Remember My Nameby The White RavenChapters1: A Name Remembered2: Looking In From Outside3: A Stranger In A Strange Land1: A Name RememberedFor the first time in what felt like forever, Lucatiel experienced the physical sensation of waking up from a state resembling sleep. Her first thought on the matter was how nice it felt, followed swiftly by the confusion at having experienced it once again. Ever since she had become afflicted with the infernal Darksign, she had not felt a single pang of physical hunger nor thirst, and whenever she seemingly dozed off it was more akin to feverishly phasing in and out of consciousness than restful slumber. As her piercing deep blue eyes took in her surroundings, she was mildly shocked to find no sign of Aldia's keep, instead laying under the shade of an old oak in the middle of a forest. In a flash, she had scrambled to her feet, instincts honed from previous experiences guiding her as she frantically scanned the ground nearby her. Her state of near-panic settled somewhat upon finding her sword in its sheath by her side, her shield slung onto her back and feeling the familiar weight of her hat and mask upon her head. Drawing her sword and holding it out before her, she focused her breathing until the blade was perfectly still, keeping her from hyperventilating at the prospect of having been displaced without her consent, only one thought raced through her head: Where in the blazes am I?! The dense woodland all around brought the Shaded Woods to mind, yet this place had a few key differences, lacking the impregnable mist that the former was notorious for alongside the bands of murderers and deserters who stalked those caught travelling through. Another difference was that where Shaded Woods was perennially silent as the grave, Lucatiel could hear the rustling of leaves in a faint breeze and birdsong all around. As she looked up through the forest canopy, she took note that judging by the position of the sun it looked to already be midday. As the sky would not be offering much aid in terms of navigation, she simply looked around and started off in the direction she spotted a clearing in. As she neared the treeline, however, she heard a sound that seized her breath and chilled her to the bone. It was a sound that she would gladly go Hollow without ever hearing again, that spurred her to draw her sword, unsling her shield and charge into the clearing like a woman possessed. The sound of children's screams, accompanied by wolf howls. Her heart beat within her chest, a silent war drum she paced her strides with as she emerged into the edge of the clearing and kept running through it as though the Smelter Demon was on her heels, only to be brought to a grinding halt as she took in the bewildering scene before her eyes. The monsters that had backed their prey-to-be against a lone tree were indeed wolf-like in appearance, but instead of flesh and fur, their bodies seemed to be composed solely of twigs, branches and leaves, yet they were nothing strange in comparison to what she had previously encountered in her trek through Drangleic. It was the sight of their prey, however, that caught her blindsided. The three creatures at first glance looked like foals, but as she observed them she noticed differences between them and any other horse or pony she had ever laid eyes upon. For one, their eyes were gargantuan, even more so when compared to the size of their heads, the muzzles on which were far more flat than any other equines, giving them an almost human look. The legs looked far stockier than they should have been, and the pastel palette for their coat and mane colors told Lucatiel that these were no regular beasts of burden. That and they were the source of the screams for help. As the strange equines huddled next to each other with their eyes shut tight, their voices seemingly having given out, one of the wooden wolves suddenly lunged at the trio, teeth bared and aiming for their throats, the unmoving ponies providing an unmissable target. So it was a great surprise for all involved parties when the deadwood lupine crashed into the ground a scant few feet short with a sword lodged deep into its neck, which the pristine blade cut through like cooled butter, severing the head and causing the body to break down before Lucatiel. Ignoring the shocked gasps behind her, Lucatiel covered her left side with her shield and brought her sword arm across her chest, the tapered point of her blade leveled at the snarling timber-wolf in front of her. While shielding her from two lines of attack, assuming this stance had exposed her right side, which one of the wolves was quick to capitalize on, silently lunging for her right shoulder. Just as she had planned. Flicking her wrist to realign the blade, Lucatiel brought her sword to bear in a sweeping cut that relieved the timber-wolf of its jaw. The wooden beast stumbled and came to a stop, just in time for the remainder of its head to be crushed against the heel of the knightess' boot. Wasting no further thought for the disintegrating wolf, Lucatiel whirled around just in time to catch the third timber-wolf with a thrust that entered its fanged maw and exited through the back of its head. Bracing her boot against the timber-wolf's head, Lucatiel pulled her sword free and turned to catch the last wolf's attack with her shield. As it turned out, she was an instant too late, the momentum of the lunge slamming into her and bowling her over. As she fell on her back, her sword slipping from her grasp, the back of her head struck a stone with a resounding crack, dazing her. Eyes unfocused, Lucatiel frantically pushed on her shield with the failing strength of her arms, desperately keeping the wooden wolf from tearing her throat out even as every breath and heartbeat seemed to summon a new wave of pain from her head. "Is this it, then? Is this my limit, the point I cannot surpass by any effort?" Lucatiel thought to herself, feeling a twinge of disappointment in herself. All the horrors of Drangleic combined had failed to stop her, yet it would be these altogether fairly mundane monstrosities that would get the better of her, in some random forest in the middle of nowhere. Still, she reflected, I suppose I did save those three, whatever they were. Forgive me Aslatiel, it seems I won't be able to keep my promise to you after all. It was at then that Lucatiel heard shouting through the ringing in her ears, right after which the weight pressing down on her vanished as the last timber-wolf was sent flying by the strike of a magenta-colored burst of light. Freed from the strain of defense, her arms went limp and Lucatiel released a shuddering breath, feeling the warmth of blood trickling down the back of her skull. As she kept gazing at the open sky above her, her vision was suddenly engulfed in canary yellow blur with a massive set of teal eyes staring into her own with what seemed to be concern as she faded from consciousness. Author's Note Hope you enjoyed this first chapter of what will hopefully be a long story. 