Rainbow Dash Explores Lordranby The SkyrunnerChaptersJailbreakSeeing Red in the SuburbTango with the TaurusI Saw the Sun, and he Saw MeJailbreakRainbow Dash screamed as she fell towards the ground, instinctively flapping her wings to get her bearings. Problem is, she didn’t have them anymore. Her body had changed, becoming human once more as she fell through a hoop similar to the one the zebra colt had used on her. Below her lied a castle, old and decrepit looking as it perched atop a tall mountain. The prismatic meteor couldn’t change her direction as she fell, and crashed through the ceiling of a weakened room, chunks of stone digging into her skin and falling on top of her as her body slammed hard into the ground. She instantly knew nothing but blackness as she felt her mind slip form her body. When she awoke, Rainbow Dash found herself in a small, dimly lit room. A door not unlike the ones found in a jail blocked the only way out of the room, other than the skylight above her head. A small trough of water was dirtied and sickly from age, and rats scurried here and there in the cell. “Ugh… what happened?” She muttered, rubbing her head with a single hand. The hand looked as healthy as ever, despite the fall she had endured. Surprised by this revelation, she checked over her body and clothes. Her outfit may have borne the brunt of the injury, her skirt almost completely ruined while her shirt had enough fabric left in the right places to keep herself modest. Her sneakers took a little less beating, and her shorts fared the same way. Her jacket was nowhere to be seen, however. What was odd was that while her clothing surely told the story of what happened, not a single blemish or injury existed on her skin. She couldn’t even feel the pain anymore, when it was so searing in its intensity. When she felt her neck, she gasped a little. On the left side of her neck was what felt like a wound, and she scurried over to the water trough. Looking at her distorted reflection in the water, Rainbow Dash saw that a small ring of what appeared to be fire was there. It blackened the skin inside the circle, but didn’t appear to be doing much else. “What the hell…” She muttered, looking to the side to get the image out of her head. She did find something else of intrigue, though. It was a small doll, made entirely of petrified wood, with a tattered cloth dress laced around it. This peculiar doll caught her attention, and the girl picked it up, looking at it carefully. She felt at ease looking at it, as if the doll could convey the kindness its previous owner showed it. Rainbow Dash smiled, holding the doll close. She would never admit it, but if one could see her, small droplets of water would be found outside the trough in the room. The girl was startled form her quiet musings when a loud *thump* sounded from behind her. A body had fallen from the skylight in the room, covered in nothing but rags. Rainbow Dash looked up, and saw an armored figure above her, who nodded and walked off. “What was his problem?” She asked aloud, before looking at the body. The person it used to be was obviously dead, but she saw the glittering of metal from within a small bag it held on its hip. She took the bag, careful to not look at the body, and found a key inside of it. Smiling, Rainbow Dash walked over to the cell door and tried it. She found that the key fir perfectly, and the door swung open. The key snapped in the process, rendering it unusable. Cursing her bad luck, she discarded the useless half of the key, and tied the bag around her own waist. Rainbow Dash carefully placed the doll inside, aiming to take it with her if only for comfort. Dash noticed that a small glint of metal was found outside her cell. It was a broken sword of old, nothing but the hilt and a little bit of blade, snapped off into a rusted point. She grabbed it, as something was better than nothing to defend herself with. As she walked, Rainbow Dash could see other cells to her left, and a grand room full of treasure to her right, blocked by brick and fence. A great monster walked in that room, and seemed to not notice the prismatic teen. “It’s alright, Dash,” She muttered to herself. “Nothing’s going to happen to you. It’s just like Daring Do! Yeah, I’m an explorer, and I’ve found myself trapped in a ruin. I’ve just got to get out of here.” She kept rambling on to herself, trying to calm her nerves. She saw a human up ahead, crouched low to the ground. “Excuse me, but could you tell me where the hell I am?” She asked. The human groaned in response, not even looking up to her. “Hey, I’m asking you a question, pal! It’s not nice to ignore someone as awesome as I am!” At that, the person lifted their head, revealing a rotted face, and two pinpricks of orange light where its eyes should be. It lunged forward, attempting to grab Rainbow. “Hey! Knock it off, will you?” Bu to no avail. The creature’s hand slashed at her arm, tearing a gash down into her flesh. Rainbow panicked, and swung her weapon at its face, missing her target but ending up embedding the broken blade in its throat. The creature gurgled and fell, dead. Rainbow shook herself, getting the image out of her head. “What the heck was that thing…?” She muttered, before noticing the blood on her hands. “I… I killed it…” her eyes widened in the horror of her actions, but she shook her head. “I-It’s okay, Rainbow… it tried to kill you… it… it’s okay that you did that… i-it was self-defense… yeah…” She sat on the ground, looking at the doll once more. It seemed to nod its head a little, reassuring Rainbow Dash that it was indeed alright. She shook her head. “That’s what Daring Do would do… I just gotta be strong, and find a way out of here.” She kept going, passing through another door. She found a small room filled with water, and she bent down to scoop some up. It looked clean enough, so she drank a little bit before continuing to a ladder situated in a small alcove. “Not so bad so far…” She said, trying to keep herself calm by talking to herself. She climbed up the ladder rung by rung, heaving herself up at the top. Rainbow Dash found herself in a courtyard, a great door found at the far end. In the center was a small, metal rod, the last few dying embers of a fire at its base. Curious, she walked towards it, and gently touched the rod. Suddenly, she felt as if part of her was attracted to the rod, and the fire below spouted into flame once more. The fire was small, but warm, and she took the time to rest at it, feeling strength once again fill her body. When she felt rested enough, she was drawn to the only thing of interest in the courtyard – the gigantic door. With heaving strength, she pushed open the iron behemoths, entering what looks like it could be an entry hall to the place. A door on the other side blocked her escape. She walked out into the room, noticing the pots all around her, as well as another door off to the side. She smiled, and headed over to it, but not before being stopped by a gigantic monster, looking somewhat like the one that was outside her cell. It bellowed in a roar, its greenish skin shaking with it. It carried a giant hammer, one that missed Rainbow Dash by inches as she rolled to the side. Rainbow let loose a string of profanity as she ran towards the open door, aiming to exit the room as quickly as possible. She managed to exit quicker than she normally could run, as the demon had slammed its hammer into her back, sending her flying towards the door. As she flew through it and down a flight of stairs, a metal grate sealed off the exit. Rainbow Dash didn’t see that, however, as her broken form rolled and plunged into a pool of water at the end of the stairs. “Fuck… that hurt… like, a lot…” She said, crawling out of the water. She could barely feel her legs through the remnants of pain that flooded her body, and her left leg looked like ti was broken. Pretty obviously broken, too. Resisting the urge to vomit, she hauled herself up onto dry land, noting another metal rod with small embers beneath it. She touched the rod, and the flame beneath started up again, and her body felt better almost immediately. Her bone was reset in place and any blood lost replenished in a matter of minutes, all while she felt no pain at all. “Magical fire that heals me when I sit near it? I think I could get used to that.” Rainbow Dash said, smirking. She sat for a while at the fire, feeling tis warmth. After about an hour, she got up, feeling no worse than when she first woke up here. “Cool. I’m starting to like this place. You know, without the giant monster being slam-happy.” She turned to the only way out of the room, leading to a small path open to the sky above. A single human shape was at the far end. It wasn’t long until Rainbow Dash had to duck to the side, as an arrow was launched towards her. She summersaulted into an alcove, where a body greeted her. “Sorry, pal,” Rainbow said, ripping a shield off of its arm. “But I’m going to need this more than you do.” She put the shield, which looked like a badly dented knight shield, into her left hand, gripping it tight as she held it above her face. She charged out at the archer, slamming the shield into its face. The archer rolled to the side and knocked another arrow. Rainbow didn’t let it have the chance, however, as she slammed her shield into its face once more, causing it to go limp and the orange glow fade from its eyes. With heavy breaths, she walked forward, picking up a discarded sword from another corpse. It was newer in the sense that it was a whole short sword, better than the stub she had, which was discarded in favor of the straighter steel. She came across a gate of fog, and shrugging all the while, she passed through it. She came to be on a walkway overlooking the courtyard from before. Finding a set of stairs, she walked up them, only for a large ball of iron steel to impact her face and continue rolling back down the stairs with her, blowing through a wall and sending her flying into it as well. “Ah shit… I’m really getting tired of that…” She said to herself, luckily noticing that nothing was broken that time. She looked around in the room she landed in, noticing a person gently breathing, laying against the rubble. He was dressed in high-ranking plate armor, and carried a sword and shield. “Hey, wait a minute… you’re the guy that helped me before!” “Oh, you… you’re no hollow, right?” He said, looking over to her. She walked over, kneeling by his side. She nodded, and his unseen face smiled. “Thank goodness. I’m done for, I’m afraid. I’ll die soon, then lose my sanity…” He coughed, causing the girl to look more and more worried by the second. “I wish to ask something of you… you and I, we’re both undead… hear me out, will you?” “Undead? Uhh, pal, I’m no zombie or anything.” Rainbow said. She gestured to her arm. “I don’t even look like one.” He responded by pointing to her neck. “You carry the darksign. All undead do. But I feel an odd aura about you, preventing you from going hollow… you are a lucky one indeed…” he coughed once more. “The Darksign does not waver, and only is found on the undead… so please, as a fellow undead, hear me out?” Rainbow nodded. “Sure. But first, your name. I’m Rainbow Dash.” “An odd name… I am Oscar, of Astora. Regrettably, I have failed in my mission… but perhaps you can keep the torch lit. There’s an old saying in my family. ‘Thou who are Undead, art chosen in thine exodus from the Undead Asylum, maketh pilgrimage to the land of the ancient lords. When thou ringeth the Bell of Awakening, the fate of the Undead thou shalt know.’ Well? Will you carry my mission onwards?” Rainbow was slightly tearing up. “Yeah. I’m on my way out of here, to go back home. I’ll ring that bell for you, don’t you worry.” Oscar laughed. “Then I can die happy, with hope in my heart for your success. But before I do pass on, here, take this.” He handed her a small key, and continued, “This as well. An Estus Flask, an undead favorite.” Oscar handed Rainbow a small bottle that was slightly filled with a yellow, glowing liquid. “Now, go, Rainbow Dash. I would hate to harm you after death. And thank you.” “Wait, Oscar, you’re not gonna die on my watch! I can get you help! We can get through this together!” But her words fell on deaf ears, as the man known as Oscar of Astora died, his body crumbling to dust. Rainbow felt water leave her face, and she knelt there, saddened by the loss of the one person who was kind to her here. She swallowed hard, and took a swig of the Estus Flask to calm her nerves. She felt rejuvenated, as if she was next to the bonfires from before. Task and sword in hand she walked up the steps the boulder fell down, unlocking a singular door at the top. More of the creatures – she presumed they were the hollows Oscar talked about – attacked her, but she easily avoided their clumsy strikes and killed them in return. Another wall of fog blocked her path, and she bravely walked through it, finding herself on a small balcony. She looked down, and saw the monster that nearly broke her spine earlier. With a battle cry, she jumped from the ledge, and sunk her sword into its back. The demon roared in pain as it felt steel sink into its flesh, and Rainbow jumped off of it, ripping her sword out as she did so. She took a stance she learned from the fencing club at school, modifying it to suit her shield’s use. The demon turned, looking at her with its red eyes. It roared, swinging its mighty hammer towards Rainbow, who rolled to the side to avoid it. She surged forward, slashing at its exposed skin with her blade. The monster responded by flapping its tiny wings, going airborne before slamming down, knocking Rainbow backwards. “So you can fight, huh!? Well, come at me!” The girl shouted, raising her shield while moving closer. The demon swung its hammer in an overhead arc, missing the prismatic blur that was Rainbow running to the side. She thrusted her blade forward in response, piercing the stomach of the demon twice before backing off, avoiding a close-range swipe of the hammer. In the time following that swipe, she took a quick sip of the Estus, feeling the injuries from the previous blow fade from its magical qualities. The demon swung overhead once more, almost catching the girl off guard. Rainbow rolled into the blow, missing the impact zone and attacking with an uppercut slash. The demon actually stumbled from this, and in a blind panic, Rainbow Dash jumped onto its knee. From there, she stabbed her blade into its arm and used that as a leverage point to haul herself up to its face. She aimed her sword at its eyes and stabbed the demon straight through them. It howled in agony, dropping its hammer and falling to the ground, still and lifeless. As it did so, Rainbow fell as well, impacting the stone below after a good fifteen-foot drop. “Ouch…” She said, getting to her feet. “Well, that guy didn’t put up much of a fight. I’ve had a much harder time playing video games against Applejack.” With that said, she noted a large key sticking out of the demon’s tail. She pulled it out, and looked towards the large door at the end of the hall. The key fit perfectly, and she opened the large metal doors with relative ease. She saw a pathway leading up, and she followed it, on guard in case anything wished to attack her. The path rose up and up, past a small amount of ruined walls. At the top she relaxed slightly, taking in the sight of the world around her. She was standing on the edge of a cliff, overlooking mountains and valleys that went on for miles. “Whoa…” She said, awestruck. Just then, a gigantic raven appeared, easily four times her own size. It grabbed Rainbow Dash in its talons, and flew off, screaming prismatic teen in tow. Author's Note Boom. Here's a thing. I've had the idea for a Dark Souls crossover since I first played the game about a year ago. Fun fact, I originally chose Applejack as the main protagonist. Let's see where this one goes instead. Seeing Red in the Suburb“Let go of me, you stupid bird!” Was the voice that could be heard for miles above Lordran. Rainbow Dash had been in the raven’s talons for well over an hour now, flying towards who-knows-where. In the latter half of the hour she doubled her cries and insults at the bird, as if renewed by an unseen force. She saw mountains and ruined cities beneath her, but none of that mattered as she continued to scream at her assailant. Eventually, as if the bird had enough of her whining, it opened its talons and dropped her like a rock to the world below. Rainbow Dash impacted the ground, but was no worse for wear than before. She found herself next to a bonfire, which was already lit and burning slightly brighter than the other two she saw before. The prismatic teen eagerly rested near it, feeling weariness leave her body. Curiously, she also noticed the Estus Flask she carried being filled to halfway with the precious golden liquid. “Huh. Bigger fire, more healing juice. Nice.” She muttered, before noticing a solitary figure sitting on a rock not far from the bonfire, lost in thought. “Uh, hello there,” she said, walking up to him. “Mind telling me where I am?” “Oh, you must be a new arrival, right? Let me guess. Fate of the undead, and all that?” The man said, looking over to her. “But there’s no salvation here, you’d have been better off to rot in the Undead Asylum like everyone else.” “Listen, pal, I asked for help on where I am, not some melodramatic speech on hopelessness.” The man chuckled. “You’re in what’s known as the Firelink Shrine. Since you’re here, why don’t I help you out a bit?” Rainbow Dash eagerly nodded, and awaited more. “There are actually two Bells of Awakening. One’s up above, in the Undead Church. The other is far, far below in the depths of Blighttown. Ring them both, and something happens, right? Brilliant.” “Wait, there’s two of them? I was only told-“ “That there was one, yes. We all were. But I have a feeling that’s not going to stop you anyway. You’re far too colorful for that to not happen.” He stifled a laugh, but gestured towards a hill on the other side of the shrine. “Now run along and leave me be. I’d rather not tend to the casual arrivals like you all the time.” “Hey, what do you mean by ‘casual arrival,’ bud? I’m not new to this whole fighting thing. I killed a demon back there, for crying out loud!” Rainbow half-yelled throughout the shrine. “Yes, and so have I. And everyone else who has come this far. The demon that guards the Asylum regenerates over time. Killing it is only the first baby steps of your new life.” He smirked. “It’s not impressive at all.” His smirk broke out into a smile, followed by outright laughter. “Oh, your face, girl! I’m willing to bet you won’t make it to the first bell, what with the emotion you’re overflowing now. You do need to keep some to yourself, lest you become hollow… not like that’s a choice!” He kept laughing like mad, and Rainbow left in a huff. She jogged up the hill that was pointed out before. Up on the ledge, she was faced with a small gathering of hollows. “Good. I need some stress relief.” Rainbow charged forward, slashing her sword twice to dispatch the first hollow. The second aimed a poorly-thrown swing at her, which she rolled to the side to dodge. “Not so tough, are you? Here’s some more where – Fuck!” She shouted the last bit, after being hit in the back by a small explosion. Looking up, a hollow was preparing small bomb-shaped objects, lighting them with a small spark and throwing them down on her. In her moment of confusion, the hollow she was fighting managed to slice open a gash on the back of her thigh, causing the girl to stumble forward. She threw her sword blindly behind her, landing the tip of it in the hollow’s head and killing it instantly. She rolled out of the way of an incoming firebomb, her blood streaking across the grass. Rainbow Dash hastily gulped down a mouthful of the precious Estus, feeling its energies sealing up the cut on her leg and a few other, smaller wounds. Renewed by this vigor, she vaulted up the stairs to the firebomb-throwing hollow and reached back with her shield, bashing it into the face of the undead threat. It didn’t do much damage, but the force pushed the hollow straight off the cliff, and to his doom in the land below. Relaxing slightly, Rainbow Dash walked back down the hill, and recovered her discarded blade before moving on. At the top of the stairs, she came across a large aqueduct. Moving inside, Rainbow trudged through the waters, heading right. Without much in the way of direction, she let her ‘natural explorer skills’ take over. Or at least, the skills she had seen from years of action movies and video games. Couple that with her athletic form and training in both the martial arts and fencing, and she was feeling pretty confident. The aqueduct soaked her sneakers, causing them to squish with each step. On her left soon after she jogged through the dark tunnel was an exit, with a staircase leading up. At the top, she was greeted by two hollows, which hadn’t noticed her yet. Taking a moment to get her surroundings in order, she noted that she was now in some sort of old town. Nodding to herself, she crept up behind the first hollow while its back was turned, and stabbed it straight in the back. The hollow slumped off her sword while the other charged. Rainbow rolled backwards, avoiding a swing by mere inches. She counterattacked with a single jab, stabbing the hollow in its stomach. The hollow continued undaunted, moving itself further onto her blade to reach for the girl. Rainbow Dash responded by bashing it with her shield a total of three times, causing it to die as she ripped her blade out of it. “I’m not really into the touchy-feely types, pal. Try again some other time.” A third hollow made itself known as she rounded a corner, and shot a crossbow bolt at her. The bolt struck her chest, digging deep in her sternum. Rainbow cried in pain, but didn’t give the hollow the chance to reload as she charged, slashing her sword a total of four times to dispatch it. She sat on the ground, dropping her equipment next to her. Panting, she gripped the bolt with one hand and winced, the pain of touching it clouding her mind. In a swift motion, she yanked it from her chest, taking a sizeable amount of flesh with it. Blood pooled from the wound, and she quickly took another two swigs from the Estus Flask. She felt her wounds knit together, sealing up and replenishing lost blood. “Damn…” she muttered, breathing heavily. “As much as I like my duds, they’re not really getting the job done.” She looked down at her clothing, which was barely holding together at this point. “I need armor, or something. At least some new clothes. Heh, what I wouldn’t give for Rarity to be here right now. She could probably make something out of those rags the hollows are wearing.” An idea struck her head, then she shook the same location. Her eyes glanced towards the dispatched hollows. “Well… it’s not like they’re using it anyway… and something is better than nothing…” Deciding to act before she changed her mind, she walked over to the three hollow corpses, and selected the best pieces of armor she could find. A chest plate, however shoddy it was, was taken, as well as armored boots, greaves, and gloves. A tunic of tattered cloth was put on first, after disrobing her initial gear. Then the armor came on, and Rainbow felt weighed down slightly, but still good to go. Her old clothes lay in a corner of the rooftop she was on, soon to be forgotten. She picked up her bag, retying it to her ‘new’ tunic’s belt. Checking its contents, she was relieved to see her Estus Flask and the doll still in one piece. However, she also spotted a small