//------------------------------//
// Chapter 14 Preparations 
// Story: Hollow 
// by Demonfire463 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 14

I awake to the smell of something delicious. I didn't even notice I hadn't eaten anything for a while. "Good morning Agroth" Rarity says cheerfully.
"Good morning" I say, groggy from my sleep.
"Did you sleep alright?" she asks.
"Just the fact that I slept at all amazes me." A smaller unicorn walks downstairs, her mane is a light purple and pink.
"Morning Rarity." she says.
"Good morning Sweetie Belle, this is Agroth by the way." Rarity tells her. Sweetie Belle is paralyzed with fear the moment she sees me. "Don't worry, he's nice. A true gentleman, and a strong warrior. He's not like the others that passed through town." Rarity says as she tries to snap the smaller unicorn out of her fear-instilled trance. I stand up and she flinches. I bow as I introduce myself.
"I am Agroth of Astora, I mean you no harm. I am a friend." I take my helmet from where I put it last night and set it on the couch where I slept.
"Breakfast is on the table if you like, dear." Rarity tells me.
"Thank you very much." I go to sit down, as does Sweetie Belle. She sits down cautiously as I begin to eat. I finish quickly since I was so hungry. "Delicious, if you didn't have breakfast ready I probably would have forgotten to eat again." I chuckle.
"Forgotten to eat? You forget sometimes?"
"Undead don't get hungry often and so we rarely eat, that and we rarely get a chance." I explain.
"Why don't you get a chance to eat?" Sweetie Belle asks.
"I am from a land that's very dangerous, if I am given a chance to eat or rest, I take full advantage of it because I don't know when I'll get another. Actually one of my companions went back there today to train." I leave my helmet on the couch as I start for the door.
"Where are you going Agroth? We have to pack for Canterlot!" Rarity says. I point to the Bottomless Box sitting by my helmet.
"Already taken care of. Are you going to wear something special?"
"But of course! It's the Grand Galloping Gala! I will ensure that all my friends and I look our absolute best."
"Well good, I'm going to see if I can make myself useful around town. I'll be back later today."
"Alright, goodbye then."
"See ya Agroth." Sweetie Belle says.
I walk outside and the weather is pleasant. Sunny day, not too hot, almost like Firelink Shrine. I start down a road with a sign that says Sweet Apple Acres on it. I can guess that this is where Applejack and her family live. As I walk down the road, I notice more and more trees bearing ripe, red apples. As I approach I see a large red wooden building in the distance. Applejack greets me first.
"Mornin' Agroth." Applejack shouts from across the yard. I duck under the gate and enter. 
"Good morning Applejack."
"Watcha doin' here today?"
"Did you get your Gala ticket?"
"Ah did actually. Rainbow dropped it off last night, told me you got one too."
"Indeed I did. While I'd honestly rather not go, it would be impolite to refuse when invited."
"Why don't ya wanna go?" She asks, not shouting anymore since I walked over to her.
"I've never been to a party before." I tell her.
"Never?" She asks, shocked.
"Never, and by the way, I believe we're leaving for Canterlot today so that we can get a good look at the city before the Gala. And another reason I'm here: do you need any help today?"
"Actually, no. Usually we're loaded with work to do but today's been slow." I hadn't even realized we had walked into an orchard until she kicks a tree with apples on it. The apples fall into the bucket and the tree creaks. She kicks another.
"Well, should you need any help just ask." I said as she kicks an older looking tree. The tree creaks loudly, then snaps right in two! Applejack gasps as the tree comes down. Reacting just barely quick enough, I throw my arms out and catch the tree in my hands with my immense strength. I groan under the massive weight of the tree but I hold it just above the crouching Applejack's form. She looks up and sees the tree just above her head, held in place by two ironclad hands. "Get out from under there!" I grunt. She scurries out from under the giant tree and steps behind me. I drop the tree and sigh with relief, now free of its weight. "Like I said, should you need anything, just ask." I say. Her eyes are watery. I don't blame her, as ponies don't come back to life after death. She holds her tears back however.
"T-Thanks, s-s-sugarcube." She says, both terrified of what had just happened and amazed at th fact that I had just caught the tree.
"You're quite welcome." I say, cracking my shoulders. "Let's go back to the barn then, hm?" She nods, and we begin the trek back. We are met halfway by a large red stallion. "You okay?" He asked in a deep voice.
"Fine, ah'm fine. Just a little startled." She say.
"Startled is the worst of it, we should be thankful for that." I say. A yellow earth pony runs up to us. She has a light red mane and is quite small. 
"What happened?" She asks.
"He just saved mah life." Applejack told the others. "Thanks again."
"And who are you?" The red one asked.
I bow, "I am Agroth the warrior, of Astora."
"Well, thank you for saving mah sister." he says, reaching his forehoof around Applejack's shoulder. "Ah'm Big Macintosh, you can call me Big Mac."
"Can I call you Macintosh?" I ask. He puts a hoof to his chin, as though nobody had ever asked him that before.
"Ah s'pose."
"Well, it was a pleasure to meet you all. I should head back now, it appears it may storm soon." I say as I look at the darkening sky, filling with storm clouds.
"Alright, it was nice havin' ya!" Applejack calls back to me as I walk away. 

