Dark Body, Light Soul (Or the Tale of the Stalfos)

by Garino

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Human, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Comedy, Other
Length: 93407

Another pawn in the Chess Game of the Gods takes the stage in the land of the dead

Another story for Rust and Blackwing's ever-popular universe, Chess Game of the Gods.
Our hero this time is a gamer, who has awoken on our favorite planet full of ponies, gryphons, and other lovely creatures.
But it's not the area he wished to start.
Not in the body he believed he would obtain.
And quite certainly, not in the current situation.

Taking on the name of a famous hero, he's hoping to rally the forces against those who would eradicate the dead. Adventure awaits in the four corners of the world, and he's gonna explore...a good portion of it. And throughout it all, he hopes to prove two things:

Light does not mean good, and Dark does not mean evil.

*NOTES*
All respective game references are copyrighted to their respective owners. No, it's not a crossover with any of them, even though the hero is one of the monsters.

New coverart by Deviant Xxcron! Check out more of her work! http://xxcron.deviantart.com/

Published 2012-07-16 21:44:04 UTC
Last updated 2014-07-31 01:20:49 UTC

1: Not Part Of The Deal

Chapter 1: Not Part Of The Deal

I yawned as I woke up from my sleep. Wow, I just don't remember the last time I slept so well. I stretched my limbs as I picked myself up off the ground. Wait...ground? Last I checked, I fell asleep in a bed. I opened my eyes. This was not my room in the apartments. I was not sure where I was, but there were a lot of trees, it was hard to tell what the time of day it was, and I could smell something stagnant in the air. Maybe it was a swamp?

I looked around and managed to get myself on my feet. If that pill really did work, it didn't do such a good job of making me Volvagia, I thought to myself. First things first, I need to find something that can show my reflection. For some reason, my stomache wasn't growling. Usually, when I wake up, it's very angry that I ignored it all night and wants me to make it a sammich or something. Hey, less I have to eat, the more I can survive the week. I noticed light bouncing off of the surface of a small puddle to the right. Maybe I could use it and see what happened.

Well, folks, I got there in 5 seconds. And within 2 seconds of looking at the reflection in the puddle, I lost all claims to masculinity with the girliest shriek you will EVER hear. As soon as I reclaimed my sanity and a shred of dignity, I looked at the reflection again. Staring back at me was a skeleton. Yes, you read that right, a skeleton.

I gotta say, he looked pretty...badass. An iron pauldron on each shoulder, light blue gloves on his hands, with matching shorts and cloth boots, and a brown belt around the waist. Only thing I didn't really like was the helmet: way too small to be of any use if it's not covering your whole head. Wait, do I spy...? Yes! Spike bands around the ankles and wrists! This guy looked like he died in battle, and just came back to life to strangle his killer!

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. If he's staring back at me, there's only one logical explanation for it. I opened my eyes and raised my right hand. He raised his left. I tilted my head to the left. He tilted his to the right. I sneezed. "Bless you," he said.

"Thank you," I said absently. Wait...WHAT?!? I looked back at the reflection. He was laughing. Laughing! I wasn't laughing, why was he laughing?!? He had that deep voice, you know? The one a commanding officer would have when he wanted his troops to remember their place.

"Hahahaha! Oh, it's been too long since I've seen another soul around here!" the skeleton laughed. "I'm just amazed he looks like me!"

"Like you?" I asked. I lifted my hand to my face and sure enough, it had a light blue glove covering it up, with a spiked wristband where the glove ended. Past it was nothing but bone. Looking down at my body, it matched even more. The shorts, the belt, the shoes with the spiked bands around the ankles. My shoulders were even covered by the iron pauldrons that the reflection wore. He was right: I was the spitting image of him. What exactly happened to me?

"I bet you're wondering what happened to you," the water skeleton said. Ooh, he's good. "I don't rightly know myself. But, right now, that doesn't matter, because I need your help."

"My help? I don't even know where I am, much less why I'm dead!" I protested. "How can I help you?!?"

"It's actually pretty simple," he responded. "See, I'm a bit...cursed right now to stay in this little puddle until someone, or something, can break that curse. As you can imagine, not many individuals really come this way."

"No, I actually couldn't imagine," I deadpanned. "I've only been here for 10 minutes, so I don't know which paths are more travelled than others."

He nodded in contemplation. "You may be telling the truth...but you're the only one I can rely on right now. So will you help me?"

I had to think on this. Sure, maybe I had just lost my mind and am actually talking to myself. I wouldn't be surprised, since it seems to be a common habit, according to close friends. Maybe this skeleton isn't cursed: it's a punishment for doing something evil and he's looking for an unwitting pawn to release him so he can catch up on lost time. Or maybe, this is the most likely idea, just MAYBE this is a crazy, lucid dream from that black pill I ingested before I went to sleep. One way to find out, and I really didn't like my choice.

"Alright, I'll help," I sighed. "But before I do, I need 3 questions answered."

The skeleton laughed again. "I've spent nearly half a millenium stuck in this puddle! A few more minutes isn't going to hurt me!"

Great, I'm dealing with a snarky skeleton. "First off, where am I?" First and foremost in any adventure: know where you are. You can't save the world if you don't know you're supposed to be here, not there.

"That's a simple one," he nodded. "You're in the Black Marsh. Really nice place, but filled with disease and ruin. Only resiliant creatures and undead monsters can thrive here."

Undead monsters. So glad I could join their group. "Second question, what exactly are you?"

"Do your eyes not work? Oh, that's right, you don't have them anymore." He let out another laugh. I shot him a glare. Or tried to, since you need, y'know, eyes, to shoot glares. He got the message, though. "Alright, alright, alright. Most creatures call us 'skeletons.' Me, I prefer our given names. The Stalfos."

Stalfos? Oh, no, I KNEW I recognized that look! Oh, this one's gonna be beautiful to try and explain to the next passerby I meet. I took a deep breath. This last question was really gonna grate at me if I kept it to myself.

"How exactly did you get here?"

The skeleton...excuse me, Stalfos...seemed to sigh at this question. "That's not for me to say so soon. If I get out of here, I'll answer that question in full."

He tapped his chin, as if he had forgotten something. Then something clicked. "Ah, we've been talking this whole time, and I never even properly introduced myself!" He removed the poor excuse of a helmet and held it over where his heart should be. "You may call me Keeta. Who do I have the honor of addressing?"

Should I use my real name? ...no, I never believed it to be what I wanted it to be: intimidating. But looking at myself, I remembered a hero who was a skeleton. Would he notice? Not likely, but I gave it a shot, anyway. I removed my own helmet, but instead of putting over where my heart should be, I tossed it to the side. No way am I keeping that thing. "My name is Daniel Fortesque," I responded. "And I shall free you from this prison."

2: So That's Where My Plot Went!

Chapter 2: So That's Where My Plot Went!

"I really should have found some kind of weapon before coming in here," I said to myself. The dungeon Keeta had sent me to was an underground one. Only a fool would go into such a dangerous place and think he wouldn't need something for self defense.

While I thought of something durable to use, I decided to start thinking about the black pill again. According to the old man's note, my form was related to what killed me first. But last I checked, Volvagia was the one I got my game over on. So why wasn't I a fire-breathing dragon with a funky flaming hairdo and only two arms?

That's when it clicked: what killed me first. Did it mean what actually made my life hit 0? But whatever it was, I was revived! I got back up to fi-

...............

I facepalmed. Of COURSE it meant what made my life hit 0 first: because you can't be "revived" unless you were originally "dead!" Okay, brain, time to rewind the clip! I mentally backtracked through the Fire Temple I had just went through yesterday. Let's see...nothing, nothing, nothing, keep going, STOP! End of Forest Temple, I collapsed as I missed sending a magic volley at Phantom Ganon! ...no, that's not it. Otherwise, I'd have black armor, a skeleton head, and an awesome black horse to ride.

Keep rewinding, keep rewinding...here we go! Two big Stalfos guarding the key I need to progr-oh, that was painful. I remember now: I had captured a fairy back in Jabu-Jabu's dungeon, and kept it with me until I got to the first Stalfos battle. I was stabbed through my defenses, then he caught me off-guard with a jump attack, which I tried to block. This proved futile, and my PC collapsed to the ground before the fairy revived him.

Well, that's one mystery solved. I think. That's what I'll go with for now. I found a metal shield jutting out of the ground near the entrance to the dungeon. It's not a weapon, per se, but I've seen what Captain America and those Defender Heartless can do with one. Just put your mind to it, and a shield is the most dangerous weapon you could ever wield. I examined it a bit. It was kind of like the wooden shield I bought at the Renaissance Faire back when I was 12 years old: the top was smooth, the sides were smooth, and the bottom curved to make a point. Although it didn't have the dragon hoarding the treasure on it.

Sorry about that little bit of nostalgia, it was a nice shield. I put the metallic shield on my left arm, hoping I'd find a good attack weapon to compliment it. I moved to the front of the dungeon, testing the weight of the shield. For a metal, it was pretty light. Hopefully, it would hold up against whatever enemies were down there.

There it was. The door to hell itself. Maybe. I wasn't particularly sure at this point. I grabbed the handle and pulled. It didn't budge. I pulled a bit harder. Still nothing. I did the comical thing, grabbed it with two hands, stood on the side of the door and pulled with all of my might! .........still didn't move an inch.

Sighing, I leaned against the stubborn door. "Well, this is a bust. How am I supposed to save Keeta when the dumb door's lo-WHOA!" The door suddenly opened and I fell down the stairs. For every step I hit, I seemed to lose another bone, until by the end of it all, I was nothing more than a skull on a spine. My first adventure in...wait, was this Equestria? But Keeta said the Black Marsh, and that's in Tamriel, and we're Stalfos, and those are in Hyrule...and am I really contemplating this while I'm a shattered wreck?

Amazingly, my limbs worked in spite of the fact that they were not attached to me. Focusing, I had my right arm crawl towards me and align itself in place. Then, I willed my left arm to meet me, made a shade more difficult by the fact it still had the shield equipped. I locked it in place, and crawled to my legs. I had attached them and was just about to get up when I stared at my legs. My feet were curved outwards.

...............

Son of a bitch, I put them on backwards, didn't I?

2 Minutes of Putting Everything Back Together in the Right Order Later:

I walked down the dark corridor, the pathway lit only by strategically placed torches. If it weren't for those flaming sticks of light, I would assume that this place had been abandoned. As I reached the end, there was another door. Thankfully, this one was easy enough to open: I pulled it towards me and closed it as I walked into the open room.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you something: wherever I was, it seemed to be paradise for the undead. Skeletons (or were they Stalfos, too?) were operating trading stands, zombies were rolling the dice, and all sorts of so-called creatures of the night were having a good time. As I approached the edge of the area, I was greeted by a ghost.

"Hello, there, stranger!" she giggled slightly. She seemed young. Quite the opposite of what I was expecting. Wait a moment...was she a horse? She sure seemed like it: she had four hooves, the mane and tail, and the muzzle of one. Curiously, I peeked at her flank. ...nope, nothing there. I immediately shifted my attention away as soon as I confirmed that.

My greeter tilted her head slightly. "I've never seen a skeleton of your shape before. What kind are you?"

What kind? The human kind, I wanted to shout. But as I examined the room a bit more, I noticed she was right: there were zombified ponies, skeleton gryphons, vampiric Diamond Dogs, even a dragon ghost. But nowhere did I see even a single, solitary thing like me. Maybe I was where I thought I was?

I decided to give her my best answer. "I am a Stalfos. Daniel Fortesque, if you're looking for a name."

Maybe it was just me, but her eyes seemed to widen when I gave her my psuedonym. Was that a good sign? "A Stalfos?!? Oh my goodness, we haven't seen a Stalfos since the King and Keeta!" The King and Keeta? So maybe Keeta wasn't lying after all. I was about to ask her a question, but she gave me a "SILENCE!" motion. "Listen, Stalfos aren't really welcomed around here. They were all destroyed when the current King dethroned Igos and claimed it for himself. Only Keeta survived, and he was cursed to be a reflection in a puddle until the day he died."

"But isn't Keeta already dead?" I asked without thinking. "I mean, you can't be a Stalfos unless you're dead, can you?"

She stared at me. "...that's a good point. Then why can't he get out?"

I dropped my voice to a whisper. "That's what I'm here to find out," I told her. "Can you help me, Miss...?"

"Oh!" She clapped her hooves together. "Sorry, I was just so excited to see someone new, that I forgot my manners! I'm Melody! Decendant of the Forte Family!"

Conspicuously close to a double-soft Melody, I thought to myself. Aloud, I said, "My question still stands, Melody. Can you help me break Keeta's curse?"

She eyed my shield. "Well, Mr. Fortiskay," she began. I winced. Even though it wasn't my real name, having it mispronounced still bugged me. It's one of the reasons I rarely used my real name. She didn't seem to notice as she continued, "if you want to break his curse, either Keeta has to die, or you have to convince the current King or Queen to release him."

"Why either or?" I asked.

She shrugged. "That's just the kind of curse that was placed on him."

A loud ringing erupted from the top of the market area. Melody and I stared as a gryphon with a crown dropped down from the top. He wore one of those malicious smiles, one that said, "You're lucky I'm kind enough to allow you to live." My ghostly friend gasped.

"That's the King! Mr. Fortiskay, if he sees you, he'll destroy you! Hide!"

I had to think fast. How do I hide in a marketplace? Um...aha! I jumped behind an empty stall and found a set of blue robes. Could I convince him I was a zombie of some sort for a moment?

As I threw the clothes on, quickly covering myself, armor and all, the King spoke.

"Greetings, my subjects! Your King has graced you with His presence! However, I'm afraid my being here was not entirely a nice visit." There were a few mutterings in the crowd, wondering what he was talking about. "As you know, the last of the Stalfos has been wiped out, and their sole survivor, Keeta, lies trapped in the Black Marsh until the end of days!" There were a few claps, some cheering, and one whistle. Were we really that badly thought of? "But, it has come to my attention that I, your King, was mistaken!" More hushed whispers. "One of the evil Stalfos has infiltrated our little town and is planning to destroy it by releasing Keeta!" There were gasps all around. "Therefore, in order to get rid of this threat, I hereby issue a proclamation: capture the Stalfos and bring him to me! Whoever brings him to me shall be crowned as my next heir when my time comes!" With that, whooping and hollering came from all around the market place. "I wish you luck in finding this evil monster and delivering him to me. And always report any findings of suspicious activities to guards. That is all, you may continue your work." With that, he flew back up.

The crowd mostly went back to work as I slowly started taking the robes off. Melody, however, stopped me by placing a wide, yellow hat on my head. "You can't show your face, Mr. Fortiskay! Others will notice."

"It's Fortesque," I said as calmly as I could. "Four-tis-cue. Not Fortiskay!"

"Whatever," she brushed it off. "But you still can't show your skull around here yet!" I was just not off to a good start on my journey. She motioned at me to follow her. I nodded slowly.

"Hey, Melody? Who owns that stand?" I asked.

She shot me a smile. "My father does! His name's Allegro. Don't worry about paying us, because I'm sure you'll find something to do around here."

I could only hope.

3: Why, Yes, I'm Here To Pick Up My Laundry

Chapter 3: Why, Yes, I'm Here To Pick Up My Laundry

Melody and I weaved through the crowd, trying to avoid being too noticeable. Every stall we passed, they were trying to sell something weird.

"Rotton meat! Get yer rotton meat here!"

"Fresh earthworms straight from the soil! Don't be cheap: get some!"

"Even the undead need to keep their bones strong! Milk by the bottle here!"

"Need weapon, stranger?"

Odd. That last one seemed aimed at me. I turned to see a burly zombie dog with a smithy's hammer. I guess he thought I didn't hear him, because he asked me again. "Need weapon, stranger?"

"Well, I want one, but I'm afraid I can't pay you, friend," I answered.

The blacksmith frowned. "No pay. Prove weapon's worth."

Thankfully, my yellow hat covered my face, so he didn't see a flash of worry cross it. "Prove weapon's worth?"

"Yes," the dog nodded. "Me make weapon, you take weapon, enter nightly tournament." He gestured to the poster beside him. Melody gave me an irritated glare. It was the look that said, "We kind of need to be somewhere!" I ignored it for the moment to take a look at the poster.

COME ONE, COME ALL! EVERY NIGHT, STARTING AT 18:00 HOURS, BEAR WITNESS TO THE BATTLES OF LEGEND! ZOMBIE VS. SKELETON, VAMPIRE VS. WEREWOLF, GHOST VS. GHOST, AND ALL THE COMBINATIONS YOU CAN THINK OF!

PARTICIPANTS NEED ONLY A WEAPON AND SPONSOR, SHOULD PARTICIPANT WIN, THEY GET AN AUDIENCE WITH KING GRIFFON, AND THEIR SPONSOR GETS RECOGNITION FROM THE UNDERWORLD, DON'T BE STINGY, SIGN UP YOUR LIFE TODAY!

King Griffon? Where have I heard the name Griffon before? And if winning this tournament got me an audience with the king, maybe I could convince him that Keeta isn't a bad...individual. Melody's glare still weighed on me, but it changed from "HURRY UP, DAMN YOU!" to "You're actually participating, aren't you?"

I sighed. "How soon can you make me a weapon?"

The blacksmith barked in delight, accidentally dropping his tongue onto his anvil. He picked it up and put it back in his mouth before answering. "It 15:50 now. Me have good weapon by 18:00. You prove me be good blacksmith?"

I managed to get my shield out from under my robes without revealing my bones. I reattached it to my left arm, and nodded. "Yes, I prove you be good blacksmith."

"Name and Undead type?"

"Dracula, Vampire."

"You're registered, here's your number, when it's called, get your arse to the arena. NEXT! Name and Undead type?"

"Stubbs, Zombie."

"You're registered, here's your number, when it's called, get your arse to the arena. NEXT! Name and undead type?"

My turn. Let's hope Jack did a good job. I gave the register, who looked like he was the bones of an old unicorn, my name, leaving out Fortesque since it might attract unwanted attention.

"Daniel, Skeleton."

The name taker looked up. In front of him was an individual wielding a crooked red sword, a brown kite shield with a Diamond Dog's paw mark on it (Jack informed me it was "symbol of sponsor," but I think he just wanted to color it), blue robes, and a yellow hat. He simply shrugged and handed me my number. 72, my favorite.

"You're registered, here's your number, when it's called, get your arse to the arena. NEXT!"

I walked into the corridors of the underground arena. As I entered, the ghost of a male gryphon handed me a sheet of paper. (How ghosts manage to hold onto things is beyond me.) "Here are the rules. You seem to be the only one sponsored by Jack's Weapon Emporium. I guess you took pity on the old codger, eh?"

I was the only one sponsored by him? "Is that a bad thing?"

"Well, for you, no. For him, yeah. If you die at anytime, he gets nothing. Other places, like Pandora's Pizza Parlor, Jim's Earthworm Farm, and even Rash's Repair have at least 4 sponsored fighters. Even if two of them are pitted against each other, the sponsors still go up in the ladder."

"He must've had a bad streak if I'm his only fighter," I commented.

"Maybe," the apparition noted. "Rumor's going around that every one of his fighters have lost the first round, so not many choose to let him be their sponsor."

"Poor guy," I muttered. "Maybe I can break his streak. We have 128 fighters in this tournament?"

"Actually, no. There's only 80. The other 48 are going to be monsters we captured. we're pitting them against the most recent additions." With that, he flew off to greet contestant number 73.

Wait, did he say "most recent additions?" That means...the first 32 fighters are fighting real people, while the other 48 are going up against a group of monsters. And lucky me, being number 72, was going to fight them before I really got into the fray with one of the other contestants.

Crap.

"Welcome, contestants! We are proud to announce that all 80 of you have finally been registered!"

I was barely paying attention. I had no idea it was going to be this packed. According to the rules, monster fights were first, then it was battle between the contestants. Therefore, not only was I going toe-to-whatever with some ungodly creature, but it would be in front of a crowd. And worse yet, I got to do it earlier than everyone else. As if I didn't have enough on my plate as it was.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to announce that our first monster match is..." There was a pause as our announcer guy grabbed a piece of paper from the Monster Ranch section. "...a chupacabra!" There was a gasp from everyone except me. Wasn't like I was gonna face it, right?

...fuck, I did it again. Now I'm definately going to be fighting that thing next.

"And the chupacabra's opponent is going to be..." He reached into the contestant's hat, "...number 56!" Everyone turned to a male pegasus ghost with a mace and viking helmet.

"Very well! That monster will learn its place at the hooves of Balter! Where is he?!?" The gates opened as Balter flew out of the room. There was a bit of a scuffle, followed by a scream. The crowd went silent as a munching noise was heard. The outside announcer finally spoke: "The chupacabra has forced Balter to cross over, meaning the chupacabra advances!" There was a scream of joy outside. So much for him, I chuckled.

"Our second monster match..." The announcer flourished before he pulled another monster from the ranch, "...is a cyclops!" More gasps. I didn't gasp at this one, either. I've heard how destructive they are, but I still kept my cool as best as I could.

"And his opponent is..." Another pause as the next number revealed itself, "...number 72!" So early? And...against a cyclops?!? Everyone kept looking for entrant number 72 until I gave a soft cough. I gave my voice a grim feel to it, so everyone thought I was intimidating. Looking back...I don't think it worked.

"Very well. I will deal with it." The gates opened again as I gripped my sword and walked into the arena.

"Here's round 2 of the monster fights, ladies and gentlemen! Our gladiator this round, entrant number 72, the skeleton fighting for Jack's Weapon Emporium, Daniel!" There wasn't much cheering for me, other than the Forte family. And by that, I mean Allegro and Melody. The wider gate across from my own opened to reveal my ugly opponent. Seriously? I couldn't believe that zombies were actually smart enough to capture him. Then again, Dr. Zomboss created that machine to crush you in Plants Vs. Zombies, didn't he?

"And his opponent: brought in from the gates of Tartarus itself, the mighty cyclops!" There was a huge roar of applause. Apparently, skeletons in general were looked down upon. I think it's about time I change that, and make sure King Griffon knows what I think. That's what I hoped, anyway. What actually happened was probably the most hair-raising experience of my life.

The cyclops came out of the gate, full speed, slamming his monstrous club down where I stood. I rolled out of the way and started attacking his legs. Every swipe opened a fresh gash, pouring a fresh stream of blood, but it seemed to heal quickly. After three more swipes, the monster tried to crush me like a bug, stomping everywhere. Every time he did, I lost my balance and had to regain my senses. Soon, however, he stomped close enough that I couldn't recover as fast as I needed to. He raised that grotesque foot over my body and prepared to flatten me.

I rolled out of harm's way, however, just enough to where I could grab onto his side and start climbing. I move to the outside, where he easily spotted me and swatted me off of him. At the velocity I was going (I think that's how you say it?), it was no surprise my landing ended up dislocating my ankle. I quickly went to work getting it back into the right spot without removing my disguise. The cyclops started moving towards me again.

"Oh, come on! Get back in place, ankle!" I pleaded with myself. The giant was two steps away...one step away...YES! Ankle's back in order! I jumped out of the way of his club just in time! I got on it before he could pull it away, and he lifted me up to eye level. At least, for his eye. He raised his unarmed hand and slammed it onto the club. I avoided it and jumped onto the back of it. The cyclops reared his head back...

...and headbutted his hand. I could not think of a dumber thing to do. Instead of dodging this attack, I held out my crooked sword, aiming right at the eye. I realized a bit before he collided that the sword wasn't lined up and I slid into place. As expected, he jammed his eye right into my blade. With a guttural scream, he tried to smack me off. Instead, I left my blade in his eye and jumped off of him as he started hitting himself, trying to dislodge the offending item in his iris.

Soon, his own power was diminishing and he collapsed onto his back. I used this opportunity to grab my sword from his eye. Instead of finishing him, I sheathed the blade back into its scabbard on my back. It was here that I noticed a shadow over me. Instinctively, I jumped to the left, then stepped to the right as the club landed on the cyclops' face for the last time. At this point, I couldn't help myself. I put my hand on my hips, tucked my knees in tight, and started doing the Time Warp.

This was met by laughter, applause, and whooping and hollering. "And our winner, amazingly, is Daniel!" the announcer shouted enthusiastically.

4: Rattled From The Revelation

Chapter 4: Rattled From The Revelation

Victory is always sweet. Sometimes, it's bittersweet, but it's still sweet. My victory was probably sweeter than Pinkie Pie's sweetest item at Sugarcube Corner. (But please don't let me taste it, I don't think I could stand it.) Not only did I win my match, but it was against a FREAKING CYCLOPS, I broke Jack's Sponsorship curse which cited that the warriors he sponsored were to lose in the first round, and I think I'm getting some respect put back into the skeletons.

"Took you long enough, Skullhead! Thought we'd never get to the 3rd match with you in the reins!"

...okay, maybe the fans simply have a bit more respect. The arena opponents? Not so much. Looking at the remaining 78 contestants (remember? Balter crossed over), I realized that I was the only skeleton, let alone Stalfos, competing in the tournament. Maybe Jack didn't get more representatives because he sponsored a skeleton? Not cool, undead asswipes. Not cool at all.

The preliminaries were boring after my match. At least, the monster matches were. They must've beefed up the beasties, because the undead that had to fight them? Most of them wound up losing the un- prefix. The notable ones that actually got through the monster prelims were Stubbs, a gryphon zombie who gutted a huge spider (thank God he got the spider, I don't think I could've handled it); Wisp, a pegasus ghost that completely dominated an ogre (think cyclops, but smaller and far more cunning); and Carmeline, a unicorn vampire who...well, the details are a bit messy, but with her around, we wouldn't have to worry about flesh golems, that's for sure.

After that came the better part of the competition: undead vs. undead. Unfortunately, we were all sent to the bunk areas where we would stay until we were called up for the next match. I used this time to think about the tournament. With 128 contestants (and I'm including the monsters), there should be 127 matches total. I just had to figure out how many of them I was gonna be in. Let's see...128/2 is 64, and I participated in that. Then it's 64/2, which comes out to 32. I'll participate in that one, too. Then divide THAT by 2, it'll be 16. From there, I did the rest in my head. I had to go through 5 more matches before I could claim I was the champion.

Now came the tough part: figuring out who my opponents would be. ...oh, no. My next opponent was the chupacabra that tore Balter a new one. Did I mention I really need to keep my brain from taunting the lady? If I won against him, I assumed that Wisp would come out on top against the manticore. Then the 16 bracket will probably have me up against the...big, glob of darkness. There's no other way to describe it. Seriously, it simply glared at the Diamond Dog it was fighting, and he simply disappeared. I mean "poof!" vanished. The 8, as I was told, would have to be held tomorrow since there were so many battles today alone.

Although we were forbidden from watching the rest of the matches, we were at least allowed to go outside and chat with fans/sponsors/family/etc. I cracked my bones (which showed that you don't need muscles for it, ha!) and walked into the courtyard. I expected to see Melody and Jack there, congratulating me on a well-earned victory. What I didn't expect...

