Orion quickly readied the black knight's greatsword for a slam and its smaller brother for a stab. He had no idea where or what this place was, but he would not be defeated by a baby dragon.

"Die, dragon!" Orion yelled in triumph.

"TWIIILIIIGHT!" The small reptilian pleaded for help.

Orion was just about to smack him into dust when a purple magic bolt shot his side, making and tumble over in a chorus of metal rustle.

"Who dare to challenge Orion?! The great grandmaster of greatswords?!" Orion bellowed as he stood to slap another bolt from hitting him with the toxic-blessed blade.

"Spike! Run!" A purple color schemed small horse said and sent another bolt to get smacked away.

The baby dragon complied and ran behind the magically attacking horse, shaking with fear.

Orion quickly put away his swords and pulled out the sentinel's shield, securing it into the ground, blocking the magic blasts. He took this time to brandish his enchanted zweihander.

"Thou know not who you art against." Orion spoke as he headed toward the door behind him.

"Spike, alert the princ-" The supposed purple unicorn that was deemed Twilight went unheard the minute Orion closed the door.

Orion raced out of a small village filled with varients of the wierd unicorn creature. He ran and ran and ran, colors blurring whenever he dodged something. Orion finally stopped as he tired out from his sprint. He stood in front of a cottage in the outskirts of the odd town.

Orion started to speak his thoughts, like he always had.

"If I came to life next to that small purple and green odd baby dragon, then the beast must surely be a bonfire of some kind. I should try a more stealthy approach to return to human and refill my estus."

As if clockwork he turned around to see a yellow coat, pink-maned pony in front of him, just in time to see it drop a basket of apples and scream in terror.

"Hush thine shriek, I shall not bring harm upon thee." Orion attempted an explaination, but the scream continued.

Orion noticed other forms coming toward him and he reacted quickly. Taking off his right gauntlet, he took off the steel ring of protection and the magic stoneplate ring , quickly replacing them with the ring of fog and the slumbering dragon crest ring. He finally put his gauntlet back on and headed toward the town.

Orion was quite fortunate to make such good friends.

The odd horses started to panic from his presence according to what Orion was hearing until he got out of hearing range. He managed to stroll through town, arranging his items along the way.

He slowly opened the library door and saw the 'bonfire' on a stepstool rearranging books.

Stealth helped him as he reached the bottom of the stool and took off his rings, replacing them with the old ones.

"Young dragon, hear me speak." Orion said and the dragon jumped at his low deep voice.

"W-w-who a-are you?" The small dragon asked.

"I am the grandmaster of greatswords, Knight Orion. I have one wish to ask of you, it will not bring thee harm." Orion responded.

"W-what is i-it?"

"I wish to return to human and kindle to refill my precious estus flask, if thou would let me." Orion answered.

"O-okay." The reptilian eeped out.

Orion sat and reached out to the dragon, holding a black sprite which zoomed to the dragon. Orion's features returned with green magic dust. He held out three of the sprites and the small dragon felt fire brewing within him as more servimgs of estus was given to Orion. The knight stood once more.

"I am finished, I owe thou a great debt, firekeeper."

"Why do I feel stronger?"

"Humanity can be strength for the uncursed and human." Orion spoke.

"You know, you don't seem so bad, Ori...Orion." The dragon struggled to say the knight's name.

"Who art thou? Thee has yet to give speech to thy name." Orion questioned.

"I'm Spike." The lizard finally released his name," You know you sound like Princess Luna."

"How dare thou, wretched lizard! To relate me to an uptight royalty, I am a proud knight, the best of all." Orion uproared.

"No, wait! I meant like your speech. She talks the same way as you." Spike explained.

Minutes were spent talking, explaining, questioning, and other chatter. Spike and Orion began to respect each other and their differences.

"That's some quest." Spike commented.

"This is some place." Orion spoke.

The two shared hearty laughs as the door opened.

"What the...." A purple-maned, white unicorn stammered.

"Hey, guys. My new friend, Orion, isn't as bad as you all went on about." Spike said as a huge white equine parted the group and strode in, wearing royal gold attire. A horn and a pair of wings donning her form.

"She must be this Princess Celestia we spoke about." Orion once again vented his thoughts.

"So...you are this rampaging bipedal creature I heard about."

"Thou art correct. If you do not mind me asking, how art thou doing this fine afternoon?" Orion asked.

"I'm doing quite fine, thank you for asking. We have much to discuss." Celestia said.

Orion spent the rest of the day talking about his fate and Equestria. No one noticed the time until the question of such appeared. Celestia left briefly after, the topics necessary to be discussed, taken care of. It was decided that Orion would sleep in Rarity's guest room that Sweetie Belle since she was having a sleep over at Apple Bloom's for two days. A shack would be built for him and finished before Sweetie Belle got back.

"So, you are a knight?" Rarity asked along the way, the sun slowly falling.

"Indeed, proud to be one as well."

"I bet it's difficult to be traveling, fighting, and ki....killing to survive."

"Not exactly, when you have been training a lot. It does get quite lonely though and hollows don't make good talk or company."

"We'll keep you talking from the time you are here until the time you depart."