2: Looking In From Outside"So what exactly is this thing supposed to be, Twilight?" Twilight Sparkle, personal student of Princess Celestia, Bearer of the Element of Magic, triple PhD graduate from Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, furrowed her brow as she looked over the still unconscious creature Fluttershy was tending to, knowing that the truthful answer was the one she dreaded giving to any question: "I don't know, Spike, and that's what concerns me the most. Here we have a wounded creature that is clearly intelligent, given how it is capable of using a sword and wears clothes, and judging by the lack of any packed provisions it must have come from somewhere nearby, and yet it isn't mentioned in any of the books detailing all the known sapient species on Equus. Judging by the difference in the length of it's fore and hindlegs, it's likely bipedal, which narrows down the list, but none of those options come close. It is far too slender in build and lacking horns to be a minotaur, but the lack of claws and hair apart from the mane on it's head in addition to the wrong skull shape rules out it being a Diamond Dog either. I just hope it wakes up soon so we can ask it directly." Taking her eyes off the creature, Twilight moved over to the common room of Fluttershy's cottage where she and her friends had gathered after their semi-regular foray into the Everfree Forest to save the Crusaders from the consequences of their latest plan to get their Cutie Marks in monster taming, of all things. After having sent Rainbow to fetch Spike, she had dived into the cache of books she had requested her assistant to bring with him from the Golden Oaks Library. And after two hours of looking through all the written sources on different species in her entire library, including the mythical sources, and what did she have to show for it? Nothing but unanswered questions that increased in number the more she delved into her examination. Her friends in that time had moved little from where they had been when she began, with the exception of Rarity and Applejack, who at some point must have finished scolding their little sisters for going into the Everfree without telling anypony, yet again. At least this time they didn't get themselves covered in tree sap, Twilight bemusedly thought to herself. The fashionista and farmer, meanwhile had kept themselves occupied till now by looking over the creature's belongings. Rarity, finished with appraising the creature's clothing, was currently vigorously scrubbing the dirt off of the royal blue waistcloth that was attached to a hardened black vest that she had previously been cleaning with her magic, while Applejack seemed to have recruited Rainbow to help her examine the creature's armaments. It had caused a variety of recoils of shock and horror amongst her and her friends when it had been discovered that a great deal of the creature's belongings incorporated the use of leather. Animal hide leather, cured and tanned into a material that felt soft and pliable while retaining excellent durability, which explained its use on the sword-grip, the scabbard and the belt keeping it on to the creature's waist and the strange coverings that the creature wore on the ends of it's limbs, all of which ended in appendages reminiscent of Spike's claws and feet sans the scales. It was on closer examination of its texture that the vest had also turned out to be leather, having been hardened and then dyed black with silver etched onto its surface in beautiful, flowing patterns, seemingly with the intent of making the outfit suitable for ballroom and battlefield alike. The most eyecatching feature of the creature's ensemble, however, was an almost absurdly large hat and a steel mask that remained on the creature's face by straps of its own. Not certain of the mask's signifigance to the creature, they had opted to leave it on, as unlike the hat it was not getting in the way of Fluttershy's efforts to bandage the injury on it's head. Having come to the conclusion that the book in front of her would not offer any further insight into the unusual being laying on the bed, Twilight closed The Budding Wayfarer's Bestiary of Sapients with a sigh and trotted over to where Applejack and Rainbow were still keeping the sword and shield under scrutiny, asking in a hopeful tone: "Any new insights about the sword, girls?" The orange earth pony and cyan pegasus both turned to face the lavender unicorn, looks of uncertainty evident on their faces, wrangling the question of whether what they had discovered could be considered noteworthy, until Applejack broke the brief moment of silence by replying: "Well Twi, to be frank with ya, Ah'm no expert on what makes a good sword, but Ah know good steel when Ah see it, sugarcube, and these here sword and shield have had no small amount o' love and dedication put into their making, an' it looks like they've been well kept, too. Sure as hay looks finer than e'en what them Royal Guards have for spearheads. An' judgin' by how the grip was made, it don't seem too likely that this was made by a pony smith, and Ah can't think o' many other places where ya could get steel this good. Oh and Twi? Ya know how none o' us could figure out why there was that leather wrappin' on the blade?" Twilight nodded, now eyeing the aforementioned blade and finding the wrapping lying on the floor next to it. "Well, RD an' Ah noticed these laces that when loosened let us just slide the whole thing off, an' we found what it was covering, what looks like somepony carved a message into th' blade, but we can't make heads or tails of it." Thrilled at the possibility of gleaning further insight into the creature while waiting for it to awaken, Twilight levitated a copy of the Learned Linguist's Litany of Listed Languages to her and began scanning the pages for a match to the strange script etched onto the blade. Just as Applejack and Rainbow were about to trot away to give Twilight room to think, she exclaimed: "Ah-ha! I found it, girls! The letters and symbols used on the engraving match Old Griffinic alphabet! Its almost an exact match, though the vocabulary doesn't seem to have any of the same words, not to mention the grammar and pronunciation would seem to be wildly different. But still, progress!" Her victorius outcry finished, Twilight looked around the room, finally noticing the bemused expressions on everypony, which prompted a sheepish grin from her as she realized she might have gotten a little too excited at her success. "Eh-heh, what I mean to say is that even if the creature turns to not know Equish, we might be able to communicate with it using written messages and a two-way translation spell." "She, Twilight," a quiet voice behind her intoned, prompting her to jump in surprise, spinning around to notice Fluttershy standing there. "O-oh I'm so sorry Twilight, I-I didn't mean to startle you!" The quiet pegasus hastily squeaked out, while Twilight held a foreleg over her chest, trying to get her pulse to slow back down to normality. "Its..." Twilight took a deep breath, then put on a gentle smile and said: "Its alright, Fluttershy, no harm done. But what was it you were saying?" Suddenly having everypony's attention on her, Fluttershy retreated behind her mane and quietly said: "W-well, she had those wrappings on her chest and I thought that they might be old bandages, so I thought I would, um, change them since they were pretty tattered. But," even with her face hidden, they could see the blush rising on her cheeks, "They were actually covering her, um, mammary glands." Realization dawned in everypony as their eyes widened slightly and gave a soft "Ah". Even though most ponies walked around unclothed, it was still considered incredibly rude to intentionally look at those areas. Twilight's face flushed, and then replied; "I assume that you put them back on, then?" prompting a near-inaudible "Meep" and a nod from the canary-yellow pegasus. It was then that Rarity chose to interject: "Oh Twilight, darling, I think I've found something to hold your interest. Be a dear and come over here, would you kindly?" As the lavender unicorn trotted over to her, she continued: "At first I thought that this pouch that attaches to the belt was empty with how light it felt, but as I just levitated it, I could have sworn I felt a sort of tingling sensation from it, as though it were enchanted. Can you feel it as well?" "Hmm," Twilight closed her eyes in concentration, holding the seemingly ordinary satchel with her magic, "You're right Rarity, it does have that feeling of latest magic, hmm... Feels like a pocket dimension and weightlessness enchantment, powerful ones at that, interwoven into the satchel. The sheer complexity of the spellwork, not to mention the raw power requirement... I'd be hard pressed to replicate it on the same scale as here, if I had to rely on my own internal magic reserves alone. Spike, add this to the current hypothesis on the creature's civilization. Her home must be incredibly advanced in thaumaturgical craftsponyship if she can carry such powerfully enchanted items during what we can only assume is routine, everyday life." As her assistant scribbled the writing onto the parchment, Twilight noticed on the edge of her vision Fluttershy staring at the floor with downcast eyes, and