Ever wonder what happened to the first Heide Knight in Dark Souls 2? No? Well too bad, you're going to find out anyway.
Did you ever look at that battered old Knight in the Forest and wonder, What happened to him? Ever wonder what his history was? Or how he ended up there? Well my friends, this story should tell you all that and more.
Cover art is not mine, it is SharkAlpha's.
FEATURED ON JULY 6TH OF 2016!! Oh my gosh! I...I have no words! I never thought this would happen to me! Thank you to everyone who supported me! Thank you so much!
The warm rays of the sun shone down on me as I sat with my back against a tree in the overgrown ruins of the fort that resided within the age-old Forest of Fallen Giants, as it was now called. The sun was hot, but not unbearably so. My tattered white cloak flapped against the wind, but I ignored it and continued to sit quietly, staying as stoic as ever in my rusty chainmail suit. Moss and vines covered nearly every inch of the ancient fort, and the stone beneath me had sprouted a thick coat of dirt and grass. It was beautiful, in its own way. The air smelled mildly of rotting corpses, courtesy of myself and the three corpses strewn around me. The sound of metal clinking and clanking pierced the tranquil air as I silently watched each blade of grass move with the wind. Suddenly, the sound stopped just in front of me. A shadow fell over me as I heard the creaking of metal whilst someone kneeled before me.
"You poor thing..." said a sweet voice. I remained silent, my decaying lips not moving. I felt a painful tug on one of the two arrows sticking out of my neck, and I immediately shot up from my sitting position, breaking the arrow in half. I looked down with my one good eye, the other gone thanks to a lucky archer, to see a woman in Elite Knight armor staring up at me in shock, a broken arrow in her hand. The Elite Knight's were a respectable bunch, and the armor of which they wore had been around longer than anyone could remember.
Despite my inner protests, I brandished my sword at her, and tried to thrust my sword through her chest. She was quicker though, and rolled out of harms way. She quickly stood up and took out a reddish kite shield with a silver eagle emblazoned on it and a standard longsword.
She raised her shield and spoke, "I do not wish to fight you!" she reasoned.
'Nor I you, fair lady.' I thought. But I knew it was pointless to try and retaliate, I was not in control, the madness was. My body tensed and my decayed muscles went taut, but my stance was sloppy and full of weak points. I lazily held my sword in one hand, my other arm limp at my side. I watched in despair and grim acceptance as we slowly circled each other.
I let loose with two horizontal slashes which she blocked with ease, and shot a quick thrust at my abdomen. I backstepped, ignoring the pain and focusing on the fight. I made for another horizontal slash at her chest, which she barely dodged. I could hear the sound of cloth tearing as my blade tore through with ease. She rolled away and took a quick glance to her chest. I'm certain that she was thanking the God's that she had a leather tunic underneath all that armor, for if she didn't she would be sporting a sizable gash across her chest.
She scowled lightly, and did something I did not expect. She pulled out a tan orb of clay and tossed it at me, causing an explosion that knocked me flat on my rear. She took this chance to rush over and stab me straight in the heart, and I gasped at the pain. I bled profusely, and everything grew more and more cold. I looked her straight in the eyes, past the visor, and saw deep blue eyes full of compassion and remorse. I coughed, staining the inside of my greathelm with fresh blood.
She leaned down to my ear and spoke in a soft whisper, " ...Forgive me..."
'Thank the Gods it's over...Bless you, m'lady.' I thanked her in my mind, despite knowing she could not hear it. My limited vision grew even more limited, until the coldness of the dark completely enveloped me.
I woke with a start, gasping for air as I looked around. My breathing calmed slowly as I took in my surroundings. Everything was as pitch black as the Abyss, but ahead of me I could make out a faint light. I stood up and inspected myself. The first thing I noticed was that the madness of Hollowing was gone, my mind was my own again.
The second and even more surprising thing I noticed was that I was still wearing my armor and my sword was in it's sheath on my waist. Both items were back in tip-top shape, even the arrows were gone, allowing me to see with both eyes once again. My snow white cloak was still worn and tattered, but otherwise still fine. Even my wounds had been healed. I looked around in confusion, trying to find a cause for this revival.
Finding nothing but the faint light ahead, I began to walk towards it. The light grew brighter and more blinding with each step I took, and I had to shield my eyes to continue. Eventually the light grew so blinding and so bright, that all I could see was white. And then, I lost consciousness again.
I opened my eyes slowly, getting a glimpse of a cloudy and gray sky. Countless drops of rain splattered against my armor, like a hail of liquid arrows. I got to my feet slowly but surely, and looked skyward.
"Is this...heaven?" I asked aloud. I had no idea as to what heaven was like, so I had no clear idea as to whether I was in heaven or not. I looked around myself to find that I was in a clearing in some strange forest. The branches were covered in moss and numerous vines hung from them like natural curtains. A dirt path lay ahead of me, so after double checking to make sure that I had all my proper equipment, I set out to find civilization.
I walked for some time, simply admiring the natural beauty of the forest. Though for some strange reason it seemed ominous, as if something was lurking within. I shook my head. Probably nothing. Soon I found myself staring up at a slightly overgrown looking cottage, which I was used to. Most of Heide was overgrown ruins, so it made no difference to me if there were a few more overgrown buildings. The only difference was the growth looked controlled, tamed even.
I crossed the tiny cobblestone bridge leading to the cottage and made my way to the front door. Then, I noticed something truly strange: the door was at least two feet shorter than me! Were angels shorter than men? They couldn't be, right? I shrugged my shoulders and decided to ask the owner of the property.
I knocked lightly on the small door, and soon after heard a sweet voice call out, "Coming!"
I waited patiently for whomever was inside to open the door and soon enough it had opened.
"What are you doing outside in this horrible weather? You'll catch a—" I stared down in surprise at the small, butter yellow horse with wings that was standing in the doorway. It had large, teal eyes that stared right back at me in fear before it promptly shut the door on me with a cute little "Eep!"
I stood motionless at the door, standing there in the rain wondering what in the world just happened.
I sat just outside the door to the little cottage, waiting patiently for her to come out. The rain had stopped, and the sun was out and shining. I have no idea how long it had been since the door had been closed on me, and I have even less of an idea as to where I am, what she was, and why I'm here. I had so many questions, many of which would hopefully be answered. She would peek through the curtains in her window every now and then, checking to see if I was still there, I assume.
I sighed. First sentient thing I came across just had to be one of the biggest scaredy cats. I was still debating whether or not this was heaven, and while I'm pretty certain that angels are humanoid, I could not truly tell if this was true. They could be slugs for all I know. The creak of a door slowly opening directed my attention back to the small door to see that the yellow mare was peeking her head out of the small crack in the doorway.
"H-hello...?" she greeted timidly. I waved and she stared at me like some kind of alien. Oh, wait, I suppose I am kind of like an alien here. Slowly, she opened the door more and more and stepped into the light of day.
"Wh-who are you?" she stuttered. God's, she was unbearably cute with her face behind her mane like that. I smiled underneath my helmet at her, then realised I couldn't remember my name still.
"I don't rightly remember madam..." I answered, and I was surprised that my voice was so gravely and deep. She seemed surprised too, for she retreated even further into her hair somehow. She was quite cute, what with her strange pink mane, butter yellow coat, teal eyes, wings, and...is that a tattoo of butterflys on her flank?
"Y-you don't r-remember your name?" she asked. I shook my head. "O-oh...W-why are you here then? I-if you don't mind me asking, t-that is."
I shook my head again. "I haven't the faintest idea..." I sighed and hung my head. "I just...came here."
She frowned at this, and hesitantly walked over and sat beside me. "Do you have a family?" she asked, voice no longer quivering with apprehension and fear.
"I do not remember..." I replied, the idea that my memory was still lost to me disheartened me greatly.
