7: Light
Twilight and Fluttershy managed to get back to the library without incident, and went in to find it bustling with activity. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and the Cake twins were playing tag, the furniture having been moved to let them run freely. Rarity was sitting next to the bonfire, keeping an eye on the foals, and Twilight could hear Pinkie and Applejack talking in the kitchen. Fluttershy went to go sit with Rarity, and Twilight managed to make it through the living room unscathed on her way to the kitchen. There, she found Pinkie and Applejack in the middle of making what looked to be a full buffet.
"Hey girls. How's everything going?"
Pinkie bounced up to her, grinning widely. She had temporarily traded her archer hat for a baker's cap, and Twilight quickly found the pink mare's grin to be infectious.
"We're doing super! After Applejack brought Apple Bloom over, she decided it would be way better to stay here than out on the farm, so she brought all her other stuff, too, and there was a whole bunch of cooking stuff in there, so we decided to use some of it for a big ol' dinner! We're almost finished, so once Big Mac gets back, we can all eat!" She bounced back over to the stove, and crouched so she could stare into it. Twilight turned back to Applejack.
"You decided to stay here?"
Applejack nodded.
"Yup. It's a good bit safer here, especially with the bonfire. Big Mac already went back tah bring over the other two ponies who were staying there, but he shouldn't be long."
"Who are the other ponies?" Twilight looked into a large bowl filled with what appeared to be pie filling as Applejack answered, licking her lips in hope that the food was for everyone who would be present.
"A couple a swords for hire. We needed some help protectin' the farm, and they needed a place to use as a base of operations. So, we struck a deal: They get tah use one of our barns, and in return, they have tah help keep the farm safe. The way Ah figure, they're gonna get a whole bunch of the other buildin's here, and it'll be easier fer them tah keep this little library safe, than a whole farm. We'll have tah do some serious work tah get the trees over here and growin', but it'll be worth it. We'll be safer, and those other two will have less trouble keepin' out the Hollows, since there'll be more room for extra walls and traps and whatnot." She smiled proudly at her own logic, and Twilight clapped her hooves a bit.
"That's great! Although, I am curious about where you plan on putting your trees."
"Eh, we'll figure it out, don't worry." Both mares heard the door open, and two new voices could be heard. "Hey, Ah bet that's them now!" Applejack trotted out, and Twilight followed her.
Out in the living room, Twilight saw three ponies. The first was a big earth pony wearing black armor, obviously Big Macintosh. He was the only pony around who could swing a sword like the one currently on his back. The second pony was even more recognizable. Rainbow Dash's trademark mane and tail, as always, made her easy to identify. She was dressed in light leather armor, and two scimitars hung from her belt. The third pony, however, made Twilight's eyes widen. She was also a pegasus, wearing leather armor, but instead of scimitars, she had a rapier and a buckler. She had long legs, and large, powerful-looking wings. She stood a little taller than Rainbow, but the slight sheen of her orange coat and purple hair made it clear she was younger.
That... That can't be her, can it?
Any further thoughts were cut off as Rainbow spoke.
"Well, it's not as big, and definitely more crowded, but it's nice. I think I can deal with moving our stuff, although it is going to take a few hours, at least. What do you think, Scoots?"
It is Scootaloo!
"Well, we might be able to leave behind some of the defensive walls, so there's that, but yeah, it'll take a while. Maybe we should just replace most of it? We may need to go back to the farm later."
"Good point. Alright, big guy, we'll stick around for a little longer. If nothing else, we'll have more folks to talk to."
Big Mac nodded, and turned to Applejack, who stepped forward.
"Glad tah hear it, gals! And Ah suppose ya'll should meet our host while we're at it, too. This here's Twilight Sparkle. Apparently, she still has most a her memories!"
Rainbow's eyes narrowed.
"You sure she's telling the truth about that?"
"As sure as apples grow on trees! Ah can always tell when Ah'm bein' lied to, and she ain't lyin'!"
Rainbow glanced between them, and trotted up to Twilight.
