The Many Destinies of Sunset Shimmer

by ratedoni

The Princess of Lordran 03

Sunset put one foot on the kneeling corpse and with a mighty push she dislodged her axe from its skull. The contents, a mass of rotten goo that left the girls in another world gagging at the display, began to gather on the stone floor much to the curiosity of the warrior. She didn’t know she had it in her to be able to hit with that much strength.

Shrugging her shoulders she then took notice of the bizarre fog that seemed to be gathering in the threshold of what could possibly be an important part of the building where she had been imprisoned.

“Well, I died once, what’s one more… hopefully it wasn’t a weird one time deal. Here goes nothing,” Sunset said under her hood before slowly walking inside, and like that the fog dispersed and she found herself at the top floor of the room with the first bonfire she had lighted.

Scanning around the floor, she found two different staircases. One going up and another down, possibly directing to the same metal door she had found in the lower level. Knowing that the only way she hasn’t seen yet was up, she then took a step on the stairs and then she stopped.

Meanwhile, at the other side of the mirror, the girls had helped Rarity wake up after the gory view of Sunset being flattened by a hammer. The fashionista would swear that she would dream with that image. But right now, unlike the other girls, she was not confused by the actions of the redhead. She had always had eye for details and hidden things and understood perfectly why Sunset had stopped at the first step.

“That’s a trap,” she simply said while the others turned their heads on her direction. Thankfully she was more than used to being the center of attention from time to time and she simply pointed at the top of the stairs. “Don’t you see that huge ball? I’m sure that once Sunset goes up the ball will come down and… well, we all saw what happened last time with Sunset,” she said shivering at mentioning that moment.

“Like that time in Daring Do, when she was escaping the Zebrican Jungle Temple,” Rainbow said with all present knowing how much she enjoyed those adventure books and accepting the comparison. Meanwhile Twilight was pleasantly surprised that this Rainbow was as much of a fan of Daring Do as the one of her universe.

As one they all then put their attention to the image of Sunset finally beginning to ascend the stairs, cautiously placing one foot after the other, until the movement of the ball signaled for Sunset to roll to the right, quickly aligning herself in the right direction to avoid any unnecessary damage. The sound of the heavy ball impacting and subsequently destroying the wall was the only thing of importance. Something inside her told her to check the small room that had been opened by the rock, and thus went to investigate.

Inside the moldy and wet room Sunset gasped at what was inside; a person wearing a very familiar set of armor lying down on what seemed rubble from the destroyed roof. The knight must have been smashed through the roof. Was that why that huge demon fell from the sky? Was it fighting this knight on the roof?

Not wasting any time Sunset walked to his side and this one turned his head in her direction, his face hidden beneath the heavy helmet.

“Oh, you... You're no Hollow, eh? Thank goodness,” he said, with some degree of relief present in his voice

“Hollow?” Sunset questioned. “What’s that? I just know that when I woke up I was already in a cell.”

“You don’t know what you are? Then you truly have bad luck my child… This place is the Undead Asylum, and only the dead walk through its halls. Those that were found with the Dark Sign on them are hauled and dump in this forsaken place… I’m so sorry, one as young as you should not have to suffer due to it,” the knight said making Sunset gulp, suddenly very weak and at the same time very awake now understanding more of her current situation.

Meanwhile, the six girls were dumbstruck by the declaration of the knight about the current form of Sunset Shimmer. Pinkie would have pumped her fist up while saying that she was right, Sunset WAS a zombie, but after tonight she would have found that reaction infuriating considering that a person she knew was suffering, and to be honest, Pinkie herself was starting to feel pity of the victim of such state.

“I see… so that’s why I survived… I’m Sunset Shimmer.”

“And I am Oscar of Astora. Under other conditions this would have been an honor, but alas, my time has come. Soon I will die and become a hollow, just like the rest in the Asylum. You should leave soon. I don’t want to see you hurt because of me.”

“I’m sorry… and thank you for saving me.”

“It was nothing, I saw the way you suffered inside your cell and noticed that despite your appearance, there was still hope for you… Before you leave, would you hear me out, for one final request, Sunset Shimmer?” Oscar asked her and without a doubt Sunset nodded at his request. Once upon a time, before being transported to this place, Sunset would have laughed at the situation of the knight. Now she could do nothing but help lessen the suffering of someone that had helped her in the midst of the darkness.

“Of course. If I can help you, please let me do it,” the redhead said while the knight took something from a bag at his side.

“Regrettably, I have failed in my mission... But perhaps you can keep the torch lit... There is an old saying in my family... Thou who art Undead, art chosen... In thine exodus from the Undead Asylum, maketh pilgrimage to the land of Ancient Lords... When thou ringeth the Bell of Awakening, the fate of the Undead thou shalt know... Well, now you know.”

“The Bell of Awakening… if I find it once I get out of here I will do it” she said, then she tried to stand up before Oscar’s hand took her by the arm.

“Wait, before you go, you should take this. It’s called an Estus Flask, an undead favorite if I have my information right… Also, take my key. It will help you get back to the bonfire below.”

“Yeah, I saw the door before. Thank you Oscar.”