She seemed to notice this, and rubbed my armored back. "Do you have a home?"
I hung my head even lower. "I...I do not remember..." I replied.
"You poor thing..." she cooed, and I was instantly reminded of the woman from before.
She got up and began walking back to the door before turning to me. "How about some food? Will that make you feel better?" I nodded slowly. I had no idea how long it had been since I last ate, but it felt like an eternity. She smiled and began to trot back to the door, but then I remembered that I did not have her name.
"Wait! I did not get your name!"
She turned back to me for a moment and smiled sweetly. "It's Fluttershy."
"Thank you, Miss Fluttershy."
She smiled that cute little smile of hers before heading back inside the cottage to fetch some food. I smiled as I waited. Perhaps this was heaven after all. She came back outside shortly, a beautiful red apple on her back. The sunlight reflected beautifully off of it's succulent, juicy, red skin. My mouth watered in anticipation of the wonderfully tasty little treat.
I stared at the offered food for a moment, before greedily taking it and ripping my helmet off. She gasped at the sight, but I ignored her in favor of the juicy treat I was about to enjoy. I bit into it and moaned in pleasure at the sweet and rich juices that flowed from it into my waiting maw. I sighed in content and looked down to the mare next to me, still looking at me in shock.
Curious as to what was so surprising, I looked to my reflection in the small pond to my left and was left speechless. It seemed that I was not only cured of all wounds and mental illness, for my skin was no longer green and rotten. Staring right back at me was a man with peachy, healthy skin, a full head of silvery hair and a graying beard. My eyes were a captivating shade of light brown, with hints of gold hiding in them.
I turned back to her slowly. "This is certainly...something." I said lamely, trying to break the silence.
She shook her head slightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare." she apologized.
I shook my head. "It's quite alright. In truth, I wasn't really expecting it either."
She tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing important, m'lady. But while I'm here, would you be willing to answer a few questions?" I asked, dodging the question with another.
"Of course. What do you want to know?" she answered.
"Where am I?"
"Equestria, why?"
I thought on this for a moment. So it seemed I was not in heaven. Unless of course they had different territories in heaven.
"What are you?"
"A Pegasus. Do you not know about ponies?" she asked.
I shook my head.
"Well there are three main types of ponies: Pegasi, Unicorns, and Earth ponies. Of course there's also Alicorns, which are a mixture of all three."
I nodded slowly as I thought about this. Unicorns eh? So there was some truth to those legends after all. I wonder if they're as magical as the legends say?
My armor clinked with each step I made as I walked with the Pegasus mare beside me. Knowing that I had little memory regarding my past, she had told me of her friend, an alicorn Princess called Twilight Sparkle, that may be able to help me. So it was that we made our way through the town of fearful ponies, all either running to their homes and hiding or simply staring in wonder and fear.
It was a quaint little town. Each house had simple thatched roofs and was either two stories tall or one. They all followed a simple design, and despite it being slightly repetitive it was rather endearing.
I sighed at their reactions. I suppose I couldn't blame them, I was, after all, a towering giant in rather intimidating armor. Regardless of their reactions, I kept my gaze locked on the road ahead of us. Although I couldn't help but notice that each house was still just as small as Miss Fluttershy's. My eyes widened in shock as I noticed the towering construct of shimmering crystal in the shape of a tree in the distance that we seemed to be heading towards, and I stopped to ask if that was the abode of her friend.
"It is. Why do you ask?" she wondered.
"No reason. Just...surprised is all." I answered.
"About what?" she asked innocently.
"Surely you jest, the monstrosity is made entirely of crystal!"
She giggled. "I guess that is a little surprising once you think about it."
'A little?' I thought. These ponies must have high standards if they find crystal to be just another building material.
We continued on towards the gargantuan crystal castle, until we were stopped by a pink blur. "HI!"
"GAH!" I cried, before falling flat on my behind in the dirt. I looked up to see a pink Earth pony with a dark pink mane and tail and three multicolored balloons on her (with a voice like that it had to be a girl) flank.
She bounced in place as she spoke in rapid succesion, "WhoareyouareyounewwhyareyousobigdoyoulikecakeIlovecake!"
Fluttershy interrupted her. "Um...Pinkie?"
The mare, apparently called Pinkie, turned to face Fluttershy. "Whatcha need Fluttershy?"
"W-well you kinda startled my friend there..."
"Oh! Sorry!" Pinkie turned to me and offered a hoof and helped pull me up.
"Thank you, Miss Pinkie." I thanked her, to which she giggled.
"Just call me Pinkie, everypony does!"
"Yes Miss–I mean, Pinkie."
"Are you two heading to Twilight's?"
"Yes, actually. How did you know?" I asked.
She smiled at me. "My Pinkie-sense told me!" she chirped.
I tilted my head in confusion. "Pinkie-sense?"
"Oh that's just Pinkie." Fluttershy answered, as if that actually answered a thing. I shrugged my shoulders and resolved to ask later.
Pinkie turned to me. "So what's your name?" she asked innocently.
I paused for a moment before answering. "I don't remember..."
Pinkie gasped. "You don't remember!?"
I shook my head solemnly. "Not even a little."
Fluttershy frowned at this, but remained quiet. Pinkie looked flabbergasted at me for a moment before smiling brightly again.
"I know! Why don't we give you a name?" she suggested.
A smile crept across my face. I had never been given a name. For years on end I was nameless, unsure of what to do with myself. And here were two beings that actually cared enough to give me a name. It was heartwarming, to say the least.
"How about Tin Man? Ooh! Or Iron Giant?"
Well...at least she was trying.
"Um...what about Gentle Shield?" Fluttershy timidly suggested.
I listened to them go back and forth for a few minutes before I heard a voice say Asmund... I swiveled my head around, trying in vain to find the source of the voice. Was that my name? Asmund? I decided to ask the two mares if they had heard a voice.
"No, why?" Fluttershy asked, confused.
"I thought I heard a voice say Asmund..." I replied.
"Asmund?" they asked in unison.
"Yes. It sounds so familiar...I feel like that might be my name."
"Are you sure? It sounds so funny." Pinkie asked.
"Yes...yes I'm sure of it now. That's my name." I affirmed.
Smiling under my helm, I looked up at the beautiful blue sky and thanked the Gods. I had remembered something of myself! It wasn't much, but it was a start! Fluttershy smiled sweetly at me, glad that I had discovered something of myself.
Pinkie ran off again, saying she had to go prepare for my 'Welcome to Ponyville' party. I smiled at the prospect. They barely knew me and yet they cared enough to throw me a party. Such kindness was unheard of in Heide, many would take advantage of such a thing. But these ponies, they didn't seem to care about such things. It seemed more like they were content with things as they were. Everything was simply peaceful.
We continued down the path towards the gigantic crystal castle, and within a few short minutes we were standing in front of the large double doors. I opened the door with little effort, and gestured for her to go first. She smiled at me as she walked in. I followed and closed the door behind myself.
"I'll be right there!" yelled a feminine voice.
We waited for some time, so I took this opportunity to look around. Everything was made out of crystal, the floor, the ceiling, the walls, the furniture, everything shimmered with a crystalline shine. There was what looked to be two large couches lined with gold and cushioned with red silk, a small round table sitting between them. The architecture on the inside reminded me of the Cathedral of Blue back home, only with crystals. A large chandelier hung high above us, a wonderful joining of crystals and gold that held a simple circular design that radiated elegance.
The click clack of hoofs against polished crystal floors turned my attention to the balcony above us, and I was surprised to see a small purple horse with wings and a horn and a six pointed star on her flank. I assumed this was the alicorn friend Fluttershy had spoken of, so I immediately kneeled as she came down the steps leading from the balcony towards the front door. I heard a gasp and her pace seemed to quicken, for in a few short seconds I could feel her gaze upon me.