"Alright, then. If that is the truth, you'll know what my best trick is. Do you?"
Twilight grinned.
"Sonic Rainboom. The first time you performed it was at a race in Cloudsdale, and you performed it again at the Best Young Fliers' Competition in order to save three falling Wonderbolts, as well as Rarity."
Rainbow's eyes widened in surprise.
"Okay.... That's pretty specific. Rarity, though?"
"It's a long story, and we have more important things to talk about. Let's get the table back upright and eat, first, though. I think we all need some semblance of normalcy right now."
Rainbow nodded, and they all helped set up the food. Once finished, everyone sat down and loaded up their plates. There was plenty for al of them, and the Cake twins tore into their dishes with gusto as the rest began their meals more reservedly. Twilight decided to go for a sandwich first, and eagerly tore a large hunk out of it. She immediately stopped chewing as her tongue practically screamed in agony, and it took all her willpower not to spit the sandwich back out. She opened up the sandwich, and inspected the contents.
Daisies, lettuce, dressing. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing she didn't like. So why had it tasted so atrocious? She glanced around, and noticed that while the others were also eating, the only ones who seemed to be enjoying the meal were the Cakes.
We... can't eat anymore? We can't taste anymore? Then that means... everyone is only eating so the twins aren't worried. Even Rainbow caught on. I suppose... I'll just have to bear it.
She stared at the sandwich for a moment, and took another bite. It tasted like ash.
----------------------------------------
Once the meal was over, Twilight assisted Pinkie in cleaning up the dishes, while Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo went back to the farm to retrieve their gear. Fluttershy had excused herself and returned to her cottage, while Rarity had taken Sweetie Belle back to her boutique.
"Pinkie," Twilight said as she washed one of the pots, "how long have you been doing that for them?"
Pinkie sighed, pausing in washing a plate to answer.
"A while. I've tried to explain that I can't eat, and I don't need to, but they just kept coming up to me with their plates, trying to get me to eat something. Eventually, I gave up arguing and just made my portions really small. I explained it to the others, too, and Big Mac told Rainbow, I think."
"Well, at least now I won't waste any more food that I might find." She sighed. "It seems like things just keep getting worse. I found all of you, sure, but there are still a lot of ponies out there. And there's Spike...."
"Who's Spike?"
"He's a dragon, and he was my number one assistant, something he was always proud of. I hatched him during an entrance exam, and he's been with me ever since. He's like a brother to me, and I haven't seen a single sign of him since I woke up. I just... I...." She collapsed on the ground, tears streaming from her eyes. "I don't know where he is, I don't know what happened to my older brother, I don't know if the Elements of Harmony will even work, now, and I have no idea how to fix this! I just don't know...." She broke down into sobbing, and Pinkie laid down next to her, gently stroking her back with a hoof.
"I know how you feel, Twilight. I can barely keep those two out there safe, and there are things out there that I wouldn't even be able to hurt. But I do know someone who might be able to help you."
Twilight sniffed.
"Who?"
"I don't remember his name, but he usually hangs out south of here, on the edge of Ghastly Gorge. He's kind of weird, but he's fun to talk to, and he might be able to at least point you in the right direction."
Twilight nodded.
"Okay. I guess it's worth a shot, right?"
"Just be careful on your way there. If you follow the train tracks, it's safer, but things from the Everfree have been wandering further and further out than they should. Make sure you're ready before you try to get out there."
"I will. Thanks, Pinkie." Twilight got back up, and they finished putting away all the dishes. Once they were done, Twilight went upstairs to check her room for supplies.
"Let's see... I should probably take my binoculars along, and that copy of Amazing Monsters. If nothing else, I'll be able to identify any new creatures I come across. That should keep me from getting taken by surprise quite so much." She unpacked her gear, and spread it out on the floor. "Okay, I've got a shortsword, a longsword, my armor, my binoculars, my book, and two scrolls. What are these, anyway?"
She unrolled one of them, revealing a relatively simple spell circle.
