Lost Keysby Victoria_the_dragonessChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 1The fog of the forest was almost tangible. Thick, oppressive clouds hovered over the trees; a mist was cast upon the land by the inhabitants of a bygone age to prevent their fleeing opponents from regrouping. A war of kin, set in motion by the assassination of a once great king, led to the ultimate extinction of both siblings’ armies through this veil of suffocating mist. It had been like this for an age. Perhaps it had always been this way. Most of the sounds of the forest had long since ceased, the only noises being that of birds flying overhead or withered branches falling to the ground. The Forest of Qarn was its name, given so long ago by its now long dead inhabitants. A single beam of light revealed itself through the stifling fog. The breaking of twigs and the rustling of leaves could be heard against the deafness of the forest. The creature, to whom the light belonged, halted in her stride. Her ears perked, listening for another sound to alert her to coming danger. The aura from her stave, held in her magical grasp, illuminated the area further, bathing the nearby forest in a bluish-white glow. “I suppose this will have to do for now,” she muttered, glancing round at the trees. Aspens, oaks, spruces and pines could be seen all round her, their growth stunted by this unnatural mist. “It’s much the same anywhere else.” Her face was marked with dirt and grime, as was her body and hooves. The mage’s coat was white, but bruises, scrapes and contusions adorned her withers and legs, making it difficult to discern her true colours. Her expression betrayed no sign of weakness, appearing stern and powerful, but beneath that she was exhausted and in need of rest. With a soft sigh her horn lit up, and with her magic she pulled a tent from her saddlebag to begin setting up for the night. She sat on her haunches and levitated the pegs over to hold her makeshift home to the forest floor. The unicorn flicked her mane out of her eyes as she worked tirelessly, her curled, violet locks filled with twigs and leaves. She lifted her chin up and barely made out a solitary star against a dark violet sky. She grumbled irritably. “Of course. Even in here you’re still watching over me.” She lay down on the grass and magicked some twigs over to start a small fire. “I know what it is you ask of me, but I believe you have chosen the wrong unicorn for the job.” She levitated her saddlebags into the tent and stared into the flame. Not that there are any left but me. Oh, Rarity, how was it that you managed to survive when so many more experienced mages perished? The unicorn raised her head once more and found the star again. Uldyui, surely you cannot mean that I am the mare for such a task. Such a path is beyond my power. Leaves rustled, catching Rarity’s attention in an instant. She turned to the south and stood with her stave ready. Her stern expression returned as she took a defensive stance. “Come out, whatever you are. It is very unseemly to lurk in the shadows, intruding on a lady in such a manner.” Silence greeted her. She grimaced as she attempted to see through the fog. Rarity rolled her eyes as seconds ticked by and brought the pommel of her stave down upon the ground. Light erupted from her weapon, bathing the area in a white ethereal glow for several moments. The unicorn’s sapphire eyes flashed in surprise. They were all round her: creatures of shadow and darkness, deformed and vile terrors of the night. They were a head taller than her, standing with their grotesque claws ready. Blinded by the sudden light, they screamed and lunged forward at Rarity. She ducked underneath one and sliced two more in half with her stave. She let out a groan of pain as one managed to swipe at her right shoulder, and another missed her left eye. Rarity cast another ray of light from her weapon and two more creatures vanished. She moved in a clockwise manner, her gaze shifting from enemy to enemy for any indication of movement. The monsters cackled and mocked her as she staggered around her tent. There were so many of them, her defensive strategy doing nothing to halt their onslaught. Before she could react, one of the larger creatures charged forward and slashed at her cheek. Rarity fell to the ground, blood dripping from the open wounds on her face and body. The sounds of their laughter filled the air as Rarity tried to calm her panicked mind. She closed her eyes and her horn began to glow brightly. I suppose this is the only thing left to do. A blue veil surrounded the white unicorn, easing the pain that she felt throughout her body. “Uldyui’s Light, protect and watch over me!” Rays of white light shot from her shield and encased her remaining adversaries. She heard their shouts of laughter and triumph turn quickly to pain and death. Rarity lifted herself onto her hooves and stared as her opponents dissolved into the night, her own wounds being healed within her protective magic. Rarity allowed a sigh of relief to escape her as her magic faded. The mage was breathing heavily, having over-exerted herself with such a high level magic limit break. She trotted back over to her tent, where her stave was knocked from her grasp when she fell, and sat back on her haunches. “I hope that that is the last of them for tonight. Now where is that map?” She brought her saddlebag over to her and pulled out a scroll of parchment. The unicorn placed the map in front of her, and with a fore hoof she traced the path she had taken thus far. “If I can get out of this forest by tomorrow, I should be able to reach where this crystal is held by the afternoon. That is, if some beast or pony hasn’t already chanced by it.” The map was once again rolled up and shoved into her saddlebags. With a groan of anguish mixed with uncertainty, the mage made her way into her tent and attempted to regain her strength. Rarity made one last preliminary check for any foes in the area, before finally letting her weary eyes shut out the world for a few hours. When Rarity awoke, she found herself wondering if she had slept for any time at all. Within this forest of fog, night seemed never ending to her; though as she tilted her head up to gaze at the stars, she found patches of light blue and white. Without so much as a word, the unicorn packed up her belongings and ventured further into the unforgiving woodland. Watched as she was by the Unliving in the forest, Rarity managed to avoid any further conflict. It did not take away from the tension and anxiety that was swiftly building in her chest, as she looked from shadow to fallen tree branch. Each twig and dark patch seemed to her to be another enemy, waiting for her guard to falter. As Rarity neared the end of her morning trek, she could see the density of the trees lessen and the sun’s rays shimmering down upon the land beyond the forsaken wood. Her eyes shifted from side to side to make sure she wasn’t walking into any traps. Rarity’s stave lit up and her protective shield enveloped her as she exited the forest. The unicorn closed her eyes as the light that seemed to have forsaken her for a fortnight beamed down upon her once more. Her perilous journey had taken her through the Grey Mountain Pass, travelling south from what was once Uldyui’s White Mage guild. Since Rarity had escaped her guild’s assailants, there had been no sun light to speak of. In her grief the mage had walked along crumbled cliff edges and teleported through collapsed pathways, keeping silent and sorrowful at the loss of her teachers and friends. The trip through the mountains alone had taken nine days, for Rarity’s shame at failing to defend her companions overwhelmed her constantly. Her limbs would shake as the reality of her situation renewed itself within her, and Rarity would curl into herself inside a rocky crevice and cry until her throat burned. Rarity stifled a coming sob and took a few steps forward. The grass was warm on her hooves as she trotted forward and reopened her eyes. Before her was a small stream of water, traveling parallel to the treeline; silent and peaceful, untouched by the ravages of the lands to the north. The sight brought a small smile to her face, an expression she hadn’t been able to muster up for a while. Beyond that tranquil sight stood a cavern entrance several meters ahead. Eight feet-tall, the passage into the cave loomed over Rarity, casting a wide shadow over the stream and joining with that of the forest. “If this isn’t the cave Uldyui spoke of, I don’t know what is.” Gulping at the intimidating appearance of the entrance, the mage’s expression hardened and she made her way within. Rarity held her stave close, illuminating the cave with an aura of light. Her breath caught in her throat as she beheld the interior. Gems gleaned as her magic broke through the darkness: topaz, rubies, sapphires, turquoise and quartz appeared all along the walls of the cavern, each jewel giving off a brilliant sparkling reflection of her light. “My word. What a sight to behold,” whispered Rarity as she strolled forward. “I’m not surprised a crystal of such high regard would be present here.” A few loose rocks tumbled from the ceiling as the unicorn neared the back of the cave. Small pools of water had formed from many years of erosion, gaps in the roof allowing water droplets through. Stalactites and stalagmites joined with one another, creating grand pillars of minerals like a palace over thousands of years; smaller formations dripping water from the ceiling as they grew. Rarity scanned her surroundings with the light from her stave and found a small passage that descended further underground. Her eyebrows furrowed and she followed the path cautiously. Bats awoke and flew further into the cave, escaping the bright light from Rarity’s magic. She stepped back, startled by the sudden activity, but exhaled in relief as the small creatures fled. “These bats don’t seem to appreciate light. Perfect for me, for I have no inclination of fighting any of them in such enclosed spaces. Where is that crystal?” Rarity’s eyes widened as she reached the end of the narrow column of the cave. A splendid aura immersed each and every surface in a magnificent shade of blue. The light from her stave faded as she walked into the lighted room. At the center rested a wonderful sapphire crystal seven feet-tall at least. The wonder and astonishment present in her eyes ebbed away as the reality of the situation dawned on the mare, and she frowned. “How am I meant to bring this with me? What must I do now?” “…Step closer…” “What?” Rarity staggered back, looking for whoever spoke. All that greeted her was an empty cave. More pillars of minerals supported the cave here, immersed in blue from the splendid jewel in the center. She turned back to the crystal and stuttered out a response. “Was…was that…you?” “…Step closer…” Sure enough, the resonating voice seemed to stem from the jewel in the center of the room. The crystal’s light even appeared to grow in brightness as Rarity heard the sound. The mage swallowed as she approached the sapphire gemstone, with caution in each step. Rarity’s legs were tense, ready to jump back at the sign of any sort of trickery. “…What doth thou wish of me…?” Rarity’s mouth opened to speak an answer, but she only mouthed incoherence. She shut her mouth in silence, and willed herself to form the words. “I…I’m not sure. I was sent by Uldyui to locate a powerful crystal.” “…A mage of Uldyui…art thou able to wield my power…?” His voice almost sounded like it came from her ears, reverberating in her skull. “Your…power?” “…For thousands of years, many of your kind hath journeyed to this place, eager to gain my power for themselves…wicked kings and jealous princes desiring of the might required to win an unwinnable war…” “I do not know what I desire. I wish for peace…an end to strife and death.” The words suddenly came so easily to her lips. It was as though she had practiced this conversation for years, knowing it would occur. “…Hmm. Thou art the last of thine calling…art thou not? Art thou strong enough to bring about…such a wish…?” Rarity’s eyes wrenched shut, forcing her tears away. She grimaced and made herself reply. “I am the last. I know that there were mages much more apt for this task than I, but there are no longer others to choose from. If…if a mage of Uldyui is of interest to you where no one else has been, how much longer must you wait to find someone strong enough?” Her emotions were winning again. She bit her lip and willed calmness into her breath. “…Hmm. Thou hast strength. Thou hast courage…and compassion. Thou hast power…but it is untapped, as of yet. Thou speakest the truth, child…long hath I awaited a creature with the fortitude…to fully wield my might. Uldyui holds thee in high regard, for one so young…very well…I shall lend thee my power, to make your desires a reality…do not squander this gift I give to thee, child…” Rarity stepped back as the cave began to rumble. The light from the crystal began to wax and wane, cracks forming in the center of the great sapphire gemstone. The mage turned around in a panic and made for the exit, but the ceiling above collapsed and blocked her way. Her heart thundered in her chest, seeing bats flying about dodging debris as it fell from the roof. The protect spell that she had cast around her held firm as rocks fell from the cave, but Rarity knew that her magic could not last much longer. She spun back around to face the crystal, to plea for aid, but the light had nearly faded from the gem’s facets. Please…do not let it end like this. Rarity opened her mouth to speak the words aloud, but stopped. She shut her mouth and closed her eyes, picturing those that she had lost, waiting for the inevitable. “…Do not squander this gift I give to thee…” Rarity’s eyes fluttered open after a moment. All of the noise, all of the falling rocks and bats had ceased. She was no longer in the cave. In fact, she was nowhere near where she had been seconds ago. The mage checked her saddlebags. Still there. Next, her stave. It was still in her magical grasp. “What just…?” She left the question unfinished, gaping in terror at what she saw all round her. A village burned. Thatched roof cottages were up in flames in every direction, though Rarity saw no creatures nearby. Her ears perked at a sudden noise. Off to my right, she thought. “What is happening?” She took off in the direction of the sound, her stave close by her side. She rounded the corner of a collapsing building and gasped at the sight on the other side. dravanzi, two of them, surrounding a yellow pegasus. She seemed to be struggling to stand. I might have guessed. Rarity growled as she raised her stave. “No…I won’t let you harm another soul. You killed all of my friends…my teachers…everyone I loved…I won’t let that happen again!” She tilted her weapon at the pony and a blue shield surrounded her. The pegasus glanced up at the unicorn, gasping as the dragonlings slashed at the protective barrier. “Fight!” Rarity shouted as she raised her stave again, pulling free three stones and hurling them at her opponents. They hit their mark square on, earning her the attention of the dravanzi. They let out a roar, displaying rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth, and extended their wings, ready to rush at her. She drew her stave along the ground before her as she muttered a defensive incantation. Shards of ice erupted from the cobbled pathway, preventing the dragonlings from making a full-on charge. From the sudden noise ahead of her, the pegasus finally gathered the courage to open her eyes. She stared, awestruck, watching this complete stranger risk her life for the sole purpose of saving her. It was an act of generosity, in its purest form. It stirred something inside of her chest. The desire to fight. The will to protect. One of the dravanzi rushed the white mage, snarling and snapping its jaw as it flung himself at the ice barrier. The creature drew back, roaring in pain as the ice crawled up its limbs. Rarity braced herself for the enemy’s renewed assault, failing to notice the other adversary hissing and snarling at the unicorn. It was preparing an attack of his own, something the pegasus took notice of. Seeing the other mage battling these deadly foes without a second thought, the butter mare had no doubt she could handle herself in a fair fight. However, these creatures didn’t seem to be the type to honour such codes. If she failed to act and instead chose to flee, this mage would surely be injured and the pegasus would have no one to blame but herself. She scrambled frantically, reaching for the wand which helped channel her powers. Oh my…please don’t fail me now… The dravanzi that had stayed back was ready, the venom caught in its throat. It prepared to shoot its bile, to paralyze this white mage and make her life end for interrupting their fun. Before this assault could be made, the black mage raised her wand toward the beast. “Fire…” The whisper was low but the power was real. The air around the pegasus shifted, seeming almost to shimmer from the heat that engulfed her. The ball of flame crashed into the side of the dravanzi’s head. Being a dragon it did not sear its flesh, but the spell was powerful enough to knock the creature to the ground. It wreathed in agony at the force of the attack and Rarity saw her opportunity. Slamming one of her front legs down, she summoned the rocks once more. She swung her stave and they hit their target again. The still standing dravanzi flinched in pain at the onslaught, and Rarity’s eyes focused on the miserable creature. She remembered the other mages; their cries of pain and anguish as they were slaughtered by these cruel beings. The sole purpose of a white mage was to heal those who needed it. To protect those who could not protect themselves and these beasts had killed them all to satisfy their greedy ends. She summoned the rocks again, then another time; a fourth time, hurling them faster as her pent up emotions found a source of release. She screamed. The second dravanzi had joined its comrade on the ground by that point, roaring in pain. It hissed and unfurled its wings, tossing aside another volley of rocks. It flapped its wings once, sending a powerful gust of wind which knocked Rarity flying. Her head collided with the side of a cottage, and everything blurred. Oh my goodness, oh my goodness! The pegasus rushed over, galloping as quickly as she could. She flew over the ice barrier and slid to a stop in front of the downed mage. All four of her legs quivered and she suddenly wished she could recall the bravery she’d found moments ago. The dravanzi were rising again and the black mage wasn’t sure if it was to attack or retreat. She swallowed hard, feeling a lump in her throat and she opened her mouth to speak. Please get up…please. She willed herself to talk, to defend this injured mare, but she remained silent and took a step back in fear. From the corner of her eye, the pegasus watched as Rarity struggled back to her feet, as she had been doing moments before. Suddenly, the spark was back. She took a deep breath to calm herself and set her jaw. The black mage turned to face her opponents, both having flared their wings in anger. “Y-you’d better get out of here!” she shouted. She sincerely hoped that she sounded as brave as she was trying to be. “Y-you should be a-ashamed of yourselves! Attacking innocent travelers…” The dravanzi exchanged confused looks with one another and roared in response to her comment. “Oh no you don’t!” She stomped her hoof to further establish that she would not back down, completely unaware that behind her Rarity was watching in awe. Her wand was raised in her hoof, creating several fires around her. “Get out of here, before I decide to not be so nice! There’s a lot more fire where that came