"Fluttershy what is this thing? Where did you find it?" she asked excitedly.
"Sir Asmund of Heide, at your service your Highness." I said, remembering my manners.
She gasped again. "You can talk!?"
Nodding, I answered, "Of course, your Highness."
She clapped her hooves together. "Perfect, I can get the answers straight from the source! So, what are you? If you don't mind me asking,"
"I am human, if you can even call it that anymore."
The two mares tilted their heads in confusion. "What do you mean?" they asked.
I let out a sigh as I thought of an answer. How am I to explain a curse so terrible, so dark? A curse that has plagued mankind since the beginning, leaving nothing but despair? I sighed again and decided to start with the basics.
"For longer than any can remember, my people have been cursed. Cursed, with undeath and madness. I am one such afflicted, known as an Undead."
"Isn't there a cure?" Twilight asked hopefully.
I snorted at the thought. "None. Many have tried, but all we know is that the curse is traceable to the soul."
"The soul?" Fluttershy asked, curious.
"Yes. The curse can be staved off with souls, the essence of life. But only for a time. Eventually, Undead turn Hollow, and pray upon men."
"That sounds terrible!" Fluttershy exclaimed.
I nodded. "Before I came here, I was Hollow. I do not know how, but I have been cured of it, if only for a time."
"How did it happen?" Twilight queried.
"I haven't the faintest idea. I remember being slain in battle, and then, I woke up here. That's all I know."
"You mean...you died? Didn't you say Undead couldn't die?" Twilight wondered.
"Technically, we can't. We can die, but never truly. We always come back, most of us forgeting that we died. But an unlucky few can remember." I paused before continuing. "When we die, our body slowly starts to decay and we begin to lose our memory. Without any souls, we eventually turn Hollow, preying upon the living for their life force."
"How did your people deal with something so horrid?" Twilight asked, aghast.
"I can't rightly remember, your Highness. I came here hoping that you might be able to restore my memory."
"I see...Well luckily for you, I just so happen to have a spell for that! But first, I need you to remove your helm."
I complied and removed my greathelm, revealing my visage to the two ponies. Twilight stared for a moment in silent wonder before shaking her head and approaching me, her horn aglow with a purple aura. Her eyes flashed white for a second before she touched my forehead with her horn, and I saw numerous images flash through my mind.
Countless faces flitted through my mind before the images changed to one of a large wall of water, crashing down on an old city. Then, everything faded to black and I lost consciousness.
I groaned as I woke up, my eyes opening slowly. My vision was blurry, and I could only make out shapes and colors.
"He's waking up!" said a familiar voice.
I blinked to clear the blurriness away, and soon found myself able to see clearly again. Looking around, I noticed that I was in a rather stylish looking golden bed with blue sheets, and Fluttershy and the Princess were on either side of me.
"Are you alright? How are you feeling?" Fluttershy asked.
"I am fine, just a little disoriented." I replied.
Twilight sighed in relief. "That's good to hear. Do you remember anything?"
I thought for a moment on this, trying to remember what I could. I sighed when I came up with images and nothing more.
"Only images, it seems." I finally answered.
"Really? It usually works. Do you want to try again?" Twilight asked.
Shaking my head, I answered, "No thank you, Princess. I'd rather not fall unconscious again. Once is enough."
Twilight frowned. "If you're sure then. May I ask what the images were?"
"It's mostly jumbled, but it seems to be a number of faces and a tsunami of sorts crashing into a city." I replied.
"Nothing else?" Fluttershy asked.
"No, nothing."
"Oh..."
I smiled. "Do not fret, this is a momentous occasion! It may not be much, but it is progress nonetheless!"
Fluttershy smiled as well. "You're right."
"Why don't we celebrate? I'm sure Pinkie is already done setting up a party for you." Twilight suggested.
"Sure, why not?" I replied, a little excited at the idea of a party held in my honor.
I got out of the bed, picked up my greathelm from the nightstand next to the bed, and walked out the door that was luckily my height with the two mares leading on.
I smiled under my helm as I sat in a chair in the castle lobby. Ponies danced and played around me, enjoying the festivities. They were hesitant at first, but in time they grew used to me. The music, called dubstep, was unlike anything I'd ever heard before, but not unpleasant. It ignited a most primal desire within me with its chaotic beats. My thoughts, however, were focused on something else.
My mind wandered back to the images I saw as I watched the ponies around me. Those faces seemed familiar, especially the woman and child. Who were they? Did I know them? I was brought out of my musings by Princess Twilight, who pulled on my cloak with a hoof somehow.
"Why are you sitting here? You should be enjoying the party with everypony else!" she asked.
"Apologies, your Highness. I was just thinking." I replied.
"What about?"
"The images showed a miriad of faces. But, there were two in particular that seem familiar. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I think I knew them."
"I see...do you think they were your family?"
"I have no idea, but I'm sure it will come to me in time."
"Alright, if you're certain. Why don't you join me and my friends over at the table?"
"I see no reason not to."
We made our way through the crowd over to a large table where Miss Pinkie, Miss Fluttershy and three other mares were sitting along with a purple bipedal reptile with green spines. Two extra chairs were offered to us, and we sat down. My chair seemed to creak with the weight, but thankfully did not break. Miss Fluttershy smiled softly at me, whilst the other mares and reptile eyed me with what I assumed to be suspicion. Two mares in particular, one orange with a blonde mane tied in a ponytail with green eyes and a strange hat upon her head and the other cyan with a prismatic, unkempt mane and rose red eyes, seemed extra suspicious of me.
The orange one spoke up, "So...yer Asmund?" Her accent sounded familiar, but I could not place when or where I had heard it.
I nodded. "That would be me, yes. I assume you are a friend of Miss Fluttershy and Princess Twilight?"
She nodded. "Name's Applejack. I live down in Sweet Apple Acres."
"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Applejack."
"Jus' Applejack is fine."
"Very well, Applejack."
"And I'm Rainbow Dash, fastest flier in Equestria!" proclaimed the cyan pegasus.
"It's nice to meet you, Miss Dash."
"Just call me Rainbow. It's weird when somepony calls me Miss." said Rainbow.
"As you wish, Rainbow."
A white unicorn with a stylised purple mane and blue eyes spoke up, "I'm Rarity, owner of the Carousel Boutique. I must say, you are quite a gentlecolt."
"Thank you, Miss Rarity, I try."
"Why are you wearin' armor? Are you a soldier?" asked Applejack.
Nodding, I replied, "Yes. I am a knight, to be exact. Although I cannot remember the order of which I served."
"But why are you wearing it?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Well for one, I have no other clothes. Secondly, I like wearing it."
"You have no other clothes!? Oh you simply must let me make you some!" said Rarity.
"Oh no, you don't have to go to such trouble for me."
"It would be no trouble at all! I'd be glad to do it!"
"Well...if you insist."
Miss Rarity clapped her hooves. "Wonderful! Come by tomorrow and I'll have them ready for you!"
"Thank you, Miss Rarity."
"Wait, why does it matter if you have no other clothes? Why would you even need them?" Rainbow asked.
"Well..." I began.
"I'm rather curious about that too. Why would you need to wear clothes?" asked Princess Twilight.
"Yeah!" said Miss Pinkie.
"W-well...you see..."
"Yes?" queried Miss Rarity.
"Well...we humans have...ah, how to put this?"
"You humans have what?" Miss Pinkie asked.
"We have...exposed genitalia."
"Oh...my..." said Miss Fluttershy, now sporting a heavy blush along with every other mare at the table.
"Twilight, what does that mean?" asked the reptile, finally speaking up.
"I-I'll tell you later, Spike." Princess Twilight answered with a stutter.