asked in her softest voice: "Is something bothering you, Fluttershy?" Fluttershy looked up, her teal eyes meeting Twilight's, and replied in a hushed tone: "It might be easier to show you. I-if that's alright with you, that is," and began moving upstairs, beckoning Twilight to follow with a foreleg. Twilight fell into step behind Fluttershy, wondering just what had her friend so distraught, until she saw her opening the bedroom door, giving her the realization that it had something to do with the creature's condition. Given its- her size and shape, the only bed large enough in Fluttershy's cottage was her own bed, and even then they had to put her on it sideways to keep her much longer hindlegs from dangling off the edge. The creature was still uncoscious, her chest rising and falling in a steady rythm underneath the covers, which looked mildly damp with sweat. Twilight's eyes widened slightly as the creature's breathing became frantic, her body twitching and shivering, cold sweat running down the sides of her head. In a blur of movement, Fluttershy was at the creature's side, gently humming a lullaby, succesfully soothing her nightmare into restful sleep once more. It was then that Fluttershy turned to face her again and said: "She's been like this for the past hour or so, peacefully sleeping one moment and thrashing around as though in pain the next. I've been able to calm her down for now, and it seems like they're lessening in severity, but that's not quite what I was going to show you," while slowly pulling the covers away, causing Twilight at first to recall Fluttershy's words and involuntarily avert her eyes, but prompted by the pegasus giving her a reassuring look, she returned her gaze to the creature and her mouth dropped open in shock at what she saw. At first glance, the creature would not appear to have much physical prowess, lacking the bulk of a minotaur's body in favor of a more slender build, even by pony standards. But the light-toned skin was taut, and at a touch Twilight's hoof met supple, corded muscle, hard as a rock, which would likely cut a powerful figure on the creature when standing. It was also covered in scars, many of which looked like they would have resulted in mortal wounds. It shouldn't be possible for any living being to survive such injuries. What have you been through, Twilight pondered, her face mirroring the sullen look on Fluttershy's at the evident hardship the creature must have suffered throughout her life, judging the various ages between the scars. Both of them noticed the creature on the bed begin to stir from her slumber. Author's Note The actors are in their places, and the stage is set. Now once more, with feeling... Note: In my DS2 headcanon, Lucatiel never found her brother, but in this crossover, she winds up in Equestria just before she would go Hollow at the entrance to Aldia's Keep. 3: A Stranger In A Strange LandAuthor's Note And here it is, ladies and gentlemen. After several months, I'm getting back on track. Feedback is of course always welcome. 3: A Stranger In A Strange Land Lucatiel had never considered the Undead Curse to be of any benefit to their Bearer, but it was now that it occurred to her that those afflicted by it would have a much more comprehensive idea of what it felt like to be dead. It was this insight that allowed her to know that the throbbing headache she felt, no matter how unpleasant, was a sign that she had not yet perished. The thought relieved her somewhat, knowing that she wasn't even closer to Hollowing than before due to her own carelessness. Waking up to the feeling of a soft mattress and warm covers puzzled her, until she remembered the strange equine-like beings that had come across her on the field. They cared for me? Lucatiel thought, confusion and alarm seeping into the forefront of her conscious. Did they not recognize her as an Undead, fit only to be driven away before she could bring harm to them? It was then that she noticed her thoughts having a clarity they had been deprived of since the curse affected her, and hope began to fill her being. Can it be possible? Could the curse have truly been lifted? Lucatiel reached out with her thoughts, searching for the harrowingly familiar presence of the Darksign that marked her as Undead, dreading the inevitable disappointment, only to find the once expansive abyss seeking to devour her self had receded. It was still there, but the curse's hold on her mind had loosened to such a degree that it no longer muddled her thoughts. She remembered her purpose. I've no excuse to linger here. As soon as I have repaid the kindness of my hosts, however misplaced, I must find my way back to Drangleic. I must find Aslatiel, Lucatiel thought, silently berating herself for forgetting her brother for even an instant. Even if her existence as an Undead meant she had lost most of her memories, such absent-mindedness was unacceptable, not to mention unbecoming of her. "Look everypony, she's waking up!" A decidedly feminine voice exclaimed, prompting Lucatiel to open her eyes and take in her surroundings. The interior of the room was cozy, with warm, incandescent light pouring in through a window, driving away the faintest trace of shadows from the corners. Lucatiel herself was currently lying down on a very comfortable if curiously proportioned bed, her head propped up by a not insignificant number of soft pillows, allowing her to see around the room and take stock of the other occupants within it. Six of the strange equines, far taller than the ones she had protected from the wooden wolves stood at the end of the bed, staring at her with seeming anticipation. The first pony, Lucatiel decided, had a coat of lavender fur and a purple mane and tail with a light magenta streak running through both, but the most eyecatching feature was the spiraling horn, matching the coat's coloration. She, and as far as Lucatiel could tell it was indeed a she, was looking at her with anticipation, seemingly in a silent debate whether to speak. The pony to her left was also a... Unicorn, was it? Yes, another unicorn, this one with a pristine alabaster coat and a purple mane and tail done up in an elegant coiffure, not unlike what the highborn ladies of Mirrah would have. Lucatiel quirked an eyebrow behind her mask in bemusement, the image in her minds eye of haughty noblewomen discovering that a horse could match their sense of fashion nearly causing her usual stoic expression to falter. The next pony in line, surprisingly enough, did not have a horn upon her head, instead sporting a pair of feathered wings that were currently neatly folded against her sides, the canary-yellow plumage matching her coat. Her expression openly showed worry, until the realization of having Lucatiel's eyes trained on her made her hide behind her long, flowing light pink mane. When her eyes turned to the next pony in line, Lucatiel's mind did a double take to try and comprehend what she was seeing. The second winged pony's coat and wings were blue like a cloudless sky on a warm summer day, while the mane and tail were a riot of all the colors of a rainbow. There was no chance that those could be her natural colors. While at first glance her demeanor displayed a seeming disinterest, Lucatiel could tell from the way the muscles on the legs were tensed, she was ready to pounce on her at the first sign of danger. Lucatiel genuinely couldn't tell whether the winged pony's halfhearted effort of disguising her wariness of her was intentional or not. Swiveling her eyes to the right, Lucatiel focused on the next pony, this one having neither wings nor horn. The pony had an orange coat and a mane and tail of a lighter shade of blonde than her own head of golden hair, with red headbands to tie them into ponytails, of all things. To further complement this quite rustic appearance, perched atop her head was a clearly aged yet well kept brown felt hat. As Lucatiel turned her scrutinizing gaze upon the last pony in the room, she found herself as befuddled as she had by the rainbow-maned pony's appearance. This pony had a coat of light pink and a mane and tail of a darker shade of pink hair that seemingly flooded outwards