A lone wanderer slowly crept down a large, gnarled root, formed in the shape of a ramp. He was led down into a dark and foreboding stone chasm. The path was covered with even more of these strange growths, which cracked and shattered the once sturdy rock tiles that made up the floor. He was clad in a blue tunic, under-laid with armor, with a rectangular coat of arms running down the cloth. A brownish-red cowl with a small shield-shaped brooch was wrapped around his neck. Three straps ran from the front of his belt to the back, holding several pouches containing curing moss, a greenish blossom, small, black, smoke-like wisps, and a flask containing a glowing orange liquid. His helm and leggings were of the typical sort, made of solid steel, obviously meant to protect. He had a large pauldron on his left arm, which carried a long, narrow shield, reaching from his neck to his ankle. In his other hand, he held a long, curved blade, clearly built for deep, lacerating cuts. As he walked down the dim walkway, he happened on a set of stairs. For a second, he could have sworn he heard a soft, despairing laugh emanating from the back of the corridor. He shrugged it off, believing it to be nothing. Unfortunately, he was wrong. As the man descended from the stairs, there was a snapping sound, followed by quick footsteps. He raised his shield instinctively, a bright light coming into view, and his guard was met with a foreign sword. The sword of a friend.
"Solaire!?" the man asked. But the only reply he received was another strike from his former comrade's blade, and a few strangled moans, as though he was struggling to speak.
"...Hrg, rg...Arrrgh..."
"What madness has possessed you? Don't you recognize me?" He cut off his desperate plea after his maddened friend locked blades with him, his face fully coming into sight. And what a sight it was. Rather than the helm he usually wore, the knight named Solaire donned what appeared to be the carcass of a strange insect on his head. He had a maddened look in his eyes, which glared with sadistic insanity. There was blood staining the once unblemished white armor, which prominently displayed the sun, or at least, what was left of it. It was now covered in blood and ripped to shreds. To the man, it was the lynchpin in realizing the truth. Solaire would never allow his precious idol to be stained as it was now. Everything became clear, and the man chocked back a sob, understanding what he had to do. A distorted, but gleeful cry came from Solaire's mouth, and the man knew it would haunt him for the rest of his life.
"...Finally, I have found it, I have!... ...My very own sun... I...am the sun!... ...I've done it...I have... ...Yes, I did it...I did!..."
In his shock, Solaire managed to get a sizable gash across the man's stomach, below the steel plate, cutting deep into his chest. With a howl of pain, he back-stepped and rolled out of Solaire's range. and brought out the strange orange flask he had been carrying. It was nearly empty. He emptied it with a deep gulp, and subsequently, the wound on his abdomen started to heal, but it didn't fully close.
"The poor fool..." thought the man, as he continued to block his former friend's frenzied attacks. Solaire had always been an optimist, regardless of what challenges or hardships he faced. He was a beacon to his fellow Undead, serving as both a mentor and a guide to the man, not to mention a pyromancer named Laurentius, Seigmeyer of Catarina, and even The Knight of Thorns,Kirk, at one point, but Solaire wished to avoid discussing that tale. He had been around long before the rest of them, but it appeared that even those who seem unstoppable have their breaking point. During the time he had known Solaire, the man watched as his friend slowly became reckless in seeking his divine goal, trying every method, regardless of the consequences.
"I knew he was becoming desperate, but I never thought it would drive him this far." The creature was creating the light that burned so brightly in the man's eyes. His friend's frantic desire to find his beloved sun had led him to believe that this creature was the answer. He was a seemingly unstoppable wall of sheer will and brute force, but in the end, his desperation drove him mad.
"I-I must save him from the horrible fate he has brought upon himself..." The man was openly sobbing now, the tears stinging his eyes. He finally started swinging back, easily dealing gash after gash, due to the insanity's effect on Solaire's swordsmanship. What was once a well-thought out series of parries, thrusts, and stabs was now reduced to frenzied, random slashes, lacking any form of real defense. Burying his emotions, the man pressed forward, slicing with all his might, with Solaire moaning in pain each time a blow landed.
"...Hrg, rg...Arrrgh... ...Ohh, ohhh... ...Hrgrraaaooogh! "
As Knight Solaire was cut down once and for all, the bug latched onto his skull came free. With it, the madness that plagued his mind seemed to leave too. He fell to the ground, gasping, looking up at his friend. The man knelt down at his side, watching Solaire slowly die. There was nothing he could do. No way to heal him. No way to take back what he had done.