The reptile, now known as Spike, pouted and crossed his arms.
Rainbow was one of the first to recover. "So...what's it like then?"
"Rainbow!" Miss Rarity exclaimed.
"What? I'm just curious." she turned back to me. "So what's it like? Don't you get cold with it all just hanging there?"
Princess Twilight had a gleam in her eye now, having recovered and now looking at me intently. Somehow I don't think that's a good sign.
"We are doing so many exams after this party." she stated in a matter of fact tone. "And that's an order." I gulped nervously.
"I think I need some fresh air! Please excuse me!" I said hurriedly, rushing out of the room.
"I mean it!" Princess Twilight called as I opened a set of doors leading out into a long hallway, quickly closing them behind me. Letting out a sigh of relief, I decided to look for a way out of the castle. Then, I heard what sounded like singing. The song sounded...familiar. It was a strange song, without any real emotion to it. No sadness, no anger, just a mysteriously soothing melody. I followed the sound deeper into the castle, until I had arrived at a set of simple wooden doors without any real decoration. The singing was definitely coming from here. Opening the doors, I stepped out onto a balcony with gold railings and marble tiled floors.
And standing there right in front of me was a beautiful alabaster mare with a flowing rainbow mane and tail, wings, a horn, and what looked like golden regalia with a crown. She stopped singing as she noticed my presence, turning to face me. Her magenta eyes were full of warmth as she smiled at me.
"Hello, Asmund." she greeted.
"How do you know my name? Who are you?" I asked.
"You may call me Celestia. As for how I know your name...well, let's just say I've known about you for a long time." she answered cryptically.
My eyes widened after hearing her name, and immediately I kneeled before her. She giggled.
"There's no need to be so formal, Asmund. Not when we are so close."
I looked up at her, utterly confused. "Close? But I only just met you, didn't I?" She giggled again.
"Indeed. This is the first time we've met." she answered, serving only to confuse me more.
"Then how could we possibly be close?" I asked, wondering if perhaps the ancient being was toying with me.
"You'll find out soon enough, I promise. For now, you should return to your friends." She said before my vision was filled with white and nausea overcame me before I appeared back in the lobby and fell to my hands and feet, trying not to empty the contents of my stomach.
Ponies rushed to me, but I was more focused on what the mysterious diarch had said. After assuring everyone–er,–everypony, that I was fine, I joined the mares back at the table, the mares asking me all sorts of questions. I answered each one to the best of my ability, but every now and then I would lose focus, still pondering what had happened. One question burned in my mind, begging to be answered.
How does she know me?
Deep in the Everfree forest, a man sat up from his position on the ground, looking around himself curiously. Many people across multiple worlds knew of him, as he was famous for his skill in the art of battle. He was wearing a peculiar wooden mask with a nebulae like design on it that covered his entire face. His gauntlets looked like they were carved out of stone, and were lined with fur and wrapped in tight chains. Covering most of his body was a long coat with a chestplate and pauldrons attached. His legs were covered with thick leather, with knee guards made of simple steel. His boots were simple leather with steel toes.
He surveyed his surroundings once more before standing up and walking out of the clearing, trudging through the brush. All he knew was that he needed to find someone who could tell him where he was. And so, he set out to find civilization.
I waved goodbye to Miss Rarity as I walked away from her boutique with my new clothes in tow. Today was a good day. In fact, every day I've been here has been a good day. Well, aside from the end of yesterday. I shivered as I remembered the exams Princess Twilight performed on me. I wish I could've said no, but it was an order, and I can't disobey orders. Especially ones from a royal. Though I suppose she is the only one qualified enough to do checkups on me, something of which I can't ignore. And thankfully, she promised not to share the information she acquired with anypony. I sighed.
The things I do for royalty.
Another good thing is that Princess Twilight had offered me a room within her castle, something I am very grateful for. As I made my way back to the castle, I noticed Rainbow sleeping peacefully on...was that a cloud? I shook my head and decided to ask later. There was still much I did not know about this world, but starting tomorrow I would be getting lessons from Princess Twilight herself about the world. And, not to mention I would be meeting the two rulers of this land today. Although I had already met one.
I sighed again as I opened the large doors that lead into the crystalline castle. I still don't know how she knows of me, much less how we are supposedly so close. What connection could we possibly have? She did say she's known about me for a long time, so perhaps she watched me during my time as a Hollow? Or has she been watching me since long before that? I sighed again as I walked up the stairs leading to my room. Perhaps I can ask her when she arrives.
After entering my well decorated room and placing my new clothes in one of my dresser drawers, I decided I should go and bathe. Gods know how long it's been since I took a proper bath and cleaned myself. I pulled out one set of the starnge new clothes. I say strange because they were nothing like the tunics and clothing I vaguely remembered from my time.
Instead, I now had what Miss Rarity called "t-shirts" for my torso and "jeans" for my legs. I sighed again. There were so many differences between this world and my own. Could I really fit in here? I shook my head and headed out of my room with my set of clothes tucked under my arm. After a while of searching, I finally found who I was looking for. The purple reptile, or as I was recently told, dragon, Spike, was sweeping the floor of the castle lobby with a broom. He turned to me as I walked into the room.
"Hey Asmund! Need something?" he asked, leaning on the broom.
I nodded. "I was going to take a bath. But, seeing as how there are no servants here, I was wondering if perhaps you could draw it for me. Is that alright?" I asked.
"Why would you need me to draw it for you? All you have to do is turn one of the knobs and you're done." he replied.
I looked at him quizzically.
He sighed and put the broom down, walking past me and motioning for me to follow. "Come on, I'll show you."
I followed him until we reached one of the restrooms. He opened it and we stepped inside. My jaw dropped as I took in the decor of the room. The floor was made of marble tiles, whilst the ceiling and walls were made of that same glittering crystal. A chandelier made of gold with a simpler design than the one in the lobby hung above us, aglow with strange blue lights. To the right was a large claw-foot tub just a little longer than I am tall lined with gold and made of...was that white cast iron? I shook my head and looked to the left, seeing a sink made mostly of wood and topped with granite. But why wasn't there any water in it? And was that a drain? And what were those knobs doing there?
Spike cleared his throat, snapping me out of my stupor.
"My apologies, I am still getting used to living in such a luxurious castle."
"Yeah, I understand. Me and Twilight are still getting used to it ourselves. Anyway, come here." Spike said, motioning for me to come over towards the tub. He pointed to each of the knobs, explaining that all I needed to do to get water was to turn one of them and the water would come out of what he called the "facet".
I asked him how it worked and he replied with an, "Ask Twilight,". After that, he walked out of the room, leaving me to my own devices. So, I began to undress, starting with my helm and working my way down. After getting the armor and scabbard off and setting them down on the floor near the door, I started taking off my leather jerkin, pants and undergarments, placing them in the same spot. Finally, I placed my new clothes next to the pile of armor.
Stepping into the tub and sitting down in it, I turned the knob for hot water and to my astonishment, the facet started to stream hot water. After filling up the tub, I grabbed the bar of lye from a shelf nearby and started scrubbing. But when I got to my back, I noticed a large amount of black coming off of that area. Curious, I grabbed a mirror from the nearby shelf and dropped my jaw at what I saw. It should be impossible, but my sign, the Darksign, was washing off as if it were a tattoo. To say I was astonished would be an understatement. A mad grin split my face as I realized what this meant. I was no longer cursed! I was free! But wait, how did this happen? The greatest minds of every land have tried tirelessly to find a cure for the curse and all of them came up with nothing. So how was it that my sign had just washed off like it was nothing?