I return to Rarity's and begin to help her pack while she works on the dresses for her friends and herself.
"The dresses look nice."
"Why thank you. I've been hard at work on them since you were gone."
"It shows."
"What are you wearing to the Gala, Agroth?"
"I think I have at least one set of armor that looks decent in my Bottomless Box." I tell her as I take out the Dragonslayer Armor, excluding the helm. Its golden spikes on the shoulders glistened in what little sunlight was left and the expert craftmanship showed in the brilliant layered design of the armor. A design which both looked nice and was effective in battle. I put the armor on to show Rarity how it looks on me. She looks shocked, but pleasantly surprised.
"The way you describe Lordran, I didn't think anyone would have armor this, this good-looking." She says with a sparkle in her eyes.
"It belonged to one of the Four Knights of Gwyn, this armor is of the Dragonslayer." I say as I take the armor off and put my Black Knight Armor back on. "And I'll be certain to be armed as well."
"Armed? Why?"
"In Lordran, you can never prepare for a battle, so you're always prepared for a war. I don't think anything will attack us there, but better safe than sorry, yes?"
"Nopony would attack at the Gala though."
"Nopony would, my brother could. Even without some essentials he wants me very dead now. I don't know what he'll do. If he is foolish enough to fight me yet again, he will regret it to no end." Hearing my own sudden seriousness, I decide to change subjects. "I went to Sweet Apple Acres today."
"How was that?"
"Great up until the tree fell."
"A tree fell?! Where?" She asks, worried for her friend Applejack.
"On the ground in one of the orchards and, thanks to me, not on Applejack."
"The trees at Sweet Apple Acres? You caught one as it fell? They look gigantic though! If what you're saying is true then you're much stronger than I thought!"
"You should see the weapon I'm bringing to Canterlot then. I shall not be caught off guard." I say as I remember how many times Smough's Hammer has saved my life, and assisted in justice when I  invaded as Darkmoon Blade. There's a loud boom of thunder outside and Rainbow Dash bursts through the door.
"Come in" Rarity says.
"Sorry, we're way behind schedule in Cloudsdale so we have to make up for it with this storm. I just wanted to tell you guys." Rainbow says.
"Well thank you for telling us." I say.
"Yep, I'm gonna go tell Fluttershy and Joshua." Before she bolts out the door, I interrupt.
"Joshua's not here. You weren't there when he told us he planned to leave today, but he'll be back soon. He's going to meet us in Canterlot for the Gala if he can." I inform her.
"Oh, well I'll go tell Fluttershy anyway, then Twi and Arthur."
"Goodbye then." I say as she bolts out the door, loudly slamming it behind her in her urgency. "I can not remember the last time I've been through a storm. Many areas in Lordran don't get much rain."
"If you hate Lordran so much, why do you talk about it so often?" Rarity asks.
"Well, it was my home for a very long time. There's no escaping what happened there. I'll always have the memories, but now I'm somewhere much better. Somewhere I have friends and a roof over my head, even if it's just for a while."
"Well, stay as long as you like, but we are leaving for Canterlot today you know." Rarity reminds me.
"We are aren't we." I say.
"The train leaves in one hour," she says as I heave my bottomless box onto my back. "So we have about half an hour to finish packing." She says as she adds the finishing touch to a green dress with many flowers on it.
"But, as I said, everything I need is in this box. Are you finished?"
"I was almost finished when you got back, I'm finished now."
"Should we head to the train station now or just stay here then?" There is a large thunder clap and a flash of lightning, but the rain isn't here yet.
"We should go now, the rain could be here any minute, and I don't want my mane to get ruined." She says, struggling to try and carry one of her many bags. I sigh and pick up all three of her bags. She looks surprised.
"Are you sure you want to take those dear?"
"Oh yes, I'm fine."
"They are quite heavy though." She says, now noticing the large box on my back in addition to all three bags in my arms.
"I'm strong enough. Let's get to that train station then." I say.
"If you insist. Be careful please."

As a torrential downpour ensues over Ponyville, we arrive at the station with all of our baggage intact, about a half hour before the train is scheduled to arrive. Suddenly a downtrodden Fluttershy walks up next to us and sighs sadly. She is drenched in rain. I crouch down and place my hand on her shoulder to comfort her a little. I remove my helmet and smile consolingly. 
"He will come back you know, he's not leaving forever."
"I know...I just...miss him." She says, crestfallen. Rainbow Dash pops up next to us in an instant and shakes off.
"Arthur and Twi are on their way here," She says. "So are Pinkie, and Applejack." We then see Twilight and Arthur walking up to the station. Arthur wearing the Crown of Dusk and his usual robes, and Twilight wearing Logan's Big Hat that Arthur must have given her to keep dry.
"Hi everypony, hi Agroth." Twilight says as she takes off the hat with her magic.
"Hello everyone." Arthur says while putting the hat in his Bottomless Box. "We planned to get here before the storm began but we were held up. Spike will be here in a moment or so." Spike and Applejack walk up shortly after Arthur says this. Each of them is carrying a rather large suitcase and drop them heavily to the ground as Pinkie bounces up carrying luggage of a similar size.
"Hi everypony!" She beams. "When's the train getting here?"
"Should be here any minute now." Twilight says. Sure enough, a moment or so later the train rolls up. We all board and load our luggage above us. Arthur and I have trouble fitting in the seats but we manage. As the train rumbles beneath us and the raindrops patter heavily on the windows, I drift into a deep sleep.