Every fight has for me has things in common. There’s always weapon, always an enemy, always great pain. But this was a surprise for me, there were weapons and a fair few amount of hostiles but barely any pain. I had a few nicks and scratches but other than that I was fine.

I had a small smile on my face, my fighting becoming more fluid after years of being unused, getting back into the tactics I used in battle.

The three bull-man hybrids turned their helmeted heads to each other before giving a quick nod. I guess that was a signal between them because two of them started to circle around me, forming a kind of triangle with me in the middle.

I took deep breaths to calm myself, not wanting to be caught off guard with an attack I know was going to come. I crouched down slightly as I began slowly spinning, trying to keep them all in my field of vision but with them all around me that was near impossible.

The only warning I got that something was headed my way was the sound of metal boot thumping against the floor.

Not even turning around I dropped to my side and rolled away from the blow that could have taken my head off. As I turned around to face the armored attacker I swung my sword around in a large on handed arc. I felt the blade impact with something but whatever it was didn’t slow down the blade much, just cutting through it with great ease.

I looked at what I hit and smiled. On its knees was one of the bull-men, clutching at a long jagged cut in its chest plate, blood seeping out quickly onto the ground. Ignoring it for the time being I raised my shield and blocked a mace swing coming at me, the force going up my arm and staggering the bull who didn’t expect to feel like he hit a brick wall. Quickly I thrust my ultra-great sword forward, impaling the first two feet into the bull’s torso and out its back.

I tried to pull my sword back out but with it buried into the bull’s and it slumping to its knees made that quite hard so I let go of the sword and grabbed its mace and ducked under a sword swipe from the last armored bull. He seemed to have been thrown into a frenzy about his fellows getting cut down by my sword if the mad slashes and hacks were any indication.

I’ve faced enemies who have no real attack besides trying to get as many blows as they could in the shortest amount of time and those types are the ones who give me the most trouble, not letting me to even get a single attack in.

I felt every impact against my shield, each one pushing me back little by little. “You die now!” it yelled and just like I hoped he sounded like he was already tiring.

“That’s the thing.” I grunted out, my arms starting to hurt and his attacks coming slower in speed and less force behind each swing. “You can’t kill what’s already dead.”

With as much force as I could muster I pushed my shield forward as he swung, jarring his arm and causing him to stumble back. With an overhead swing with large mace the helmeted head of the bull crumpled in with a sickening crunch.

Dropping the mace I walked back over to the bull impaled on my sword, finding the bull hunched forward and the only reason he wasn’t laying down was the sword keeping him up. Letting out a small sigh I bent over and grabbed the large handle of the sword before pushing it back and putting the bottom of my foot onto its cold chest plate. With a hard push from my leg and an equally hard pull with my upper body I wrenched the sword free, a downpour of blood spraying around.

I looked up at the shocked faces around me, I guess none of them thought I was going to survive that. Before anyone including myself could do anything the last bull, the one in copper, let out a roar that even made me feel slightly fearful before he started thundering towards me, I’m surprised that the ground wasn’t cracking underneath him as he ran.

I didn’t even get time to blink before he was onto me, ramming his horned hear into my chest. I could feel ribs crack and skin rip under all the force put onto me.

All the air was pushed out of my lungs and I was flung back several feet and into one of the walls, cracking the marble tiles behind me. Peeling off the wall I fell to the ground with a soft thud. My joints felt stiff and unmoving. My bones felt like broken glass under my skin. With much protest from my body I pushed myself up onto my knees, then my feet.

Everyone, including the bull looked at me in either shock or disgust. Looking down to my aching midsection I saw a large hole going all the way through my body, small dribbles of blood pouring out in a thick consistently.

I smiled at the bull, him returning an uneasy look. I looked into the recesses of my mind and began to summon a spell which I rarely use. Bringing back my arm I threw a ball of fire that rapidly expanded into the size of a boulder as it hurtled through the air at the bull. I continued to smile as it exploded into a wall of fire, burning everything in its wake and washing over me.