from!” Her foes roared once more, baring their teeth in a fit of rage, but they exchanged concerned glances again. Neither seemed much in favour of receiving another ball of fire directly to the face. They each hissed at the ponies before retreating into the woods to the west. Instantly, relief rushed over her in a calming wave. Fluttershy…you did it. You actually did it. She suddenly found herself exhausted, and she slumped to the ground feeling as though she might burst into tears. It was always sad, when a creature resorted to violence. “Thank you, darling. You were absolutely wonderful! How can I ever repay you?” The gratitude was obvious in Rarity’s voice. Her new friend’s reaction, however, wasn’t as expected. The pegasus screeched, and jumped into the air. Her wings acted on their own, flapping to keep her airborne, and she looked down at the violet-maned pony below her. Fluttershy’s cheeks flushed a deep shade of red. She’d forgotten all about her saviour and she found herself wondering how she was the one receiving thanks. Vertigo suddenly made itself known to her, and before the pegasus could properly land, her vision faded. She fell, ten feet from the ground. Fluttershy half expected to hear bones crack from the impact before she fainted, but she passed out with no such noises entering her ears. Author's Note Good evening everyone, Thanks for reading and I hope that you liked the first chapter for this story. As I said in the story description this is a collab between myself and Kaii-Leiko, another great story writer here on Fimfiction. This idea came to me while I was playing Final Fantasy XIV, but it also takes enemies and abilities from other Final Fantasy games I have played. Final Fantasy VII and VIII are the other major contributors to the story, VIII being my favourite FF game. I asked my friend Kaii-Leiko to help me along with this story and hopefully continues to write with me on this. Things are looking a bit bleak for Fluttershy, I fear, but someone seems to have her back. I shall post the next chapter on the next Saturday, and Merry Christmas to everyone who reads this. Ta ta! Chapter 2“I hope that I found all of the wounds. Oh please, please don’t die.” That voice. Where do I know it from? The yellow mage’s eyes fluttered open. She saw the roof of one of her village’s houses. Fluttershy couldn’t recall who had lived here; all of the buildings looked the same as they burned. She had returned from a short walk to the river for some herbs when she caught sight of the smoke. Fluttershy had rushed back, overwhelmed with fear about what was happening to her small village. By the time she had returned, however, it was too late. The small pony had searched the houses and the treelines for any signs of life; any indication that her friends were yet alive, but she only saw the dragons…or…they seemed to be dragons. “Darling! You’re okay!” That voice again, Fluttershy thought, feeling lightheaded from just having awoken from her fall. She suddenly remembered it all: being cornered by those beasts, that white mage coming to rescue her, her managing to scare off their attackers before collapsing. “Oh thank Uldyui, you’re alright.” “Why…? Why’d you do that?” Fluttershy’s vision was still blurry, barely making out the pony above her as she lay back on the bed. She licked her lips, feeling her mouth was dry. “Shush dear, no talking. You are still too weak from the beating you took. Here, drink this,” Rarity lectured, levitating a bag filled with water from the river just outside the burned village. She placed the opened cap gently into the pegasi’s mouth and lifted it slightly. The injured mare took some quick gulps of the cold, refreshing liquid and coughed when she had enough. The white mage smiled sadly and brought the bag down next to her. “And…I helped you…because I could. A white mage’s duty is to heal and protect those in trouble, and you seemed to be in quite the tizzy, my dear.” When the mare had fallen unconscious and fell from the sky, Rarity had acted quickly. Her horn shimmered in a bright azure aura as it caught the pegasus in her magic. She carefully lowered the black mage to the cobblestone road and began to identify the extent of the pony’s injuries. Those dravanzi had beaten her into quite the mess: three broken ribs, a disconnected nose, bruises, scratches and blood all over her body. Rarity marveled at the fact that this little pony had the will to stand. She broke away from the mare below her to stare at her surroundings. They were still out in the open, and Rarity feared that those deformed dragonlings would return in greater numbers. She searched the houses, seeing which ones would give the best cover, and found one that had been scorched, but its flames had long been extinguished. The unicorn’s horn quickly glowed in another azure aura, enveloping the two of them and teleporting them into the burned home. Rarity quickly set about healing the pony’s wounds, ignoring her own pain growing in her head. She knew she had sustained a concussion, but this mare had been through far worse and needed treatment before her. Her first priority was to pull her broken ribs back together, then she set about reattaching her nose. Rarity cringed at the extent of her wounds, finding her in a worse condition than she had feared from the beginning. Cuts sealed up quickly and bruises shrunk, the reddened skin and fur returning to their natural colours. Her magic ran thin and the unicorn settled for wrapping the pegasi’s left fore leg in bandages to prevent her from jarring the limb as she awoke. Rarity had found that the leg had sustained severe injury as well, unfortunately having used up the rest of her healing ability before noticing. With a loud, apologetic sigh, the mare stood up and went to search for some water. Rarity levitated a bag out of her saddlebags and set off on a trek to the river just outside the town. She could see it run all the way out to the ocean in the distance to the west, no trees or mountains obstructing its view. She looked upon her wounded patient now, smiling that same sad smile as before. She hoped that what she was able to do would be good enough, but when her guild was attacked Rarity had only just started learning about apprentice healing magic. She’s lucky I was able to do this much. I hope it’s enough. “Thank you.” Rarity gasped, heart clenching in her chest. She placed a hoof to her mouth and saw the mare smiling up at her weakly. After a moment between them, the unicorn placed her fore leg back to the floor of the house and whispered, “You’re welcome.” The room fell silent again, the two ponies locking eyes for a while. Fluttershy broke contact first, trying to sit up from her bed. Pain answered her efforts and the pegasus fell back heavily. She whimpered, feeling tears forming at the edges of her eyes. “No! Please dear, you must remain still and rest.” Rarity sighed as she placed her hooves on the mare’s shoulders gently. “I don’t know how well my magic worked on you. You had three broken ribs, a broken left fore leg and a disconnected nose…not to mention all of the contusions and cuts all along your body. I’m…I’m not much of a white mage, but what aid I have has been given. My name is Rarity, by the way.” She’s so nice…but she doesn’t seem to think much of herself. Fluttershy frowned, knowing how it felt to struggle with the perception of oneself. “I’m Fluttershy. It’s nice to meet you, Rarity. What you’ve done…is certainly a blessing to me.” Rarity let out a laughing sob, feeling the fear of not being able to do what was necessary to save this mare’s life. Uldyui, please give me the power to heal her properly. She doesn’t deserve to die. Not here. “I have bandaged up your left fore leg. I wasn’t aware of its condition until I had used up all of my magic elsewhere, so…please don’t move it.” “Okay.” Another silence filled the open room as Fluttershy stared up at the ceiling once more. “You know, it’s funny. I’m a black mage, but I’ve never really used my power until today. I was always helping others with injuries…nothing too serious, but…it’s ironic. And now you’re here, an actual white mage…I…I wish I…” Tears began to blur Fluttershy’s vision as she clutched the side of her bed with her good hoof. “I wish I was one…too…” The unicorn in turn clenched her eyes shut, cursing herself for not being here earlier. How many ponies had lost their lives in this bloodshed, and for what? Rarity lowered herself down and wrapped her fore legs carefully around the sobbing mare, giving what comfort she could. The pegasus accepted the gesture in earnest, crying into Rarity’s white coat. “Shh…now don’t you lose hope. I’m sure some of the others managed to make it out safely.” At that moment, Rarity caught a glimpse of what happened back at her guild. The bodies…burning and scorched; steam, smoke and fire rose from every direction. She pulled back from the embrace and smiled her widest smile at her new friend. She saw the black mage return the smile. “Thank you, Rarity.” Rarity wiped her wet eyes. “Not at all. I can feel my magic returning, so let me see if I can get you walking again.” “Careful now. Gently darling.” The unicorn braced herself against the pegasus as Fluttershy made another attempt at walking. She stumbled a little as she put weight on her recently injured leg. Rarity had healed it nicely, but to the black mage it still felt weak. “I…I think I’m ready to try again.” “Are you certain? You shouldn’t push yourself, you know.” Rarity rested a hoof on her shoulder and looked at Fluttershy with concern in her sapphire eyes. The timid pegasus shook her head with a smile. “I know…but I think it’s fine now. You fixed me up just fine.” She smiled tenderly at the mare in front of her and saw the grin reflected back at her. Rarity carefully removed herself from the pony and allowed her to stand on her own. Fluttershy took one step and stumbled, being caught by Rarity before she fell. The black mage placed the leg down again and nodded. Rarity released her again, and the pegasus began to walk around the room. I…hope that I healed her properly, the unicorn thought, suddenly overcome with a headache. She grunted as she dropped to her haunches, holding her head. Fluttershy gasped and rushed over, forgetting that she had been injured. She sat next to the white mage and placed her hooves on Rarity’s shoulders. “Rarity, what’s wrong?” The white mare groaned again as another wave of vertigo hit her. “My head…when I was knocked back into that building, I thought that I had sustained a concussion.” “You knew? Why didn’t you…why didn’t you heal it?” Rarity turned her head to grin at the pegasus. “Simple: your injuries were more severe than mine were. ‘Treat those that need it more than you first’, that is one of the fundamental rules that Uldyui taught us. I stick by that rule.” “…Thou must move. It is no longer safe here. If thou feel that this mage is worth keeping, take her with thee and flee this place, lest thou risk another assault…” The white mage gasped and held her head more tightly. “Rarity? What’s wrong?” Only hesitating for a second, Rarity replied, “We must leave, now.” “What? What about your injuries?” The unicorn stood up and magicked all of her supplies onto her back. “We have no time. If we stay here, they will return soon enough.” She levitated her stave over to her and held out Fluttershy’s wand. “If we stick together, we have more of a chance of survival. We may also find your friends along the way.” “But…” Fluttershy stopped, seeing the look in Rarity’s eyes. She was strong, maybe pretending to be so that she wouldn’t worry, but it left her without any words of protest. Swallowing hard, the black mage took the wand from the pony’s magic and nodded her understanding. “Alright. Let’s go.” The two ponies left the building, and began making their way westward, following the path leading from the village. “…If thou wishest to unlock my power, thou must return to the place from whence I came to be. Follow this path and make for the western ocean. A ship awaits thee at one of the cities along the coast, but first thou must venture into a dungeon of ice…” Rarity heard each word in her head, keeping silent beside her friend as they walked. It rattled her skull slightly to listen to the ancient voice, making her concussion all the more noticeable. She nodded to herself in understanding and looked across at the pegasus. “If you don’t mind my asking, what was your village called?” “Ostheim…it was where I grew up,” the pony replied, rather wistfully. “My father was the one who taught me black magic. He was a mage himself you see, and he was the protector of the village…” The unicorn caught side of the tears at Fluttershy’s eyes as the sun’s rays glinted off the droplets. “I take it…he didn’t make it…” Fluttershy shook her head. “He died years ago…along with my mother. Dad always said that I would take his place as the protector of Ostheim…but look at it now.” She sniffed miserably; surprised that she hadn’t started to cry at the memory. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-” “It’s alright. My father wouldn’t want me to be sad that he died. He wasn’t killed, or murdered. He…he lived his life, and so did my mother…so…” Rarity managed to smile at the strength in the little mare’s voice. “They both sound like strong parents.” “Do…” Fluttershy bit her lip, hesitating. “do you have your parents?” The unicorn hummed as the two kept walking, eventually shaking her head. “I never knew them. I was found as a foal by the Archmage of the White Mage guild. I don’t know who they are, or why I was left. The mages of Uldyui’s guild raised me and taught me their spells…though only a little.” “I-I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have said that. It wasn’t my place.” “No. It’s alright too. You told me what happened with your parents, so I shall do the same.” Rarity smiled as she recalled her early days in the guild. “As far as I knew it back then, the Archmage was my father. We were always together. He was so kind and caring, looking back on it now…I find myself wondering why he did it at all. “I suppose he must have seen something in me. Or perhaps he wanted a daughter of his own, but…never met anyone. On my sixteenth birthday, he told me that he found me in the forest outside of the guild. That day, after thinking hard about all that he had done for me up until that point…I told him that I didn’t care. He was as much of a father to me as I could ever want, and I asked that he teach me to be a mage.” The unicorn wiped her eyes. “A few hours later, I was learning my first few spells.” Fluttershy smiled over at the mare and nodded to show that she was listening. “He sounds like a very nice pony to me.” “He was…” Silence echoed around the two as they walked. Fluttershy held in a gasp when she understood what that simple response meant. Before she could tell Rarity not to continue, she said, “A year later…this year, we were attacked by the same creatures that destroyed your village. They…they killed all of my friends…all of my family…my teacher, my father…” She collapsed to the ground and heard the sound of her stave hitting the ground as well. Fluttershy fell to her side instantly, holding the pony to herself. “They all died, I saw them all…burning…and…and I did nothing but run…” Sobs overtook her and tears ran down her cheeks and fell to the dirt. “White mages don’t run, they…they help those that are injured…the soul duty…of Uldyui’s mages.” “Rarity, please stop. You…you aren’t to blame for what happened. You couldn’t have done anything.” “HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?!” the white mage snapped, pushing the other pony away. She felt waves of racking sobs hit her, keeping her body close to the ground. “How do you know that I couldn’t have saved them? You weren’t there…you didn’t see what those beasts did…I was too afraid to help them…he told me to stay hidden and I’m ashamed to admit that I obeyed him!” Her throat was burning and dry, her chest heaved as she continued. Suddenly, Rarity stopped altogether and whispered, “I’m the only one left.” Fluttershy gasped and held the mare more tightly. She searched her mind for something to say that would calm the distraught pony, and found it after a moment. “Your father would be proud of you. You saved me after all, and…and because you survived you can save more lives. You can teach more ponies to be like you…selfless and caring, determined. I don’t think your father would want you to be crying because of what he did to save you.” She listened as the pony beneath her sniffed and wiped her nose. Rarity took several deep breaths, taking in what the pegasus said to her. The unicorn had no argument to Fluttershy’s speech. She was right, it would be inappropriate to lie here and cry when she knew he did it knowing every second how it would end for him. “Thank you…” Rarity whispered to the dirt path. She tilted her head to the left to look into the pegasi’s eyes. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. You are right.” She let out a chuckle and wiped her eyes again. “I must look like a complete mess now, all covered in dirt and tears.” The timid pony shook her head with a soft smile. “There’s nothing to apologize for…and you look fine too, Rarity. Let me help you.” She brought her hooves up to fix the mare’s face and mane and smiled happily when she finished. “There…just as I remember it.” The white mage chuckled gently. “Thank you.” “You’re quite welcome, Rarity.” Rarity suddenly stood, defensive stance taken and protect cast over both of them. Bombs hit the shield and bounced off, exploding a few feet from the two mares as Fluttershy turned to where Rarity had been facing. The blast tapped the protective cocoon as little ripples formed where the explosion reached. Goblins ran forward as the timid pegasus looked on, beginning to cast a ball of water from her wand. The white mage broke some rocks free of the earth and cast them straight into the face of one of the creatures. He fell back and dropped the grenade he was about to throw. Rarity could see that the goblins were flanked by five bite bugs. The flying beetles crashed into the shield and bit at its defenses, larger cracks forming in the barrier. Rarity felt her magic fade as she closed one eye to try and repair the damaged spell. “Water!” Fluttershy shouted, as her wand tilted toward the group of bite bugs. It enveloped them and the bugs dropped from the air, falling to the ground in a heap. The two goblins had since recovered from the onslaught and readied a bomb to throw. Rarity’s teeth clenched as she struggled to keep her barrier up. No time to cast another protect. Stoneskin! She turned to Fluttershy and focused her magic on the pegasus. Her stave glowed with a dim purple, a layer of rock surrounding Fluttershy as the bombs flew at the two mages. The timid pony had barely enough time to turn her head to Rarity as she saw her fly back from the blast of the grenade. The protective barrier shattered around her, but the stoneskin spell held together. Fluttershy sucked in a terrified breath as she saw Rarity fall to the ground limply. She ground her teeth together and spun to face her opponents. “No one…NO one hurts my friends and GETS AWAY WITH IT!” Her eyes narrowed and her wand glowed a deep red. “Solar flare!” Rarity opened her eyes long enough to see the field in front of Fluttershy being enveloped in a red and white light. She felt the heat radiating off of the blast of energy that the pegasi’s attack had created. All that remained once the light dimmed was charred grass and scorched goblin. She felt Fluttershy running over to her as sensation returned to her body. Rarity smiled at the pegasus as she leaned down to inspect what injuries she had sustained. “What was that?” “Stay still,” Fluttershy replied, feeling for any broken bones or other serious injuries. Fluttershy feared what the blast had done to her skull, having already had a concussion from the last battle. The white mage allowed her to make sure that nothing was out of place. “That was amazing, Fluttershy; truly a magnificent show of force.” “It…it was my…limit break,” Fluttershy answered timidly, finding no serious injuries on the unicorn. “I-I rarely use it, because it’s so…so destructive…but when I saw you there…lying helplessly again…I lost it.” She saw Rarity smile and chuckle at the concern she felt for her. Fluttershy smiled back softly. “You have to stop protecting just me. You’ll get yourself killed.” “It’s what white mages do, darling. They…they protect the ones they care about…above their own well-being. You cannot ask me to forsake what I have known since I was a little foal.” Rarity struggled against Fluttershy and her own weariness as she fought to sit up straight. “Now. Now I can heal myself.” The black mage watched carefully as Rarity brought the pommel of her stave down upon the ground and felt a peaceful aura surround her. “Uldyui’s Light, protect and watch over me!” “You took the hit so you could power up your own limit break?” Fluttershy asked in shock as she watched both of their injuries glow blue and seal themselves. A nod was Rarity’s answer. “I trusted you to finish the job, but I never expected such a…dramatic reaction from you, my dear. You truly are full of surprises, hmm?” Rarity tittered with amusement as she watched Fluttershy’s cheeks turn pink. “Quite the becoming colour you have developing on your cheeks, darling.” “Please…please warn me when you do that again, at least.” The unicorn’s breath caught in her throat as she heard Fluttershy’s reply and saw her expression. Rarity’s sapphire eyes narrowed after a moment, and she nodded. She rose to her hooves and Fluttershy rose as well. “Well…shall we continue on in the direction from before we were so rudely interrupted by those cretins?” the white mage asked as they resumed their quick pace along the path. “I suppose. How do you…stay in such a good mood? I-I mean…you sound like those goblins only interrupted us from a conversation or a meal to complain to us about something.” Fluttershy lowered her gaze away from the mare beside her, regretting asking that question now. Such a lovely mare, to worry about me so. “It’s just how I am, I suppose. I’m a bit of an optimist, even though it may seem like I fuss over things so much.” She chuckled into a fore hoof. “I try to look on the brighter side of things.” “…Thou hast good tact when faced with perilous odds…I am not surprised that Uldyui hath chosen thee as the world’s saviour. Though thou art not powerful enough as of yet…to face that which awaits thee soon. I shall lend thee some of mine power to aid thee in the coming battle…” “Rarity? Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked, breaking the unicorn from her other conversation. “Oh! Why yes, I am. My apologies, Fluttershy, I merely drifted off.” Fluttershy gave her an appraising stare. It’s that same look as before…that strained look Rarity had when we walked out of the building. She turned her head away from Rarity and watched the treeline to her left, in case any new threats dared to show themselves. Does she know what’s going on? Author's Note Good evening, So sorry about the delay, I forgot that this was meant to be updated today. So here is chapter 2. I love the emotion presented in this chapter about Rarity's family. It makes me tear up every time I read about what happened to her family and how she's coping with it. Hopefully chapter three will be ready next Saturday, but I'll just let you readers know ahead of time that it may be delayed. I am not positive either way, but just so you're aware. Thank you and happy reading. Ta ta! Chapter 3Hours passed by as the two mages scanned the terrain for any enemies. They walked through with very little resistance after their first battle with the goblins and bite bugs. The few times that they needed to venture through forests, the ponies encountered cactuars and gargoyles. With each kilometer that the two walked, the less and less crowded with opponents the surrounding areas became. Rarity noticed a change in the temperature and mentioned it to Fluttershy, while they went farther northwest, cooling off as the rolling green hills became jagged peaked mountains and deep valleys all around them. “Yeah, I felt it too,” she answered. “And no one’s around for miles now. I don’t know about this place. It’s giving me the shivers, and not just from the cold.” Rarity considered telling Fluttershy their destination, but she’d kept it to herself. The white mage wasn’t sure how to explain the voice of a crystal in her head giving her directions, and she didn’t want to lose the yellow pegasus as a traveling companion. The prospect of not being alone after what had happened to her family was one she couldn’t deny herself. And Bahamut’s words were the only lead they had, so she had to trust them. Rarity could only hope that, in turn, Fluttershy trusted her as well. It seemed as though the farther they walked, the colder the area around them became. Which means that wherever this ice dungeon is that we are meant to find, we are certainly in the correct climate for such things. Despite Bahamut saying that their destination would be anything but luxurious, Rarity hadn’t expected such a drastic change in temperature here; not when she knew the surrounding area on a map. “This place should not be this cold at this time. What sort of trickery is this?” Still, even with her apprehension rising, she could tell that this was not a mistaken path. The first speck of snow landed directly on the tip of the alabaster unicorn’s nose as she stared up at the darkening sky. The flake swiftly melted upon contact with her warm fur, yet by that time many hundreds more were drifting down to coat the rocks and the trees and the mountains in a chilly blanket. Both of their coats were becoming dampened by the snow, and it became clear to the two that they needed to find shelter soon, in order to escape the cold. Not long after the snow began, they found the entrance to the cave that the spirit from the crystal had mentioned. “We must be careful now, dear,” Rarity began, not taking her gaze from the crevice. “There’s no telling what may be in there, but whatever it is has kept every creature from without from entering or even coming near for miles.” The timid pegasus shivered involuntarily; though that was probably equal parts from the cold and wet, and from the dread that statement brought her. “Are we sure we want to be going in there then?” Rarity breathed through her nose and levitated her stave from behind her back. She regarded Fluttershy calmly, giving her the most reassuring visage she could muster under the circumstances. “I’m afraid that I have no choice in the matter, dear. This is something that I must do. But you are free to do as you please. I do not ask that you follow me in here, knowing the danger.” The opening was barely taller than the two mares before it and the surrounding areas were coated in brilliant cobalt ice. As Fluttershy stared forward at the proper lady, likely thinking through her options, Rarity turned her gaze toward the awaiting path. A preliminary check of the area was in order, so she supposed. Given that this cold seems to have stemmed from nowhere, and begins within only a few kilometers of this point, it would be wise to assume that some magic or curse is upon this place. “...A rational assumption to make, child of Uldyui…” Hearing Bahamut’s words of confidence only bolstered the unicorn’s need to plot out this new terrain, if not for herself, for Fluttershy’s safety, should she decide to accompany her. Should she choose to retreat, I will not blame her. She may not know it, but this task was appointed to me. And I would not wish someone else who just so recently lost everything to put up with something as perilous as this quest. “...Thou doth not wish to place her in the same path set out for thee…” Rarity remained silent. She did not need to confirm his words over the matter, and there were more pressing matters to address at the moment. The mare turned her gaze downward. The floor was slippery with ice, she could gather, and it would be difficult to remain on her hooves. Focusing her eyes on the walls she could tell finding one’s grip there would be no easy task either. And those are my thoughts on the cavern without seeing what foes lie within, she pondered, biting her lip. Fluttershy’s fire techniques would be well needed inside this place, but I leave the choice to her. She turned on her heels and faced back to the other pony. “We will take a moment’s rest.” Her horn lit up in a sapphire light, removing her saddlebag from her back and placing her stave in the dirt. “I will remain by the entrance until you have made your choice. Whatever your decision may be, I will accept it.” Fluttershy stared wide-eyed at her as she took a seat beside her things, appearing so tranquil and at peace with everything despite all that had happened to her within a year. She had no firm idea of when she had lost her family and friends, but she did know that such a short time to grieve would not have been enough for her to look as she did now. Maybe she’s not actually as at peace with everything as she looks though, and is just pretending...being strong for me, or for her father. Fluttershy stayed silent for quite a while. She turned her gaze away from the alabaster unicorn, despite the pony not showing any aversion to her staring for such a lengthy period. It’s still not polite to stare though, she thought to herself. Her imaginings turned then to what would happen to Rarity, should she choose to leave her company. It was clear to her that this place was not an area to take lightly. The fact that there were no creatures coming to attack them out here in the open had not gone unnoticed by the pegasus, and that could only mean that something within was not to be trifled with; certainly not alone. I could only imagine that my abilities would be valuable in a place like this, no matter how long or short the journey would be. She took a seat on the snow-covered ground, the soft white flakes coming in much thicker than when they had begun. There were great shards of crystal sticking up from the earth before her, some cerulean, others maroon and olive. All were much taller than Fluttershy, and that only made her worry further about what could be lurking inside. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Rarity had saved her life. Twice, in fact. It was owed to her to do what she could for this elegant pony. She couldn’t let her go in there all by herself, because then the same thing that would have happened back with the dravanians would happen here, if she decided to flee. Ostheim flashed through her mind, the homes of her friends and her neighbours being burned to cinders before her eyes. The timid pony had not seen any of the ponies from the village injured or dead. It did not mean anything, and she wanted to believe what Rarity had said; that they would find them in time. But then why was she still crying for them? She shut her eyes to stem the tide of tears, unable to control herself and at the same time hoping that her new friend would not see her shedding these tears. Fluttershy held herself tightly as she sat and wept before the pillars of crystal, but did not hear Rarity approach or feel her hooves around her as she expelled her distraught feelings. I don’t want her to, she thought in between her racking sobs. She already has enough...trouble herself. The yellow mare breathed in shakily, attempting to steady her erratic breathing. If I can’t control my emotions then I would only prevent Rarity from doing whatever she is trying to do here. “Now don’t you lose hope. I’m sure your friends made it out safely.” The unicorn’s words echoed in her mind, providing a surprising amount of comfort to her at this moment. To have such hope for her despite experiencing what she had with her own family and friends could not be a simple task. “I’m...somewhat of an optimist.” Again, the words of the pony who had only recently saved her entered her thoughts. Her breathing had steadied, and her tears were no longer flowing. Fluttershy laughed a little, a tiny hiccup of a laugh, but the glad emotion behind it was there. She opened her teal eyes and held her head up, tilting her head toward Rarity. “I won’t let you go in there alone,” she said. Their breaths were easily visible as they stood just within the cave. There was no way for Rarity to describe the feeling she had other than unsettling, as she stared down at the gloom of the passage. This cave was far from natural, that much was obvious. The jagged, frozen rocks which coated the entrance gave way to smooth icy walls. The snow that decorated the floor was fresh, and with each step forward a satisfying crunch was heard; though neither mare said anything, both counted it as a blessing. If we do become lost, the white mage thought, at least we will be able to follow our hoofprints back out. Fortunately, she quickly discovered that the danger of becoming so inclined was minimal at best. As the pair walked deeper into the frozen passage, and despite there being a definite curve to the cave and many branches from the main path, the ending of each was easily visible without having to explore any of them too far. They did however happen to stumble upon some items of interest in a few areas off from the main path. A silver bangle rested just below the surface of some ice, which Fluttershy’s spells made short work of. And an earring set of offensive magic. “My dear, what splendid finds,” the alabaster unicorn called with a swift curl to her lips. She brought the blue tinted earrings up in her magic and turned to Fluttershy. “Here we are, Fluttershy, you will need these more than I.” “Oh, thank you, Rarity,” she replied, backing up a little and raising a hoof, before allowing her friend to attach the items. “But I think you should have the bangle. Since you’ll be healing me, most enemies will be attacking you first.” There. Finite, she thought as she finished with the earrings, sticking her tongue out in concentration. “And I suppose you are correct, darling. These will certainly help us in battles to come.” She put her right hoof through the bangle and admired it with glee. And it works surprisingly well with my mane and tail. With only one real direction to follow, and with what few foes they were required to face, the two continued farther in. Large crystalline bats flew at them from their perches among the stalactites of the cavern, but Fluttershy’s powerful fire spells and Rarity’s well aimed stone or aero spells made quick work of them. The alabaster unicorn flinched after one particular skirmish, where one of the pegasus’ flames struck the ceiling. The area around them shook noticeably, and she made certain that both her and Fluttershy had protect and stoneskin on. “Perhaps we had best...refrain from having too many battles in these narrow hallways. I do not fancy myself becoming a pony popsicle.” The black mage merely nodded her agreement, and followed her lead as they once more resumed their trek. “What do you think is at the end of this cave, Rarity?” “Unfortunately, I haven’t the faintest idea, darling. All I can say is that we must be on our guard.” She paused a while in her stride, examining a section of wall on the left side with a rather long and deep slice through it. There was an audible gulp as Fluttershy stood beside her. “Whatever it is, it seems it may have a temper.” The yellow pegasus gripped her wand more tightly as she carried on with her friend. Other creatures like flans and frost sprites would either fall off of the walls or break off from the ice to attack them. The sprites could be dealt with rather easily, with most of the attention and damage being placed on Rarity; however, the flans and their strange attributes and resistances proved more difficult to deal with. Fire appeared to consume one and have no effect on another, much to the chagrin of the two mares trying to pass through. I’m running low on magic, but Rarity is still counting on me to deal with them. I have to keep trying. Gritting her teeth as her protect barrier was assaulted, the white mage tossed aside one purple flan with her stave. It seems as though their weakness corresponds to their colour scheme. She blocked another attack and jumped back, casting a healing spell on herself. Her eyes narrowed as she saw a green flan sneaking up behind Fluttershy. Oh, no. Not so fast, you ill-mannered jello blob. Rarity pointed her stave at the creature and forced it into the left wall with an incantation of aero. Once she had dealt with that, the elegant mare glanced around, the black mage appearing to have figured out their weaknesses as well. They smiled at one another once their enemies had been taken care of, and after resting a moment for their strength and stamina to return, both mages strolled on cautiously. Eventually, the narrow pathway opened up into a great dome shaped area. The ceiling here rose quite high, at least thirty or forty feet all of the way around, and grand pillars of ice and crystal along the outsides were what held the undeniably wonderful place aloft. Before them was what appeared to be an arena, with only one entrance from where they had come and one exit directly across from where they now stood. This stage was accessible only by a thin bridge with a sharp drop upon either side. One misstep could spell quite a long fall for either of them into the empty abyss below. The pegasus glanced to her left at Rarity in concern. “Are you sure it’s such a good idea to go through here, Rarity?” Fluttershy’s voice was shakier than usual, but whether it was from the cold or fear of the fall, Rarity could not be certain. I would not blame her if it was both, she thought briefly, before calming her mind. “Certainly, my dear.” Rarity replied, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. “Besides, we don’t have much of a choice and we’ve come this far, have we not? Certainly the exit can’t be much farther now.” “Two presences enter here, ones I have not felt since many ages past.” A shudder went up Rarity’s spine. The voice was so monotonous, and it seemed to be coming from every direction within this dome, assessing their powers and weaknesses as it spoke. “Foolish creatures such as ponies have no business here. I cannot allow you to pass beyond this point...and your abilities are not enough, even together, to combat my strength.” Rarity turned her gaze to every corner of the cavern, her stave at the ready by her side. Her expression hardened and her stance set. This creature...I cannot see her, but already she appears to have evaluated our fighting potential. This must be what Bahamut spoke of. The two mares watched above as little shards of crystal began to fall from the roof. Fluttershy felt the air in the room grow denser and a nervous chill travel through her at the cold and calculating voice that she heard. Further shards and flakes of snow gathered and collected at a single focused point near the center of the dome, just before the two mages. She reached over, touching a hoof to Rarity’s shoulder. Rarity could feel the shakiness in the pegasus’ limb, knowing full well that she could sense how strong this foe was. She cupped her left hoof over Fluttershy’s in comfort to the coming battle. Her sapphire eyes never left the collection of crystal and snow, not ever giving whatever this was a chance at a surprise offensive. The wind began to pick up around them, her violet curls being twirled about before the floating particles changed position. As if the thousands of crystals were a solid mass, the white mage watched in awe as they swung up from