...were the fans. Yes, fans of the blue-robed, yellow-hatted Stalfos (who they thought was a skeleton) who made a complete fool of himself after he felled a cyclops by poking it in the eye. Granted, the fans were small, not exceeding the 20 mark including Melody and Jack, but it's still surprising. Especially when they're wearing the same clothes as me.

"Ha! Jack knew! Jack knew skeleton break curse! Now Jack recognized!" the zombie dog bounced up and down happily until his lost left leg made him faceplant. I couldn't help but laugh at his misfortune.

Melody wrapped her hooves around my neck. Or, she would've, had she not flown right through me. I heard a sheepish chuckle as I saw her ghostly arms drape around my shoulders. "That was amazing, Mr. Fortiskay! Cyclops usually last until the quarterfinals, and you took one down in the prelims!" A roar from the small crowd agreed with her. One of them, who I recognized as the ghostly gryphon who gave me the rulesheet, approached and added, "You even knocked out all of the arena's expectations: they thought the cyclops would be using your arm as a toothpick when you were slashing at his ankles!"

I was then approached by Melody's father, Allegro. Now Allegro, like his daughter, was a ghost: a pony-ghost who just so happened to have the mark of a spool on his flank. So apparently, the dead ponies can have a cutie mark? So many questions...and no way to answer them yet.

"My daughter has told me a bit about you, Mr. Fortiskay," Allegro said. Agh, mispronouncing my last name ran in the family. "I wasn't sure what to think of a skeleton entering the tournament, since you're the first one in about 15 years. But I must say, with just one victory, you're becoming the talk of skeletons."

"Hopefully, it's a good thing," I said.

"Almost. Some are praising you for your victory, others are skeptical that you're even a skeleton. Some are even suggesting that you are..." Allegro looked left, then right, and motioned for me to come closer. I abided and leaned towards him, hand over where my ear would be. "...alive."

I tilted my head slightly. I guess being alive was a crime in an undead city? "I can assure you, I am dead as dust," I told him. "Or, undead as dust. Wait, dust isn't undead..." Before I could mutter more nonsense, Allegro cleared his throat. And now you are wondering how a ghost, who has a clear throat in the first place, cleared a clear throat.

"You need not prove it to me," he said. "But I believe your fans over there would like assurance." He gestured to the small crowd, who stared at me intently. I rolled my right shoulder. They wanted proof, they'd get it. I removed my yellow hat, showing the crowd my skull. There was a huge gasp, followed by a bit of cheering. I'd say that I smiled, but I couldn't really change that: I'd be smiling even if I was pissed off because I couldn't change facial expressions.

After chatting with a few of the fans (mostly skeletons, but there was one vampire who enjoyed the dance), I retired back to my quarters to prepare myself for the next match. It was here that I allowed myself to rid myself of the hat and robe, so I could think properly. Although I couldn't "close my eyes" since I didn't have eyelids, I could still shut out light as if I had them. I took in a deep breath as I prepared myself.

"How are you liking Equestria so far?" a familiar voice sounded out.

I immediately let the light back in as I found myself face-to-face with the old man. He still had that outfit from when we first met. I let a growl escape from my throat. "It's better than my old life, but still not what I expected. What happened?"

"Why," the old man said, feigning shock, "I just wanted to send a nice, upstanding member of society like yourself to the land of dreams that even the most dedi-"

"You can stop right there, Olman," I interrupted. "I am NOT a 'nice, upstanding member of society' by any stretch, this is NOT the land of dreams, and may I dare ask why I'm a pile of bones and not the fire-breathing lava dragon that I believed I would be?"

The man tapped his cane against the floor. (Again, it appeared out of nowhere! How does he do that?!?) After a moment's silence, he finally spoke. "Fine. Truthfully, that pill did nothing."

My jaw literally dropped. I picked it up, put it back in place, and voiced the only word I could think of. "What."

"The pill. It did nothing. It was just black cherry Kool-Aid in a gel capsule. It didn't transport you to Equestria, I did," he said, a dark smile dancing across his face.

I crossed my arms. "So you're telling me that I actually didn't have a choice, that I was going to be transported whether or not I took that fake pill?"

"Oh, nononononononono," he wagged a finger. "Had you chosen to give it to someone else, or toss it away, I would've taken it away from them and looked for another potential player."

"Potential player? Are we playing The Game?" I asked. Oh, and you just lost.

"Well, yes and no. Yes, in the fact that everyone here is just a piece to form the world we wish to create. And no, in the fact that there will not be winners and losers. The only thing that matters is who's left to appreciate the impact they've left on Equestria and its surrounding areas."

I put my robes and hat back on. I figured they would be asking for me soon. "So what part do I play in your little game?"

The old man chuckled. He seemed to love keeping me in suspense. "That, my good knight, is for me to know and for you to work towards. And I'm afraid that's all I can tell you at this point."

He turned to the door and opened it. Instead of the arena, as I expected, it was simply space. I swear, I could see Jupiter out there. But not Uranus, because that joke's far too old.

"Hold it!" I shouted. "I'd at least like to know the name of the guy who sent me here!"

He didn't turn. He didn't stop. But before he closed the door behind him, he answered. "I have many names, Daniel Fortesque. The one you have called me, Olman, will be what you call me. We shall meet again, after the tournament." The door shut as he uttered the last word.

It immediately swung back open as a zombie in the shape of a young dragon opened the door. "Entry 72? Daniel?" I nodded. "Your match is up next. It's a monster battle against the chupacabra, so try not to lose your head."

I nodded. Grabbing my sword and shield, I made my way to the arena. First things first, I need to clear whatever problems lie in this city. Then I can focus on getting back at Olman.

6: The Legend of Keeta

Chapter 6: The Legend of Keeta

"Keeta was one of the handful of Stalfos who didn't treat others like they were dirt," Melody explained. "He was kind, amicable, and always trying to improve li- er, death for everyone. Even though Igos hated Keeta's actions because they contradicted his thoughts, Keeta was never apprehended or labeled a traitor. And it was one of the few times a non-skeleton ever thanked Igos for it, because he was just a force to be reckoned with.

"Many times, monsters had found their way into the city and terrorized us. Had it not been for Captain Keeta and the other noble Stalfos, Necro City would have been destroyed long ago. Over time, however, the other Stalfos became more and more corrupt, leaning towards helping themselves and the skeletons over the good of us all. Soon, Keeta was the only noble one left. Then, two years ago...everything changed."

Jack picked up the story from here. "Around that time, Griffon enter city. Release huge force of gryphons and ponies to attack city. All Stalfos other than Keeta and Igos fall. Igos dethroned and executed, Keeta sealed in lake prison. Griffon claim throne next day, and Necro City thrive ever since."

Let those words sink in for a moment, I know it's a lot to take in such a short amount of time. I had to deal with it, too. So that's why Stalfos were never seen as good: they were simply products of necromancers who wanted nothing more than to bone everyone else in the rear while they rose to power. And skeletons were looked down upon since it reminded them of Igos's tyrannical reign. Judging by their silence, I guess they had finished the story. Now it was time for some Q&A.

"So if Stalfos are looked down upon, why do you trust me?" I asked.

Melody put a hoof on my hand. "Because I can just feel it. If I believed you to be evil, I would have turned you in the moment you told me what you were."

Jack was fiddling with my sword. His handiwork. "You break Jack's curse. You prove he good blacksmith. You earn his trust."

Friends to the end. How could I expect any less? "What about my fans? Will they turn when they find out?"

They both glanced at each other. Jack spoke first. "Highly likely. Most undead oppressed greatly by Stalfos. Especially zombies."

"According to the Stalfos, zombies were nothing more than weakened versions of their living selves, and should be put back in their graves," Melody piped up. Jack shot her a dark glance. "What? It's what they said!"

"And yet, Keeta was kind enough to help them," I reminded them, dusting off my hat. "So earlier, Melody, you said you wanted to help free him. Why?"

Melody looked at me. "Because he was kind to us all. He didn't treat one group better than the other. Even under King Gryphon's rule, ghosts are still treated unfairly, and skeletons aren't even considered citizens anymore. We need Keeta here."

I turned my attention to the Diamond Dog. He shrugged. "No look at me. I only been dead 18 months," he acknowledged. "But if Keeta noble as Melody say, go ahead." Now that I think about it, Melody's words and Keeta's don't line up. I had an idea why, and I was about to voice them until I heard a knock on the door. I quickly threw on my robe and hat as the dragon zombie opened it again.

"There you are, Daniel. Your match is up next. It's against the ghost warrior, Wisp. Good luck." He noticed Melody and Jack were here with me. Looking left and right, he finally pointed to them. "Who are they?" he asked.

I pointed to them each and said, "He's my sponsor, she's my personal cheerleader. Anything else?"

The undead drake shook his head. "Nope. We'll see you in the arena." He closed the door and left.

I put my shield back over my left arm as Jack handed me my blade. Its glow was gone, but I could have sworn it was there during my fight with the chupacabra. What did I do? Jack patted me on the back, saying, "Bring more business for Jack. Want earthworms for dinner one night."

I was about to leave when something struck me. "I almost forgot: I just showed my face to a group of skeletons and one vampire. Won't they turn me in when given the chance?"

Melody laughed. "No, silly! Skeletons would never turn in a Stalfos because one, that would mean taking the lone bone man out of the tournament, and two, Stalfos treated skeletons nicely, remember?"

I nodded, but I still wasn't completely sure. "Okay, but what about the vampire?"

Jack spoke up there. "Who, Vega? No. Always appreciated good swordsman. And appreciated better dancer."

I readjusted my shield once more. Wisp wasn't one I wanted to underestimate. His fights against the ogre and Stubbs were...well, I heard that match was pretty amazing, making me a bit sad that I missed it. Not the ogre battle, his one-on-one match with Stubbs. The match was so close, you could cut the tension with a butter knife. Stubbs eventually surrendered after he lost his arm and Wisp tossed it out of the arena. (Again, how do ghosts DO that?!? Gotta ask Melody next chance I get)

The gates to the arena opened once more. As I walked out this time, though, half of the crowd actually went crazy; cheering, clapping, and whistling at the sight of me walking. Of course, when I had their attention, I decided to blow their minds. I did a 180, and started walking back towards the door. The crowd gasped. Was their underdog finally turning tail? The moment I got to the door, I started moving back to the middle of the arena...by way of moonwalking.

"Here comes Entrant 72, Daniel! Wait, he seems to be leaving. Did he forget something? Or is he finally...wait, what in Tartarus's name is he doing? He is walking to the door, yet moving back to the middle." Just insert those sentences in the correct spot, and it'll make sense. I could just hear the laughter of the crowd, along with a "WHOOOOOO!"

Of course, all good things must come to an end. "Hey, bone head!" I stopped my impromptu dance to face my opponent. One advantage of being a ghost that I hated: sneaky little bastards could go anywhere without making so much as a meep.

"And while Daniel was busy with...whatever he was doing, entrant number 44, Wisp, has just entered!" The crowd roared again. As I thought, he was well liked. The pegasus rose into the air and pointed to the left. The left-hand crowd cheered with enthusiasm. He then pointed to the right. Same reaction. I decided to get in on it, too. I pointed to the left. Amazingly, they cheered. I pointed to the right. They booed.

Tough crowd.

7: Wisped Away

Chapter 7: Wisped Away

Wisp made the first move. As soon as the signal was given, he dashed forward, steel mace in mouth. I blocked with my shield and countered with a quick thrust. Unfortunately, I went right through him. He didn't suffer any kind of pain. He gave a small, evil chuckle. "Sorry, but you're going to have to do better than that to land a hit on me," he commented. I felt the mace slam against my spine, sending me right into the ground. I rolled to the right as Wisp stomped the spot where my head used to be. I got up, shaking from the previous attack.

Ghosts were always a bitch to harm, much less kill. Of course, I didn't plan on taking away lives of the dead. ...did that make any sense whatsoever? Anyway, I only know a few ways to harm one, mostly all from video games. First, normal weapons do nothing. If you have a demonic weapon, one made of silver, or one imbued with magic of any sort, it will hurt. Others will simply go right through them, like my trusty swo-oof! Maybe I shouldn't be thinking on random things right now, I thought as my head flew off my shoulders. Thankfully, my hat was still attached, so no one saw my face.

For some reason, Wisp took this time to appeal to the crowd instead of capitalizing on my situation. As he got the other ghosts to start doing the eerie howl (y'know oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo), I had my head hopping back to my body while my body felt around for my skull. Thankfully, we reunited within half a minute. I spun my skull onto my neck, just because I could. As soon as my head stopped spinning, I was face-to-face with Wisp once more.

"I really thought you'd be a bit more of a challenge," he sighed. Once again, he smashed his mace against my ribs, strong enough to send me right into the wall. Damn! What's that mace imbued with?!? Knockback?!? I thought angrily. Timeout...is it imbued? I took a look at the mace once more. It had a clear aura. It was almost unnoticeable, but it was there. The air around the mace was distorted! That meant I could use it to my advantage! Only one problem...I had to find a way to get it out of his hooves.

Wisp looked ready to end it all here and now. He moved fast. Really fast. Too fast to turn, as I sidestepped and made him crash into the wall. Damn, he didn't drop his mace. And, most likely, he wasn't going to fall for that trick again. He shook his head and glared at me. I just couldn't resist. "I'm over here, Everclear!" I shouted. He charged at me again. This time, I held up my shield to take the brunt of the impact. It slightly worked, but it still didn't disarm him. It really made me wish my weapon was enchanted: then I didn't have to take his. "Hey, wanna see what your spine looks like? Oh, wait, YOU DON'T HAVE ONE, COWARD!" I taunted. I shoved him out of the way and stayed defensive for a moment. Strangely, I saw a white light in the corner of my 'eye.'

Glancing, I smiled inwardly: my sword! It was glowing again! I knew Wisp was still going strong, so I had to do some big damage with this hit. But what could I use against a ghost? Maybe...freeze him? Yeah, that could work. As soon as it came to mind, the aura once again changed, this time to a light-blue color. I saw Wisp was now seething with anger.

"I've played around LONG ENOUGH!" he bellowed. "STOP STRUGGLING!" He charged lighting fast, mace at the ready. "Maybe you should chill out," I suggested. I tried to sidestep, swinging my sword as he passed. Keyword: tried. Though I did connect with my blow, his mace still hit me, completely shattering two of my ribs. Wisp, however, was not so lucky. My blade had managed to connect with his wing, and though it wasn't severed, it was frozen solid, preventing him from taking to the skies anymore. He faceplanted, dropping his weapon close to his side.

I glanced at my weapon and was saddened that the glow had disappeared again. Was its magic only temporary? I didn't have time to think it over as Wisp shook off his pain and picked up his mace again. This was going on for a bit longer than I expected, and I'm pretty sure it was going on for much, MUCH longer than Wisp believed it would. I decided to sheath my sword and tossed my shield into my right hand. There was a certain move I've been wanting to do ever since I got this thing...

Wisp was now seething with anger. "That is the LAST STRAW!" he bellowed. "I'M GOING TO TURN YOUR BONES TO DUST, AND SCATTER THEM TOPSIDE!" Wow. I really rustled his jimmies. How about I rustle them some more? "You can try," I offered. He galloped towards me, which was far slower than using his wings, as I ran to meet him. Mace met shield as we fought for dominance. I figured now would be as good of a time as any to use that move. I backed off, forcing Wisp to tumble forward.

Before he could recover, I grasped my shield and shouted, "For freedom!" I then did a quick 3-uppercut combo on his jaw, where he held his mace, punctuating every hit with, "STARS! AND! STRIPES!" The second hit knocked the mace out of his mouth, while the final hit sent him right through the arena wall. Quickly, I tossed my shield back to my left arm and picked up the fallen mace. When Wisp returned, I held the mace above my head. I expected him to charge at me, just so I could send him flying as he did with me. Instead, he collapsed to his knees. He said something, but I couldn't quite make it out.

"Um, once more? I didn't get that the first time," I said.

Wisp complied. "You win. I concede the match."

"And there you have it, everyone! Daniel has forced Wisp to concede victory, meaning Daniel moves on!" The crowd roared as I approached Wisp.

"Quite a match you gave me," I commended. "I believe this is yours." I put the mace back in his mouth, which he proceeded to place onto his back. (Seriously, I have GOT to figure out how ghosts do these things)

"You, too," he sighed. "But if you don't mind, I'd like to have a chat with you."

8: Who 2 Trust

Chapter 8: Who 2 Trust

As we went into my room, I felt a mace press against my good ribs. Oh, this was not gonna end well.

"Alright, skelly," Wisp said coldly, "just what are you?"

"What are you talking about?" I countered. "You already know I'm a skeleton."

"Oh, no you're not," he said. "Skeletons can't use magic. Yet, your blade managed to freeze my wing when it couldn't touch me before. You're not a skeleton...at least not a normal one. So what are you?"

Caught. Damn. Looks like keeping up a skeleton disguise was going to be a bit tougher from here on out. "You're a perceptive one, ain't ya?"

"What can I say?" he asked. "It's my old special talent."

Special talent? I guess now's a good of a time as any to see his mark. It was the shape of a magnifying glass pointing towards a deer cap. "You used to be a detective?" I asked.

"Now who's the perceptive one?" Wisp asked sarcastically. "Yes. But we're not here to talk about my past. We're here to talk about what you are."

"And if I refuse?"

"Well, I just tell the guards I found a Stalfos, and that's the end of you."

"So I'm just screwed over either way, then?"

"I would say...wait, how?"

"You'd say 'wait, how?'" I joked. He smacked the good ribs, not hard enough to break them, but enough for me to remember he could. I sighed. "You really want to know?" He came into view and nodded. I took off my hat and robe, watching two of my ribs hit the floor. I picked them up and waved them at my guest. "This is your fault, you realize?"

His look...drastically changed. He went from anger to...despair. "You're one of them!" he shouted. "You're a Stalfos!"

I put a finger to my teeth. "Keep it down! We don't want the whole city to know! Besides, I'm here to help y'all with your problem."

Wisp managed to regain his composure and lower his volume. "Sorry. It's just...aren't you guys supposed to be, y'know, extinct?"

"Hate to break it to you, but including me, two of us are left walking." I picked up my ribs and placed them where they belonged. I felt them reattach, but the cracks still showed where they had parted company with my body. Now how did I pull that off? I thought.

"Wait, how did you do that?" Wisp asked. He pointed to the ribs I had just reattached.

I gave him the honest answer. "I dunno. It just...repaired itself." What else can I do that Olman hasn't told me about?

There was that familiar knock at the door. I quickly threw on my robe and hat as Mr. Zombie Dragon entered the room. "I got some good news for you, Daniel," he said.

"I'm the winner of the tournament and don't have to fight anymore?" I said, half jokingly.

I was awarded with a strange glance. "How did you...? Well, not exactly. Your next match will have to be tomorrow, since the last fight between your next two potential opponents resulted in a draw." Oh, goody. I needed a bye from the tournament. "Oh, and your next match is against...ooh, you're going up against Dracula tomorrow. Be at the arena at 10 a.m. Have a nice night!"

Soon, it was just me and Wisp again. I decided to give Wisp the same story I gave Melody and Jack when they found out about me, again leaving out my true identity and my meetings with Olman. Amazingly, he took the story in stride. When I finished my tale for a second time, he decided to ask a few questions. First on his mind: "What do you get from helping Keeta out? You knew nothing about him when you ran into him other than what he told you. He could be lying."

"Well, one, it's kind of a problem of mine. I give others the benefit of the doubt. Second off, I know he's probably lying. But everyone's saying Keeta is out there, stuck in a puddle because of King Griffon's curse. If I break it, he'll be indebted to me. And I kinda need the...power." At least, that's what I reasoned. Then again, the 'they owe me one' excuse never worked for bad guys, so I was probably going to have to deal with that problem in all honesty.

"So Jack made your sword, and it's not enchanted, nor is it silver or demonic. We've established that you have no idea how you're imbuing it. So what about the shield?"

"The shield?" Right...if it was a normal shield, my uppercuts shouldn't have affected him after he lost his mace. And yet, the third hit still sent him flying. I shrugged it off and said, "It's silver." Another note for the files: find out the origins of this shield. Speaking of those files...

"Mind answering a question of my own?" Wisp nodded. Here it goes. "Ghosts are known for going through stuff, right? So how in the name of Azura's Star do you hold stuff?"

Wisp tilted his head. "What kind of question is that?" he asked. "I can hold my mace because it's enchanted."

"No, I mean normal items, like jars of dirt."

"Ah." Wisp took a deep breath. "That's a question everyone's been asking, including ourselves. We just pass it off as the item's enchanted, but we can't use that excuse for jars of dirts or money."

...well that doesn't help me at all!!! "Okay, thought I'd ask because it was just bugging me."

Wisp grabbed his mace and stretched. "Well, you've got a long day ahead of you, so get yourself a good night's rest, Daniel. Good luck with the rest of your matches."

I gave a small salute as he left. Pretty soon, I'd be bothered again, so might as well get some relaxation.

After a while, he finally appeared. "I must say, you're doing very well, Daniel. Or should I shorten it to Dan?"

Light refilled my vision as I acknowledged Olman's presence. Seemed like I was in his realm this time, judging by the fact we were looking at stars instead of the dank arena room.

"Daniel is fine," I said. "Nice to see you again, Olman. Are you going to keep appearing when no one's around?"

"Whenever I wish, actually. I just prefer to do so when no one's around so I can deliver valuable information. Which is why I'm here. I bear a warning."

"A warning? Does it have to do with my tournament? Is Dracula really THE Dracula?"

Olman raised an eyebrow at this. "No, it's not about...Dracula. It's about your recent group of friends. I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them, if I were you."

I was about to ask why, but I decided against it. For one, I had a pretty good idea which of them could be trusted and those who couldn't. Two, there were multiple questions I had that I believed took priority. "Very well," I nodded. "Anyway, remember when I asked why I wasn't Volvagia? You never answered that. Was that because it would be impossible?"

The geezer took off his hat and dusted it off. "I could have if I wanted to. But that would have brought up a handful of...complications."

"Such as...?"

"For one, you'd have been dead within the hour. Volvagia is a lava dragon, meaning he thrives on heat far more than a normal dragon. Even if I sent you to the Dragon Lands, it would still not be hot enough. The only way you'd survive is if you kept burning the land, and I doubt the residents, and the other gods, would appreciate it."

"Other gods? As in, it's not just me stuck here?" I asked.

"BINGO!" Olman shouted. "It seems to be a growing trend; everyone finds a human, asks them if they want to go to a new and exciting land, and then we send them to said land. This year we decided to go to Equestria."

"Glad I was your first candidate," I snarked.

"Actually, no. You're my seventh. Everyone else gave their 'pill' to a friend they thought would like to go. So...you're kinda late to the party, Daniel."

Okay, glad to be your SEVENTH! I silently retorted. There were still three other questions. "So how do I know if I'm dealing with one of the 'pieces?'"

"You won't," the man responded, replacing his normal hat with an Abe Lincoln-esque stove hat. "If you think you know one, you can always ask. Just remember, if they're not, they'll think you're insane."

"Oh, that's not something I'm worried about," I assured him. "What about my shield? I just found it beside Necro City's entrance."

Olman inspected the shield critically. After a moment, he nodded and said, "It's the shield of a crusader. Imbued with holy magic to protect its owner. I'm amazed you can even hold it: you usually have to prove your worth to wield it."

I killed a cyclops, a chupacabra, and I bested a badass ghost. I think I proved myself very well. ...totally forget the fact that all of those things happened AFTER I got my shield. "One more question for you, big guy. During my match with the chupacabra and Wisp, my sword started glowing. What happened?"

I think Olman nearly had a heart attack from that statement. "Glowing? Impossible. Skeletons have no magic latency. Stalfos have a bit of it, but not enough to cast spells or imbue weapons."

"That's what I've been told. Yet, I made a chupacabra explode and froze Wisp's wing with a thought and a slash."

The geezer motioned for me to hand him the weapon. I gave him a look that said, "I'd better get this back before tomorrow," before I gave it up. He didn't seem to notice, though, as he was too busy inspecting Jack's craftsmanship.

"Hmm...standard kris style...modified into a sword, that's impressive...and with red steel, that's rare...but what could possibly..." he stopped there. Eyes widened, he started muttering. "Impossible...and yet...I can't..." He finally handed the blade back to me.

I, of course, was curious about what the big deal was. "Your faithful pawn would like to know what's so special about his weapon of choice," I reminded him.

"I, um...cannot say. Talk to Jack about it," he deflected. "I must go, but remember, Daniel: be careful. In a place like Necro City, you should always be wary of who to trust. It may save your life." And like that, the sky dissipated and I was in the dark.

9: Jack of All Trades

Chapter 9: Jack Of All Trades

Midnight. Or, I believed it was midnight. Being underground kinda messes with your sense of time when you've been used to the sun for so long. And, y'know, a clock to make it a lot easier on yourself. All the shops were closed until morning, most of the signs reading they'd reopen at nine o'clock sharp. Jack's Weapon Emporium was no exception. Of course, the dead don't sleep. I know this because just about everyone was out on the street having a good time. Was Jack among them?

Turns out he wasn't. I approached the shop just as Jack was putting away the last of his tools. He turned and caught sight of me. "Ah, Daniel. Why you here? Shouldn't match be now?"

"Got cancelled. It was a draw," I dismissed. "Mind if we talk?"

Jack nodded. "Yes. Jack on way home now. Honored to have Daniel join."

I looked around for any suspicious ones. Nope, none yet. I followed Jack carefully, constantly switching between him and for potential spies. Boringly enough, there were no such things. Jack reached his home (which was nothing more than a small, thatched roof cottage, which just brings up MORE questions!) and motioned for me to enter. I complied, shutting the door behind me out of habit.

The house was pretty nice. Everything seemed to be on ground level. There was a living room where we entered, a kitchen area to the right with a fireplace, and a table not too far from it. So I guess when the undead took over Necro City, they didn't bother to remodel. I honestly don't know, I just quit questioning their logic at this point.

Jack then let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I was getting tired of holding up that charade." Whoa! Did he just make a complete, grammatically correct sentence?!?

I removed my hat, asking, "Jack? Since when were you so...?"

"Cultured? Refined? Able to construct a sentence with all of the proper words? Probably as long as I've been dead," Jack replied. Though he kept the same gruff voice, his speech...just blew me away. Who knew?

I couldn't help but whistle. ...don't ask. "Pretty sneaky, good sir. You had me fooled into thinking you were a vocabulary-challenged blacksmith."

"That's always the goal," he nodded. "No one suspects a Diamond Dog to be so good with speech. Or anything, really."

I was about to ask a bit more, but he cut me off. "We both know you didn't come here to listen to me rattle on about it. So what do you need?"

At least he keeps his 'get to the point' attitude. I handed him the blade he had forged for me earlier that day. "Your blade has been acting strange. It's been...glowing...during some of my matches. What exactly is it?"