"Well, that's easy enough. Looks like... some sort of projectile? Huh. I'll probably need this. Now what about the other one?" She unrolled that as well, showing an equally simple, but wholly different, circle. "Hm. This seems like it's some kind of fire-based spell. But... it needs an ignition source? Odd. I'll have to keep an eye out for anything I can use for that. Maybe the stallion at Ghastly Gorge will have something." She packed everything back up, and hooked her swords on her belt. After making sure all her belongings were safely put away, she made her way downstairs, and bid farewell to the others. She headed outside, and turned south down Mane Street. She had only gone a couple blocks, when she saw a Hollowed pony.
Well, this looks like a perfect chance to try out my new sword. Let's see what I can do with this thing.
She drew her sword, and held it with one hoof, shaking from the effort.
Okay, maybe I need to get a bit stronger, first.
She put the longsword back, and drew her shortsword.
Might as well stick to the basics, for now.
She grabbed the hilt with her teeth, and charged the Hollow. It heard her approaching, and turned to face her. As it did, she could see that it was holding a battle axe in its mouth. As she closed in, the Hollow reared back, twisting its head to aim the blade of its weapon right at her horn. Instead of stopping, though, she quickly calculated the amount of time the Hollow would take to strike, and how long she would need to knock it off-balance. She decided she could make it, and closed the gap, aiming the point of her blade at the former pony's chest. She misjudged, though, and the Hollow's axe came down too soon. Her sword ended up going through her enemy's neck, nearly severing it, but the Hollow's axe fell into her back, cutting easily through the robes, and smashing at least a couple of ribs. She cried out in pain, dropping her sword as the other pony's body fell lifelessly, pulling the weapon with it. She collapsed, sobbing in pain for a few moments. Quickly, though, she decided she had to get the axe currently lodged in her back out of her.
She forced her breathing back to normal, and gently rolled onto her side. She slowly turned her head, every inch of motion rippling down her spine, and into the ribs that currently had an axe blade through them. Eventually, she managed to turn enough to see the weapon stuck in her back, and she bent a rear hoof backwards, attempting to catch the end of the handle and push it out. When that didn't work, she took a deep breath and started moving one of her forehooves instead. If turning her head had been agonizing, then moving her hoof was torture. The greater movement translated through her bones to her ribcage, grinding the ends against the axe. After almost a full minute of pushing, panting, and the occasional bout of renewed sobbing, she felt the axe's handle, and pushed. It hurt even more than she had thought, but she stifled her screams and put more effort into it.
Come on.... Comeoncomeoncomeoncomeon! GET OUT, DAMMIT!
Finally, she felt the blade slip past the edge of the wound, and it clattered to the cobblestones beneath. She shivered in relief, even through the relatively minor pain of her exposed skeleton.
I don't think I've ever gone through something so painful before in my life. I probably lost a lot of blood, too, didn't I?
She looked around, expecting the area to be covered in red, but instead found that both the street and her clothes were utterly clean. The only evidence that anything had happened, that she could currently detect, was the sharp, throbbing ache in her back. She started to hyperventilate, but quickly forced herself to calm down, taking deep breaths.
Okay, Twilight, relax. You already know you're Undead. This is just one more question to ask about later. For now, I should probably try that Estus Flask Rarity gave me. She said it could heal me, maybe it can fix this.
She pulled it out, and gauged its size.
Looks like there's only enough here for a mouthful. Better not let something like this happen again before I get back.
She popped the cap, and poured the contents into her mouth. Without even swallowing, they swept through her insides, filling her with a warm, not-quite-painful, sensation. She could feel the warmth move through her muscles and bones, washing over the area that had just been injured. When the feeling subsided, she felt cold, but whole. The pain in her back was gone, and she rolled her shoulders, loosening up the joints and sighing in satisfaction as her muscles stretched pleasantly.
"Oh, that's much better. Time to get moving. Hopefully, I won't make a mistake like that again."
She trotted off down the street with renewed vigor.