“Don’t thank me yet Sunset Shimmer. That demon may be powerful, but the road ahead of you is even more dangerous… I see that you are ill equipped. Tell me, where did you found that sorry excuse of a shield?”

“I found it on a body. I don’t seem to have the luxury of being picky at the moment, though this thing looks like it’ll break at any time.”

“That is not good… Here, take my shield. I don’t think I’ll be needing it anymore,” he said, taking the crescent blue shield on his arm and presenting it to a jaw-slacked Sunset. She took it in both hands while throwing aside the cracked wood shield and, with the Crest shield on her left arm, she somehow felt almost complete. It was an odd sensation.

“Thank you Oscar… I will find the Bell for you,” Sunset said before getting up this time and walking out of the hole. At the first step of the stairs she heard a sound that chilled her bones; the sound of a sword stabbing something and then a body hitting the floor. She, like the girls watching, felt pain at the loss of a human life, someone that she had barely met and just like that had to say goodbye.

“Sunset… you were truly cleansed by the elements, now you feel kindness. I don’t know if this is a test or something like that, but you didn’t deserve this suffering,” Princess Twilight Sparkle whispered in a low voice, not wanting to interrupt the mourning of her friends. It was weird too, to feel pain and to mourn the death of someone you have never met but you knew that it was important to do it because that person was once alive.

Meanwhile, Sunset was not mourning. On the contrary, she was furious. She was beyond mad. This had now become personal for her. Ascending the stairs, she found herself face to face with the culprit of the boulder. She then blocked the slow strike by the hollow and struck it down with her axe. She found herself surprised at the ease in which she was capable of using the shield alongside her axe.

She then quickly dispatched of the next two hollows that tried to attack her in the next open hallway and dodged a slow arrow by another archer. She then quickly got behind it and with two smashes of her axe it went tumbling to the floor. Sunset ignored the fog wall and instead walked into the next room, finding a new type of hollow, this one with what truly resembled armor, shield and a functional sword.

“Well, seems that you won’t be that easy to deal with,” Sunset said to herself before getting ready to combat, but just as the hollow trusted his sword at her she did a quick sweep with her left arm completely countering the sword and apparently shocking the undead. She then used the opening to quickly strike down the hollow with two quick smashes of her axe into his side, “.... or not… I even surprised myself.”

Sunset didn’t feel ready. She probably wouldn’t be ready if she waited a lifetime, but this was something she needed to do. If not for her then for the knight that had given her freedom she said to herself mentally before walking through the fog door, ending up on a small balcony, and there it was. Right beneath her feet was the demon that caused the death of Oscar.

“You killed me once and you killed him…never again you fatass!” Sunset all but screamed the last word while she jumped over the small balcony, both hands doing a vertical strike with the axe. What was most surprisingly, however, was that the blade of the weapon seemed to be radiating small red particles, as if it was feeding on Sunset’s rage.

Sunset falling through the air caused the six girls to hold their breath until the moment the axe made contact with the head of the Asylum Demon, striking him with great power, and causing equal amount of damage apparently due to the scream and howls that the creature released, before grabbing Sunset with one hand and sending her flying against the farthest wall.

Rolling around and recovering after her daredevil maneuver, Sunset stood to her feet seeing the demon covering his head, striking wildly in his blindness. Sunset knew this would be her only chance. Gripping her axe with both hands she began to run in the direction of the demon, rolled under a hammer strike and slashed the belly of the monster finally sending it to the floor where it turned into particles of light. The only thing remaining was a key of peculiar shape.

The victorious warrior then felt something warm come to her and paradoxically she found a weirdly shaped object floating on the palm of her hand. It looked as if someone had slashed reality and the black infinite void could be seen through it. Curious indeed.

Rarity and Rainbow Dash were the ones that screamed the loudest of the six as they all celebrated the victory of Sunset while they continued watching how the axe warrior opened the heavy doors of the Asylum and was finally free, just to feel once again dragged down by what they all saw; nothing but mountains in all directions. No road, no exit… until a crow, black as the night, flew in suddenly grabbing Sunset by its shoulders and taking her to the place she was needed the most.

The Land of the Ancient Lords.
The place where the chosen undead was destined to fight for and conquer.
The kingdom that will one day rival Equestria in power and greatness.
The kingdom of the Princess of Lordran.

Author's Note:

Continued in The Princess of Lordran.

You might be asking yourselves, what's with the splintered stories? Why were they separated and put into their own places? Because they are important on the overall story, you will see why I say this, but for now the only thing I can tell you is that all of them (Hogwarts, Jem and now Dark Souls) will converge at one point and it WILL MAKE SENSE, trust me on that one.

Also, from now on I'll be updating two times every day, one with the MMDS, which means this story (new acronym) and then later on the day another of the splintered stories, hopefully I'll be able to follow my own crazy schedule.

See ya around guys.

Comments

[Jlargent]

I would like to see a Strike Witches one, let's see how the Neuroi deals with her.

[DualKitsune]

You know what would be fun? Put her in Pretty Cure.
Or if you want something more interesting: AKB0048. That anime is pretty interesting.

[Sylica telca]

By her shoulders not its shoulders