from her. Her mouth was streched to an unsettling grin that somehow became even wider when she noticed Lucatiel was gazing at her. Faraam and Kremmel, have mercy for my wretched soul. "Oh, you don't need to be afraid, its alright. Pinkie is just excited to meet you. My name is Fluttershy. Could you tell me your name? Um, if that is okay with you, that is," a soft, soothing voice spoke from her left, and Lucatiel turned her head to find that the canary-yellow winged pony had moved closer to her, her teal eyes laced with concern. How did she get so close without making a sound? They have hooves and the floor is wood. I must be letting my guard slip. It is good fortune indeed that they do not seem to have ill intent for me. Lucatiel, deciding that silence would in this instance not be helpful, replied: "I am called Lucatiel, Miss Fluttershy. I presume that I have you and your companions to thank for my rescue?" Much to Lucatiel's puzzlement, the pony named Fluttershy meeped and the other ponies in the room reeled back in surprise, as though they had not expected to hear her speak. Have they never met a human? Is that why they did not recognize me as an Undead? Lucatiel pondered in her head. It was... comforting, to know that there was a place in the world that had remained untouched by the curse, and it only made her fetid presence within it feel all the more sacrilegious. I must leave with all haste once I have repaid my debt to them, lest I bring doom to this land as Undead have done elsewhere, and gods forbid should I go Hollow here, in this untarnished sanctuary. While these thoughts floated in Lucatiel's mind, the lavender unicorn stepped towards her, her expression a cheerful, friendly countenance. "So your name is Lucatiel? My name is Twilight Sparkle. How do you feel? You seemed pretty badly hurt back at the clearing," she said, a warm smile never once leaving her muzzle. You would not speak with such concern for me if you knew the danger I bring with me wherever I go, Lucatiel thought as she replied: "I am glad to make your aqquaintance, Twilight Sparkle. I am as well as can be expected, given my circumstances. I do not think I would have fared well without you and your companions' intervention. I owe all of you a great debt indeed." "Nonsense, darling! After you so gallantly charged to rescue my little sister and her friends from those Timberwolves, we would be heartless, uncouth ruffians to hold you in any sort of debt to us!" The white unicorn declared in a refined accent, seemingly deciding now was the time for her to step forth and add her own thoughts, which were shared judging by the murmurs of agreement that sounded throughout the room. They are actually called Timberwolves? Lucatiel thought bemusedly, as she said: "You are most generous to say such, Miss...?" "Rarity, darling. Fashionista extraordinaire and proprietor of Carousel Boutique, and I must say that I was quite impressed with the ensemble that you were wearing. Such an elegant yet spartan design and color composition, that at once conveys both beauty and formidable strength, I could not help but find myself inspired by it!" The talk of clothing served to remind Lucatiel that underneath the covers, save for the rather tattered undercloths she was rather in a state of undress. The unicorn named Rarity must have noticed the discomfort in her eyes, as she quickly assured: "Oh, no need to worry about your clothes, darling. When we brought you here they were absolutely covered in grass stains, tree sap and dirt, so I thought that while our dear Fluttershy tended to your wounds, I would do my part by doing the same to your outfit. I'm certain you will find it as immaculate as the day it was made!" As she spoke, Rarity's horn began to glow in a mesmerizing azure light and a neatly folded bundle of familiar clothing floated over to Lucatiel, who balked at the display not out of surprise but of carefully suppressed outrage. They make use of sorcery so trivially?! Then again, perhaps it merely makes up for the lack of hands... Lucatiel thought, as she asked: "I am grateful that you have rendered such a service to me, but I feel I must inquire after my armaments. If you truly consider our debts settled in an honest accounting, then there is surely no reason to keep them from me, is there? It would be shameful for me to find myself disarmed." Now it was the orange pony who spoke, in a heavily accented voice loosely reminiscent of a certain barkeep in her home village from so long ago: "No need for ya to worry, Miss Lucatiel. Yer things are by the doorway, sword an' shield an' all in order or mah name ain't Applejack!" "And I'm Rainbow Dash, fastest flier in Equestria!" Lucatiel stared at cyan winged pony, and replied in a neutral voice: "Charmed, I'm sure." Sitting up straight, Lucatiel turned to face the pony Fluttershy had named as "Pinkie", and tilting her head in confusion asked: "Are you unwell, Miss Pinkie? You are shaking." And so she was. The pink mare was silently buzzing in place, the same unnerving grin stretching across her features from ear to ear still in place. The other ponies in the room seemed to have also noticed this, and the sight of them sitting down on their haunches and placing the hooves of their forelegs against their ears was not a reassuring one. As Lucatiel turned her gaze back towards Pinkie, her eyes widened as she found the mare's head scarcely three inches from her own, eliciting a yelp and a most ungraceful tumble back down onto her pillow while the pink pony drew in a deep breath and began spouting a litany of sentences that even Lucatiel's hearing, honed to near-perfection from having to make sense of garbled commands over the chaotic din of a battlefield, was barely able to keep up. Something to do with a "welcome party" and "cupcakes". It was then that Applejack chose to intervene on her behalf. "Landsakes Pinkie, no need to overwhelm the poor gal when she only just woke up!" The farm-mare exclaimed as her hoof was unceremoniusly placed on Pinkie's muzzle, reducing the high pitched rambling to much quieter mumbling, yet the pink mare continued to attempt to speak as though nothing had interrupted her. Taking the moment of reprieve from the verbal assault to sit upright again, Lucatiel began to spread out the various parts of her outfit, which the unicorn named Rarity seemed to take as a signal to hush everyone else out of the room. The idea that these creatures who walked about in bare fur would have a concept of decency when it came to dress was a puzzling one to Lucatiel. She decided that perhaps it was more for the higher circles of their society, as Rarity seemed to have been the only one to actively respond to her actions. With a slow, deliberate, almost reverent pace Lucatiel removed her mask, the black silk lining the inside peeling off from her face, exposing the skin beneath to air for the first time in what must have been a significant amount of time, that she could feel the sensation of her skin breathing in air once more even through an Undead's dulled sense of touch. Turning it around so that the gleaming steel faced her, her left hand moved to caress that side of her face. Sighing, Lucatiel placed the mask on the bed and began to dress. First came on the padded snow white dress shirt, now freshly laundered, followed by the light burgundy trousers and bound by an ornate belt. Next she sat on the bed and slipped her feet into the light woolen socks before pulling on the leather boots, tucking the pant legs within. With practised ease, the black hardened leather vest came on, the royal blue waistcloth hanging on one side with more boiled leather on the other, the slight weight a familiarly comforting feeling. Finally, Lucatiel closed her eyes as the mask came back on, and the dress uniform hat was affixed back on the top of her head, the padding concealing the steel helm beneath the hat. Behind the eyeslits of the mask, two piercing deep blue eyes opened, burning with determination, and as Lucatiel walked up to the door and attached the scabbard of her sword to its rightful place at her side and shouldering her shield by its sling, they burned with something else too. Something she had not felt for an immemorable amount of time. Hope.