the ground and to the left, like it were a cape caught in the breeze. When the wind subsided, and snow began to fall peacefully to the ground, it became clear that the two ponies were no longer alone. In the middle of the circular platform they were on now resided a strange bipedal creature. She was taller than either of them, at least five and a half feet tall, and atop her head rested a glorious gold crown, its highest tips almost as long as the entire length of the stranger’s body. Her skin was a ghostly white and matched the beautiful flowing cerulean hair that reached her lower back. Her outfit consisted only of tall boots, gloves and a one piece top with a cape. She touched down on the floor before the trespassers, her cold, piercing eyes regarding them with an expressionless visage. Rarity grimaced at the entity’s choice of clothing. A little too revealing, if you asked me. The three figures stood in silence, none of them moving but for the gentle breeze holding the cape aloft. It was clear to Rarity that this being meant to block their path for some reason, such as protecting her home, but maybe that gave her an opportunity to reason with this female. “Please, forgive us. We do not wish to cause any harm to you or this place,” the elegant mare spoke up with as much sincerity as she could muster under the circumstances. “Our path led us down this road and we seek only to proceed to the other side of this cavern, if you would be so kind.” “I cannot allow you to proceed.” “Why ever not?” Rarity posed in response. Her monotone voice was startling, certainly intimidating with her eyes fixed upon the mare. “My job is to protect this passage from any harm a trespasser could present to it. The opportunity to withdraw is still open to you both. Should you choose to stay, that opportunity will have ended.” We cannot turn back, but she was correct in what she said earlier. Even with our abilities, it is very unlikely that Fluttershy and I will be able to deal a fatal blow. She turned to regard the pegasus for a confirmation of her will. The black mage appeared fearful, as expected of anyone when faced with such odds, but she was not backing away either. She caught sight of the unicorn looking over at her and nodded that she was prepared to follow her lead. In response, the elegant mare removed her hoof from Fluttershy’s and took a step closer to their opponent. The creature made no visible reaction to her movements as Rarity made eye contact with her. She merely stared down at them with an unsmiling expression. “You stay...despite knowing how little hope you have. You are foolish, pony.” The unwavering, hollow eyes left the white mage shaken. That this thing kept her focus on her now, left her with an odd sense of foreboding. They blinked once, though the intimidation that that expression brought did not fade. “We cannot turn back now,” Rarity answered sternly, recasting protect and stoneskin on Fluttershy and herself. “If you do not allow us passage, then we shall fight our way through.” After a moment of tense silence, their enemy made the first sign of acknowledgement. Her left foreleg moved off to the side, her strange hoof extended. “...Very well. Ending your lives and protecting this place are hand-in-hand from this moment forth.” The air around her shimmered, and ice from the side of the platform liquified, flowing up to form as a long, thin sword in the palm of her bizarre hoof. It solidified into a blade, and she pointed it at them, taking a stance of her own. The way behind them closed shut as walls of ice rose up from the ground to seal off their exit. Fluttershy drew her weapon too as it became apparent that there would no longer be a way to leave without combat being involved. “Fluttershy, stay behind me.” Rarity said as she sauntered ahead, jumping in front of the pegasus just in time to block the blow from their foe’s sword, who had suddenly rushed forward. Her stave ended much of the force the attack had, yet it still pushed her dangerously close to the edge of the platform. “Rarity!” Fluttershy called in fright, galloping toward her friend. It was clear that another such attack when the proper lady was already so close to the edge would not end well for her, but before she could reach her, a cold ring of ice closed around her entire body. She struggled and fought to free herself of these bonds, yet they held together. How did she know I would be here? She wouldn’t be able to see me from this angle. Before she could cast a fire spell to melt her prison, she was flung along with the ring, into the side of the arena, and the pegasus did go over the edge. Her wings immediately began to flutter and she rose back toward the platform, stunned at the power this creature displayed. Regaining her stance quickly upon landing, she broke into a gallop, seeing how Rarity was barely holding her own against the much larger opponent. She was dancing around the opposite edge of the platform, blocking or deflecting the strokes of this thing’s sword with her stave or dodging out of harm’s way. The white mage was out of breath, sweating and already reeling from the pressure this new foe was exerting on her. Out of the corner of her vision, she could see the pegasus rushing over to help her. Oh, thank Uldyui! I thought for certain that she had fallen. Blocking another sideways swipe from this bipedal creature, Rarity thought quickly and cast an aero spell to gain some distance from her adversary. It managed to push her back to the center of the ring, and Rarity caught her breath. She eyed her, standing perfectly still and upright, the same unfeeling expression on her face as she stared back. She cast a hasty cure and side stepped around her to meet with Fluttershy. “Fluttershy, are you alright, dear?” the white mage questioned, hearing the gasping breaths of her companion. “I’m okay,” she replied. “I was more concerned about you taking her on, on your own.” Rarity managed to smirk. Still worried about me. I’m happy that she hasn’t sustained any great injury. Leave this thing to focus on me, dear. I am the one who initiated this battle. “Stay close to me, Fluttershy. She is attempting to split us off.” Her opponent’s motives were difficult, nearly impossible to discern with that expressionless face, but she could not hide her fighting style. The alabaster unicorn clenched her teeth, seeing this strange female flip her sword downward and slam the blade into the center of the platform. A crack in the ice split off from the wedged blade, with Rarity hopping to her left barely before their opponent swung the sword upward, retrieving it from the arena and pointing it to the ceiling. Shards of ice shot up from the large crevice now within the platform, once more cutting the two mares off from one another. Rarity and Fluttershy saw the being as she conducted her attack, never shifting from her upright posture, with only her sword arm moving. She sped forward at the proper lady, brandishing the icy blade within her grasp. From here, and with the momentum she has from that point, even if I blocked her attack, the force would carry me off of this place. Rarity swallowed and raised her stave despite her thought. But if Fluttershy has an opening here, I cannot move away. The pegasus saw her launch the assault on Rarity, knowing full well that she meant to knock her off of the platform. Her teal eyes narrowed. Oh, no you don’t, the timid mare thought, drawing out her fire. As it had the dravanians in her village, it collided into the side of her opponent’s face with tremendous force, breaking off their foe’s trajectory and forcing her off to the side. She groaned with about as little emotion as she had before, turning her attention toward Fluttershy, who squeaked and lifted her forelegs up to cower behind them. “I’m, um, sorry…” “Yes, Fluttershy! She’s vulnerable to fire, we can do this!” Rarity screamed, using a well-aimed stone spell to lop off the tops of the ice shards to her right. She jumped over them and trotted back to the center of the platform to avoid any unfortunate accidents. She slid to a stop near the middle and cast a quick stone spell, hurtling them at the guardian of this place, who cut them to ribbons with a mere swipe of her blade. The distraction gave Fluttershy the chance to throw off another fire spell, and again her face was scorched with fire. Her head turned slightly at the impact, though her unblinking eyes remained upon them. She raised her free hoof, pointing at Rarity. Large, thin chunks of ice rose from the platform, each one curved and directed toward her. The projectiles closed in around her with blinding speed. She jumped, barely managing to squeeze her body between the two blades. While Rarity was busy dodging and smashing those with her stave, the wind around Fluttershy picked up, and the small snowstorm which seemed to contain only her blinded her. The black mage never even saw the blow, as she raised a hoof up to her face, but the scream that echoed around the cavern afterward certainly meant that she had felt it. A large ice chunk hit Fluttershy in the back, sending her across the field of battle. She hit the ground hard and skidded to a stop near the middle. Were it not for the defensive spells the unicorn had cast on her, Fluttershy suspected that the injury she had sustained would have been far worse. Her previous wounds seemed to flare up and her chest hurt. Surely she’d fractured her ribs again. Luckily, the green aura of Rarity’s cure spell surrounded her and took away most of the pain, giving her the strength to stand once more. “Rarity…w-what are we going to do?” she asked, turning to her friend, who was standing next to her. “You hold off only the inevitable,” the being said in her monotonous voice, gaining the elegant mare’s attention. She was once again standing perfectly still and balanced, her sword out at her side. “I have seen your abilities and know your strengths. To stand against me is suicidal, at best.” Courage seemed in short supply with Fluttershy, but she was waning more than usual, and Rarity took note of it. She ground her teeth and racked her brain, trying to find a way to defeat this foe. One thing was certain, if Fluttershy gave up, all hope was lost. She was the only one capable of seriously harming her, using her fire spells, which meant that it was Rarity’s job to keep her standing long enough to do so. Which is exactly the problem, because I’m already exhausted. No amount of healing spells could take away the fatigue I’m feeling now. Since the genocide of her white mage home, she’d barely received any rest. It had been one battle after another and it was beginning to take its toll on her body. “Why, darling, the answer is simple. Don’t you see? We’re going to win.” She gave the most reassuring smile she could, but shrieked as she barely dodged to the right of a swing of the creature’s sword, a loud crash resonating from where she had just been. “Nonsense,” she heard the female answer, standing up and wrenching her sword free of the crater she had made. Fluttershy stopped trembling. Again she was inspired by Rarity’s courage and grace. She prayed silently, hoping to borrow some of her tenacity, though she doubted the white mage presently had much to spare. Planting her hooves firmly on the ground, she rolled the small cedar wand in front of her. The air shimmered before the wand. Digging deep into her magic reserves she called forth all of the power she could. “Fira!” The balls of flame were much larger than they were in their last battles, and the heat could be felt throughout the entire room. It slammed into the tall creature and threw her off of her stance. Her back hit the wall with a loud thud and crack of ice and dislodged some icicles from the ceiling, which both mares skillfully dodged. Their powerful foe rose as the pair assembled again, cape and clothes slightly scorched and blackened. She flew around the circular room, following its walls as the wind began to pick up again. The two mares knew something was wrong instantly. Fluttershy landed by Rarity, finding it difficult to keep herself aloft with the quickly freezing area. It was becoming a labour to breathe and the room seemed to cool to ungodly temperatures. The cold nipped and bit at their skin until it felt as though they were burning. Ice began gathering at their hooves, coating and freezing their legs to the platform. It began covering their entire bodies, and neither could move. Both were too panicked from what was occurring so rapidly to call forth any magic. Fluttershy knew, that were she able to cry she would, but her tears were freezing before they could trickle down her cheeks. It seemed as though it was the end, the ice encasing them completely and blocking off their oxygen supply. Just as darkness threatened to overtake the two mares, the ice encasing them cracked and fell, leaving them to collapse to the ground. Their bodies were numb from the cold and neither seemed to be capable of standing as their adversary landed. She stood between them, straight in stance, sword directed at Rarity. It seemed suffocation was too cruel a death even for this being to deliver; though Fluttershy almost wished that they had been finished off. “You fought well. However, even with your friend’s powers over fire, it would require many more firm hits for victory to be within your grasp. You are at your limit.” “Don’t…” Fluttershy whispered weakly as she saw her foe bring her blade up above her head. “She’s been through…enough…” the words were slurred and it was difficult to move her lips, but maybe if she pleaded with enough sincerity, Rarity would be spared. Her eyes were focused only on their killer’s feet and fatigue prevented her from looking up. “What trials she has been through prior adds no direct concern to whether she should live or die. Either by my blade now or the slow decay of time, she will die.” Fluttershy closed her eyes unable to bear the idea of watching her friend die before her. I’m sorry, Rarity. I’m not strong enough to get up. “...No,” the proper lady whispered. Fluttershy’s eyes flew open again, seeing Rarity struggling back onto her hooves. She was badly bruised and cut, gashes everywhere once her protect and stoneskin had been broken through, dirt and grime covering much of her coat. The female made no move to strike her, merely standing in between the ponies and lowering her sword arm. The two locked gazes once more, Rarity’s foe turning to face her directly. “What is it that drives you?” “So curious now...after having us so close to death,” the white mage responded, almost chuckling at the sudden interest in her cold, calculating eyes. The cold had done its job on her; she was forcing her eyes open and struggling to stay on her hooves, biting her lip so as to create enough pain to keep herself from falling unconscious. “Whatever task you have that takes you here, you have courage. Tell me, what is your name?” “My name is Rarity,” she answered, glancing over at Fluttershy to make certain she was alright. She was shivering on the floor, looking pale and exhausted. It seemed like she was barely holding onto her consciousness. And I have brought her to her death. The proper lady turned her attention back to her adversary. “I told you my name. What is yours?” Those eyes were once again upon Rarity, though now, near death and with Fluttershy’s life in her hooves, she had no trouble keeping herself composed. “...My name is Shiva. I am the guardian of this place, and have been for centuries.” The white mage dipped her head in respect. “Shiva, I cannot allow you to end our lives. There is much that we must do before our time comes.” So much that I must do on my own. Shiva merely stood there, sword at her side and a blank look on her pale face. “Fool. There is nothing more that you can do.” “...Child of Uldyui, call upon me now, so that I can turn the tide of this battle. Speak the words I told thee, and attend to thy fallen ally…” The unicorn nodded blearily, knowing that there was no other way. She brought her stave over in her magic to rest on her back. “Mega Flare,” Rarity whispered, narrowing her eyes at the bipedal creature before her. A roar echoed up from behind the elegant mare, taking Rarity off guard, but not causing her to lose eye contact with Shiva. She levitated her stave off of her back, pointing it directly at her foe, to be certain that the timid pegasus would not be harmed. The platform shook beneath her hooves, and she could hear claws scraping against ice and rock, growing louder as time progressed. From the corner of her sapphire eyes, she saw a claw smash into the surface of the arena. Rarity flinched in surprise, but stood her ground. Shiva made no move to attack either her or Fluttershy, no sign that she was startled to see what she was seeing right now. A dark grey, scaled tail curled around the white mage and Fluttershy, and Rarity could feel the warm breath of the creature beside her. “Bahamut?”she inquired, understandably out of breath and explanations at this revelation. She turned her head and saw a dragon, not much larger than that of a dravanian, but clearly more powerful. Before the proper lady could speak, he let out a great ball of fire, which Rarity saw their opponent only had seconds to raise her sword up to in any kind of defense. The scorched marks on her wrists and arms when she skidded to a stop at the opposite edge of the platform were an instant display of this new being’s strength. “…Thee hath done well until this point, young mage. Allow me to finish thy battle…” At this moment, all Rarity could do was nod dumbly at the creature, watching as he took his place in between her and Shiva. His wings were out on either side, six feet long at least. His body was five feet-tall and twice that length with the addition of his long slender tail, which had a spade-shaped tip at the end. His form was muscular, as she had known all dragons were, though Bahamut was surprisingly small and thin for one. Her eyes widened with sudden realization. I...I have a dragon talking in my head. That amazing thought came almost as rapidly as recalling how serious Fluttershy’s injuries were. She snapped out of her daze and turned to cure the little pony of her ailments. “I hope I’m not too late.” She channeled her magic into her stave and cast esuna, to rid her friend of the freezing damage she had sustained. The reaction was almost instantaneous as she heard and felt the heat of Bahamut’s attacks on the guardian of this dungeon. Fluttershy’s skin returned to its normal colouration, her shivering ceased and after another desperate moment, her teal eyes fluttered open once again. “Rarity?” she whispered, blinking a few times as she gazed up at the alabaster unicorn. “What’s going on?” Rarity’s eyes shimmered with tears and relief, and her lips curled up slightly as she turned to witness some of the fight. Once again, Bahamut let out a ball of scorching flame that sent Shiva against the wall near the exit, lodging her there as her sword shattered against the floor. Despite the turn around, Rarity could see no change to the creature’s expression, no emotion over losing showing through her features. They merely stared at each other, as Shiva stayed in place within the crater her body had formed against the wall. The unicorn looked back to Fluttershy, feeling suddenly drowsy from the ordeal. “We won, darling,” she confirmed softly. “We’re going to be alright.” A relieved gaze crossed the yellow pegasus’ features, as relieved as one could appear mere seconds after regaining feeling in her face. Her hooves still felt shaky when she attempted to stand, but Rarity was there to help her. “Thank you, Rarity,” she whispered, still shivering as she sat on her haunches. Her eyes widened and her breath came in as a low quake, when she regarded the huge scaled creature that had suddenly appeared within this dungeon. “Is that a...a…d-d...dragon?”
