patchwork quilt and unrolled it. Two long stemmed candles sprouted from the fabric and set themselves alight as a picnic basket, a wine bottle and several glasses appeared to complete the scene.
“Fluttershy, perhaps you’d care to join me in a toast? I made sure to bring the finest from Berry Punch’s vineyard!”
The yellow pegasus blinked, then blushed as Discord poured a glass for her and himself.
“Discord…uhh…is now really the right time for that?” She asked, trying not to blush. “Miss Aurelia did say this is dangerous territory.”
“Indeed…well, it should be.” The Chosen Undead sounded a bit confused as she removed her helmet and brought a pair of binoculars to her eyes. “At least, the last time I traveled through this part of Darkroot it was more hostile….”
She swept her gaze across the trees, seeing little besides the odd momentary disturbance that could’ve been a body moving amidst the darkened woods, or could have just as likely been the wind rustling a plant.
“Several of the Forest Hunters do possess the means of turning invisible and thus moving about the trees unseen…” The female warrior commented, before feeling the glare of several souls who really didn’t need yet another reason to be worried for their lives boring into the back of her head. “But then again they’d still have to give their position away in order to attack so if they haven’t already then it’s probable that they aren’t nearby.”
“Oooh maybe their leader, this Miss Alvina you mentioned, told them to hold back. You did indicate she was expecting you to visit her.” Pinkie Pie offered, smiling in relief when the Chosen Undead lowered her binoculars and contemplated her point.
“That’s…actually that is possible. I certainly would hope I left an acceptable impression on her the last time we met…” Aurelia stored the binoculars and put her helmet back on. “I’m going to strike for the ruins there in the distance. With any luck she’ll be waiting.”
The warrior cautiously stepped away from the party, keeping her hands raised to show she meant no ill will to whoever may be watching.
“Well, if such is the case then now is indeed the perfect time for a little catching up. There’ve been a lot of afternoon teas and intimate strolls we’ve missed out on Fluttershy.” Discord said while raising his glass. Fluttershy looked mildly guilty but did not return the gesture.
“Well we’ve both been busy. You’ve had your community service to the Princesses, and I’ve had Scootaloo and…ermmm…well, you know who.” The pegasus sighed. “Does it still bother you that much that Tree Hugger and I are friends?”
Discord’s charming grin melted away as the uncomfortable question settled in to weigh down his mood.
“Well….let’s face facts: she’s been dragging you to a number of her own events during the time we were meant to be having our own private time.”
“You’ve always been offered the chance to join us.” Fluttershy replied, much to the chaos god’s chagrin.
“True, but there was also the Cutie-Cenara for Scootaloo and her friends where Tree Hugger got the job of assisting Pinkie Pie in designing the party.”
“She said she asked for your input multiple times on that. You gave her vague answers then told her you had gardening to do.”
Discord raise his lion paw and opened his mouth, then he lowered one and shut the other (not quite the same ones as before though). A fringe of white wool materialized over his clothes as he began feeling sheepish.
“Well…uh…there was also the last Sistershoove’s Social where you let her compete with Scootaloo instead of…oh wait, I wouldn’t have been allowed to take part in that anyway.” He harumphed. “Geez, this is not quite turning out to be the intimate little soiree I was hoping for.”
Fluttershy looked to her friends who did her the service of looking very awkward.
“Why did you feel the need to talk about this now, Discord?” The pegasus asked. The chaos god downed the liquid in his glass and sighed as he then tried to amplify its effects upon his being.
“Well it just seemed like the right time to bring up a few things that have been on my mind. And if the so called Forest Hunters have seen fit to let us have a moment of peace I thought I might as well make use of it.”
A tinkling sound rang out from amidst the trees. Seconds later Discord’s wine glass exploded as a soul arrow rocketed out of the darkness and smashed through it. Seconds later a volley of arrows rained down from above, giving everyone cause to scatter as they buried themselves in the ground. Two figures dressed in the mantles of a bandit and a thief leaped from the tree tops as two knights charged in to help surround the party.
“Of course, as always, I could have been giving this place too much credit.” Discord grumbled as the Forest Hunters closed in with their weapons drawn. “Guess it’s back to fighting for our lives again?”
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Excellent as always. Just two tiny mistakes.
“Okay everyone, stop here. I can hear rumbling in the distance and the floor slopes downward in this next hallway which usually means….” Rainbow Jack"
Based off context, this should be Rainbow Dash.
“One wonders what favor they could have offered him in exchange for his aid. How great it must have been, considering all the offerings and tributes I sent him from Vinheim were met with naught but silence.” Logan replied jealously.
“Well, bothersome weeds aside, this place really is quite romantic!” Discord replied as the party carefully tread deeper still into the forest. “I mean the lighting, the ambiance, the quiet sense of peace, that waterfall I hear in the distance, who thinks we should spread out a blanket and have a little picnic?”
There's no scene break for the transition between the Anor Londo and Darkroot Garden groups here, and it would honestly flow better with one. Assuming this is just a format error.
6590236 Yeah one other thing I forgot to mention: I had to edit this one myself since both my editors were occupied with life obligations so typos and errors are unfortunately more likely.
Will amend the ones you spotted and thank you!
6590323
Error:
Applejack looked to Rarity, who looked to Rainbow. The latter gazed at her hooves, pondering if she really had it in her to start spilling blood.
I think that should be Fluttershy, RD is with Twilight and Seath.
I have caught up!
6590323 another minor issue; DDT is a pesticide. I think you meant to have Discord using Agent Orange, which is weed spray on meth with ptsd.
One thing that's bugging me a bit. The 'ents' are actually called 'Demonic Foliage'.
Ok I've been trying to ignore it for awhile now but how big is Seath in this? With how big he is ingame he would never be able to fit in Sen's Fortress, or in the building with the blacksmith, or have enough space to stand in Firelink Shrine, or be able to move in Twilight's castle without being terribly cramped and how is he flying in Sen's fortress? I mean he definately can't fit there in the first place but even if he did that's just asking for a swinging axe through a wing or two. Also previously he slept on a mountain of pillows, how many pillows does Twilight have in her rooms? Hundreds?
7841305
I think it's implied in this story that he has size control, or knows a spell for size control.
That's the best excuse I got, though.
7630999
Seriously? That has got to be one of the stupidest names for something like that I’ve ever heard! I’ve been calling them dryads all this time.