A smile danced across the dog's face. "I figured you'd be asking about that sooner or later." He held out his paw, asking for the blade. I sighed as I handed it over to him. I swear, this blade has changed hands more times than I've swung it. He then proceeded to go over the finer details of the blade, which I had already learned from Olman.

It was when he got to the hilt that he caught my attention. "A secret of mine is that I know everyone, living or dead, gryphon or manticore, has some kind of magic potential. Skeletons and Stalfos simply have...a difficult time channeling it. This right here," he pointed to a blue gem right at the cross, "helps them overcome that difficulty. It slowly charges the blade over time, but you can speed it up by focusing."

"So when the blade was glowing, it was a signal that it was charged up and ready to go," I stated. (Captain Obvious!) "How do I activate it?"

"With your thoughts," Jack stated. "It leaves your opponents guessing, and their only clue is the aura's color." He handed the my sword back to me. "Start by focusing your energy."

I took a breath as I blocked out the light. Give my sword strength, give my sword strength, give my sword strength, I chanted inwardly. After a minute of nonstop focus, the aura had finally appeared.

"Good, good," Jack smiled. "Now, the blade can't carry a huge charge, and is only good for one...let's call them 'spells' for now."

"Isn't that what they are, though?" I asked.

Jack shook his head. "No. A spell is spoken. A mute can use this same technique, as long as his or her mind can still work properly."

"So why not call it an 'enchantment?'" I offered.

We both put a hand to our chins, pondering if that was a proper idea. "It'll work, I guess," Jack shrugged. "Anyway, you said you destroyed a chupacabra when you slashed it and it exploded. I'd say you gave your blade an explosion enchantment."

Nice. A telefrag power, I chuckled to myself. "And against Wisp, I froze his wing. I guess that was an ice enchantment, if anything."

"Exactly," Jack said, taking the stance of a professor. "Now, how about learning a new enchantment? Think about an element. Any element."

Naturally, you say element, the first one that comes to my mind is water. As it came to mind, the white aura turned into an aqua blue.

Jack nodded. "Very good, a water enchantment, good for countering fire and such. With this sword, your greatest ally is your imagination. I have no doubt with this knowledge, you stand a chance of defeating Dracula."

"About how much, exactly?" I asked as I sheathed my sword (which still had the aqua glow).

"Probably about 38%," a small voice piped up.

I jumped out of my sk-erm...clothes at the surprise. Floating right behind me was Melody, grinning wildly.

"Damn it, Melody!" I yelled, hanging from the ceiling. "Don't do that!"

"But it was funny," Melody pouted. I've gotta admit, in spite of the fact she scared me out of my mind, she was super cute when she pouted. I dropped from the ceiling, scattering a few bones around the house. After I gathered them and placed my missing clothes back on, I returned my attention to our newest guest.

"What do you need, anyway, Melody? Shouldn't you be with your father?" I asked.

"Father's busy with work," Melody sighed. "Even though the shop's closed up for the night, his business has been booming ever since the crowd found out you got the clothes from us. Now everyone's crazy about the so-called 'Daniel' style!"

The 'Daniel' style? No, I thought. If the real Daniel Fortesque heard this was his 'style,' he'd be tossing and turning in his exhibit. "Jack appreciate company, but Melody trespassing," the zombie dog said.

Melody tilted her head. "Trespassing?"

"It means entering someone's property without permission," I cited off-handedly.

The ghost nodded. She then commented, "By the way, Jack, I was here long enough to know you know how to properly speak."

Jack groaned. "Of course you would be..."

I stretched my limbs. Even though I didn't need sleep, I couldn't help but want some. Probably a force of habit. "Hey, Jack, you have a bed? I think I'm ready to clock out."

I was met with two confused looks. Right...they don't know that kind of metaphor...is it a metaphor? I yawned as I corrected myself, "I mean I'd like to sleep."

Jack pointed to a door by the kitchen area. "Guest room is right over there. Although you know you don't need sleep, yes?"

I nodded. "Force of habit, I guess. I needed sleep when I was alive, and I haven't gotten out of the groove yet." Before I went to bed, I shook Jack's paw. "Thanks for forging my sword. It actually saved my bony ass."

Jack returned my shake and replied, "Like I said, I'm a great blacksmith. I just needed someone to prove it." Melody hugged me before saying good night. A lot was on my mind as I opened the door. Just in the past 24 hours, I became a Stalfos; stumbled across the land of the dead (heck, boy, ain't it grand?); participated in a tournament and advanced to the final 8 by slaying a cyclops, making chupacabra salsa, and making a ghost raise his white flag; and learned how to enchant a sword with my mind. I had more action and adventure in that whole time then I ever did back on Earth!

As I blocked what little light there was and tried to sleep, one question suddenly popped up and started gnawing at my thoughts.

Why exactly is a living gryphon leading the dead?

10: Sweet Symphony

Chapter 10: Sweet Symphony

I woke up to...actually, I don't remember what I woke up to. I yawned and tried to go back to sleep, like I usually do when I wake up. I fluffed up my pillow before trying to close my...HOLYSHITMYHANDSAREBONES!

The result was me falling off of the bed, scattering myself all over the floor and reminding me that yesterday was, in fact, not a dream. The door to my room opened, revealing a grumpy, zombified Diamond Dog. You remember Jack, right?

"Can you keep it down? You'll wake the dead." Undead jokes, how original...

"I think I woke myself up with that. Hey, since you're here..." my hand (couldn't tell which one it was) motioned to the jumbled mess that was me. Jack simply shook his head and closed the door. I sighed as I began putting myself back together.

5 Minutes of Reattaching Myself Later:

I left my room, hoping I didn't sleep in and miss my match. I quickly grabbed my stuff, gave a thanks to Jack for allowing me to stay, and bolted to the arena. I slowed down as I remembered that the stores opened at 9 a.m., and my match was at 10. Wouldn't Jack be at the forge if it was 9? Actually, now that I think on it, I was just given my clothes and weapon, and I found my shield, but what if I wanted to actually buy something? Did they use bits as currency? And if not, what WAS the currency they used? How was I going to earn it?

Focus on that whenever you need to get something from them, I reminded myself. For now, you need to get to the arena.

The trip there was actually lengthy. Not because of the distance, but because I was constantly being greeted by passerbys. Some wished me a good match, others tried to strike up a real conversation (like how I managed to freeze a ghost's wing), while a handful of jerks threatened me with "deader than death" threats if I chose to climb all the way to the top.

It was around 9:30 by the time I finally reached the arena's main gate. I know this because I greeted the ghost gryphon, named Rick, who told me my match was in 30 minutes. I didn't bother to go to my bunk, instead hanging around the gate that lead to the main area. I'd better review what I know about Dracula, I thought.

Let's see, what I've got on him so far is that he's a tall unicorn, dark gray coat with a white mane, and has a castle as his mark. ...no, I refuse to call it a "cutie mark." It's simply a mark unless they specifically refer to it as a cutie mark. Besides, there's nothing "cute" about a castle. You can try to make it cute, but it's...sickening.

Where was I? Oh, yeah. He has a love of the fireball spell, and fires off three in rapid succession. He can teleport out of harm's way, which he usually does after an attack. When the chips are down, he'll fire dark energy, which is kinda useless to most undead, isn't it? Lastly, he seems to be able to hover in the air whenever he damn well pleases, so he could stay above ground and make my life hell. Then again, this is all from the video games that I play and this guy could have nothing to do with any of them, therefore I have no clue what he'll do.

Yeah. This match was going to be beautiful.

"Welcome back, everyone, to the Great Tournament! We're down to our final 8 contestants, and they've all worked hard to make it this far! Now, without further ado, let's get on with the first match!

"Introducing first, sponsored by Jack's Weapon Emporium, christened the Skeleton Knight by his own fans, entrant 72, Daniel!"

The crowd roared as I stepped into the light. As much as I wanted to act like a fool, I figured I had a reputation to uphold now. Didn't stop me from going to the edge of the arena and giving a random skeleton pony a brohoof. As I turned, the lights suddenly dimmed. Big time.

"And his opponent, sponsored by Necro Blood Inc., the self-proclaimed Lord of Darkness (and we're not about to contradict him), entrant 63, Dracula!"

The crowd roared again. The vampire tilted his head, making a sickening CRACK! as he did so. He then glared at me with blood-red eyes. Just saying this for the record, I couldn't resist this next part, and I'm sorry.

I pulled out my shield and sword, ready to fight. "Die, monster! You don't belong in this world!" I yelled.

Dracula looked confused for a moment. But he quickly regained composure and actually went with it! "It was not by my hand that I am once again given flesh! I was called here by humans who wish to pay me tribute!"

Wait, he's quoting the line, word for word. Could this be THE badass himself?!? I have to keep going. "Tribute?!?" I used my shield hand to point an accusatory finger. "You steal men's souls and make them your slaves!"

My opponent conjured a glass of red wine with his magic (or was that blood?) and took a sip. "Perhaps the same could be said of all religions..."

I can't believe this is happening! I need to hear the story behind how HE got here! "Your words are as empty as your soul!" Now I'm just hamming it up, swiping my shield arm in front of me. "Mankind ill needs a savior such as you!"

"What is a man?!? A miserable little pile of secrets!" He threw his glass at me, which I blocked with my shield. Suddenly, he was in my face. "But enough talk," he finished our scene with a sharp jab to my chest, sending me into the wall, before shouting, "HAVE AT YOU!"

Meanwhile...

I bring a report, your majesty. We found him.

I knew my spy wasn't mistaken. Where is he?

It seems he is a contestant in the tournament. The crowd seems to love him.

But which one is he?

He goes by the name of Daniel Fortesque.

...interesting. He must be seeking an audience with me to slay me.

Is he that foolish? No one in their right mind would dare try to harm you. The finest warriors guard you with their lives.

No one in their right mind would dare to befriend a creature such as him. And yet...you did.

He is merely a means to an end. He can lead us to Keeta. From there, we can finish what you started two years ago.

Has my reign been that long already? How the time flies...

What do we do now?

Let this...Daniel Fortesque...finish the tournament. Once he reaches the finals, send a group to apprehend him.

By your word.

Oh, and one more thing.

Yes, your majesty?

Don't spare Melody, either. She sheltered him, and is therefore a sympathizer to them.

.........

Is that a problem?

N-no, sir. She will be dealt with, as well.

Good to know. Don't fail me...my faithful subject.

11: Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny

Chapter 11: Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny

You wanna talk about sucker punches? Yeah, I just got the king of all sucker punches. Although, when you think about it, I was just asking for one with my little performance. I'm just amazed I managed to keep a grip on my sword. As I peeled myself off of the wall, I noticed Dracula had disappeared from sight. I looked around, moving slowly to keep from getting caught off guard.

...yeah, like that ever works.

The moment I hit the middle of the arena, I felt a huge blast of wind sweep me off of my feet. As I landed on my back, I saw the vampire in the air, flapping his feathery wings.

...............WHAT THE BLEEDING HELL?!?!?

When did he get a set of wings?!? And where can I get a set of my own?!? Unfortunately, neither set of questions could be answered right now, and the latter could never be answered, as his horn started to glow. Three orange spheres circled around him, and with a shout, they all converged on me. I regained my footing quickly, swinging my sword (which, amazingly, kept its aqua glow from way back at Jack's) and sending a torrent of water towards the fireballs. While two of them disappeared on contact, the third still clipped my right arm, burning a part of the sleeve close to my shoulder.

I didn't do as much as I thought I would as my counterattack hit Dracula. It hit his right wing (his right, not mine), causing him to lose his flight advantage for the moment. Other than that, though, he was undamaged. I charged towards him, sword in front of me with intent to skewer.

Wow. I am just NOT thinking things through in this fight.

The Lord of Darkness used that horn of his to push my blade to the side, leaving me wide open for him to turn on his front legs and give me a solid buck, breaking a good amount of ribs. Then, just to add insult to injury, he YAWNED as I got back up.

"Your performance is pitiful. If you do not step up your game, I will end it very soon."

I'll give you pitiful, I thought spitefully. Now was the time to focus. I put both hands on the sword and started to charge. Dracula seemed to get what I was doing, because he teleported right behind me and delivered a spine-breaking shot with his wing. Amazingly, my spine didn't break, so I guess I should be thankful for that. But this was getting bad; if I didn't turn this around now, I was not continuing, tournament or my new life.

I resumed charging my weapon, hoping I could get it battle-ready before the next attack. In spite of wishful thinking, it wasn't happening. His horn started to glow again, creating two shadow-fire balls. He fired the first, forcing me to stop charging my weapon so I could dodge it. The second one was let loose the moment I jumped out of the way of the first. At this point, I could only do one thing. I held my shield up, hoping I didn't turn into dust as the two forces collided.

What happened next was...well, undescribable, but I'll do my best. A huge explosion echoed throughout the stadium (and possibly throughout all of Necro City) as a bright light engulfed my vision. When my sight finally came back, I noticed multiple different things. For one, my shield had transformed from a kite shield to a huge, tower shield, switching between a solid white and a pitch black color. Dracula stood there, dumbstruck that his attack didn't turn me into an ingredient for alchemy. As I raised my sword (which had FINALLY obtained its white glow), I thought about matching his speed so I stood a chance. The glow became more golden, hopefully confirming my mental command.

I ran towards him, moving far faster than I could even imagine. He could sense my movement, however, as my first strike missed him completely. When he went for the counter, however, I flicked my shield wrist, knocking his hoof to the ground. My diagonal cross attack created a fresh wound in his side, causing him to wince. Even so, his wing still shot out, dislocating my shield arm. Pretty soon, it came down to who would tire out first, each of us exchanging blow after blow. For every time my sword created a gash, he would have a spell burn another part of my ensemble, and for every bone he broke with his hoof or wing, I had managed to land a shattering blow, though I don't think I broke anything.

The final attack, Dracula knocking me into the air followed by a spike to the ground, shut down any hopes of winning this fight. I picked myself up and reassessed my damage. Multiple broken ribs, dislocated shield arm, skull was probably fractured, spine was aching, multiple holes in my robes revealing my frame, and I barely had any strength to stand. Dracula, for his part, looked as if he had barely been touched. Already, the wounds from my first attacks were healing, only leaving behind scars to signify anything had happened.

He gave an evil laugh. "I must admit, your last ditch attempt was very entertaining. But I'm afraid this is where it ends." He charged his horn for one final attack: multiple orbs, some of darkness, some of fire, and some of electricity. I shut out the light, knowing that this was gonna hurt. Badly. And I didn't want to see any of it.

There was the sound of explosions. But...I felt nothing. I let the light back in, to see the battlefield engulfed in smoke. Standing in front of me was the badass himself.

His smile was still there, but what he said next was...uncharacteristic of what I believed in, even from the spoof that was "Dracula: Dead and Loving It."

"You wish to free this land, don't you?"

I couldn't quite speak up. But I did manage to get it out. "Y-yeah. But..."

"No buts. You wish to free this land, and that's all that matters. I will allow you to go on."

"What? But y-"

"Don't think I'm GIVING it to you. You can continue, but in exchange...I want your loyalty.”

I picked up my sword and, pointing it to the ground, started charging it. Don't let him catch on. You just need to charge it enough for a knockback. "My loyalty? What makes you think I would give it to you?"

"It's not a choice, Daniel. It's an order. Give me your loyalty, and what little life you have will be spared."

"Are you sure you're really Dracula? I don't remember him being a comedian." Just a bit more...

"I am as much the Lord of Darkness as you are a pitiful human."

Almost...wait, WHAT?!? How did he...actually, I shouldn't be surprised. "What gave me away?"

"Seriously? 'Symphony of the Night?' Do you have any idea how many humans have repeated that scene when they meet me? But your time's almost up. Join me, or else."

The smoke's almost cleared. He's going to end this soon. "Take your offer and shove it. You know where." There's the glow! Now, let's knock him out of this ring...

"Tsk, tsk. I thought you would be smarter. Now..." he held out his front hoof, which held a dark fireball, and shouted, "ENJOY YOUR STAY IN HELL, PEON!"

Against all of the logic I was taught, I did the only thing I could think of. I hit the fireball with my sword. Instead of splitting and destroying me, it actually flew back to Dracula. He back-hooved it, sending it back to me. Soon, it was a deadly volleyball match, where the loser was going to be burnt to a crisp. Every hit made the fireball go faster, and soon it was to the point where we couldn't even stop attacking for fear of swinging too late.

That's when the most idiotic of plans presented itself to me. The walls were actually angled, similar to an octagon. If the fireball hit the wall, it could bounce off and hit Dracula from behind! No logical flaws whatsoever! ...except that the arena PROBABLY isn't magic-proof, and even if it was, the fireball would PROBABLY hit an innocent in the stands, and even if it hit Dracula, he would PROBABLY...oh, screw it, let's try it.

As soon as I made my final hit, I hit the ground and rolled to the right. Dracula, as I predicted, hit the projectile where I had been moments ago. It flew fast, hit the wall...and went straight to me. I gulped as I used my sword as a futile shield, hoping beyond hope that I would not be incinerated.

Strangely enough, it worked. The ball of doom and sadness hit my sword and into a wall, rebounding and hitting Dracula in the back. He screamed in agony as the flames engulfed him. Soon, the screams died down and he collapsed to the floor. Grunting in pain, I used my sword as a cane once again. The glow was gone again.

"Okay...the fireball...was NOT...supposed...to go...at an angle!" I panted.

"WOW!!! Ladies and gentlemen, I don't know about you, but it doesn't get much closer than that! And what a comeback! The winner of this match is the Skeleton Knight, Daniel!"

The crowd's roar basically made the whole stadium rumble. I even heard a little chant from them: "Let's go, Daniel!" "Daniel sucks!" "Let's go, Daniel!" "Daniel sucks!"

...great. I am now the John Cena of Necro City's arena.

12: Alliance

Chapter 12: Alliance

"I don't think you should've won," Jack said.

"I don't think you should even be standing," Melody added.

"I don't think I should be conscious," I finished.

My sword, sheathed, was laying by my bed; my shield, shrunk back to normal, was leaning on the wall beside the door; Jack and Melody were reattaching my broken bones and relocating the ones that moved to places they ought not be; and I...I was a complete wreck. Let's face it: that last match? The only reason I even walked out of there on my own two feet was because Dracula didn't finish me off with that last attack and tried to get me to bend to his will.

"That should be it," Melody said, patting my bones. "The dislocated bones have been placed where they belong, the broken ones are starting to restore themselves, and you're just about back to normal."

I gave a soft laugh. "Normal? Please. The moment I came here, 'normal' decided to retire from the business."

"Trust me when I say it'll come back." Jack held out my blue robes. It looked like Swiss cheese and Bleu cheese combined themselves to create this thing. "Unlike this ragged robe of yours. You're going to need a new look."

"Yeah. I should get a look actually says 'Daniel Fortesque,' not 'Vivi,' y'know?" I asked. A few blank expressions answered that. "...actually, don't answer that, you don't know Vivi. But a new look's not a bad idea, considering next is the semi-finals."

"How about a RED robe to go with your yellow hat?" Melody suggested. I could only stare at her, while Jack raised his eyebrow in confusion. "...right, palette swap won't work so well."

"Hell, why not just go out like that?" Jack asked, gesturing to my current look. (If you need help, just take a look at the story's current picture, minus the metal cap)

"But what about staying...um...what's the word?" Melody tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"Incognito?" I offered. "At this point, I no longer care. And, who knows, maybe no one will notice." Yeah, fat chance of THAT happening, if Wisp could figure it out!

"Actually, I have an idea! I'll be back with your new wardrobe!" And like that, Melody shot off through the walls. Jack coughed something, but I didn't quite catch it.

"Well, I'll leave you to prepare for the semi-finals," Jack said. "You're doing well, don't stop now." He opened the door and walked out. I guess I could use this time to meditate.

Was my meditation interrupted? Yes. Was it by someone I expected? No.

"I must say, I was very impressed with your last minute comeback."

Light reentered my vision as a dark gray unicorn with a white mane appeared before me. Now how did he get in here? Door's probably unlocked. "Ah, hello. To what do I owe the honor of meeting you, Lord Dracula?"

He chuckled at my courtesy. "At least you are as respectful as my servants. It's a shame you turned down my offer."

"My victories, whether they be through skill, strength, or sheer dumb luck, should be earned and not given to me," I said, "nor should they be, with all due respect, part of a deal."

He nodded in agreement. "So I must ask: how did you get here, and why do you not look like a human?"

Oh, boy. I'm gonna have to explain it a third time. "If I answer, will you tell me what you're doing here?" I believed it to be a fair trade. And he believed so, too. With that, I recounted my tale for the third time, this time actually revealing Olman, but still not saying my true name.

"So...a game that the gods play. What exactly is Olman the god of?" the vampire inquired.

"I wish I knew. He'd make it a lot easier on me," I sighed. "So anyway, what are you doing here? I thought you'd be in...is it Transylvania or Castlevania?"

"It's a long story, if you're willing to listen," Dracula replied dejectedly. He then went on to reveal that yes, he lived in Transylvania, in a huge castle called, you guessed it, Castlevania. (Seriously, the castle was allowed its own zip code) After multiple consecutive defeats among the Belmont Clan (and friends such as Eric Lecarde, Grant Danasty, and Shanoa, to name a few), he decided to move Castlevania to this little town called Suburbia, allowing a rising actor named Lawrence Thompson to be the tenant while he was away.

"As for being here in the Black Marsh..." he started, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. The draco zombie entered the room once again.

"Well, Daniel, you're on the final stretch. Your semi-final match is against Morva. Try to make it as exciting as your match against Lord Dracula." That was all he said as he left. The kid didn't even bat an eye at me!

"Um...wow. Kinda expected a bigger reaction. Anyway...about you being in the Black Marsh?" I motioned.

"Um, oh yes. The Black Marsh. Actually, you've noticed the plant monsters that I keep in my lair, yes?" If it's anything like the games, how could I not? They were all deadly and could tear you a new one as they ate your old one. "The Black Marsh is where I gather the seeds. From there, they grow wherever I plant them in my castle. I simply participate in the tournaments whenever I feel the need to test myself. After losing to...those brats...I had to practice. This is the first time in 7 years I've come to Necro City and fought in a tournament."

"I say you did good, all things considered," I complimented. "But why did you ask for my loyalty instead of turning me into bone dust?"

"I have an explanation. But that is for later. Right now, you have a match." He opened the door and walked into the hallway. He stopped and said one more thing: "Necro City is unknown to the world. I am one of the few who wish to make it known."

Unknown? Why would the undead wish for this place to BE known? I thought. I picked up my sword and focused, allowing it to be charged when I fought Morva. Actually...what was Morva? I completely forgot. Sheathing my sword with a frown (that I couldn't make, curse my form!), I picked up my kite shield. I opened the door to find Melody with a new set of clothes.

"Here you go, Mr. Fortiskay!" she said enthusiastically. Ugh...here we go again... "I think you'll like this outfit! It suits your 'warrior' side perfectly!"

I have sides? That's news to me. "What do you have?" I asked, unfolding the clothes.

............

God help me, I think the real Daniel Fortesque is now up, about, and searching for his own way into Equestria, just to find and murder Melody and me.

He has passed the quarter-finals, my lord.

Against Dracula? That old vampire must be slipping to lose to such a weakling.

Or Fortesque is stronger than we thought.

DO NOT DARE SUGGEST THAT WORTHLESS SACK OF BONES IS STRONGER THAN THE LORD OF DARKNESS HIMSELF!

I-It was only a suggestion, sire! I didn't me-

Be silent! Hm...

What is it, my lord?

His next opponent seems to be...different somehow.

Morva, the Dragon Prince? He is a rare creature, like that undead drake that keeps giving everyone their match updates.

No...he has an...otherworldly aura around him. Amazingly, it is one I see on Fortesque, as well.

Otherworldly...aura? What do you mean?

I had believed they had stopped that thing 30 years ago.

Stopped what, sire?

...it need not concern you. Keep an eye on Fortesque, remember the plan, and make sure to have everyone on standby.

By your orders. ...your majesty.

This had better be important if you are not yet gone.

What should we do about...Dracula?

...nothing. He is no longer a threat, if Fortesque was able to defeat him.

B-but, if he was holding back, or F-Fortesque actually IS st-

Finish that sentence. I dare you.

.........

I thought so. Relay the orders.

Y-yes, sir.

...he is one lucky bastard to make it past Dracula. But Morva will stop him. And if not...the finals are guaranteed to be in my favor.

13. Battletoads. Your Argument Is Invalid

Chapter 13: Battletoads. Your Argument is Invalid

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now in the semi-finals of our tournament. No one wants to lose, having come this far. So let's get to it!"

I looked at myself once more. I still couldn't believe this was supposed to be my 'new look.' Hopefully, Morva would laugh his ass off and I could just end it quickly. Then again, that's just wishful thinking.

"Introducing first," (That's my cue!) "sponsored by Jack's Weapon Emporium, the Skeleton Knight, Daniel!"

The crowd roared in excitement. That roar turned into a gasp as I entered the arena. No longer wearing a blue robe and yellow hat, I was now equipped with...well, imagine InuYasha's outfit. Now take away the necklace and turn his red robe into a purple color. And no, don't add a hat, because I ditched it. That's the best I can describe it. I could see a few spectators covering their mouths, trying to stifle a laugh. I don't blame them a single bit.

"And on the other side, sponsored by Jim's Earthworm Farm (seriously?), the Dragon Prince, MORVA!" Oh, I had a bad feeling this guy was gonna be big. But it also opens up a line I could say should I win.

My bad feeling, however, was unfounded. He wasn't a hulking, badass zombie dragon like I was imagining. Instead, it was...well, let's just say I thought King Griffon was the only living thing in Necro City. I also thought I was the only Legend of Zelda monster roaming around here. Morva proved me wrong on BOTH counts.

How he managed to convince everyone else he was an undead dragon was beyond me. I mean, for one, he wasn't a dragon, he was an armor-wearing lizard. Dragons have no reason to wear armor, as their scales are extremely tough. Second, he had a sword on his left hip. Dragons have sharp claws and fire breath, so why would they need a sword? To his credit, though, he had what looked like pretty bad wounds no normal creature could survive.

"So, you're my next opponent?" I asked seriously.

"We are not opponents. I am a predator, and you are my next victim," he growled as he pulled out his sword. It wasn't anything special at first glance: a longsword made of steel, the hilt was a blood-red color with a black grip. He had no shield, so he must use the sword for defense as well as offense.

"I know your kind: you're no dragon, just arrow fodder for adventurers in training." I pulled out my own sword, which had no charge (I forgot to charge it fully, okay?!?), and my shield. We both took a battle-ready stance, waiting for the first move.

That's when I noticed it: his sword was glowing; a dark blue surrounding the blade. Morva swung his blade, releasing a bolt of lightning that went by my shield. But it was enough to distract me. When I regained focus, his sword was coming in for a thrust (its aura remained). I barely blocked it, but I still felt a jolt go through my bones. (Fun fact: Skeletons can take damage from electricity, but they have a natural resistance to it. WHEE!)