Chapter 1The fog of the forest was almost tangible. Thick, oppressive clouds hovered over the trees; a mist was cast upon the land by the inhabitants of a bygone age to prevent their fleeing opponents from regrouping. A war of kin, set in motion by the assassination of a once great king, led to the ultimate extinction of both siblings’ armies through this veil of suffocating mist. It had been like this for an age. Perhaps it had always been this way. Most of the sounds of the forest had long since ceased, the only noises being that of birds flying overhead or withered branches falling to the ground. The Forest of Qarn was its name, given so long ago by its now long dead inhabitants. A single beam of light revealed itself through the stifling fog. The breaking of twigs and the rustling of leaves could be heard against the deafness of the forest. The creature, to whom the light belonged, halted in her stride. Her ears perked, listening for another sound to alert her to coming danger. The aura from her stave, held in her magical grasp, illuminated the area further, bathing the nearby forest in a bluish-white glow. “I suppose this will have to do for now,” she muttered, glancing round at the trees. Aspens, oaks, spruces and pines could be seen all round her, their growth stunted by this unnatural mist. “It’s much the same anywhere else.” Her face was marked with dirt and grime, as was her body and hooves. The mage’s coat was white, but bruises, scrapes and contusions adorned her withers and legs, making it difficult to discern her true colours. Her expression betrayed no sign of weakness, appearing stern and powerful, but beneath that she was exhausted and in need of rest. With a soft sigh her horn lit up, and with her magic she pulled a tent from her saddlebag to begin setting up for the night. She sat on her haunches and levitated the pegs over to hold her makeshift home to the forest floor. The unicorn flicked her mane out of her eyes as she worked tirelessly, her curled, violet locks filled with twigs and leaves. She lifted her chin up and barely made out a solitary star against a dark violet sky. She grumbled irritably. “Of course. Even in here you’re still watching over me.” She lay down on the grass and magicked some twigs over to start a small fire. “I know what it is you ask of me, but I believe you have chosen the wrong unicorn for the job.” She levitated her saddlebags into the tent and stared into the flame. Not that there are any left but me. Oh, Rarity, how was it that you managed to survive when so many more experienced mages perished? The unicorn raised her head once more and found the star again. Uldyui, surely you cannot mean that I am the mare for such a task. Such a path is beyond my power. Leaves rustled, catching Rarity’s attention in an instant. She turned to the south and stood with her stave ready. Her stern expression returned as she took a defensive stance. “Come out, whatever you are. It is very unseemly to lurk in the shadows, intruding on a lady in such a manner.” Silence greeted her. She grimaced as she attempted to see through the fog. Rarity rolled her eyes as seconds ticked by and brought the pommel of her stave down upon the ground. Light erupted from her weapon, bathing the area in a white ethereal glow for several moments. The unicorn’s sapphire eyes flashed in surprise. They were all round her: creatures of shadow and darkness, deformed and vile terrors of the night. They were a head taller than her, standing with their grotesque claws ready. Blinded by the sudden light, they screamed and lunged forward at Rarity. She ducked underneath one and sliced two more in half with her stave. She let out a groan of pain as one managed to swipe at her right shoulder, and another missed her left eye. Rarity cast another ray of light from her weapon and two more creatures vanished. She moved in a clockwise manner, her gaze shifting from enemy to enemy for any indication of movement. The monsters cackled and mocked her as she staggered around her tent. There were so many of them, her defensive strategy doing nothing to halt their onslaught. Before she could react, one of the larger creatures charged forward and slashed at her cheek. Rarity fell to the ground, blood dripping from the open wounds on her face and body. The sounds of their laughter filled the air as Rarity tried to calm her panicked mind. She closed her eyes and her horn began to glow brightly. I suppose this is the only thing left to do. A blue veil surrounded the white unicorn, easing the pain that she felt throughout her body. “Uldyui’s Light, protect and watch over me!” Rays of white light shot from her shield and encased her remaining adversaries. She heard their shouts of laughter and triumph turn quickly to pain and death. Rarity lifted herself onto her hooves and stared as her opponents dissolved into the night, her own wounds being healed within her protective magic. Rarity allowed a sigh of relief to escape her as her magic faded. The mage was breathing heavily, having over-exerted herself with such a high level magic limit break. She trotted back over to her tent, where her stave was knocked from her grasp when she fell, and sat back on her haunches. “I hope that that is the last of them for tonight. Now where is that map?” She brought her saddlebag over to her and pulled out a scroll of parchment. The unicorn placed the map in front of her, and with a fore hoof she traced the path she had taken thus far. “If I can get out of this forest by tomorrow, I should be able to reach where this crystal is held by the afternoon. That is, if some beast or pony hasn’t already chanced by it.” The map was once again rolled up and shoved into her saddlebags. With a groan of anguish mixed with uncertainty, the mage made her way into her tent and attempted to regain her strength. Rarity made one last preliminary check for any foes in the area, before finally letting her weary eyes shut out the world for a few hours. When Rarity awoke, she found herself wondering if she had slept for any time at all. Within this forest of fog, night seemed never ending to her; though as she tilted her head up to gaze at the stars, she found patches of light blue and white. Without so much as a word, the unicorn packed up her belongings and ventured further into the unforgiving woodland. Watched as she was by the Unliving in the forest, Rarity managed to avoid any further conflict. It did not take away from the tension and anxiety that was swiftly building in her chest, as she looked from shadow to fallen tree branch. Each twig and dark patch seemed to her to be another enemy, waiting for her guard to falter. As Rarity neared the end of her morning trek, she could see the density of the trees lessen and the sun’s rays shimmering down upon the land beyond the forsaken wood. Her eyes shifted from side to side to make sure she wasn’t walking into any traps. Rarity’s stave lit up and her protective shield enveloped her as she exited the forest. The unicorn closed her eyes as the light that seemed to have forsaken her for a fortnight beamed down upon her once more. Her perilous journey had taken her through the Grey Mountain Pass, travelling south from what was once Uldyui’s White Mage guild. Since Rarity had escaped her guild’s assailants, there had been no sun light to speak of. In her grief the mage had walked along crumbled cliff edges and teleported through collapsed pathways, keeping silent and sorrowful at the loss of her teachers and friends. The trip through the mountains alone had taken nine days, for Rarity’s shame at failing to defend her companions overwhelmed her constantly. Her limbs would shake as the reality of her situation renewed itself within her, and Rarity would curl into herself inside a rocky crevice and cry until her throat burned. Rarity stifled a coming sob and took a few steps forward. The grass was warm on her hooves as she trotted forward and reopened her eyes. Before her was a small stream of water, traveling parallel to the treeline; silent and peaceful, untouched by the ravages of the lands to the north. The sight brought a small smile to her face, an expression she hadn’t been able to muster up for a while. Beyond that tranquil sight stood a cavern entrance several meters ahead. Eight feet-tall, the passage into the cave loomed over Rarity, casting a wide shadow over the stream and joining with that of the forest. “If this isn’t the cave Uldyui spoke of, I don’t know what is.” Gulping at the intimidating appearance of the entrance, the mage’s expression hardened and she made her way within. Rarity held her stave close, illuminating the cave with an aura of light. Her breath caught in her throat as she beheld the interior. Gems gleaned as her magic broke through the darkness: topaz, rubies, sapphires, turquoise and quartz appeared all along the walls of the cavern, each jewel giving off a brilliant sparkling reflection of her light. “My word. What a sight to behold,” whispered Rarity as she strolled forward. “I’m not surprised a crystal of such high regard would be present here.” A few loose rocks tumbled from the ceiling as the unicorn neared the back of the cave. Small pools of water had formed from many years of erosion, gaps in the roof allowing water droplets through. Stalactites and stalagmites joined with one another, creating grand pillars of minerals like a palace over thousands of years; smaller formations dripping water from the ceiling as they grew. Rarity scanned her surroundings with the light from her stave and found a small passage that descended further underground. Her eyebrows furrowed and she followed the path cautiously. Bats awoke and flew further into the cave, escaping the bright light from Rarity’s magic. She stepped back, startled by the sudden activity, but exhaled in relief as the small creatures fled. “These bats don’t seem to appreciate light. Perfect for me, for I have no inclination of fighting any of them in such enclosed spaces. Where is that crystal?” Rarity’s eyes widened as she reached the end of the narrow column of the cave. A splendid aura immersed each and every surface in a magnificent shade of blue. The light from her stave faded as she walked into the lighted room. At the center rested a wonderful sapphire crystal seven feet-tall at least. The wonder and astonishment present in her eyes ebbed away as the reality of the situation dawned on the mare, and she frowned. “How am I meant to bring this with me? What must I do now?” “…Step closer…” “What?” Rarity staggered back, looking for whoever spoke. All that greeted her was an empty cave. More pillars of minerals supported the cave here, immersed in blue from the splendid jewel in the center. She turned back to the crystal and stuttered out a response. “Was…was that…you?” “…Step closer…” Sure enough, the resonating voice seemed to stem from the jewel in the center of the room. The crystal’s light even appeared to grow in brightness as Rarity heard the sound. The mage swallowed as she approached the sapphire gemstone, with caution in each step. Rarity’s legs were tense, ready to jump back at the sign of any sort of trickery. “…What doth thou wish of me…?” Rarity’s mouth opened to speak an answer, but she only mouthed incoherence. She shut her mouth in silence, and willed herself to form the words. “I…I’m not sure. I was sent by Uldyui to locate a powerful crystal.” “…A mage of Uldyui…art thou able to wield my power…?” His voice almost sounded like it came from her ears, reverberating in her skull. “Your…power?” “…For thousands of years, many of your kind hath journeyed to this place, eager to gain my power for themselves…wicked kings and jealous princes desiring of the might required to win an unwinnable war…” “I do not know what I desire. I wish for peace…an end to strife and death.” The words suddenly came so easily to her lips. It was as though she had practiced this conversation for years, knowing it would occur. “…Hmm. Thou art the last of thine calling…art thou not? Art thou strong enough to bring about…such a wish…?” Rarity’s eyes wrenched shut, forcing her tears away. She grimaced and made herself reply. “I am the last. I know that there were mages much more apt for this task than I, but there are no longer others to choose from. If…if a mage of Uldyui is of interest to you where no one else has been, how much longer must you wait to find someone strong enough?” Her emotions were winning again. She bit her lip and willed calmness into her breath. “…Hmm. Thou hast strength. Thou hast courage…and compassion. Thou hast power…but it is untapped, as of yet. Thou speakest the truth, child…long hath I awaited a creature with the fortitude…to fully wield my might. Uldyui holds thee in high regard, for one so young…very well…I shall lend thee my power, to make your desires a reality…do not squander this gift I give to thee, child…” Rarity stepped back as the cave began to rumble. The light from the crystal began to wax and wane, cracks forming in the center of the great sapphire gemstone. The mage turned around in a panic and made for the exit, but the ceiling above collapsed and blocked her way. Her heart thundered in her chest, seeing bats flying about dodging debris as it fell from the roof. The protect spell that she had cast around her held firm as rocks fell from the cave, but Rarity knew that her magic could not last much longer. She spun back around to face the crystal, to plea for aid, but the light had nearly faded from the gem’s facets. Please…do not let it end like this. Rarity opened her mouth to speak the words aloud, but stopped. She shut her mouth and closed her eyes, picturing those that she had lost, waiting for the inevitable. “…Do not squander this gift I give to thee…” Rarity’s eyes fluttered open after a moment. All of the noise, all of the falling rocks and bats had ceased. She was no longer in the cave. In fact, she was nowhere near where she had been seconds ago. The mage checked her saddlebags. Still there. Next, her stave. It was still in her magical grasp. “What just…?” She left the question unfinished, gaping in terror at what she saw all round her. A village burned. Thatched roof cottages were up in flames in every direction, though Rarity saw no creatures nearby. Her ears perked at a sudden noise. Off to my right, she thought. “What is happening?” She took off in the direction of the sound, her stave close by her side. She rounded the corner of a collapsing building and gasped at the sight on the other side. dravanzi, two of them, surrounding a yellow pegasus. She seemed to be struggling to stand. I might have guessed. Rarity growled as she raised her stave. “No…I won’t let you harm another soul. You killed all of my friends…my teachers…everyone I loved…I won’t let that happen again!” She tilted her weapon at the pony and a blue shield surrounded her. The pegasus glanced up at the unicorn, gasping as the dragonlings slashed at the protective barrier. “Fight!” Rarity shouted as she raised her stave again, pulling free three stones and hurling them at her opponents. They hit their mark square on, earning her the attention of the dravanzi. They let out a roar, displaying rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth, and extended their wings, ready to rush at her. She drew her stave along the ground before her as she muttered a defensive incantation. Shards of ice erupted from the cobbled pathway, preventing the dragonlings from making a full-on charge. From the sudden noise ahead of her, the pegasus finally gathered the courage to open her eyes. She stared, awestruck, watching this complete stranger risk her life for the sole purpose of saving her. It was an act of generosity, in its purest form. It stirred something inside of her chest. The desire to fight. The will to protect. One of the dravanzi rushed the white mage, snarling and snapping its jaw as it flung himself at the ice barrier. The creature drew back, roaring in pain as the ice crawled up its limbs. Rarity braced herself for the enemy’s renewed assault, failing to notice the other adversary hissing and snarling at the unicorn. It was preparing an attack of his own, something the pegasus took notice of. Seeing the other mage battling these deadly foes without a second thought, the butter mare had no doubt she could handle herself in a fair fight. However, these creatures didn’t seem to be the type to honour such codes. If she failed to act and instead chose to flee, this mage would surely be injured and the pegasus would have no one to blame but herself. She scrambled frantically, reaching for the wand which helped channel her powers. Oh my…please don’t fail me now… The dravanzi that had stayed back was ready, the venom caught in its throat. It prepared to shoot its bile, to paralyze this white mage and make her life end for interrupting their fun. Before this assault could be made, the black mage raised her wand toward the beast. “Fire…” The whisper was low but the power was real. The air around the pegasus shifted, seeming almost to shimmer from the heat that engulfed her. The ball of flame crashed into the side of the dravanzi’s head. Being a dragon it did not sear its flesh, but the spell was powerful enough to knock the creature to the ground. It wreathed in agony at the force of the attack and Rarity saw her opportunity. Slamming one of her front legs down, she summoned the rocks once more. She swung her stave and they hit their target again. The still standing dravanzi flinched in pain at the onslaught, and Rarity’s eyes focused on the miserable creature. She remembered the other mages; their cries of pain and anguish as they were slaughtered by these cruel beings. The sole purpose of a white mage was to heal those who needed it. To protect those who could not protect themselves and these beasts had killed them all to satisfy their greedy ends. She summoned the rocks again, then another time; a fourth time, hurling them faster as her pent up emotions found a source of release. She screamed. The second dravanzi had joined its comrade on the ground by that point, roaring in pain. It hissed and unfurled its wings, tossing aside another volley of rocks. It flapped its wings once, sending a powerful gust of wind which knocked Rarity flying. Her head collided with the side of a cottage, and everything blurred. Oh my goodness, oh my goodness! The pegasus rushed over, galloping as quickly as she could. She flew over the ice barrier and slid to a stop in front of the downed mage. All four of her legs quivered and she suddenly wished she could recall the bravery she’d found moments ago. The dravanzi were rising again and the black mage wasn’t sure if it was to attack or retreat. She swallowed hard, feeling a lump in her throat and she opened her mouth to speak. Please get up…please. She willed herself to talk, to defend this injured mare, but she remained silent and took a step back in fear. From the corner of her eye, the pegasus watched as Rarity struggled back to her feet, as she had been doing moments before. Suddenly, the spark was back. She took a deep breath to calm herself and set her jaw. The black mage turned to face her opponents, both having flared their wings in anger. “Y-you’d better get out of here!” she shouted. She sincerely hoped that she sounded as brave as she was trying to be. “Y-you should be a-ashamed of yourselves! Attacking innocent travelers…” The dravanzi exchanged confused looks with one another and roared in response to her comment. “Oh no you don’t!” She stomped her hoof to further establish that she would not back down, completely unaware that behind her Rarity was watching in awe. Her wand was raised in her hoof, creating several fires around her. “Get out of here, before I decide to not be so nice! There’s a lot more fire where that came from!” Her foes roared once more, baring their teeth in a fit of rage, but they exchanged concerned glances again. Neither seemed much in favour of receiving another ball of fire directly to the face. They each hissed at the ponies before retreating into the woods to the west. Instantly, relief rushed over her in a calming wave. Fluttershy…you did it. You actually did it. She suddenly found herself exhausted, and she slumped to the ground feeling as though she might burst into tears. It was always sad, when a creature resorted to violence. “Thank you, darling. You were absolutely wonderful! How can I ever repay you?” The gratitude was obvious in Rarity’s voice. Her new friend’s reaction, however, wasn’t as expected. The pegasus screeched, and jumped into the air. Her wings acted on their own, flapping to keep her airborne, and she looked down at the violet-maned pony below her. Fluttershy’s cheeks flushed a deep shade of red. She’d forgotten all about her saviour and she found herself wondering how she was the one receiving thanks. Vertigo suddenly made itself known to her, and before the pegasus could properly land, her vision faded. She fell, ten feet from the ground. Fluttershy half expected to hear bones crack from the impact before she fainted, but she passed out with no such noises entering her ears. Author's Note Good evening everyone, Thanks for reading and I hope that you liked the first chapter for this story. As I said in the story description this is a collab between myself and Kaii-Leiko, another great story writer here on Fimfiction. This idea came to me while I was playing Final Fantasy XIV, but it also takes enemies and abilities from other Final Fantasy games I have played. Final Fantasy VII and VIII are the other major contributors to the story, VIII being my favourite FF game. I asked my friend Kaii-Leiko to help me along with this story and hopefully continues to write with me on this. Things are looking a bit bleak for Fluttershy, I fear, but someone seems to have her back. I shall post the next chapter on the next Saturday, and Merry Christmas to everyone who reads this. Ta ta!
