After their respective deaths, the heroes of Lordran find themselves all ending up in a strange land, a place filled with peace and happiness, while they come from a land of pain and strife. Each has his own tale, some good, and some bad.....
The Undead Curse certainly took its toll on the people of Lordran. With the mad Hollows running amok and the lords having all but abandoned them, only the mightiest warriors and determined souls had any chance of keeping their sanity. However, no one is invincible. They all met their ends, one by one. But something strange happened. Events beyond their control led them to the tranquil land of Equestria. These are the tales of what happened after. These Legends of Lordran all wake up to a land of peace and happiness, but they carry the scars of war. Can the brightness of Equestria overcome the darkness slowly eating away their sanity?
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.
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."
"Oh, dear." thought Solaire. "This won't go over well. I could always lie, but Bagpipe mentioned something about a mental scan, so they'll most likely have someone making sure I'm not lying." Solaire was so lost in thought that the prolonged silence made Bagpipe feel rather uncomfortable.
"Lad, did they put your head back on the right way?", he questioned. Solaire internally raised an eyebrow. Not wanting to look suspicious, or at the very least foolish, he answered.
"Yes, I apologize, it's just rather stressful to have members of royalty already questioning my motives before I've even met them. I find it strange why they would question there being blood on my sword. I am a knight after all. Isn't that to be expected?" This was new information to Bagpipe, as he wasn't one of the doctors who worked on Solaire's mental reconstruction, he was just in charge of the overall task management.
"You are? Well that might clear ah few things up, but it's not my call. Ah, here's the nurse with your armor. Forgive her meekness, she's just new. Gifted though, so we assigned her to you."
"Ah, thank you. She can come in when she's, er........prepared." Solaire was determined to get the point across that he meant no harm. Part of him had doubt, but he shoved it out of the way. The nurse came in pushing a cart. True to Bagpipe's words, his armor was laid out in a neat fashion, with each individual piece easily reachable. His sword was missing, as he was told, his shield as well. Solaire didn't question why, as what he saw next shot off a red flag in his mind.
His talisman. While mostly used for healing, it was still the only method of using his lightning spears or any other miracles. "Maybe I could use this to my advantage....", he mused to himself. He might be able to win back the royalty's trust if he were honest about what it could do. Refocusing on the nurse, he spoke in a calm, unassertive tone as he spoke.
"Thank you. I hope you still aren't frightened of me. I may look like a monster, but believe me, I'm not." The nurse, who was still afraid of Solaire managed to at least speak clearly when she responded.
"I-it wasn't your appearance really, I've seen scarier things on the edge of the Everfree Forest back home. B-but during the procedures reconstructing your memories, you were screaming and thrashing constantly, even though you were unconscious. It was as if you were dying.....We eventually had to strap you down, you were struggling so hard."
"She doesn't understand how close she is to the truth." Solaire thought darkly. "If what she said is true, I subconsciously had to relive every time I died in Lordran. I can certainly understand her fear."
Solaire replied in a cheery tone. "Well, I'm just fine now. I assure you'll never see me do something like that again."
The nurse visibly relaxed, but Solaire's instincts suggested she was still skeptic. Nevertheless, he was satisfied.
"I guess you can't be all bad."
They were interrupted by another pony walking into the room, and this one was huge. He stood at least a head taller than Bagpipe This pony was dark gray, like ash. He had a white mane which seemed to be combed backwards. Through the mane ran several streaks of black. On his hindquarters was a stack of scrolls, each one sealed with a red drop of wax. Bagpipe, who had remained quiet through the previous exchange, spoke up to address the stranger.
"Steward Scrolls? And for what do we hold the pleasure?"
Scrolls spoke in a remarkably deep voice. "I came after I was informed that the.....er...." He looked to Solaire, with a look of confusion.
"Human," Solaire said.
"Yes, thank you. When I was told the human had awoken, I came immediately. After I informed the princesses of this news, they seemed to be in quite a rush to speak with him." He paused for a moment, and then jolted a bit, as if he had remembered something. "My apologies, I've yet to introduce myself. I am Elder Scrolls, Chief Steward to the Diarchy of Princess Luna and Princess Celestia, and head butler to the royal family. It is my humble honor to welcome you to Canterlot, despite the fact you've already been here a good long time." He raised an eyebrow and half-smiled, prompting a lighthearted chuckle from both Bagpipe and Solaire.
"Indeed I have, and the honor's all mine. But I do have to ask, how did you know of my awakening so quickly? It's barely been a half-hour."
Scrolls nodded at this. "I suspected you'd ask that. Well, Miss Daisy here ran out of your room faster than the doctors could follow her movement, it was only logical for the other doctors to conclude you were awake. Seeing how I am the Royal Steward, it didn't take long for someone to notify me.
"Fair enough," said Solaire "But I believe we have a meeting to attend."
"Indeed we do, my alien friend, indeed we do....."
Sometimes, silence can be a gift. If you're trying to read a book, or listen to the radio, the lack of distractions can be very helpful. This was not one of those times. Solaire stood, in the middle of the throne room in Canterlot Castle, and looked directly at the two equine princesses in front of him, and didn't say a word. He didn't intend to be rude, just the opposite, in fact. It's only polite to let the royalty speak first, right? Unfortunately, the diarchy made no move to speak, but rather stared at him. The white one, with a flowing mane of green, pink, blue, and purple, looked at him with curiosity, while the dark blue one, with a mane that looked like it was made of the night sky itself, looked with pure bewilderment. He had donned his armor once more, with the sun radiantly shining on his chest. He was down on one knee, with his helmet in one hand and his other on the ground. Solaire was honestly feeling uncomfortable, but he didn't want to make a bad impression, only made worse given the situation against him.
"Your grace?" he said nervously. The white one smiled, a warm and tender look that Solaire didn't believe was forced.
"I was wondering how long it would take you," she said in a calm tone. Solaire was relieved a bit, but still remained nervous.
"My apologies. Where I come from, it is considered courteous and proper to allow the royalty to speak first. My name is Solaire. I've had many others, but that is the one I choose to go by.." he said. He wasn't lying about the nobility. In Lordran, the Lords spoke first, both out of right, and out of the knowledge they could squash most of their subjects like bugs.
"I understand. In that case, you have my apologies. I certainly didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Solaire was taken aback by the kindness this diarch had shown him, as he was used to the disdain that Gwyn and the other Lords had given humans during his time in Anor Londo.
"Might I ask for your names, your majesties?"
"But of course. I am Princess Celestia, the Sun Raiser, and Creator of Day. But please, just call me Celestia." Solaire raised an eyebrow at this. Not just because she implied that she put the sun in the sky everyday, but also at the fact she wished to be called by simply her name, without any titles attached to it. Solaire disagreed.
"I think not." Solaire stated frankly. "You are royalty and I am a knight. I shall call you by your appropriate title of 'Princess', as I should." More silence, followed by laughter, coming from the blue equine.
"We think we will come to enjoy this creature's company!" The blue one ceased her laughter and looked to Solaire. "We are Princess Luna, the Moon Raiser, and Creators of Night. If you must, you may call us Princess Luna. Though in all honesty, we do prefer just Luna." Rather than give the same response he gave to her sister, Solaire wondered why Princess Luna spoke in plural. His thoughts on this matter were interrupted by Celestia.
