Applejack in Lordran

by Simbody

Firelink Shrine

Applejack woke up from her slumber and stretched. It was only after she had a look around that she remembered where she was, and sighed.
She had hoped that when she woke up, that all of the events of the past day would be just a bad dream and she would awake in her bed, like always; but, alas, she was still in the courtyard by the ever burning bonfire.

Applejack went over her things before setting out for the day. She had her shield, her mace, her estus flask, and her trademark stetson, but other than that, she had no extra protection. Applejack headed up the nearby steps and dodged the iron boulder which had mysteriously returned, and quickly dispatched the waiting hollow.

In this strange land, the bonfires seemed to be a double edged sword. They healed Applejack when she rested at them, but all the hollows she had defeated since, would return to where they had been, as if she had never slain them. After clearing the archer and the other two hollows on the balcony, she looked once again to the fog door. It loomed large in the archway, and led into the room where a giant monster no doubt waited for her. As she looked down towards the bottom, Applejack noticed a message sigil in front of the door.

If you strike a foe from above, the force of the fall will add to the damage in a plunging attack. Applejack wondered what it meant, but figured she’d understand after the fog door. She pressed through the fog door, and found herself on a small balcony overlooking the room where the monster had killed her several times, but didn't see anything. Then, she looked down.

The monster’s grotesque face was staring back at her. Applejack tried to jump back, but the fog door prevented her from going back very far. Thinking back to the message sigil, Applejack looked down at the monster, and took a deep breath, bracing herself before catapulting into the air above it. The monster seemed completely oblivious to the mace that was now descending on its head, until the very last moment, when it bent slightly forward.

Applejack could feel some of the beasts back and shoulders give way beneath her as she came down on it with the added force of her fall, and she slid off of its back, and turned to attack the now wounded monster. She swung hard at the bulbous hind quarters of the monster as it was recoiling, and landed another hit before it started to slowly turn to face her.

Applejack, with her new found weapon, and determined confidence, began to dodge the monster’s large demonic hammer, and started to lad serious blows against it while it was recovering from it’s overly exerting swings. One swing, however, managed to catch Applejack at the end of one of her dodges, and sent her sliding across the floor.

She stood up, shooting pain in her side , and looked at the monstrosity. Something told her that it couldn't take much more, but neither could she. But she had one advantage it didn't. Applejack backed up to the corner as the monster lumbered slowly towards her, and quickly uncorked the emerald estus flask., taking a quick swig of the healing ambrosia.

Corking it, Applejack darted out of the corner, and towards more open space as the monster turned to face her. She got up close, and renewed her assault on the grotesque beast, and worked all the way around it before landing three solid blows. After the third blow, the creature’s legs buckled, and it fell to the floor with a loud thud. Applejack stared in disbelief at the dead beast as it’s body dissipated into white fizzles of light.

“YEEEEEEE HAWWWW!” she cheered, throwing her hat into the air. She had finally defeated the monster that had killed her seven times the prior day, and had quite frankly pushed her to where she was now. After catching her hat, and re-seating it atop her head, Applejack noticed a small yellowish white orb where the beast had been.

Applejack grabbed the orb, and as she did, it turned into two different items in her hooves. One was a large golden key, the other, was something she had never seen before. The object looked like some kind of black crystal of some kind, oddly shaped, and pure black, save for a white outline. Applejack looked this strange object over and ponder what it could be, closing her eyes and racking her brains.

“Humanity?” she asked out loud as the word came strangely to her mind. She shrugged and stowed this “humanity” and looked at the key. It was much larger than any keyhole she had seen before, and obviously was used for the large door on the far side of the room.

She walked to the door, and inserted the key, before starting to push on the door. The door was heavy, and creaked as it slowly swung open. On the other side of the door was a small set of steps, before a hill that sloped sharply upwards, that had ruins of some kind on either side, before a steep drop. Just in front of her however was a message sigil, followed by another just ahead.