purple stone, tied with a pink ribbon. She touched it, and it felt as though it could be made of soap. Shrugging, she placed it back into the bag she had while figuring it could come in handy later. In addition, she scavenged the third hollow’s crossbow and bolts, thinking that ranged weaponry can help immensely with her quest. Passing through another gate of fog, Rainbow Dash found herself on the top of a small bridge leading to another rooftop. She walked across the top of it, only to be punted back as a dragon covered in red scales landed just in front of her. As soon as it landed it took off into the sky above, as if only using the bridge as leverage. Cursing out loud, Rainbow downed another gulp of Estus, realizing her supply was getting dangerously low. Only what seemed like two more mouthfuls was left. A larger rooftop barred her path ahead, however, as she climbed up a short flight of stairs. This one had rudimentary fortifications present on it, and a number of undead hollows. Rainbow smirked and took out her crossbow, aiming it at the hollow who was overlooking the entire roof on a tower. It held a bow in its hands, so Rainbow naturally made it her target. She let the crossbow bolt fly, only for it to miss entirely and strike the wall next to a group of hollows. They turned their heads towards her, knowing where the bolt launched from. “Shit.” Rainbow said, drawing her blade and holding her shield up to block an arrow. Three hollows converged on her as a fourth knocked another arrow, and the girl charged them, fearless in her assault. The first was dispatched with little trouble as it carried no shield, while Rainbow had to roll backwards to avoid a flurry of strikes from a second. An arrow struck the ground where she had stood as she recovered from the roll. The third hollow ran up to her and tried to attack, but Rainbow managed to bash its weapon aside and stab it through its chest, felling the enemy instantly. However as she stood there performing the action, an arrow struck her cheek, digging into her mouth as it stopped. She cried out in pain as she pulled out her crossbow, aiming in a blind rage and shooting three bolts into the hollow’s head. The hollow who was on the ground next to her started its flurry of attacks, catching Rainbow with the last few. Weak from the fight, she aggressively attacked with one last burst of energy and it fell like its brethren. Quickly, Rainbow slurped up a bit of Estus before ripping the arrow out of her mouth, and drinking the rest of the bottle to heal her wounds. “That… wasn’t so hard.” Rainbow said, laughing slightly. “Heh. Daring Do’s got nothing on me now. She’s never fought the dead and won. You hear that!?” She shouted, yelling to the sky. “I could take on a million of you guys! Give me a challenge!” As if on cue, she shuddered, as if the fabric of reality had been severed nearby. Bracing herself, she walked up the steps to the ledge the hollow was sniping from, lighting a new bonfire as she did so. She couldn’t feel its healing powers, however, as she sat next to it. Something was stopping them from working. Cautiously she walked outside, only to see a small object hit the ground and break in front of her. It released a sound that was kind of like a distant, hollow ‘hello-hello’ from the end of a hallway. Looking up, she spied what had to be the most disgusting creature she had ever seen. It was humanoid in shape only, wearing armor of what looked like stone as it shone a dark, blood red. Its head was an overgrown egg, rotten and bulbous near its base. In its left hand was a large meat cleaver, and the right hand shone with a dark aura. “What the hell are you?” Rainbow shouted, bringing up her shield. It bent over and roared at Rainbow, the top of the egg splitting open in four to reveal a writhing red worm about the same size as her arm. It charged, swinging the meat cleaver into her shield. Rainbow staggered back from the blow, but managed to avoid the next swing at a hair’s breadth away. The girl sliced at its armor, but was seemingly doing nothing to the monster. The monster slashed with its cleaver again, and Rainbow rolled under the swing, popping up behind it and stabbing her sword into its back. She kicked the beast off her sword, certain it was dead. Her certainty wavered as the monster got back up, no worse for wear. She brought her shield up to block its counterattack, but was stunned by the sheer force it provided. The monster slashed with its cleaver, ripping off a large chunk of flesh off of her leg. The wound bled profusely, and Rainbow felt dizzy from the blood loss. The monster’s right hand glowed a bright gray, and grabbed Rainbow’s neck. The girl felt as if her soul was being ripped away from her as the monster lowered her to the ground. She lay still as it slammed its cleaver down, cutting the girl completely in half as her body, lacking her mind, faded into dust. Author's Note Rainbow Dash's Death Count: 2 Current Equipment: Hollow Soldier Armor/Gloves/Boots, Hollow soldier sword, heater shield Current items: Estus Flask, Peculiar Doll, Lavender Sign Soapstone VampDash: It will be equally sad, depressing, and full of Casul mistakes. Dash's trip is (Until my own modifications for this story's purposes) equal to my own first playthrough. I'm just not a bad gamer and didn't die to the Asylum Demon. She will die as often as I had, maybe even more. Lazydrill: Seeing as though this is a mirror of my playthrough, yes she will. PonyPlushieTryhard: I've never heard that song before. But as a fellow SunBro, I whole-heartedly approve. Wait... wouldn't I be a SunBrony in this case? StarlightNova: yes. All my yes. Shynight: it became God of War when I decided dramatic flair was in order. Expect greatness against Ceaseless Discharge later on. KlhanStar: Good to see you here! As for Nerdy-Twi, well, neither of those really fit... but maybe *item redacted* works better. Ri2: see comment responses #1 and #2 Tango with the TaurusRainbow Dash woke up. She found herself sitting next to the bonfire she lit before the bridge, before that… thing showed up and killed her. She shuddered. “I… I died…” She muttered to herself, huddling next to the fire. “But… I’m back now…” She started breathing quickly. “Was… Was Oscar right? Am I… undead?” She started hyperventilating, and she felt the mark on her neck grow warmer. She reached up and clasped it, feeling it. She grabbed it hard, trying to crush it in her hand to be rid of it. As she did so, she felt herself detach from her body, and felt it crumble away to dust… …Only for her to open her eyes once more exactly where she was. “What… what just happened?” She asked, looking around. “Did I just die again?” She found her body no worse for wear, but the mark on her neck still had not disappeared. Sighing in defeat, she picked up her sword and shield and walked out, only to receive an arrow to her shoulder. “What the frack?” she said, looking towards where the arrow came from. “Hey, I thought I got rid of you!” She said to the hollow from before, who clasped its bow and knocked another arrow. “Oh no you don’t!” Rainbow Dash ran forward, swinging her sword horizontally at the hollow. She cut its bow in two, and it responded by attempting to stab both pieces of its bow into her torso. Her armor deflected one half, but the other slammed into her uncovered belly, the armor only protecting her chest and shoulders. Grunting in pain, she still managed to swing her sword in a sideways arc, hitting the hollow with the flat of the blade. The resulting force caused it to fall off the side of the wall it stood near and into the depths below. Rainbow clutched her bleeding wound and gazed towards the bonfire. Rather than drink some of her Estus, she hobbled over to it and rested. The wound sealed up and the flames gave her strength once more. Before she exited the room, however, Rainbow Dash glanced out of the open archway. To her surprise, the same hollow she just took care of was standing there, as if nothing was wrong. “But… what the hell..?” She muttered to herself. A realization hit her – the bonfires don’t just heal her! “It’s… like they’re respawning…” Her subconscious mind created a thought, and showed it to the conscious side. “Maybe… it’s like a video game? At a save point, all the enemies respawn. So, it’s like that… but in real life.” She smirked. “I get to explore an entire, danger-filled world that never runs out of tricks and traps? Daring Do, eat your heart out.” After dispatching the same hollow in a less surprised manner, Rainbow walked across the bridge nearby. A hollow tried to chuck more bombs at her, but missed horribly and did not come close. Inside the building opposite the bridge were two more hollows, each one armed with a rusted axe. Rainbow charged into the room, swing her blade three times to dispatch the first hollow before it knew what hit him. The second reacted with little care for its fallen comrade as it lunged towards the prismatic teen. Rainbow jerked back, narrowly avoiding the blow. A door slammed open, revealing another hollow carrying a solid iron shield and a long spear. Rainbow looked across to it as it charged into the room. The axe-wielding hollow swung its weapon, successfully striking the shield on the girl’s left arm. She recoiled back and put some space between her and the two mindless undead. The hollow with the axe swung it blindly, missing the girl by a far mile. It was rewarded with a swift sword strike to its torso, and the hollow grunted in pain. Before she could finish it off, the prismatic teen found herself struck by a jab of a spear. The responsible hollow seemed to grin devilishly as its attack hit home on the girl’s shoulder. She pushed the creature off of him, kicking outward in reflex and knocking it to the ground. Her sword dove in for the kill seconds later. “Yeah! That’s what I’m talking about!” Her victory was short-lived, however, as the hollow who was still alive slammed its axe into her backside. Rainbow Dash’s face went blank as she fell to the ground, her body turning to ash. When she came to, she was sitting once more next to the same bonfire. “Oh for the love of…” She kicked a wall to vent her frustrations. “I almost had them! So close!” Rainbow Dash ascended the spiral staircase, sipping out of her estus flask to heal the injuries from her attempt at a circus act. The explosion from that barrel still stung, even after the estus was in her system. Approaching the top of the structure, she found a wall of white fog. Having come across these before, she walked through it without worry. “What do we have here?” She asked aloud, finding a good-sized bridge before her. Walking forward did nothing, and Rainbow saw another fog gate on the other end of the area. Before she got halfway to the other side, the bridge shook. The tower on the other end soon had a new figure on top of it, a very large and imposing bull-like figure wielding a great axe in its clawed hands. “Well, uh… hey there…” Rainbow muttered, backing up a little. The demon roared in challenge, dropping to the ground below. Mustering up her courage, she brought up her sword and shield and prepared to fight. The demon charged her and swung its mighty axe to land a direct hit on Rainbow’s shield. The metal barrier took all of the damage, but the force of the blow sent her back a few feet. Rainbow swung her own blade out at the demon and cut a small gash on its leg. It barely noticed this, however, and hit Rainbow right before she could bring up her shield. The girl was thrown off the building completely and landed in the forest below. Far below. About a half hour later, Rainbow found herself in front of the fog gate once more. “Alright, I’ve got him this time.” She said as a small pep talk. The battle hadn’t even properly started when she was struck in the back by an arrow. “What the