"He certainly knows how to flatter somepony, and I take a special note to his choice of attire. Would you mind me asking about that insignia?" This pleased Solaire. This might be his chance to prove that he was no threat to the ponies here. On top of that, he was being given a chance to talk about the great being influencing his life.
"Very well, Princess Celestia. When I was a very young, my father's father taught me about the wisdom, grace, and power of the sun. His words and actions sank into me. From that day on, I devoted everything into the faith. There weren't many people following this religion, as most chose to worship my grandfather himself. However, I always felt a bit.....distant from it. I thought to myself: what if I had my own personal sun? Then I could follow and live by my faith as closely as possible to its source. If I could succeed, I would have the same power as one of the Primeval Lords, who created our world and way of life, and use it to help the needy and guide the sinful. After this epiphany, I asked my father to teach me to use the sword. I always preferred a fair fight, even though most of my foes posed little challenge. Being a master of the blade and many other weapons, my father was delighted at this offer, and started right away. During the time he trained me, I told him of my goal, and my motives. He also was a man of the faith, and understood my reasons. He said he would allow me to undertake this quest when I was ready. It was almost fifty years before he gave me my armor and said I was fully prepared. I took that armor and emblazoned this symbol upon it, as well as my shield and talisman myself..............Any questions?"
A short pause.
"Three." stated Celestia. "The first being why your grandfather was worshiped. Was he a god of some sort? Did he have the same strength as the "Primeval Lords" you spoke about?"
"Well, yes. That's because he was one of them. My grandfather was Gwyn, Lord of Sunlight. My father was his firstborn son, but he made a grave mistake, and was exiled from Lordran because of it. By extension I lost my own godly status and was exiled as well. Of course, this was all so long ago, I can barely remember it at all...."
Muttering echoed throughout the room, coming from Luna, Scrolls, Bagpipe, many of the nobles, and some of the guards standing present. Was he speaking the truth? Was he really a former god? "Maybe telling them that wasn't such a good idea....." Solaire worried. "It's bad enough they think I'm some sort of killer, but now....."
Celestia was stunned. She had expected something unusual with her encounter with this human, but there was no way she expected to talk with someone who was formerly a deity. This added a whole new plethora of questions to what she wanted to ask. However, there were still more important matters at hand.
"For now, we'll let this revelation sink in." She stated. "My second question: do any of your former godly abilities remain?"
"None. Now I only have my training and my faith. That's all I've ever needed, really."
"Alright. Now, my last question: What are your intentions? I understand that you didn't have a choice to come here, but I would like to ensure you have no ill will to my subjects."
Solaire sighed inward. This was what he had been waiting for. A chance to prove his peaceful nature to these two. "I will still have to answer for my sword...that will most likely not end in my favor."
"I have absolutely no intention of harming any of your subjects for any undeserved or unprovoked reason. But you needn't worry, I have a very good hold on my temper."
Celestia wasn't exactly pleased with Solaire's answer, but she appreciated his honesty. She would have to think about this later. She decided to ask Luna, who had been rather quiet through this ordeal, if she had any---Strange. A queer sense of foreboding had come over her. At that moment, she felt she was being watched. It was an uneasy feeling, and every one of her instincts told her she was in danger.
"Sister?" questioned Luna in a concerned tone. Celestia snapped back to reality, the strange feeling forgotten as quickly as it came. Solaire had an eyebrow raised, but kept his quiet, solemn demeanor. Luna looked worried.
"I'm sorry Luna, it was nothing. A moment's sickness is all. I was just about to ask if you had any questions for our new friend. You've been mostly quiet this entire talk. Normally you'd be talking our audience's ear off." She laughed softly, knowing it would set her sister off.
"Sister, stop that!" Luna replied, embarrassed and blushing. "Anyway, I do have a few questions for Solaire."
"Solaire, thou stated that thy's fall from godhood was so long ago that thou can barely remember it. We must ask, how can such a mortifying event leave so little an impression?"
Solaire replied after a short pause and a sigh. "I suppose it has something to do with my age. I've been around a very, very long time. That event vanished with all that I've seen and lived through. I have so many memories I don't know what to do with them."
Luna was taken aback, along with her sister. Just how old was he implying he was? Well, there was no better time to ask than now.
"Solaire, just how long have you lived........?" Solaire stared at both of them for a moment...........and then started laughing, a sound of merriment that filled the room. Luna and Celestia looked at each other, and back to Solaire, who was still laughing. Luna, feeling a bit offended, replied to this in an irritated tone.
"Have we done something amusing?"
Solaire, not wanting to upset the princess, denied this quickly.
"No, no, I'm sorry. You must believe me when I say you'll understand when I tell you." Luna and Celestia, once again, were confused by Solaire's statement. Not wanting to stall the answer, they waited patiently for the response.
"Princess Luna, the first time I died was over thirty thousand years ago."
Miles away in Ponyville, Twilight jerked up from the book she was reading, startling Spike, who was sitting next to her.
"Twilight, what's wrong?"
"I don't know. I feel a disturbance, in logic......." _________________________________________________________________________________________
One could hear a feather hit the floor. The sheer magnitude of what Solaire had just said shook the room. Luna's mouth was agape, Celestia was just staring. Bagpipe was frozen with a cup of tea right below his lip, and Scrolls had dropped the parchment he was recording on, but kept staring as if it was still in his hoof. Nearly every guard's head was turned to face Solaire, who looked like he had simply given the time. The silence continued for a while..........
....................and then all hell broke loose.
Several cries of "Impossible!" and "Preposterous!" filled the air. Bagpipe started issuing death threats to the mental ward, and Scrolls was rubbing his temple, as if he had a headache. Luna and Celestia sat in silence, both drinking this revelation in. There could be no possible way that Solaire was speaking the truth. That would make him almost six times the age of Celestia, not counting how long he had lived as a god. Celestia suddenly had several more questions for Solaire, and she wanted them answered now. However, that was impossible with all the chaos going on. She was about to use the Royal Canterlot Voice, but her sister beat her too it.
"SILENCE!!!" she bellowed. All noise instantly ceased. Luna rose from her throne and walked towards the knight.
"Solaire, this is no time for japes! We asked thou a serious question, and we expected a serious answer! Not some mockery!"
"I assure you this is no joke." As he did so, he pulled up the left side of his tunic. There, in plain sight, was a strange distortion in his flesh. It was as if it was all being pulled towards a certain point, as it spiraled inward.
"This," Solaire continued, "is the Darksign. It's a curse that plagues my world. I was afflicted by it not long after I was stripped of godhood. Whenever I die, I am reborn. I have been cursed with undeath for so long I can't even remember my father's face." The crowd that had gathered gasped. Solaire could hear the whispers of their conversation.
"Undeath?"
"Wouldn't that make him some sort of zombie?"
"I don't know how he can stand it."
"However," Solaire said, ushering in silence. "It isn't all bad. The initial fear after my first death prompted me to commit treason by sending a letter to my grandfather, whom I was forbidden to speak to. Once he learned of my fate, he took great measures to learn about the curse which afflicted me. Thanks to my suffering, he learned of how it would eventually suck the light from the world, and return it to darkness. From what I know, he gave his own soul to stave off the curse for as long as possible. He's been burning alive for the past twenty two thousand years." Solaire stopped as he saw a shadowy figure materialize between Luna and Celestia, and heard the familiar sound of blades exiting their sheathes.