1: A Name RememberedFor the first time in what felt like forever, Lucatiel experienced the physical sensation of waking up from a state resembling sleep. Her first thought on the matter was how nice it felt, followed swiftly by the confusion at having experienced it once again. Ever since she had become afflicted with the infernal Darksign, she had not felt a single pang of physical hunger nor thirst, and whenever she seemingly dozed off it was more akin to feverishly phasing in and out of consciousness than restful slumber. As her piercing deep blue eyes took in her surroundings, she was mildly shocked to find no sign of Aldia's keep, instead laying under the shade of an old oak in the middle of a forest. In a flash, she had scrambled to her feet, instincts honed from previous experiences guiding her as she frantically scanned the ground nearby her. Her state of near-panic settled somewhat upon finding her sword in its sheath by her side, her shield slung onto her back and feeling the familiar weight of her hat and mask upon her head. Drawing her sword and holding it out before her, she focused her breathing until the blade was perfectly still, keeping her from hyperventilating at the prospect of having been displaced without her consent, only one thought raced through her head: Where in the blazes am I?! The dense woodland all around brought the Shaded Woods to mind, yet this place had a few key differences, lacking the impregnable mist that the former was notorious for alongside the bands of murderers and deserters who stalked those caught travelling through. Another difference was that where Shaded Woods was perennially silent as the grave, Lucatiel could hear the rustling of leaves in a faint breeze and birdsong all around. As she looked up through the forest canopy, she took note that judging by the position of the sun it looked to already be midday. As the sky would not be offering much aid in terms of navigation, she simply looked around and started off in the direction she spotted a clearing in. As she neared the treeline, however, she heard a sound that seized her breath and chilled her to the bone. It was a sound that she would gladly go Hollow without ever hearing again, that spurred her to draw her sword, unsling her shield and charge into the clearing like a woman possessed. The sound of children's screams, accompanied by wolf howls. Her heart beat within her chest, a silent war drum she paced her strides with as she emerged into the edge of the clearing and kept running through it as though the Smelter Demon was on her heels, only to be brought to a grinding halt as she took in the bewildering scene before her eyes. The monsters that had backed their prey-to-be against a lone tree were indeed wolf-like in appearance, but instead of flesh and fur, their bodies seemed to be composed solely of twigs, branches and leaves, yet they were nothing strange in comparison to what she had previously encountered in her trek through Drangleic. It was the sight of their prey, however, that caught her blindsided. The three creatures at first glance looked like foals, but as she observed them she noticed differences between them and any other horse or pony she had ever laid eyes upon. For one, their eyes were gargantuan, even more so when compared to the size of their heads, the muzzles on which were far more flat than any other equines, giving them an almost human look. The legs looked far stockier than they should have been, and the pastel palette for their coat and mane colors told Lucatiel that these were no regular beasts of burden. That and they were the source of the screams for help. As the strange equines huddled next to each other with their eyes shut tight, their voices seemingly having given out, one of the wooden wolves suddenly lunged at the trio, teeth bared and aiming for their throats, the unmoving ponies providing an unmissable target. So it was a great surprise for all involved parties when the deadwood lupine crashed into the ground a scant few feet short with a sword lodged deep into its neck, which the pristine blade cut through like cooled butter, severing the head and causing the body to break down before Lucatiel. Ignoring the shocked gasps behind her, Lucatiel covered her left side with her shield and brought her sword arm across her chest, the tapered point of her blade leveled at the snarling timber-wolf in front of her. While shielding her from two lines of attack, assuming this stance had exposed her right side, which one of the wolves was quick to capitalize on, silently lunging for her right shoulder. Just as she had planned. Flicking her wrist to realign the blade, Lucatiel brought her sword to bear in a sweeping cut that relieved the timber-wolf of its jaw. The wooden beast stumbled and came to a stop, just in time for the remainder of its head to be crushed against the heel of the knightess' boot. Wasting no further thought for the disintegrating wolf, Lucatiel whirled around just in time to catch the third timber-wolf with a thrust that entered its fanged maw and exited through the back of its head. Bracing her boot against the timber-wolf's head, Lucatiel pulled her sword free and turned to catch the last wolf's attack with her shield. As it turned out, she was an instant too late, the momentum of the lunge slamming into her and bowling her over. As she fell on her back, her sword slipping from her grasp, the back of her head struck a stone with a resounding crack, dazing her. Eyes unfocused, Lucatiel frantically pushed on her shield with the failing strength of her arms, desperately keeping the wooden wolf from tearing her throat out even as every breath and heartbeat seemed to summon a new wave of pain from her head. "Is this it, then? Is this my limit, the point I cannot surpass by any effort?" Lucatiel thought to herself, feeling a twinge of disappointment in herself. All the horrors of Drangleic combined had failed to stop her, yet it would be these altogether fairly mundane monstrosities that would get the better of her, in some random forest in the middle of nowhere. Still, she reflected, I suppose I did save those three, whatever they were. Forgive me Aslatiel, it seems I won't be able to keep my promise to you after all. It was at then that Lucatiel heard shouting through the ringing in her ears, right after which the weight pressing down on her vanished as the last timber-wolf was sent flying by the strike of a magenta-colored burst of light. Freed from the strain of defense, her arms went limp and Lucatiel released a shuddering breath, feeling the warmth of blood trickling down the back of her skull. As she kept gazing at the open sky above her, her vision was suddenly engulfed in canary yellow blur with a massive set of teal eyes staring into her own with what seemed to be concern as she faded from consciousness. Author's Note Hope you enjoyed this first chapter of what will hopefully be a long story.