"That's quite kind of you, but I have an important quest to complete." Orion spoke, observing his surroundings as if he'll have to fight for his life later.

Life in Lordran will do that to a sane man.

"A quest? How intriguing. Please, do tell." Rarity responded.

"I am to cast away the dark, succeed Lord Gwyn, banish the darksign, and save the land from dark and cold. But I'll be needing a ton of souls." Orion answered.

"W...what? Souls? You...can't be serious!" Rarity was utterly scared as she cautiously opened the door to her bourtique.

Orion had a hearty laugh.

"Thou misunderstood, Miss Rarity. I may not be jesting, but these souls are gotten from greats beasts, creatures, and other things out for my blood. I could get such souls from fellow undead, but that isn't sane and I'm no damned hollow. These souls, of which I speak, are used to gain power in ways of strength, speed, endurance, intelligence, life, dexterity, and basically power. They are also the accepted currency in Lordran." Orion explained and Rarity calmed herself.

Orion walked inside after Rarity, ducking under the doorway

"I assume you are a seamstress of tailoring." Orion observed the dresses and suits on the pony mannequins.

"I prefer fashionista, but I do create clothing masterpieces. I might even be able to create something for you." Rarity offered.

"As generous as that is. I shall be fine in my chainmail."

Orion began to unstrap himself of the thick black iron armor on him. He was left in a complete fullbody chainmail suit that covered even his feet, strangely comfortable.

"Where may I put these?"

"In the guest room of course. Forgive me if I seem...rude, but why do you smell horrid?" Rarity questioned as she stared at his hugely muscled physique.

"Well...I was sent off a cliff and into a river with a huge greatsword in my gut." Orion told.

"How tragic..." Rarity sympathesized as the two headed into the back of the boutique and sat on a red chaise after Orion put away his armor.

"That and thou try to find a wash basin and clean water without losing your center piece. Also, I was far too busy in my training to devote some of my time to scrubbing sweat and stench off my limbs." Orion said, chuckling a little.

"Not to be a bad host...but you really need to wash up. Allow me to show you to the bathroom." Rarity said and headed toward the stairs.

"If thou insist so strongly..." Orion decided to just deal with it.

Rarity does seem to be a very ladylike character...

~~~~~~~~~~

Rarity opened a door at the top of the staircase to the left, a completly white-tiled bathroom was shown, clean and tiles were so clear they were almost functional mirrors.

"Now just call for me if you need anything else, there is a clean towel on the rack there, now I'll be-." Rarity was cut off from her instructions.

"Forgive me for the interruption, but...how does one work this contraption?" Orion was puzzled at the tub, looking at it from odd angles and tapping parts of it.

"Well, when you are ready to wash, you need to only fill it with water, hot, cold, or whatever your temperature preference is." Rarity said and pointed to the knobs.

Orion was still completely puzzled.

"Where is thy well? I did not view one when we arrived at thine residence." Orion asked.

"Just turn the knobs...left is hot water, right is cold. Now I'll just be heading to my room to retire..." Rarity lost her words after Orion followed her instructions amd turned on the cold water flow and began to undress.

Orion's arms were well-toned and more muscular than any other man's. His torso was scarred, but held up tightly packed and strong muscles. His legs had healed wounds, but were not as muscular as his arms, though still well-built from running in his armor non-stop.

Rarity was left gawking at his huge muscles.

Orion was onky left wearing a loose, edge tattered cloth on his waist that hid his unmentionables.

"I see thou admires my great strength. So much as to drop thy jaw in awe of my form." Orion spoke, laughing.

"I...ahhh....um.... I'll just be heading to sleep now." Rarity said, her face a deep red as she bolted to her room next door and donned her beauty mask.

Orion turned off the cold water, removed his last garment, and stepped in the bath.

Isn't this so enjoyable. Orion thought as he bathed, washing himself clean, quickly scrubbing.

As he finished, Orion unplugged the drain, guessing Rarity would want so, and dried off, using the hanging towel.

He placed it back and dressed himself in his chainmail and headed back to his room.

"What friendly creatures these ponies are...I must repay them somehow." Orion said as he then lie quiet on the bed.

Hours went by until he realized that, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't sleep.

At the time of two o'clock in the morning, Orion grabbed up his zweihander and headed out the door, quietly.

Orion was used to the cold, thanks to the Painted World. He sinked into the shadows so nopony would see him.

As Orion arrived at the outskirts of Ponyville, he heard a familiar groan. One that scared him many years back, but one that he knew to well.

"Eeeuuhh..." A dry throat heaved breath followed after the groan.

Large footsteps were after the breath, accompanied by metal rustle.

"Curses, why did I leave my armor!" Orion knew what to expect. He heaved his zweihander off his shoulder and into both of his hands, the enchanted blade began to glow with the great magic imbued in it, a symbol for the crafter's expertise.

Hollows came shuffling out of thick grass, stumbling as they attempted to run. A zombie, two soldiers, and a balder knight came at him.

Author's Note

Things are getting bad as hollows seem to be in the far outskirts of Ponyville and who knows wherever else they are hiding.

The next chapter will be up when I finish it and get around to it, which will hopefully be soon.