Here's another chapter early! Speaking of chapters, there are only two left.
Guest: Huh, I hadn't thought of it that way. That's actually a pretty cool comparison!
Inkwell: Nah, not twisted at all. I'm sorta the same way.
Zacharythehedgehog: Thanks! Oh, and are you kidding?! I'd never forget about this story. (PS, I like your story)
BLTSweg: Yeah, I always thought it was too lighthearted.
werewolf99: Indeed.
graysean86: Well... I guess just read it to find out what happens.
Psychic Nature: The world may never know... also, #LET'S DO THIS.
Cobalt should've assumed this would happen. It should've been obvious. But of course he was an idiot and didn't even think before charging into battle.
Of course, he had to get through the mines first. That was a challenge in itself. He'd almost gotten impaled by spikes several times, and only been saved from falling into the lava by his ability to fly. Honestly, whoever had designed the mine was an idiot. Nopony in their right mind would work there.
Then again, nopony in their right mind would try to overthrow a tyranny on their own.
Cobalt was definitely not in his right mind.
So when he made his way to the centermost point of the mine, where a circular pit of lava was surrounded by a sheer rock cliff, he found himself facing a face so familiar that his pupils shrunk in shock and had to retreat a few steps.
Almost immediately he thought: I can't do this.
Sir Percival looked exactly like Rainbow Dash.
"I shall give thee one last chance, traitor!" Percival shouted, and Cobalt winced; even her voice sounded the same. "Throw down thy weapon and surrender, and I may spare thee!"
Cobalt opened his mouth to shout 'never' defiantly, but what came out more sounded like a duck being strangled. He shook his head to clear it and tried to look fierce. "NEVER!"
"Then thou shalt die!" Percival drew her sword and launched herself at him in a powerful thrust.
Cobalt drew Caliburn and tried to roll to the side and deal a counterblow, but he couldn't move his hooves, for they felt as if they were fused to the ground. He only managed to avoid getting run through by deflecting the thrust. Percival whirled around, once again hurling herself in a thrust attack. Cobalt parried the strong blow and felt himself skid a little backwards along the rocky ground from the pure force of the strike.
The fight continued for a while like this, with Percival constantly attacking and pressing Cobalt back, closer toward the edge.
At one time, Percival rested for a second, breathing hard. "What is the matter?!" she shouted, angry at Cobalt for not trying to attack. "I am fatigued! Why not strike now?!"
"Indeed!" Caliburn exhorted the dark blue pegasus. "Attack!"
"I…" Cobalt gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes, once more experiencing the feeling of not being able to move. "Can't." he felt like something was pounding his skull from behind his eyes, like the thing inside his brain was berating him for his weakness. He took a small step backward and felt the cliff edge right behind him.
Suddenly everything arranged itself in his head, and he realized what he had to do. He set himself in a defensive stance and shouted, "If you think I'm so weak, strike me down!"
Percival lifted her helmet visor and surveyed him as if to see whether he was lying or not. Cobalt did his best to look as sincere as possible, and Percival smirked, her rose-colored eyes gleaming with victory. "If thou art so anxious to die, then so be it!" she launched herself at him for what Cobalt knew would be the last–no, must be the last time. He couldn't keep this up for much longer without failing to block a strike and getting killed.
He waited until the last possible moment, and then sidestepped, letting Percival careen off the cliff, unable to fly because of her armor.
He had no intention of letting her die, of course. He didn't even think he could if he tried. That might break him worse than any amount of darkness could. So he hurled himself off the cliff after her, ignoring a panicked, "WHAT ART THOU DOING?!" from Caliburn. He rocketed downward and grabbed Percival's hoof, applying backward force with his wings at the last moment to cancel his momentum downward. Then he applied even more force, because he'd not accounted for the weight of Percival's armor.
He strained a little under the weight, which no ordinary pegasus pony could carry, but he was strong enough to lift.
Percival seemed shocked that she was still alive, lifted her visor, and sheathed her sword slowly, as if unsure whether it was real or not, and was expecting it to dissolve into shadow at any moment. "Why–why dids't thou–"
Cobalt impaled Caliburn's blade in the cliff face so he could talk. "Save you?" he finished Percival's sentence.
"Indeed!" Percival's eyes regained some of their indignant fire. "Why could thou not let me die an honorable death?!"
Cobalt thought about his next words for a second. He could give the real reason, but he didn't even want to admit it to himself at this point, so instead he gave the answer he had given Lancelot. "I don't kill innocents."
Percival opened her mouth to respond, but no sound came out. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again. A light blush spread out over her face. She ignored this however, as Caliburn spoke up.
"As befits a knave." The sword responded to Cobalt's words. "How would the world go on if knaves could murder whomever they chose?"
"Stop with the knave stuff!" Cobalt groaned, feeling jaded that his victories over all four of the best-trained knights in this dimension didn't account for anything in his weapon's mind. "I think I've at least proven myself better than a knave by now." The dark blue pegasus gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut, feeling another wave of pain crash down on his head.
"Thou–" Caliburn seemed about to further his insult, but then he closed his eyes and smiled. "Art correct."
"Wha–"
"Thou hast proven thyself worthy of another title. I name thee Cobalt Spikes, Warrior of the Wind." Caliburn said.
Percival's eyes widened. That was an honorable title. The only other pony to carry the name of a Warrior had lived over one hundred years ago, and was remembered for nothing less than driving out an entire invading force on his own. She frowned. If this sword was really as wise as legend told, and saw fit to deem the traitor with the title of Warrior, then… had she misjudged him?
The sword's next words jolted her out of her thoughts. "But for sanity's sake, get us out of this pit!"
Cobalt rolled his eyes and drew Caliburn out of the rock face, using whatever energy he had left to fly upwards toward the edge. He deposited Percival on the ground and sheathed his sword. "One condition of my victory, in place of your death." He told her. "I need your sword."
Percival, still shocked about the prior events, silently drew her sword and dropped it on the ground at Cobalt's hooves.
He picked it up and nodded. "Thank you." He said, his voice muffled through the sword handle. He turned, assuming a racer's stance and, faster than Percival could have imagined anypony other than her could move, took off in the direction of Faraway Avalon.
Percival sat there stunned for a moment, but she was jarred back into reality by Galahad's voice. She turned around to see the butter yellow pegasus standing there, shifting her hooves in what seemed like a combination of nervousness and impatience.
"Percival!" Galahad exclaimed. She then noticed her comrade's lack of a sword, and her eyes widened. "Oh no, he hath defeated thee as well!"
"What is the matter?" Percival demanded, getting to her hooves.
"We must hurry! Merluna is in Camelot Castle!"
Two chapters left... and there is a reason for why this is early.
Radicool223 out!