Celestia was about to respond to Solaire's sudden silence, but, before anyone could have reacted, she a felt sharp object against her throat.
"NOBODY MOVE A MUSCLE!", the shadowy figure yelled. Solaire didn't know what to make of it. It looked like an insect in equine form. It held a scimitar to Celestia's throat, and another towards the crowd. Celestia and Luna, on the other hand, knew exactly what it was.
"Foolish changeling!" Luna challenged "You think mere steel can kill her? How idiotic can thy be?!"
"Shut up, horse! These babies here are occult weapons!" This piqued everyone's alarm, and Solaire's curiosity. The weapons were renowned for their ability to kill gods, and Solaire had been warned about them several times. They were incredibly rare. And yet, somehow, this world had their own.
"That's right ladies. This blade will slice through you like butter. I can't wait to hear you squeal."
Celestia started speaking to the assassin, "I see Queen Chrysalis has finally sent her revenge. I would never have believed her to be such a coward."
"You couldn't even defeat her yourself. Who are you calling a coward?!" At Celestia's wince, the changeling developed a wicked grin on his face. But Solaire had one too.
"You there, the ugly monser! What's so funny? You'd better loose that smile, or these two will loose their throats." But this only made Solaire smile wider.
"Princess Luna was right, you are a fool. You came into a room, full of guards, two princesses capable of moving the sun and moon, and another strange being you've never seen before, and you think you have all the power?" This only made the changeling mad. Solaire, however wasn't finished.
"Also, I'm rather offended with how you called me a monster. You, my friend, have no idea what you're talking about. I have fought minotaurs the size of buildings, a dragon made of only a grotesque maw and legs, a man distorted into a vile combination of magma and insect, who constantly howls with the torment he suffers from. I have seen things so horrifying, you would go mad simply by hearing tales about them. Don't call me a monster. You don't know what a monster is. So, would you kindly get out of this throne room. Now?."The changeling, rather than being intimidated, as most would, only got angry.
"You've crossed the line, you beast. And just for that, I'm going to kill you right after these two! Along with everyone else in this room! Don't think I won't! But let's not get ahead of ourselves. I have royalty to attend to!" He raised his sword, about to strike. Solaire reached for his talisman. However, the changeling anticipated this, and instead, threw his extra sword at Solaire. It slid straight into his skull, with a sick popping sound. He fell to the floor with a loud thunk. The changeling laughed.
"I told you! I damn well told you! Now Miss Celestia, I believe you have an appointment with death!"
"Enough." The room froze. Solaire, who was still moving, began to stand. As he did, he pulled the sword out of his head. A squelching noise was made as it popped out. Solaire threw it aside. The hole through his face was already healing, a golden aura surrounding him. In his fist was his talisman. As the wound fully healed, Solaire looked at the changeling, who was standing there in shock. The scimitar fell to the floor. Solaire began to walk towards him, speaking as he did so. His voice was calm and collected.
"Before you stands a real monster. A monster who has risen from the dead. A monster who has lived an eternity. A monster that knows how to kill." He raised his talisman. Sparks flew from his hand as a shard of lightning was summoned from the heavens above. Solaire swung his fist back, and lunged forward with all his might, throwing the spear straight at the trespasser.
The bolt hit the changeling with the force of a train. The assassin stood no chance as he was fried from the inside out. It fell to the ground, steaming, with small sparks of lightning still coursing through it. After a moment's silence, chaos ensued. The guards immediately rushed to the two princesses, while others came to subdue Solaire, forming a circle around him with their spears . Elder Scrolls vanished, and Bagpipe dropped his empty tea cup. Luna once again had to use the Royal Canterlot Voice to regain control.
"Enough!" Even Solaire lost his relaxed demeanor this time. The last time was loud of course, but this time it made him wince. He briefly wondered if the volume of her voice was truly needed to be that high, but he silenced himself when Princess Luna started speaking again.
"Why art thou circling Solaire? He hath just saved us from an admitably embarrassing death! Release him!" The guards withdrew their weapons, and allowed Solaire his space again. Solaire, while thankful for Luna's intervention, wondered why she deemed it necessary to call her potential death "embarrassing." If anyone should be embarrassed, it should have been the guards for letting the assassin get in at all. Had he not been here, the nation would now be without a ruler. Besides, I'm sure my sister would like to inquire about the events we just witnessed...."
At that moment, Elder Scrolls burst into the room. He ran up to the princesses, completely missing the corpse on the ground.
"Princess Celestia. The Elements have arrived. They are waiting by the train station." Celestia rose, whispered into Scroll's ear, and walked to the door. Luna went with her. Scrolls, on the other hand, went up to Solaire.
"The princess wants to explain the situation to our guests. She asked me to take you somewhere you can wait. Do you have any thoughts on where you want to go?" Solaire thought for a moment on this, and made up his mind.
"I'm in a new land, with a different species and a new history. Take me to the Library." Scrolls chuckled a bit.
As the two walked into the library, they were greeted by the librarian, an elderly pony, well into her years. Surprisingly, she didn't even blink when she saw Solaire.
"Well, well, well, what in Equestria do we have here?" She looked at Solaire with a kind face and gentle eyes.
"Good day, madam. My name is Solaire. Might I have yours?"
"You can call me Last Chapter. Is their anything I can help you find?"
"Anything you have on military history." She nodded and beckoned him forward. Solaire followed. Scrolls departed, stating he had to assist the princess with "that damn pink hurricane." Shrugging off the strange statement, he followed Last Chapter past rows and rows of books,to the very back corner of the library, against the wall. She indicated to the top three shelves, which, to Solaire, were at eye level.
"Call me if you need anything." Solaire thanked her, and started looking for a book that piqued his interest. There wasn't a very large selection. Neighpoleon, the Conqueror. The Invasion of King Sombra, 707-719. A Complete History of Equestrian Warfare. Solaire took the latter book of the shelf. He was about to open it when a flicker of gold caught his eye. On the back of the shelf, two golden hinges stood apart from the wood. Reaching back, he touched one. Without warning, a small door swung open, and a black folder was revealed. It was blank, except for a white sticker that read: Classifed in red letters.. Solaire tentatively picked it up and opened it. It was filled hand-written documents and papers. He flipped through the pages, stopping on a random one. He almost screamed. There, on the page, burned into his mind, was an image of a man he once knew as a friend, long before he was corrupted by the dark.
