The Ruins of Pandemonia

A rude shake woke Fluttershy from her dreamless night. Iron Cross was sitting crossed legged in front of her, holding a small bag on his left hand. “Prepared lunch… at least according to my watch.” he said as he shrugged his shoulders. “Honestly, I’m not so sure that there’s a use to remember our time.” he then handed her the bag. “You might want to eat it fast. These things were never made with flavor in mind, so the less you chew the less you’ll hate it.”

She picked it up and mused at her meal. With the poor lighting she had she guessed it was some type of pasta, probably with a red sauce. She ingested a spoonful, quickly realizing that the soldier was right. The food was there, technically. There was no flavor that if she didn’t chew she wouldn’t have realized she was eating. She swallowed, letting the pasta go down her throat and hit her belly. Instantly, her stomach remembered its hunger and demanded more. She wolfed it down, barely breathing in between bites, until her rations died. Her stomach growled in protest, but a stare from Iron discouraged any attempt at seconds.

“We need to get moving.” He said, tucking the sleeping bag back into place. “Hopefully we’ll be able to see the top today.” He held the backpack in a gesture that asked her to pick it up. “If all’s well we might avoid picking a fight.”

She simply nodded and slung the pack. With the dragon’s dagger stowed unsafely on her belt, she prepared herself for the path ahead.

The only path available to them was another pitch-black cave. They walked slowly, constantly checking to see if there were more rat-men about. This path and paranoia lasted for about half an hour, constantly battering them with the rancid smell and small squeaks.

As they left the cave they were greeted by a cold, bright light. In front of them was a large dirt plain, with nothing but a cobblestone path leading them to a mass of ivory. The various towers and cathedrals shone like dying beacons against the arctic light, lamenting their broken glass and defiled masonry. Some of the smaller structures had an eerie orange glow, as if there was still a faint flame on this city.

The stone road led them to a pair of rusted gates. The green and orange tarnished the once opulent doors, with once great statues now reduced to oxidized piles of metal.

“Look,” Iron said as he pointed at the pale light. As she turned her eyes she could see that the white was hoisted above the tallest, most opulent tower. Each of its limestone tiles seemed impervious to the savagery that plagued the rest of the city, giving it a strange eldritch feel to it. Her vision was soon blocked by a mass of midnight blue metal. “In the Most Holy name of Luna, who dares cross the gates of Pandemonia?” A hollow voice boomed across the expanse. “Know that the Angel of Night has ordered than none pass.”

Fluttershy instinctively stepped back, while her soldier prepared his shield. But before any could speak, an even larger mass of silver fur climbed through the wall. This monstrous wolf jumped down onto the street, snarling as it approached them. Iron immediately prepared to withstand the force, lifting his shield with all his strength. But the heart-haired woman merely stepped forward, with her hand stretched.

“Ma’am, please step back.” The soldier ordered, soon realizing that his commands fell upon deaf ears. As the lady stepped forward, the canine ceased its growls, moving its nose to meet her frail hand.

“What are two untainted humans doing in this hell?” The voice boomed. “Those that have resisted this curse have long since fled.

“We’re sorry,” Fluttershy shouted, “but we seemed to have fallen in this odd place.”

“You fell?” the voice asked. “Do you mean to say that you are from above?” This time it asked with a curious tilt of what one could assume to be its head.

“That’s right. We were-” she stopped as the metal bulk jumped into the air and landed in front of her. The sheer weight of the suit of tarnished armor cracked the stone, sending clouds of angered dust in front of her.

“Then you must leave immediately. This is not a place that was ever meant for your eyes.”

“And that’s what we want to do.” Iron intervened. “But there’s no way for us to contact my superiors to get us out of here. So if you could please open the gates-”

“The gates can never be opened again.” The knightly armor responded. “My lady made me swear my life to defend these doors so long as there is a soul inside this hollow armor.” He knocked on the metal, allowing an unnerving hollow tone cover the silent plains.

“Then how do we get out?” Iron protested. “Our best, and most probably our only, option is to get to that tall tower. Once we’re there I can call my superiors and they’ll get us out of here.”

“To attempt to enter the Primal Cathedral to invite death!” The iron suit roared. “There is no one that could best the Two Guardians.”

“And yet that’s the only way.” The purple-armored soldier smirked. “I’m not about to let two dudes stop me from getting back home!”

“Very well.” The hollow knight responded. “If you wish to try, I wish you speed. But I cannot allow you to enter the city without providing some form of aid.” With a sharp whistle the titanic wolf laid down, tilting its spine toward the two mortals. “Fenrir will take you over the gate. Climb on back.” he commanded as he mounted his titanic pet. Fluttershy stepped forward to grab a fistful of fur, while Iron laid flat on his chest.

The leap nearly sent them flying, as the canine’s hind legs contracted before springing up. The short period of airlessness reminded Fluttershy of the fear she felt on her first flying lesson back in Cloudsdale. She couldn’t stop herself from yelling in horror as her skirt began to envelop her arms. A quick glance back could tell that Iron was terrified, with eyes tightly shut and more pink on his cheeks.

As soon as Fenrir landed, Fluttershy slowly slid down from the fur and landed on her feet. This was in complete opposite to Iron, who fell face first onto the stone floor like a dropped pancake. Night Blade approached them and offered the downed soldier a hand.

“Please forgive him. Despite his size, Fenrir likes to behave like a pup.”

“Don’t sweat it.”  Iron replied. “So, where do we need to go?”

“Head for the tower,” the knight said as he pointed at the nearest tall structure.  “inside you will find a map spread across a table. Take it, and take any supplied that you may need.”

“Thanks man. You sure you don’t wanna come with us? I bet seeing Equestria again has got to be a good change of scenery.”

“I would like to accept your proposal, but I was tasked by Princess Luna herself with keeping the peace here. If I were to abandon my post then there would be no one to protect my homeland from the terrors. Not to mention that Lord Kvasir is still keeping the field afloat. If I left his sacrifice would be for naught.”

“You sure?” Iron asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “Then I hate to tell you, but that dragon is on her belt.” He pointed at the dagger. “We’re on our way to take this field apart and get the hell out of here.”

The suit looked at him, with two small sapphires dawning on the slits of his helmet. “Then it means that my end is approaching,” he sighed. He unfastened a black horn from his belt and turned it over to Iron. “If you ever run into trouble beyond your abilities, signal me. I will arrive in mere moments to aid you in whatever plight you may have.”

“Thank you.” He replied as he quickly slung the horn around his breast. He opened his mouth to say more, but a large bolt of green lightning drove his instincts to take control and slammed him to the ground. Thousands of bolts followed, most of them crashing against the walls. Debris and dust began to fill the air, breaking the calm monotony that had prevailed for a while.