2: Looking In From Outside"So what exactly is this thing supposed to be, Twilight?" Twilight Sparkle, personal student of Princess Celestia, Bearer of the Element of Magic, triple PhD graduate from Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, furrowed her brow as she looked over the still unconscious creature Fluttershy was tending to, knowing that the truthful answer was the one she dreaded giving to any question: "I don't know, Spike, and that's what concerns me the most. Here we have a wounded creature that is clearly intelligent, given how it is capable of using a sword and wears clothes, and judging by the lack of any packed provisions it must have come from somewhere nearby, and yet it isn't mentioned in any of the books detailing all the known sapient species on Equus. Judging by the difference in the length of it's fore and hindlegs, it's likely bipedal, which narrows down the list, but none of those options come close. It is far too slender in build and lacking horns to be a minotaur, but the lack of claws and hair apart from the mane on it's head in addition to the wrong skull shape rules out it being a Diamond Dog either. I just hope it wakes up soon so we can ask it directly." Taking her eyes off the creature, Twilight moved over to the common room of Fluttershy's cottage where she and her friends had gathered after their semi-regular foray into the Everfree Forest to save the Crusaders from the consequences of their latest plan to get their Cutie Marks in monster taming, of all things. After having sent Rainbow to fetch Spike, she had dived into the cache of books she had requested her assistant to bring with him from the Golden Oaks Library. And after two hours of looking through all the written sources on different species in her entire library, including the mythical sources, and what did she have to show for it? Nothing but unanswered questions that increased in number the more she delved into her examination. Her friends in that time had moved little from where they had been when she began, with the exception of Rarity and Applejack, who at some point must have finished scolding their little sisters for going into the Everfree without telling anypony, yet again. At least this time they didn't get themselves covered in tree sap, Twilight bemusedly thought to herself. The fashionista and farmer, meanwhile had kept themselves occupied till now by looking over the creature's belongings. Rarity, finished with appraising the creature's clothing, was currently vigorously scrubbing the dirt off of the royal blue waistcloth that was attached to a hardened black vest that she had previously been cleaning with her magic, while Applejack seemed to have recruited Rainbow to help her examine the creature's armaments. It had caused a variety of recoils of shock and horror amongst her and her friends when it had been discovered that a great deal of the creature's belongings incorporated the use of leather. Animal hide leather, cured and tanned into a material that felt soft and pliable while retaining excellent durability, which explained its use on the sword-grip, the scabbard and the belt keeping it on to the creature's waist and the strange coverings that the creature wore on the ends of it's limbs, all of which ended in appendages reminiscent of Spike's claws and feet sans the scales. It was on closer examination of its texture that the vest had also turned out to be leather, having been hardened and then dyed black with silver etched onto its surface in beautiful, flowing patterns, seemingly with the intent of making the outfit suitable for ballroom and battlefield alike. The most eyecatching feature of the creature's ensemble, however, was an almost absurdly large hat and a steel mask that remained on the creature's face by straps of its own. Not certain of the mask's signifigance to the creature, they had opted to leave it on, as unlike the hat it was not getting in the way of Fluttershy's efforts to bandage the injury on it's head. Having come to the conclusion that the book in front of her would not offer any further insight into the unusual being laying on the bed, Twilight closed The Budding Wayfarer's Bestiary of Sapients with a sigh and trotted over to where Applejack and Rainbow were still keeping the sword and shield under scrutiny, asking in a hopeful tone: "Any new insights about the sword, girls?" The orange earth pony and cyan pegasus both turned to face the lavender unicorn, looks of uncertainty evident on their faces, wrangling the question of whether what they had discovered could be considered noteworthy, until Applejack broke the brief moment of silence by replying: "Well Twi, to be frank with ya, Ah'm no expert on what makes a good sword, but Ah know good steel when Ah see it, sugarcube, and these here sword and shield have had no small amount o' love and dedication put into their making, an' it looks like they've been well kept, too. Sure as hay looks finer than e'en what them Royal Guards have for spearheads. An' judgin' by how the grip was made, it don't seem too likely that this was made by a pony smith, and Ah can't think o' many other places where ya could get steel this good. Oh and Twi? Ya know how none o' us could figure out why there was that leather wrappin' on the blade?" Twilight nodded, now eyeing the aforementioned blade and finding the wrapping lying on the floor next to it. "Well, RD an' Ah noticed these laces that when loosened let us just slide the whole thing off, an' we found what it was covering, what looks like somepony carved a message into th' blade, but we can't make heads or tails of it." Thrilled at the possibility of gleaning further insight into the creature while waiting for it to awaken, Twilight levitated a copy of the Learned Linguist's Litany of Listed Languages to her and began scanning the pages for a match to the strange script etched onto the blade. Just as Applejack and Rainbow were about to trot away to give Twilight room to think, she exclaimed: "Ah-ha! I found it, girls! The letters and symbols used on the engraving match Old Griffinic alphabet! Its almost an exact match, though the vocabulary doesn't seem to have any of the same words, not to mention the grammar and pronunciation would seem to be wildly different. But still, progress!" Her victorius outcry finished, Twilight looked around the room, finally noticing the bemused expressions on everypony, which prompted a sheepish grin from her as she realized she might have gotten a little too excited at her success. "Eh-heh, what I mean to say is that even if the creature turns to not know Equish, we might be able to communicate with it using written messages and a two-way translation spell." "She, Twilight," a quiet voice behind her intoned, prompting her to jump in surprise, spinning around to notice Fluttershy standing there. "O-oh I'm so sorry Twilight, I-I didn't mean to startle you!" The quiet pegasus hastily squeaked out, while Twilight held a foreleg over her chest, trying to get her pulse to slow back down to normality. "Its..." Twilight took a deep breath, then put on a gentle smile and said: "Its alright, Fluttershy, no harm done. But what was it you were saying?" Suddenly having everypony's attention on her, Fluttershy retreated behind her mane and quietly said: "W-well, she had those wrappings on her chest and I thought that they might be old bandages, so I thought I would, um, change them since they were pretty tattered. But," even with her face hidden, they could see the blush rising on her cheeks, "They were actually covering her, um, mammary glands." Realization dawned in everypony as their eyes widened slightly and gave a soft "Ah". Even though most ponies walked around unclothed, it was still considered incredibly rude to intentionally look at those areas. Twilight's face flushed, and then replied; "I assume that you put them back on, then?" prompting a near-inaudible "Meep" and a nod from the canary-yellow pegasus. It was then that Rarity chose to interject: "Oh Twilight, darling, I think I've found something to hold your interest. Be a dear and come over here, would you kindly?" As the lavender unicorn trotted over to her, she continued: "At first I thought that this pouch that attaches to the belt was empty with how light it felt, but as I just levitated it, I could have sworn I felt a sort of tingling sensation from it, as though it were enchanted. Can you feel it as well?" "Hmm," Twilight closed her eyes in concentration, holding the seemingly ordinary satchel with her magic, "You're right Rarity, it does have that feeling of latest magic, hmm... Feels like a pocket dimension and weightlessness enchantment, powerful ones at that, interwoven into the satchel. The sheer complexity of the spellwork, not to mention the raw power requirement... I'd be hard pressed to replicate it on the same scale as here, if I had to rely on my own internal magic reserves alone. Spike, add this to the current hypothesis on the creature's civilization. Her home must be incredibly advanced in thaumaturgical craftsponyship if she can carry such powerfully enchanted items during what we can only assume is routine, everyday life." As her assistant scribbled the writing onto the parchment, Twilight noticed on the edge of her vision Fluttershy staring at the floor with downcast eyes, and asked in her softest voice: "Is something bothering