The last thing he remembered was fighting that abominable creature in the Abyss. The Furtive Pygmy, if he recalled correctly. Another surge of pain went though his mind, halting his thought process. Every now and then he could see glimpses of his body. Rampaging. Slaughtering. The tunnel vision made it hard to make out the details. He tried repeatedly to regain control of his body, but the Dark was too strong. He felt an impact. He struggled through the fog in his mind, trying to see what had happened. His body had just impaled a monster from the Abyss on his great-sword. His other arm hung limply by his side, having been broken in the caverns beneath Oolacile. His body looked up, and saw a lone figure emerge from the entrance's threshold. He tried desperately to warn them:
"Whoever thou art, stay away.......Soon, I will be consumed, by Them, by the Dark....... "
Whether he succeeded, he didn't know. The figure was dressed in blue armor, and had a white sash with what the Sun emblazoned on it draped across its left pauldron. It carried a large light blue scythe on its back, and wasn't even fazed by the weight of the weapon. It pulled a long katana from the sheath on its left thigh, hefting a great slab of iron, with for wings forged on the front, a Berenike Tower Shield, on the opposite arm. Artorias' body, automatically targeting the new figure, drew in the Abyss coating the arena. It picked up the corpse still attached to the sword, throwing it at the lone swordsman. He quickly rolled out of the way, made even more impressive by the sheer weight of the shield he was carrying. His body lunged, attempting to end this would-be challenger with one blow. The opposing figure held up his shield, blocking the blow while staggering backward. Artorias' body flipped and brought the sword down onto empty space, as the other knight was already on the other side of him, hacking away at Artorias' armor. Surprisingly, Artorias could feel significant pain from each blow. What looked like a katana felt like a hammer. He chuckled inward. His body, however, swung his sword in a wide arc, catching the opponent on his heavily armored shield arm. The figure groaned, and jumped backwards while pulling out a small orange flask. He took a quick swig from it, as he just barely dodged another swing. The figure rushed Artorias, thrusting the katana straight forward. It ran Artorias straight through the upper leg, and he felt a sharp, but icy cold pain course through his maddened body.
"Thou are strong, human......Surely thine kind are more than pure dark "
The foe lept back, his sword still lodged in Artorias' leg. It pulled the scythe from its back, while the body of Artorias limped towards him, still moving at a remarkable speed. It swung, but missed, as the figure swung the scythe in an arc, nearly severing Artorias' right arm. His body screamed and roared in agony. The silent challenger didn't waste any time, however, swinging the scythe once more, straight into his opponent's stomach. Black blood, like ink, gushed everywhere, and Artorias' husk of a body let out one last scream of pain. It was a sound that would haunt the ruins of Oolacile for centuries to come. The great paragon of honor and tranquility, one of Gwyn's four great knights, Artorias the Abysswalker fell to the ground, defeated. He could finally feel the darkness leave his body in a great purge, and he was once more in control. He used his last bit of strength to utter his final words to the man leaning over his defeated form.
"I beg of thee, the spread of the abyss, i-it must be stopped.....*Cough*.....Ah, Sif, there you are......*cough*.....All of you, forgive me.......For I have availed you nothing...."
His eyes closed, and his breathing slowed.
Even though they had never met until this battle,the man bowed his head in respect, and replied in a soft tone.
"No, forgive me......"
He stood up and walked slowly through the opposing archway, attempting to forget Artorias' horrible fate. The man felt a sense of futility in fighting this curse. First his greatest friend, now his childhood idol. Who else would die along the way?
"When will all this pain end?" he sailed aloud to himself.
"There is no hope for my cursed brothers." he continued, not noticing Artorias' body sink into the ground, surrounded by a pinkish aura.....
Darkness again. Only this time, it didn't hurt. It was warm, and somewhat comforting. Artorias tried to move. He could, but just barely. His eyesight returned in a blurry haze. He was sitting next to a stone pillar in what appeared to be a temple. He couldn't hear, for there was a ringing sound in his ears. Smoke and rubble were everywhere, and chaos was all around him. Colorful shapes were running amok. Some where white and gold, the others were black and purple. The two colors seemed to be fighting each other. He tried to pull himself up. To his surprise, the more serious wounds were mostly healed. Despite the other injuries he had sustained from that faceless knight, he found he was able to support himself. His helmet and greatsword were on the ground next to him. He picked the headpiece up and put it on. Using his sword, he slowly started limping through the chaos. He saw that he had been sitting in a small crater, and there were blast marks all around it. The colorful shapes, which looked quite a bit like horses, made sure to stay our of his way as he moved through the battle. Many tried to push their opponent into his path. The pain was becoming too much of a burden to walk, and he was moving slowly. He took out his talisman, hidden in the cloth on his armor, next to the fabled Silver Pendant he found in the Abyss, and recited a healing miracle. His wounds closed, and the pain faded. Shuddering as the miracle finished its job, he hefted his sword over his shoulder and began to sprint.
A massive battle was taking place through this castle. Pillars were toppled, walls had huge gashes torn out of them, and some places that were clearly once buildings were now reduced to rubble. Small explosions popped up everywhere. As he walked outside into a large courtyard, he saw that it was night, and the moon was out. He continued running, not taking the time to question his surroundings. One of the gray creatures finished off an opponent, and was a bit more gutsy than all of his counterparts. It lunged at Artorias, thrusting its spear, golden eyes set upon his target. Artorias easily sidestepped, and elected to kick the equine away rather than kill it. It was light, and easily flew a good distance. A large explosion rocketed through a large building to his right, blasting the roof apart. Two shadowy figures flew out of the gape left behind.
"....Some of my answers may be found there...." Artorias thought to himself. He started towards the structure, dodging weapons and rubble. A few of the braver fighters challenged him, but they stood little chance. Artorias did note, however, that those that attacked him were all of the grayish variety. He was getting closer to the source of the explosion, but out of nowhere, a giant statue of what looked like a monstrous bear lurked out from behind a broken archway and smacked Artorias backwards into the wall. Normally, he would welcome the challenge, but he had an objective to meet. He would have to end this quickly. Avoiding another swipe, he ran between the bear's legs and struck at both of them, his strength making large gashes and sending cracks up its body. The monster collapsed, but Artorias didn't stop. He jumped on its back and sank the blade into the stone, running up its spine as he tore through the rock like butter. He pulled the sword out and jumped, bringing his sword down on the bear's neck. A clean decapitation It started to crumble, slowly turning to dust. Artorias turned around, only to barely be able to deflect a stone sword that had been blasted off a statue across the doorway. It broke against the opposite wall.
Artorias kicked down the door, and beheld a spacious room with two thrones. One had the sun depicted on the wall behind it, and other had the moon displayed prominently next to it. The room had a dark maroon carpet, and the moonlight streamed in from the broken ceiling. The two figures that had left before were battling in the air. A black equine was chasing a white one through the air and around buildings. A blast came from the black one, knocking the other back into the throne room. Artorias hid behind a nearby column, watching the scene play out. From what he could tell, the white creature was avoiding conflict with the black one.
"I didn't want to do this Luna, but you give me no choice."
A slow rumble filled the room. A small square part of the floor moved aside, revealing a pillar holding up several platforms, each holding a different colored jewel. They floated upwards, surrounding the white being. A light filled the room, and Artorias assumed she was casting a massive spell in order to defeat the black creature with one blow.
"No!" the black one cried, and launched another dark bolt of magic towards its white counterpart. Artorias had to intervene. He ran out between them, pulling out the Pendant. He used its power to reflect the blast back at the black equine, stunning it for a brief moment as the white one finished her casting. A multicolored ray of light shot from the jewels, engulfing the black being and sending her flying. She kept going and going, towards the moon, and finally, a bright light shone off of the lunar body, while several craters in the shape of the equine's head appeared. The white one, slowly returning to the ground, looked at Artorias.
"I owe you a......" she paused, looking at Artorias with a stunned look on her face. Artorias, not wanting to start any conflict, remained silent. Some time had passed before Celestia decided to speak.
"Who or what are you?" She had a look of what Artorias almost thought was fear. He pushed the thought aside and replied cordially, not wanting to come off as hostile.
"I am called Artorias. In my own realm, I was known as the Abysswalker...........May I be so bold as to ask thee thine own name?"