hell?” She turned to see two bow-using hollows on the tower behind her. “Oh come on, that’s just not fair!” Distracted by the two hollows, she didn’t notice the demon’s hammer strike her directly on her head, ending her instantly. The third time she ascended the staircase, she was filled with her own form of bravery. As soon as she entered the fog, she climbed up the tower behind her via a ladder that seemed to be too conveniently placed. One of the two hollows on the roof was surprised, and her blade struck the back of the one who had not noticed her arrival. The other hollow let an arrow fly which was nimbly dodged by the prismatic girl rolling to the side. Rainbow jumped towards it with an attack, her sword striking the hollow in a clean hit. Her adversary drew its own blade and struck out at the girl’s chest. Her armor did much to soften the blow, but she could still feel the pain of it. “HYAA!” She cried out, striking the hollow twice in rapid movement to end its life. The demon from before had run up to the tower by now, and Rainbow did not hesitate. She jumped clear off the side of the roof and landed on the demon sword point first. It howled in pain, knocking the girl off its head. Sword in hand, she stared down the beast, which still bled form the hole in its head. The demon tried to crush Rainbow Dash with an overhead strike, which she rolled under and thrust her sword in the monster’s direction, hoping it was male for petty revenge. The way it howled from this attack made her smirk. The demon tried to bat at the girl like its hammer was a golf club, and the resulting swing hit the girl clear across the bridge. She was thrown off the edge of the cliff, but Rainbow wasn’t inclined to be defeated so easily. She grabbed the edge of the bridge and hauled herself back up. The demon charged across the bridge after seeing its quarry was not dead, axe at the ready. Rainbow brought up her shield and sword. “What the...” When she hefted her blade, she found it to be lighter than before. The blade had snapped in two, the pointed end lost to the forest below. “Oh, come on!” Thinking quickly, she threw her shield and hilt to the side and awaited the demon. She backed up as far as she could, her heels dangling off the side of the cliff. When the demon came close, she jumped between its legs and kicked outwards, knocking one of its legs off balance. Quickly the girl kicked the other calf, which caused the demon to trip and fall down into the forest below, semi-exploding in white light. The fog blocking the exit lifted. “Hell yeah! That’s how you do it!” Rainbow Dash picked up her shield and broken sword and continued on, slightly excited as to what came next. Author's Note RD Death count: 8 Finally updated. Reason: I forgot what the beginning area of DS1 were like, so I had to borrow the game again and make a new file. For those who are interested, Dash's build is going for Dexterity and Vitality almost exclusively, with strength thrown in for weapon requirements. I'll post up some of her stats if you gusy are interested. Shadow Hero: Glad you like the story, and if you've never played DS, there's a few good Let's Play's on youtube for it if you'd care to know about events ahead of time. MEGA LM ShiroHige Pony: She will meet Solaire really soon, don't worry. As for meeting the women, well... there's one who would impress her later on. Good luck on NG+!! I Saw the Sun, and he Saw MeBeyond the archway previously blocked by the monstrous demon was an old, decrepit hallway with more than a few holes in the walls and floor. Rainbow Dash kept her eyes on the floor, careful to not step in a single hole. Her footsteps echoed on the stone, the metal boots she wore clanking with every other step. A simple staircase led downward. Since it was the only way forward, it would have to do. Once at the bottom, Rainbow glanced outside the doorframe she was greeted with. Her right showed an amphitheater overlooking the city below, while her left showed a massive bridge leading to a chapel-like structure. Several hollows dotted the bridge, mindlessly walking around with no real intent. Shrugging, Rainbow decided to try her right first, since it would be quicker. She found the round semi-circle devoid of pretty much anything except for a single, solitary figure who was staring at the sun. Rainbow gulped before hefting up her broken sword, trying to judge when he would attack. The figure turned around, revealing a silver helmet with a green feather trailing off the top. His chest plate was hidden by a white tunic that had the sun emblazoned on it. His left hand carried a large, round shield with a similar insignia, and a straight sword hung from his hip. Surprised at Rainbow’s drawn weapon, he too drew his own. “Oh? A hollow decided to wander over here?” He said, gripping his blade. “Well, I would do no lesser honor than to put you out of your misery.” “Wait, you can talk?” Rainbow said. “Wait, you can talk?” The man said. Both of them stared at each other before letting out a laugh. “Well, this is rightly embarrassing. I took you for one of those mindless beings, so I was prepared…” “It’s no problem. You’re the first non-crazy person I’ve met since I left Firelink Shrine, so I automatically assumed you were gonna kill me.” Rainbow sheathed her petty excuse for a sword before offering her hand. “My name is Rainbow Dash. Might I get yours?” “A fine name, Miss Dash. I am known as Solaire of Astora.” He sheathed his own sword before shaking her hand. He offered a place next to him, and the two sat down to look at the sky. “Tell me, Rainbow. What do you see up there?” “Uhh… The sky. A few clouds. The sun. Why?” “Exactly!” Solaire said giddily. “The sun, that which gives its light to warm us all. The sun, given to us by Lord Gwyn to light our way each and every day.” He paused for a second, as if to silently pray. “I have come to this land in search of my own sun, so that I may bask in its warmth. You must think that strange, everyone does.” “No, not really.” Rainbow replied, looking up. “I think it’s kind of neat. You’re trying to find a connection to something bigger than all of us.” She smirked. “It’s kind of awesome, if you think about it.” “Now, that’s a reaction I don’t normally get from people. Most scoff at me and leave. But you? Hah! It seems as though you’re searching for something here as well.” “Two things, actually.” She sighed and looked at the knight. “I’m trying to find a way to get back home first and foremost. In the meantime, though, I promised a guy named Oscar I’d ring something called a “Bell of Awakening.” You wouldn’t happen to know what that is, would you?” “Hmm, it does spark something in my mind…” Solaire thought for a second, stroking the bottom of his helmet like one would a beard. “Aha! The Bells of Awakening. Yes, I remember now. One of them is not very far from here, you see. It’s at the top of the monastery above us.” “Really?” “Yes indeed. However, there are quite a few hollows between here and there, and a few other nasty creatures who would wish to do you harm.” The armored man soon stood up and adjusted his tunic. “I’ll simply have to help you along.” Rainbow Dash, surprised, stood as well and looked at the man. “You’d do that… at risk of your own life? Just to help me?” “Miss Dash, I am a warrior of the sun. It is my sacred oath to help those in need, and you are in such need.” He reached into a small bag on his hip and pulled out a small coin, which he handed to his companion. Rainbow looked it over, seeing it to be made of gold with a sun etched into its surface. The coin let off a pleasant warmth as she held it. “Here, as a token of my companionship, is a Sunlight Medal. Keep it with you, for if we part or I should perish, use it to remember our time of cooperation.” “Thank you, Solaire.” Placing the medal into her bag, she went to leave. Solaire followed her, and the two approached the bridge that she saw before. To Rainbow’s surprise, most of the hollows seemed to have been killed by something. The ground smelled of brimstone. “What happened here?” “…A Wyvern.” Solaire responded. He knelt down and touched the burnt residue on the ground. “From the looks of it, an adult who hungers for flesh. We should tread carefully.” The two slowly walked across the bridge, weapons drawn and their eyes peeled for trouble. A strong wind blew. “It’s near!” Solaire shouted. Rainbow looked around, and spotted a small stairway nearby, in the middle of the bridge. “Quick, in here!” She called out, running towards the opening. She heard Solaire’s footsteps right behind her as she ducked down the stairwell into a small room below the bridge. The two caught their breaths, followed by “So… did it see us?” A roar filled their ears and fire flickered from the stairway above, telling them their answer. “I would say that it most definitely did, Miss Dash.” Peeking back up the stairs, the two travelers saw a red wyvern drake clinging to the tower on the far side of the bridge. Its yellow eyes gleamed in the setting sun as it searched for prey. The gate underneath it was wide open, and Rainbow could see an unlit bonfire inside. “Do you think we could make a run for it?” “Not likely…” Solaire paused for a second before continuing, “But if one of us were to pose as a distraction, I’d bet the other could make it to the other side.” “Not happening, bud.” Rainbow protested. “You’re the only person who’s been nice to me since I got here and been alive for more than a few minutes. I’m not losing that now.” She gripped her broken sword, but not before smirking. “I have an idea.” “Is it any good?” “It’s stupid.” She said, before taking her hilt and throwing it up the staircase, aiming for it to clear the short wall on the side of the bridge. It did, and it sailed through the air for a few seconds unseen before both travelers could hear a loud clanging sound far below them. “Wait for it…” On that cue, the wyvern roared and jumped off the tower, drawn by the noise. “Run!” The two dashed up the stairs and across the bridge, into the small room. By the time the wyvern would realize nothing was there, Rainbow and Solaire had already ignited the bonfire and caught their breaths. “You’re right, that was stupid.” Solaire said, taking the time to sit on the fountain nearby. “But it worked, so I can’t fault you.” Rainbow beamed at his response. She sat down near the bonfire, and after a small yawn looked out of the tower to see a few hollows milling about once more. Solaire was still beside her, and he was busy looking around the room they were in. “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to have a spare sword on you, would you?” Rainbow asked. “That hilt was my only one.” “No wonder you tried to pull it out on me.” Solaire laughed. “No, I’m afraid I only have mine. However, countless hollows carry weapons. I’ll just have to slay one and take it for you.” From the bonfire, Solaire walked towards a balcony opposite a set of stairs. Curious, Rainbow followed him to discover a small platform with a ruined statue resting on it. Grass and moss grew all over the structure, as it had been broken for many years. “What’s this?” Solaire simply chuckled. “This, Miss Dash, is an Altar of Sunlight. A resting place and site of worship for a Warrior of Sunlight like myself.” He knelt down in front of it, murmuring a prayer to himself. Rainbow sat down near it, giving him some space. When he was finished, the two left for the stairs and ascended them. “I see two hollows right above us.” Rainbow said. “Two hollows against the two of us?” Solaire responded. “It hardly seems fair.” The two of them charged. Author's Note RD Death Count: 8 Sorry for the delay in the chapter. College won me over in the last few months. But now, back to story time! HB_DS2013: Actually, Princess Twi went to Ylisse. SciTwi is in Equestria. MEGA LM: NG7?! damn, I can't beat NG++... MEGA LM and Equestria Girls Fan 94: Here it is! enjoy!