Congratulations!

The she moved up to the second one and read it.

Now, go ahead.

Applejack pondered why the sigils had so little to say, but followed their directions, as they had only helped her thus far.

As she neared the top of the hill, the path began to narrow out, until she was standing on the edge of the cliff, looking over a huge valley, and a mountain range in the distance. Without warning, a giant raven swooped up from below Applejack, talons outstretched, and grabbed the orange pony in it’s powerful grasp.

~~~
...In thine exodus from the Undead Asylum, maketh pilgrimage to the land of ancient lords...
~~~

Luna burst into the room that the remaining mane six had been sharing while they watched their friend’s progress.

“She’s done it!” the dark alicorn exclaimed. Some of the sleeping ponies roused from their sleep, namely Twilight and Rarity.

“What?” Twilight questioned while she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

“Applejack has made it through the Undead Asylum! And now she’s on her way to the Firelink Shrine!

“The what?” Rarity asked

“Come, I’ll show you,” Luna said, beckoning them to follow her to the mirror through which they had been watching Applejack’s journey. Rarity and Twilight arrived at the mirror just in time to see Applejack being dropped from above an old ruin be a giant raven. Luna was busy scribbling another message with the orange stone as they watched. They saw as Applejack read the message, and stepped up to a bonfire.

“Um, Princess?” Twilight asked.

“What is it Twilight?” Luna replied.

“What’s happening to Applejack?” she questioned, watching some white streams of energy flow into her friend from the newly lit bonfire.

“Why, she is leveling up. Spending the souls she has collected to strengthen herself,” the night princess responded.

“She can do that?” Rarity questioned.

Luna nodded, “Yes, you see, not only can souls be used to improve oneself, but they are also a form of currency, and many denizens of Lordran trade items for them.”

“And where is Lordran?” Twilight inquired.

“It’s very hard to explain...” Luna reluctantly answered.

“What do you mean?” Twilight pried.

“It is in another realm,” Luna replied.

--
“So who r’ you?” Applejack asked the stooped figure sitting by the bonfire.

“Well, what do we have here? You must be a new arrival,” said the lightly armored figure, looking the orange pony before him over.

“Yeah, in case ya hadn't noticed, Ah’m not from ‘round here,” Applejack replied.

“How did a talking horse get in the Asylum anyhow? Oh well, I don’t really care,” The sullen man replied.

“Why does every one of y’all keep callin’ me a horse? Ah’m a pony!” she snapped.

“Well, since you’re here... let me help you out,” the man said, seeming to ignore the sudden outburst.

“Really? Ah’m trying to find a way back to Equestria, and maybe a fella like yerself could help me,” Applejack said.

“What? You mean you’re not here about the whole Fate of the Undead prophecy?” the man asked, seeming to straighten just a bit.

“What? Ah didn't know about no prophecy,” she replied.

“Well, maybe ringing the bells of awakening will do something?” he mused.

“The bell of awakening?” Applejack questioned.

“Yes, there’s one up above, in the undead church. The other is far, far below, in the base of Blighttown. Ring both of them and something happens,” he said, staring off into the distance as he recounted the information.

“Thanks, maybe Ah’ll find some answers after ringin’ those bells,” Applejack said.

“Not much to go on, but I have a feeling that won’t stop you...” he said, as Applejack began to wander off.

Comments

[Violet Runner]

i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/6991206144/h448DA3C6/

[Calden]

Is Big Mac Gwyns firstborn?

[Mixer]

3127460 I apologize for that, but that's just how my style is.

[The Morningstar]

I was right to fav this early.

[Mixer]

3130083 Thanks!

[Lord Of Dorkness]

Really interesting. I felt a bit weary when I noticed just how close to the game you were sticking, but so far you've made it interesting.

Have a fav and a up-vote.

[Mixer]

3743686 It's going to be pretty close to the game for the beginning, since it's just training up until the first bell.
Thanks for the fav though.