"I am Princess Celestia, and as of now, I am the only sovereign ruler of the Land of Equestria." Artorias bowed in respect. He waited for Celestia to continue to speak.
"Tell me, Artorias, do you know how you came to be here?"
"I know only as much as thee."
Celestia pondered this strange being. He had saved her life on a whim, but she could have simply gotten the lucky draw. Him saying he had no knowledge of how he arrived made him all the more suspicious. As she thought on these matters she noticed two things about the strange alien. One, she could not see his face. The lighting in the room cast a shadow on his helmet, obscuring his facial region. The second was how quiet and curt he was. When she spoke to him, he got straight to the point, and had yet to initiate conversation. She might as well deal with the former matter first.
"Would you be so kind as to remove you headpiece?"
Artorias, without word or hesitation, unstrapped his helmet and took it off. Celestia's eyes widened, and she couldn't hold back her gasp. His skinr's normal color was a very pale white. One eye was green, and his mane was black. However, an ashen discoloration dominated the left side of Artorias' face. It turned his skin an ashen gray, fading out as it extended across his skull. Black veins stretched out from the darkened region, as though his very blood was corrupted. His other eye had a black sclera, and a white iris and pupil. Something, at some point, had afflicted this being. If the outside looked like this, what was on the inside.
"W-what in Equestria is this?!"
"To put it simply, I was corrupted, consumed, and controlled by the same Abyss that I was known for traversing. These scars is the remains of the Dark's wrath upon my body."
"Then I suppose it's a safe assumption to believe that this 'Abyss' is an evil entity?"
"The very epitome."
"Wouldn't that make you just as evil as this so-called Abyss?'
"At one point I was. Just before I came here in fact," Celestia immediately became alarmed, but Artorias wasn't done talking. "A wandering knight managed to defeat my rampaging body, giving me control of myself again. It was in what I thought to be my final moments."
His blunt delivery shook Celestia. This creature, swallowed by what his world considered to be the paragon of evil, and yet, here he was, acting like it never happened in the first place. How could anyone be so nonchalant about such a terrible thing? It didn't seem natural, and Celestia was becoming more and more unsure of his stability. At that moment, she heard hoof-steps. A lot of hoof-steps. Her own royal guards, dressed in their golden armor, stormed into the room. Artorias, sensing potential danger, lifted his sword.
"It's alright, they're my stallions." Celestia reassured. Artorias slammed his sword through the ground, and stood with his hands clenched together behind his back, becoming silent once more. The soldiers on the other hand, had come to a complete stop, just standing there with dumbfounded expressions on their faces. Artorias remained silent as Celestia started speaking, trying to alleviate the fear. She spoke in both a kind and soft tone to her troops:
"Soldiers, don't be alarmed by our guest's appearance. If it weren't for him, I would not be here talking to you." Some of them relaxed at this information, but others became even more alarmed. Celestia, while she didn't fully trust Artorias just yet, decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. She tried once more to convince her troops to be calm.
"I promise you have nothing to fear. As I said-"
"No,"Artorias interrupted. "They have every right to be afraid. I'm an unknown creature with unknown motives. If they began to trust me right away, I'd call them fools." Celestia frowned at this, but at least Artorias was being honest about the situation. However, his bluntness once again got under Celestia's fur. As for now, she would handle the situation following her battle with Luna. She turned to her captain, Granite Grindstone, and asked for a field report.
"Ma'am, we have eighty-five deceased, twenty-seven being civilians, forty-two wounded, and two missing. The enemy has fifty-six deceased, thirteen wounded, and eight missing. We have a total of thirty-four prisoners, including seven non-mortally injured. There has been major damage to the palace's support structures, which is now the repair team's top priority. The battle ceased the moment the rebels saw Princess Luna being defeated. Lastly, we have Platoon Sonne assuring the safety of non-military survivors."
"Thank you, Captain Grindstone. Assure that every pony killed in the battle receives a proper burial, regardless of who they fought for."
"Yes, ma'am. You heard her, stallions, move it!"
"Not so fast," Artorias interjected. Everyone in the room froze, even Celestia. Artorias pulled his sword out of the ground, and walked toward the group of soldiers, who didn't look too pleased with the situation. Artorias stopped in front of two of them. He took the Pendant out of his pocket.
"The one good thing to come from my curse is this," He indicated to his darkened eye. "Thanks to this little deformity, I can see the darkness pouring off of you two. You can fool them, but you won't throw me off as easily." He summoned the Pendant's power once more, and a golden aura shot surrounded Artorias and the two stallions. Their skin seemed to melt into shadow, leaving the cowering form of two of Luna's troops. Artorias picked them both up by their necks and carried them over to Grindstone, who was looking at the scene with a deep interest.
"Here are your two missing, Captain." He dropped them both at Grindstone's feet.
"Ah, yes, well, thank you. Stallions, take care of them." He nodded to Artorias, and walked away with the rest of the soldiers. Celestia walked over to Artorias and looked up at him. He looked back at her, but said nothing.
"I think we need to speak a bit more privately."
Artorias simply nodded. They walked off. However, it's a wonder how they didn't see the glowing green eyes lurking in the far corner of the room, staying in the shadows, and watching their every movement.
The sound of doors slamming shut echoed through the hallway. Artorias stood at attention, his sword balanced on the point. Celestia walked by him, over to a balcony. The room was purple with a gold trim. In the middle sat a large sofa, next to a large fireplace. A dark mural full of stars hung on the wall. The room wasn't well lit, but it was still bright enough to see. Celestia's horn lit up, and her wings extended. Artorias wondered how he hadn't noticed them before. Slowly, the sun started to rise. Celestia beckoned him over. Artorias was hesitant. The scraps of the Abyss within him were no friend to bright places. He much preferred the dark, where his curse would leave him be. Nevertheless, he came as he was told. He shielded his face with a hand while stepping onto the balcony. What he saw took his breath away. A deep valley, surrounded by rivers, forests, lakes, and what looked like a small town sat in the center. He could see past the horizon, over endless plains and hills. If that wasn't enough , it was all bathed in the golden light of the sunrise. The mountains gave off a pale glow, and the rays of sunlight bounced off the water. The clouds stretched across a never-ending sky, which shone with a radiant orange. It truly was a monumental sight to behold.
"It-it's beautiful. It reminds me of home.....Anor Londo. If Solaire could see this......" he said. Celestia smiled.
"Alright, I suppose I can trust you." Artorias tore his eyes away from the scenery, looking at her with a confused expression on his face.
"Why? I've done nothing to prove myself trustworthy to thee."
"I don't think any-pony could react like that and still be evil." Artorias looked away, scoffing at the thought.
"You needn't look mad in order to be mad." Celestia frowned. He was putting himself down again, making himself out to be a monster.
"Why do you say things like that?" she argued, "Since you've arrived here all you've done is act like you're some sort of evil creature."
"I was at one point. I could be again. I'd rather not run the risk." An uncomfortable silence fell over the two. Artorias turned back to look over the balcony, and put his helmet back on to shield his face from the sun. Celesta shook her head. She looked at the figure standing on the ledge. As long as she lived, she would never understand what that "Abyss" did to this being. The way Artorias talked showed a detachment from the rest of the world. From what she'd seen so far, he saw everything with a subtle indifference.
"What happened before you came here?" Celestia asked, intending on breaking the silence.