I decided to ask Princess Twilight if she had any ideas when next I saw her. So, I continued my bath, simply letting the warm water wash my worries away. After an hour or more I got out and dried off with a towel. Putting on my new clothes and picking up the pile of armor along with my sword I opened the door and walked out, heading towards my room to put the armor away. It felt strange, not wearing my armor, but I reasoned that if I wanted to look friendly to these ponies, I would have to sacrifice protection for it. Well, not all of it, as I would never be caught dead without my sword. So, after putting my armor away and strapping my sword to the belt at my waist, I headed to the door of my room, only to have it swing open before I could touch it, revealing Princess Twilight behind it.
"Asmund! There you are! I need you to come with me quick! Something's happening in town!" she said hastily, motioning for me to follow her as we both ran throuh the hall and down the stairs into the castle lobby where Miss Pinkie, Miss Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow, and Miss Rarity were all waiting.
"What is going on? What happened?" I asked, confused but ready to take action.
"Some brute that looks like you has taken Mayor Mare hostage, and we're going to rescue her." said Miss Rarity.
"What does he look like exactly?" I queried.
"We don't know, we couldn't get an exact description before everypony ran inside their houses." said Rainbow.
"Is he armed?" I asked.
"We don't think so." said Applejack.
"Do you know who he is?"
"No. Never even seen 'im before." Applejack replied.
"Are there any more hostages?"
"No. Everypony else escaped before he could get them." Miss Rarity informed.
"How did he act? Did he seem illogical?"
"He just walked into town, grabbed the Mayor, and then everypony else ran before he said anything." Miss Rarity explained.
"Alright...looks like we're walking into this a little blind. But we can gather information from him when we get there. Everypony ready?"
"Yeah but...shouldn't you put on your armor?" Princess Twilight asked.
"There isn't any time. The longer we spend here the more likely the Mayor could get injured or the situation could spiral out of control. We need to get there as soon as possible." I answered.
I stepped closer to Princess Twilight, along with everypony else and soon my vision was filled with white before we appeared in what appeared to be a town square, with a tall building in the center that I assumed to be the Town Hall. Shaking off the nausea, I looked around and immediately spotted my target. Dread filled me as I took in his appearance. He was one of the Wretches of the Brotherhood of Blood, the famed Oroboro. The man who had killed hundreds of beasts, men, and Hollows all without dying even once. Despite all this, I stood my ground and unsheathed my blade. He was currently riding the Mayor like a horse, but when he noticed us he waved and got off of her, allowing her to run away inside the Town Hall. He slowly approached us, and I could see all the others tense. I remained in my battle ready stance.
"Hello!" he greeted jovially.
"How are you here? Why are you here?" I asked.
"Rude, aren't you? But to answer your question, I have no idea. Just woke up in that forest over yonder and walked all the way here. Speaking of which, could you tell me where I am?" he answered.
"You're in Ponyville, Equestria." Princess Twilight answered, her horn glowing with power.
"Hmm. Never heard of it. Oh well. Wanna scrap?" he asked.
"Not until you tell us why you kept an innocent pony hostage, jerk!" said Rainbow.
"Hostage? I just wanted to ride her. I mean sure, it was weird that she could talk and was apparently sentient, but I just wanted a pony ride. No harm done." he answered.
"Lies! I will not believe such words from one who has murdered hundreds without care!" I spat. The mares gasped when I mentioned hundreds.
"Do I have to teach you manners? And besides, none of the things I killed could be considered human or anything anyway. So once again, no harm done." he replied calmly.
"And what of those whose worlds you invaded? What of them, Wretch?"
"I don't like your tone, mister. And they all knew the danger of being killed by the likes of me and my brethren when they became Undead. And in the end, no harm is done. They all come back." he answered, tone level.
"But each death brings them one step closer to Hollowing!" I shot back.
"There are a few ways to counteract that. Human Effigies, the four crowns of the Ancient Kings blessed by Vendrick, the Shrine in Amana, and of course, souls. I just so happen to have three of those things. Numerous Effigies, all the crowns, and plenty of souls." he replied.
"Lies! Hundreds of the greatest minds have tried, and none could find a cure, temporary or no!"
"True, there isn't a cure. But the crowns allow one to exist outside the cycle. You're still undead, but at least you don't go Hollow." he explained. "I'm all for it if you want to fight, though."
"Asmund, calm down!" Princess Twilight commanded.
"Princess, this man has killed hundreds solely for fun. He does not have the right to live." I replied.
"All things have a right to live, Asmund. I don't like the idea of him killing so many anymore than you do, but he's been civil so far. Just hear him out, okay? If he steps out of line, we'll deal with him, alright?"
I grit my teeth before sighing and nodding. She smiled.
"Thank you." She turned to the cur. "Now, what is your name? I'm Twilight, these are my friends, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Asmund." She said, pointing to each of us as she said our names.
"My name is Oroboro. It's nice to meet you. Wanna scrap?" He asked innocently.
"Um...no thank you?" Princess Twilight said with uncertainty, seemingly surprised by the question.
"Too bad! Get ready motherfuckers!" He yelled as he charged full speed at the Princess.
I jumped in front of her just in time to block his punch with my sword, but the force behind it made me stagger. He took advantage of this and followed up with two swift punches to my abdomen, making me gasp for air.
"Asmund!" I heard the girls yell. They all made ready to attack him, but I couldn't let them get hurt.
"Stay *cough* back! *wheeze*" I managed to say in between gasps and wheezes.
He watched on as I coughed and hacked before he dashed forwards again. I quickly regained my composure and lashed out with a thrust, which he sidestepped before trying to uppercut me. I backstepped and lashed out with another thrust which he sidestepped again. I lashed out with a side swipe, but instead of dodging it he parried me with enough force to stagger me, allowing him to land a punch straight into my jaw, knocking a few teeth loose. I spat out the teeth and glared at him.
"Is that all?" I asked.
He chuckled. "I like you. You have spirit. But..." He took out a chime from an unseen pouch somehow and raised it, producing a glowing spear of lightning. My eyes widened. "You're not nearly good enough!" He tossed the spear at me. I tried to move, to dodge or anything, but my body wouldn't respond. Then, I felt blinding, searing pain, and everything faded to black. The last thing I heard was the screams of the girls.
The Elements all sat in one of the waiting rooms outside the door to Asmunds room in the Ponville General Hospital. They had been waiting for half the day for their friend to wake up, or at least be allowed in to see him, but the doctors were still trying to help keep him stable. The reason for the exceedingly long wait was because the doctors didn't know Asmunds biology at all, having to go off of guesses with similairities with minotaurs. Even so, they endeavored to be extremely cautious as they were still only working on theory and might injure him even further if they messed up. So, the Elements were forced to wait. Even though they hadn't known him long, they had quickly grown attached to the man. He was polite, loyal, chivalrous, but most of all he was kind. In the short time they had known him, he had never once been rude or impolite. Not even a little. Even when they were all suspicious of him, he took it in stride, never once getting angry or upset.
One of the nurses came out of Asmunds room and gave them a quick nod before walking off to complete other tasks. The six quietly walked into the room and were surprised to see the Princesses standing on one side of the bed Asmund was in, worry etched onto their faces.
"Princesses?" Twilight asked, confused.
The two lifted their heads and smiled simultaneously. "Hello, Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Pinkie. We came as quick as we could when we heard what happened. Are you all alright?" Celestia asked.
Twilight nodded."We're fine. A little bruised, and Applejack is a little burned, but fine. But why are you two here?"
Luna spoke up. "We have come for the same reason as you, to see Asmund. We heard what happened from the locals, but all they told us was that you defeated the criminal. Pray tell, what exactly happened?"
"Well..."
The girls gaped in horror as they watched Asmund fall to the ground, twitching every now and then from the electricity coursing through him. Then they turned to the masked man who had hurt their new friend, full of fury.
"How could you!?" Fluttershy cried angrily, tears of sorrow streaming down her face as she used the full force of the Stare on Ororboro.