you, Fluttershy?" Fluttershy looked up, her teal eyes meeting Twilight's, and replied in a hushed tone: "It might be easier to show you. I-if that's alright with you, that is," and began moving upstairs, beckoning Twilight to follow with a foreleg. Twilight fell into step behind Fluttershy, wondering just what had her friend so distraught, until she saw her opening the bedroom door, giving her the realization that it had something to do with the creature's condition. Given its- her size and shape, the only bed large enough in Fluttershy's cottage was her own bed, and even then they had to put her on it sideways to keep her much longer hindlegs from dangling off the edge. The creature was still uncoscious, her chest rising and falling in a steady rythm underneath the covers, which looked mildly damp with sweat. Twilight's eyes widened slightly as the creature's breathing became frantic, her body twitching and shivering, cold sweat running down the sides of her head. In a blur of movement, Fluttershy was at the creature's side, gently humming a lullaby, succesfully soothing her nightmare into restful sleep once more. It was then that Fluttershy turned to face her again and said: "She's been like this for the past hour or so, peacefully sleeping one moment and thrashing around as though in pain the next. I've been able to calm her down for now, and it seems like they're lessening in severity, but that's not quite what I was going to show you," while slowly pulling the covers away, causing Twilight at first to recall Fluttershy's words and involuntarily avert her eyes, but prompted by the pegasus giving her a reassuring look, she returned her gaze to the creature and her mouth dropped open in shock at what she saw. At first glance, the creature would not appear to have much physical prowess, lacking the bulk of a minotaur's body in favor of a more slender build, even by pony standards. But the light-toned skin was taut, and at a touch Twilight's hoof met supple, corded muscle, hard as a rock, which would likely cut a powerful figure on the creature when standing. It was also covered in scars, many of which looked like they would have resulted in mortal wounds. It shouldn't be possible for any living being to survive such injuries. What have you been through, Twilight pondered, her face mirroring the sullen look on Fluttershy's at the evident hardship the creature must have suffered throughout her life, judging the various ages between the scars. Both of them noticed the creature on the bed begin to stir from her slumber. Author's Note The actors are in their places, and the stage is set. Now once more, with feeling... Note: In my DS2 headcanon, Lucatiel never found her brother, but in this crossover, she winds up in Equestria just before she would go Hollow at the entrance to Aldia's Keep.
3: A Stranger In A Strange LandAuthor's Note And here it is, ladies and gentlemen. After several months, I'm getting back on track. Feedback is of course always welcome. 3: A Stranger In A Strange Land Lucatiel had never considered the Undead Curse to be of any benefit to their Bearer, but it was now that it occurred to her that those afflicted by it would have a much more comprehensive idea of what it felt like to be dead. It was this insight that allowed her to know that the throbbing headache she felt, no matter how unpleasant, was a sign that she had not yet perished. The thought relieved her somewhat, knowing that she wasn't even closer to Hollowing than before due to her own carelessness. Waking up to the feeling of a soft mattress and warm covers puzzled her, until she remembered the strange equine-like beings that had come across her on the field. They cared for me? Lucatiel thought, confusion and alarm seeping into the forefront of her conscious. Did they not recognize her as an Undead, fit only to be driven away before she could bring harm to them? It was then that she noticed her thoughts having a clarity they had been deprived of since the curse affected her, and hope began to fill her being. Can it be possible? Could the curse have truly been lifted? Lucatiel reached out with her thoughts, searching for the harrowingly familiar presence of the Darksign that marked her as Undead, dreading the inevitable disappointment, only to find the once expansive abyss seeking to devour her self had receded. It was still there, but the curse's hold on her mind had loosened to such a degree that it no longer muddled her thoughts. She remembered her purpose. I've no excuse to linger here. As soon as I have repaid the kindness of my hosts, however misplaced, I must find my way back to Drangleic. I must find Aslatiel, Lucatiel thought, silently berating herself for forgetting her brother for even an instant. Even if her existence as an Undead meant she had lost most of her memories, such absent-mindedness was unacceptable, not to mention unbecoming of her. "Look everypony, she's waking up!" A decidedly feminine voice exclaimed, prompting Lucatiel to open her eyes and take in her surroundings. The interior of the room was cozy, with warm, incandescent light pouring in through a window, driving away the faintest trace of shadows from the corners. Lucatiel herself was currently lying down on a very comfortable if curiously proportioned bed, her head propped up by a not insignificant number of soft pillows, allowing her to see around the room and take stock of the other occupants within it. Six of the strange equines, far taller than the ones she had protected from the wooden wolves stood at the end of the bed, staring at her with seeming anticipation. The first pony, Lucatiel decided, had a coat of lavender fur and a purple mane and tail with a light magenta streak running through both, but the most eyecatching feature was the spiraling horn, matching the coat's coloration. She, and as far as Lucatiel could tell it was indeed a she, was looking at her with anticipation, seemingly in a silent debate whether to speak. The pony to her left was also a... Unicorn, was it? Yes, another unicorn, this one with a pristine alabaster coat and a purple mane and tail done up in an elegant coiffure, not unlike what the highborn ladies of Mirrah would have. Lucatiel quirked an eyebrow behind her mask in bemusement, the image in her minds eye of haughty noblewomen discovering that a horse could match their sense of fashion nearly causing her usual stoic expression to falter. The next pony in line, surprisingly enough, did not have a horn upon her head, instead sporting a pair of feathered wings that were currently neatly folded against her sides, the canary-yellow plumage matching her coat. Her expression openly showed worry, until the realization of having Lucatiel's eyes trained on her made her hide behind her long, flowing light pink mane. When her eyes turned to the next pony in line, Lucatiel's mind did a double take to try and comprehend what she was seeing. The second winged pony's coat and wings were blue like a cloudless sky on a warm summer day, while the mane and tail were a riot of all the colors of a rainbow. There was no chance that those could be her natural colors. While at first glance her demeanor displayed a seeming disinterest, Lucatiel could tell from the way the muscles on the legs were tensed, she was ready to pounce on her at the first sign of danger. Lucatiel genuinely couldn't tell whether the winged pony's halfhearted effort of disguising her wariness of her was intentional or not. Swiveling her eyes to the right, Lucatiel focused on the next pony, this one having neither wings nor horn. The pony had an orange coat and a mane and tail of a lighter shade of blonde than her own head of golden hair, with red headbands to tie them into ponytails, of all things. To further complement this quite rustic appearance, perched atop her head was a clearly aged yet well kept brown felt hat. As Lucatiel turned her scrutinizing gaze upon the last pony in the room, she found herself as befuddled as she had by the rainbow-maned pony's appearance. This pony had a coat of light pink and a mane and tail of a darker shade of pink hair that seemingly flooded outwards from her. Her mouth was streched to an unsettling grin that