//------------------------------// // Chapter XXVIII Banishing the darkness, and re-linking the first flame for the last time // Story: Sir Alonne // by Lady Maria //------------------------------// Aracnoth walked through the fog as two armored eight foot beings both with shields and great swords approached him. Aracnoth readied his sword and shield as he charged forward he clashed with the taller more broad one the Throne Defender. After slashing a few times the Throne Defender threw Aracnoth backwards. Aracnoth growled and charged at the Throne Defender again but was tripped by the Throne Watcher. Aracnoth fell on his face grunting as the Throne Watcher backed up with her shield up. Aracnoth stood up again spitting a tooth out of his mouth, Aracnoth now put himself on the defensive and waited for one of them to attack. The Throne Defender ran forward and swung his sword several times, his last swing in his combo was parried by Aracnoth as Aracnoth shoved his blades through the Throne Defender's chest making him screech in pain. Aracnoth looked to the Throne Watcher as she batter Aracnoth into a wall and healed her partner. As the Throne Defender got up Aracnoth took drank a divine blessing and healed his wounds. "Come on you assholes I can do this all day!" Aracnoth roars as he charges forward again. The Throne Defender blocked several of Aracnoth's attacks but then Aracnoth guard broke him. Aracnoth again reposted the Throne Watcher but then turned his attention to the Throne Watcher. Aracnoth used his great sword as a grand lance and ran forward the Throne Watcher had a split second to dodge before she was hit. The Throne Watcher did a cartwheel and barely avoided Aracnoth's attack. Aracnoth huffed as the Throne watched dodged his attack, Aracnoth's patients were weathering away and he was starting to get sick of this shit. Aracnoth looked to the throne Defender who had gotten up and was charging towards him. Aracnoth scoffed and decided to play this seriously, Aracnoth pulled out his black witches staff and casted wrath of the gods. The Throne Defender was blown back and the Throne watcher fell to her ass. Aracnoth walked to the Throne Watcher and shoved his blade into her neck severing her head off. The Throne Defender roared in anger as his partner was slain and ran forward like a fool leaving his body completely open for attack. Aracnoth turned around at the last second and rammed his blade through the Throne Defender's chest causing both bodies to roar in agony then turn to ash. They both blew away in a unseen wind as Aracnoth felt a familiar presence in the room. "Many monarchs have come and gone. One drowned in poison, another succumbed to flame. Still another slumbers in a realm of ice. Not one of them stood here, as you do now. You, conqueror of adversities. Give us your answer." Celestia stood by the Ivory King's side killing countless undead and corrupted ponies as the waves of them never ceased. The Ivory King jumped back and put his hand on his blade making it glow blue and become two times larger, "Celestia do you have any device or magic that can hold off the darkness?" The Ivory King asked as he beheaded a few undead and shish-kabobed a few ponies with his sword. Luna blasted a group of undead while some of her guards were taken out by corrupted undead sorcerers. Twilight and her friends used the elements to purify areas that were corrupted and blackened while the Alonne Knights used their great bows to snipe undead giants and kill them. The battle before Celestia was so intense that it made any other war in the history of the world look like a mere skirmish. Thousands of undead and ponies laid slaughtered on the streets as blood literally pooled like a lake everywhere in lower Canterlot. Manus's army would not stop coming as it seemed like he had no limit to his army of undead. Velstadt was at the front lines crushing and smashing everything in his way with his sacred bell chime hammer as Vendric used his twelve foot sword to cut down dozens of undead. Neither side was winning at first glance because it seemed like a complete deadlock, but in reality Manus's army was slowly and steadily withering the other side down. The others could only hope that Sir Alonne, and Artorias were winning the battle with Manus and that this hell would end soon... "Well well well... It seems Sir Hiroto Alonne, and Artorias the Abyss Walker have bested my forces and now are here to fight me." Manus says in his dangerously low demonic voice, "IF THIS IS A FIGHT THAT FATE ORCISTRATED THEN SO BE IT!" Manus roars. I watch Artorias charge forward as I spread my wings and fly upward. Artorias bashed into Manus swinging violently and with all his might, "YOU BASTARD! I HURT SO MANY INNOCENTS BECAUSE OF YOU! SO MANY DAMN YEARS OF SERVING UNDER YOU'RE WILL AND ALL THOSE YEARS I KILLED AND KILLED AND KILLED!" Artorias screamed enraged as Manus blocked each attack effortlessly. "Maybe if you kept to yourself and stayed with you're precious light it wouldn't have happened!" Manus taunted as he knocked Artorias backwards several feet. I growled and rammed into Manus with my elbow, Manus staggered backwards a bit but then recovered using his large deformed arm to balance himself. I flapped my wings gliding backwards and landing on my feet with a huff Manus bared his teeth and lifted his staff into the air as darkness rained upon Artorias and I. Artorias activated as shield of light around himself as I stood there being pelted by the darkness. I huffed as my dark resistance helped me take less damage but it still hurt like hell. I snarled as Manus charged up another dark attack but I generated a ball of light in my hand and fired it at him making him fly back twenty or so feet. Artorias charged forward again while Manus was downed and crouched then jumped in the air doing several flips and landing on Manus sending a deafening echo through the Chasm of the abyss. I side stepped Manus's catalyst as he tried to crush me with it as if it was a hammer. I lunged forward and stabbed my katana into Manus's gut making him roar. Manus batted me away and pulled out my katana and crushed it. 