"What? It was just a little fight. He'll come back, they always do." He said with a shrug, the stare not working worth a damn thanks to his mask.
"You're a monster! You killed him!" Twilight shouted, infuriated at the idea of someone killing one of her friends. "Let's get him girls!"
All six let out cries of fury as they stampeded towards Ororboro, Twilight and Rarity firing bolts of white hot magic at him. Oroboro weaved through the barrage of bolts, coming closer and closer to them even as he dodged. Applejack came up behind him and bucked his legs out from under him, then Rainbow tried to divebomb him. Oroboro quickly recovered from his fall and grabbed Rainbow's hoof as she got close to him and slammed her into the ground beside him. He rolled away from a blast of Pinkie's party cannon, leaving a small crater where he used to be and almost hitting Rainbow.
"Holy hay! Be careful Pinks!" Rainbow yelled.
"Sorry!" Pinkie called back.
"Boo!" Pinkie jumped as Oroboro somehow surprised her of all ponies and appeared behind her and kicked her into a wagon, breaking it and sending splinters in all directions. A blast of magic from Twilight hit him in the back, making him grunt but not moving him in the slightest. He turned to her and laughed.
"Oh this is fun!" he said as he bumrushed her.
Twilight, stunned from seeing a blast that would knock out a manticore do so little to the man, didn't move in time and was hit with a solid punch straight to the face. Twilight rolled and tumbled from the sheer force behind the punch, before finally standing up, fury in her eyes. She noticed Applejack coming up behind him, and fired a bolt of purple magic to distract him. Sadly, this did not work as Oroboro back flipped behind Applejack as she reached him, grabbed her and used her as a shield. Applejack screamed in pain as the bolt of magic burned her fur and singed her flesh.
Oroboro dropped the writhing Applejack before looking around frantically. Finally noticing the absence of Rarity. "Shit! Where's the white one!?"
"Right here you brute!" Rarity yelled from behind before her horn glowed and a large cage appeared around Oroboro, trapping him. Oroboro tried and failed to break the bars. "Those bars are magically reinforced. You aren't breaking out of there anytime soon." Rarity stated as she flipped her hair and gave Oroboro a smug grin.
Oroboro continued to try and break the bars, before stopping and sighing, sitting down and staying quiet. The girls all gloated over their victory before remembering their friend, who was still twitching a bit from the remaining electricity. They all rushed over, and Twilight immediately put her ear to Asmunds chest while the others watched on in silent apprehension. She waited for what seemed like an eternity for some kind of noise to emanate from his chest, anything at all. She was not disappointed. However, his heartbeat was extremely weak and oh so very slow. Twilight cried out in joy as she heard his heartbeat, and the six all hugged each other, tears of joy streaming down Fluttershy's face as well as some of the others. Then, Twilight and Rarity picked the man up with their combined magic as gently as they could and made their way as quickly yet smoothly as they could to Ponyville General Hospital.
Luna and Celestia tried and failed to hide their shock. They looked at each other for a moment, a silent conversation seemingly being held between them before they turned back to the Elements.
"We will have to talk to Ororboro about this. This does not bode well. However, Asmund is more important right now. What did the doctors say about his condition?" Celestia asked.
Twilight was slightly confused as to why the Princesses seemed so familiar with Oroboro, but decided to ask later. "They said he was stable from what they could tell, but he has third degree burns all across his body and his heart was apparently on the verge of giving up. Some of his muscle and nervous tissue has been burned out and so he might have complex regional pain syndrome. Other than that, he's fine as far as they can tell." Twilight informed.
"I see...Well at least he's alright." Celestia said, looking slightly relieved.
"If you call almost being electrocuted alright." Rainbow snarked.
Celestia frowned at Rainbow's remark before noticing Asmund...was he crying in his sleep? The others seemed to notice as well.
Celestia turned to her sister. "Luna, could you see what's wrong?"
"Certainly." Luna's horn glowed, trying to peer into Asmund's dream. She frowned after a bit and ceased the spell.
"What happened? Is he alright?" Pinkie asked.
"He will be fine. He is reliving a memory from long ago. It would be best if none of us disturbed him." said Luna.
"But he looks so sad and lonely...why can't we try to comfort him? I mean, if that's alright..." Fluttershy said timidly, wanting to help the kind man.
The sisters frowned, as if they wished to do so as well. "He needs to relive this memory so he can remember. If we disturb him now, he will never know anything about his past. And that would be more than unfair to Asmund." Celestia stated in a slightly somber tone.
The girls all looked to the weeping man wrapped in bandages, before sighing and looking for a seat so they could wait for him to wake up.
Screams echoed through the air as I saw thousands of people rushing to get out of the city, the large wave of water steadily consuming more and more of the city. I rushed through the streets, pulling along my family with many others following behind as we all ran through paved brick streets and walkways, trying to get to one of the bridges leading to the mainland, of which there were two. One had already been subsumed by the encroaching wave on the eastern side of the city, so we were heading to the southwestern side where the second bridge was.
The problem was there were two waves, one coming from the north and one coming from the east. Not only that, but the only path remaining to the bridge winded to the north, bringing us closer to the wave. So the only course of action was to run as fast as we could through the path and onto the bridge to the mainland. I could hear the sound of rushing water coming ever closer, and tried to ignore the gargled screaming from the thousands that were no doubt drowning.
Unfortunately, while my armor was light compared to others, it was still heavy enough to affect my speed, so after realizing this, I quickly turned to my beautiful wife, glancing at her for what would no doubt be the last time. Her mahogany hair cascaded down her back and bounced up and down with every step, her beautiful cerulean eyes gleaming with fear. In her arms was our son, with dark brown hair and green eyes, crying into his mother's bosom. I fought to hold back my tears as I pulled her in front of me and gave her a push.
"GO! RUN!" I commanded as she quickly ran. She glanced back at me for a moment, tears in her eyes, before she continued running full speed. I smiled softly as I watched them turn a corner and run out of my sight, and then, I heard the wave crash into the street behind me, engulfing the people who were following me. And eventually, it engulfed me too. After struggling for breath and trying to fight the current, I just gave up. I cried, but I could not feel the tears, as there was already plenty of liquid streaming through the gaps and holes of my armor. As my lungs burned and my vision began to fade, I said one simple thing.
'Goodbye, Dear...Goodbye...Oroboro...My son...'
I shot up from my original position, cold sweat covering me. Then pain flared throughout my body, forcing me to lay back down. There was something embedded in my forearm, and I could hear a constant beeping. My breathing started to slow, and then I noticed that my face was covered almost entirely, aside from part of my nose and my eyes. I looked up and immediately noticed numerous familiar faces surrounding me, aside from one.
"Good morning...everyone..." I croaked, my throat dry. I was instantly hugged by the six mares I now called friends, each of them latching on to a body part. Pain shot through me and I yelped, causing the girls to release me. They all mumbled out sheepish apologies. I noticed their furs were matted with dried tears, and their eyes were all puffy and filled with concern, yet relief. Then Princess Twilight got a look of anger.
"How could you be so stupid!? You almost got killed!" she screeched, making me wince. The other girls nodded.
"Dummest thing Ah've seen ya do, sugarcube." said Applejack with a stern look that said, 'don't do it again.'
"Why would you do that you idiot!?" said Rainbow with a growl.
"I was so worried!" said Miss Fluttershy.
"I-I thought I lost you!" sniffled Miss Pinkie.
"Gentlemanly, but bull headed." concluded Miss Rarity.
I looked at all of them and their angry faces, though Miss Pinkie and Miss Fluttershy were more distraught then anything, and laughed heartily, confusing the mares. Only for the laugh to devolve into a coughing fit.
