Author's Note

7/20/2017 Edit: Rewritten.

Chapter 1: The Asylum

The Asylum

Silence. Even in the dark, it was something to which he was not accustomed.

But when he woke, his vision was hazy. Blurry, as it were. His breath itself was raspy and wheezy. His hearing was just a ringing noise, as if he was next to a black powder bomb as it went off. Despite his vision, he glanced around. He was in a cell. Its small, rusty and dirty. A bowl in one corner, a cup in the other. It was all wood, though. The only metal in the room is the cell bars, and his deep black armor which was once golden. Wheezing and coughing, Trail Breeze realized something is wrong, looking at his coat, he gasps, which was interrupted by a gag. His normally white coat is now dark and fleshy. There was blood, but it was long dried, and scabby. He soon discovers his helmet is gone and ruffles through his mane, but discovers that his normally wavy red is now falling out. Nothing but scalp. He gasps once more, terrified.

"What is going on????" He asks out loud, his voice still raspy. "Hello!?!" Trail Breeze shouts. Standing up, albeit wobbly, a note falls out of his armor. It was stamped with a royalty stamp.

Picking up the note, he examines it.

Chief Officer,

Everypony thinks you are dead, and in a sense, you are. I have seen your combat training record, and I am impressed. I'm sure your wondering what that means. All along you have harbored a secret that has been with you since birth. But it was unknown to all, including me, until now...

You are undead.

A being of undeath, never able to die right and doomed to go mad and murderous. But when I examined you and found the sign I knew what must be done with you. But I also found an opportunity. One of which I could never do, or send somepony to do. You could be of use to me, you, of course, have heard of Lordran? A mythful land faraway full of exiled undead Ponies, Changelings, Griffons, and other creatures who inhabit this world? The land is said to be nothing more than a land of mythology and legend. But in truth, it is all too real.

That is where you are now, I have a mission for you...My sister, Princess Celestia, has, long ago, went to Lordran to link the flame, and end the curse. But one of her guards she hoofpicked to follow her into the land came back to me recently. All hollow, but still sane. He said she went hollow when she linked the flame, every single one of her guards except him of course was burnt to a crisp. I want you to slay my hollowed sister, end her suffering. Every night in my dreams she talks to me, saying how much pain she is in, and she wants her freedom from her husk. I know how much I am asking of you, but you see, you have no choice in the matter.

When an undead loses their purpose, they go hollow. They lose their mind and can finally die properly, but not without a fight. They are voracious and horrific. But the only way to ensure you are spared from this horrible fate is by giving this purpose. You are perfect for this task. You are strong, nice, and capable. I have every confidence in you..

My regards,

Princess Luna

A tear fell on the paper, staining its already slightly faded ink. Trails cheeks were wet, and his eyes continued to pour the substance. Exiled to a mythical land full of hollows, tasked with slaying an Alicorn, a princess.

A goddess.

It was not easy on the mind.

He looks up past the bars on the ceiling, which he had not noticed earlier. The sky was blue above, and the clouds made him picture his sister and her nephew. His sister was divorced and had moved in with him. His grand paycheck supplied them with all they needed, but now that he is gone, Trail wondered what they would do. She had no work, and no skills to get one. Her son was too young to work as well.

"Why.." Trail Breeze mutters. He backs up against the stone wall, emanating with cold and sending shivers through his body. He slides down into a prone state, his head buried in his arms. His sobbing getting louder and outshining the noises of the cells beyond his. Rattling and shattering.

"Why..."

<><><>

By now, his mane is all gone. Fallen on the floor. Trail had his back to the wall, his head down in a crestfallen state. His sobbing had ended minutes or maybe hours ago. Time was a distant memory to him. He had tried to bash the cell door open, but despite being rusty, it is built hardy and strong. He had resigned himself. Not being a pegasus, the ceiling bars are out of bounds.. To him, it was all over. Starvation would take over, unless hollowing preceded it. It all seemed over...

Until a body of a pony crashes to ground. Dust kicks up and Trails head darts up in surprise. Then looks Trail Breeze looks to the ceiling, the bars now gone, another spots a pony, clad in full plate. The pony glances at him before shaking his head in pity and backs away. He could hear his hoofsteps on the roof, but they soon faded, and he was. Trail Breeze looks at the corpse, slowly standing up. It didn't move. It was dead. Satisfied that it would not return as a zombie, he approaches it warily. He notices a chain around its neck with a key on it.. Looking down upon the corpse, he grabs the chain, yanking it off the neck and examining it. It was rusty, and old looking.

Then his eyes shifted to the cell door.

Approaching the door, he inserts the key into the lock and turns. The tumblers crank and crack, and the door slides open. A little shove and door swung further open, leading into a hallway. There was a figure shambling away opposite to him. It didn't seem to notice him.

