//------------------------------// // Stage 2 Castle Courtyard // Story: Castlevania: Harmony of the Night // by Velvet-Fresh //------------------------------// Waking up with a long groan, Princess Luna gather her wits as she pushed herself from the floor. "How long was I unconscious?" she asked herself before slowly looking into the night sky, looking at her moon and stars "not even a mere hour yet passed. Good." she slowly stood up, looking around taking a few steps forward only to winched and fell back to her knees, looking down at a stray puddle and into her reflection but something is off. She looks younger, her mane no longer flowing behind her, but now a simple blue long mane her body shrunk slightly and her wings gone then she finally realized what happened to her. "My magic.. it's gone." she fearfully stated. She stomped her bare hoof on the puddle, grunting "Think this alone will stop me? Think again!" she then trot for the bridge again. On the bridge she takes a few steps forward, only to hear a distinctive crack, looking back in time to watch as the planks slowly break one bye one, without wasting anymore time she galloped full speed across the decaying bridge, jumped as the last planks fell landing near the gate to the castle courtyard. She looked back to see the bridge no longer there. "No turning back now, i didn't plan on turning back anyway.." she faced the entrance again, slowly walking forward stopping to find an old skeleton of a warrior leaning on the entrance, a short sword laying near it's hoof and a black grey cape flowing in a broken branch. "Poor soul, i prey ye rest in peace. I guess he won't mind" she picks up the small blade with her hoof, using what little magic she has to float the cape onto her back. "I'll take good care of them my good pony. Rest easy, i will stop this evil with thy blade." She then kicked the rusted gate down, stepping into the castle courtyards. Inside, she cautiously move towards the castle foyer, aiming her new found sword at ready as she looked around the dead and silent courtyard of her.. their former home. As her ear twitched, she sensed danger as a skeletal soldier rushed her from behind with a growl it tries to lunge it's weapon at her but she was still quicker and slashed at her foe, her blade fracturing it's limb she jumped back preparing to strike at the monster again. It took her five slashes to bring the warrior to pieces, she was left panting for breath. "My Strength is all but naught... what is this?" yellow magic flow out of the slain skeleton, slowly flowing into her, she felt slightly stronger. "Appears i can gain my strength again by slaying the monsters..Interesting." Without further delay she push forward towards the main doors of the castle. As she reached there however she tried pushing it open to no avail "locked? impossible." she tried again but no matter how hard she pushed the doors won't budge "Damn, now where would the key be? I wonder if the monsters have it on them?" she asked herself as she walked back out unto the courtyard. Searching around the vast outside she attacked and slain any monster that got in her way, she trudged forward crushing a skull under her heel as she take the moment to catch her breath "Tis is pointless waste of time, yet I felt stronger now. Where is that blasted Key?!" she kept looking around spotting a chest in the horizon "it could be in there but this a weird spot to keep a key." she chuckled to herself as she trots forward, sensing immediate danger she leaped back in time as the chest lunge forward with a growl "A mimic?!" she unsheathe her sword, ready for it's next lunge, when it tried again she parried away it's attack and counterattacked damaging the monster, stunning it. Luna took the opening to attack again swinging hard causing a critical hit destroying the beast as it broke lose and burst into flames, dropping with a notable clink as a key found its way below her hoof "Found ya." she said as she picked up the rusted bronze key. She skids back and double take back towards the front doors. She stood outside, walking forward she took out the key and is about to insert the thing before her senses caught wind of an attacked, she rolls to the side as a vine missed her by inches smacking its way onto the wall, the vine retract towards the garden, Luna gave chase, ready her blade as she stop to find it's owner, the vines stopped as she looks up to find a giant venus fly trap. It snaps its jaws open to give a loud inhumane shriek as more plant like monsters sprout out. "Time for a little weeding." she grinned as she grips her sword as she dashed forward slicing a plant in half, jumping up to kick another plant using the leverage to go higher as she slashes down at the fly trap, damaging it slightly but she was slapped away by its vine, giving a yelped as she lands back to her feet "Stronger than i thought.. this is truly a challenge I will enjoy!" she smiled to herself as she went on again to attack the fly trap and its minions. Rooting out the saplings before cutting away at the vines that tried to strike at her. She fought hard, taking hits herself as she hit back, she was panting as she cut down another small sapling monster "D-damn. This will take too long.. i must.. cut you down now." she dashed forward, running fast as she dodged, sliced at the offending vines as she drew near she leaped forward slashing hard as she lands behind the plant.. She grunts as she holds her side slightly as the monster gave another loud shriek before it died down in its throat as the upper half of the plant slid off and fell with a loud thud to the ground before both halves burst into flames turning to ash that gathered into the air forming another orb She simply walked before it and let it fall onto her. "Huzzah!" she raised her sword into the air in victory. Stage 2 Complete! Without anymore delay she backtracked towards the front door, slipping the key in giving it a twist hearing a satisfying clicked she lunge her one of her hind legs forward kicking the door open "I'm home..." she smiles to herself as she enters the old Castle she used to call .. home.