"I was killed." he stated bluntly. Celesta didn't know how to react. It was an absurd notion. Surely he must be joking. How could he be here if he died over there? But the way he said it, so nonchalantly, made her already start to believe him. She blurted out a reply.
"What?! How?!" Artorias sighed. To be honest with himself, he felt no desire to talk about it, or even think about it. He waited a moment before speaking, and began recalling the events of what had happened.
"I was rampaging through the remains of a town, not in control of my body. The Abyss was. I slaughtered anything that moved. The Abyss had already turned the denizens into horrific monsters. But the sheer brutality of it was sickening. I strangled, I ripped, I shredded through bodies as though they were made of paper. One of these inhuman abominations even tried crawling away from my wrath, desperately trying to escape from me. My body screamed and roared, sending everything fleeing in a mad frenzy. I smashed down buildings, ripped through walls, and tore through solid stone in order to kill. Eventually, my body arrived at the ruins of a colosseum. There I met as swordsman who put an end to my misery, and to my murderous acts. I will never repay my debt, but I owe him my sanity."
Celestia was dumbstruck. His story was far worse than she could have guessed. The look on Artorias' face showed he felt guilty for his actions, but it was too much to take in at once. She began to feel faint. She sat down on her couch, trying to regain her composure. What she had been told was indeed a grave matter. Perhaps she had placed her trust in him prematurely. Artorias himself had even tried to persuade her not to.
"What you've told me, or rather, what I've heard, is that you're a potential threat to all of my subjects. You could snap at any time and slaughter everypony in your path. How do you expect me to respond to this? How would you respond to this?"
Artorias stood silently, pondering the matter. There was only one permanent solution.
"Lock me up. Chain me down. Until you can be absolutely certain that I'm not a threat to your subjects, keep me isolated from them. It's either that.......or kill me." With that, he took his sword and through it at her hooves. She looked up at him and started to argue, but he silenced her with a shake of his head.
"Just do it."
"......Very well." Celestia responded. "I can't honestly say I agree with this decision, but I'm not about to gamble with the lives of my subjects." Artorias nodded as Celestia went to the inform guards stationed outside what to do.
Artorias sat in a cavern, surrounded by rocks crystals. He wasn't chained up. The reason for this was that the caves were impossible to escape, or at least that's what the head guard-pony wanted him to believe. He scoffed at the idea at first, but then they covered his eyes with a blindfold and had him walk in for what it seemed like an hour. Then the wall sealed up behind him. The guard said to not worry about food, it would be teleported in. He sat against the wall, pondering his situation. Had the Abyss fully left his body? No of course not, it reacted to the sun that very morning. The problem was whether or not it was enough to turn him into that monster again. The odds were against it, but Artorias refused to take any chances. He scratched at the floor, moving the dirt around with his finger. Before he knew it, he realized he had drawn a small picture of Sif on the ground. He laughed at the memory of his old friend. It was a hollow, empty laugh, almost devoid of emotion entirely.
Artorias spent the next couple of months of his time in Equestria here. The guards would warp his food, consisting almost entirely of fruits and vegetables, into his cell. Artorias wasn't a vegetarian, but he ate what he was given. He was given a few books on random subjects, but the days still seemed to stretch on like years. Granite Grindstone came by during the first few days of his imprisonment, wanting to formally thank him for his help in the battle. They struck up a conversation, and were soon good friends. At Grindstone's request, Artorias was allowed a weekly chess match against him. This was partly for their enjoyment, but it was also a method to test Artorias' intelligence and strategic capability. His life became one of routine and repetition. Celestia came from time to time to give him progress reports on the ongoing research regarding his condition, and to simply see how he was doing. About four months later, (according to Grindstone), Celestia came in with what she claimed was "good news."
The wall slid open. Artorias didn't even look. Rather, he remained focused on a book about the founding and history of a town called "Ponyville". Celestia and another pony walked in. This one was purple with a white mane, and it was wearing a lab coat. It had a mark similar to the one all the other ponies had, only this one was a magnifying glass over a star. Celestia walked over to him and began giving an explanation.
"Hello Artorias. This is Dr. Dawn Sparkle. She's a doctor who specializes in identifying and classifying different types of magic. She's the very best at what she does, so we'll have very trustworthy and efficient results. She's going to pin down the what kind of mutation the Abyss has done to your body. Also, she personally asked to help you, so please be polite."
Artorias began to greet the pony, but he then noticed the look on Sparkle's face, one of absolute glee. He wouldn't be surprised if she had started drooling on the spot. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Celestia.
"Care to explain why she's staring at me like I'm an all-you-can-eat buffet?" Celestia smiled. Inspector Sparkle, hearing this, squeaked in embarrassment and looked down.
"U-um, sorry!" she said nervously.
"Dawn can be, well, enthusiastic about learning new things. I told her what I wanted her to do and she just about fainted in excitement."
"How shocking." Artorias deadpanned. Celestia bent down and whispered into Dawn's ear. She listened intently to what the Princess told her. She even had a scrap of parchment out taking notes. While he was watching the exchange, Artorias remembered the the Pendant he found in his armor. They had let him keep it, because to them it was just a random piece of junk, but It was best that he handed it over for the procedure. He retrieved in from the cloth he kept it in, holding it out to Celestia. A moment passed. Before the Princess could even react, Dawn had it in her own magic field, looking at it from every possible angle. She began muttering under her breath, which Artorias assumed was a massive sequence of questions far beyond his sense of comprehension.
Celestia and Artorias waited on Dawn to finish her little "investigation." Artorias looked back down to the book he was reading. Celestia, on the other hand, was now trying to convince the young protege to hand over the necklace. Dawn, finally realizing the situation, turned beet red and gave the Pendant to her.
"Sorry, I got a bit carried way...."
"You're telling me." Artorias though to himself. Celestia started giving a brief summary of what was about to transpire.
"While looking at traces of your energy, we noticed that it contained an almost exact match to that of King Sombra, the mad and tyrannical ruler of The Crystal Empire, a kingdom to the north of Equestria. He practices dark magic, and is becoming a burden on his subjects. Luna and I were going to put and end to his rule before she.........made a turn for the worse. Anyhow, understand that normal dark magic is harmless. We have necromancers to see over funerals and such, and they are well versed in its use. Sombra, while he was still sane, became obsessed by the dark arts. He researched almost everything he could find, wanting to learn all its secrets. During one of his experiments, he managed to give it a solid form. That of a crystal. However, something went wrong, and it latched on to Sombra, driving him insane, and giving him a powerful desire to spread this new form of darkness. Now, a normal pony's dark magic is in a dormant state. Sombra's aura was corrupted by the crystal he made, causing it to warp and twist into something beyond comprehension. Dawn here is going to compare your magic aura to a sample of one of Sombra's crystals. If it's dormant, you'll be free. But if even any part of your aura has been corrupted, we'll have to forcefully thresh it out. It......won't be painless."
Artorias didn't really need to consider the matter. The days in prison were long and rather stale, and whatever pain Celestia was speaking of paled in comparison to what the Abyss subjected him too. This was his opportunity; he'd be a fool not to take it. He nodded his head at Celestia, finally turning around to fully face them. This also meant the scar on his face was in full view of Dawn for the first time. It took her a moment to realize what she was looking at, but when she did, it horrified her. She couldn't even speak. Artorias looked down, obviously a bit upset by her reaction.