"Hey! Hey! Where am I?!" He called out but the figure only kept on going. Undefeated, Trail pursues. He passes by other cells with other beings inside, but they go unnoticed as he passes on. As he passes by some irons bars, a body suddenly smashed and was impaled upon the bars, bending them towards him.

"Oh shit!" Trail Breeze screams at the surprise. He looks at the body, a stallion....A normal yellow coat, Green cropped mane.
The pony is gasping, and looked to Trail with soulful eyes. They spake words themselves, and they spake the words "run" The body began to dissipate. Fading away into a mist.

"What in the hell?" He asks meekly. He notices a giant, fat, hammer-wielding creature in the same room as the corpse. It boasted twisted and mangled horns, its eyes beading dark and its teeth sharp and jagged. Twisted into a crooked and wicked smile. It was walking back and forth, Trail going unnoticed.

"What the shit!!!!???" He yells, backing away. Eyes widening at the sight.

His eyes return to the shambling figure, deciding its not smart to piss off fatty.

"Hey!" He calls out, gaining on the pony. But it doesn't respond. Only continues on. As he approached the pony, he noticed its coat was like his. Fleshy and scabby. Its mane nonexistent. As he approached, the pony stopped. "Hey, man... where are we?" Trail asked, turning the pony around. He recoiled when he saw the ponies face.

Its jaw was gone, torn away by something unknown. Its eyes were soulless, dark pits where pupils should be. Its teeth rotten and brown... It groaned and looked him over, but Trail wanted only to back away.

"W-what...what the...w-what the fuck?" He mutters, backing away.

It turned away and continued shuffling on. Completely oblivious to Trails presence.

And Trail only walked past him, hurrying down the hallway to escape its presence for Trail could not bear another second near it. With the pony shambling behind him, he entered a room filled with water. Another pony in the water. It was staring at him with its soulless eyes. He ignored it, however, and spotted a door on the other side of the room. Approaching it, he looked inside. A ladder waits at the end. Looking up, it was a short ladder. And so he started climbing. It was tiring, his fleshy state found that any strenuous task would fatigue him much faster.

Coming to the top, he entered a courtyard. Pillars, grass, stone, a sword in the stone, and a giant door was all that awaited him... no guards. No guards whatsoever.

"Where is everybody?" Trail muttered, approaching the sword. As he got close, the sword was of no design he recognized. Coiled, and dull looking... He glanced over and saw a bar door leading to parts unknown. He grabbed hold of the sword and began to pull. Seconds passed as the sword remained embedded within the sand and stone. And the effort to pull on it was proving just as strenuous as climbing a rusty iron ladder. Or at least, its strenuous in his state.

But it was then, just as fatigue set in and stopped to catch his breath, that a fire spawned at the tip of the blade. The sudden burst of surprise made him jump, falling onto his back. His eyes landed on the fire. It was warm, which was to be expected, but it was also strangely comforting to the stallion. Standing up, he cautiously studied the fire. It burst from thin air and was warm, but didn't seem at all dangerous.

Instead, he felt like he was at home.. He felt a comforting sensation from the fire. His eyelids begin to grow heavy, but he fought back the urge to rest, he knew he has to escape. He knew rest can wait until later. He backed away, his mind still unable to comprehend his conjuring of fire, and looked to the giant door. He doubted that he could actually move it, but if he can conjure fire...

Moving through the somewhat comforting grass and sand, he approaches the door. It was wooden with iron latches.

The door beyond looked smaller but nonetheless it was big, but he knew he could move it. Moving for the next door, he looked around. The room was a mess. Large vases, pottery, mossy stone pillars and lone bricks laying on the floor everywhere. He looked around and could see no other exit...

"Perfect place for an ambush..." He muttered. And he was right. Only one entrance, and funneling soldiers through it could cut him off. But he shook his head, nothing here seemed dangerous. None of those zombies attacked him...

But then he remembered was below, what killed that one pony. He thanked his lucky stars to be topside, and not below. He started for the large door, stepping on mossy stone and moss bricks. The floor was cracked and somewhat wet. And in one spot, there was blood. It looked as though it continued to flow, however.

A loud crash caught his attention, dust and bricks flew in every direction, one nearly braining Trail. He looked down and covered his eyes to protect them from the dust. But when it settled he looked to the cause of it, scowling. But that tough-pony look faded quickly into a look of terror. His eyes conveying visions of fear.

'Me and my goddessdamned mind! What the fuck, man?!' His thoughts screamed.

What was before him was a creature similar to that of which he saw before. Only greener. The thing looked down upon him, smiling sadistically. It took a step forward, and Trail stepped back, unsure of what to do. Every second he eyed the creature, the more fear that filled his mind. He was unsure of what to do, and when the creature starting to run for him he screamed.