JailbreakRainbow Dash screamed as she fell towards the ground, instinctively flapping her wings to get her bearings. Problem is, she didn’t have them anymore. Her body had changed, becoming human once more as she fell through a hoop similar to the one the zebra colt had used on her. Below her lied a castle, old and decrepit looking as it perched atop a tall mountain. The prismatic meteor couldn’t change her direction as she fell, and crashed through the ceiling of a weakened room, chunks of stone digging into her skin and falling on top of her as her body slammed hard into the ground. She instantly knew nothing but blackness as she felt her mind slip form her body. When she awoke, Rainbow Dash found herself in a small, dimly lit room. A door not unlike the ones found in a jail blocked the only way out of the room, other than the skylight above her head. A small trough of water was dirtied and sickly from age, and rats scurried here and there in the cell. “Ugh… what happened?” She muttered, rubbing her head with a single hand. The hand looked as healthy as ever, despite the fall she had endured. Surprised by this revelation, she checked over her body and clothes. Her outfit may have borne the brunt of the injury, her skirt almost completely ruined while her shirt had enough fabric left in the right places to keep herself modest. Her sneakers took a little less beating, and her shorts fared the same way. Her jacket was nowhere to be seen, however. What was odd was that while her clothing surely told the story of what happened, not a single blemish or injury existed on her skin. She couldn’t even feel the pain anymore, when it was so searing in its intensity. When she felt her neck, she gasped a little. On the left side of her neck was what felt like a wound, and she scurried over to the water trough. Looking at her distorted reflection in the water, Rainbow Dash saw that a small ring of what appeared to be fire was there. It blackened the skin inside the circle, but didn’t appear to be doing much else. “What the hell…” She muttered, looking to the side to get the image out of her head. She did find something else of intrigue, though. It was a small doll, made entirely of petrified wood, with a tattered cloth dress laced around it. This peculiar doll caught her attention, and the girl picked it up, looking at it carefully. She felt at ease looking at it, as if the doll could convey the kindness its previous owner showed it. Rainbow Dash smiled, holding the doll close. She would never admit it, but if one could see her, small droplets of water would be found outside the trough in the room. The girl was startled form her quiet musings when a loud *thump* sounded from behind her. A body had fallen from the skylight in the room, covered in nothing but rags. Rainbow Dash looked up, and saw an armored figure above her, who nodded and walked off. “What was his problem?” She asked aloud, before looking at the body. The person it used to be was obviously dead, but she saw the glittering of metal from within a small bag it held on its hip. She took the bag, careful to not look at the body, and found a key inside of it. Smiling, Rainbow Dash walked over to the cell door and tried it. She found that the key fir perfectly, and the door swung open. The key snapped in the process, rendering it unusable. Cursing her bad luck, she discarded the useless half of the key, and tied the bag around her own waist. Rainbow Dash carefully placed the doll inside, aiming to take it with her if only for comfort. Dash noticed that a small glint of metal was found outside her cell. It was a broken sword of old, nothing but the hilt and a little bit of blade, snapped off into a rusted point. She grabbed it, as something was better than nothing to defend herself with. As she walked, Rainbow Dash could see other cells to her left, and a grand room full of treasure to her right, blocked by brick and fence. A great monster walked in that room, and seemed to not notice the prismatic teen. “It’s alright, Dash,” She muttered to herself. “Nothing’s going to happen to you. It’s just like Daring Do! Yeah, I’m an explorer, and I’ve found myself trapped in a ruin. I’ve just got to get out of here.” She kept rambling on to herself, trying to calm her nerves. She saw a human up ahead, crouched low to the ground. “Excuse me, but could you tell me where the hell I am?” She asked. The human groaned in response, not even looking up to her. “Hey, I’m asking you a question, pal! It’s not nice to ignore someone as awesome as I am!” At that, the person lifted their head, revealing a rotted face, and two pinpricks of orange light where its eyes should be. It lunged forward, attempting to grab Rainbow. “Hey! Knock it off, will you?” Bu to no avail. The creature’s hand slashed at her arm, tearing a gash down into her flesh. Rainbow panicked, and swung her weapon at its face, missing her target but ending up embedding the broken blade in its throat. The creature gurgled and fell, dead. Rainbow shook herself, getting the image out of her head. “What the heck was that thing…?” She muttered, before noticing the blood on her hands. “I… I killed it…” her eyes widened in the horror of her actions, but she shook her head. “I-It’s okay, Rainbow… it tried to kill you… it… it’s okay that you did that… i-it was self-defense… yeah…” She sat on the ground, looking at the doll once more. It seemed to nod its head a little, reassuring Rainbow Dash that it was indeed alright. She shook her head. “That’s what Daring Do would do… I just gotta be strong, and find a way out of here.” She kept going, passing through another door. She found a small room filled with water, and she bent down to scoop some up. It looked clean enough, so she drank a little bit before continuing to a ladder situated in a small alcove. “Not so bad so far…” She said, trying to keep herself calm by talking to herself. She climbed up the ladder rung by rung, heaving herself up at the top. Rainbow Dash found herself in a courtyard, a great door found at the far end. In the center was a small, metal rod, the last few dying embers of a fire at its base. Curious, she walked towards it, and gently touched the rod. Suddenly, she felt as if part of her was attracted to the rod, and the fire below spouted into flame once more. The fire was small, but warm, and she took the time to rest at it, feeling strength once again fill her body. When she felt rested enough, she was drawn to the only thing of interest in the courtyard – the gigantic door. With heaving strength, she pushed open the iron behemoths, entering what looks like it could be an entry hall to the place. A door on the other side blocked her escape. She walked out into the room, noticing the pots all around her, as well as another door off to the side. She smiled, and headed over to it, but not before being stopped by a gigantic monster, looking somewhat like the one that was outside her cell. It bellowed in a roar, its greenish skin shaking with it. It carried a giant hammer, one that missed Rainbow Dash by inches as she rolled to the side. Rainbow let loose a string of profanity as she ran towards the open door, aiming to exit the room as quickly as possible. She managed to exit quicker than she normally could run, as the demon had slammed its hammer into her back, sending her flying towards the door. As she flew through it and down a flight of stairs, a metal grate sealed off the exit. Rainbow Dash didn’t see that, however, as her broken form rolled and plunged into a pool of water at the end of the stairs. “Fuck… that hurt… like, a lot…” She said, crawling out of the water. She could barely feel her legs through the remnants of pain that flooded her body, and her left leg looked like ti was broken. Pretty obviously broken, too. Resisting the urge to vomit, she hauled herself up onto dry land, noting another metal rod with small embers beneath it. She touched the rod, and the flame beneath started up again, and her body felt better almost immediately. Her bone was reset in place and any blood lost replenished in a matter of minutes, all while she felt no pain at all. “Magical fire that heals me when I sit near it? I think I could get used to that.” Rainbow Dash said, smirking. She sat for a while at the fire, feeling tis warmth. After about an hour, she got up, feeling no worse than when she first woke up here. “Cool. I’m starting to like this place. You know, without the giant monster being slam-happy.” She turned to the only way out of the room, leading to a small path open to the sky above. A single human shape was at the far end. It wasn’t long until Rainbow Dash had to duck to the side, as an arrow was launched towards her. She summersaulted into an alcove, where a body greeted her. “Sorry, pal,” Rainbow said, ripping a shield off of its arm. “But I’m going to need this more than you do.” She put the shield, which looked like a badly dented knight shield, into her left hand, gripping it tight as she held it above her face. She charged out at the archer, slamming the shield into its face. The archer rolled to the side and knocked another arrow. Rainbow didn’t let it have the chance, however, as she slammed her shield into its face once more, causing it to go limp and the orange glow fade from its eyes. With heavy breaths, she walked forward, picking up a discarded sword from another corpse. It was newer in the sense that it was a whole short sword, better than the stub she had, which was discarded in favor of the straighter steel. She came across a gate of fog, and shrugging all the while, she passed through it. She came to be on a walkway overlooking the courtyard from before. Finding a set of stairs, she walked up them, only for a large ball of iron steel to impact her face and continue rolling back down the stairs with her, blowing through a wall and sending her flying into it as well. “Ah shit… I’m really getting tired of that…” She said to herself, luckily noticing that nothing was broken that time. She looked around in the room she landed in, noticing a person gently breathing, laying against the rubble. He was dressed in high-ranking plate armor, and carried a sword and shield. “Hey, wait a minute… you’re the guy that helped me before!” “Oh, you… you’re no hollow, right?” He said, looking over to her. She walked over, kneeling by his side. She nodded, and his unseen face smiled. “Thank goodness. I’m done for, I’m afraid. I’ll die soon, then lose my sanity…” He coughed, causing the girl to look more and more worried by the second. “I wish to ask something of you… you and I, we’re both undead… hear me out, will you?” “Undead? Uhh, pal, I’m no zombie or anything.” Rainbow said. She gestured to her arm. “I don’t even look like one.” He responded by pointing to her neck. “You carry the darksign. All undead do. But I feel an odd aura about you, preventing you from going hollow… you are a lucky one indeed…” he coughed once more. “The Darksign does not waver, and only is found on the undead… so please, as a fellow undead, hear me out?” Rainbow nodded. “Sure. But first, your name. I’m Rainbow Dash.” “An odd name… I am Oscar, of Astora. Regrettably, I have failed in my mission… but perhaps you can keep the torch lit. There’s an old saying in my family. ‘Thou who are Undead, art chosen in thine exodus from the Undead Asylum, maketh pilgrimage to the land of the ancient lords. When thou ringeth the Bell of Awakening, the fate of the Undead thou shalt know.’ Well? Will you carry my mission onwards?” Rainbow was slightly tearing up. “Yeah. I’m on my way out of here, to go back home. I’ll ring that bell for you, don’t you worry.” Oscar laughed. “Then I can die happy, with hope in my heart for your success. But before I do pass on, here, take this.” He handed her a small key, and continued, “This as well. An Estus Flask, an undead favorite.” Oscar handed Rainbow a small bottle that was slightly filled with a yellow, glowing liquid. “Now, go, Rainbow Dash. I would hate to harm you after death. And thank you.” “Wait, Oscar, you’re not gonna die on my watch! I can get you help! We can get through this together!” But her words fell on deaf ears, as the man known as Oscar of Astora died, his body crumbling to dust. Rainbow felt water leave her face, and she knelt there, saddened by the loss of the one person who was kind to her here. She swallowed hard, and took a swig of the Estus Flask to calm her nerves. She felt rejuvenated, as if she was next to the bonfires from before. Task and sword in hand she walked up the steps the boulder fell down, unlocking a singular door at the top. More of the creatures – she presumed they were the hollows Oscar talked about – attacked her, but she easily avoided their clumsy strikes and killed them in return. Another wall of fog blocked her path, and she bravely walked through it, finding herself on a small balcony. She looked down, and saw the monster that nearly broke her spine earlier. With a battle cry, she jumped from the ledge, and sunk her sword into its back. The demon roared in pain as it felt steel sink into its flesh, and Rainbow jumped off of it, ripping her sword out as she did so. She took a stance she learned from the fencing club at school, modifying it to suit her shield’s use. The demon turned, looking at her with its red eyes. It roared, swinging its mighty hammer towards Rainbow, who rolled to the side to avoid it. She surged forward, slashing at its exposed skin with her blade. The monster responded by flapping its tiny wings, going airborne before slamming down, knocking Rainbow backwards. “So you can fight, huh!? Well, come at me!” The girl shouted, raising her shield while moving closer. The demon swung its hammer in an overhead arc, missing the prismatic blur that was Rainbow running to the side. She thrusted her blade forward in response, piercing the stomach of the demon twice before backing off, avoiding a close-range swipe of the hammer. In the time following that swipe, she took a quick sip of the Estus, feeling the injuries from the previous blow fade from its magical qualities. The demon swung overhead once more, almost catching the girl off guard. Rainbow rolled into the blow, missing the impact zone and attacking with an uppercut slash. The demon actually stumbled from this, and in a blind panic, Rainbow Dash jumped onto its knee. From there, she stabbed her blade into its arm and used that as a leverage point to haul herself up to its face. She aimed her sword at its eyes and stabbed the demon straight through them. It howled in agony, dropping its hammer and falling to the ground, still and lifeless. As it did so, Rainbow fell as well, impacting the stone below after a good fifteen-foot drop. “Ouch…” She said, getting to her feet. “Well, that guy didn’t put up much of a fight. I’ve had a much harder time playing video games against Applejack.” With that said, she noted a large key sticking out of the demon’s tail. She pulled it out, and looked towards the large door at the end of the hall. The key fit perfectly, and she opened the large metal doors with relative ease. She saw a pathway leading up, and she followed it, on guard in case anything wished to attack her. The path rose up and up, past a small amount of ruined walls. At the top she relaxed slightly, taking in the sight of the world around her. She was standing on the edge of a cliff, overlooking mountains and valleys that went on for miles. “Whoa…” She said, awestruck. Just then, a gigantic raven appeared, easily four times her own size. It grabbed Rainbow Dash in its talons, and flew off, screaming prismatic teen in tow. Author's Note Boom. Here's a thing. I've had the idea for a Dark Souls crossover since I first played the game about a year ago. Fun fact, I originally chose Applejack as the main protagonist. Let's see where this one goes instead.
Seeing Red in the Suburb“Let go of me, you stupid bird!” Was the voice that could be heard for miles above Lordran. Rainbow Dash had been in the raven’s talons for well over an hour now, flying towards who-knows-where. In the latter half of the hour she doubled her cries and insults at the bird, as if renewed by an unseen force. She saw mountains and ruined cities beneath her, but none of that mattered as she continued to scream at her assailant. Eventually, as if the bird had enough of her whining, it opened its talons and dropped her like a rock to the world below. Rainbow Dash impacted the ground, but was no worse for wear than before. She found herself next to a bonfire, which was already lit and burning slightly brighter than the other two she saw before. The prismatic teen eagerly rested near it, feeling weariness leave her body. Curiously, she also noticed the Estus Flask she carried being filled to halfway with the precious golden liquid. “Huh. Bigger fire, more healing juice. Nice.” She muttered, before noticing a solitary figure sitting on a rock not far from the bonfire, lost in thought. “Uh, hello there,” she said, walking up to him. “Mind telling me where I am?” “Oh, you must be a new arrival, right? Let me guess. Fate of the undead, and all that?” The man said, looking over to her. “But there’s no salvation here, you’d have been better off to rot in the Undead Asylum like everyone else.” “Listen, pal, I asked for help on where I am, not some melodramatic speech on hopelessness.” The man chuckled. “You’re in what’s known as the Firelink Shrine. Since you’re here, why don’t I help you out a bit?” Rainbow Dash eagerly nodded, and awaited more. “There are actually two Bells of Awakening. One’s up above, in the Undead Church. The other is far, far below in the depths of Blighttown. Ring them both, and something happens, right? Brilliant.” “Wait, there’s two of them? I was only told-“ “That there was one, yes. We all were. But I have a feeling that’s not going to stop you anyway. You’re far too colorful for that to not happen.” He stifled a laugh, but gestured towards a hill on the other side of the shrine. “Now run along and leave me be. I’d rather not tend to the casual arrivals like you all the time.” “Hey, what do you mean by ‘casual arrival,’ bud? I’m not new to this whole fighting thing. I killed a demon back there, for crying out loud!” Rainbow half-yelled throughout the shrine. “Yes, and so have I. And everyone else who has come this far. The demon that guards the Asylum regenerates over time. Killing it is only the first baby steps of your new life.” He smirked. “It’s not impressive at all.” His smirk broke out into a smile, followed by outright laughter. “Oh, your face, girl! I’m willing to bet you won’t make it to the first bell, what with the emotion you’re overflowing now. You do need to keep some to yourself, lest you become hollow… not like that’s a choice!” He kept laughing like mad, and Rainbow left in a huff. She jogged up the hill that was pointed out before. Up on the ledge, she was faced with a small gathering of hollows. “Good. I need some stress relief.” Rainbow charged forward, slashing her sword twice to dispatch the first hollow. The second aimed a poorly-thrown swing at her, which she rolled to the side to dodge. “Not so tough, are you? Here’s some more where – Fuck!” She shouted the last bit, after being hit in the back by a small explosion. Looking up, a hollow was preparing small bomb-shaped objects, lighting them with a small spark and throwing them down on her. In her moment of confusion, the hollow she was fighting managed to slice open a gash on the back of her thigh, causing the girl to stumble forward. She threw her sword blindly behind her, landing the tip of it in the hollow’s head and killing it instantly. She rolled out of the way of an incoming firebomb, her blood streaking across the grass. Rainbow Dash hastily gulped down a mouthful of the precious Estus, feeling its energies sealing up the cut on her leg and a few other, smaller wounds. Renewed by this vigor, she vaulted up the stairs to the firebomb-throwing hollow and reached back with her shield, bashing it into the face of the undead threat. It didn’t do much damage, but the force pushed the hollow straight off the cliff, and to his doom in the land below. Relaxing slightly, Rainbow Dash walked back down the hill, and recovered her discarded blade before moving on. At the top of the stairs, she came across a large aqueduct. Moving inside, Rainbow trudged through the waters, heading right. Without much in the way of direction, she let her ‘natural explorer skills’ take over. Or at least, the skills she had seen from years of action movies and video games. Couple that with her athletic form and training in both the martial arts and fencing, and she was feeling pretty confident. The aqueduct soaked her sneakers, causing them to squish with each step. On her left soon after she jogged through the dark tunnel was an exit, with a staircase leading up. At the top, she was greeted by two hollows, which hadn’t noticed her yet. Taking a moment to get her surroundings in order, she noted that she was now in some sort of old town. Nodding to herself, she crept up behind the first hollow while its back was turned, and stabbed it straight in the back. The hollow slumped off her sword while the other charged. Rainbow rolled backwards, avoiding a swing by mere inches. She counterattacked with a single jab, stabbing the hollow in its stomach. The hollow continued undaunted, moving itself further onto her blade to reach for the girl. Rainbow Dash responded by bashing it with her shield a total of three times, causing it to die as she ripped her blade out of it. “I’m not really into the touchy-feely types, pal. Try again some other time.” A third hollow made itself known as she rounded a corner, and shot a crossbow bolt at her. The bolt struck her chest, digging deep in her sternum. Rainbow cried in pain, but didn’t give the hollow the chance to reload as she charged, slashing her sword a total of four times to dispatch it. She sat on the ground, dropping her equipment next to her. Panting, she gripped the bolt with one hand and winced, the pain of touching it clouding her mind. In a swift motion, she yanked it from her chest, taking a sizeable amount of flesh with it. Blood pooled from the wound, and she quickly took another two swigs from the Estus Flask. She felt her wounds knit together, sealing up and replenishing lost blood. “Damn…” she muttered, breathing heavily. “As much as I like my duds, they’re not really getting the job done.” She looked down at her clothing, which was barely holding together at this point. “I need armor, or something. At least some new clothes. Heh, what I wouldn’t give for Rarity to be here right now. She could probably make something out of those rags the hollows are wearing.” An idea struck her head, then she shook the same location. Her eyes glanced towards the dispatched hollows. “Well… it’s not like they’re using it anyway… and something is better than nothing…” Deciding to act before she changed her mind, she walked over to the three hollow corpses, and selected the best pieces of armor she could find. A chest plate, however shoddy it was, was taken, as well as armored boots, greaves, and gloves. A tunic of tattered cloth was put on first, after disrobing her initial gear. Then the armor came on, and Rainbow felt weighed down slightly, but still good to go. Her old clothes lay in a corner of the rooftop she was on, soon to be forgotten. She picked up her bag, retying it to her ‘new’ tunic’s belt. Checking its contents, she was relieved to see her Estus Flask and the doll still in one piece. However, she also spotted a small purple stone, tied with a pink ribbon. She touched it, and it felt