Lost Keys

Hours 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?”