He then went for an overhead slash, but met nothing as I jumped to the right and shield bashed him. It wasn't damaging, but I wasn't trying to damage at first: just disorient him to charge my own blade. Morva held his blade above his head. What was he planning? We locked gazes, not daring to move an inch. After a minute, my blade obtained that white glow. Now, what were lizards weak against?

Before I could answer, he closed the distance between us. Instead of attacking with a thrust, he instead jumped over me and delivered an overhead swipe. Again, I blocked, but the enchantment sent electricity through my bones again. "How about you get a taste of your own medicine?" I suggested, sending my still-white glowing sword into his side. It hit his armor, but I got the effect I was looking for: he cried out in pain as he felt a shock go into HIS system.

I kicked him to the ground and began charging my sword again. He got up quickly...is that a smile on his face? Something's not right. "Electric, huh? Our blades are the same," he said.

"Far from it," I responded. He held his blade above his head. Don't ask how, but I could just feel energy surrounding him. Three pillars started to rotate around his body.

"Behold, the power of the Dragon Prince! Dragon Strike!" Morva pointed his blade at me, and the pillars shot towards me. Even worse, a fourth, larger pillar of energy appeared in the middle of the three smaller ones. I was too stunned to move out of the way.

Bad News: That hurt. Badly.
Bad News: The clothes Melody handed to me before the match? Now destroyed.
Bad News: My bones were charred black.
Good News: I was alive and standing. (Skeleton resistance, yes?)
Good News: My normal clothes (the pauldrons, gloves, boots, shorts, spiked bands) were charred, but no worse for wear.
Good News: Morva had his back turned, believing he'd won.

Now, usually I don't attack an enemy when his/her back is turned unless it's a free-for-all and they're preoccupied, but I wouldn't get another chance like this. It was time to capitalize.

After I finished charging my blade (which was just an extra 5 seconds), I ran towards Morva, shield up. Let's get a flashy finish, preferably with fire. And boy, did I know THE flashiest finish with fire.

"Special delivery for Morva!" I yelled. He turned just enough for two things. The first was to see my sword, imbued with a red aura, coming towards his chest. The second was for me to see that look of terror. I quote Hobbes: "It's that dawning moment of comprehension I LIVE for."

The blade hit, sending him into the air. Somehow, I flew after him and started swinging rapidly at his body, every strike delivering another gash that was quickly sealed by the intense heat of the fire. I must have hit him twenty times before I readied for the final overhead blow. I held it for two seconds, waiting for him to turn and face the blade.

We both went down, him on his back with the blade pinning him to the ground, and I was on one knee, panting. I didn't think it would take much out of me. I chuckled to myself.

"Wha...what's so funny?" Morva asked.

"Hehheh...soon, they'll be drag'n your ass to the infirmary," I said.

I think he got the joke, because he groaned and closed his eyes. I removed my sword from Morva's chest and sheathed it. Another fight, another victory. Somehow, this fight was easier than the last. But then again, there was one more before the end of the tournament. Who was my opponent in the finals?

You know the end-of-match drill: crowd roars, announcer yells Daniel is the victor, we get people cheering and booing, and I walked back to my quarters. The walk back was different this time, though.

I passed through the gates and bumped into a pegasus. Did I mention that they seemed to be the race of ponies that fought the most in this tournament? Because they were. She was different, though. Her wings weren't feathery, but more bat-like. She had a blood-red coat, with a black zig-zag pattern around her hooves and chest. Her eyes looked serpentine, with the same red as her coat. Her mane was jet black, with yellow bands at regular intervals. Her tail, though...it looked like she had two of them, one fully black, the other half black/half yellow. She wore gold bands around all four of her legs, with another set around her front left and back right hooves.

Just between you and me, she looked pretty hot for a pony. And very dangerous. "Um, hi," I said. She just glared at me. "My name is-"

"Daniel Fortesque, the Skeleton Knight, Champion of the Overworld," she interrupted. Champion of the Overworld? When did I get that title?

"Y-yeah, that's me," I confirmed. "Who do I have the honor of speaking to?"

She flashed a smile, showing very sharp teeth. Another vampire? "You will learn when we meet in the finals. You...ARE advancing to the finals, yes?"

"What? I-I mean, of course! I just finished my match and won!"

"Then go prepare yourself. I want our match to be..." she leaned forward, close to where my ear would be, and whispered, "glorious." She trotted past me to the gate and entered the arena, where the audience just went crazy.

Well...she seemed nice.

14. The Calm Before The Song Of Storms

Chapter 14: The Calm Before the Song of Storms

"Ah, there you are! I have good news for you." Yep, our favorite unnamed undead drake had approached me on my way out.

"Do I get to guess again?" I asked.

"Not this time, because it was creepy the LAST time," he remarked. "Apparently, the king himself wants to see the final match, but he's too busy today. As a result, he's asked for that match to be tomorrow at noon. So you're free for the rest of the day."

On the outside, I nodded and walked away. Inside, however...Thank Azura's Star, I need this break!

I retired to my room (old habits, y'know?) to find Melody sitting on my bed. With a smile. Not her happy-go-lucky smile, though. This one seemed forced. "Congratulations on your semi-final match," she said through clenched teeth. I think I had something to do with it. Scratch that, I DEFINITELY had something to do with it.

"Yeah...not my longest or best, but I won. Nice, yes?"

"V-very. And...your clothes are destroyed," she pointed out. Her smile twitched. Yep, it was about that terrible excuse for an outfit.

"Yeah...sucks. Good news is, I don't fight anymore today," I said, "so I can get...a new one?"

Her smile was now nonexistant. It was the first of one of the few times I've ever seen it gone. It was...well, I don't think I told you how worried I was about fighting Dracula, but here's the comparison: fighting Dracula when you're not "the Chosen One" is like fighting a simple demon when you don't have any special powers. You COULD win, but the chances are slim, and you are more likely to just go wild than you are to actually put any type of plan into it. The reason? Because you're scared, and you don't want to die. (Oh, and I speak as if you've never been in a fight in your entire life)

Melody...managed to scare me far beyond that level whenever her smile disappeared. She floated towards me, looked me straight in my eyeholes, and muttered, "Those. Were. Hoof. Picked. By. Me."

"Ehehehe...um..." I chuckled nervously. No doubt about it, I'm screwed.

"I'll give you one more costume. But so help me, Daniel Fortesque, if you ruin this one, I. Will. Take. One. Of. Your. Bones." I don't know which is scarier now, the fact that a cute little ghost girl is threatening me, or the fact that the only time she pronounced my name right is the one time she's been royally pissed at me. Both so far.

I nodded. "On my honor, my next costume will not be ruined in the arena," I promised.

Melody finally broke her gaze and had that cheery smile back on. "Okay, Mr. Fortiskay! Hey, will you be going back to Jack's place to recover?"

I sighed. I forget if it was a sigh of relief or annoyance. "I'm not sure yet." Then something clicked. I've only been to Jack's place and the arena. What exactly does Necro City hold for me?

"How about a tour of Necro City before you go, then?" Melody asked. Am I that easy to read?!?

"That would be...nice," I said. "It's pretty small, right?"

*Around 3 hours later*

For the record, yes, Necro City IS pretty small. About as big as Loyal, Wisconsin. Everything is within walking distance, and everyone knows your name and your favorite hangout spot. In all honesty, the main difference between Loyal and Necro City was the fact that Loyal had 4 more bars/taverns (call them what you want) than Necro City. But, I digress.

Our tour ended in front of a place called the Slammed Skeleton. I honestly think it has a double meaning: it got its name because a skeleton was slammed to pieces when he/she was drunk off his/her nonexistant ass. That would be awesome, but at the same time, insulting.

"Why are we here?" I asked.

"Because this is the only place that will serve anypony, anygryphon, anydog, and any other species that has yet to be discovered!" Melody beamed. "And it's the only place skeletons can enter." Great to know I'm accepted in a place where skeletons are slammed.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you...y'know, underage?" I asked.

"Huh?" Melody looked confused. Then she gasped. "Oh! Actually, no. I'm actually 23 years old!" What?!? How does she...you know what, never mind. Just...never mind.

"Alrighty then," I commented. "So, what else is so special about this place?"

"Well, it's a rare thing, but they actually have karaoke," Melody said happily. "I come here whenever they have it, and I thought you'd like to join me."

She didn't think wrong. One thing I prided myself on, but didn't really show off, was I had a decent singing voice. In fact, I was told I could give famous people a run for their money. But I think that was more flattery than it was fact. "So what kind of music do they play here?"

"It's completely random," Melody replied. "It ranges from classical, to dubstep, to rock, to rap." I winced at the last one. Don't get me wrong, rap is a decent genre, but I listened to the WORST of it back home, so I wasn't as keen on it as I was everything else. I was about to ask how they had so many genres, but Melody had already went into the bar. I sighed and followed suit.

You ever seen the old western movies where a bar is rowdy, then the hero/villian/new guy walks in and EVERYTHING stops? That's exactly what happened when I walked in. Everyone was staring at me. Did I mention I wasn't wearing a disguise, which probably meant everyone knew what I was? I slowly walked to the bar and motioned to the bartender, a skeletal unicorn. Couldn't tell the gender, though. "Um...could I get a drink?" I asked.

"What kind would you like?" he asked. Yep, voice confirmed it was a male. Too bad there wasn't a menu around, because I could use one. So many straight drinks, mixed drinks, non-alcoholic drinks, etc. and I had no idea where to begin. Then I realized that I had no money on me.

"Two glasses of your best apple cider," Melody said, throwing four bits onto the counter. He used his magic (wait, didn't I hear skeletons had no latent magic? What the flying feather?!?) and placed it in a chest behind the counter. I couldn't see it, of course, so it's just an assumption.

Our drinks were quickly made and placed in front of us. I must once again question how the hell we can drink and keep the fluids in us. Melody didn't seem to have this problem as she downed her pint in one gulp. Wow, for a mare in a filly's ghostly body, that was very impressive. I sipped my cider. The only thought that crossed my mind was Holy snapping piranha plants.

I looked under me, and noted that there was no mess. So somehow, the liquid can stay inside of my system in spite of the fact I HAVE no system. Looking around, I took in the sight. There was the bar itself, about 7 tables with four chairs surrounding each one, two tables with six chairs, a stage in the far back, and a set of instruments for any genre indeed. A sign beside the stage said, "Karaoke Night. Tonight's Genre: Any." ANY genre?!? Oh, tonight would be good.

"Hey, Daniel." I turned to see Wisp beside me. He's a sneaky bastard, isn't he? He placed three bits on the counter and, to the bartender, said, "One Gray Gryphon." It was in front of him within seconds.

"Wisp, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"Karaoke, of course," Wisp replied. "And I saw you walking in here. Isn't she a bit young for you to buy her a drink?"

What happened next, I still have no fucking idea how it happened. I saw a hoof go through my head, punch Wisp, and knock him off of his stool. "I'm a 23-year-old mare in a 10-year-old filly's body," Melody pointed out. "And he's NOT buying me a drink."

"Then you're buying his drink then? Understandable, he hasn't been around long enough to get any money himself," another familiar voice responded. I looked over Melody's head to see Dracula sipping a glass of red wine. Couldn't quite tell what kind it was.

"Yeah, it's a bit sad, isn't it?" I chuckled.

"Not so," the vampire said. "It means she considers you a close friend."

"Maybe something more?" Wisp chuckled. Again, a hoof went through my head to knock Wisp off of his stool. She's a bit touchy, isn't she?

I picked up my drink and motioned to an empty six-chair table. The other three followed me, albeit Wisp a little bit dazed. As I sat down, there was noise from the stage.

"Could I have your attention, please?" a female zombie gryphon announced. "Karaoke Night is starting in 5 minutes. Get your singing voices ready, and talk to me if you want to participate."

"Daniel join?" Jack asked. Wait, when'd HE get here?

"I hope so, I want to see him humiliate himself," Morva added. Wha...how...I... I downed the rest of my drink in one gulp.

"Quite a motley crew we have here," Wisp pointed out. Tell me about it: a young, ghostly Earth Pony mare in a filly's body, a Stalfos from a different dimension, a warrior ghost pegasus, a vampire unicorn that's actually the badass of badasses, a zombie diamond dog blacksmith, and...whatever the hell Morva is. I suspect he's a lizard man, but I KNOW he's disguised as a zombie dragon.

Suddenly, a thought just appeared in my head. One that I may or may not regret later on. "Hey, how about we ALL make fools of ourselves? We all go up there and sing at least one song."

My idea was rewarded with three different fluids covering me as their owners spit at me. Dracula simply sipped his wine a bit slower, and Morva had no drink of his own. Jack, Wisp, and Melody, however, had dumbfound expressions on their faces. "I am NOT going up there!" they all said simultaneously.

I glanced at Dracula. He simply gave me a look that said, "I'm staying right here, thankyouverymuch." Morva simply shook his head. Then, a better idea came to mind.

"Okay," I said. "I'll go on my own. I'll take my turn, and I'll even perform for you when it's your turn if you stand by your decision. But, you have to drink for every time after my initial appearance if you're NOT performing."

Everyone eyed each other uneasily. Well, everyone except Dracula. That guy is stoic as hell. Melody was the first to recover.

"Haha...nope, still not performing," she said.

"Not convincing me," Wisp added.

"Jack blacksmith, not singer," Jack pointed out.

"Sorry, but my...friend...is the singer, and I only sing with him," Morva sighed.

"I guess I could entertain you," Dracula said.

"WHAT?!?" the other four yelled.

"We can sing any song, yes?"

"Yeah, the sign says any genre welcome this time," I said, pointing to the sign to back me up.

The zombie gryphon spoke again. "It's that time, ladies and gents! We are now starting Karaoke Night! Let's give it up for the brave souls that are going to perform tonight!"

I nodded at Dracula and stood up. I walked up to the gryphon and bowed. "I would like to sing, ma'am," I said.

"Really, now?" she asked sarcastically. "I thought you were here to ask me on a date."

"I would, but I don't stand a chance," I replied. "Anyway, quick question. Can I enter multiple times?"

The gryphon tapped her claw lightly on the stage for a moment. "I don't see why not," she finally answered. "Just try not to hog the show, Mr...?"

"Fortesque," I said suavely, "Daniel Fortesque."

She gasped. "Daniel Fortesque? THE Daniel Fortesque?!? The same Daniel Fortesque going to be fighting in the finals tomorrow?!?"

I chuckled and nodded. I swear, she actually squeed. "I am SO happy to finally get to talk to you! Do you remember me?!?"

I thought for a moment. Unfortunately, for the life/death of me, nothing came to mind. "Sorry, but it's escaping me right now. Care to refresh my memory?"

"Marcy Corsione, gryphon zombie and one of your biggest fans, especially when you threw the chupacabra's head to me! I finally got something special from the arena, and it's all thanks to you!"

Wow...I had absolutely no idea. Who else is a fan? "Um, glad to please, erm, a fan of mine. So..."

"Oh, yes!" Marcy clapped her claws together. "Go on stage, and good luck!" She sighed dreamily as she added, "I hope your singing is as good as your fighting."

I nodded slowly. I walked up the stage as Dracula chatted with Marcy. The band took their respective places and looked at me as if they were wanting to know the song they were to play. I went to the lead guitarist (who was a ghost diamond dog in what looked like a red suit) and gave him the song title. He nodded as he relayed the message to the rest of the band.

I heard the drummer hit the sticks to signify the beat...

15. The Obligatory Song Chapter

Author's Notes: Sorry this took so long to get out! The songs that will be playing are songs I chose, with the help of Dashydra (who chose her OC's song) and Glassed (who gave me Daniel's second song). When a character is singing, their text will be colored, while a crowd or the whole band will be italicized. Enjoy the Obligatory Song Chapter!

Chapter 15: The Obligatory Song Chapter

A trumpet sounded to start the song. After four bars, the guitar joined in. Another four bars and the crowd started clapping their hands, stomping their hooves, just keeping to the beat. So they DO know this song, I thought. Then I was gonna have some fun. After four more bars, I started singing.

Time, I won't ever give in
No matter how hard you pull me in
I know gravity ain't an excuse,
I just wanna make things a little more smooth
Majority is still asleep
They're tired of those dreadful dreams
Now let me shout and wake you up
Let me wake you up

The drums started to help the crowd keep the beat. Another four bars and it was time to get wild.

When the sunset dyes the sky so bright,
She freaks me out with the secret smile
Stars above start to shine
For miles and miles, I wonder why
Is this a curse or just your heart
No other rhythm with those flowers flowin'
I know you can stop its flow on a whim
So I have learned to swim!

Until the time is up, I can't give up on you
Before the time is up, I leave all my regrets
Between the lines of lies, I am lost again
Until this time is up, I'll never give this up!

Until the sun is up, I can't give up on you
Before the time is up, I leave all my regrets
Between the lines of lies, I am lost again
Until this time is up, I'll never give this up!

I was enjoying myself far too much. I started to clap along with the crowd as the song continued. The trumpet sounded to signify my singing was needed soon.

Oh, why you want to tie me up?
Get out of my way, cause I'm on my way.
I don't care about imaginary boundaries
but somehow I'm afraid to go over them
Cover up, all the skies and memories
Creativity is all that I've got
So let me shout and wake you up
*band stops* LET ME WAKE YOU UP!

*band resumes* While the fireflies dance on a full moon night
She tempts me with her glistening eyes
The sky above, changing its color
From dawn til dusk, I wonder why
Is this a curse or just a wild guess
So I'll flow it on the clouds without wings
All of a sudden the end might come
So I don't act like someone else!

Until the time is up, I can't give up on you
Before this time is up, I leave all my regrets
Between the lines of lies, I am lost again
Until the time is up, I'll never give this up

Until the time is up, I can't give up on you
Before the time is up, I leave all my regrets
Between the lines of lies, I'm confused again
When the time is up, I'll take what I've got to take!

I took a bow as the guitar played the final riff. The crowd clapped and stomped in joy as I jumped off the stage. I could even hear whistles in the noise. Makes you wonder how they manage it.

My table was showering me with praise. "Pretty sweet, Dan," Wisp nodded.

"Encore, please?" Jack asked.

Morva simply held his glass up when it was his time to speak. He seemed...sad.

Melody looked away, but she still spoke. "That was...amazing. I agree with Jack, you need an encore."

"Maybe in a moment," I replied. I took my spot beside Melody as Dracula stepped up to the stage. I wonder what he was gonna sing? Is his voice even any good? I've never heard him sing in any kind of media that involved him. Let's hope it was good.

Wait, was he levitating a guitar himself? Just what was he going to do? The beat started quick, and Dracula started to play his instrument. Then the lyrics hit me like a ton of bricks.

Dead I am the one, exterminating son
Slipping through the trees, strangling the breeze

My thought process at that point was, Seriously?!? THIS was his song?!? Dracula, you are now top villain, EVER!

Dead I am the sky, watching angels cry
While they slowly turn, conquering the worm

Dig through the ditches,
Burn through the witches
I slam in the back of my
Dragula

Dig through the ditches,
Burn through the witches
I slam in the back of my
Dragula

I started to tap my foot to the beat. I couldn't help it! It was my favorite genre, and Dracula actually had good pipes!

Dead I am the pool, spreading from the fool
Weak and want you need, nowhere as you bleed
Dead I am the rat, feast upon the cat
Tender is the fur, dying as you purr

Dig through the ditches,
Burn through the witches
I slam in the back of my
Dragula

Dig through the ditches,
Burn through the witches
I slam in the back of my
Dragula

Do it baby, do it baby
Do it baby, do it baby
Burn like an animal

At this point, I'm muttering the lyrics to myself. Melody seemed to notice, as she poked me and whispered, "It's his show right now, Daniel, not yours."

Dead I am the life, dig into the skin
Knuckle crack the bone, 21 to win
Dead I am the dog, hound of hell you cry
Devil on your back, I can never die

At this point, it didn't matter. Everyone that could sing stood up and started chanting along with the Lord of Darkness.

Dig through the ditches,
Burn through the witches
I slam in the back of my
Dragula

Dig through the ditches,
Burn through the witches
I slam in the back of my
Dragula

Do it baby, do it baby
Do it baby, do it baby
Burn like an animal

Dig through the ditches,
Burn through the witches
I slam in the back of my
Dragula

Dig through the ditches,
Burn through the witches
I slam in the back of my
Dragula

The beat died down as it was only Dracula himself once more, to sing the final part of the song.

Dig through the ditches,
Burn through the witches
I slam in the back of my
Dragula

I don't care who you are, this guy deserved a fucking standing ovation. And boy, did he get one. The whole tavern stood up, whooping and hollering and cheering. Man, I wish I could've gotten that kind of reaction. All of the sudden, I had the most evil idea I had ever obtained since I got here. I approached Marcy and told her my plans.

She managed to stifle a laugh as I finished my idea. "Well, I won't stop you, but you'll have to wait your turn. Seems like Shiira will be going next."

Shiira? Who's that? I wondered. I looked to the stage and, to my surprise, it was the blood-red pegasus from the arena! Wow, I had no idea everyone loved to sing. I guess it's the pastime of Necro City!

She adjusted the microphone and conversed with the band, who had nodded at her choice of song with a smile. Let's see what she had.

The drums started to play at a fast tempo. Shiira's eyes were closed, probably to help her silently count. Then her voice rang out:

They came for him one winter's night
Arrested, he was bound
They said there'd been a robbery
His pistol had been found

The keyboards and guitar started to play at the same fast beat. The crowd clapped in time with the beat. She'd done this before, then. Well, her voice was perfect for the song, it seemed.

They marched him to the station house
He waited for the dawn
And as they led him to the dock
He knew that he'd been wrong

"You stand accused of robbery"
He heard the bailiff say
He knew without an alibi
Tomorrow's light would mourn his freedom

Over the hills and far away
For ten long years, he'll count the days
Over the mountains and blue seas
A prisoner's life for him there'll be

She seemed to be into it. But there was no time to stop, it seemed, as she immediately went into the second verse.

He knew that it would cost him dear
But yet, he dare not say
Where he had been that fateful night
A secret it must stay

He had to fight back tears of rage
His heartbeat like a drum
For with the wife of his best friend
He spent his final night of freedom

Over the hills and far away
He swears he will return one day
Far from the mountains and blue seas
Back in her arms is where he'll be
Over the hills and far away

Over the hills and, over the hills and
Over the hills and far away

Finally, she took a breather as the band played the break. The keyboards and guitar dueled it out in their solos. I silently chuckled as I saw some fireballs in some of the unicorns' horn tips.

Each night within his prison cell
He looks out through the bars
He reads the letters that she wrote
One day he'll know the taste of freedom

Over the hills and far away
She prays he will return one day
As sure as the rivers reach the seas
Back in his arms he swears she'll be

The band had stopped playing as the blood-red pony sang the chorus. It was here that I finally noticed something. As the song changed keys, Shiira had shook her head. Was that...a tear?

Over the hills and far away
He swears he will return one day
Far from the mountains and blue seas
Back in her arms is where he'll be

Over the hills and far away
She prays he will return one day
As sure as the rivers reach the seas
Back in his arms is where she'll be

Over the hills, over the hills and far away
Over the hills, over the hills and far away

As the band finished up, the crowd once again roared with approval. It's times like this I wish my old school had choir. Instead, we were but a marching band. And a damn good one at that. Well, time for my second round. And my last one solo. I grabbed a tuxedo and bowler hat from the back and donned them, prepared for the hell I was unleashing.

The band chuckled as they acknowledged my choice of song. "On my cue," I said.

There were a few chuckles from the crowd as they saw the finely-dressed Stalfos before them. Oh, if only they knew...well, now they will.

"Hit it, boys," I said with a gravelly voice. The band played the music and I could just SEE the crowd's minds being blown to smithereens. And thus, I began to sing.

Hey! Give me a listen you corpses of cheer
Least those of you who still got an ear
I'll tell you a story make a skeleton cry
Of our own jubiliciously lovely corpse bride

I expected to sing the song all to myself. Boy, was I surprised when the whole tavern joined in the chorus. Well, other than the vampires, for some reason.

Die, die we all pass away
But don't wear a frown cuz it's really okay
And you might try 'n' hide
And you might try 'n' pray
But we all end up the remains of the day

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah (That's right!)
Yeah yeah yeah (Hee hee!)

Well our girl is a beauty known for miles around
When a mysterious stranger came into town
He's plenty good lookin', but down on his cash
And our poor little baby, she fell hard and fast
When her daddy said no, she just couldn't cope
So our lovers came up with a plan to elope

Die, die we all pass away
But don't wear a frown cuz it's really okay
And you might try 'n' hide
And you might try 'n' pray
But we all end up the remains of the day

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah (I'm doing a bit of beatboxing at this point)

As we came to the instrumental, I started to give commands as if I was Bonejangles himself. I was kind of disappointed as it came time to sing once more.

So they conjured up a plan to meet late at night
They told not a soul, kept the whole thing tight
Now her mother's wedding dress fit like a glove
You don't need much when you're really in love
Except for a few things, or so I'm told
Like the family jewels and a satchel of gold
Then next to the graveyard by the old oak tree
On a dark foggy night at a quarter to three
She was ready to go, but where was he?

"And then?" Jack asked.

She waited.

"And then?" Morva joined in.

There in the shadows, was it the man?

"And then?" Wisp added himself.

Her little heart beat SO loud!

"And then?" the head of a random gryphon on a platter chimed.

And then baby, (I laugh darkly here) everything went black...

Now when she opened her eyes, she was dead as dust
Her jewels were missin' and her heart was bust
So she made a vow lyin' under that tree
That she'd wait for her true love to come set her free

Always waiting for someone to ask for her hand
When out of the blue, comes this groovy young man
Who vows forever to be by her side
And that's the story of our own corpse bride!

As I finished the song, the crowd chimed in once more with the chorus. As soon as the music stopped, there was laughter all around and a round of applause. Not as big as Dracula's or Shiira's, but it was there. As I jumped off the stage once more, Marcy intercepted me.

"Not too bad, huh?" I asked. Marcy replied by putting a wing around me. Oh, no...

"Hey, are you...taken, by any chance?" she asked seductively. Azura, God, Olman, ANY HIGHER UP LISTENING, PLEASE GET ME OUT OF THIS SITUATION! Thankfully, my prayers were answered as Melody cleared her throat. She eyed the gryphon in contempt, as if to say, "Keep your grubby claws off of him!"

I gingerly pull the wing off of me. "Sorry, but I'm not searching," I replied. I bolted to the table to find a full glass of apple cider in my spot. Without a second thought, I downed it as fast as I could.

"So, what now?" I asked.

Morva stood up. "Well, I've decided to sing. But, I'm not doing it alone. I need your help, along with Dracula, Jack, and Wisp," he said.

"I'm afraid to ask," I said, "but what song would possibly need five singers just to perform?" Morva whispered it to me.

I was...rendered speechless. I pointed to the other three, who were ACTIVELY NODDING their heads in agreement. I swear, this song was going to hurt. Badly.

16. One More Song

Chapter 16: One More Song

"Yeah, I'm gonna have to say NO," I finally managed to say.