Solaire grasped his friend's hand, gripping it tightly with his last bit of strength. The man looked at him, with a half desperate, half accepted look on his face.
"D-don't resent...yourself for.............for what you've.....done...here........th-thank you...my friend......."
The man looked down, still ashamed, despite Solaire's words of comfort. His friend lay dying by his own hand, and all he could do was watch. A wave of pain swept through Solaire, causing him to gasp heavily. He looked up, towards the man who would be his killer, and made a final plea.
"Don't go........I don't want......to die alone........."
His breathing got slower.
And slower.
And slower.
And finally stopped.
Solaire's hand went limp in the man's grip. His body started to crumble away, the same as all those who carried powerful souls. As his hands gripped nothing but empty air, the full realization finally hit him, there in the dark chasm.
Solaire was gone. He was alone. A painful, mourning cry of anguish came from the pit, chilling anyone who was still sane enough to hear it. It was the loss of a companion. A friend. A hero.
A hero that wasn't really gone.
\[+]/
Solaire tried to move, but found that he couldn't. His arms and legs seemed to be bound, and he could only move his head freely.
"What is this? My body, it's frozen...." Still struggling, he opened his eyes. The room was bright, and hurt his eyes. He rubbed them, trying to get used to the light. When he finally adjusted, he was greeted with something he would never have suspected. A bed. It had been so long since he had experienced the comfort of one that he simply didn't know what to think. It was like some alien object. His mind was numb, as he sat up looked around the room. It was green, with a small window allowing the rays of his beloved sunlight to stream in, giving the room a cozy warm feeling. Beside him was a small light blue nightstand with a vase containing a few flowers. Across the room on the opposite wall, a bit to the left of his bed, was a closed door with a plaque: 143C. What could such an odd combination mean? Was it in some sort of code? It was only now that he noticed his eyesight was no longer obscured by the familiar slits of his helmet. He had a moment's panic due to his lack of protection, but it soon faded as he realized that, whoever, or whatever had put him here most likely had no ill will towards him. After all, what kind of captor places their prisoners in bed? The novelty of the idea brought a smile to his face. His tunic, chest-plate and gauntlets had also been removed, replaced with nothing more than some small round pads that stuck to his pale chest. They were connected to small wires, which ran into some strange machine he'd never seen before. He would have questioned their purpose, but it was at that moment when he remembered the events before his "death."
"What have I done?!," he questioned aloud to himself, placing his head in his hands.
The gravity of his actions was only now taking effect. Memories of him and that man, his friend, came flooding back. They were leaning against a wall next to a broken statue, sharing stories of the times they had traveled to other worlds to help strangers, laughing at each other's shortcomings. Sitting in the castle of Anor Londo, discussing Solaire's goal of finding his own sun. Standing on the bridge where the Hellkite Drake usually perched, talking about what they would do once the curse was lifted. His teeth clenched, and he squeezed his fingers against his skull, which pulled his golden hair.
"He was one of the handful I've met in all the days I traveled that I could call a friend.....and.....I tried to kill him." His regretful brooding was interrupted by the door opening, and what entered the room shocked him straight out of his brooding. A dark pink creature that resembled some sort of pony wandered into the room, a clipboard held in its teeth. Or more appropriately was held in its teeth. When it made eye-contact with Solaire, the creature went rigid, the clipboard dropping to the floor. Its pupils shrank to pinpricks. A long, awkward stare followed. Finally, Solaire broke the silence.
"H-hello there, would you mind telling me where I am, and why?" The equine, rather than running off, swallowed hard and said in a shaky voice:
"Yo-you're i-in the C-c-canterlot Hospital, Eq-questria, and we were h-healing your injuries......" While he was confused about the location "she" mentioned, Solaire found a more pressing issue. The poor equine in front of him was absolutely terrified. He knew what he had to do, he putting on a smile and speaking in a soft tone:
"It's alright, you have nothing to fear from me. I am a knight, and a Warrior of the Sun. I help people, protecting the innocent, and supporting those in need. I would never raise my sword against an undefended creature." His words had little effect, the equine creature remained frozen in fear.