Attempting to turn tail and run back for the door, a brick laying on the floor tripped his footing. He fell, hitting his muzzle on the hard stone floor. He scrambled to get up, but his mind was panic ridden. He turned over and saw the beast standing above him, raising its hammer.

"Oh shit!" He yelled, but not a second after those words left his gullet the hammer came down...

It came down in force, and squished the stallion. His vision turning to bleak black, and before his eyes was the symbol of ringed fire once more...

As the symbol outlined itself, Trail felt no pain. Nor anything really. All feeling had left him, and what was left was indifference. A feeling he had felt once before in his life at home, but otherwise a feeling that was left behind in the back of his mind. But as he stared at the ring, it quickly faded into dark, and soon the dark faded as well, replaced with the grass of the courtyard and the warmth of the fire. Glancing behind him, he saw the doors... they were open wide, but a foggy mist had taken position on it. His gaze then moved to the fire...

"What the fuck..."

He looked to his hooves, still scabby. Still fleshy. Same could be described of his body; a husk like before. Patting himself, he breathed joy and smiled. He is alive.

'Is that what undeath is? Do the undead live forever?' He thought. But he shook his head, denying the thought. 'No. No! I died. It killed me.... i'm dead... I died.... but i'm still here...'

He looked down once more. His breathing erratic and uneven. A smile formed at the corners of his mouth.

He looked back to the giant doors, enveloped in a mysterious grey fog. The beast beyond trampling back and forth. One could hear its footsteps as it paced. It was waiting for him to return, but return he would not... if he had a choice.

There was no other exit, there was another rusty door. But it was barred from the other side. And he knew there was no going back to his cell. That guard... or whoever he was was not coming back... Standing up, he approached the fog wall with caution. He could hear the beast beyond. Part of him wanted to try and find another way, but the other part knew that the was the only way. His soldierly training also told him to stand and fight.

But he had no idea how to combat such a monster. A thing that stood over him ten feet. A monster that could kill him easily in one swing or smash.

He was a trained pony. Trained to combat magical, aerial, ranged, and close quarters opponents... he has even been trained on how to fight Diamond Dogs. But nothing ever readied him for this creature. But he knew he had to kill it, one way or the other. And if he can't die.... then he has nothing to worry about.

He peered into the fog. But it was a thick mist. He could not see how close it was, or if it was even facing him... He then reached into the fog, and his leg disappeared within. Then, he advanced through it. Disappearing within, and coming out the other side.

And there it was, staring at him from across the room. Its lips curled wickedly into a smile. With a gulp, Trail stepped forward. A glare focused onto the beasts eyes. He was challenging the beast. An action he knew had the great possibility of blowing up in his face. But his mind determined, and with no way back, he pressed on. Despite being unarmed.

'I'm so fucked...'

The beast roared, charging him with its hammer raised. A gory hammer it was, looking to be made of bone and blood. When it swung, blood flowed freely off of it. Splotches showed on the floor from where the blood had landed. But, he remained unbothered by it. He was a soldier who had witnessed death plenty of times. Blood wasn't a problem with him.

As the hammer came down, his training found itself and he galloped towards the beast, running between its legs. A loud smash sent wind through the air. It felt both good and a little painful as the wind stung his flesh. He retaliated against the attack, standing up on his hind legs and jabbing the monsters leg. But it had no effect, no blood. The beast only uttered what sounded like a laugh. Sadistic. Bringing forth its leg, it kicked backwards. Hitting Trail and knocking him across the room.

He trots up some stairs, only to be met with an arrow.

"That all you got you BASTARD?!" Trail shouts.

He blocks another arrow, and advances, another arrow, another,another and another. He is now within striking distance of the pony, with a flick of his arm, he chops off the head of the pony. He is no stranger to blood or guts, but this almost made him vomit, the pony's blood was a dark green.

"That's not normal." Trail concludes.

He looks up to see a fog surface, Trail extends a hoof cautiously. His hoof goes through the fog, Trail expects a gigantic hairy hoof to come and grab him, then pull him through, but no, the fog begins to dissipate as he moves his whole arm through. Eventually, he moves his whole body through, the first thing that catches his eyes is a figure, clad in armor, behind a destroyed cell door. From the doors state, he knows he cant get through, he approaches the door, to see if he can find another way through. The only way through though is a hole in the roof.

"Curse my earth pony-ness." Tail mutters.

"Hey!! Hey you!!!! Can you hear me!!!?" Trail calls out to the figure. The figure doesn't respond.

"Shit."

Trail continues to move across the balcony, looking down, he notices the Bonfire he was at earlier. He continues to move until he comes across some stairs with a giant cannon ball thingy at the top. He looks back to see the room with the Knight, an idea sparks in his brain. He walks up the stairs, only to have the giant boulder come crashing down. Trail only has a split second to react, he jumps off to the side, only to fall and hit face first and some more stairs. Pain fills his chest, as he lands chest-first onto the stone stairs.