"Oh, COME ON!" Morva yelled. Thankfully, due to the noise of the tavern, no one heard him. "It's a cool song, and it fits the five of us well!"

"Ha! That song fits us like a snowball fits in hell!" I retorted.

"But...snowballs no belong in hell...do they?" Jack asked.

"Exactly, Jack! They don't! Just like this song doesn't fit us!"

"Okay, then, smartass, YOU come up with a better idea for a group song!" Damn. I got nothing. Well, I have one, but it's not exactly a 'group song...'

"Okay, what do you guys think of..." and I told them my idea. ...what? I love watching you guys squirm! Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough, because Dracula and Jack both agreed it was a better song than Morva was thinking. Wisp stood by Morva's side, but 3-2, I win. The result? Morva just flipped me the bird while Wisp just shook his head. Guess that means the three of us (us being Jack, Dracula, and me, in case you couldn't figure THAT out on your own) were to sing this awesome song.

"You'll be the last performance for tonight," Marcy said. As Jack and Dracula climbed the stage, Marcy grabbed my arm and pulled me close. "For here, at least. You're invited to a private performance after hours," she cooed. I scrambled up onto the stage without saying anything to her.

"So, are you sure this will work?" Dracula asked as he levitated his guitar once more.

I gave a hearty laugh before saying, "I have NO IDEA!"

"That...worries Jack," Jack muttered. The drummer behind us gave the four beat tap. Dracula started to strum his instrument, and soon it got to the part where we just started rocking. I started the singing portion, but we all had a share of it.

Wish I may, wish I might,
Have this I wish tonight
Are you satisfied?
Dig for gold, dig for fame,
You dig to make your name
Are you pacified?

All the wants you waste
All the things you've chased

Then it all crashes down
And you break your crown
And you point your finger,
But there's no one around

Just want one thing
Just to play the king
But the castle's crumbled
And you're left with just a name

Where's your crown, King Nothing?

(Where's your crown?)

Hard and cold, bought and sold
A heart as hard as gold
Yeah, are you satisfied?
Wish I might, wish I may,
You wish your life away
Are you pacified?

All the wants you waste
All the things you've chased

Then it all crashes down
And you break your crown
And you point your finger,
But there's no one around

Just want one thing
Just to play the king
But the castle's crumbled
And you're left with just a name

Where's your crown, King Nothing?

(Oh, where's your crown?)

Here, Dracula is pulling the solo off like a pro. Honestly, if he wasn't a vampire lord, he'd be a rock god. I swear on my honor. When it came time to sing the last part, we decided to let him start it.

Wish I may, wish I might
Have this wish I wish tonight
I want that star, I want it now
I want it all and I don't care how

Careful what you wish
Careful what you say
Careful what you wish, you may regret it
Careful what you wish, you just might get it!

Then it all crashes down
And you break your crown
And you point your finger,
But there's no one around

Just want one thing
Just to play the king
But the castle's crumbled
And you're left with just a name

Where's your crown, King Nothing?

As Dracula finished the song off on the guitar, Jack and I finished it off on the vocals. I have to admit, the crowd reacted as if Metallica themselves had performed the song. Admit it, you'd be screaming like a little girl too if they came to your town.

The three of us took our seats as the bartender shouted, "Last call! Last one before we close for tonight!" Morva and Wisp grunted. Whether it was to confirm last call or to say "Good job, I guess," I'll never be sure. Somehow, Melody was slammed harder than a baseball against a bat held by The Great Bambino. The "called shot" one, though. (Fun Fact: As well known as he is for that point in history, Babe Ruth was also known as the Strikeout King during his career. WHEE!)

"Hey, Daniel," Melody slurred.

Oh, dear, here we go again. "Yes, Melody?" I asked politely.

"Are you part of triplets?" She giggled as she finished the sentence.

"No, Melody, I am not part of triplets," I said for the umpteenth time since we headed back to Jack's. Melody and Jack were on either side of me while the other three had elected to stick around the tavern a while longer. For what reason, I don't know, and honestly didn't care at that point. I just wanted to get out of there before Marcy tried to give that 'private performance' she was talking about.

"Then why do I see three of you?" Melody asked, one eye focused on me while the other wandered away.

"Are we there yet?" I asked Jack, hoping against hope we had arrived at the blacksmith's home.

"Just a little longer," he sighed. "Poor girl can't hold her liquor."

I was about to comment on that when Melody grabbed my head and started to mess with it! "Hahaha! 'Alas, poor Yorick. I knew thee well.' I'm Hamlet! Whoo!"

I grabbed my head out of her hooves, but I didn't put it back where it belonged. "I've got one better." I cleared my throat before I recited:

And since I am dead
I can take off my head
And recite Shakespearean quotations!

...damn, I should've performed THAT song at the karaoke. Oh, well. But it didn't matter, as I got Melody laughing. A bit louder than I would've liked, though...

"We're here!" Jack yelled over her laughter. We all entered the home and I headed to the guest room immediately. I laid on the bed and, once again, reflected on the day's events. It wasn't something I actually did back home, but then again, why would you want to reflect on the same day over and over again?

Melody floated into the room and laid on the bed beside me. "Daniel, I want to ask you something."

"The answer to your question is no," I replied.

"You don't even know what it is!" she moaned.

"I know what it isn't," I joked.

"Be serious," she scoffed. She didn't wait for me to reply before she continued. "Do you have a...special somepony or something like that?"

I sighed. "No, Melody. I don't have a special someone."

"Will you...be........." Her voice trailed off and she was soon sleeping soundly. Hey, the dead may not need sleep, but it doesn't mean they can't. I got out of bed and placed the blanket over her ghostly body, which did nothing as it went right through her. What else could I do? Placing my shield and sword at the foot of the bed, I cleared the floor and laid on my back.

"I can't say yet. Good night, Melody," I murmured. Tomorrow was to be the biggest day of my life. Whether it was the best or the worst, however, was for fate to decide.

Early next morning:

So, today is the day I get to see the infamous Daniel Fortesque in action.

I must ask, my lord, what exactly do you see in him?

His aura...

You mentioned it last time. What is it?

Do you remember the necromancer, Mordroc?

Ugh, who doesn't?

He had the exact same aura himself.

He did, too? But...

You would be surprised in what I know. There is little that surprises me.

*cough*Daniel!*cough*

What did you say?

N-nothing! Just a bug in my throat!

Right...anyway, shouldn't you check on your guests?

Yes, he still needs an...outfit. By your leave...

.........enjoy your final hours of freedom, Daniel Fortesque. Once you and Keeta are out of the way...nothing can stop me or my army.

17: What In The Blue Hell...?

Chapter 17: What In The Blue Hell...?

I woke up to a...surprising scene. I was on the ground, yes, because I remember laying down after trying (and failing) to put a blanket on Melody, who supposed to be sleeping on the bed. Can you identify the problem with the previous sentence? If not, here's the answer: a blanket was on me, with Melody grasping my right arm like Twilight might have held on to Mr. Smartypants when she was younger. Yeah, I totally went there, now you can't get that image out of your mind.

I removed the blanket with my left arm, but I couldn't get my right arm out of Melody's death grip. No matter how hard I tried, she kept her grip on it, like she would disappear if she didn't have it. So, I grabbed the upper part of my arm, and pulled as hard as I could. With a sickening *SNAP!* it came out of its socket. I finally got off of the ground and started looking for my things. My shield was there, but...where was my sword?

There was a yawn behind me. I turned to see Melody groggily open her eyes. When she saw my arm in her hooves, she let out a startled yelp. Aw, she's so cute when she's scared, I thought.

"Mr. Fortisk...Fortesque," she corrected. Uh-oh. I think I angered her again.

"Morning, Melody," I said. Just play it cool for now. Maybe her wrath won't be directed at you.

"M-morning. Did you rest well?" She seemed to drop her "I'm a kid!" act and was being all caring like a mother. Stop it! I can't handle any more fake acts!

"Yeah. Um, that's kinda...my arm you have there..."

"Oh!" Melody gave my arm back and winced as I placed it back where it belonged. I opened the door and, shield on my back, walked into Jack's living room. What time was it? Too bad the dead have no need for clocks, I could use one ALL THE TIME.

"Hey, Daniel," Melody said. I turned to her, and...was that a blush? "I'm sorry for...how I acted last night..."

I put an arm around her. "It was just the cider talking," I assured her. "No reason to be nervous."

"Y-yeah, the cider," she nodded. "Just...the cider. Oh, you still need new clothes for your final match!"

"Yeah, but we have time, right? I mean, the match starts at noon, and it's only..." Right. Damn it, why couldn't I be a bird? They have an infallible sense of time.

Melody gasped. "N-noon?!? But it's 11 A.M. right now!" she shrieked.

"Wait, how do you know that?" I asked.

"Ghost senses," she hoof-waved, "but that doesn't matter! Get to the arena, I'll have your clothes ready by the time you get there!" With that, she flew off. Huh. Now I wish I was anything BUT a Stalfos. I mean, yeah, detachable limbs, cool fashion sense, and durable as steel, but look at all the flaws! No time to reflect on them, though: I had a match to attend!

"Ah, there you are, Daniel! I was wondering if you were going to show up!" I had just entered my room and that's what Jack had to say? I didn't know what to say, except...IS THAT BASTARD HOLDING MY SWORD?!? I snatched it from his grasp, making him laugh. "Relax, I was just fixing it up! No need to act like you just got out of bed!"

I flipped Jack the bird. Seriously, we were in HIS house, why couldn't he wake us up around 9-ish so I wasn't in such a rush? No matter, I was here. Thankfully, with ten minutes to spare, and all of my equipment accounted for. I took the moment to charge my sword, knowing Shiira was going to be a difficult opponent. It took about six minutes to charge, though, and I was out of breath. Wait, how can I be out of breath? The dead don't need to breathe.

I didn't have time to answer my question as Melody entered the room, with familiar clothes. "Sorry, but I couldn't think of anything else on short notice," she apologized. Yep, it was the old look: the blue robe and yellow hat combo. An idea popped into my head suddenly. Why do they do that so often?

"Do you happen to have yellow thread and a needle on you?" I asked.

Melody shook her head. "No. And even if I did, I don't think I'd have enough time to do anything with them." Damn. There went the Triforce on my sleeves idea.

It was here that our friendly, neighborhood zombie dragon courier appeared. "Ready, Daniel?" he asked. I quickly donned my garbs and nodded, putting all of my items into place. "Alright. Your opponent, I'm sure you know, is Shiira. And please, take my advice and don't underestimate her. She's been nicknamed the Red Death for a reason."

I followed the courier to the gate. One minute to go. My sword had the white hue, my Crusader kite shield was snug on my left arm, and I felt like I do when I'm about to play Event #51 on Super Smash Bros. Melee.

That is to say, I was scared out of my fucking mind.

The Hub Of The Multiverse, Olman's Plane

Olman looked over the list again. He couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it. This was getting out of hand, and his pawn hadn't even gotten into Equestria yet! It was only a matter of time before Daniel, or whatever his real name was, got in too deep. In fact, according to his sources, it was about to get very ugly. And his sword...it put Olman on edge. If its hilt was anything to go by, Daniel risked destroying himself.

"No..." he mumbled. "No need to worry. Daniel is resourceful: he'll succeed. I must have faith." The old man tapped a finger on the map sprawled on his desk, where Daniel supposedly was. The former human's job was simple, really: free the sealed warrior. Olman did not need to ask him to do so: the warrior himself asked for Daniel's help directly. Good, it meant that much more energy for...other plans.

"If you can hear me, Daniel, listen," Olman monologued, "You are about to cross the point of no return. Your success, or failure, all lies in the actions you take for the next 48 hours. And yet...it saddens me. I can do nothing more as long as you reside in Necro City. I can only hope you survive. But, I have faith. You took the mantle, where six others denied it. Start praying, Daniel. Pray to whatever it is you truly worship, because by tomorrow...you'll need all of the strength you can muster."

18: The King's Decree

Author's Notes: By order of Shiira's owner, Dashydra, I kindly ask you to listen to this song once you get to Shiira's introduction and play until the end of the chapter. Or the end of the song, whichever comes first. For now, here's chapter 18.

Chapter 18: The King's Decree

"Fillies, colts, ladies, gentlemen, and all other assorted beings in the arena today. We are gathered for the final round in a legendary 3-day tournament. After this fight, you may begin signing up for tomorrow's tournament as is normal. But I now ask for your attention in welcoming our king. Please welcome King Griffon Highwind I!" The crowd outside roared in approval as the king walked into the stands. He sat in a stylish throne, flanked on either side by two of his honor guard. His fifth stayed in the shadows, protecting his back for what was to be an eventful...well, event.

"And now, it is time. For today's matchup, we now let the king give the introductions." With that, the announcer for all of my previous matches had gone silent. I heard a throat clear before the voice of the king rumbled.

"It gives me great pleasure in being present for such a groundbreaking moment in history," King Griffon shouted. "Two fine warriors have climbed to the top: one a knight, backed by me, and worthy of joining the esteemed Honor Guard should she be victorious." WHAT?!? She's being sponsored by him?!?

"The other," he continued, "an...unknown entity. Fighting under what everyone else called a cursed banner, he has defied all expectations by making it here. But, when their blades cross, and one is unable to fight, we can all rest knowing that we were there to witness it! The clash of two titans!" The crowd cried out in glory, giving praise to Shiira, the Red Death, King Griffon Highwind I, and Daniel Fortesque, the Skeleton Knight.

"Introducing first," Finally! Now we get to the good part, yeah? "the Champion of the Overworld. The Black Mage Duelist. The Skeleton Knight, Daniel Fortesque!" The crowd roared as I walked into the arena. The Black Mage Duelist? Man, I haven't heard that title since my Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG days. And why'd they give me that nickname, anyway? I waved my hand as the crowd grew louder, and...oh, God, there she was. Marcy Corsione, in the front row, with a wooden sign that said, "Future Mrs. Fortesque." Only in your dreams, Marcy. Only in your dreams.

"And his opponent," Beat still, my heart. Oh, right, I'm heartless. "the Queen of Catastrophe. The Sharp Haired Beauty. The Red Death, Shiira!" Another roar shook the arena as Shiira sauntered in. Her eyes were closed, as if not wanting to acknowledge the situation. Her eyes shot open, revealing the red serpentine-like eyes, granting another roar from the crowd.

I pulled out my sword, putting myself into the battle stance. "Don't be too embarrassed when I win this," I said.

"You are deluding yourself by being cocky," she responded with a sharp-toothed smile.

We kept a steely gaze on each other, slowly circling the arena, looking for an opening. I made the first move, running in with my shield up. She didn't move an inch. I went for a shield bash when, at the very last second, she vaulted over my body and delivered a kick to my spine. I was sent sprawling to the ground as the crowd cheered. I regained my footing as we relocked gazes. She seems to be defensive, I thought. We circled each other once more before she made her move.

Quick as a wink, she flew right into my chest, slamming into my shield. I felt my feet slide against the floor, her strength against my weight. I managed to stop her completely before I swung my shield at her, clipping her nose. It was a hit, but it might as well not have been, as she took no note of it. I charged again, shield up and right at her. Again, at the last second before I went for the shield bash, she vaulted over me. This time, however, I dropped my sword and turned to intercept her kick. I...totally missed as she connected with my ribs, shattering six on my right side.

What is wrong with me? I thought. I feel like I've just ran a mile nonstop. My charged sword was now at her hooves, though she didn't pay it any mind. She was after its wielder, not the blade itself. She flew towards me, head down. She was in for a rude awakening. I vaulted over her, but I didn't capitalize on a counterattack as I felt more of my energy leave me. I jogged for my sword, but felt something hit my spine again, leaving me laid out on the field once more. Thankfully, my sword was within arm's reach. I grabbed it and used it as a cane more than a blade. Hey, why do I feel a gust of wind?

Oh, no. She didn't. I reached to my back. She did. She put a hole in my robes. Oh, there was no forgiving her now. There was no excuses for me to lose, no sitting in the dressing room, moping around, saying "I gave it my best." No. This time, she'd better be ready for a storm. A hail of fire, I believe would be nice. Looking at my blade wearily, its white glow changed to icy blue mingling with fire red. I looked up to see Shiira smile, as if to say, "It's time to end this. Honor Guard, here I come!" Not if I have anything to say about it, bitch.

I jumped into the air and swung my blade to the ground in front of me. Nothing happened, other than the aura from the sword disappearing. Shiira laughed. I heard the king laugh. Everyone was laughing. My grandest, flashiest, most dangerous attack I could think of...was not to be. When she finally gathered herself, Shiira flew at me, wings flared, head down, and I could swear nostrils emitting smoke. I didn't bother raising my shield. I was far too tired to keep going.

That's when she took a hit. It was light enough to not hurt her, but annoying enough for her to stop charging and look around. Behind her, melting into the ground already, was a piece of ice the shape of a golf ball. She yelped as a fireball went right over her, nearly hitting her wing. Then it hit me: my spell! It didn’t fail, it was just delayed! Another ice ball hit her flank, causing her to turn around. Right in time to be greeted by a fireball to the face. She winced in pain as the fireballs and ice balls kept falling, some clipping her, others hitting the mark, while the majority kept her pinned in place.

I sheathed my sword and held my shield in both hands. Somehow, it gave me some energy back. Enough to care about winning again. I smiled. Time for a blast back to my match with Wisp. I ran towards her as the last of the hailfire spell died down. "FOR FREEDOM!" I yelled once more. She turned just in time to meet the business end of the Crusader's Shield. "STARS! AND! STRIPES!" As we both went into the air (me by way of jumping, her by way of uppercut), I even went a step further, grabbing her leg, pulling her body to mine, and holding on for dear life, spinning down to the ground head first. When the two of us landed...oh, man, the crater we left. The arena could've been renamed into the pit.

I got up first, walking away to the side of the arena I entered. The crowd roared once more. It didn't take a genius to know that this, indeed, was the match not to miss. I was a mess: my hat was okay, but the robes were damaged beyond all repair. Again. My whole right side of my rib cage was broken, I could feel cracks in my skull, and my spine was not doing me any favors by being stacked like Jenga pieces. I could only hope Shiira wasn't getting up anytime soon.

I turned to find, to my horror, that Shiira was slowly getting up. I unsheathed my sword, attempting to charge it for another spell. I stopped when I felt pain throughout my bones. I think...I put...too much into...the hailfire spell.

Shiira finally stood up, albeit on shaky legs. Her tail was now hanging down, pitch black (apparently, the gold in it was to keep it styled), while her mane was showing signs of breaking. Her serpentine eyes, though weary, were full of determination, not ready to just throw in the towel. This was it: next hit wins it all.

"Why...don't you...go DOWN?!?" she bellowed, flying as fast as she could. Her head was down, ready to try and cut me in half. I held my sword in both hands, blade pointing downwards with the hands close to my face. I then bellowed the single greatest one-liner in history.

"I will...when you...go aWAY!" I slashed at her as she flew by me. Time seemed to stop for the two of us. She stood on the ground, a gash in her left side from where I had sliced her.

I, however, didn't notice until later. I was facedown, in the ground.

19: Game, Can We Have Words Outside? Later?

Chapter 19: Game, Can We Have Words Outside? Later?

"Ugh...why can't I feel my limbs?" Last I remember was me shouting the single worst one-liner on the face of the planet, then losing consciousness when my left side took a hit by...was it hair? Man, why can't I remember? And where was my stuff?

It doesn't matter, because you lost. That much, you can remember.

Okay, so I was a bit careless...

Because, like Shiira said, you got cocky.

I didn't get cocky. I...I got hopeful.

Newsflash, Daniel, hopeful and cocky are one and the same on the field of battle.

"Ah, so it's finally awake."

That voice...light filled my vision as I saw the king in front of me. And behind bars. I looked around to realize it was the opposite: I was, in fact, the one behind bars. Only one question was in my mind at this point. "Where am I?"

"Take a guess. You seem to be brighter than all of the other poor excuses of bone men that call themselves skeletons," the king snidely remarked. I looked around once more. A ragged sheet covering a pile of hay on the left, an empty plate on the right, bars with a single door in front of me separating me from King Highwind, and stone wall on the other three sides.

"Am I in...Detroit?" I asked. There was a chorus of laughter from Griffon and his Honor Guard (from which Shiira was conspicuously absent from). As it died down, the king wiped a tear from his eye.

"You are a funny one, Mr. Fortesque," he chuckled, "but no, you're not in Detroit." I heard a small mutter of "Wherever in Tartarus THAT is," from one of the Honor Guard. The king cleared his throat and continued, "No, you are in my dungeons on suspicion of assassination of the king, moi, and being a Stalfos, an abomination created by necromancers."

"All of that in a single day, or is there a build-up?" Hey, if you're gonna be accused of something, there'd better be evidence.

"Since the day you got here, actually," an Honor Guard, one rotted Earth Pony zombie answered. "King Highwind knew you were here the moment you entered the city because of spies."

Somehow, that didn't fly with me. "Spies? Really? How'd a spy figure out where I was immediately?"

"Oh, beca-" the pony was smacked in the back of the head by a spear, in the hands of a gryphon. Couldn't tell undead type, though. But he apparently didn't want me to learn anything, and his buddy didn't quite understand the concept of 'shut up!'

"The only thing you need to know," the armored gryphon growled, "is that you weren't immediately caught and detained because that idiot spy lost sight of you when Melody dragged you through the streets."

As if on cue, there was a scuffle in the hallway. "Let me GO, you brutes! I've done nothing wrong!" Was that her? Yeah, it was. She was being escorted by two diamond dog ghosts, each clutching on of her front forelegs. My cell door opened as they tossed her right into me. Jackasses don't know how to treat a lady. ...no offense to any donkeys out there.

"Anyway, Daniel, you're probably wondering about all of your...other friends here in the city," King Griffon rambled. "Dracula, unfortunately, can't be found at the moment. He was always a devious trickster, so I shouldn't be surprised. Wisp is gone, too, which is actually very surprising, considering his background. Morva is being interrogated right now, but he's useless: knows next to nothing about what's going on."

I tapped my foot in thought of what I should say next. Finally, this came to mind. "So, what's going to happen to the two of us?"

There was a small cackle as a skeletal unicorn made herself known. "For you, we'll destroy your mind. From there, you'll be under my command, seeking out and destroying those who would oppose the King. And when we're finished with you, your bones will make a nice treat for Cerberus when we find Tartarus."

"As for the girl," the king added, "she will be punished for harboring a criminal. Though you may not know it, Stalfos, there are exorcists here in Necro City. She will be executed first, then we'll begin the process of turning you."

What?!? Of all of the bullshit reasons you can give me, that has got to be THE worst yet! Somehow, Highwind could tell he was angering me. "Don't blame me. You should've kept your non-existant nose out of places it didn't belong. You should've stayed topside. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a priest to find, and Shanoa," he pointed to the skeleton, "has glyphs to forge in order to bring you down." With that, the King and his Honor Guard left.

As soon as the door shut, I collapsed to my knees. It was over. I lost. And worse, there was nothing I could do about it. I had no idea where my shield and sword were, and I wasn't well-versed in unarmed combat. I heard Melody sniffle behind me. As I turned around, I saw how hard it had hit her. Her whole body, which was usually a ghostly white, mind you, was now a very pale blue, her eyes closed as spectral tears fell from them. The poor girl was just trying to be nice to a stranger, and look what was going to happen to her. So, I did the only thing I could think to do at that time.

I got back on my feet and I walked over to Melody. She didn't open her eyes. I kneeled to her side. "Hey," I whispered.

"Go away," she bitterly replied.

"I can't. Kinda stuck in here with you," I tried to joke.

"You know what I mean." She sniffled. Hnng! Remember your task!

"Yeah, but it looks like you need someone by your side right now." I reached over and started to pet her head.

She rubbed against my bony hand for a while before she turned away. "St-stop it! It's your fault we're here!"

"My fault? My fault?" I asked. "If I may ask, how is it MY fault?"

"Because...because..." Now she had just let herself go. "Because if you hadn't arrived, I wouldn't have met you! I wouldn't have thought you could overthrow the king! I wouldn't have housed you, given you disguises, shown you around! And..." There was a hiccup to interrupt her rant. "...and...if you hadn't arrived...I wouldn't have remembered...anything about the past..."

I sat down, away from Melody so she'd have her space. So she saw in me...a chance? No. She saw hope. And God forbid that hope ever have a co-pilot. I crossed my legs, indian style, and started to contemplate the situation. There had to be a way to fix this. But what could I do? My weapons were gone, Melody had already accepted her fate, and the other three were nowhere around to help. C'mon, they couldn't have thrown a skeleton and a ghost in the same cell and hoped they would BOTH be kept there...did they?

"Hmm? Melody, did you hear that?" I asked.

The young mare sniffed before replying. "N-no. Why?"

"Listen..." There were voices. While both were commanding, they were obviously at odds with each other. I couldn't quite make out the conversation, but it seemed like there was someone wanting to visit a prisoner. Then.........silence.

I sighed. "Sorry, false alarm," I muttered.

Melody glared at me. "Stop trying to get my hopes up, Daniel. We're finished."

I looked at the door where the conversation was taking place. C'mon, Lady Luck! Throw me a bone! I mean, have two people argue outside of the door and have nothing happen?!? I mean, what the fu- BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The door flew off of its hinges, past my cell, followed by the remains of what looked like a diamond dog and an Earth Pony. Both zombified, by the smell of the burning carcasses. I turned towards the door to find my savior: a unicorn with a dark grey coat and a white mane. His blood-red eyes locked onto me as a smug smile grew across his face. He raised a hoof as if he was giving a signal, and lo and behold, a familiar pegasus with a glowing mace on his back and a yellow hat on his head flew in, with a set of keys in his mouth.

"Melody Forte and Daniel Fortesque?" Wisp asked as he unlocked our door.

Melody stood up, a bit uneasily, and nodded her head. "That would be us," I quipped, opening the door. "What do you need?"

"We've reviewed your records," Dracula stated, taking the hat off of Wisp's head and tossing it to me, "and you've been granted parole."

I grabbed my hat in mid-air and placed it where it belonged. If I could give a bigger smile, I would have. Instead, I looked at Melody and gestured to the door with a bow. "Ladies first."

20. I Feel Like I'm Entering...

Chapter 20 I Feel Like I'm Entering...

Melody hugged both Wisp and Dracula as I left my cell. Closing it behind me, I nodded at them to lead the way. Wisp took point, now brandishing his mace, with Dracula covering our backs and Melody and me in between them.

"So, what's the plan?" I asked. "You've got us, but we still need to find Morva and Jack, and I dou-"

"Morva went topside," Wisp interrupted. "He's busy setting up traps, just in case we need a speedy escape. As for Jack..." he trailed off, making it hard to figure out what he said.

"I didn't quite catch that, run that by me again?" I asked.

"We're not worried about Jack," Dracula said coldly. "He's the reason we're stuck in this mess in the first place."

Now that he mentioned it, King Griffon didn't mention what exactly happened to Jack. Why would he not mention the guy who forged my sword and knew me as long as Melody?

