Pandemonia, the Sunken Citadel

Fluttershy traversed Pandemonia on the shoulders of Night Blade, with Sunlight Spear carrying Iron in one arm. They passed through the slums, with the images of rotten ramshackle houses and desolate plazas passing off in a blur. Occasionally, she would see a pyre in the distance. The white flames burned brightly, but she felt none of the warmth.

After a few minutes of endless running, she could see what she believed to be the temple they mentioned. The marble structure stood proudly against the arctic light of the beacons, its pillars glowing triumphantly against the burnt houses around it. Sunlight approached the temple and swung a door open. “Let us hurry.” he whispered. This shrine was dwarfed when compared to the majestic height of the Cathedral. It stood barely four stories high, and with a life-sized statue of a dragon near a massive mirror.

Night blade grabbed her, his oversized hand making her feel like she were a doll, and dropped her near the mirror. It was then that she noticed that the reflection was not from a mirror. Instead, she was staring at a large, but fairly shallow, pool of frozen water. She looked at her hand, covered in dirt, blood  and scratches, and submerged it.

The liquid felt smooth, easing away her pains as the damage melted into oblivion. She pulled out her hand to inspect it closer. The water had left her hand better than any spa could. She quickly sunk her other hand, feeling the warmth soften her.

“Truly the Pool of Kvasir is a sight to behold.” Sunlight mused, sitting cross-legged next to her. “It was his last gift before disappearing. He promised that no follower of Areion would fall to Mot or Discord so long as he could do anything.” he chuckled. “I am sorry, but I just feel so delighted to be able to walk these halls once more.” he settled Iron next to her. “I would sink him myself, but I fear that my armor may repel some of its enchantments.

She turned to face the soldier and worked through his uniform, tossing his armor into the pool. It wasn’t intentional, but she just failed to find a way to do it without hurting him further. His greatcoat came off, along with the harness that suspended his spare ammunition and his gasmask.

Removing his cotton shirt showed her a darkened, burnt and hollowed chest. It looked as if the wound was eating away at his organs, turning his skin into flakes of ash. The few patches of untouched flesh were covered in scars, some with blood still oozing from the broken stitches. She looked closer at a silver chain around his neck, a chain which appeared to be holding the corruption from spreading higher. Strapped to the center was a silver pendant, shaped like a winged sword.

She removed her boots and wrapped her arms under his body and made an effort to raise them. To her surprise, Iron Cross was lighter than Angel. She stepped into the pool, feeling as the magical water washed her legs. She looked down, feeling as her toes gripped the edge of the pool, and realized that they were steps. She began walking down, each step sending her body into paradise, slowly letting Iron’s body float across the water.

Iron Cross began to glow, his skin turning into a burning beacon as the water soothed. She removed her hands and stepped back. He floated for a few seconds, before the pool dragged below. The glow turned into a beam of white light, brighter than any of the flameless lanterns that dotted the hall. Fluttershy turned away from the pool, shielding her eyes from the blinding light.

Sunlight rushed to her and offered a hand, pulling her away from the water with little effort. She turned to look at the gates, those massive oak doors had been left wide open. From the damned streets entered a figure, clad in a blackened hood. The booming steps from the stranger echoed through the empty hall. Sunlight’s golden armor clinked as it turned to face the figure, bringing his spear to his hands.

A pair of ravens flew over the pool, silently flapping their wings before perching themselves on the stranger’s shoulders. The stranger cast aside its hood, letting the clear light illuminate a chiseled face. His skin was red, about as red as a tomato, a large scar decorating his shut left eye. His other eye, a stunning ruby in the center of a pearl, gazed at her. A halberd clicked with his steps, a massive weapon with a leather staff and a golden blade.

“It is strange to see The Red Cyclops away from his books.” Sunlight smirked, “And stranger still is to see him in a temple. After all these years, have you come to accept the existence of gods?” The wizard walked forward, the booming of a book tied to his belt adding to his personal symphony. He turned to look at Fluttershy.

“So it was true.” he murmured “There are mortals in Pandemonia. I did not want to believe it, I wanted to believe that Hugin and Munin were playing games with me.” he turned to Sunlight. “But where is the other one? Munin told me that it was warrior fighting with you.” the wizard turned to look at the pool. “Did you place him inside the pool?!” he rushed over and placed his hand inside. He scowled and used his magic to lift Iron, setting his body on the steps of the pool.

The cyclops placed a hand over his chest. “He is alive, but he will take time to recover.” sat down at the edge of the pool. He stared at fluttershy, letting a relieved smile play across his face. “I must record this.” he grabbed his book and pulled out a feather and began scribbling. After a few seconds  he put the book down and faced Fluttershy. “Are you by any chance from the small nation of Equestria?” he asked.

She nodded, feeling as if the giant would crush her with a spell. One of his ravens perched itself on her left shoulder. The bird was about as large as an albatross, with white feathers mixed in between the black. The bird drove its head forward, motioning her to pat it. She gladly ran her hand across the smooth plumage.