Once the fire dissipated the smile fell from my face as I saw a shimmering bubble around everyone else. Before I could say a word I felt something impact into me, my back cracking the stone underneath me. I looked up to find the blue horse looking at me, it using its hooves to hold my arms down as it slowly lowered its head down with its horn glowing. I struggled the best I could but as soon as its horn touched my head everything went black.

_______________________

My head whipped around but all I could see was pitch black, little white dots floating in the nothingness. “It’s quite majestic, isn’t it?” I heard a voice say from behind me.

Spinning around I brought back a fist and punched the blue horse behind me right in the muzzle. I managed to hold a straight face for all of two seconds before I collapsed to my knees, cradling my broken hand. “Please, no hostilities, I just want to talk.” It continued, not even flinching from the blow.

“What is this place?” I asked softly, looking around slowly.

“It’s my mind, I took us here so we could talk and stop with the violence.” She said.

“It’s empty.” I state.

“I can have us converse anywhere we want, I just thought that it would be calming somewhere which has no obvious location.” She said, looking around.

In a flash we were on the top of a mountain and after another we were at the side of a lake. My mind wasn’t able to process what I was seeing and I quickly found myself flat on my back staring up at a clear sky, very little in the way of clouds and the golden glow of a sunset to the side.

“Are you alright?” the horse asked me, popping into my field of vision.

I only let out a grunt before I push myself up to my feet, finding that we were on a very small sand island, water sounding us on all sides.

“Sorry, I should have warned you before I changed where we were.” The horse said sheepishly.

“What do you want?” I say forcefully, having had enough of all this.

“What I and I think everypony else wants is that well all stop the hostilities, I give you my word that if you lay down your weapons no harm shall come to you.” She says

“What is your word to me?” I ask. “I have no clue who or what any of you are, why should your word have any weight to me? I trust might over word.” I say.

“What does that mean? Are you saying a duel?” She asked a little surprised.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

_______________________

Celestia’s POV

We all stood with held breaths as my sister was on top of the beast, horn glowing and eyes closed as she hopefully conversed with it.

“How long is this meant to take?” I heard the Minotaur ruler ask as he tried to help my doctors heal his guards.

“It never normally takes too long, they should be finished soon.” I say as I closely watch them.

No sooner did I say that Luna opened her eyes and climbed off whatever it was, standing back. I prepared a spell in case it was to attack but Luna held up a hoof to stop me. “Wait sister, I have made a deal with our ‘friend’ here.” She said calmly.

“What is it?” I heard the griffon king ask as I watched the beast walk over to the table and start to put on its ghastly looking armor, starting with its chest then working its way down and putting the helmet on last.

Altogether it was a rather frightening sight now that I knew it could fight with much skill. It picked up its sword and shield, giving the sword a few test swings before it rested it on its shoulder.

“She has challenged me to a duel.” Luna said, letting out a sigh.

My eyes went wide and my blood went cold. “No, I can’t allow it.” I said, stomping a hoof on the ground.

“But that’s not how it works.” The beast said, turning to face me with its blank helmet. “Once the duel has been accepted it’s not over till one party is dead in one way or another.” It said coldly, grabbing random things from the table.

“Then duel me, you will not harm my sister!” I yell.

“You weren’t the one to accept the duel, she was, and thus she is the one to fight it.” It says.

“I’m sorry Tia.” Luna said solemnly before her horn glowed and a dark blue bubble formed around them.

“No!” I yell as I slam a hoof against the shield, trying to brake it but it was no use, the shield was too strong and I wouldn’t be able to destroy the shield without hurting Luna.

Luna’s horn glowed and after a bright flash a set of dark armor and a spear made of a dark metal appeared on her, spear floating at her side.

The beast did something unexpected and bowed to Luna, limb across its chest. Luna awkwardly returned the bow, probably expecting the beast to choose that moment to attack but I was surprised when it waited for her.