After recovering from my coughing fit, I spoke. "I...do not...care...if you are angry...only that you are safe...but...I will say...I'm sorry...for worrying you all..." I wheezed out.
"You idiot...You stupid, kind, loyal...idiot..." said Princess Twilight, pounding my chest lightly with a regal hoof. Tears brimmed in her eyes as well as the others, before they all hugged me again. Pain shot through me, but I endured. They needed to let this out. After a while, they stopped crying and returned to their seats.
A thought came to my mind of the dream. If it was to be believed, than the man I had thought a monster...was my son. "What...happened...to...Ororboro...?" I asked.
"We captured him. He's on his way to the Canterlot Dungeons now. We won't be seeing him again." Princess Twilight said with a triumphant smirk.
"Need...to see him...must...talk to...my..." I hesitated to say it, but decided it was now or never. "...son." I finished. The girls stared at me in bewilderment.
"He's your son!?" Princess Twilight shouted. "How!?"
"Just...found out...myself...dream...told me..." I said weakly.
"I cannot believe such a brute is your son." said Miss Rarity.
"I...know...hard to...swallow...that...fact..." I rasped.
"Girls, could you leave for a bit? We need a moment with Asmund here." Said Princess Celestia. Almost forgot she was there, she was so quiet.
"But..." Princess Twilight started.
"Just for a bit. Please?" Princess Celestia asked.
"Yes Princess..." they all said. They slowly filed out of the room, one by one until they were gone. I turned to the Princesses.
"What...do...you need...your...highnesses...?" I croaked.
"First, I would like to introduce you to my sister, Luna." she said, motioning to the blue alicorn next to her. Her mane was like the night sky, and her coat was a lush navy blue.
"Greetings...your highness..." I said politely.
"Hello...Asmund. It's good to finally meet you. I've been waiting for some time." said Princess Luna cryptically.
"Waiting...? For...me...?" I asked, confused.
"Indeed. We've both been waiting centuries to meet you. The stories don't do you justice." said Princess Celestia.
"Stories...?" I asked.
"Yes. Come to Canterlot when you are healed. We will explain everything there." Then they did something I did not expect. They nuzzled me. "Goodbye...Asmund." And then they walked out of the room.
I was so confused. What were they talking about? What stories? Why would they wait centuries just for me? This and more plagued me, until sleep took it's hold on me. I'll get my answers later.
After numerous months, I was finally free of that accursed hospital. The girls visited from time to time, and Princess Twilight taught me some of the ways of this world whilst I was bedridden, so it wasn't all that bad. But the nurses simply wouldn't let me do anything when I was finally allowed to get out of the bed, aside from walking aimlessly around the premises. I couldn't get nearly as much exercise as I would have liked, only managing to get a measly three hundred push ups, sit ups, and squats per day. They kept badgering me about my condition, and while I appreciated the concern I simply could not let myself grow weak. I was a knight, after all. Come to think of it...what will I do here? What can I do here? All I know is fighting, and what good is that in such a peaceful land? Maybe I could join the Royal Guard? Perhaps I should ask the Princesses when I meet them today.
"Asmund?" said Miss Fluttershy, breaking me from my musings. We were currently on our way towards the capital, apparently called Canterlot, to meet with the two mysterious diarchs.
"Apologies, Miss Fluttershy, I was absorbed in thought," I said apologetically. "What were you asking about again?"
"I was asking how you feel. Are you still sore?" she queried. It still warms my heart to know that someone, er...somepony, cares this deeply for me.
"A little, but not overly so. Mostly in my torso, but I will live," I replied.
"Oh, good," Miss Fluttershy said with a sigh of relief. I smiled at her kindness as we walked to what she called the "train station", whatever that was.
"So...this, 'train station', what exactly is it?" I questioned, curiosity piqued.
"Oh...well, Twilight can explain better than I could..." Miss Fluttershy said meekly.
"Very well. Though I would not be so quick as to sell yourself short, Miss Fluttershy," I relented. Miss Fluttershy blushed.
"Th-Th-Thank you..." she muttered. I chuckled at her bashful and timid behavior.
"No need to be embarassed, Miss Fluttershy, it was just a simple compliment," I admitted. She blushed harder. She really is quite a cute one. Eventually, we arrived at what Miss Fluttershy said was the station, where the rest of our friends were waiting.
"Geeze! What took you two so long? We've been waiting forever!" Miss Dash complained. I chuckled at her impatience.
"No need to rush, Rainbow, we are here and that is what matters," I reminded. Rainbow simply grumbled while the others chuckled.
"Yes, well, I'm simply glad that you are alive and well, Asmund," said Miss Rarity.
"As am I," I responded. "Now, Miss Fluttershy said we were heading towards Canterlot. Yet I don't see any feasible way of getting there without a carriage or on foot, er, hoof." Just then, a behemoth of brightly colored metal with multiple segments screeched as it drew close. "What in the name of the Gods is that!?" The girls giggled.
"That's the train. It's how we're getting to Canterlot," Princess Twilight said through a hoof, trying to stifle her giggles.
"You must be joking! It looks as if it would tramble over us rather than let us board it!" I cried.
"Oh it'll be fine, just calm down," Princess Twilight admonished. I glanced back at the metal beast before sighing in defeat.
"Very well..." I conceded. We boarded the "train", and, after giving the "conductor", our tickets, (I still don't understand how music is involved) we each took a seat. I smiled as I watched the girls chat and mill about, before my eyelids grew heavy, and sleep took me.
A woman stood before a grand, onyx door, it's gold engravings as extravagant as ever. She tightened her grip on her trusty longsword before pulling out a gold ring with engravings on it. As soon as she placed it upon her finger, the seal on the door clicked, before slowly rotating and then sinking inwards, allowing the doors to open. They opened with the sound of stone scraping against stone, before finally the pathway was open. She stepped forward, before taking notice of another woman, standing just outside the doorway.
She was garbed in a flowing green cloak, with extravagant tan robes with many intricate designs on them. Her left arm was wrapped in bandages, though they were quite clean. She wore leather gloves and boots, but the most interesting thing about her were her heterochromatic eyes. One was a striking ruby, whilst the other was a rich chocolate brown. Her long brown hair covered most of her face, but the armoured woman could still make out the color of the other eye.
"Bearer of the Curse, if you proceed, Nashandra will come after you. Knowing that you will take the throne, and link the fire. She covets the First Flame, and the Great Soul. Put Nashandra to rest," the woman bode. The armoured woman simply nodded, before continuing on towards the Throne. She walked down the stone streps, each step looking more aged and worn than the next, until finally, it simply looked like a long, primitive, winding ramp made from unremarkable stone. She strode forward, each step echoing throughout the cavernous chamber. Stone pillars holding flames stood to either side of her, lighting her way.
Eventually, she made it to a doorway blocked by a wall of fog. Preparing herself, the Bearer of the Curse walked through the fog, and into the ancient, crumbling chamber. On the other side of the room, lit by a stray ray of sunlight, was a towering female made of bones, tar black skin stretched over her sleek and slender frame. She had no legs to speak of, simply a mass of bodies that somehow permitted movement. In her grasp was a scythe as black as night, carved from some unknown material resembling bone. She traced a bony finger over the blade of the weapon.
"Brave Undead..." she called, her voice echoing as if she were speaking underwater, yet still as smooth as silk. "You have proven yourself to me..." She turned to face the Bearer, flaring her scythe with the motion. "Now...be one, with the Dark..." Then, she swept her hand and multiple sprites of humanity appeared around her, wobbling, shimmering, and dripping as if made from water.
The Bearer strapped her shield to her back, before grabbing her sacred chime from her belt, and raising it as if she were about to throw it like a javelin. Then, a crackling spear of lightning and sunlight appeared in her raised hand, and she tossed it at a sprite, dissolving it. She fired three more at three different sprites, before rushing headlong towards Nashandra, sword at the ready. She dodged a swipe of Nashandra's scythe, before slashing at the grasping arms of Nashandra's base, drawing a spurt of blackish blood. Nashandra grunted, before making to swipe at the Bearer again.