...

The revelation hit me like a train filled to the brim with gunpowder. "He was never on our side," Melody whispered. Damn. Beat me to my own revelation.

"I can't even..." I began.

"Believe it, Daniel," Wisp interrupted sharply. "He had all of us fooled. None of us could've seen it coming."

I looked to the ground. "I should have. No one suspects the Diamond Dog."

Dracula patted me on the back. "He'll get what's coming to him. I can promise that," he reassured me.

"Okay, lovebirds, break it up," Wisp deadpanned. "The longer we stay here, the sooner we're gonna have to deal with reinforcements. Let's go already!" With that, he zoomed ahead.

I looked at Melody, who was visibly shaking. Yeah, her color had lightened up a bit, but it was still a bit blue. Kinda...I dunno, the color of old blue jeans? I knelt beside her, tapping her shoulder. She looked up, her eyes showing the pain of betrayal.

"Chin up, partner," I said, fishing for my old British accent, "we got a long road ahead of us, and I need all the help I can get." I held out my hand to help her up.

In hindsight, I should have seen it coming, but it caught me off guard when she jumped right at me, clinging to my body for dear life. I wrapped my arms around her, awkwardly, as I picked her up and went through the door.

"I'm sorry, Daniel, but I'll only get in the way," Melody rasped. "I'm going to go topside and help Morva when we get out of here and split up." She gave me a quick peck on the cheek before she phased out and went through my arms, following Wisp.

I turned to Dracula, who was simply smiling at what had just happened. With a nod to each other, I ran through the door after Melody, with him right behind me. No question about it now. The fight for Necro City had begun, and I wasn't about to lose to a half-lion, half-chicken who thought he was the best thing since sliced bread.

There's only one thing I hate about not being able to fight. And that is the fact that it makes me a liability. I watched as we got to the top of the stairs only to be blocked off by six guards. Wisp simply tapped the ground with his mace, sending a shockwave and sending them flying. While all of them flew in separate directions, the one on the far left shattered to pieces when the shockwave connected with him. ...yeah, I don't know how that didn't happen to me in our fight, either.

Dracula simply kept them down with binding magic as we shot through the room and to the other door. Where we found the worst enemy I could ever face in the history of...history.

"Stairs," I muttered. "Why did it have to be stairs?" Of course, Wisp and Melody had no problems with them, being ghosts that could, I dunno, PASS THROUGH WALLS. The big vampire unicorn was next, and while he wasn't as fast as the other two, he made good time. I, however, exercised caution, because one false move and I'd be spending far too much time trying to put myself together.

When we got to the top, which was a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG way up, I was almost proud of myself. Almost, because not a moment after I stepped on the final ledge, I slipped. That's right, I slipped, and managed to fall down ALL THOSE FUCKING STEPS! My thought process falling down was as follows:

NO!

SON!

OF!

A!

FUC

KING!

BITCH!

HOW!

COULD!

I!

DO!

THAT!

RIGHT!

AT!

THE!

TOP!

OF!

THESE!
OL

MAN!

DAMNED!

STAIRS!

FUCK!

YOU!

DUCKY!

And the rest of the thought process was simply repeating the words you're not allowed to say in media yet we do so anyway. (Fun fact: this whole process of climbing the stairs and falling down took about a half hour round trip! And an extra twenty-five minutes to reattach himself and reclimb the stairs! WHEEEEEEE!)

As soon as I reached the top (again), I was met with one ghost mare trying her best to contain her laughter, a stoic-as-hell vampire, and a condescending ghost stallion who simply shook his head. Three guesses as to who was who, first two don't count. Amazingly, while I was enjoying my flight down, Dracula and Wisp had made quick work of the guards at the top. How kind of them, right? Quick as a wink, we were through another room...

...until the door shut behind Wisp and Dracula, leaving me to deal with whatever threat had decided to split the party. I tried to open the door, to no avail. With no other options, I turned to find...nothing? Well, threat wise, anyway. The room looked like some primitive office, with closed drawers, desks, places for quills, ink, etc. Melody had already taken a head start and was opening drawers. I followed suit, opening the nearest drawer.

"Wow..." I muttered. Inside the drawer was an iron warhammer. Yeah, the big, heavy weapon that requires 2 hands to wield. How the hell did they even manage to fit this in here? I thought. I pulled it out with a bit of difficulty and looked around a bit more. The other drawers didn't contain anything useful, so I moved to the desks. None of the desks helped, either, until I got to the last one. Although, whether it helped or not is entirely up in the air.

The moment I touched the last desktop, it disappeared. Along with the other desks. And the drawers. And anything that wasn't a wall, door, Melody, or me. Then, a unicorn-skeleton formed in the room. Lightly armed and lightly armored, I recognized her from the dungeon. Shanoa, didn't he say?

"Sorry to say, but this is as far as you'll go, Stalfos," she said calmly. It unnerved me just how different she was when I was behind bars. There, I felt she was happy that my pain would be her pleasure. You know, that German word...doesn't matter right now! Now...she was calm. Eerily calm, as if she tossed all emotions into a box. Her horn glowed a dark green as the room disappeared.

It is here that I learned two things: one, this was probably going to happen to me a lot as we tried to escape. And two, that Olman, apparantly, doesn't know jack about skeletons and their "ability to retain magic" or whatever.

Now, I'd bet dollars to donuts that you are wondering what the area looks like when the room just disappears on you. For me, all that was left was the ground we were standing on, and nothing but space all around us. Simply put, it looked like Shanoa transported the two of us to the Final Destination. Speaking of her, she was on the other side, the glow on her horn gone for the moment. I felt an icy glare hit me, so no question about it, she was looking at me.

"I must say, you are a thorn in King Highwind's side," Shanoa said. "I will be the one to purge you." With that, she took a fighting stance. ...which one, you ask? Like I would know?!?

"So we have to fight? Then you leave me no choice," I replied. I brandished my new warhammer, noting to myself SONUVABEAK this is heavy! "I'll make this quick."

22: Meeting...Nah, Not Yet

Chapter 22 Meeting...Nah, Not Yet

"Daniel..."

"..."

"Daniel..."

"...huh?"

"Daniel, snap out of it!" Melody yelled.

I quickly jumped to attention, surprisingly fast, considering I was unconscious. Wait...unconscious? No way, I was at the Final Destination, fighting Shanoa not a moment ago. Speaking of which, where is she?

"Hello? Mr. Fortiskay, are you there?" Melody asked again. I finally shook my head and acknowledged her.

"I hear you, Melody, I hear you..." I muttered.

"Well, I wouldn't know," she shot back. "I've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes, and you didn't respond then."

"That's because I was...wait, what? Five minutes?" I asked.

"Um, yeah, five minutes," Melody nodded. "The door closed, we looked for something to get us out, SHE appeared, and then you two just stopped moving!" Stopped moving? We must've looked like living statues...hehheh, living.

I would have said something else, but the door that had blocked our path before suddenly opened, revealing Drac and Wisp. Yeah, from here on out, Dracula's being shortened to Drac. Drac was his stoic self (I forget if I said it, but does he have any other emotions?) while Wisp was clearly annoyed.

"What are you two still doing here?!? Highwind's guards are gonna be here any minute, let's move!" Wisp hissed.

"Give us another minute, I need to ga-"

"NOW'S NOT THE TIME, GHOST RIDER!" he bellowed.

I responded with the one-finger salute. I picked up MC, who was by my feet, and went to the door. You'll agree with me when I say, "You don't feel so useless when you have the tools of your trade on your person." Melody flew by me and handed me...something.

"I found it by that unicorn skeleton. Maybe it'll be useful?" she said. It...was actually a bit useless: nothing but the hilt of a blade. But, hey, you can always forge a blade for the hilt and combine the two, right? Okay, I'm not a blacksmith, sue me.

"Alright, enough fooling around," Drac finally spoke. "We've got a long way to go if we want to get out of here." With a nod, we all started moving again. Sadly, not even three steps later, my mind decided to register exactly what Wisp had said a moment ago. And when it did...well, my reaction could very well be justified.

"WISP, YOU SICK PUNK, THAT'S JUST WRONG!!!"

She failed.

It's sad. She was always one for mind games, but his was...tempered, somehow.

Tempered, how?

Mind games are difficult to play, and even more difficult to master. But...you could liken it to chess: even if you can plan every move, if your opponent is sporadic, you can still lose.

I...never knew you played chess, milord.

It is a hobby. Or...it was.

...sir?

Never mind. I have new orders.

What is your will?

Send ALL of the Honor Guard after Daniel and the companions by his side. They are not to leave this city.

By your command.

...I knew writing down the failures of others would suit me. Rule number 80: If my weakest troops fail to eliminate a hero, I will send out my best troops instead of wasting time with progressively stronger ones as he gets closer and closer to my fortress. ...or something like that...

My lord, a letter from the infirmary.

Very well, let me see it.

.........

...SHE DID WHAT?!?

Infirmary (prior to Daniel's breakout)

Shiira laid in the hospital bed, exhausted from her battle. Never before had she felt so...drained. But she felt it was worth it. After all, once she recovered, she would achieve her dream: being a member of the prestiged Honor Guard. She was so close, she could taste it...wait, that was lunch. Ugh, she thought. The only thing I don't like about hospitals is their food. It's horrible!

She could hear voices outside of her room. Two low-ranked soldiers, by the sound of it. Maybe greenhorns? Shiira chuckled at the thought, remembering that sometimes there were literal greenhorns. Either way, there wasn't much information she could get from eavesdropping.

That was, until, she could make out, "...ent Dawn..."

"Dawn? Could they be talking about...them?" Shiira muttered to herself. Now they had her attention. She focused on the sound, listening to the two soldiers.

"I'm telling you, they'll find this place sooner or later! I've heard they've already rooted out the old Rubbleton den!"

"I heard about it, too. But that was because they dragged a poor sod down under. It was easy for them to follow the trail."

Honestly, what were they thinking when they named it Rubbleton? Good tidings? Shiira thought.

"What about that new skeleton that just appeared from the topside. Daniel Fortesque, wasn't it? Isn't he the old hero from Gallowmare?"

"I doubt this one is THE hero of Gallowmare. The new guy can’t hold a candle to him. Hell, this palooka can't even dress himself properly."

The hero of Gallowmare? Shiira remembered the story of him. How did it go, again? I’ll remember it later, she thought.

"Right. Can't believe I mistook the two."

"It's a wonder you even made the guard."

There was the sound of steel unsheathing. "Now listen here, Buster, I didn't come here to be insulted!"

"Oh? Well, where do you usually go?"

Silence. It was broken by steel sliding across leather. "If it wasn't for the fact that was funny, I would gut you here and now."

"If you say so. Either way, what do you think about the other rumors? King Highwind actually being...one of them?"

"That's one I don't wish to find out. But...it would explain how we have exorcists. I mean, ghosts being purified? Skeletons broken then made into bone meal? Zombies mind-controlled to eat their kin? Those are all Reverent Dawn tactics, Buster."

Reverent Dawn...I never thought I'd hear that name again, Shiira thought. As she lost them for that moment, she noticed a blood pill on the night stand. Good, her stomache was starting to growl. Even though it wasn't as filling as the real thing, they could satiate the hunger. She ate the pill contently and continued listening in on the discussion earnestly.

"Makes you wonder, doesn't it? But if he is one of them, why hasn't he just leveled the city yet?"

"He's just one gryphon! What could one creature do?"

Another sword was pulled from its sheathe. However, it wasn't steel. It sounded like...silver?

"One creature can do THIS." There was a loud cry, and then...silence.

23: Risk: Necro City

Chapter 23 Risk: Necro City

You know how the dead are just about easy to kill in whatever game you play? Yeah, I wish that was true. But nothing could be further from it. How King Highwind managed to get this many soldiers on his side, or better yet, how they somehow KEEP ON COMING AT US, was beyond me. I now understand why Wisp had wanted to move our collective rears and get out before we got surrounded.

Which is also why, during our fight with the guards, he would not stop rubbing it in my face.

"Did I not tell you? DID I NOT TELL YOU?!?" the pegasus shouted as he sent another wave of guards to the ground.

"Okay, I admit! I wasn't moving fast enough! Can you drop it?!?" I yelled back, swinging my hammer with hopes of sending poor sods flying out the window.

"If you two don't stop arguing, MY NEXT FIREBALL WILL BE AT YOUR HIDES!" Drac cut in, using his magic to freeze multiple guards in place.

Melody had taken to hiding. Where, exactly, I have no clue. After all, I was busy, Wisp was busy, Drac was busy, and none of us bothered to ask her afterwards.

"Guys, if they keep dragging this out, we're not gonna make it!" I pointed out. "If either of you have a plan, now would be a good time to put it into action!"

"No idea right now," Wisp replied. "I'm more focused on what's in front of me. What about you, big guy?"

Drac didn't say anything at first. A huge gryphon (I didn't know what type) had started spinning in place, turning himself into a dangerously chaotic tornado. When he got close to us, though, our vampiric unicorn simply stopped him by grabbing his weapon with magic. By the time he realized this, the gryphon was already a smoldering pile of ash. The idea clicked pretty fast.

"Dan! Grab your weapon, keep a grip, and DON'T! LET! GO!" Drac commanded. Honestly, if you were in my cloth boots, would YOU deny him? I did as instructed, holding on to my warhammer as if it would smash me to tiny bits if I didn't keep a hold on it. It started to glow blood red, as if to say, "Get used to this color, because you're gonna see a lot of it." The hammer extended as far as it could before suddenly turning to the closest enemy.

Drac's magic forced me to start spinning. Guided by the aura, I slammed into a guard, sending her right into two of her allies. But I didn't stop there; I kept spinning, hitting guards and sending them into others like dominoes. I heard laughter as the number of foes started to actually diminish.

When the last soldier had finally been defeated, Drac did the smart thing and actually slowed down my spinning instead of stopping it outright. I eternally thank him for this, because I don't think my skull would have stopped with my body had it been a sudden stop. Still didn't stop by bout of dizziness, though.

"Is...is it over?" Melody asked, emerging from wherever she had been.

"I think so, but my spin hasn't stopped braining," I slurred. "I'll get batoalnfsdake." (I wish to point out, for the record, batoalnfsdake was Drunk for 'back to you on that' and didn't know it at the time. I read that in a book, as none of us are fluent in Drunk.)

"It's over for now, Melody," Wisp assured her. "But we need to keep moving. Where should we go?"

I removed my skull and shook it to get the dizzy out. As I reattached it, Drac voiced his opinion. "The quicker we get to Highwind, the sooner we can overthrow him. I suggest we get to him as soon as possible."

I thought about reminding everyone that I really wanted my shield because I felt safer with it (when in actuallity, I just felt like Cap), but Melody and Wisp were nodding. No point in arguing in a fight I can't win. Wisp opened the door to the next room, glanced inside, then closed it back.

"We don't want to go in there," he deadpanned.

"Why not? It's the only way out of here, right?" I asked.

"Well, yeah, but..." Wisp opened the door fully to reveal...well, three of the other four Honor Guard, and a group of dangerous-looking high-ranking soldiers. All with a nerve-wracking smile.

"I just don't think THEY want us going this way," Wisp finished.

Infirmary

The door to Shiira's room broke open. The guard responsible for its destruction, a gryphon with a grey crest, walked in, sword ready. It was simple to get into the city. Just act like a vampire, consuming a blood pill a day, and fight to get into the guard. He would have loved to be an Honor Guard so he could assassinate the king that much more quickly. But alas, it couldn't be helped.

He reattached his arm band, crimson in color with CRD in gold. The dead were just as dumb as they said. But they were strong. He remembered the pegasus that took the tournament by storm, soundly defeating that newcomer. If she joined the Honor Guard ranks, his mission would be that much more difficult. What better time to burn that bridge than when she was incapacitated, unable to defend herself from an assailant? There were only two problems with his brilliant scheme. The first was the other guard that had been assigned to the exact same room. That was cured with silver across the neck for decapitation.

The second problem, however, was that the target wasn't in bed.

Pulling out the same sword he used to eliminate the guard, the assassin clenched his teeth, looking for possible hiding spots. Not ones he could use; ones that the pegasus could use. She was awake. She knows we know the location. Out loud, he said, "I know you're here, monster. Come out and face your redeath like the corpse you are."

Now, most of us would believe a pegasus would make a hiding spot up high. Because, y'know, few creatures can even REACH those spots. Which is why, instead of coming from ABOVE, like the fake guard believed, Shiira crawled out from under the bed (the ONLY place that wasn't investigated), snuck behind her assassin (who was preoccupied with looking up for her), and slammed her hoof into the back of his neck, causing him to lose his grip on his sword.

"Then it's a good thing vampires aren't considered 'dead' around here," she chuckled. The assailant tried to get up, but the pressure in his neck respectfully declined his wishes. "Stay down. You've got a lot of explaining to do."

The unnamed soldier simply laughed. "Dead you may not be, but you're still as dumb as we thought. We know where the entrance to Tartarus is around here. We need only dethrone the leader to get the gem. From there..." He grunted again as Shiira's hoof became heavier.

"You are a fool. The soldiers, while misguided, will stop your friends before they even set foot ins-"

She was interrupted by the elbow colliding with her jaw, sending her flying into the wall.

"You fool,” the soldier chuckled, picking himself up and grabbing his sword. “You couldn’t possibly think the likes of your misfit guards can stop the Dawn’s Light? I’ve been here for months and not one of you has even looked at me twice, how many more do you think are here?”

Shiira snarled a curse and dodged left, just in time to avoid the decapitating strike the griffon aimed at her neck. She wasn’t as fast as she could be, since she was still recovering from her injuries, and so it was that she was unable to avoid the vicious backhand which knocked her to the floor.

“‘The Dawn comes, to banish the Night’,” he cried, piercing the tile inches from her snout as she rolled with the impact. “‘Face thy doom upon the blades of the righteous!’”

The pegasus growled and lunged, aiming to sink her teeth into the paladin’s unprotected throat, but he was ready for her. Her vicious fangs sunk not into soft, tender flesh, but the steel bracer protecting his arm. Pain lanced through her gums, but she didn’t let go. Instead, she beat her wings furiously and brought her hind legs up to deliver a stunning buck to his midsection.

The impact caused the soldier to cough warm blood all over her face, but he quickly spun with tremendous force to hurl her once more against and through the weakened wall. Shiira crashed into the adjacent room in a shower of drywall and rotting wood, knocked momentarily senseless by the impact. The gryphon was moving before she even had time to register the insane strength needed to perform such a feat, his blade coming down from above to slice her neck from her shoulders.

Fire blazed through her veins, raw fury banishing pain and numbness. It couldn’t end like this! She had come too far, sacrificed too much, to be beaten by some child without a name!

With a raw-throated scream, Shiira moved, faster than the eye could see. Springing to her feet, she dashed through his stroke and went wide around his guard, too far to reach. When she was behind him, his movements seeming slow and sluggish through her enhanced speed, she performed a leaping tackle.

The gryphon cried out in agony, bones breaking from the impact as both combatants went down.

“I. Will. Not. Lose!” Shiira growled, and with a murderous howl she sunk her teeth into the soldier’s veins and drank deep from his precious life’s blood. Finally, a real meal.

Author's Note: GOD, Shiira's scene was a bitch to write! But, thanks to Forevermore, who wrote the scene...I like how it turned out. I hope you guys like it, too.

And while I'm thanking people, I feel this thank-you is 23 chapters late. Glassed has been prereading this story since I started, and I am grateful for him taking the time to read the beta version before the final version. Seriously, thanks, Glassed.

And lastly, for now, stories don't become popular without readers. For those who stuck with Dan and his friends, even after the ridiculous gong show that was Chapter 21, I salute you. This story wouldn't be awesome without you guys.

24: No Respect

Chapter 24: No Respect

There is little one can do after they've already been through an army. Usually, they are tired, their mags are empty, the opposition is fresh, and there is NO escape. A rout is simply inevitable. Our own group was, quite simply, on the bad end of this. At least Wisp had the decency to reclose the door and bar it to give us time for a plan.

"So, let's review: hundreds of them versus three of us," I began.

"I'm here, too, you know," Melody interrupted.

"Can you fight?"

"...not really, no..."

"Hundreds of them versus three of us," I continued. "Although the drop out the window isn't long, it can still take time to recover from the fall, and that door can't take much more abuse. What are our options?"

Wisp threw out the first, most obvious choice. "We stand and fight to the end. No way are we going down so simply."

"But these are fresh troops, and we've barely had time to recover," Drac pointed out. "I say we go back and at least find a place where we can ambush them and recover ourselves."

"There's also the possibility that Shanoa has recovered, and she will not go gently after I humiliated her. I'm not taking THAT chance." I sighed. "Wait...Drac, why do you stay a unicorn all of the time, anyway? Don't you have wings?"

Drac raised an eyebrow. "Well...yes, but it's actually very taxing. I can't stay in it for longer than half an hour per one day."

"But you haven't gone 'alicorn mode' all day today, right?" Melody asked.

"Not at all. I was saving it for the king," the vampire stated.

"Then that settles it!" I exclaimed. Right as the door broke. Thankfully, two of the biggest soldiers tried to go through the pathway at the same time, blocking everyone else and giving us a bit more time. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a plan, and I'd like to call it..." I pointed to a window that showed the whole of Necro City, just a few feet away.

"Operation: Tower Escape Alpha?" Wisp guessed.

"Operation: Necro City Defense?" Drac asked.

"Operation: Tactical Withdrawal?" Melody finished.

"Wrong, wrong, and wrong," I chuckled. "Y’see, when the path forward is too problematic, consider a leap of faith." I ran to the window and jumped right out, much to the chagrin of everyone as I yelled out, "RIDE THE WIIIIIIIND!" Thankfully, Drac caught the idea before I jumped, because he was right beside me in seconds, wings revealed as he positioned himself under me. I grabbed on and pointed.

"ONWARDS, TO THE ARENA! I need to pick up my crap!" I yelled. So yeah. I got to ride to an underground arena on the back of an alicorn vampire with an earth pony ghost beside us, and a warrior pegaghost on the earth pony's other side. The only thing more awesome than this is riding a black unicorn down the side of an erupting volcano while drinking from a chalice filled with the laughter of small children. Nothing can ever be more awesome than that, period.

Sadly, it took us half an hour to get to the arena. How did I figure this out? Well, the fact that we suffered a hundred foot drop when Drac's wings disappeared was a huge clue. Thankfully, our fall was cushioned by zombies. ...before you ask, no, there wasn't a tournament going on, and no, I don't know why. What I do know is that half of the town (don't ask me how I know that) was in here.

After helping Drac up and getting him stable, Wisp and Melody caught up to us, with worry on their faces. "The guards will be here any minute, Dan," Wisp said. "And all we've done is given them more room for their forces."

Now is when the citizens decided to take note of us. I actually expected them to attack us, saying they were guards in disguise. Instead, they parted to show us a pretty bad sight. Shiira, the blood-red pegasus from my arena match, was badly injured, carrying a dead gryphon. The two notable things about him were that A. he was wearing the armor of a guard, and B. the crimson-red armband on his right talon.

"Daniel. You and I need to talk. Now," Shiira commanded.

*KSHH*

We interrupt this chapter of Dark Body, Light Soul for a not-so-special announcement. Due to lack of creative thoughts, Shiira’s explanation of what happened, while eventful, cannot be planned out thoroughly. All you, the reader, need to know is that there are three more Reverent Dawn somewhere in the city, Highwind has been deemed crazy by half the population and therefore want a new king, and exactly what happened while Shiira was in the infirmary. While you can read the two previous chapters to find out the last item, the rest will be written in what the author calls a ‘gaiden chapter,’ as to not throw off the story too badly. It will be linked to this very page once it is finished. Thank you for your time. We now return to your regularly scheduled fanfiction.

*KSHH*

"...and now, they plan on assassinating the king, taking his crown, and finding Tartarus. If they do, undead creatures everywhere, good and bad, will be wiped out," Shiira finished.

"Wait, what does assassinating the king and taking the crown have to do with finding Tartarus?" I asked. "And how are we certain that an entrance to Tartarus is even close by?"

"You're in an undead city. Where there's undead, a gate is usually close by," Allegro spoke up. Now THERE'S a face we haven't seen in a while! "As for the crown, one of the gems embedded in it has the power to open Tartarus’s gate. Everyone here is willing to face whatever they'll throw at us. But we don't know what to do, sadly."

I put a hand to my chin, thinking. "First off, where's my shield?" I asked. Multiple hands pointed to the brown kite shield in the middle of the crater from our finals. Funny how Highwind wasn't keeping that away from me.

Wisp tapped my shoulder and whispered, "We would've brought that to you, but we can't lift it. No one can, for some reason." I went over and picked it up without a problem. I would've been more happy to have it back, but the paw on the front reminded me of the trials ahead. Just because I have this back doesn't mean all of our problems are solved. Time to get thinking.

"Okay, now that I have this, how am I going to pull everything together?" I muttered. "The arena leaves us too exposed, my team needs rest, we have three more Reverent Dawn paladins out there, and Highwind's forces want me dead, too. But that's not the plan."

Allegro overheard me, because he asked, "There's a plan?"

"I don't know yet, don't interrupt me when I'm talking to myself," I replied. I kept muttering to myself, trying to think what a great strategist would do. Oh, wait, I don’t know a great strategist personally. Ah, screw it. Let’s just wing it, I thought.

"Alright, I've got it! Skeletons, you stay here and guard the VIPs. If anything happens to them, I'll hold every single one of you PERSONALLY responsible, TWICE. Ghosts, you can pass through walls, so I need this half to do recon. Find the Dawn and lead them to Highwind's forces. If I'm right, they'll be too busy dealing with THEM to deal with US. The other half, get to topside and inform Morva of what's going on. He'll be the bipedal lizard at the front gate.

"Zombies, I want you to sneak around and find the entrance to Tartarus. When you do, pick three of you and stay there, the rest need to get back to the arena and help with defense duty. You should start..." I put a finger up, pretending to test the air for disturbances (completely useless underground, by the way) before I pointed in a random direction and continued, "...that way. It should be a good direction to start."

"Next set of commands. Shiira, Drac, Wisp, stay here and recover. When you do, mobilize everyone and get them to safety."

"What do I do?" Melody asked.

"Follow the ghosts going to Morva. Stay with him, he should protect you," I said. "I will be going back to Highwind's Castle and I'll make him know that the Dawn managed to break in. However, if he attacks me, I will not hesitate to kill him. Any questions?"

"Yeah, I got one," one zombie piped up. "How are you going to kill Highwind if it comes to that?"

"I'll do a thing," I deadpanned.

"What thing?" same zombie asked.

"I don't know, it's a thing in progress! Respect the thing!" I commanded. "Any other questions?"

“What about us?” one of the unicorns asked.

“Well...” I looked at the unicorn. Uh-oh, I forgot about the vampires. “Um...flyers take to the skies and keep an eye on everything. Ground units sneak with the ghost team going to Morva. If we can’t keep control of the city, we need some kind of escape route secured.”