'NO!' I screamed as my father's katana was destroyed. Tears formed in my eyes as they quickly dissipated as my blood boiled and rage and blood lust filled me body: "MANUS YOU SHALL PAY FOR THAT!" I roar as a pure light generates in my hand as it takes form of another much longer and heavier katana. It was almost like a great sword/katana as its blade banished the dark around it and burned with the heat of one million suns. Manus scoffed as he casted several spells that shielded him from the light. I growled and charged forward with Artorias letting out a battle cry as Artorias did the same. A gray wolf was lying on her stomach as she looked at the darkness around her as she was surrounded by light. Sif had sat here for thousands of years and done nothing, she missed her master and missed the sight of the sun and moon. As Sif huffed she heard a giant boom echo throughout the chasm followed by two men letting out a war cry. Sif lifted her head as her ears perked up. She knew that sound and the certain ring of that metal along with that warcry. Her master was fighting Manus again but with another ally to help him! Sif quickly got up putting her sword in her mouth and howled. She then broke the barrier around her and used her sword to cut the dark beings around her to shreds. Her master was near! She could see him again and this time she would help him defeat that damn demon id it was the last thing she did! Aldia rose from the ground as fire ignited around his body. Aracnoth stared at Aldia as a tentacle slithered out of a hole in his head and then penetrated the ground. Aracnoth was knocked back my twisted wooden spike like pillars that shot out of the ground and twenty feet into the air. "AHHH!" Aracnoth screams as he is launched into the air by Aldia's attack. Aracnoth got up and used a divine blessing then casted several miracles and charged at Aldia. Aldia teleported vanishing in a white mist then reappearing sending out a shock wave that luckily didn't hit Aracnoth. Aracnoth charged forward swinging his sword several times before Aldia's flames relit and burnt his feet and legs. Aracnoth rolled away from the fire as Aldia attacked again this time using his power to summon multiple dark fire balls. He launched them at Aracnoth as Aracnoth ran as fast as he could just avoiding Aldia's attack. Aracnoth stopped for a few seconds to recover his stamina and catch his breath. Aldia smiled as he used four of his tentacles to generate a huge ball of dark fire. Aracnoth's eyes widened as Aldia fired it, Aracnoth darted out of the way just missing the explosion but then being hit by the shock wave. Groaning Aracnoth got up and used his black witches staff to cast great heal healing all of his wounds. Aldia laughed as he teleported away and reappeared behind Aracnoth. "What's wrong chosen one is this too overwhelming?" Aldia asked as Aracnoth used his staff, and casted soul geyser three times making Aldia roar in pain. Aracnoth scowl then turned to a smirk, "No I'm just getting started!" Aracnoth said as he bolted forward laying several blows on Aldia as Aldia grunted then roared making flames engulf his whole body. Aracnoth stepped backwards and used his magic to continuously cast soul geyser and harm Aldia. "DAMN!" Aldia roared as he stopped Aracnoth from casting the spell again by using his tentacle to knock him into a wall. Aracnoth got up as he knew he couldn't give up now, he was too close to victory! This was true sense Aldia was on his last legs and ready to give up. Aracnoth dodged several of Aldia's attacks and waited for Aldia to tire out. Eventually Aldia's flames went out and Aracnoth saw his chance. Aracnoth went forward and gave one mighty swing finishing Aldia off. Aldia roared as he vanished, but Aracnoth still felt his presence. "I lost everything, but remained here, patiently. The throne will certainly receive you. But the question remains… What do you want, truly? Light? Dark? Or something else entirely…" Aldia asks in his distorted voice as Aracnoth saw a light appear at the throne and one at the door. Aracnoth sighs as he walked towards the throne and to the light. Several golems started moving and made a bridge in front of him. Aracnoth walked on their backs at the Kiln's doors opened and Aracnoth saw the throne. Aracnoth walked in and sat on the throne as a huge burst of light flashed throughout the area and into the world. A huge golden beam of light shot out of the kiln and into the roof exiting the kiln and shot to the surface piercing the heavens... Manus was looming above Artorias and chuckling Artorias was on his last legs and couldn't fight anymore he was beaten and bastardized crippled among everything else. Manus raised his catalyst and started to bring it down but was rammed into by a whitish gray blur. Manus flew backwards as Artorias looked up to see Sif growling at Manus. "Sif!" Artorias croaked out as Sif glanced at his master then back to Manus growling. I looked over to Sif and smiled as I clutched my fists and charged at Manus as he got up using his catalyst as a crutch. I rammed into Manus with all my might punching him basically using him as a punching bag as each blow I laid on him was more powerful and harder then the last. I flipped onto Manus's back and ripped off two of his horns then used them as spears and shoved them in his back damaging his spine. Manus roared in pain as he held his chest bleeding out. Manus POV I felt a huge pain in my chest as I saw Artorias and Alonne glow brightly with blinding light, "NO! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! THE FIRST FLAME HAS BEEN LINKED?! NO! THIS ISN'T HOW ITS SUPPOSE TO HAPPEN!" I roar as Alonne rams into me punching my gut and shoulders furiously. I bat Alonne away from my and try to cast a protection spell but I'm interrupted being constantly beaten down by Alonne's attacks. Artorias and his wolf just watched as I was beaten to death by Alonne. This was the end for me and I could do nothing about it. The darkness would be banished my curse would fade and my empire would fall. I would be no more and light will be the dominant power and yet I wasn't that angry about it... In fact I wan't angry at all I felt a peace... Something I haven't felt in an eternity... I close my eyes as Alonne draws his fist back as it glowed with so much power and light I knew I wouldn't survive. I gave one final sigh and smiled as Alonne laid the final blow killing me... Sir Alonne POV I punched Manus's head making it explode into blood and brains as it splattered all over my armor. I felt my rage die down and I huffed gritting my teeth in anger. I stood up and after a few minutes I sighed, "Finally its all over!" I say collapsing in exhaustion falling unconscious. Artorias sighed as Sif helped him up and carried me on her back. A portal opened and Artorias, Sif, and I went through it...