The Bearer nearly dodged, but wasn't quick enough, and received a sizable gash on her right side. The woman cried out in pain, clutching her wound as she backed away. She took out a dull green flask aglow with the liquid fire of Estus, taking a swig, a wave of embers closing the wound, before lobbing another spear of lightning and sunlight at the dark abomination. The abomination of a woman shrieked as her taught flesh was seared, before retaliating with a beam of pure dark energy that dented the Bearer's pauldron before splitting it, causing it to fall to the tiled floor with a clatter. The Bearer cried out again as her punctured shoulder oozed with the blackish blood of the Undead.
Despite her wound, she held tightly onto her sword, and, with a valiant warcry, ran straight towards the towering woman of bones, jumping up to stab her exposed skull. The abomnination shrieked as she tried to shake off the Undead, clawing at her to try and pry her off. The abomination swept her hand once more, summoning yet more sprites and sapping the Undead's life away. The Undead, not to be deterred and hanging on with all her might, raised her good arm, summoning another bolt of crackling sunlight, before tossing it point blank into the abomination's skull with a cry of fury. The woman of bones let out a final cry before falling limp, scythe clattering to the ground. A number of blue wisps flew into the Undead, who absorbed the souls with a weak smile. She slowly crawled off the body of Nashandra, pulling her sword out with a flick of black blood. Then, a voice cut through the new silence. A voice, unlike any other. For it was a mixture of a woman's, and a man's, and it echoed off the chamber walls.
"Many monarchs have come and gone." The voice began, as the Undead drew to her feet and tensed for another battle. "One drowned in poison, another succumbed to flame." The voice continued, the Bearer hastily looking for the source of the voice. "Still another slumbers in a realm of ice." The voice paused for a moment before proceeding. "Not one of them stood here, as you do now. You, conqueror of adversities. Give us your answer." The voice implored, before a tremor shook the chamber, and an amalgamation of roots on fire, yet not turning to charcoal, burned through the floor. A singular, glowing red eye marked the wooden face of a man beneath the roots.
A number of roots stretched upwards in a seemingly religous manner before an orb of dark red flame appeared above them, and then fired multiple balls of that same fire at the Undead. The Undead took her shield off her back and held it in front of her, blocking the balls of fire, but only for a split second before the shield melted and the Undead had to drop it lest she burn herself. The Undead hissed as a stray fireball flew past her, singing the cloth covering of her armor. Another fireball knocked her sword out of her hands, searing the glove and reducing the sword to slag. Then, a massive fireball flew through the air towards her, and then all the Undead knew was overwhelming heat and searing pain.
On the outskirts of Ponyville, on the top of a hill commonly used by the Elements for picnics, lay a woman garbed in dashing armor. A simple longsword lay next to her, while a red kite shield with a silver eagle emblazoned on it lay on her other side. Her chest rose and fell steadily, as if she was sleeping. Rise, fall, rise, fall. It continued like that for some time, up until a bird landed on her chest, and began pecking at her armor.
With the sound of beak meeting steel, the woman slowly awoke, lifting her head slightly to see a rare, blue-backed robin on her. The robin ceased it's pecking and turned to look at the woman quizzically. The woman returned the gesture. The duo stared at each other for a bit.
"Come on, Applebloom! Keep up!" yelled a young, scratchy voice. The bird flew off at the sudden sound, whilst the woman simply turned to the direction it came from. Soon enough, she saw a small, orange filly with a purple mane and small wings crest the hill.
"Ah'm coming, Ah'm coming!" replied another young voice, but with a southern drawl. A yellow filly with a red mane tied in a bow reached the top of the hill, joining the other one.
"Wait for me!" pleaded a squeaky voice, heralding the arrival of another filly, this time with snow white fur and a styled, pink and purple mane. The woman was utterly confused. Since when were horses technicoloured? When did they have such big eyes? How was she alive? Was this heaven? And how were they talking? And...wait, since when was her mind this clear? All this and more swirled in her head.
The fillies, finally taking notice of the woman, squealed in fear and huddled together, hugging one another in fright. A likely reaction, seeing as the town was recently harassed by a being not unlike her. The woman simply tilted her head in befuddlement. Horses she had seen before, yes, but not of this variety. The woman slowly sat up, but did not move towards the three fillies. The younglings themselves, after realizing they weren't currently being eviscerated or attacked in general, opened their previously clenched eyes and stared in confusion at the woman.
"Yer...yer not gonna hurt us?" the bow wearing filly asked. The woman shook her head. The three sighed in relief. After releasing their grip on one another, they slowly relaxed. The fillies stared at the woman. The woman stared back.
"So...uh...are you a knight?" The orange filly hesitantly ventured. The woman nodded. "That's pretty cool. What's your name?" The woman was quiet for a moment, trying to learn how to use her vocal chords again, as it had been some time since she was able to speak. This was followed by multiple coughes and croaks, making the young fillies concerned, but the woman waved their concerns off and managed to find her voice quickly enough.
"Ferelda," she finally uttered, her voice, while still somewhat shaky from neglect, was sophisticated and flowed well, all things considered.
"That's a funny name," the orange filly blurted.
"I think it's pretty," the white filly commented.
"That sounds like a noble's name. Are ya'll a noble?" the yellow filly asked.
"I...don't recall," Ferelda said somewhat sadly, before shaking her head clear of the thoughts. "What are your names?"
"Ah'm Applebloom!" said the yellow filly.
"I'm Sweetie Belle!" the white filly squeaked.
"I'm Scootaloo, number one fan of Rainbow Dash!" the orange filly declared, before the three huddled together and inhaled deeply.
"AND WE'RE THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!" they all yelled at once, making the woman wince as the volume caused her ears to ring. Afterwards, she chuckled slightly.
"Well, it's nice to meet you all. Might I ask what you three are? I've never seen anything like you," Ferelda queried.
"We're ponies, of course! I'm a unicorn, Scootaloo's a pegasus, and Applebloom's an Earth Pony. Have you really never seen ponies before?" Sweetie Belle asked. Ferelda shook her head.
"Really? Where are you from, then? It must be really far away if you've never even seen a pony before," Scootlaoo pointed out.
"That's so sad!" Sweetie Belle said, sympathy and worry etched on her features.
"Don't worry Miss Ferelda! We'll help you remember!" Scootaloo promised. Ferelda smiled 'neath her helm.
"Thank you, Scootaloo. I appreciate that," Ferelda thanked.
"No problem!" Scootaloo chirped.
"Wait, how are we gonna do that? Twilight is in Canterlot, and she's the only one in town who knows a memory spell," Sweetie Belle noted.
"Hmmm... That is a problem..." Scootaloo concurred.
"We could search her library! Ah bet it has a book on it!" Applebloom suggested.
"Hey, that's a great idea! Good thinking, Applebloom!" Scootaloo praised.
"Hehe, thanks! Now let's get goin'!" Applebloom said before taking off toward Twilight's Castle.
"Hey, wait up!" Sweetie called, before her and Scootaloo followed. Ferelda chuckled at their enthusiasm.
"Children," she said with a mirthful shake of her head. She felt a strange warmth at the sight of the fillies rushing off, so full of vigor. A strange, yet familiar warmth. While her arrival here was...painful, she had to admit that she felt much better just being...wherever here was. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but being here made her feel...content. She didn't even care about her previous mission, if it could even be called that with the lack of solid direction. The woman shook off these thoughts. For now, her mission was to try and remember who she was. With that in mind, she set off after the young fillies, a smile 'pon her face.