“Okay, that should be all the races. Did I miss anyone else?” Silence again. “Okay, last call. Questions, comments, concerns?” Still silence. "Then let's do this! ALLONS-Y!"

25: Insert Witty Title Here

Chapter 25: Insert Witty Title Here

In hindsight, I should really plan out my parts a tad further. Y'see, the only thing I said about my plan was that I was storming the castle. What I failed to realize, however, was that the castle was...pretty heavily guarded at the front, the windows were very high, making climbing a dangerous task, the guards were on high alert...pretty much, every problem I could face, it was there. Thank GOD no one was aware I was there. What else could...no, Daniel. Don't say that. Don't even THINK that.

"That kind of thinking will only get you more trouble," I muttered to myself.

"What are you talking about, love?" a voice piped up.

Without thinking, I turned in the direction of the voice and answered, "I was thinking about how my operation could go MARCY WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!?"

The gryphon chuckled sheepishly. "I saw you trying to sneak into the castle and I thought you could use some help." I noticed she had some saddlebags on her, one on each side. Was she on an errand?

“How did y-”

“You stick out like a sore thumb with the yellow hat, hun.”

“But...the hat is me...”

Marcy removed my hat and placed it in her left saddlebag before I could protest any further. "Which is why you need to leave it for now. If I could see you, they could. Maybe it's why they're on higher alert than before."

Higher alert than before? ...fuck me and the horse I rode in on. (Don't. It'll only get you in trouble with the authorities.)

I tapped my foot silently, wondering just how I was going to get in without getting everyone after me. I couldn't, however, think straight after the first five minutes because Marcy kept poking my skull trying to get my attention, whispering, "Hey, Daniel. Daniel, you there? I have a plan. Hey, Daniel. Daniel, you there? I have a plan." Repeat ad infinitum.

Finally, she got to me. I turned to her and yelled (as quietly as I could so I didn't alert the guards [don't wrack your brain trying to figure that out]), "WHAT?!?"

"I can get you in there. But you've gotta make a promise," she smirked.

Please don't be what I think it is, please don't be what I think it is! I sighed before I replied. "What would you have me do?"

"I want to spend as much time with you as I can. Take me with you on this crazy adventure you're on." Oh. So it WASN'T what I thought it was. I can live with this. ...I've really gotta stop that.

"Deal," I said, grasping her claw and shaking it to seal the deal. "So what's the plan to get in?"

Marcy grabbed my head, pulled it off of my body, and stuffed it into her left saddlebag. I could hear her pulling off the other parts and stuff them into the right side, while she threw the sword hilt and warhammer into the left side with my head. "You okay in there, sweetie?" Marcy asked.

"I'll be fine," I replied. "And don't call me 'sweetie.' Nor is my name 'darling,' 'honey,' 'smoochum,' or 'love.' I'm not a fan of pet names."

Marcy rolled her eye (if you MUST know which side her eye was on, it was the right side) as she relayed her part in the plan. Simply put, I wasn't fighting ANYONE until the throne room. She would walk in like she owned the place, converse with guards, then leave a 'gift' for King Griffon. And before you ask, yes, there actually WAS a gift for King Griffon in Marcy's possession, I was just an added 'bonus.' She'd leave the saddlebags in the throne room, and from there, I'd reform myself (somehow) and we'd have our epic showdown.

Honestly, of all the things I should be worried about, I worried the most about if I made the right choice in taking Marcy into my group.

*inside the castle*

Marcy sighed. Sometimes, being a courier was...well, it wasn’t a pleasant job. She much preferred running the bar’s karaoke nights. Sadly, those nights only came once in a blue moon. She came to the throne room doors and was about to open them when two ghost guards appeared. One looked like an old, grizzled gryphon in his past life, while the other looked like a greenhorn pegasus.

“Hold it right there!” the pegasus guard shouted. “What business do you have in the castle?”

“I have a package for the king,” Marcy replied in as nice of a tone as she could. “It’s urgent he gets this.”

“It is, huh?” the old gryphon asked, a hint of doubt in his voice. “I’m going to have to take a look at it, then.”

“NO!” Marcy shouted. She coughed, clearly embarrassed about her actions. Trying to recover, she continued, “I mean, um...it’s not something the king wants anyone else to see. Private things, you know?”

“Really?” the gryphon chuckled.

“Now what could a pretty young woman like you have for the king that’s so important, it has to be private?” the pegasus added.

“If I told you, then it wouldn’t be private anymore,” Marcy said, her tone carrying a hint of annoyance. “Also...” She looked around for any passing guards before she whispered, “...you know what he does to guards that don’t do their job.”

The gryphon looked at his comrade. He knew full well Marcy was not speaking the truth, but he wanted to see how the pegasus reacted. “Uhh...well...” the pegasus stammered, “I just can’t...”

“It’s nothing dangerous. I promise.” The zombie gryphon crossed her heart as she spoke the words.

After a moment’s contemplation, the old ghost nodded. “Alright fine. But watch yourself. There’s some strange stuff going on.”

“Strange stuff?” Marcy did her best to look confused. “Like what?”

“The king’s been acting weird,” the greenhorn answered. “Ordering double security on everything, and triple in high value areas. I think something's about to go down.”

“Do you have an idea what might be the cause? Maybe a...ghost from the past, pardon the pun?” She managed a small blush.

“Dunno.” The grizzled one dropped his voice to a whisper, “They found a bunch of guards unconscious in the dungeons, though. Whoever they were keeping down there must be big trouble.”

Marcy let out a soft gasp. “Then the sooner I get this to the king, the better. Thank you for the information.”

“No problem, ma’am,” both ghosts said, in unison.

The doors to the throne room opened slowly, allowing Marcy to enter the room with her saddlebags. Usually, she wouldn’t be so keen to skip procedure, but this wasn’t one of her usual deliveries. Another sigh escaped from her beak as she saw the king sitting in his throne.

"Marcy!" King Griffon shouted. He stepped off of his throne and met the courier in the middle of the room. Marcy bowed as she reached the meeting point.

"I have your package, my king," Marcy said.

"Good. Very good," the king replied with a smile. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for it. But..." He looked around the room before whispering, "you didn't show the guards, did you?"

Marcy shook her head. "No, sir. The guards didn't see it. Do you...want it now?"

"Leave it in my chambers for now. But before you do, I want to show you something." He motioned to the balcony overlooking the city. Taking Marcy by the claw, they walked over and looked at the city.

"It's...Necro City. But what about it?" Marcy asked.

"I never told you, but Necro City is the only thing under my rule. Everything we've earned, everything we've worked for, and everything we've defended, even in the...time of Igos...the kingdom was simply this city, and nothing more. I've spent two years running it, but we need to expand."

"Expand? But...everyone here is just happy with Necro City alone. Only a few know what lies beyond the stone door that separates our world from the Overworld. And even they refuse to tell what lies beyond."

"It is because they've forgotten," Highwind stated. "The only thing we've agreed on what lies beyond is The Black Marsh. But I want to go beyond that."

"Beyond the Black Marsh? Can we do that?"

“I believe so. I’ve read in books of the past of areas past the Black Marsh. A land of ponies, ruled by a goddess. A dominion of gryphons, just like us. Maybe even draconic lands and diamond dog burrows!”

“A land ruled by a goddess?” Marcy asked. “That sounds like something...but does it really exist? And even so...won’t expanding our kingdom mean interacting with them?”

“I’ll walk that path when the time comes.” The king sighed. “Thank you for listening, Marcy. I really hope to make Necro City a proper capital city.”

Marcy turned her gaze to the bedchambers. “It could happen.”

“Hopefully...” Before she could hear what else Highwind had to say, she grabbed her saddlebags, dashed into the bedchambers, and shut the door.

For this chapter, I have to give special thanks to Fordregha for helping me with the scene for the guards. And an apology for taking so long. Some crazy redneck thought it was a good idea to punch my laptop. (Spoiler alert: it wasn't) It took me three weeks to get it fixed, and longer before I could work up the motivation to write this one. So enjoy, and once again, I am sorry this wasn't out sooner.

26: Facts of Life (And Death)

Chapter 26: Facts of Life (And Death)

You learn a LOT of things when you just sit back and relax. You learn to take it easy so you can concentrate on more difficult parts. You learn that perfect way to sit so you get maximum comfort and minimal pain afterwards. And you learn the perfect way to play a fighting game without getting blisters, unlike your opponent. These are important things to know, but then there are mundane things you learn, such as that test you’re supposed to be studying for, dinner is gonna be ready in five minutes, and an actress has been arrested for breaking probation AGAIN.

Of course, this is what I learned while I was relaxing: saddlebags/backpacks make for VERY poor transportation methods. For one, it is extremely stuffy, there isn’t much room to move around, and time passes so slow, you’d think you’re in the distant future with rocket packs, hoverboards, and Taco Bells on every corner once you get out. Also, when the pack hits the ground, it’s not soft. It’s a huge CRASH! All of my parts spilled out into what looked like the king’s bedchambers. Thankfully, it appeared to be empty, save for myself and Marcy. With her help, I reattached myself quickly and quietly.

“Thanks for doing this, Marcy,” I whispered. “But what are we doing in here?”

“King Griffon trusts me a bit more than the usual courier, so I can set things up for him when he’s busy,” Marcy whispered back. “Besides, you’d rather me dump you in the throne room, in plain sight?”

I wisely kept my mouth shut on that topic. Face it, while video games say you can be a one-man army, I know that you can’t be one in real life without a gun, about 5000 bullets of the proper ammo, and about 20 years of fighting experience, all of which I left back home.

“So how much time do you have in here?” I asked.

She pulled out a semi-huge square box and a bottle of...what was that? I couldn’t read the label with Marcy’s claws in the way. She placed both the bottle (label away so I could see it) and the box on the table. “He gave me a good half-hour to put all of this together. In the meantime, you can get ready for your audience with him.”

“Audience...yeah...” I said, a bit uneasily.

Marcy stopped opening the box and gave me a look. “What’s wrong? An audience was what you wanted, right?”

“Yes,” I replied, rolling my non-existant eyes, “I infiltrated a castle that’s increased its security because two prisoners broke out and, with the help of two others, knocked out a battalion of guards and one of the king’s own Honor Guard just to bring to him awareness that there’s a crack in the arena wall.” This, ladies and gentlemen, is what we in daily speech call ‘sarcasm.’

“No need to be snappy,” Marcy muttered, pulling out a...holy shit, is that CAKE?!? She did! She pulled a chocolate cake out of the box! Holy crap, it’s been so long since I had cake, like since my birthday. And let me tell you, that was the craziest party in the history of Ker- “Are you listening to me, Daniel?”

“Huh?” Uh-oh. Probably should’ve been paying attention.

Marcy sighed. “Listen, I know you’ve got a little crusade going, wanting to strike down the King, but...reconsider.”

“Why?” I asked. “Don’t tell me you two are...”

“No, Dan, we’re not,” Marcy sighed. “But he’s got enough problems as it is. You wouldn’t know it, but...King Highwind is the only thing keeping this city together."

*insert record needle scratch here*

"No," I shook my head. "He's the cause of all of this. He's been ruling Necro City with an iron fist for two years!"

"Dan, there's a reason we have daily tournaments. We. Love. Fighting. Every aspect of it: from a fist colliding with a jaw, steel against steel, to the crushing of bone and sinew and seeing one's head part company with their body. We will find ANY reason to fight, so the king helped build the arena, so we could fight whenever we wanted. If anyone ever dared to challenge Griffon's rule, they'd be starting the only thing the king fears above all else: a civil war." Marcy poured a tiny bit of alcohol onto the cake for soaking before she took a sip from the bottle. "If that ever happened..."

I didn't need to be told anymore. The only war worse than a world war where everyone fights everyone is a civil war where brother would fight against brother. I let out a chuckle as I realized my actions for the past few days.

"What's so funny?"

"It's just...you'd never guess that I actually hate fighting," I said, putting on my hat. "In truth, I despise conflict of any type. I refused to speak my mind if I felt the other person would argue with me, unless I knew I was right. Or I wouldn't do something if I guessed someone would yell at me, unless I was told to do it. But conflict is unavoidable. As long as there are two sentient beings, there will always be conflict."

"Well, it's unavoidable," Marcy agreed, "but if you don't clash with others, you'll be nothing but the mat in front of a door. Never be afraid to voice an opinion or do something just because you want to please someone. It's the fastest way to become broken and cynical."

I leaned on the table, careful not to interfere with the gryphon's work. I knew she was right, but I still didn't like it. I wasn't kidding when I said I despise conflict. And yes, I know my actions don't really line up with my words. But back home, I would rather leave my fighting in the games I played, and even then I was timid in what I did. Sadly, it meant I was an easy target because I rarely fought back.

Totally cliche, right? Sadly, you can't make up the things that happen in your life. I was still skeptical that talking it out would work, since it never did before. But...it's bound to work sometime...right?

"Listen, Marcy," I muttered, "I can't say we won't fight. I'll try talking, but I can't say it'll work. If worse comes to worst and he attacks me...I will fight back. You must understand that."

Marcy finished messing with the cake and nodded. "As long as you're willing to try. I hope it doesn't come down to it, but if it does," she grabbed my skull and shook it, making my whole body rattle, "knock a bit of sense into him."

I placed my shield on my left arm, my warhammer on my back, the sword hilt on my hip, and blocked out the light. A king must be able to defend himself if he's attacked, and I doubted Griffon was any different. His surname, Highwind...why did it sound so significant? I hoped I didn't have to find out immediately.

As I let the light reenter my vision, Marcy had the cake ready for whatever. Maybe if this all went well, I could eat a slice with the king while we talked about Keeta. ...or just eat the cake and not speak, that would work better.

I opened the door to the throne room. The king looked over and spoke.

"Ah, Marcy, glad to se-" he cut himself off when he realized it wasn't the zombie courier, but the Stalfos warrior. His eyes narrowed as he growled, "Who are you, and what have you done to Marcy?!?"

"She's still getting things ready," I replied. "Totally unharmed. As for who I am, the name's Daniel Fortesque, Dan for short. And I wish for an audience, your majesty."

Author's Note

Sorry this one took so long to get out. I was wanting to get it out before Christmas as a present for you guys, but I didn't quite have it finished. But it's here, right now, so I hope you enjoyed it. And I hope you enjoy the next chapter just as much when it comes out!

27: Ultimate Showdown, Part Duex

Chapter 27: Ultimate Showdown, Part Duex

I bet you can guess that I'm an idiot, right? I just introduce myself to one of the guys that wants me buried for good, as if I'M the one running the town, and I do so with so much attitude (you can't tell by reading words alone), a certain bowler-wearing cat would say, "The amount of swag in this entrance is TOO DAMN HIGH!" ...okay, that might be a bit of a stretch. But anyway, I'm here to point out that no, I am NOT an idiot.

I am, in fact, a moron of the highest order.

The king removed himself from the throne, grabbing a nearby lance and pointing its blade at me. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't strike you down here and now for breaking out of the dungeon, incapacitating my army, and conspiring to overthrow my rule," he growled.

"Well," I said, unsure of the word's weight, "because there are currently paladins roaming your city and plan to destroy it in an effort to find a gate to Tartarus that may or may not be close by?"

Griffon dropped his spear, giving me a dumbfounded look. There was a small snicker. Then a chuckle. Then full-on laughter. "Ha...hahaha...HAHAHAHAHA! AHHAHAHAHA! OH, THAT'S A GOOD ONE, YOU DECEIVER, YOU!" he exclaimed. He laughed a bit more before finishing with, "Ah, I haven't laughed that hard since I was a little girl, thank you for that."

If I had eyelids, they'd be blinking right now. "Yeah, just one problem," I sighed.

"Oh? And that would be?" he asked.

"I wasn't joking; some group of radicals calling themselves the Reverent Dawn are razing the town for the exact reasons I just stated," I explained again. "I know it sounds crazy, MAYBE with a dash of dark comedy, but it's true. Your next Honor Guard, Shiira? Killed one in the infirmary because he tried to murder her. Also, according to her, he's been posing as one of your soldiers. ONE. OF. YOUR. SOLDIERS. If he was able to do that, who knows how long the others have been here, or even their means of entrance!"

Why the guards didn't come in at the sound of my voice is beyond me. And still beyond me is the fact that, outrageous as it may seem, King Highwind actually thought over my words. A moment passed before he picked his lance up and gave me a response.

"You lie, bonehead. Your metaphorical silver tongue will not trick me," he said, brows furrowed.

I realized he probably wasn't going to talk this out, so I removed MC from my back, gripping it in two hands. In a last-ditch effort to sway him, I shouted, "I'm not lying! If we fight each other, we're wasting time we could be spending actually stopping them!"

"THEY WILL FAIL, AS WILL YOUR EFFORTS TO DETHRONE ME!" the now-angry gryphon shouted, flying at me. He attempted to impale me before I had a chance to fight back. Thankfully, I rolled out of the way before he could succeed.

Regaining my footing, I turned to him, somehow seeing words appear.

Dragoon King of Undead
Griffon Highwind

Wait, Dragoon?

With a shout, Highwind flew above me and quickly slammed his lance down onto me. I made MC connect with the tip to absorb the blow, only for the force of the hit to shove me into the ground. I mean, he created a small dip in the throne room. And remembering that the floor was made of stone, that was quite the impressive feat for the guy. I took a wild swing at him, missing completely as he flew out of range. Yeah, and I thought I could take THIS guy on?

He came down again, this time a bit faster. I used MC to push the blade away, causing him to hit the ground with his lance. The shock made him lose grip of his weapon, dropping it on the ground. I capitalized by swiping at his body with my hammer again. He wasn't as quick to the dodge this time, and I managed to hit his wing. Highwind was still flying, but the blow really took a toll; he wasn't holding himself aloft as well as he could. Capitalize now, a thought rang out.

I dropped my hammer to the side and prepared to throw my shield at his bad wing. Sadly, in spite of the luck I had with doing this a few times before, it didn't work this time. Instead, my opponent managed to strafe aside and dodge the shield. Even worse? It flew right out the window, descending slowly like a frisbee. That wasn't capitalizing on the situation, the thought snarked.

Geez, figure that out all by yourself, or did someone hand you a cheat sheet? I thought.

Quit arguing with yourself and get back in the fight! it shot back.

I picked up my hammer again just as Griffon grabbed his lance. "Hey, Griffon, why don't you just give up now? Because I'm gonna win in the end anyway!" I said with confidence.

Landing on the ground and trying to use basic thrust attacks, which I simply sidestepped, he replied, "And what makes you think that? The sword you used in the tournament isn't on you!"

"True," I nodded, waiting for the right moment, "but a hammer is considered an axe type, and do you know what that means?"

The king tried to thrust his spear into my face, but I ducked, causing him to skewer my hat instead. "A hammer is NOT an axe type! And what does it have to do with our fight?!?"

"It actually is," I said, noting the opening I needed. "As for why it matters to the fight, it's the same rules that say a hammer is an axe type. And THAT!" He gave another thrust, but I slammed my hammer on his lance, breaking it. "IS THE RULE!" I shoved my fist into his beak, causing him to reel back. "OF THE WEAPON!" I raised my hammer high above my head, ready to finish the job. "TRIANGLE!"

*CRUNCH*

The hammer didn't crush his head like I thought it would, but the impact sure made it clear that he was dead. I sighed as I thought back to Marcy in the other room. How am I gonna explain this? Knocking some sense into him isn't the same as... I didn't finish the thought. Instead, I sheathed MC and went to the king's bedchamber door. Before I knocked on it, I felt something grab me and throw me across the room, making my hammer fall off of my back as I had an impromptu flight.

I got up, rubbing my skull as I wondered who stopped me. The answer was...not what I wanted. Flying in front of the door, body restored to full health, and with a VERY pissed-off look on his face, was King Griffon Highwind. The air around him seemed to distort slightly, giving a small sense of an increase of power.

"You didn't think it was THAT easy to destroy me, did you, peasant!?" he bellowed.

"Erm...would you believe me if I told you yes?" I asked sheepishly.

I didn't even see him move, but I felt a huge hit right in my sternum (the thing that binds the ribs together, more or less) and send me flying further across the room. No way am I gonna get out of this unscathed, by any stretch of the imagination. I shook off the dizziness, and saw as he grabbed another weapon by his throne. When he did, getting out unscathed had lost all meaning.

The weapon he had grabbed was the weapon I had used throughout the tournament.

"You are a thorn in my side. It's time to purge you!"

"Um, not to be a smartass," I said, "but someone's already used that jo-" I took another flying lesson as I felt the flat end of the sword hit me into the wall. Talking has, officially, been taken away as a free action.

I got back up as the king cracked his neck. He moved again, but this time, I managed to escape his fist. But not the wing, as it extended and shot me into the wall AGAIN. My bones detached themselves as Griffon punched the wall where my head just occupied. Quickly reattaching myself (very crucial in a fight against an enraged gryphon that was not quite dead), I punched him a few times in the side. Sadly, the only thing it did was piss him off more. This was puntuated by the fact I was sent flying AGAIN. It seems to be a problem today.

I shakily got up and pulled out the sword hilt, holding it as if it had a blade. You'd better get a plan made within the next half-minute, or else you're gonna be bone meal, bro.

He's too fast, though! How do I deal with something that moves faster than I can keep up with?

Find a way to slow him down. You have to figure that part out on your own, though.

Of course. I stared at Highwind, who had now freed his fist from the wall's grip, and he closed his eyes. I charged as fast as I could, knowing he was going for a spell. Too late; he opened his eyes, aimed the sword at me, and I was hit by a chilling blast of cold air. I tried to press on, but it overpowered me, sending me back to the ground. I can't lose now...too much is at stake. I got back up, more unsteady than before, and I readied my hilt again.

"Just give up and accept your fate," the king laughed. "It's much faster, and far less painful."

"Yeah, I'm gonna have to go with NO," I said in all seriousness. As he flew at me, time seemed to slow down. The background seemed to fade as pieces of Highwind flashed. Left claw. Right wing. Torso.

Instead of attacking the parts, I did a dodge roll, avoiding the business end of Griffon's sword and too far for his wing to reach me with a snap. Even if I chose to attack, what would I use? The hilt is just that: a sword hilt. My shield was thrown outside thanks to stupidity and my hammer would be too slow to swing, if I could even find it. I glanced at the sword hilt quickly and noticed a button on it. Nothing to lose, I guess, I thought as I pressed it.

A bright pink laser shot out of the hilt and attached itself, acting as a blade. "No way," I mumbled. This thing was a beam sword. A FREAKING BEAM SWORD! I couldn't contain my laughter. If I had been able to, I would've known Highwind was shooting a fireball at me and planned accordingly. Instead, my laughter turned into a gasp as I was hit and sent into the wall, burning but still conscious.

Note to self: laughter is to be practiced OUTSIDE of combat, I thought to myself.

Noted, the other me agreed. Now use that beam sword and give him hell.

I removed myself from the wall as the king charged me again. I tried to slice him in two with my sword, only to be stopped by the sound of blades colliding.

Highwind's rage seemed to build. "Why do you fight, Stalfos, when you KNOW you will lose?"

"Because," I replied through clenched teeth, "I fight for my friends."

"Well, that's too bad, because they, along with this sorry excuse for a city, are going to disappear," an unknown voice said cheerfully.

The two of us turned our attention to the intruder: a smirking white pegasus with a yellow mane, a lance in his left hoof and a crimson armband on his right.

Author's Note

Another thing that is too damn high: the wait for this chapter! Ladies and gents, I thank you for your patience. So much, in fact, that I will post not just today's chapter, but by next week, three more chapters will be posted!!! Rejoice!!!

28: Awkward Ensues

Chapter 28: Awkward Ensues

The three of us kept glancing back at each other: the Reverent Dawn mook, King Highwind, and myself, in case you forgot. The swords were still locked together in combat, forgotten by their owners for the moment. Their was an awkward silence in the air.

In an attempt to break the silence, I said, "So...how about them Cowboys?"

*POW!*

A sucker punch from the king had my head spinning around in place. I should learn to think before I speak, it'll give me less problems in the long run.

The pegasus coughed before he began speaking. "I guess introductions are in order. I'm Albus, and I'm the leader of the merry band of paladins in the city who want this place burned to the ground. Nice to meet you."

"The feeling isn't mutual," Highwind growled.

"Yeah, can you come back in a moment? We're just fi-" A blast of wind sent me flying as Highwind picked up a lance behind a painting. Why does he have a lance behind a painting? Better yet, when did that painting get there? I thought.

"Listen," Albus chuckled, "I'm in a hurry, so can we just skip to the part where I kill you and take the crown? We're already behind schedule as it is."

"Die first," Highwind said, "and then we'll talk." With that, he flew back up and dove at Albus. In a single move, Albus dodged the attack and offered his own counterattack.

I would describe this fight further, but I had decided that enough was enough: just cut my losses, get Marcy, and find a way out of this castle. I snuck back into the bedchambers to see Marcy chatting with...JACK?!? And with what seemed to be the body of another Paladin to boot. What just happened here, and how did I miss this guy?

"...and that's how I lost my position as Alpha," Jack chuckled.

"So why travel to the marshes, of all places?" Marcy asked.

Jack seemed to consider the answer for a moment. "Um...well...OHLOOKADISTRACTION!" he shouted, pointing at me. As quickly as he said it, though, he probably wished he didn't. "Actually, I think I want to answer that question," he muttered.

"Back so soon?" Marcy asked. "Did he listen to you? He's not..."

"He's alive, but he's currently working problems out with a paladin," I said. I sifted through the saddlebags, looking for my yellow hat. “And I see that you two weren’t so lazy about things either, were you?” I motioned to the corpse on the floor, which made Marcy blush a bit while Jack just smirked at what was probably his doing. I continued leafing through the bags while the other two just shuffled uncomfortably in place.

Silence filled the air again. ...were these walls soundproof? Because I know for a FACT there's a fight close by, and I can't even hear the battle. I finally found what I was looking for and put it in its rightful place.

"So...Daniel..." Jack began.

"Ah, I nearly forgot about you, Mr. Arnold," I said.

Jack raised an eyebrow at the response, but didn't question it. "Listen, about everything that's happened in the past 24 hours..."

"I'm not wanting an apology," I snapped. Marcy glared at me, obviously not happy with the outburst.

"I wasn't aiming to GIVE one," he growled. "I was going to say it's my job: being a spy means you have to be someone you're not. My job is not nice, and most of us don't even stick around for long. But that's my life. I love this city, and I'll protect it with my last, rotten breath."

Marcy's expression softened a bit. "I want to protect it, too, but there's not much I can do," she admitted.

I glanced back at the new dead body. A bit thinner than most ponies; possibly female. Unicorn, judging by the cracked orange horn. Her dark purple tail covered her cutie mark which, on further inspection, looked like the ninja symbol from Call of Duty: Black Ops. (It’s the only way I can describe her cutie mark, sue me) Like Albus and the fallen gryphon, she had the crimson red armband on her left foreleg.

