//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 Traversing the White Light 
// Story: Hollow 
// by Demonfire463 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 2 

I awake at the Darkroot Basin bonfire. I must have forgotten to rest at Firelink. Oh well. I use a humanity and reverse my hollowing. I feel like taking the long way back, so I exit the cave and approach the base of the hill. But something is different. I look left to the giant hole that is near the hill. There is a bridge there, not just an empty void like normal. An old, rickety wooden bridge, may not withstand the weight of my heavy armor. I carefully cross the old bridge. How long has this been here? This could have been built yeterday, or centuries ago. Since the flow of time is so greatly distorted in Lordran it is hard to tell. Ever so slowly I make my way across the bridge. At the end of the bridge there is a fog door. I traverse the white light, and when I do it doesn't disappear. Uh-oh. Imminent tough enemy. But there is nothing to be found. No dragons, demons, or corrupted knights. Strange. I traverse back through the white light. I stare at the lake where the hydra used to be and at all of the crystal golems that are still there. Very odd indeed. I traverse back to the side without the bridge. It was still forest, so not much of a change in scenery. Then I could smell something horrible, almost as bad as a decaying hollow. Suddenly two beasts appeared. They look like wolves made from trees. I pull out my black knight greataxe and make quick work of them. Slash! The wolf falls to pieces. Crush! The other does the same. I then decide to traverse back to the other side of the white light to check for summon signs. I traverse, and sure enough, the names Arthur and Joshua are in white written upon the earth. I touch both signs, these names are familiar. Arthur, the great sorcerer from New Londo who helped with the kings, and Joshua, the very same pyromancer. Looks like we all came back to this bonfire. Very peculiar.

As soon as they are summoned, I bow to them, and they to me, and we are off. We traverse the light and destroy more of the wooden beasts, quite common in this area. I look back at my phantoms. They are no longer phantoms! They are here, completely, in my world! Well, we can have a conversation later perhaps. We have fighting to do here and now. We finally breach the forest and are on the outskirts of what appears to be a small town. The buildings are colorful and not destroyed, maybe people still live here and were actually sane. That would be a pleasant change. We walk to a large house that was built inside a tree and I try to open the door. Locked. I pull out my master key and try that. Still locked. Damn! I turn towards the center of the town. There's a bonfire! Albeit unkindled, but I can use some humanity to kindle it, I don't mind. I get more estus! I crush one humanity and one twin humanity and offer them all to the bonfire. I then sit down for a nice rest. My companions stare wide-eyed at me and the lit bonfire. They sit down as well. "So...we are not phantoms anymore?" asks Arthur. "You can speak to us and we can speak back now, correct?"
"I suppose so" I respond.
"Well excellent!" Joshua says, "Maybe now we can actually have a conversation!"
"Splendid idea!" Arthur says.
"I do not really wish to talk at the moment..." I say. I'm not sure about this. Suddenly these two phantoms are brought wholly to my world? Why? And why did we all come back at the Darkroot Basin bonfire? Was it just the power of the Abyss that was causing strange things to happen? And probably the most important question, where in the Lords' names are we?! Why is this town so nice and not destroyed by undead, are we the first undead to come here? 

Just then, there is a noise in an alley. Like something just running away. There is another noise, this one sounding like somebody dropped a metal shield against a large stone. I get up and run over to investigate. I see a small figure, orange, with a purple tail and hair, and...wings. "Please don't hurt me!" The figure says. Simply because it can speak, I know it isn't a hollow or demon.
"Alright. I won't hurt you, because you're not hollow and my companions and I are very confused. Perhaps you can help us." This should get some of my questions answered.
"O-Okay..."
"Good, now follow me."

We arrive at the bonfire and the others look at us in shock. "Alright," I begin as I resume my seat by the fire, "let's begin easy. What's your name?"
"Scootaloo..." She says as she sits by us at the fire.
"And where are we?" To this question I recieved a strange look of surprise from the small being.
"You're in Ponyville. You didn't know that?"
"We had no idea where we were until you told us." Arthur chimes in. "But we still don't know exactly where we are. What land is this? It is not like Lordran in many ways."
"Lordran? What's that?"
"It is the land where all undead are sent for the rest of their days. To await the world's end," Joshua states.
"'Tis a land of misery and death, brimming with hollows and demons and many other spiteful creatures," I explain. "We were sent there because we are all undead, and therefore not wanted by our home countries."
"W-Well, you're not gonna h-hurt us then?"
"No, we won't hurt you." I decide that this is the best decision for the moment. She doesn't appear to be insane or hollow, and we haven't seen a single hollow or demon yet. I could get used to this.
"Well good! Then I'll tell everypony it's safe to come out!" After saying this, the young being whistles very loudly, deafening us for a few moments. Then, other beings come out of the houses and shops that were locked before and lock their gazes on us. "It's safe everypony! They said they won't hurt us!" They seem to feel safer after that and they approach the bonfire, some have a seat. These strange creatures are incredibly trusting. We are completely surrounded now, some of the creatures sitting near us or next to us.
"If all of you are quite comfortable now, I have a few more questions to ask."
"As do I", Joshua chimed.
"I do as well", said Arthur.