as though it could be made of soap. Shrugging, she placed it back into the bag she had while figuring it could come in handy later. In addition, she scavenged the third hollow’s crossbow and bolts, thinking that ranged weaponry can help immensely with her quest. Passing through another gate of fog, Rainbow Dash found herself on the top of a small bridge leading to another rooftop. She walked across the top of it, only to be punted back as a dragon covered in red scales landed just in front of her. As soon as it landed it took off into the sky above, as if only using the bridge as leverage. Cursing out loud, Rainbow downed another gulp of Estus, realizing her supply was getting dangerously low. Only what seemed like two more mouthfuls was left. A larger rooftop barred her path ahead, however, as she climbed up a short flight of stairs. This one had rudimentary fortifications present on it, and a number of undead hollows. Rainbow smirked and took out her crossbow, aiming it at the hollow who was overlooking the entire roof on a tower. It held a bow in its hands, so Rainbow naturally made it her target. She let the crossbow bolt fly, only for it to miss entirely and strike the wall next to a group of hollows. They turned their heads towards her, knowing where the bolt launched from. “Shit.” Rainbow said, drawing her blade and holding her shield up to block an arrow. Three hollows converged on her as a fourth knocked another arrow, and the girl charged them, fearless in her assault. The first was dispatched with little trouble as it carried no shield, while Rainbow had to roll backwards to avoid a flurry of strikes from a second. An arrow struck the ground where she had stood as she recovered from the roll. The third hollow ran up to her and tried to attack, but Rainbow managed to bash its weapon aside and stab it through its chest, felling the enemy instantly. However as she stood there performing the action, an arrow struck her cheek, digging into her mouth as it stopped. She cried out in pain as she pulled out her crossbow, aiming in a blind rage and shooting three bolts into the hollow’s head. The hollow who was on the ground next to her started its flurry of attacks, catching Rainbow with the last few. Weak from the fight, she aggressively attacked with one last burst of energy and it fell like its brethren. Quickly, Rainbow slurped up a bit of Estus before ripping the arrow out of her mouth, and drinking the rest of the bottle to heal her wounds. “That… wasn’t so hard.” Rainbow said, laughing slightly. “Heh. Daring Do’s got nothing on me now. She’s never fought the dead and won. You hear that!?” She shouted, yelling to the sky. “I could take on a million of you guys! Give me a challenge!” As if on cue, she shuddered, as if the fabric of reality had been severed nearby. Bracing herself, she walked up the steps to the ledge the hollow was sniping from, lighting a new bonfire as she did so. She couldn’t feel its healing powers, however, as she sat next to it. Something was stopping them from working. Cautiously she walked outside, only to see a small object hit the ground and break in front of her. It released a sound that was kind of like a distant, hollow ‘hello-hello’ from the end of a hallway. Looking up, she spied what had to be the most disgusting creature she had ever seen. It was humanoid in shape only, wearing armor of what looked like stone as it shone a dark, blood red. Its head was an overgrown egg, rotten and bulbous near its base. In its left hand was a large meat cleaver, and the right hand shone with a dark aura. “What the hell are you?” Rainbow shouted, bringing up her shield. It bent over and roared at Rainbow, the top of the egg splitting open in four to reveal a writhing red worm about the same size as her arm. It charged, swinging the meat cleaver into her shield. Rainbow staggered back from the blow, but managed to avoid the next swing at a hair’s breadth away. The girl sliced at its armor, but was seemingly doing nothing to the monster. The monster slashed with its cleaver again, and Rainbow rolled under the swing, popping up behind it and stabbing her sword into its back. She kicked the beast off her sword, certain it was dead. Her certainty wavered as the monster got back up, no worse for wear. She brought her shield up to block its counterattack, but was stunned by the sheer force it provided. The monster slashed with its cleaver, ripping off a large chunk of flesh off of her leg. The wound bled profusely, and Rainbow felt dizzy from the blood loss. The monster’s right hand glowed a bright gray, and grabbed Rainbow’s neck. The girl felt as if her soul was being ripped away from her as the monster lowered her to the ground. She lay still as it slammed its cleaver down, cutting the girl completely in half as her body, lacking her mind, faded into dust. Author's Note Rainbow Dash's Death Count: 2 Current Equipment: Hollow Soldier Armor/Gloves/Boots, Hollow soldier sword, heater shield Current items: Estus Flask, Peculiar Doll, Lavender Sign Soapstone VampDash: It will be equally sad, depressing, and full of Casul mistakes. Dash's trip is (Until my own modifications for this story's purposes) equal to my own first playthrough. I'm just not a bad gamer and didn't die to the Asylum Demon. She will die as often as I had, maybe even more. Lazydrill: Seeing as though this is a mirror of my playthrough, yes she will. PonyPlushieTryhard: I've never heard that song before. But as a fellow SunBro, I whole-heartedly approve. Wait... wouldn't I be a SunBrony in this case? StarlightNova: yes. All my yes. Shynight: it became God of War when I decided dramatic flair was in order. Expect greatness against Ceaseless Discharge later on. KlhanStar: Good to see you here! As for Nerdy-Twi, well, neither of those really fit... but maybe *item redacted* works better. Ri2: see comment responses #1 and #2
Tango with the TaurusRainbow Dash woke up. She found herself sitting next to the bonfire she lit before the bridge, before that… thing showed up and killed her. She shuddered. “I… I died…” She muttered to herself, huddling next to the fire. “But… I’m back now…” She started breathing quickly. “Was… Was Oscar right? Am I… undead?” She started hyperventilating, and she felt the mark on her neck grow warmer. She reached up and clasped it, feeling it. She grabbed it hard, trying to crush it in her hand to be rid of it. As she did so, she felt herself detach from her body, and felt it crumble away to dust… …Only for her to open her eyes once more exactly where she was. “What… what just happened?” She asked, looking around. “Did I just die again?” She found her body no worse for wear, but the mark on her neck still had not disappeared. Sighing in defeat, she picked up her sword and shield and walked out, only to receive an arrow to her shoulder. “What the frack?” she said, looking towards where the arrow came from. “Hey, I thought I got rid of you!” She said to the hollow from before, who clasped its bow and knocked another arrow. “Oh no you don’t!” Rainbow Dash ran forward, swinging her sword horizontally at the hollow. She cut its bow in two, and it responded by attempting to stab both pieces of its bow into her torso. Her armor deflected one half, but the other slammed into her uncovered belly, the armor only protecting her chest and shoulders. Grunting in pain, she still managed to swing her sword in a sideways arc, hitting the hollow with the flat of the blade. The resulting force caused it to fall off the side of the wall it stood near and into the depths below. Rainbow clutched her bleeding wound and gazed towards the bonfire. Rather than drink some of her Estus, she hobbled over to it and rested. The wound sealed up and the flames gave her strength once more. Before she exited the room, however, Rainbow Dash glanced out of the open archway. To her surprise, the same hollow she just took care of was standing there, as if nothing was wrong. “But… what the hell..?” She muttered to herself. A realization hit her – the bonfires don’t just heal her! “It’s… like they’re respawning…” Her subconscious mind created a thought, and showed it to the conscious side. “Maybe… it’s like a video game? At a save point, all the enemies respawn. So, it’s like that… but in real life.” She smirked. “I get to explore an entire, danger-filled world that never runs out of tricks and traps? Daring Do, eat your heart out.” After dispatching the same hollow in a less surprised manner, Rainbow walked across the bridge nearby. A hollow tried to chuck more bombs at her, but missed horribly and did not come close. Inside the building opposite the bridge were two more hollows, each one armed with a rusted axe. Rainbow charged into the room, swing her blade three times to dispatch the first hollow before it knew what hit him. The second reacted with little care for its fallen comrade as it lunged towards the prismatic teen. Rainbow jerked back, narrowly avoiding the blow. A door slammed open, revealing another hollow carrying a solid iron shield and a long spear. Rainbow looked across to it as it charged into the room. The axe-wielding hollow swung its weapon, successfully striking the shield on the girl’s left arm. She recoiled back and put some space between her and the two mindless undead. The hollow with the axe swung it blindly, missing the girl by a far mile. It was rewarded with a swift sword strike to its torso, and the hollow grunted in pain. Before she could finish it off, the prismatic teen found herself struck by a jab of a spear. The responsible hollow seemed to grin devilishly as its attack hit home on the girl’s shoulder. She pushed the creature off of him, kicking outward in reflex and knocking it to the ground. Her sword dove in for the kill seconds later. “Yeah! That’s what I’m talking about!” Her victory was short-lived, however, as the hollow who was still alive slammed its axe into her backside. Rainbow Dash’s face went blank as she fell to the ground, her body turning to ash. When she came to, she was sitting once more next to the same bonfire. “Oh for the love of…” She kicked a wall to vent her frustrations. “I almost had them! So close!” Rainbow Dash ascended the spiral staircase, sipping out of her estus flask to heal the injuries from her attempt at a circus act. The explosion from that barrel still stung, even after the estus was in her system. Approaching the top of the structure, she found a wall of white fog. Having come across these before, she walked through it without worry. “What do we have here?” She asked aloud, finding a good-sized bridge before her. Walking forward did nothing, and Rainbow saw another fog gate on the other end of the area. Before she got halfway to the other side, the bridge shook. The tower on the other end soon had a new figure on top of it, a very large and imposing bull-like figure wielding a great axe in its clawed hands. “Well, uh… hey there…” Rainbow muttered, backing up a little. The demon roared in challenge, dropping to the ground below. Mustering up her courage, she brought up her sword and shield and prepared to fight. The demon charged her and swung its mighty axe to land a direct hit on Rainbow’s shield. The metal barrier took all of the damage, but the force of the blow sent her back a few feet. Rainbow swung her own blade out at the demon and cut a small gash on its leg. It barely noticed this, however, and hit Rainbow right before she could bring up her shield. The girl was thrown off the building completely and landed in the forest below. Far below. About a half hour later, Rainbow found herself in front of the fog gate once more. “Alright, I’ve got him this time.” She said as a small pep talk. The battle hadn’t even properly started when she was struck in the back by an arrow. “What the hell?” She turned to see two bow-using hollows on the tower behind her. “Oh