"I-if you're aw-wake, I-I c-c-can go ahead g-get the d-d-doctor......" the mare spoke nervously. Solaire could tell that she was trying to find an excuse to leave. He couldn't blame her, as he had been in the same position numerous times during his journeys. Albeit, on a much larger scale. He did have to admit he was disappointed that his attempt at calming the pony down had been fruitless. Regardless, he maintained a polite tone when he replied.
"Very well, if that's what you think is best." The mare didn't even respond. She was out of the room, slamming the door shut before Solaire had a chance to react. He was alone with his thoughts once again.
"I certainly hope these creatures don't all react this way upon meeting me...." After all the events that had transpired upon his awakening, Solaire was left with several questions to ponder. Why was the creature afraid of him, even though he stated he had no ill will? Would all of these creatures behave like this? Where was his sword, talisman, and armor? As Solaire sat mulling over these questions, he looked over at the window, and decided to take a look outside. What he saw shocked him. A large bustling metropolis stretched out, packed with more of these strange pony creatures. And that wasn't even the best part. The city itself was as beautiful as Anor Londo in its heyday. Tall, white buildings with purple windows, decorated by gold outlines gleamed under the sun. The ponies were going about their everyday lives, unaware that a foreign creature was right under their up-heaved noses. While most of the ponies seemed to be of an average class, Solaire assumed that the ones in the fancy clothing must be the nobility, or at the very least, the more financially blessed. The one thing that stood out to Solaire was that the symbol of his sacred heavenly body, the sun, was emblazoned everywhere. On buildings, on banners, on gates, that fiery emblem was as prominent as the real one above them in the sky.
"Maybe.......my sun could be found here?", Solaire hoped, still enthralled by the urban sprawl in front of him. So much so that the sound of the door opening behind him went unnoticed.
"Ahem," a voice declared. Solaire turned around to be greeted by another pony. Yes, that seems about right. Pony. This one was pale green, with what seemed like an orange beard extending from its muzzle. It was only now that he noticed the mark on its hindquarters, that of three yellow, tear-shaped drops.
"Oh, hello there. You must be the doctor/"
"Good afternoon there, lad, I'm Dr. Coughdrop, but ponies around here just call me Bagpipe. It seems you've finally woken yerself. About time if ya ask me." This piqued Solaire's interest.
"Just how long was I asleep, er, Bagpipe?"
"Oi, that'll be Dr. Bagpipe to you!"
Solaire, embarrassed and mite offended, offered an apology,"If I've said something I shouldn't have, then I apologize-"
Bagpipe started laughing. "I'm just pullin' yer hoof, lad."
Solaire wasn't sure how to react, but he was relieved that not all the ponies were scared stiff at the sight of him. This spirit seemed quite the jovial one, so Solaire laughed a bit too.
"It's always nice to see a sense of humor in a patient. Most of the folk 'round here be right depressing!" Bagpipe declared. "Now down to the icky stuff. You certainly didn't make the most dignified of entrances. You appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the air and crashed in the middle of the soldier's supper." Solaire winced at the chaos that must have brought, but allowed Bagpipe to finish.
"They had us called up in a jiffy, and we spent the next two months patching you up. It wasn't the easiest thing in the world, with you being....well, what you are." This fact hit Solaire like a smack in the face.
"Two months?!" Solaire interrupted. "In the name of the sun, what kind of state could I have been in?!"
Well, it wasn't your physical body we had trouble with. It was your mind. Another doctor ran a mental scan and came up with a convoluted mush. It was as if someone had taken a whisk and churned the whole thing up. Out of that two months, only a few days was spent on your body. The rest was spent in the mental ward, where you are now." Solaire was truly shocked. Had his foolishness and desperation driven him that far? Was that the influenced that cursed maggot had over him? Solaire had only intended to use it as a light for when he traveled into the Gravelord Nito's tomb.
Bagpipe continued. "We cleaned up your armor, which was covered in blood, I might add. I'll have a nurse send it down later." Solaire barely managed a thanks, still dumbfounded.
"However, we can't give you back the rest...." Another smack.
"Why not?"
"Er, our Princesses aren't too keen on doing that.....they be worried about the consequences."
"What consequences?" Solaire questioned, trying his best to keep a calm tone, despite the situation. "My condition has greatly improved, and I have no ill will to any of you. For the Sun's sake, even the blood on my tunic is gone!"
"They aren't worried about the blood that was on your armor...........they're worried about the blood that was on your sword."