"Come on Sparkle! You should know better than to stare!" Dawn cleared her throat and began her examination. The nervousness caused her to start sweating. Her horn lit up as she scanned Artorias with a high-density laser. One arm down, and no signs of corruption. So far, so good. The other arm went without a problem as well. She began to relax. Both legs were fine, and so was his torso. Only his head was left. She was almost completely sure of his well-being now, and started on his face, starting with the normal side. All was well. When the last part was being checked, she began to give a sigh of relief, but it halted in her throat. His damaged eye was practically pouring with corrupted magic. Dawn started to panic.
"Oh dear. ohdearohdearohdear. This is bad, very, very bad." she whispered to herself.
"Dawn, what's the matter?" Celestia replied, also whispering, "Did you find something? Is any of the magic corrupted?"
"Princess, you don't understand. This is the large amount of dark magic I've ever seen before. To make things worse, it's incredibly dense, and it's all corrupted. This is terrible. He could fall under its power at any moment." Her horn flickered as she changed spells. Artorias' magical aura became visible, taking the form of a white cloud surrounding his body. However, the area on his face that was corrupted gave off a thick black fog, concentrated thickly on his bad eye. Celestia gasped, and she and Dawn started whispering to each other again. Artorias became restless. He wanted to know what was going on, and he didn't like them hiding their conversation from him.
"What? What is it?!" he said, his tone rising as he moved forward, towards both of them. Dawn cowered at the angry creature in front of her. Celestia put a hoof on her shoulder, trying to calm her down as she addressed Artorias.
"Unfortunately, your body is filled with corrupted dark essence. You were right when you requested to be imprisoned. As of now, you are a much bigger threat than Sombra. The dark aura contained just your eye is a massive amount greater than Sombra's. To be quite frank, I believe you've broken every record we've ever had within a space no larger than a-" She froze as a cold chill went up her spine. A sense of foreboding came over her. Dawn, backed into a corner, absolutely terrified.
"No, it can't be. Not you. Not now." She looked towards Artorias. "This would be Sombra." A black fog poured into the room, part of it coalescing into the shape of a very large unicorn's head. It spoke in a deep raspy voice, laughing at the trio in front of him.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Yes indeed, I am King Sombra, the one she just finished warning you about, Artorias. But don't worry, I won't be here for long. I'm just dropping by for a visit is all. You should show more respect to your guests Cely. On the off hand, I've been looking for some new test subjects, and your new toy here is just what the doctor ordered. I would have used poor Princess Loony, but I'm afraid she's a bit, unavailable."
"SILENCE!", Celestia bellowed angrily. She had attempted to use the Royal Canterlot Voice to intimidate him, but it had no effect on.
"Oh Cely, you've become so mean. I'm hurt!" Sombra mocked. "I suppose I'll take my leave now, but first, I'M TAKING YOU BACK WITH ME!!!" He lunged at Artorias, entering his body through his eye socket. Artorias howled in agony. Never in all his life, even under the spell of the Abyss, had he ever felt so much pain. As his mind was thrown into havoc, he lost control of his body once more. He felt the fear rising up within him as realization dawned upon him. He fell to the ground, writhing as Sombra entered his mind. When the pain stopped, he was sitting against the wall, barely able to breathe. As his mind slipped back into darkness, a cold, evil laugh filled his head, echoing through his conscious.
"No...please....not again." And then everything faded to black.
They truly were disgusting creatures. Composed mostly out of eyes, sickly yellow flesh, and tentacles, these "Chaos Eaters", as they were called, appeared as thought they straight from the depths of Hell. They had a filthy, leathery look to them, as though they were made from the skin of other creatures. Looking down on them from a ledge, Siegmeyer of Catarina stood in a massive rectangular room, filled with gnarled roots and broken stone. A large pit ran through most of it, filled with foul, toxic liquids and the aforementioned monsters. It was truly a tough situation to be in. He was getting tired thinking about it, and slowly began to nod off.
.............................................
"Ahem." Siegmeyer jerked awake, and looked around. To his surprise, and gratitude, an old friend had just arrived. There were fresh blood stains on his tunic, but whether or not they were the owner's, Siegmeyer didn't want to know. Unlike the last time they met, the man now had a massive greatsword strapped to his back, and a white cloth around his neck, emblazoned with a picture of the sun.
"Mm! Oh-hoh! Excuse me. I was so absorbed in thought, I just drifted away. It must be the warmth. Well, what's on your mind? No, don't tell me. Those monsters making life difficult for you?"
"You haven't changed, Siegmeyer." he said in greeting. He hefted his new greatsword onto his shoulder, mirroring Siegmeyer's pose. Unlike Siegmeyer, however, he still held the same Balder shield he looted so long ago. He peered over the edge, at what Siegmeyer was looking at.
"The Lords know I hate these things." Siegmeyer gave a short chuckle.
"Yes, I don't find myself too fond of them either. However, You need not be ashamed. We are in the same boat.…You know, I really have run up quite a debt to you.Perhaps the time has come… " he trailed off. The man was too busy forming a strategy to hear the last bit. The creatures writhed and squirmed as they waded through the vile muck at the bottom of the trench. Ugly as they may be, they were no pushovers. Make the wrong move, and you'd be lunch. The man sat down, careful not to disturb the unstable bricks on the side of the pit. He rubbed his eyes. How would he get out of this one? He reached into his pocket, taking out a small, shining stone, which he threw over the side of the pit. Thankfully, he didn't hear a loud crash at the bottom, so at least he knew the fall wouldn't be fatal. Looking at where the rock had landed, he realized that small ripples were flowing outwards. He realized that he wasn't looking at a stone floor, but rather a surface covered in an unpleasant liquid. Poison.
"Ooh, it just gets better and better." The man looked towards his friend, who had just come to the same conclusion.
"It seems we've found ourselves in quite a toxic situation." Siegmeyer added. The man nodded.
"You can say that again." He looked back down at the monsters in the pit, while Siegmeyer looked down sheepishly.
"…Friend, I have an idea. A good one, really.… I will rush those dire fiends, and you can slip away in the confusion. Please, friend, I owe you much more than this. By the honor of the knights of Catarina, allow me to assist you!"
The man looked over at Siegmeyer, "Are you nuts? Those monsters will tear you limb from limb! You'll be nothing but a pile of gore when they're through with you." Siegmeyer only laughed.
"I say, I won't be bested that easily! And now, I go! Don't be slow!" And with that, he hurled himself over the edge, bringing his zweihander straight down on the first creature, slicing it clean in two.
"SIEGMEYER, YOU DAMN FOOL!" The man unsheathed his blade and dived in straight after him, Siegmeyer's battle cries shaking the floor beneath them.