come on, that’s just not fair!” Distracted by the two hollows, she didn’t notice the demon’s hammer strike her directly on her head, ending her instantly. The third time she ascended the staircase, she was filled with her own form of bravery. As soon as she entered the fog, she climbed up the tower behind her via a ladder that seemed to be too conveniently placed. One of the two hollows on the roof was surprised, and her blade struck the back of the one who had not noticed her arrival. The other hollow let an arrow fly which was nimbly dodged by the prismatic girl rolling to the side. Rainbow jumped towards it with an attack, her sword striking the hollow in a clean hit. Her adversary drew its own blade and struck out at the girl’s chest. Her armor did much to soften the blow, but she could still feel the pain of it. “HYAA!” She cried out, striking the hollow twice in rapid movement to end its life. The demon from before had run up to the tower by now, and Rainbow did not hesitate. She jumped clear off the side of the roof and landed on the demon sword point first. It howled in pain, knocking the girl off its head. Sword in hand, she stared down the beast, which still bled form the hole in its head. The demon tried to crush Rainbow Dash with an overhead strike, which she rolled under and thrust her sword in the monster’s direction, hoping it was male for petty revenge. The way it howled from this attack made her smirk. The demon tried to bat at the girl like its hammer was a golf club, and the resulting swing hit the girl clear across the bridge. She was thrown off the edge of the cliff, but Rainbow wasn’t inclined to be defeated so easily. She grabbed the edge of the bridge and hauled herself back up. The demon charged across the bridge after seeing its quarry was not dead, axe at the ready. Rainbow brought up her shield and sword. “What the...” When she hefted her blade, she found it to be lighter than before. The blade had snapped in two, the pointed end lost to the forest below. “Oh, come on!” Thinking quickly, she threw her shield and hilt to the side and awaited the demon. She backed up as far as she could, her heels dangling off the side of the cliff. When the demon came close, she jumped between its legs and kicked outwards, knocking one of its legs off balance. Quickly the girl kicked the other calf, which caused the demon to trip and fall down into the forest below, semi-exploding in white light. The fog blocking the exit lifted. “Hell yeah! That’s how you do it!” Rainbow Dash picked up her shield and broken sword and continued on, slightly excited as to what came next. Author's Note RD Death count: 8 Finally updated. Reason: I forgot what the beginning area of DS1 were like, so I had to borrow the game again and make a new file. For those who are interested, Dash's build is going for Dexterity and Vitality almost exclusively, with strength thrown in for weapon requirements. I'll post up some of her stats if you gusy are interested. Shadow Hero: Glad you like the story, and if you've never played DS, there's a few good Let's Play's on youtube for it if you'd care to know about events ahead of time. MEGA LM ShiroHige Pony: She will meet Solaire really soon, don't worry. As for meeting the women, well... there's one who would impress her later on. Good luck on NG+!!
I Saw the Sun, and he Saw MeBeyond the archway previously blocked by the monstrous demon was an old, decrepit hallway with more than a few holes in the walls and floor. Rainbow Dash kept her eyes on the floor, careful to not step in a single hole. Her footsteps echoed on the stone, the metal boots she wore clanking with every other step. A simple staircase led downward. Since it was the only way forward, it would have to do. Once at the bottom, Rainbow glanced outside the doorframe she was greeted with. Her right showed an amphitheater overlooking the city below, while her left showed a massive bridge leading to a chapel-like structure. Several hollows dotted the bridge, mindlessly walking around with no real intent. Shrugging, Rainbow decided to try her right first, since it would be quicker. She found the round semi-circle devoid of pretty much anything except for a single, solitary figure who was staring at the sun. Rainbow gulped before hefting up her broken sword, trying to judge when he would attack. The figure turned around, revealing a silver helmet with a green feather trailing off the top. His chest plate was hidden by a white tunic that had the sun emblazoned on it. His left hand carried a large, round shield with a similar insignia, and a straight sword hung from his hip. Surprised at Rainbow’s drawn weapon, he too drew his own. “Oh? A hollow decided to wander over here?” He said, gripping his blade. “Well, I would do no lesser honor than to put you out of your misery.” “Wait, you can talk?” Rainbow said. “Wait, you can talk?” The man said. Both of them stared at each other before letting out a laugh. “Well, this is rightly embarrassing. I took you for one of those mindless beings, so I was prepared…” “It’s no problem. You’re the first non-crazy person I’ve met since I left Firelink Shrine, so I automatically assumed you were gonna kill me.” Rainbow sheathed her petty excuse for a sword before offering her hand. “My name is Rainbow Dash. Might I get yours?” “A fine name, Miss Dash. I am known as Solaire of Astora.” He sheathed his own sword before shaking her hand. He offered a place next to him, and the two sat down to look at the sky. “Tell me, Rainbow. What do you see up there?” “Uhh… The sky. A few clouds. The sun. Why?” “Exactly!” Solaire said giddily. “The sun, that which gives its light to warm us all. The sun, given to us by Lord Gwyn to light our way each and every day.” He paused for a second, as if to silently pray. “I have come to this land in search of my own sun, so that I may bask in its warmth. You must think that strange, everyone does.” “No, not really.” Rainbow replied, looking up. “I think it’s kind of neat. You’re trying to find a connection to something bigger than all of us.” She smirked. “It’s kind of awesome, if you think about it.” “Now, that’s a reaction I don’t normally get from people. Most scoff at me and leave. But you? Hah! It seems as though you’re searching for something here as well.” “Two things, actually.” She sighed and looked at the knight. “I’m trying to find a way to get back home first and foremost. In the meantime, though, I promised a guy named Oscar I’d ring something called a “Bell of Awakening.” You wouldn’t happen to know what that is, would you?” “Hmm, it does spark something in my mind…” Solaire thought for a second, stroking the bottom of his helmet like one would a beard. “Aha! The Bells of Awakening. Yes, I remember now. One of them is not very far from here, you see. It’s at the top of the monastery above us.” “Really?” “Yes indeed. However, there are quite a few hollows between here and there, and a few other nasty creatures who would wish to do you harm.” The armored man soon stood up and adjusted his tunic. “I’ll simply have to help you along.” Rainbow Dash, surprised, stood as well and looked at the man. “You’d do that… at risk of your own life? Just to help me?” “Miss Dash, I am a warrior of the sun. It is my sacred oath to help those in need, and you are in such need.” He reached into a small bag on his hip and pulled out a small coin, which he handed to his companion. Rainbow looked it over, seeing it to be made of gold with a sun etched into its surface. The coin let off a pleasant warmth as she held it. “Here, as a token of my companionship, is a Sunlight Medal. Keep it with you, for if we part or I should perish, use it to remember our time of cooperation.” “Thank you, Solaire.” Placing the medal into her bag, she went to leave. Solaire followed her, and the two approached the bridge that she saw before. To Rainbow’s surprise, most of the hollows seemed to have been killed by something. The ground smelled of brimstone. “What happened here?” “…A Wyvern.” Solaire responded. He knelt down and touched the burnt residue on the ground. “From the looks of it, an adult who hungers for flesh. We should tread carefully.” The two slowly walked across the bridge, weapons drawn and their eyes peeled for trouble. A strong wind blew. “It’s near!” Solaire shouted. Rainbow looked around, and spotted a small stairway nearby, in the middle of the bridge. “Quick, in here!” She called out, running towards the opening. She heard Solaire’s footsteps right behind her as she ducked down the stairwell into a small room below the bridge. The two caught their breaths, followed by “So… did it see us?” A roar filled their ears and fire flickered from the stairway above, telling them their answer. “I would say that it most definitely did, Miss Dash.” Peeking back up the stairs, the two travelers saw a red wyvern drake clinging to the tower on the far side of the bridge. Its yellow eyes gleamed in the setting sun as it searched for prey. The gate underneath it was wide open, and Rainbow could see an unlit bonfire inside. “Do you think we could make a run for it?” “Not likely…” Solaire paused for a second before continuing, “But if one of us were to pose as a distraction, I’d bet the other could make it to the other side.” “Not happening, bud.” Rainbow protested. “You’re the only person who’s been nice to me since I got here and been alive for more than a few minutes. I’m not losing that now.” She gripped her broken sword, but not before smirking. “I have an idea.” “Is it any good?” “It’s stupid.” She said, before taking her hilt and throwing it up the staircase, aiming for it to clear the short wall on the side of the bridge. It did, and it sailed through the air for a few seconds unseen before both travelers could hear a loud clanging sound far below them. “Wait for it…” On that cue, the wyvern roared and jumped off the tower, drawn by the noise. “Run!” The two dashed up the stairs and across the bridge, into the small room. By the time the wyvern would realize nothing was there, Rainbow and Solaire had already ignited the bonfire and caught their breaths. “You’re right, that was stupid.” Solaire said, taking the time to sit on the fountain nearby. “But it worked, so I can’t fault you.” Rainbow beamed at his response. She sat down near the bonfire, and after a small yawn looked out of the tower to see a few hollows milling about once more. Solaire was still beside her, and he was busy looking around the room they were in. “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to have a spare sword on you, would you?” Rainbow asked. “That hilt was my only one.” “No wonder you tried to pull it out on me.” Solaire laughed. “No, I’m afraid I only have mine. However, countless hollows carry weapons. I’ll just have to slay one and take it for you.” From the bonfire, Solaire walked towards a balcony opposite a set of stairs. Curious, Rainbow followed him to discover a small platform with a ruined statue resting on it. Grass and moss grew all over the structure, as it had been broken for many years. “What’s this?” Solaire simply chuckled. “This, Miss Dash, is an Altar of Sunlight. A resting place and site of worship for a Warrior of Sunlight like myself.” He knelt down in front of it, murmuring a prayer to himself. Rainbow sat down near it, giving him some space. When he was finished, the two left for the stairs and ascended them. “I see two hollows right above us.” Rainbow said. “Two hollows against the two of us?” Solaire responded. “It hardly seems fair.” The two of them charged. Author's Note RD Death Count: 8 Sorry for the delay in the chapter. College won me over in the last few months. But now, back to story time! HB_DS2013: Actually, Princess Twi went to Ylisse. SciTwi is in Equestria. MEGA LM: NG7?! damn, I can't beat NG++... MEGA LM and Equestria Girls Fan 94: Here it is! enjoy!