And now, the first videos for those who want some extra Dark Souls in their lives.
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Is Sweety Belle and Apple Bloom the same age as Scootaloo, or are they undead too?
4280218
I'll get to that, don't worry.
4280816
I find that hilarious, because I do pretty much the exact opposite.
well it seems that all the main characters are accounted for
, which mean's things can only go down hill for them from here
, on another note i am wondering what type of magic Twilight will use, since i bet she will be better at that then melee combat, and by my guess her highest stats are in intelligence and Faith is her second highest.
P.S. nice choices for the videos.
4281120 we all have our own ways of getting past our problems
4281876 Indeed. For Dark Souls 1, I mostly went full Mage, using Homing Soul Arrows as my big kill bosses in 2-3 hits. While in Dark Souls 2, I went full Str/Fth, using Havel Shield and the Defender's Greatsword for common mobs, and using Great Lightning Spear for stronger mobs/bosses and Sunlight Spear for bosses.
4280816 I'll freely admit that pyromancy can be a wonderful thing. However, I like sorcery for its combination of range and utility.
You know, I'm feeling a bit uncomfortable at the thought that everypony is together at the library. I'm hoping that none of them pull a Yurt
Anyhow, great chapter and I loved the fight scene. Pretty much captures how easily a regular encounter in DS can go wrong.
Also, it's a bit of a silly question maybe but what are Twilight's stats like at the moment?
4282377 yeah, i haven't gotten to play dark Souls 2 yet though when i played Demon's souls i used a mainly Str/Dex build, which lead to a very memorable fight with Old King Allant, i don't remember my armor or shields but i do remember that i used a Quality Kilij and the White Bow as my weapons, if i am not mistaken.
4282383 Yeah i get what you mean, though Pyromancy and my fire based weapons has almost never let me down, except with the Centipede Demon
, he was a pain in the but to kill. 
4283879
I don't even bother with elemental weapons, most of the time. I just get the biggest, baddest, most civilization-threatening weapon I can get my hands on, upgrade it to full power, and start caving heads. The Dragon Tooth was my favorite for a while, but the Black Knight Greataxe is more powerful in Dark Souls. For Dark Souls 2, I've just been waving around Greatswords everywhere. I love that behemoth of a weapon.
4284003 I have tried to use large weapons like that but for the most part i didn't like them, though the curved greatswords were nice, in truth i find myself going for the curved swords when using Melee, in Dark Souls my main character main weapons are Quelaag's Furysword +5, a Fire Server +10 (which i hardly ever used), and a Battle Axe +15 for those times when fire damage wasn't helpful.
4284204
Big weapons were too slow for you, I take it?
4284241 Pretty much, i also prefer to one hand my weapons so i can use a shield.
4284405
That's why I make sure the stat requirements are filled. As long as you have high enough stats, you can one-hand anything.
4285376 true, though i don't think that effects the swing speed
, i don't know if it is my imagination but i find curved-great-swords swing faster then normal great-swords.
4285678
They do. I just time all my swings so that I hit an enemy right before they hit me, and the greatsword interrupts their attack, allowing me to continue beating them into a fine paste.
4285764 that sounds like a effective strategy, though when i see someone with a great-sword i prefer to too stay back and attack with fire spells, though i will admit it doesn't always work.
By the way have you ever heard of a female stone demon?
i ask because i found that someone made fan-art for it and said it was in the concept art for Dark Souls but i haven't found anything but cut content such as a Darkwraith boss you were meant to fight in New Londo to get the Key.
4286030
I don't know anything about a female demon, but I have seen footage of Undead King Jar-Eel. I would have loved to see him in there.
4286414 yeah, some guy on deviant art made fan-art of the female stone demon, but it might be too much for this site.
i have heard of Undead King Jar-Eel before, there is some unused text by ingward that has him sending you after Undead King Jar-Eel as a test, i think i remember seeing a Lore video were the guy had put Undead King Jar-Eel in the game, but i can't remember which one.
anyways here is a Video about his cut-content