"Hrgrraaaaggh! Hiyaaaaaahz"...."C'mon!"......."Over here, you fiends!"......."Perish, foul creatures! I am Siegmeyer of Catarina, and you shall feel my wrath!," With each yell, another powerful swing came from Siegmeyer's zweihander. But for every hit he gave, the knight took one himself. Luckily for him, his friend was there right beside him, making quick, damaging cuts with his eastern blade. Some got through, however, with one that was particularly nasty looking slicing a deep gash across Siegmeyer's chest, shredding his armor like paper. He gave a great bellow of pain, and ran the monster through, even going so far as to lift it straight off the ground, and throw it against the nearest wall. With another swing, most of the monster was reduced to a gory paste. One of the monsters crept up behind the man as he beheld this, grabbing him with its tentacles. He tried to fight back, but the monster constricted around him, blocking movement. Siegmeyer bounded over, and tore off its slimy limbs with an upward swing. The man fell to the ground, spinning as he did so, and threw his katana straight for the beast's eyes. Siegmeyer ran it through, and its body went limp. He pulled off the greatsword on his back, preparing to face the final monster. He ran full force at the abomination, jumping over the tentacles as they were swung at him. It was no easy task due to the weight of his sword, but somehow he managed to just barely get over them. He swung the massive slab of blackened metal at the creature, breaking its body like an eggshell. Finally able to rest, he shoved his sword into the ground, leaning on it. Siegmeyer came up behind him, carrying his katana. Taking his sword back, he gave Siegmeyer some support before the knight could even ask. They walked through the rest of the channel, and up a flight of stairs, where the man let SIegmeyer rest against the wall.
"Hng…hng…Well, you've saved me, once again…Thank goodness… I'm exhausted…I think I'll have a rest. Don't you worry, the ground below me is my pillow. I'll recover shortly…" The man pulled Siegmeyer's helmet off, threw it aside and shoved his Estus Flask to his mouth.
"Drink." he commanded. Siegmeyer took a gulp of the liquid, and the wound on his chest started to heal.
"You go on ahead. I think I'll nod off here for a spell." The man stopped him.
"Like hell you are. What in blazes were you thinking? Lords, you think I'll just leave you here, without moss, slowly dying in a lonely pit? Get up."
"No friend, please listen. That fight was very tiring. The sludge made it hard to run, and I still can't move too well. If I keep going, I'll die for sure. Leave me be, friend. There's no other option." The man said nothing, and reached into his pocket, grabbing the two last scraps of the poison healing moss he always carried with him. He started chewing on one of them, and held the other out to his wounded friend. Siegmeyer shook him off.
"It's alright, I still have some left over from Blightown. You go on ahead. I'll be there shortly. I only wish to rest for a moment." The man sighed, knowing he wasn't going to change Siegmeyer's mind.
"Fine. But stay frosty. There very well could be more enemies here. I'll be clearing a path up ahead." He walked off, each step harder than the last. As much as he wanted to take his friend with him, he couldn't. He had shamed Siegmeyer by saving him in the pit. The least he could do was let the man rest in peace.
................................
Siegmeyer watched the man walk off, and knew he was free to rest. Before he nodded off, he reached for the scraps of moss he kept in his side pouch. But when he put his hand inside, all he felt was tough leather. He turned the container upside down, but all he saw was dust. He sighed in defeat.
"So this is it then?" He heard fighting off in the distance. I'm sorry, my friend, it seems I've let you down once again. He felt a violent lurch in his gut, and fell over. A piece of paper fell from another of the pouches on his belt. It landed just within reach, and he picked it up. With his last bits of strength, he held it up to his eyes. On the paper was a sloppily drawn picture of a knight in the same Catarina armor he wore, holding a little girl's hand, with the words, "I love you Daddy." written above it. He stroked the paper with his other hand, tracing the outline of the child. He clenched the paper into his hand.
"Heavens, me…My dear little Lin…"
His life slowly fading, he could no longer keep his eyes open. Siegmeyer of Catarina died crying. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
For the longest time, Siegmeyer floated through darkness. He could see nothing, hear nothing or fear nothing. Normally, this would cause someone to panic, however, he found himself in a daze, not really paying attention to anything. He had no clue how long he had been there. It could have been five minutes or five days, and he would have been none the wiser. He felt himself begin to feel tired. Not that he could have resisted it anyway, he fell into a deep sleep.
When he awakened, he was blinded by light everywhere. He moved his fingers, and was greeted by a sharp twitch of pain. He couldn't move a muscle, and even blinking caused him pain. The light started to dim down, and he saw treetops, a clear blue sky, and.....smoke. It seemed as though small trails of black fog were slowly drifting upwards from where he was lying. He smelled burning flesh.
"Ov..h..re!" He heard a voice off in the distance. Hopefully it was a friend, and not some lowly thug. It was getting closer. Or rather, they were getting closer. It sounded like a little girl.
"This is where the blast came from!" A different girl's voice spoke up, this one with a country accent.
"Look at all that smoke!" Yet another voice spoke up, but Siegmeyer couldn't tell the gender.
"What's that in the middle?" The girl with the accent spoke again.
"I don't rightly know, maybe the doctor will." The voices were right next to him now. His view of the sky was obscured by a silhouette. The sudden darkness threw off his eyes, blinding him for a moment.
"What do you suppose it is?"
"I don't know." One of the voices silenced all the others, this one was new, and it sounded like a man.
"Aright, hold your cattle, everypony. It's still alive. Big Mac, you brought the wagon?"
"Eeyup." A deep voice responded.
"Good, get this creature to the hospital immediately. It's in critical condition, and doesn't have much time left. Mac, you be extra careful, alright?" No response save for a reassuring grunt. Siegmeyer felt himself rise up, and was laid down on a wood surface covered with straw. The impact sent a wave of pain through his body. As the wagon started to move, his consciousness slowly faded. He heard one last voice before he went under.
"Oh, lord, we're about to raise hell in Canterlot......"
Siegmeyer woke feeling much better. His limbs didn't hurt as much, he could see clearly, and he could actually move. He was in a bed, in what he assumed was a hospital, based on what he had heard. He was without his armor, wearing a hospital gown. Unfortunately, there was no window, so he couldn't see outside. However, the room was brightly lit, and it was painted a soothing pale blue. There was nothing threatening about his surroundings at all. He remained sitting on the bed, and examined himself. That's when he noticed his arm. His solid diamond arm. Siegmeyer was dumfounded. He stared at it for a good while before his brain fully processed what he was looking at. He was immediately bombarded with a flurry of questions. Where was his real arm? How did this one take its place? Why had this new limb suddenly appeared in place of his old one? At that moment, the door opened, and he was greeted by the most bewildering sight he had ever seen.
A pony, going by the looks of it, had just walked in to the room, holding a clipboard. And it was huge. It was pale grey, and had a rolled up bandage on its flank. It was already talking when it came in, speaking in a thick accent Siegmeyer couldn't place.
"As if de first vone vasn't bad enough. Das ist verrückt....." He looked up and saw Siegmeyer.
"Ah, it zeems our Freund ist avake. How are you feeling?" Siegmeyer took a second to place what the pony was trying to say. As for now, he decided not to ask why he was holding a conversation with a talking horse.
"I say, I feel fine. But, this arm is quite the change. Would you be so kind as to explain what it is?"
"But of course, Herr Siegmeyer. You zee, vhen ve vere operating on you, your arm vas quite beyond our ability to repair. So ve had to give you a replacement. You vill find zat it is nearly ze same as your old vone. Save for ze, ah, material. Oh, but you'll get used to it in no time! I must ask you to vait here while I get ze Head Doctor. I vill be right back."
And he was gone.
"He was certainly a character." Siegmeyer mused. Suddenly, he heard the doctor's voice down the hall.
"Vat are you doing here?! Zis area is off limits............"I know vat you are, but you must vait!"............"Hey, get back here. Don't go in zat room!" But it was too late. The door swung open, and Siegmeyer saw himself staring at the one individual he never could of expect.
He was standing face to face with Solaire of Astora.
