//------------------------------// // Chapter VII: Answers Without Answers // Story: Dark Souls: A White Knight // by Timeless Lord Slayer //------------------------------// After numerous months, I was finally free of that accursed hospital. The girls visited from time to time, and Princess Twilight taught me some of the ways of this world whilst I was bedridden, so it wasn't all that bad. But the nurses simply wouldn't let me do anything when I was finally allowed to get out of the bed, aside from walking aimlessly around the premises. I couldn't get nearly as much exercise as I would have liked, only managing to get a measly three hundred push ups, sit ups, and squats per day. They kept badgering me about my condition, and while I appreciated the concern I simply could not let myself grow weak. I was a knight, after all. Come to think of it...what will I do here? What can I do here? All I know is fighting, and what good is that in such a peaceful land? Maybe I could join the Royal Guard? Perhaps I should ask the Princesses when I meet them today. "Asmund?" said Miss Fluttershy, breaking me from my musings. We were currently on our way towards the capital, apparently called Canterlot, to meet with the two mysterious diarchs. "Apologies, Miss Fluttershy, I was absorbed in thought," I said apologetically. "What were you asking about again?" "I was asking how you feel. Are you still sore?" she queried. It still warms my heart to know that someone, er...somepony, cares this deeply for me. "A little, but not overly so. Mostly in my torso, but I will live," I replied. "Oh, good," Miss Fluttershy said with a sigh of relief. I smiled at her kindness as we walked to what she called the "train station", whatever that was. "So...this, 'train station', what exactly is it?" I questioned, curiosity piqued. "Oh...well, Twilight can explain better than I could..." Miss Fluttershy said meekly. "Very well. Though I would not be so quick as to sell yourself short, Miss Fluttershy," I relented. Miss Fluttershy blushed. "Th-Th-Thank you..." she muttered. I chuckled at her bashful and timid behavior. "No need to be embarassed, Miss Fluttershy, it was just a simple compliment," I admitted. She blushed harder. She really is quite a cute one. Eventually, we arrived at what Miss Fluttershy said was the station, where the rest of our friends were waiting. "Geeze! What took you two so long? We've been waiting forever!" Miss Dash complained. I chuckled at her impatience. "No need to rush, Rainbow, we are here and that is what matters," I reminded. Rainbow simply grumbled while the others chuckled. "Yes, well, I'm simply glad that you are alive and well, Asmund," said Miss Rarity. "As am I," I responded. "Now, Miss Fluttershy said we were heading towards Canterlot. Yet I don't see any feasible way of getting there without a carriage or on foot, er, hoof." Just then, a behemoth of brightly colored metal with multiple segments screeched as it drew close. "What in the name of the Gods is that!?" The girls giggled. "That's the train. It's how we're getting to Canterlot," Princess Twilight said through a hoof, trying to stifle her giggles. "You must be joking! It looks as if it would tramble over us rather than let us board it!" I cried. "Oh it'll be fine, just calm down," Princess Twilight admonished. I glanced back at the metal beast before sighing in defeat. "Very well..." I conceded. We boarded the "train", and, after giving the "conductor", our tickets, (I still don't understand how music is involved) we each took a seat. I smiled as I watched the girls chat and mill about, before my eyelids grew heavy, and sleep took me. A woman stood before a grand, onyx door, it's gold engravings as extravagant as ever. She tightened her grip on her trusty longsword before pulling out a gold ring with engravings on it. As soon as she placed it upon her finger, the seal on the door clicked, before slowly rotating and then sinking inwards, allowing the doors to open. They opened with the sound of stone scraping against stone, before finally the pathway was open. She stepped forward, before taking notice of another woman, standing just outside the doorway. She was garbed in a flowing green cloak, with extravagant tan robes with many intricate designs on them. Her left arm was wrapped in bandages, though they were quite clean. She wore leather gloves and boots, but the most interesting thing about her were her heterochromatic eyes. One was a striking ruby, whilst the other was a rich chocolate brown. Her long brown hair covered most of her face, but the armoured woman could still make out the color of the other eye. "Bearer of the Curse, if you proceed, Nashandra will come after you. Knowing that you will take the throne, and link the fire. She covets the First Flame, and the Great Soul. Put Nashandra to rest," the woman bode. The armoured woman simply nodded, before continuing on towards the Throne. She