Leaning its shield against its legs it held out its sword in such a way it would be useless in an attack as it rubbed its empty limb across the chipped metal blade and before our eyes it burst into an inferno, dripping slag to the ground where it burned. Bringing its burning limb to its chest her armor caught blaze as well. Once it was done it seemed the being itself was made from fire and brimstone, like a demon from Tartarus itself.

With a roar it charged, leaving burning footprints on the white marble floor and swung its sword in a sideways slice. Luna flapped her wings and jumped away from the swing before stabbing forward with her spear only to have it glance harmlessly off the shield of the beast. The beast went for another swing but the burdensome weapon was slower than Luna’s spear and before it knew it the beast was stabbed in the stomach by the spear, gasping in pain. Expecting it to go down Luna pulled out the spear but let out a yelp as the sword came about again, the beast seeming unfazed.

Luna was only able to get out of the way from most of the power of the blow but the tip of the blade cut across the front of her armor. Letting out a hiss of pain from the shear heat of the blade she jumped back and narrowly avoided a second downwards blow, the sword’s blade sinking into the ground.

Luna chose that moment to go for another attack but instead of using its shield the beast stepped to the side, letting go of its sword and grabbing the shaft of Luna’s spear and slamming it down on its knee, bending the metal of the shaft to an odd angle. Luna meanwhile stepped forward and slammed her hoof into the burning helmet but yelled in pain as her metal shoe heated up and burned her. She scrabbled for the clasps to try and get it off and when she did the beast managed to pull its sword free of the ground and started storming towards Luna.

The beast went to impale the burning sword through Luna. My sister rolled out of the way and I could see that the hot shoe managed to burn the fur off her hoof and must be causing a large amount of pain to still use.

The beast managed to stab the sword halfway into the ground and tried its hardest to pull it free but wasn’t doing it fast. Luna picked up her bent spear in her magic and thrust it forward, at the beast exposed back. The spear struck true and the entire blade went through its back and out its stomach.

The beast yelped in what I guess was pain and reached for the spear behind her back, grabbing the bent shaft as it tore the spear from Luna’s magical grasp. It tore the spear out before grabbing the spear in both its limbs, dropping its shield to the ground.

Luna pulled out her sword from her side and held it out, ready for an attack but she didn’t expect the beast to throw the spear. The spear flew through the air and grazed Luna’s shoulder, the armor bending but not braking. The beast used Luna’s confusion and punched her across the muzzle with a burning fist.

Luna fell to the ground, blood running from her nose and the fur on her face slightly burnt. The beast leaned down and picked up Luna’s sword before standing over Luna’s prone form.

“Well fought, but not good enough.” It said coldly, bringing the sword back.

I saw Luna’s horn glow and her small dagger went flying from its scabbard and buried itself hilt deep into the hole at the front of the helmet.

“I may have been mistaken.” It said in a gravelly voice, sword dropping to the floor as it stumbled back.

Before it even hit the ground it turned to what looked like ash and disappeared, only a puddle of blood and Luna’s dagger showing that it existed at all.

Luna lay on the ground, her breathing heavily, adrenaline wearing off. She shakily stood up, floating her sword and dagger back to their scabbards.

“That was unexpected.” A voice said.

We all turned to the campfire and saw that the beast was stood there, the skin around its stomach green and sickly, arms crossed with its armor still on. “I am known to be one of the best swordsmen.” It said, its voice sounding like it was sick. “But neither the less you won, I have died and you have won.” It said, walking over to the table and picking up one of the weird twig things it crushed and when it did its skin turn back to its normal light cream color.

Luna let that information sink in, lowering her magic shield.

I took that opportunity to rush forward and wrap my hooves around Luna’s body. “Don’t do that again.” I cried into her shoulder as she returned the hug.

“Well, I won didn’t I?”

Author's Note

The three DLC for Dark Souls 2 have come out and I haven't played through them yet so that means you won't be hearing anything about them yet if you were wondering. =/

Anyway, till next time
Sleepyted