somehow became even wider when she noticed Lucatiel was gazing at her. Faraam and Kremmel, have mercy for my wretched soul. "Oh, you don't need to be afraid, its alright. Pinkie is just excited to meet you. My name is Fluttershy. Could you tell me your name? Um, if that is okay with you, that is," a soft, soothing voice spoke from her left, and Lucatiel turned her head to find that the canary-yellow winged pony had moved closer to her, her teal eyes laced with concern. How did she get so close without making a sound? They have hooves and the floor is wood. I must be letting my guard slip. It is good fortune indeed that they do not seem to have ill intent for me. Lucatiel, deciding that silence would in this instance not be helpful, replied: "I am called Lucatiel, Miss Fluttershy. I presume that I have you and your companions to thank for my rescue?" Much to Lucatiel's puzzlement, the pony named Fluttershy meeped and the other ponies in the room reeled back in surprise, as though they had not expected to hear her speak. Have they never met a human? Is that why they did not recognize me as an Undead? Lucatiel pondered in her head. It was... comforting, to know that there was a place in the world that had remained untouched by the curse, and it only made her fetid presence within it feel all the more sacrilegious. I must leave with all haste once I have repaid my debt to them, lest I bring doom to this land as Undead have done elsewhere, and gods forbid should I go Hollow here, in this untarnished sanctuary. While these thoughts floated in Lucatiel's mind, the lavender unicorn stepped towards her, her expression a cheerful, friendly countenance. "So your name is Lucatiel? My name is Twilight Sparkle. How do you feel? You seemed pretty badly hurt back at the clearing," she said, a warm smile never once leaving her muzzle. You would not speak with such concern for me if you knew the danger I bring with me wherever I go, Lucatiel thought as she replied: "I am glad to make your aqquaintance, Twilight Sparkle. I am as well as can be expected, given my circumstances. I do not think I would have fared well without you and your companions' intervention. I owe all of you a great debt indeed." "Nonsense, darling! After you so gallantly charged to rescue my little sister and her friends from those Timberwolves, we would be heartless, uncouth ruffians to hold you in any sort of debt to us!" The white unicorn declared in a refined accent, seemingly deciding now was the time for her to step forth and add her own thoughts, which were shared judging by the murmurs of agreement that sounded throughout the room. They are actually called Timberwolves? Lucatiel thought bemusedly, as she said: "You are most generous to say such, Miss...?" "Rarity, darling. Fashionista extraordinaire and proprietor of Carousel Boutique, and I must say that I was quite impressed with the ensemble that you were wearing. Such an elegant yet spartan design and color composition, that at once conveys both beauty and formidable strength, I could not help but find myself inspired by it!" The talk of clothing served to remind Lucatiel that underneath the covers, save for the rather tattered undercloths she was rather in a state of undress. The unicorn named Rarity must have noticed the discomfort in her eyes, as she quickly assured: "Oh, no need to worry about your clothes, darling. When we brought you here they were absolutely covered in grass stains, tree sap and dirt, so I thought that while our dear Fluttershy tended to your wounds, I would do my part by doing the same to your outfit. I'm certain you will find it as immaculate as the day it was made!" As she spoke, Rarity's horn began to glow in a mesmerizing azure light and a neatly folded bundle of familiar clothing floated over to Lucatiel, who balked at the display not out of surprise but of carefully suppressed outrage. They make use of sorcery so trivially?! Then again, perhaps it merely makes up for the lack of hands... Lucatiel thought, as she asked: "I am grateful that you have rendered such a service to me, but I feel I must inquire after my armaments. If you truly consider our debts settled in an honest accounting, then there is surely no reason to keep them from me, is there? It would be shameful for me to find myself disarmed." Now it was the orange pony who spoke, in a heavily accented voice loosely reminiscent of a certain barkeep in her home village from so long ago: "No need for ya to worry, Miss Lucatiel. Yer things are by the doorway, sword an' shield an' all in order or mah name ain't Applejack!" "And I'm Rainbow Dash, fastest flier in Equestria!" Lucatiel stared at cyan winged pony, and replied in a neutral voice: "Charmed, I'm sure." Sitting up straight, Lucatiel turned to face the pony Fluttershy had named as "Pinkie", and tilting her head in confusion asked: "Are you unwell, Miss Pinkie? You are shaking." And so she was. The pink mare was silently buzzing in place, the same unnerving grin stretching across her features from ear to ear still in place. The other ponies in the room seemed to have also noticed this, and the sight of them sitting down on their haunches and placing the hooves of their forelegs against their ears was not a reassuring one. As Lucatiel turned her gaze back towards Pinkie, her eyes widened as she found the mare's head scarcely three inches from her own, eliciting a yelp and a most ungraceful tumble back down onto her pillow while the pink pony drew in a deep breath and began spouting a litany of sentences that even Lucatiel's hearing, honed to near-perfection from having to make sense of garbled commands over the chaotic din of a battlefield, was barely able to keep up. Something to do with a "welcome party" and "cupcakes". It was then that Applejack chose to intervene on her behalf. "Landsakes Pinkie, no need to overwhelm the poor gal when she only just woke up!" The farm-mare exclaimed as her hoof was unceremoniusly placed on Pinkie's muzzle, reducing the high pitched rambling to much quieter mumbling, yet the pink mare continued to attempt to speak as though nothing had interrupted her. Taking the moment of reprieve from the verbal assault to sit upright again, Lucatiel began to spread out the various parts of her outfit, which the unicorn named Rarity seemed to take as a signal to hush everyone else out of the room. The idea that these creatures who walked about in bare fur would have a concept of decency when it came to dress was a puzzling one to Lucatiel. She decided that perhaps it was more for the higher circles of their society, as Rarity seemed to have been the only one to actively respond to her actions. With a slow, deliberate, almost reverent pace Lucatiel removed her mask, the black silk lining the inside peeling off from her face, exposing the skin beneath to air for the first time in what must have been a significant amount of time, that she could feel the sensation of her skin breathing in air once more even through an Undead's dulled sense of touch. Turning it around so that the gleaming steel faced her, her left hand moved to caress that side of her face. Sighing, Lucatiel placed the mask on the bed and began to dress. First came on the padded snow white dress shirt, now freshly laundered, followed by the light burgundy trousers and bound by an ornate belt. Next she sat on the bed and slipped her feet into the light woolen socks before pulling on the leather boots, tucking the pant legs within. With practised ease, the black hardened leather vest came on, the royal blue waistcloth hanging on one side with more boiled leather on the other, the slight weight a familiarly comforting feeling. Finally, Lucatiel closed her eyes as the mask came back on, and the dress uniform hat was affixed back on the top of her head, the padding concealing the steel helm beneath the hat. Behind the eyeslits of the mask, two piercing deep blue eyes opened, burning with determination, and as Lucatiel walked up to the door and attached the scabbard of her sword to its rightful place at her side and shouldering her shield by its sling, they burned with something else too. Something she had not felt for an immemorable amount of time. Hope.