walked down the stone streps, each step looking more aged and worn than the next, until finally, it simply looked like a long, primitive, winding ramp made from unremarkable stone. She strode forward, each step echoing throughout the cavernous chamber. Stone pillars holding flames stood to either side of her, lighting her way. Eventually, she made it to a doorway blocked by a wall of fog. Preparing herself, the Bearer of the Curse walked through the fog, and into the ancient, crumbling chamber. On the other side of the room, lit by a stray ray of sunlight, was a towering female made of bones, tar black skin stretched over her sleek and slender frame. She had no legs to speak of, simply a mass of bodies that somehow permitted movement. In her grasp was a scythe as black as night, carved from some unknown material resembling bone. She traced a bony finger over the blade of the weapon. "Brave Undead..." she called, her voice echoing as if she were speaking underwater, yet still as smooth as silk. "You have proven yourself to me..." She turned to face the Bearer, flaring her scythe with the motion. "Now...be one, with the Dark..." Then, she swept her hand and multiple sprites of humanity appeared around her, wobbling, shimmering, and dripping as if made from water. The Bearer strapped her shield to her back, before grabbing her sacred chime from her belt, and raising it as if she were about to throw it like a javelin. Then, a crackling spear of lightning and sunlight appeared in her raised hand, and she tossed it at a sprite, dissolving it. She fired three more at three different sprites, before rushing headlong towards Nashandra, sword at the ready. She dodged a swipe of Nashandra's scythe, before slashing at the grasping arms of Nashandra's base, drawing a spurt of blackish blood. Nashandra grunted, before making to swipe at the Bearer again. The Bearer nearly dodged, but wasn't quick enough, and received a sizable gash on her right side. The woman cried out in pain, clutching her wound as she backed away. She took out a dull green flask aglow with the liquid fire of Estus, taking a swig, a wave of embers closing the wound, before lobbing another spear of lightning and sunlight at the dark abomination. The abomination of a woman shrieked as her taught flesh was seared, before retaliating with a beam of pure dark energy that dented the Bearer's pauldron before splitting it, causing it to fall to the tiled floor with a clatter. The Bearer cried out again as her punctured shoulder oozed with the blackish blood of the Undead. Despite her wound, she held tightly onto her sword, and, with a valiant warcry, ran straight towards the towering woman of bones, jumping up to stab her exposed skull. The abomnination shrieked as she tried to shake off the Undead, clawing at her to try and pry her off. The abomination swept her hand once more, summoning yet more sprites and sapping the Undead's life away. The Undead, not to be deterred and hanging on with all her might, raised her good arm, summoning another bolt of crackling sunlight, before tossing it point blank into the abomination's skull with a cry of fury. The woman of bones let out a final cry before falling limp, scythe clattering to the ground. A number of blue wisps flew into the Undead, who absorbed the souls with a weak smile. She slowly crawled off the body of Nashandra, pulling her sword out with a flick of black blood. Then, a voice cut through the new silence. A voice, unlike any other. For it was a mixture of a woman's, and a man's, and it echoed off the chamber walls. "Many monarchs have come and gone." The voice began, as the Undead drew to her feet and tensed for another battle. "One drowned in poison, another succumbed to flame." The voice continued, the Bearer hastily looking for the source of the voice. "Still another slumbers in a realm of ice." The voice paused for a moment before proceeding. "Not one of them stood here, as you do now. You, conqueror of adversities. Give us your answer." The voice implored, before a tremor shook the chamber, and an amalgamation of roots on fire, yet not turning to charcoal, burned through the floor. A singular, glowing red eye marked the wooden face of a man beneath the roots. A number of roots stretched upwards in a seemingly religous manner before an orb of dark red flame appeared above them, and then fired multiple balls of that same fire at the Undead. The Undead took her shield off her back and held it in front of her, blocking the balls of fire, but only for a split second before the shield melted and the Undead had to drop it lest she burn herself. The Undead hissed as a stray fireball flew past her, singing the cloth covering of her armor. Another fireball knocked her sword out of her hands, searing the glove and reducing the sword to slag. Then, a massive fireball flew through the air towards her, and then all the Undead knew was overwhelming heat and searing pain.