Chapter 2“I hope that I found all of the wounds. Oh please, please don’t die.” That voice. Where do I know it from? The yellow mage’s eyes fluttered open. She saw the roof of one of her village’s houses. Fluttershy couldn’t recall who had lived here; all of the buildings looked the same as they burned. She had returned from a short walk to the river for some herbs when she caught sight of the smoke. Fluttershy had rushed back, overwhelmed with fear about what was happening to her small village. By the time she had returned, however, it was too late. The small pony had searched the houses and the treelines for any signs of life; any indication that her friends were yet alive, but she only saw the dragons…or…they seemed to be dragons. “Darling! You’re okay!” That voice again, Fluttershy thought, feeling lightheaded from just having awoken from her fall. She suddenly remembered it all: being cornered by those beasts, that white mage coming to rescue her, her managing to scare off their attackers before collapsing. “Oh thank Uldyui, you’re alright.” “Why…? Why’d you do that?” Fluttershy’s vision was still blurry, barely making out the pony above her as she lay back on the bed. She licked her lips, feeling her mouth was dry. “Shush dear, no talking. You are still too weak from the beating you took. Here, drink this,” Rarity lectured, levitating a bag filled with water from the river just outside the burned village. She placed the opened cap gently into the pegasi’s mouth and lifted it slightly. The injured mare took some quick gulps of the cold, refreshing liquid and coughed when she had enough. The white mage smiled sadly and brought the bag down next to her. “And…I helped you…because I could. A white mage’s duty is to heal and protect those in trouble, and you seemed to be in quite the tizzy, my dear.” When the mare had fallen unconscious and fell from the sky, Rarity had acted quickly. Her horn shimmered in a bright azure aura as it caught the pegasus in her magic. She carefully lowered the black mage to the cobblestone road and began to identify the extent of the pony’s injuries. Those dravanzi had beaten her into quite the mess: three broken ribs, a disconnected nose, bruises, scratches and blood all over her body. Rarity marveled at the fact that this little pony had the will to stand. She broke away from the mare below her to stare at her surroundings. They were still out in the open, and Rarity feared that those deformed dragonlings would return in greater numbers. She searched the houses, seeing which ones would give the best cover, and found one that had been scorched, but its flames had long been extinguished. The unicorn’s horn quickly glowed in another azure aura, enveloping the two of them and teleporting them into the burned home. Rarity quickly set about healing the pony’s wounds, ignoring her own pain growing in her head. She knew she had sustained a concussion, but this mare had been through far worse and needed treatment before her. Her first priority was to pull her broken ribs back together, then she set about reattaching her nose. Rarity cringed at the extent of her wounds, finding her in a worse condition than she had feared from the beginning. Cuts sealed up quickly and bruises shrunk, the reddened skin and fur returning to their natural colours. Her magic ran thin and the unicorn settled for wrapping the pegasi’s left fore leg in bandages to prevent her from jarring the limb as she awoke. Rarity had found that the leg had sustained severe injury as well, unfortunately having used up the rest of her healing ability before noticing. With a loud, apologetic sigh, the mare stood up and went to search for some water. Rarity levitated a bag out of her saddlebags and set off on a trek to the river just outside the town. She could see it run all the way out to the ocean in the distance to the west, no trees or mountains obstructing its view. She looked upon her wounded patient now, smiling that same sad smile as before. She hoped that what she was able to do would be good enough, but when her guild was attacked Rarity had only just started learning about apprentice healing magic. She’s lucky I was able to do this much. I hope it’s enough. “Thank you.” Rarity gasped, heart clenching in her chest. She placed a hoof to her mouth and saw the mare smiling up at her weakly. After a moment between them, the unicorn placed her fore leg back to the floor of the house and whispered, “You’re welcome.” The room fell silent again, the two ponies locking eyes for a while. Fluttershy broke contact first, trying to sit up from her bed. Pain answered her efforts and the pegasus fell back heavily. She whimpered, feeling tears forming at the edges of her eyes. “No! Please dear, you must remain still and rest.” Rarity sighed as she placed her hooves on the mare’s shoulders gently. “I don’t know how well my magic worked on you. You had three broken ribs, a broken left fore leg and a disconnected nose…not to mention all of the contusions and cuts all along your body. I’m…I’m not much of a white mage, but what aid I have has been given. My name is Rarity, by the way.” She’s so nice…but she doesn’t seem to think much of herself. Fluttershy frowned, knowing how it felt to struggle with the perception of oneself. “I’m Fluttershy. It’s nice to meet you, Rarity. What you’ve done…is certainly a blessing to me.” Rarity let out a laughing sob, feeling the fear of not being able to do what was necessary to save this mare’s life. Uldyui, please give me the power to heal her properly. She doesn’t deserve to die. Not here. “I have bandaged up your left fore leg. I wasn’t aware of its condition until I had used up all of my magic elsewhere, so…please don’t move it.” “Okay.” Another silence filled the open room as Fluttershy stared up at the ceiling once more. “You know, it’s funny. I’m a black mage, but I’ve never really used my power until today. I was always helping others with injuries…nothing too serious, but…it’s ironic. And now you’re here, an actual white mage…I…I wish I…” Tears began to blur Fluttershy’s vision as she clutched the side of her bed with her good hoof. “I wish I was one…too…” The unicorn in turn clenched her eyes shut, cursing herself for not being here earlier. How many ponies had lost their lives in this bloodshed, and for what? Rarity lowered herself down and wrapped her fore legs carefully around the sobbing mare, giving what comfort she could. The pegasus accepted the gesture in earnest, crying into Rarity’s white coat. “Shh…now don’t you lose hope. I’m sure some of the others managed to make it out safely.” At that moment, Rarity caught a glimpse of what happened back at her guild. The bodies…burning and scorched; steam, smoke and fire rose from every direction. She pulled back from the embrace and smiled her widest smile at her new friend. She saw the black mage return the smile. “Thank you, Rarity.” Rarity wiped her wet eyes. “Not at all. I can feel my magic returning, so let me see if I can get you walking again.” “Careful now. Gently darling.” The unicorn braced herself against the pegasus as Fluttershy made another attempt at walking. She stumbled a little as she put weight on her recently injured leg. Rarity had healed it nicely, but to the black mage it still felt weak. “I…I think I’m ready to try again.” “Are you certain? You shouldn’t push yourself, you know.” Rarity rested a hoof on her shoulder and looked at Fluttershy with concern in her sapphire eyes. The timid pegasus shook her head with a smile. “I know…but I think it’s fine now. You fixed me up just fine.” She smiled tenderly at the mare in front of her and saw the grin reflected back at her. Rarity carefully removed herself from the pony and allowed her to stand on her own. Fluttershy took one step and stumbled, being caught by Rarity before she fell. The black mage placed the leg down again and nodded. Rarity released her again, and the pegasus began to walk around the room. I…hope that I healed her properly, the unicorn thought, suddenly overcome with a headache. She grunted as she dropped to her haunches, holding her head. Fluttershy gasped and rushed over, forgetting that she had been injured. She sat next to the white mage and placed her hooves on Rarity’s shoulders. “Rarity, what’s wrong?” The white mare groaned again as another wave of vertigo hit her. “My head…when I was knocked back into that building, I thought that I had sustained a concussion.” “You knew? Why didn’t you…why didn’t you heal it?” Rarity turned her head to grin at the pegasus. “Simple: your injuries were more severe than mine were. ‘Treat those that need it more than you first’, that is one of the fundamental rules that Uldyui taught us. I stick by that rule.” “…Thou must move. It is no longer safe here. If thou feel that this mage is worth keeping, take her with thee and flee this place, lest thou risk another assault…” The white mage gasped and held her head more tightly. “Rarity? What’s wrong?” Only hesitating for a second, Rarity replied, “We must leave, now.” “What? What about your injuries?” The unicorn stood up and magicked all of her supplies onto her back. “We have no time. If we stay here, they will return soon enough.” She levitated her stave over to her and held out Fluttershy’s wand. “If we stick together, we have more of a chance of survival. We may also find your friends along the way.” “But…” Fluttershy stopped, seeing the look in Rarity’s eyes. She was strong, maybe pretending to be so that she wouldn’t worry, but it left her without any words of protest. Swallowing hard, the black mage took the wand from the pony’s magic and nodded her understanding. “Alright. Let’s go.” The two ponies left the building, and began making their way westward, following the path leading from the village. “…If thou wishest to unlock my power, thou must return to the place from whence I came to be. Follow this path and make for the western ocean. A ship awaits thee at one of the cities along the coast, but first thou must venture into a dungeon of ice…” Rarity heard each word in her head, keeping silent beside her friend as they walked. It rattled her skull slightly to listen to the ancient voice, making her concussion all the more noticeable. She nodded to herself in understanding and looked across at the pegasus. “If you don’t mind my asking, what was your village called?” “Ostheim…it was where I grew up,” the pony replied, rather wistfully. “My father was the one who taught me black magic. He was a mage himself you see, and he was the protector of the village…” The unicorn caught side of the tears at Fluttershy’s eyes as the sun’s rays glinted off the droplets. “I take it…he didn’t make it…” Fluttershy shook her head. “He died years ago…along with my mother. Dad always said that I would take his place as the protector of Ostheim…but look at it now.” She sniffed miserably; surprised that she hadn’t started to cry at the memory. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-” “It’s alright. My father wouldn’t want me to be sad that he died. He wasn’t killed, or murdered. He…he lived his life, and so did my mother…so…” Rarity managed to smile at the strength in the little mare’s voice. “They both sound like strong parents.” “Do…” Fluttershy bit her lip, hesitating. “do you have your parents?” The unicorn hummed as the two kept walking, eventually shaking her head. “I never knew them. I was found as a foal by the Archmage of the White Mage guild. I don’t know who they are, or why I was left. The mages of Uldyui’s guild raised me and taught me their spells…though only a little.” “I-I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have said that. It wasn’t my place.” “No. It’s alright too. You told me what happened with your parents, so I shall do the same.” Rarity smiled as she recalled her early days in the guild. “As far as I knew it back then, the Archmage was my father. We were always together. He was so kind and caring, looking back on it now…I find myself wondering why he did it at all. “I suppose he must have seen something in me. Or perhaps he wanted a daughter of his own, but…never met anyone. On my sixteenth birthday, he told me that he found me in the forest outside of the guild. That day, after thinking hard about all that he had done for me up until that point…I told him that I didn’t care. He was as much of a father to me as I could ever want, and I asked that he teach me to be a mage.” The unicorn wiped her eyes. “A few hours later, I was learning my first few spells.” Fluttershy smiled over at the mare and nodded to show that she was listening. “He sounds like a very nice pony to me.” “He was…” Silence echoed around the two as they walked. Fluttershy held in a gasp when she understood what that simple response meant. Before she could tell Rarity not to continue, she said, “A year later…this year, we were attacked by the same creatures that destroyed your village. They…they killed all of my friends…all of my family…my teacher, my father…” She collapsed to the ground and heard the sound of her stave hitting the ground as well. Fluttershy fell to her side instantly, holding the pony to herself. “They all died, I saw them all…burning…and…and I did nothing but run…” Sobs overtook her and tears ran down her cheeks and fell to the dirt. “White mages don’t run, they…they help those that are injured…the soul duty…of Uldyui’s mages.” “Rarity, please stop. You…you aren’t to blame for what happened. You couldn’t have done anything.” “HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?!” the white mage snapped, pushing the other pony away. She felt waves of racking sobs hit her, keeping her body close to the ground. “How do you know that I couldn’t have saved them? You weren’t there…you didn’t see what those beasts did…I was too afraid to help them…he told me to stay hidden and I’m ashamed to admit that I obeyed him!” Her throat was burning and dry, her chest heaved as she continued. Suddenly, Rarity stopped altogether and whispered, “I’m the only one left.” Fluttershy gasped and held the mare more tightly. She searched her mind for something to say that would calm the distraught pony, and found it after a moment. “Your father would be proud of you. You saved me after all, and…and because you survived you can save more lives. You can teach more ponies to be like you…selfless and caring, determined. I don’t think your father would want you to be crying because of what he did to save you.” She listened as the pony beneath her sniffed and wiped her nose. Rarity took several deep breaths, taking in what the pegasus said to her. The unicorn had no argument to Fluttershy’s speech. She was right, it would be inappropriate to lie here and cry when she knew he did it knowing every second how it would end for him. “Thank you…” Rarity whispered to the dirt path. She tilted her head to the left to look into the pegasi’s eyes. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. You are right.” She let out a chuckle and wiped her eyes again. “I must look like a complete mess now, all covered in dirt and tears.” The timid pony shook her head with a soft smile. “There’s nothing to apologize for…and you look fine too, Rarity. Let me help you.” She brought her hooves up to fix the mare’s face and mane and smiled happily when she finished. “There…just as I remember it.” The white mage chuckled gently. “Thank you.” “You’re quite welcome, Rarity.” Rarity suddenly stood, defensive stance taken and protect cast over both of them. Bombs hit the shield and bounced off, exploding a few feet from the two mares as Fluttershy turned to where Rarity had been facing. The blast tapped the protective cocoon as little ripples formed where the explosion reached. Goblins ran forward as the timid pegasus looked on, beginning to cast a ball of water from her wand. The white mage broke some rocks free of the earth and cast them straight into the face of one of the creatures. He fell back and dropped the grenade he was about to throw. Rarity could see that the goblins were flanked by five bite bugs. The flying beetles crashed into the shield and bit at its defenses, larger cracks forming in the barrier. Rarity felt her magic fade as she closed one eye to try and repair the damaged spell. “Water!” Fluttershy shouted, as her wand tilted toward the group of bite bugs. It enveloped them and the bugs dropped from the air, falling to the ground in a heap. The two goblins had since recovered from the onslaught and readied a bomb to throw. Rarity’s teeth clenched as she struggled to keep her barrier up. No time to cast another protect. Stoneskin! She turned to Fluttershy and focused her magic on the pegasus. Her stave glowed with a dim purple, a layer of rock surrounding Fluttershy as the bombs flew at the two mages. The timid pony had barely enough time to turn her head to Rarity as she saw her fly back from the blast of the grenade. The protective barrier shattered around her, but the stoneskin spell held together. Fluttershy sucked in a terrified breath as she saw Rarity fall to the ground limply. She ground her teeth together and spun to face her opponents. “No one…NO one hurts my friends and GETS AWAY WITH IT!” Her eyes narrowed and her wand glowed a deep red. “Solar flare!” Rarity opened her eyes long enough to see the field in front of Fluttershy being enveloped in a red and white light. She felt the heat radiating off of the blast of energy that the pegasi’s attack had created. All that remained once the light dimmed was charred grass and scorched goblin. She felt Fluttershy running over to her as sensation returned to her body. Rarity smiled at the pegasus as she leaned down to inspect what injuries she had sustained. “What was that?” “Stay still,” Fluttershy replied, feeling for any broken bones or other serious injuries. Fluttershy feared what the blast had done to her skull, having already had a concussion from the last battle. The white mage allowed her to make sure that nothing was out of place. “That was amazing, Fluttershy; truly a magnificent show of force.” “It…it was my…limit break,” Fluttershy answered timidly, finding no serious injuries on the unicorn. “I-I rarely use it, because it’s so…so destructive…but when I saw you there…lying helplessly again…I lost it.” She saw Rarity smile and chuckle at the concern she felt for her. Fluttershy smiled back softly. “You have to stop protecting just me. You’ll get yourself killed.” “It’s what white mages do, darling. They…they protect the ones they care about…above their own well-being. You cannot ask me to forsake what I have known since I was a little foal.” Rarity struggled against Fluttershy and her own weariness as she fought to sit up straight. “Now. Now I can heal myself.” The black mage watched carefully as Rarity brought the pommel of her stave down upon the ground and felt a peaceful aura surround her. “Uldyui’s Light, protect and watch over me!” “You took the hit so you could power up your own limit break?” Fluttershy asked in shock as she watched both of their injuries glow blue and seal themselves. A nod was Rarity’s answer. “I trusted you to finish the job, but I never expected such a…dramatic reaction from you, my dear. You truly are full of surprises, hmm?” Rarity tittered with amusement as she watched Fluttershy’s cheeks turn pink. “Quite the becoming colour you have developing on your cheeks, darling.” “Please…please warn me when you do that again, at least.” The unicorn’s breath caught in her throat as she heard Fluttershy’s reply and saw her expression. Rarity’s sapphire eyes narrowed after a moment, and she nodded. She rose to her hooves and Fluttershy rose as well. “Well…shall we continue on in the direction from before we were so rudely interrupted by those cretins?” the white mage asked as they resumed their quick pace along the path. “I suppose. How do you…stay in such a good mood? I-I mean…you sound like those goblins only interrupted us from a conversation or a meal to complain to us about something.” Fluttershy lowered her gaze away from the mare beside her, regretting asking that question now. Such a lovely mare, to worry about me so. “It’s just how I am, I suppose. I’m a bit of an optimist, even though it may seem like I fuss over things so much.” She chuckled into a fore hoof. “I try to look on the brighter side of things.” “…Thou hast good tact when faced with perilous odds…I am not surprised that Uldyui hath chosen thee as the world’s saviour. Though thou art not powerful enough as of yet…to face that which awaits thee soon. I shall lend thee some of mine power to aid thee in the coming battle…” “Rarity? Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked, breaking the unicorn from her other conversation. “Oh! Why yes, I am. My apologies, Fluttershy, I merely drifted off.” Fluttershy gave her an appraising stare. It’s that same look as before…that strained look Rarity had when we walked out of the building. She turned her head away from Rarity and watched the treeline to her left, in case any new threats dared to show themselves. Does she know what’s going on? Author's Note Good evening, So sorry about the delay, I forgot that this was meant to be updated today. So here is chapter 2. I love the emotion presented in this chapter about Rarity's family. It makes me tear up every time I read about what happened to her family and how she's coping with it. Hopefully chapter three will be ready next Saturday, but I'll just let you readers know ahead of time that it may be delayed. I am not positive either way, but just so you're aware. Thank you and happy reading. Ta ta!
Chapter 3Hours passed by as the two mages scanned the terrain for any enemies. They walked through with very little resistance after their first battle with the goblins and bite bugs. The few times that they needed to venture through forests, the ponies encountered cactuars and gargoyles. With each kilometer that the two walked, the less and less crowded with opponents the surrounding areas became. Rarity noticed a change in the temperature and mentioned it to Fluttershy, while they went farther northwest, cooling off as the rolling green hills became jagged peaked mountains and deep valleys all around them. “Yeah, I felt it too,” she answered. “And no one’s around for miles now. I don’t know about this place. It’s giving me the shivers, and not just from the cold.” Rarity considered telling Fluttershy their destination, but she’d kept it to herself. The white mage wasn’t sure how to explain the voice of a crystal in her head giving her directions, and she didn’t want to lose the yellow pegasus as a traveling companion. The prospect of not being alone after what had happened to her family was one she couldn’t deny herself. And Bahamut’s words were the only lead they had, so she had to trust them. Rarity could only hope that, in turn, Fluttershy trusted her as well. It seemed as though the farther they walked, the colder the area around them became. Which means that wherever this ice dungeon is that we are meant to find, we are certainly in the correct climate for such things. Despite Bahamut saying that their destination would be anything but luxurious, Rarity hadn’t expected such a drastic change in temperature here; not when she knew the surrounding area on a map. “This place should not be this cold at this time. What sort of trickery is this?” Still, even with her apprehension rising, she could tell that this was not a mistaken path. The first speck of snow landed directly on the tip of the alabaster unicorn’s nose as she stared up at the darkening sky. The flake swiftly melted upon contact with her warm fur, yet by that time many hundreds more were drifting down to coat the rocks and the trees and the mountains in a chilly blanket. Both of their coats were becoming dampened by the snow, and it became clear to the two that they needed to find shelter soon, in order to escape the cold. Not long after the snow began, they found the entrance to the cave that the spirit from the crystal had mentioned. “We must be careful now, dear,” Rarity began, not taking her gaze from the crevice. “There’s no telling what may be in there, but whatever it is has kept every creature from without from entering or even coming near for miles.” The timid pegasus shivered involuntarily; though that was probably equal parts from the cold and wet, and from the dread that statement brought her. “Are we sure we want to be going in there then?” Rarity breathed through her nose and levitated her stave from behind her back. She regarded Fluttershy calmly, giving her the most reassuring visage she could muster under the circumstances. “I’m afraid that I have no choice in the matter, dear. This is something that I must do. But you are free to do as you please. I do not ask that you follow me in here, knowing the danger.” The opening was barely taller than the two mares before it and the surrounding areas were coated in brilliant cobalt ice. As Fluttershy stared forward at the proper lady, likely thinking through her options, Rarity turned her gaze toward the awaiting path. A preliminary check of the area was in order, so she supposed. Given that this cold seems to have stemmed from nowhere, and begins within only a few kilometers of this point, it would be wise to assume that some magic or curse is upon this place. “...A rational assumption to make, child of Uldyui…” Hearing Bahamut’s words of confidence only bolstered the unicorn’s need to plot out this new terrain, if not for herself, for Fluttershy’s safety, should she decide to accompany her. Should she choose to retreat, I will not blame her. She may not know it, but this task was appointed to me. And I would not wish someone else who just so recently lost everything to put up with something as perilous as this quest. “...Thou doth not wish to place her in the same path set out for thee…” Rarity remained silent. She did not need to confirm his words over the matter, and there were more pressing matters to address at the moment. The mare turned her gaze downward. The floor was slippery with ice, she could gather, and it would be difficult to remain on her hooves. Focusing her eyes on the walls she could tell finding one’s grip there would be no easy task either. And those are my thoughts on the cavern without seeing what foes lie within, she pondered, biting her lip. Fluttershy’s fire techniques would be well needed inside this place, but I leave the choice to her. She turned on her heels and faced back to the other pony. “We will take a moment’s rest.” Her horn lit up in a sapphire light, removing her saddlebag from her back and placing her stave in the dirt. “I will remain by the entrance until you have made your choice. Whatever your decision may be, I will accept it.” Fluttershy stared wide-eyed at her as she took a seat beside her things, appearing so tranquil and at peace with everything despite all that had happened to her within a year. She had no firm idea of when she had lost her family and friends, but she did know that such a short time to grieve would not have been enough for her to look as she did now. Maybe she’s not actually as at peace with everything as she looks though, and is just pretending...being strong for me, or for her father. Fluttershy stayed silent for quite a while. She turned her gaze away from the alabaster unicorn, despite the pony not showing any aversion to her staring for such a lengthy period. It’s still not polite to stare though, she thought to herself. Her imaginings turned then to what would happen to Rarity, should she choose to leave her company. It was clear to her that this place was not an area to take lightly. The fact that there were no creatures coming to attack them out here in the open had not gone unnoticed by the pegasus, and that could only mean that something within was not to be trifled with; certainly not alone. I could only imagine that my abilities would be valuable in a place like this, no matter how long or short the journey would be. She took a seat on the snow-covered ground, the soft white flakes coming in much thicker than when they had begun. There were great shards of crystal sticking up from the earth before her, some cerulean, others maroon and olive. All were much taller than Fluttershy, and that only made her worry further about what could be lurking inside. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Rarity had saved her life. Twice, in fact. It was owed to her to do what she could for this elegant pony. She couldn’t let her go in there all by herself, because then the same thing that would have happened back with the dravanians would happen here, if she decided to flee. Ostheim flashed through her mind, the homes of her friends and her neighbours being burned to cinders before her eyes. The timid pony had not seen any of the ponies from the village injured or dead. It did not mean anything, and she wanted to believe what Rarity had said; that they would find them in time. But then why was she still crying for them? She shut her eyes to stem the tide of tears, unable to control herself and at the same time hoping that her new friend would not see her shedding these tears. Fluttershy held herself tightly as she sat and wept before the pillars of crystal, but did not hear Rarity approach or feel her hooves around her as she expelled her distraught feelings. I don’t want her to, she thought in between her racking sobs. She already has enough...trouble herself. The yellow mare breathed in shakily, attempting to steady her erratic breathing. If I can’t control my emotions then I would only prevent Rarity from doing whatever she is trying to do here. “Now don’t you lose hope. I’m sure your friends made it out safely.” The unicorn’s words echoed in her mind, providing a surprising amount of comfort to her at this moment. To have such hope for her despite experiencing what she had with her own family and friends could not be a simple task. “I’m...somewhat of an optimist.” Again, the words of the pony who had only recently saved her entered her thoughts. Her breathing had steadied, and her tears were no longer flowing. Fluttershy laughed a little, a tiny hiccup of a laugh, but the glad emotion behind it was there. She opened her teal eyes and held her head up, tilting her head toward Rarity. “I won’t let you go in there alone,” she said. Their breaths were easily visible as they stood just within the cave. There was no way for Rarity to describe the feeling she had other than unsettling, as she stared down at the gloom of the passage. This cave was far from natural, that much was obvious. The jagged, frozen rocks which coated the entrance gave way to smooth icy walls. The snow that decorated the floor was fresh, and with each step forward a satisfying crunch was heard; though neither mare said anything, both counted it as a blessing. If we do become lost, the white mage thought, at least we will be able to follow our hoofprints back out. Fortunately, she quickly discovered that the danger of becoming so inclined was minimal at best. As the pair walked deeper into the frozen passage, and despite there being a definite curve to the cave and many branches from the main path, the ending of each was easily visible without having to explore any of them too far. They did however happen to stumble upon some items of interest in a few areas off from the main path. A silver bangle rested just below the surface of some ice, which Fluttershy’s spells made short work of. And an earring set of offensive magic. “My dear, what splendid finds,” the alabaster unicorn called with a swift curl to her lips. She brought the blue tinted earrings up in her magic and turned to Fluttershy. “Here we are, Fluttershy, you will need these more than I.” “Oh, thank you, Rarity,” she replied, backing up a little and raising a hoof, before allowing her friend to attach the items. “But I think you should have the bangle. Since you’ll be healing me, most enemies will be attacking you first.” There. Finite, she thought as she finished with the earrings, sticking her tongue out in concentration. “And I suppose you are correct, darling. These will certainly help us in battles to come.” She put her right hoof through the bangle and admired it with glee. And it works surprisingly well with my mane and tail. With only one real direction to follow, and with what few foes they were required to face, the two continued farther in. Large crystalline bats flew at them from their perches among the stalactites of the cavern, but Fluttershy’s powerful fire spells and Rarity’s well aimed stone or aero spells made quick work of them. The alabaster unicorn flinched after one particular skirmish, where one of the pegasus’ flames struck the ceiling. The area around them shook noticeably, and she made certain that both her and Fluttershy had protect and stoneskin on. “Perhaps we had best...refrain from having too many battles in these narrow hallways. I do not fancy myself becoming a pony popsicle.” The black mage merely nodded her agreement, and followed her lead as they once more resumed their trek. “What do you think is at the end of this cave, Rarity?” “Unfortunately, I haven’t the faintest idea, darling. All I can say is that we must be on our guard.” She paused a while in her stride, examining a section of wall on the left side with a rather long and deep slice through it. There was an audible gulp as Fluttershy stood beside her. “Whatever it is, it seems it may have a temper.” The yellow pegasus gripped her wand more tightly as she carried on with her friend. Other creatures like flans and frost sprites would either fall off of the walls or break off from the ice to attack them. The sprites could be dealt with rather easily, with most of the attention and damage being placed on Rarity; however, the flans and their strange attributes and resistances proved more difficult to deal with. Fire appeared to consume one and have no effect on another, much to the chagrin of the two mares trying to pass through. I’m running low on magic, but Rarity is still counting on me to deal with them. I have to keep trying. Gritting her teeth as her protect barrier was assaulted, the white mage tossed aside one purple flan with her stave. It seems as though their weakness corresponds to their colour scheme. She blocked another attack and jumped back, casting a healing spell on herself. Her eyes narrowed as she saw a green flan sneaking up behind Fluttershy. Oh, no. Not so fast, you ill-mannered jello blob. Rarity pointed her stave at the creature and forced it into the left wall with an incantation of aero. Once she had dealt with that, the elegant mare glanced around, the black mage appearing to have figured out their weaknesses as well. They smiled at one another once their enemies had been taken care of, and after resting a moment for their strength and stamina to return, both mages strolled on cautiously. Eventually, the narrow pathway opened up into a great dome shaped area. The ceiling here rose quite high, at least thirty or forty feet all of the way around, and grand pillars of ice and crystal along the outsides were what held the undeniably wonderful place aloft. Before them was what appeared to be an arena, with only one entrance from where they had come and one exit directly across from where they now stood. This stage was accessible only by a thin bridge with a sharp drop upon either side. One misstep could spell quite a long fall for either of them into the empty abyss below. The pegasus glanced to her left at Rarity in concern. “Are you sure it’s such a good idea to go through here, Rarity?” Fluttershy’s voice was shakier than usual, but whether it was from the cold or fear of the fall, Rarity could not be certain. I would not blame her if it was both, she thought briefly, before calming her mind. “Certainly, my dear.” Rarity replied, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. “Besides, we don’t have much of a choice and we’ve come this far, have we not? Certainly the exit can’t be much farther now.” “Two presences enter here, ones I have not felt since many ages past.” A shudder went up Rarity’s spine. The voice was so monotonous, and it seemed to be coming from every direction within this dome, assessing their powers and weaknesses as it spoke. “Foolish creatures such as ponies have no business here. I cannot allow you to pass beyond this point...and your abilities are not enough, even together, to combat my strength.” Rarity turned her gaze to every corner of the cavern, her stave at the ready by her side. Her expression hardened and her stance set. This creature...I cannot see her, but already she appears to have evaluated our fighting potential. This must be what Bahamut spoke of. The two mares watched above as little shards of crystal began to fall from the roof. Fluttershy felt the air in the room grow denser and a nervous chill travel through her at the cold and calculating voice that she heard. Further shards and flakes of snow gathered and collected at a single focused point near the center of the dome, just before the two mages. She reached over, touching a hoof to Rarity’s shoulder. Rarity could feel the shakiness in the pegasus’ limb, knowing full well that she could sense how strong this foe was. She cupped her left hoof over Fluttershy’s in comfort to the coming battle. Her sapphire eyes never left the collection of crystal and snow, not ever giving whatever this was a chance at a surprise offensive. The wind began to pick up around them, her violet curls being twirled about before the floating particles changed position. As if the thousands of crystals were a solid mass, the white mage watched in awe as they swung up from the ground and to the left, like it were