"Hrrrggg....Dammit! Buck that hurts! Grrrrr." Trail grunts, at least he missed getting smushed.

Gasping heavily, Trail Breeze makes his way back up the stairs he fell on. He sees that his plan, although didn't turn to his favor, it still worked, the hole in the wall allows him to enter the cell, the pony he saw earlier is still alive, but upon further examination, is mortally wounded, blood is pouring from his armor, and what looked liked tears are coming from his helmet. Trail approaches figure before realizing that this is the same Knight that set him "free". Trail jumps back when the Knight turns his head to face him.

"Oh you....I knew you weren't hollow." The Knight says.

Trail remembers the stories that hollows are creatures that lost their mind forever.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness your here, im going to die soon, then im going to lose my sanity. I...........I want to ask you something, we are both undead, so hear me out please?"

"Yes, its the least I can do..." Trail answers after thinking.

"Ok...Thanks, now regrettably I have failed in my mission...But perhaps you can keep the torch lit....*sigh* There is an old saying my family, though who art undead art chosen, in thine exodus from the Undead Asylum, maketh pilgrimage to the land of ancient lords, when thou ringeth the Bell of Awakening, the fate of the undead thou shalt know. Well...Now you know, and now, I can die with hope in my heart."

"Wait what?" Trail Breeze asks.

"Ughh, before I go, take this...Its and Estus Flask, an Undead favorite, it can heal any wound, but im out of it, or else I wouldn't be sitting here on the verge of death...Hehhehe...Oh and this. Its a key that will open some door in this Asylum, said door will lead you to the Asylum Demon, kill it...And you earn your freedom. Now please go....I would hate to harm you after death....So go now....And thank you again..." The Knight explains, gurgling sounds can be heard coming from him. Obviously drowning in his own blood.

Trail Breeze decides it wouldn't be right to ask him about giving up his quest to him... He walks off after saluting the Knight. Trail Breeze walks up the stairs, luckily with not boulder chasing him, he gets to the top, only to be met with a slash that cuts Trails coat on his leg, pulling out his shield with his bloody leg, he grips the shield in his mouth and parries a another attack from the Hollow, he then shoves his axe clean through the skull of the zombie. Falling to the floor in pain, gripping his front left leg, he grunts in pain.

"Dammit! Of course the Estus is out....Buck me!"

<><><>

Trail Breeze looks down upon the demon, who is staring right back up at Trail. After killing numerous Zombies, suffering a few wounds THAT ARE STILL BLEEDING, this is what it comes to....

"You only live infinite." Trail chuckles at what he said. He jumps off the balcony, Axe in hoof, shield in mouth, he lands square on the demons head, plunging his axe into the demons skull, but oddly not enough to kill it instantaneously.

Jumping off the demon, he manages to avoid a blow from its mighty hammer. Dashing around some pillars to avoid a few more swings. The demon gets lucky and smacks Trail with the side of the hammer, knocking him quite aways from wear he was standing, grunting in serious pain, he gets up and throws his axe into the belly of the demon. He dashes towards the demon, getting lucky enough to miss being smashed, he drops his shield and grips the handle of the axe, and runs in parallel with the creatures belly, tearing the stomach open, guts being to spill out but it doesn't stop the beast. He dashes towards his shield, grabbing it with his bloody front right leg, he replaces his axe with his shield, and vice versa. He turns towards the demon, who is ripping out strands of its guts so it can continue its assault.

"Can nothing kill this damn thing????" Trail shouts.

The creature rips out the last gut strand that is slowing him down, he charges at Trail, but at a much slower pace, Trail quickly realizes that the demon is weaker now, it wont survive much longer. Trail grips his shield tight with his teeth as he charges the demon, rolling to avoid getting smashed to pieces, he hacks at the beasts legs, causing it to fall over. Trail jumps onto the beast.

"Time to end this once and for all!!!!" He yells, bringing down his axe onto the demons exposed heart. The beast screams in agony before it becomes quiet.

It begins to dissipate, Trail falls off because of this. As he watches the beast dissipate, he realizes how much pain he is in and he wont be able to continue much longer if he continues to bleed. Whats left of the beast is a key, a black and white sprite, and the guts of the demon. Putting the sprite in his pocket for later examination, he picks up the key and walks towards the door, fitting the key in tiny hole, the door opens, revealing grass and graves. Without saying a word, he limps towards the edge of a cliff, expecting a path ahead. But all he finds is nothingness. He hears a screech, causing him to look up at giant eagle, which is about to grab him. He tries to dodge, but to no avail, the eagle grabs him.

"LET ME GO!!! NOOO!!!"