“Sunlight Spear! Night Blade!” The cyclops barked. Both warriors turned. “Stand guard while I speak with her.” and they obeyed, silently walking toward the darkness of Pandemonia.

“Now please,” the cyclops said, turning his attention to Fluttershy “I want you to tell me what Equestria is doing today.” With a magical clap of his hands a wooden chair morphed beside him.

She sat down and sighed. The cyclops placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled. “What is your name, child?” she began, but couldn’t control her nervous stammering. “I see…” he mused, “I am Spellbound, one of the last Celestial wizards.” he coughed. “I am pleasently surprised that Muninn has taken to liking you.” This got her attention. He usually does nothing but fly and eat.” she turned to look at him. “Truth be told, he lets Huginn manage the nest and everything else.”

“What kind of ravens are these? I never knew that they could grow this big.” Fluttershy asked, her voice growing warmer.

“That is because these are rare Valhallan Ravens, brought from across the ocean. Mother thought that their intelligence could keep me company during my endless nights of studying. And she was right.” he paused and muttered: “For once.”

“Oh. “ Fluttershy looked at the bird, who merely cried before nodding its head for another pat. She obliged. “I’m sorry for asking, but: are you alright?”

Spellbound chuckled. “I have been stuck in this city for a thousand years with no contact with other humans. The only sane people are those two guards there,” he jabbed a thumb at the door “and they are barely around. Considering that, I think I am doing well.”

“Oh…. I’m sorry,” Fluttershy’s cheeks began to boil in embarrassment.

“Do not apologize. I need no pity. I just wish I could have seen mother once more, at least to prove that I was right about everything. Too bad she can’t remember me.” he sighed, letting his breath release his sadness.

“Oh,” Fluttershy began trying to formulate a response. “Um… I’m sure she still remembers you. Once we get out then we can-”

The Cyclops chuckled, “You do not understand,” he kept laughing, resting his hand around his weapon. “My mother cannot remember me because this damned city has a special spell that erases it from history.” he sighed again. “In fact, ever since you fell in here you have ceased to exist in people’s minds. No one will come to aid us, no one has for at least a thousand years.”

Fluttershy’s entire body stopped out of pure shock at the words. “So…” she sighed, feeling as his words squeezed the life out of her heart, “no one remembers us?”

“While it pains me to tell you, that is true. I created the spell not just to keep the horrors confined to the underground, but also ensure that the ideas and demons created would not leave this.”

Fluttershy felt a sudden surge of adrenaline, “But, there must be a way to break it!” she felt the Cyclops eye her with curious worry. “Twilight told me that all spells can be undone! There must be a way to break it!”

Spellbound raised an eyebrow “I now want to meet this friend of yours” he began mumbling and wrote something on his book. “But that is for later. You are correct, all spells can be broken. And I can break it.” Fluttershy felt her heart skip a bear “The only problem with this is that we will need an army to breach the citadel’s center.” her heart sank back. “Hopefully those two guards will be enough, otherwise we will simply die in here.”

Iron finally gasped back into life, drawing their attention as he clutched his chest and heaved. The wizard turned to face him “It appears that Saint Kvasir’s magic is still leagues above my own.” Iron had his eyes staring at the cyclops. “It is a shame that he never left us any books  to recreate them.”

The soldier turned to look at him, then at Fluttershy, then back at the cyclops. “I suppose you are the Red Cyclops that Sunlight talked about.”

“Unless you are blind I do not believe I need to answer that.” Spellbound spat. Iron grabbed his uniform and his rifle. He got dressed back in less than a minute, his hands working through the pieces with a systematic rhythm that he appeared to be robotic for a brief moment. With his armor strapped in place he marched toward the giant.

He saluted. “What now?”

“Now we need to get to the basilica, that’s in the center of the town. And that is when things will get complicated.” the cyclops pulled a scroll from his bag. He unrolled it on the floor to reveal what looked to be a map. Fluttershy was impressed by the radial layout of the city. At the center appeared a large circle, and everything seemed to sprawl from around it.

Spellbound snapped his fingers, letting a small tongue of fire appear in the center of the map. “That is where we need to go, and this-” he cast another flame, to its right “is where we are. A human would take three hours to get there, if they run.”

“Is it crawling with more husks?” Iron asked, turning his eyes to the cyclops. He nodded. “Then there’s no way we’d make it running. We barely survived the ones in the wall. Is there a safer path?”

Spellbound placed a thumb on his lips. His eye quickly darted from place to place, letting the flames die out. “Maybe.” he summoned a new flame, where they stood. “But it is only a matter of time-” he stopped to stare at Night Blade, who had his weapon drawn, and tilted his head. “Yes?”

“Sir! The gates have fallen, the witch is now in the inner circle.” he bellowed. “We must move now!”

Spellbound turned to Iron. “We will have to use my plan for the moment, and you will have to ride on the shoulders of both Night and Sunlight. It will be the only way we can keep the pace.” Iron nodded. “Then move out!” he barked.