a cape caught in the breeze. When the wind subsided, and snow began to fall peacefully to the ground, it became clear that the two ponies were no longer alone. In the middle of the circular platform they were on now resided a strange bipedal creature. She was taller than either of them, at least five and a half feet tall, and atop her head rested a glorious gold crown, its highest tips almost as long as the entire length of the stranger’s body. Her skin was a ghostly white and matched the beautiful flowing cerulean hair that reached her lower back. Her outfit consisted only of tall boots, gloves and a one piece top with a cape. She touched down on the floor before the trespassers, her cold, piercing eyes regarding them with an expressionless visage. Rarity grimaced at the entity’s choice of clothing. A little too revealing, if you asked me. The three figures stood in silence, none of them moving but for the gentle breeze holding the cape aloft. It was clear to Rarity that this being meant to block their path for some reason, such as protecting her home, but maybe that gave her an opportunity to reason with this female. “Please, forgive us. We do not wish to cause any harm to you or this place,” the elegant mare spoke up with as much sincerity as she could muster under the circumstances. “Our path led us down this road and we seek only to proceed to the other side of this cavern, if you would be so kind.” “I cannot allow you to proceed.” “Why ever not?” Rarity posed in response. Her monotone voice was startling, certainly intimidating with her eyes fixed upon the mare. “My job is to protect this passage from any harm a trespasser could present to it. The opportunity to withdraw is still open to you both. Should you choose to stay, that opportunity will have ended.” We cannot turn back, but she was correct in what she said earlier. Even with our abilities, it is very unlikely that Fluttershy and I will be able to deal a fatal blow. She turned to regard the pegasus for a confirmation of her will. The black mage appeared fearful, as expected of anyone when faced with such odds, but she was not backing away either. She caught sight of the unicorn looking over at her and nodded that she was prepared to follow her lead. In response, the elegant mare removed her hoof from Fluttershy’s and took a step closer to their opponent. The creature made no visible reaction to her movements as Rarity made eye contact with her. She merely stared down at them with an unsmiling expression. “You stay...despite knowing how little hope you have. You are foolish, pony.” The unwavering, hollow eyes left the white mage shaken. That this thing kept her focus on her now, left her with an odd sense of foreboding. They blinked once, though the intimidation that that expression brought did not fade. “We cannot turn back now,” Rarity answered sternly, recasting protect and stoneskin on Fluttershy and herself. “If you do not allow us passage, then we shall fight our way through.” After a moment of tense silence, their enemy made the first sign of acknowledgement. Her left foreleg moved off to the side, her strange hoof extended. “...Very well. Ending your lives and protecting this place are hand-in-hand from this moment forth.” The air around her shimmered, and ice from the side of the platform liquified, flowing up to form as a long, thin sword in the palm of her bizarre hoof. It solidified into a blade, and she pointed it at them, taking a stance of her own. The way behind them closed shut as walls of ice rose up from the ground to seal off their exit. Fluttershy drew her weapon too as it became apparent that there would no longer be a way to leave without combat being involved. “Fluttershy, stay behind me.” Rarity said as she sauntered ahead, jumping in front of the pegasus just in time to block the blow from their foe’s sword, who had suddenly rushed forward. Her stave ended much of the force the attack had, yet it still pushed her dangerously close to the edge of the platform. “Rarity!” Fluttershy called in fright, galloping toward her friend. It was clear that another such attack when the proper lady was already so close to the edge would not end well for her, but before she could reach her, a cold ring of ice closed around her entire body. She struggled and fought to free herself of these bonds, yet they held together. How did she know I would be here? She wouldn’t be able to see me from this angle. Before she could cast a fire spell to melt her prison, she was flung along with the ring, into the side of the arena, and the pegasus did go over the edge. Her wings immediately began to flutter and she rose back toward the platform, stunned at the power this creature displayed. Regaining her stance quickly upon landing, she broke into a gallop, seeing how Rarity was barely holding her own against the much larger opponent. She was dancing around the opposite edge of the platform, blocking or deflecting the strokes of this thing’s sword with her stave or dodging out of harm’s way. The white mage was out of breath, sweating and already reeling from the pressure this new foe was exerting on her. Out of the corner of her vision, she could see the pegasus rushing over to help her. Oh, thank Uldyui! I thought for certain that she had fallen. Blocking another sideways swipe from this bipedal creature, Rarity thought quickly and cast an aero spell to gain some distance from her adversary. It managed to push her back to the center of the ring, and Rarity caught her breath. She eyed her, standing perfectly still and upright, the same unfeeling expression on her face as she stared back. She cast a hasty cure and side stepped around her to meet with Fluttershy. “Fluttershy, are you alright, dear?” the white mage questioned, hearing the gasping breaths of her companion. “I’m okay,” she replied. “I was more concerned about you taking her on, on your own.” Rarity managed to smirk. Still worried about me. I’m happy that she hasn’t sustained any great injury. Leave this thing to focus on me, dear. I am the one who initiated this battle. “Stay close to me, Fluttershy. She is attempting to split us off.” Her opponent’s motives were difficult, nearly impossible to discern with that expressionless face, but she could not hide her fighting style. The alabaster unicorn clenched her teeth, seeing this strange female flip her sword downward and slam the blade into the center of the platform. A crack in the ice split off from the wedged blade, with Rarity hopping to her left barely before their opponent swung the sword upward, retrieving it from the arena and pointing it to the ceiling. Shards of ice shot up from the large crevice now within the platform, once more cutting the two mares off from one another. Rarity and Fluttershy saw the being as she conducted her attack, never shifting from her upright posture, with only her sword arm moving. She sped forward at the proper lady, brandishing the icy blade within her grasp. From here, and with the momentum she has from that point, even if I blocked her attack, the force would carry me off of this place. Rarity swallowed and raised her stave despite her thought. But if Fluttershy has an opening here, I cannot move away. The pegasus saw her launch the assault on Rarity, knowing full well that she meant to knock her off of the platform. Her teal eyes narrowed. Oh, no you don’t, the timid mare thought, drawing out her fire. As it had the dravanians in her village, it collided into the side of her opponent’s face with tremendous force, breaking off their foe’s trajectory and forcing her off to the side. She groaned with about as little emotion as she had before, turning her attention toward Fluttershy, who squeaked and lifted her forelegs up to cower behind them. “I’m, um, sorry…” “Yes, Fluttershy! She’s vulnerable to fire, we can do this!” Rarity screamed, using a well-aimed stone spell to lop off the tops of the ice shards to her right. She jumped over them and trotted back to the center of the platform to avoid any unfortunate accidents. She slid to a stop near the middle and cast a quick stone spell, hurtling them at the guardian of this place, who cut them to ribbons with a mere swipe of her blade. The distraction gave Fluttershy the chance to throw off another fire spell, and again her face was scorched with fire. Her head turned slightly at the impact, though her unblinking eyes remained upon them. She raised her free hoof, pointing at Rarity. Large, thin chunks of ice rose from the platform, each one curved and directed toward her. The projectiles closed in around her with blinding speed. She jumped, barely managing to squeeze her body between the two blades. While Rarity was busy dodging and smashing those with her stave, the wind around Fluttershy picked up, and the small snowstorm which seemed to contain only her blinded her. The black mage never even saw the blow, as she raised a hoof up to her face, but the scream that echoed around the cavern afterward certainly meant that she had felt it. A large ice chunk hit Fluttershy in the back, sending her across the field of battle. She hit the ground hard and skidded to a stop near the middle. Were it not for the defensive spells the unicorn had cast on her, Fluttershy suspected that the injury she had sustained would have been far worse. Her previous wounds seemed to flare up and her chest hurt. Surely she’d fractured her ribs again. Luckily, the green aura of Rarity’s cure spell surrounded her and took away most of the pain, giving her the strength to stand once more. “Rarity…w-what are we going to do?” she asked, turning to her friend, who was standing next to her. “You hold off only the inevitable,” the being said in her monotonous voice, gaining the elegant mare’s attention. She was once again standing perfectly still and balanced, her sword out at her side. “I have seen your abilities and know your strengths. To stand against me is suicidal, at best.” Courage seemed in short supply with Fluttershy, but she was waning more than usual, and Rarity took note of it. She ground her teeth and racked her brain, trying to find a way to defeat this foe. One thing was certain, if Fluttershy gave up, all hope was lost. She was the only one capable of seriously harming her, using her fire spells, which meant that it was Rarity’s job to keep her standing long enough to do so. Which is exactly the problem, because I’m already exhausted. No amount of healing spells could take away the fatigue I’m feeling now. Since the genocide of her white mage home, she’d barely received any rest. It had been one battle after another and it was beginning to take its toll on her body. “Why, darling, the answer is simple. Don’t you see? We’re going to win.” She gave the most reassuring smile she could, but shrieked as she barely dodged to the right of a swing of the creature’s sword, a loud crash resonating from where she had just been. “Nonsense,” she heard the female answer, standing up and wrenching her sword free of the crater she had made. Fluttershy stopped trembling. Again she was inspired by Rarity’s courage and grace. She prayed silently, hoping to borrow some of her tenacity, though she doubted the white mage presently had much to spare. Planting her hooves firmly on the ground, she rolled the small cedar wand in front of her. The air shimmered before the wand. Digging deep into her magic reserves she called forth all of the power she could. “Fira!” The balls of flame were much larger than they were in their last battles, and the heat could be felt throughout the entire room. It slammed into the tall creature and threw her off of her stance. Her back hit the wall with a loud thud and crack of ice and dislodged some icicles from the ceiling, which both mares skillfully dodged. Their powerful foe rose as the pair assembled again, cape and clothes slightly scorched and blackened. She flew around the circular room, following its walls as the wind began to pick up again. The two mares knew something was wrong instantly. Fluttershy landed by Rarity, finding it difficult to keep herself aloft with the quickly freezing area. It was becoming a labour to breathe and the room seemed to cool to ungodly temperatures. The cold nipped and bit at their skin until it felt as though they were burning. Ice began gathering at their hooves, coating and freezing their legs to the platform. It began covering their entire bodies, and neither could move. Both were too panicked from what was occurring so rapidly to call forth any magic. Fluttershy knew, that were she able to cry she would, but her tears were freezing before they could trickle down her cheeks. It seemed as though it was the end, the ice encasing them completely and blocking off their oxygen supply. Just as darkness threatened to overtake the two mares, the ice encasing them cracked and fell, leaving them to collapse to the ground. Their bodies were numb from the cold and neither seemed to be capable of standing as their adversary landed. She stood between them, straight in stance, sword directed at Rarity. It seemed suffocation was too cruel a death even for this being to deliver; though Fluttershy almost wished that they had been finished off. “You fought well. However, even with your friend’s powers over fire, it would require many more firm hits for victory to be within your grasp. You are at your limit.” “Don’t…” Fluttershy whispered weakly as she saw her foe bring her blade up above her head. “She’s been through…enough…” the words were slurred and it was difficult to move her lips, but maybe if she pleaded with enough sincerity, Rarity would be spared. Her eyes were focused only on their killer’s feet and fatigue prevented her from looking up. “What trials she has been through prior adds no direct concern to whether she should live or die. Either by my blade now or the slow decay of time, she will die.” Fluttershy closed her eyes unable to bear the idea of watching her friend die before her. I’m sorry, Rarity. I’m not strong enough to get up. “...No,” the proper lady whispered. Fluttershy’s eyes flew open again, seeing Rarity struggling back onto her hooves. She was badly bruised and cut, gashes everywhere once her protect and stoneskin had been broken through, dirt and grime covering much of her coat. The female made no move to strike her, merely standing in between the ponies and lowering her sword arm. The two locked gazes once more, Rarity’s foe turning to face her directly. “What is it that drives you?” “So curious now...after having us so close to death,” the white mage responded, almost chuckling at the sudden interest in her cold, calculating eyes. The cold had done its job on her; she was forcing her eyes open and struggling to stay on her hooves, biting her lip so as to create enough pain to keep herself from falling unconscious. “Whatever task you have that takes you here, you have courage. Tell me, what is your name?” “My name is Rarity,” she answered, glancing over at Fluttershy to make certain she was alright. She was shivering on the floor, looking pale and exhausted. It seemed like she was barely holding onto her consciousness. And I have brought her to her death. The proper lady turned her attention back to her adversary. “I told you my name. What is yours?” Those eyes were once again upon Rarity, though now, near death and with Fluttershy’s life in her hooves, she had no trouble keeping herself composed. “...My name is Shiva. I am the guardian of this place, and have been for centuries.” The white mage dipped her head in respect. “Shiva, I cannot allow you to end our lives. There is much that we must do before our time comes.” So much that I must do on my own. Shiva merely stood there, sword at her side and a blank look on her pale face. “Fool. There is nothing more that you can do.” “...Child of Uldyui, call upon me now, so that I can turn the tide of this battle. Speak the words I told thee, and attend to thy fallen ally…” The unicorn nodded blearily, knowing that there was no other way. She brought her stave over in her magic to rest on her back. “Mega Flare,” Rarity whispered, narrowing her eyes at the bipedal creature before her. A roar echoed up from behind the elegant mare, taking Rarity off guard, but not causing her to lose eye contact with Shiva. She levitated her stave off of her back, pointing it directly at her foe, to be certain that the timid pegasus would not be harmed. The platform shook beneath her hooves, and she could hear claws scraping against ice and rock, growing louder as time progressed. From the corner of her sapphire eyes, she saw a claw smash into the surface of the arena. Rarity flinched in surprise, but stood her ground. Shiva made no move to attack either her or Fluttershy, no sign that she was startled to see what she was seeing right now. A dark grey, scaled tail curled around the white mage and Fluttershy, and Rarity could feel the warm breath of the creature beside her. “Bahamut?”she inquired, understandably out of breath and explanations at this revelation. She turned her head and saw a dragon, not much larger than that of a dravanian, but clearly more powerful. Before the proper lady could speak, he let out a great ball of fire, which Rarity saw their opponent only had seconds to raise her sword up to in any kind of defense. The scorched marks on her wrists and arms when she skidded to a stop at the opposite edge of the platform were an instant display of this new being’s strength. “…Thee hath done well until this point, young mage. Allow me to finish thy battle…” At this moment, all Rarity could do was nod dumbly at the creature, watching as he took his place in between her and Shiva. His wings were out on either side, six feet long at least. His body was five feet-tall and twice that length with the addition of his long slender tail, which had a spade-shaped tip at the end. His form was muscular, as she had known all dragons were, though Bahamut was surprisingly small and thin for one. Her eyes widened with sudden realization. I...I have a dragon talking in my head. That amazing thought came almost as rapidly as recalling how serious Fluttershy’s injuries were. She snapped out of her daze and turned to cure the little pony of her ailments. “I hope I’m not too late.” She channeled her magic into her stave and cast esuna, to rid her friend of the freezing damage she had sustained. The reaction was almost instantaneous as she heard and felt the heat of Bahamut’s attacks on the guardian of this dungeon. Fluttershy’s skin returned to its normal colouration, her shivering ceased and after another desperate moment, her teal eyes fluttered open once again. “Rarity?” she whispered, blinking a few times as she gazed up at the alabaster unicorn. “What’s going on?” Rarity’s eyes shimmered with tears and relief, and her lips curled up slightly as she turned to witness some of the fight. Once again, Bahamut let out a ball of scorching flame that sent Shiva against the wall near the exit, lodging her there as her sword shattered against the floor. Despite the turn around, Rarity could see no change to the creature’s expression, no emotion over losing showing through her features. They merely stared at each other, as Shiva stayed in place within the crater her body had formed against the wall. The unicorn looked back to Fluttershy, feeling suddenly drowsy from the ordeal. “We won, darling,” she confirmed softly. “We’re going to be alright.” A relieved gaze crossed the yellow pegasus’ features, as relieved as one could appear mere seconds after regaining feeling in her face. Her hooves still felt shaky when she attempted to stand, but Rarity was there to help her. “Thank you, Rarity,” she whispered, still shivering as she sat on her haunches. Her eyes widened and her breath came in as a low quake, when she regarded the huge scaled creature that had suddenly appeared within this dungeon. “Is that a...a…d-d...dragon?”