Now for the part you’re looking forward to: the scars. Horn is damaged, possibly from a blunt hit. Damaging; not enough to break, but definitely enough to be painful. My sight went to the rib area next. Multiple punctures on the left side, made by claw. Seems like only one got past the bones, though. Are there others on the other side? I walked around the body, to get a better look from another side, and I can say that I wasn’t disappointed. Looks like the paladin had her back mangled up pretty badly. I don’t think Jack’s claws can make these kind of wounds. I guess Marcy isn’t as helpless as she thinks she is.

"So...what's the story behind this one?" I asked, lightly tapping the body with my foot.

"Well, it's kind of a long story," Marcy admitted, "and you need to get back in there and deal with that OTHER paladin."

"Right..." I muttered. I'll admit, I was NOT looking forward to going back into the fray with that badass. First off, he's a pegasus. Flying-types can stay out of reach of non-flying types if they don't have projectiles. Second, his name. Think of all of the badasses you know that have the name Albus. (Hint: I can think of two, and one fits a pattern I'm seeing recently) Third is his lance. If that doesn't say "Stay out of reach!" to you, I don't know what will.

And, finally, this guy's got a serious case of testicular elephantitis to just waltz into a throne room in the middle of a fight. I mean, if you come in AFTER the fight, that's one thing. You're a vulture. If you come in DURING the fight, either you have no idea what's going on, or you plan on taking out both parties at once. Between you and me, I don't think Albus walked in on that fight accidentally.

So, like it or not, I have to go back. I looked at the sword hilt in my hand. With this being my only weapon, I don't think I'm gonna make it. As I thought of the terrible luck I had, I felt a paw pat my back.

"Y'know, you don't have to fight alone. After all, that paladin's crone attacked us, and he fights my king. I can't let that slide," Jack said. His left paw held what looked like a blue potion. "Drink this: it'll give you the power to cast magic without drawing on your life."

"What exactly is it?" I asked. It's a mana potion, stupid, the snarky side informed me.

"It's a special mixture," Marcy answered. "Since the undead don't regenerate magic nearly as fast as fleshies, we rely on these. It's a blend of mug-wort, an eye of a bog toad, and swamp beacon for effect, and a bit of poison joke for color." Lowering her voice to a whisper, she added, "Fun fact: vampires can't use this particular blend because they'll be affected by the poison joke."

I took a deep breath. "Well, I've got nothing to lose, right?" I muttered. I opened the bottle and downed the concoction, blanching at the bitter taste. Ugh. I think Freedan's Dark Potion tastes better than this, I thought. That said, I could somehow feel my magic return to me.

"Thanks. I believe it's time for round two," I said. Hitting the button on my hilt, the beam shot out, forming the sword I saw in the fight. "Can you two watch my back?"

Jack nodded, baring some very sharp fangs. Then again, you'd need sharp fangs if you were gonna eat gems (which, funny enough, I haven't seen many of yet). Marcy gave me a quick hug, whispering, "Be careful. And give that paladin the beating of his lifetime."

No more delays. Let's be the badass from the arena.

3 Should you really be doing this?

2 By all accounts, this is stupid...

1 Ah, what the hell. You only li-...actually, just get in there and hope things don't go south.

GO!!!

Author's Note

This chapter of DB,LS was co-written by one Reaper1543. Seriously, without him, I wouldn’t have gotten myself out of the corner I wrote myself into. Also, in writing this, I've gotten my creativeness back a bit. Just a bit.

Also, for those who are wondering about the mana mixture, this was cleared by the others. However, this is NOT the only way to create a mana potion. Others may create their own version, and need not follow this particular version. Props to Blackwing for helping me create the potion.

GO! SHOWER THIS BRONY IN PRAISE FOR HELPING ME OUT OF WRITER'S BLOCK!!!

29: ...a Zone of Danger

Chapter 29: ...A Zone of Danger

I kicked the door open and walked into the throne room. Jack and Marcy didn't follow me, instead opting to wait until I distracted everyone in the room. I thought this would be simple because they would be focused on each other. Unfortunately, you kind of gain everyone's attention when you decide to have your foot meet the door.

For only one reason, I do not regret my decision.

Y'see, Highwind and Albus are very good fighters. But between the two of them, it seemed Albus was the better. You can usually come to this conclusion by noting that his lance was inches away from piercing Highwind's throat which, even if it didn't decapitate, would pierce a very important artery and cause a bleedout (assuming, of course, Highwind is alive and the neck of a gryphon shared the same anatomy of a human's). My door kick managed to throw Albus off and stare at me for a few seconds.

In that few seconds, Highwind grabbed the lance and smacked Albus in the back of the head. The pegasus stumbled away, pulling the weapon away from his former quarry. I ran to the battle zone and placed myself between the two combatants.

"What...are you doing?" the king asked, confusion and anger mingling in the question.

"What does it look like?" I asked. "I'm saving your a-" My snarky comment was cut off by Albus's lance going through my ribs and lifting me off the ground. As soon as I reached the top, he threw me off to the side. That's gotta hurt, my snarky side observed. For the sake of the future, he will now be called Bard.

Is that thing made of silver? I asked myself.

Doesn't look like it, Bard answered. He probably placed an enchantment on it. Remember the rules of the dead?

Unless it's silver or magic, it can't kill? I guessed.

Bingo! Bard clapped. How he did it, I'll never know. But don't let it stop you. Get back in there and protect the king!

Who was I to not listen to Bard? I got up, sword still in hand, and ran at Albus. Now, instead of doing the smart thing and using my Beam Sword to gut him, I rammed him in the side, sending him into the wall before he could finish off Highwind (again). The paladin slammed into the wall, dropping his lance as he collided with stone. It didn't phase him too much, but he was obviously still pissed.

"You undead are really starting to get on my nerves," Albus spat.

"Good to know," I replied. "Can I sever them?"

Albus responded by raising his left hoof. "ZEPHEN BULLET!" He shouted. Oh, shit, if that's what it is, this is...wait, it's not gonna hurt THAT ba- "MAX SHOT!" I took the full hit, slamming right into the opposite wall. I slid down to the ground, in huge pain.

"Dark...and lightning...I resist both..." I laughed uneasily as I fell to the ground, face first.

"Sad," he commented. "Most wouldn't have the stamina to survive it, anyway. Just like the King's not going to...where did he go?"

I picked my head up off of the floor to find Griffon gone. Seems like he pulled my trick off. Albus looked around, trying to find his target. "Gentlemen," we heard him say.

Outside the window, flying just outside, was the king, wearing his crown, and Marcy, wearing her saddlebags and carrying the cake. "You know, I had this lever beside this window all of this time, and I never did see what it did," he commented. "I wonder what it does?"

Albus shot towards the king as fast as he could. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't fast enough, as there was a *click* and an iron gate fell. The poor paladin couldn't stop himself from hitting the gate, and he fell to the ground with a horrible headache.

"Ah. That's what it does," Griffon observed. "Nice for opportunities like this, wouldn't you say, Stalfos?"

I picked myself up off of the ground and answered, "I'll get back to that. Right now, I've gotta deal with him." I pointed to the now-dazed paladin, who was starting to shake off the damage.

"Very well. Should you survive, meet me at the arena. We'll discuss things there," Highwind said. He turned to fly off before he added, "Oh, and I left your old sword in there. Hopefully your magic has recharged enough to use it properly again." With that, he and Marcy flew towards the arena.

I did a quick scan of the room to find that the old sword was NOT in sight. Did he hide it? Did Jack take it? Also, where was my hammer? My answers had to wait, once again, because the angry pegasus had finally recovered. Is it just me, or do I have a habit of royally pissing people off. Hehheh, royally...

"You are a thorn in my side," Albus said coolly. "It's time to p-"

"DON'T EVEN START WITH THAT!" I shouted.

"Very well, then I'll just do this," he commented. He then zipped around the room, faster than I could keep up with. He stopped right in front of me, giving me a dark smile. Without skipping a beat, he did a quick 180 and bucked me right into the wall. Hello again, wall. You're the only one that knows my pain.

I peeled myself off of the wall as I turned to the one responsible for my flight session. With my sword now pointed at Albus, I held my left hand out, open palm. "Get some," I challenged, making the correct gesture with my hand. He accepted by charging at me, hooves first. Instead of jumping out of the way, I bent my back, dodging the tackle by bending at the knees. As he flew past my line of vision, I gave him the one-finger salute. His hooves slammed into the wall, embedding him very nicely. No messing around THIS time.

I raised my sword and attacked his midsection, hoping to make him a halfling. The bad news is that he was fast enough to get himself out of the wall and avoid the killing blow. The good news was that it wasn't fast enough to avoid the attack fully. My sword sliced the right side of his face, cutting the eye. I have NEVER been so happy to hear a howl of pain.

"Forget fair play! I'm destroying this place!" Albus shouted. He raised both front hooves into the air, using his wings to balance on his back hooves. His right filled with the power of light, his left with the power of darkness. "OPTICAL SHOT!!!" he shouted, firing both blasts at me. I jumped out of the way, but he didn't stop shooting. He shot more and more at me, shouting the attack's name every time he used it. After a few jumps, I mistimed one and took a bad hit to the leg with the light attack. I landed behind the throne, unable to feel either leg. Damn. I think one was blown off while the other didn't survive the crash, I thought.

Beside the throne was a hole and a quickly-scratched note. I picked it up and read it.

"Daniel,

Your sword is in here. I left through the front door when the king shut the window. The path out of the castle should be clear: finish your work and we'll meet again.

Jack"

I reached into the hole and sure enough, there it was. The old red sword, jagged and sadly empty on magic. I did a quick focus on it, and within half a minute it gained the glow. But it was probably too late: I can't crawl out of here while that crazy paladin's still flying around.

Time to get serious now, Bard said. You'd better find a way to regain your legs and get out of here.

Agreed. I've been in here for long enough, I thought. Why not have Albus provide us with the legs? The sword's aura became a mix of black and red at the thought. Just in time, too, as Albus flew right above us.

"Your time is nigh, dark spawn," Albus laughed. "Any last words before I send you to oblivion?"

"Two words," I replied, pointing the sword at him. "Heal, plz!"

The poor pegasus paladin had no idea what it meant until it was too late. A dark red light shot from the sword, hitting him square in the chest. The Drain spell blasted him into a corner, writhing in pain as I felt my legs return to me. I didn't question if they regrew or if they flew back from wherever they had been blasted to; I just got up and ran to the door. I gave the sword a quick charge before I opened the door. Turning to the paladin, I gave a nasty thought as the sword's aura became bright red.

"Y'know, Albus," I said, opening the door, "I was told I have an...explosive personality." I hit a stone in front of me with my sword and ran out, not even bothering to close it behind me. As I ran for a window close by, I heard multiple blasts go off behind me, each one getting closer. As I reached the window, in true cliche action style, I jumped out as the explosion rocketed me towards the arena. I didn't fly that far, however, only clearing the wall and hitting the ground. My body scattered into the many pieces that I am, sadly, getting used to happening to me.

Then again, life as I know it was turned on its ear the moment I came here, so I guess that's a given. Well, I thought darkly, at least I got out of there in one piece.

Author's Note

What's this? A chapter a day after the one before it! BLASPHEMY!!!

...maybe not. But here you go. Enjoy, and may your jumps not go at an angle.

30: Dead End

Chapter 30: Dead End

Well, this was, by far, the most interesting day of my life. Then again, considering my previous life, it would be a HUGE understatement. But all things considered, today wasn't so bad. I reflected on everything I've done since I came here while I reattached my bones bit by bit. Wasn't like a random Reverent Dawn paladin had a say in the matter, right? I mean, the gryphon was dead, the unicorn was dead, and the pegasus was dead from the explosion! Or, I thought he was. I couldn't quite go back up and confirm the body.

Wait, gryphon, unicorn, pegasus...that doesn't equal four. That means...

Damn it, fate! You piss on my unfound grave again!

Quickly putting myself back together and uncaring of how I looked, I was about to get up and run to the arena when a glint caught my sight. Don't ask how there was a glint, because I don't rightly know myself. I turned to it and praise Olman, it was my shield! I picked it up and held it to my chest, happy to have my line of defense back. Putting it on my left arm where it belonged, I rushed back to the arena.

---Moments later, The Arena---

I actually had to be air-lifted into the arena on account of the doors being barred. Kinda stupid, since you can fly in, dig in, or for ghosts, phase in. Actually, a good plan for something like me, who couldn't do any of those things. As I landed, Shiira flew towards me, a smile on her face.

"You did good, bonehead," she said. "Thanks to our efforts, we're ready for anything."

"So the situation is good?" I asked.

"Depends on how you define a good situation," Drac responded, walking towards us. "There are other forces topside that required Morva's attention. He's up there with Melody, trying to keep them from breaking through. Zombies found the gate, so Highwind took a team and is heading there now. We lost a good chunk of ghosts getting their leader to the castle, so we can't use them for recon anymore. How is he, if I may know?"

"Took an explosion to the face before I left." I explained everything that happened as quickly as I could without dropping important details. As I wrapped up everything, the king himself flew back in.

"Citizens of Necro City," he announced. "I am glad to announce that the gate to Tartarus has been found!" There were cheers from everyone present. "However, I am afraid that the trip is to be one-way. The Reverent Dawn, as you have seen, has found us. We cannot stay here any longer." There were a few gasps, groans, and angry shouts. "We have only delayed the destruction of the city. They are sure to send reinforcements, or worse, an entire platoon to wipe this place out. I ask you to gather the things you need and be at the gate in two hours time. And be careful: there is still two paladins still unaccounted for."

"One," I corrected. "We have the gryphon, killed by Shiira, the unicorn, killed by Jack and Marcy, and the pegasus, killed by me. We've yet to see the remaining enemy."

There were murmurs as I made my statement. Even though one still lurked in the shadows, it was still one paladin. You can look at it as overpowering him, or just setting yourself up for a massacre. Highwind must have realized the same thing, as he began speaking once more. "Very well. Flyers, keep to the skies and look for the paladin. Keep him away from our people! Diamond dogs, take to the skies with them. When we see the paladin, if he can't fly, you will drop down and start digging holes. We'll bury him alive. Everyone else, as I said, gather your things. GET TO IT!"

There was shouting as everyone dispersed. Wisp joined my little group as the king approached me for one final speech.

"Stand still, Stalfos," he ordered. In spite of everything that happened before, I stood stiff as a board. His eyes pierced into my eyeholes, as if looking for something. A moment later, he closed his eyes. I could only guess what he was thinking. He didn't keep me waiting as he opened his eyes, a certain spark to them.

"You're not of our kind," he said. "Not a skeleton, nor a normal Stalfos. Your body here is dead, but your soul still has the resonance of the living." Wisp and Shiira gave me an incredulous look as Drac simply nodded at the statement. The king didn't stop, though. "You were brought here by an outside force. One that even I cannot begin to comprehend. You came to cross swords with me and free the criminal known as Keeta." I looked down. So many conflicting ideas with one skeleton. Whose words should I trust?

"And yet..." he continued, "when we did, and were interrupted, you fled." I winced. Probably shouldn't have ran off when we got interrupted. "And when you came back, you did so and protected me. Why did you do that when you could have teamed up with the Dawn?"

"The enemy of my enemy isn't always my friend," I stated. "From what I heard, the Reverent Dawn consider all dead as abominations that need to be destroyed. If I helped them, they would simply eliminate me immediately afterwards because of my body. Or worse, destroy me before the job is done."

The king smiled. Removing his crown, he turned it until there was a dark green gem. He grabbed it and, using all of his strength, removed it from the royal headgear. He then gave it to me. "This gem will remove the barrier keeping Keeta in his prison. Whether or not you use it is up to you."

"So I guess I'm not going with you through Tartarus?" I asked.

"Someone's gotta deal with the Reverent Dawn," Shiira piped up, slapping my back with a hoof. "And you can't deal with them in hell, no matter how hard you try!"

Suddenly, Jack dug up from the ground. "Phew!" he breathed. "It's difficult to cover your tracks when digging a hole."

Highwind picked Jack up out of the ground. "Ah, perfect timing, my boy!" he exclaimed. "Our good Stalfos needs a good spy, and I say you're it!"

Sweet, I get my own spy! ...wait, what?

"Um, are you sure?" I asked. "Don't you need him for other things?"

"That's what I thought," Jack agreed. "My king, what use can I be to you if I'm with him?"

"All will be revealed in due time," the king answered. "He needs stealth more than I do, and you're the best of the best. And this IS an order, boy. You're not about to disobey your king, are you?"

I swear I could hear him sigh in contempt. "No, sire. By your command." Jack took his place beside Shiira. It almost seemed like the gang was complete.

"I guess it's time to head topside and help Morva and Melody, huh?" I asked. The group nodded their heads in agreement. Before I got to the door, the king stopped me for the last time. "ONE MOOOOORE thing," he said, not unlike a certain old antique store owner who could surely kick my bony ass across this arena.

As I turned, I was met by two sharp talons smacking my skull. I winced in pain as the king sent me off with one last sentence: "Change your name so others don't think you're imitating the great Gallowmare hero!"

Great, just what I need to be thinking of: a new name.

---Necro City Entrance---

Using our strength and magic, Jack, Drac, and I moved the boulder blocking Necro City from the upper world. I took in a deep breath of fresh air. Or...outside air, I should say. After all, the air of a swamp mixed in with the smell of decaying flesh doesn't really smell that great. I looked around, trying to focus on something. Geez, I can't see shit in this darkness, captain! Bard snarked. But soon, I caught something moving. It was Morva, leaning against a tree, breathing heavily as fake scars dropped off of his body.

Ha! I knew it! He was only PRETENDING to be dead! I thought. I ran over to the collapsed lizard, only to find he had real scars as well as fakes. And let me tell you, the real scars were close to killing him with how much blood he was losing.

"Damn...that was...way more...than I thought," Morva gasped.

"What is all of this?" I asked. There were a lot of bodies, but none I really recognized: it seemed like a lot of bugs, plants, and animals mutated and tried to enter the city.

"Seems like...someone learned...mutations," Morva wheezed. He shook his head before continuing. "Didn't...pay attention. One of them...really messed...me up bad..."

"Ugh," I groaned. "This isn't good...does anyone know first aid?" The whole group shook their head. Doing a quick head count, I quickly realized: Melody isn't here!

"Morva, where did Melody go?!?" I asked. Probably shouted it, but I didn't care at the moment.

The lizard coughed a bit before he answered. "Went into forest...said something...about a rose..." He pointed to the treeline. "That way..."

I looked at Wisp and Jack and nodded. Neither of them had to be told, they simply took off. Shiira and Drac started examining Morva's wounds. "We'll keep him alive as long as we can," Shiira said. "You go to Keeta and make your decision. We hope it's the right one."

"Don't worry. I'll make sure of it," I said. I left the three alone as I searched for the area I had woken up in. It wasn't that far from the city entrance, as I found the puddle. Seemed like those monsters came by here recently. As I approached the puddle again, the gem King Highwind gave me began to give off a soft aura. In the pond, I saw Keeta once again.

"Ah, there you are, Daniel!" Keeta said happily. "I admit, I was about to lose hope. And you have the key, too! Happy day, indeed!"

"Yeah, yeah. So, ready to be released from your prison?" I asked.

"Why, of course I am!" The Stalfos seemed to stretch as I held the gem above the water. "Finally, after five millenia stuck in this confined space, I'm gonna be free!"

I dropped the gem into the water, causing it to shatter. A bright light came from the pond, illuminating the dark sky. As the light faded, Keeta pulled himself out of the pond, laughing all the way. "Ah, it feels good to be out!" he shouted. He turned to me and continued, "And it's all because of you, Daniel! Thank..." I dodged a quick punch to my face. Angered, I returned the favor with a roundhouse kick, sending him a few feet away.

"Damn!" he shouted. "You were supposed to take that hit!"

"And if you knew anything about Keeta, you'd know that he's a helluva lot taller than YOU!" I shot back. "So who are you to steal his name?!?"

'Keeta' got up onto his knees, keeping his hands on the ground. "You're one to talk, 'Daniel.' But I guess true formalities are in order." Slowly, his body began to morph. His bones rearranged themselves into that of a pony's. Four hooves, a curved back, and a horn adorned his head. His body then began to grow essential living items: a heart, a set of lungs, stomach, intestines, all of that. His bones were covered in nerves, then in muscle, before finally becoming skin. From there, pitch black fur grew over the skin. His head and rear sprouted a sickly green mane and tail, respectively. And to top it off, his mark became a hexagonal shape with a jade skull in the middle.

His eyes opened, revealing gold eyes and an evil demeanor. "Thank nothing, faker! You have released the great Mordroc from his prison!"

Author's Note

Am I evil?

...yes. Yes, I am.

So, finally, we are OUT OF NECRO CITY!!! Thank god, right?!?

31: Toxic Times

Chapter 31: Toxic Times

Don't ask how it's possible, but I whistled as I went to rejoin the group. The fight with Mordroc was so quick, I almost feel compelled not to tell you what happened. Almost. So I sum it up in a few words.

I throw shield, shield hits Mordroc, Mordroc goes out like a light. From there, I just found a bit of poison joke (which was conveniently a few yards away) and dragged him into the flowers. I didn't stick around to see what happened to him, but I bet it would be hilarious.

Returning to the clearing, I saw that everyone had decided this was the best place to regroup. Jack and Wisp were trying to comfort Melody, who was holding a rose I had never seen before. Shiira was moving Morva's body around as Drac used his magic to try and close the wounds. But no matter how much he put into it, the wounds kept reopening.

"He's been poisoned," Shiira sighed. "He's not going to heal unless we have the antitoxin to stop it. But as it is, none of us have it." I was about to ask about the rose, but Shiira was a step ahead of me. "The rose is meant for healing wounds, not curing poisons. He's not gonna make it through the night."

Morva shook his head. "I'm not...going down yet," he rasped. "We can...find the cure..."

"Not in time," Drac replied. "Even if we found the Weeping Willow, it takes time to make the powder from its leaves. I'm sorry, Morva."

Morva coughed badly. "I can't...just stop now. We've gotta..." He started to stand up, but I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Stop moving," I ordered. "I'm no expert on field injuries, but I'm sure the more you move while poisoned, the faster it goes through your system."

"You have that right," a familiar voice called out from behind us. The six of us turned to find Marcy with her saddlebags. She reached into the one on the left to reveal a vial with green powder.

"Is that...?" Melody started.

"Weeping willow leaves and an amoxy clover crushed into a fine powder, with water added to make it go down easily. Gives you some lost energy, and cures nine out of ten poisons," Marcy stated. "I still have quite a bit."

Marcy approached the weakened Morva and opened the vial. "I apologize now, because this is going to be VERY bitter," she stated. "If you want to live, though, you have to get this in your system."

Morva’s eyes shot open. “Make it quick. There’s a green elephant about to charge this way.”

I could only facepalm at the statement. “You might want to hurry, Marcy: the poison has hit the brain and he’s going to go insane before death.”

Marcy opened Morva’s mouth and started to pour the antidote down his throat. As the first drops touched his tongue, though, Morva started to thrash about.

“No! I won’t drink anymore of that!” he yelled in delirium.

“I thought this might happen,” Marcy sighed. “We need to hold him down so we can get the rest of this antidote in him. If we don’t, he won’t live for very much longer. Worse, if this poison is the type I think it is, he won’t come back to life.”

Drac and I ran over and tried to hold down the now-crazed lizard man.

“Let me go!” he shouted. “I have to go save the marshmallow ponies from my draconic brother!”

“Stop moving so we can cure you!” I yelled, trying to keep my grip on him as he kept thrashing.

Marcy resumed giving the antidote to Morva. As luck would have it, the arm I was holding broke free of my grip, swatting the antidote away and breaking the vial against a tree. Judging by Marcy’s face, and subsequent agitated growl, the amount she administered wasn’t enough to cure the lizard.

“Dammit, Morva! Maybe you don’t realize this, but if that poison isn’t removed, you WILL die!” If Morva could understand what Marcy was saying, he didn’t show it as he continued to ramble nonsense. Marcy searched her bags again, pulling out another vial. “Curses. I thought I had more,” she muttered. She turned to Drac and me. “Okay, you two make sure he does NOT move. This is the last of the antidote and if he destroys it, he’s completely screwed.”

The two of us nodded. Drac refocused his magic to bind Morva while I kept Morva’s head from moving around too much. Our efforts allowed Marcy to use what remained of the antidote properly. Morva’s flailing and incoherent speaking didn’t seem to stop.

“That doesn’t seem good,” Jack observed. “An antidote is supposed to cure him. Why is he still thrashing like a mad dog?” No sooner had the words left his mouth, Morva’s body suddenly ceased moving. Drac nodded at me and we both released him, causing him to collapse onto the ground.
“Is he going to be okay?” I asked.

Melody floated over and leaned her head against the lizard’s chest, her eyes closed. “He’ll be fine. It’s faint, but his heart’s beating and his breathing is easy.” She turned to Marcy and smiled. “Lucky for us, you were here with the antidote.”

Marcy beamed as she closed the saddlebags. “He was supposed to have more energy,” Marcy said. “Must’ve burned it thrashing about. Let’s get him back underground.”

We turned around only to find the entrance was resealed. Jack, Drac and I got to work trying to get it open. Try as we might, however, we just couldn’t do it. It was almost as if an outside force was wanting us to stay out.

“Seems like we’re never going back,” Wisp sighed. “I guess no one has an idea of where shelter could be?”

The gang sans Morva looked at each other, hoping they had some kind of information. We all finally rested our eyes on Drac. He, in response, could only raise an eyebrow. After a moment, he sighed and said, “Fine...I guess I can show you all my topside stronghold.”

Jack and I picked up the unconscious Morva and placed him on Shiira’s back. Together, the eight of us traversed through the swamp.

---Drac’s Topside Stronghold, in the Black Marsh---

“Okay, I’ll be the first to admit. I expected it to be...bigger,” I said.

What we were looking at was a standard house you’d see in the swamp: rundown, one story, rotting boards above, below, and in between, and no noticable in-door plumbing.

“It would only be him,” Melody sighed. “You didn’t expect, like, a castle in the swamps, did you? The very idea is just stupid!”

“Yeah, it’d sink into the swamp,” Jack added.

“I know a guy who did so, in spite of his peers,” I mumbled. Granted, his castle DID sink in the swamp, but I wasn’t going to tell THEM that.

“Enough chitchat out here,” Drac ordered. “Let’s get inside before someone sees us.” The unicorn pushed the door open and led us inside. As we filed through, one by one, I wondered why Drac was so worried about someone finding this place. I then remembered the paladins and quickly threw that thought out the window.

The inside was a bit more spacious than I thought it would be, considering the size of the house. Yes, there were the rotting boards, but it didn't look too shabby. There was a simple fireplace with a kettle over it, a small twin bed (it was the same size as my own bed...don't judge), and a bookshelf with a handful of books. Unfortunately, most of the titles were faded out, so I couldn't tell if it would be a good read.

"So why were you so afraid of having someone find THIS? It's nothing special," Wisp said.

"There are a number of reasons," Drac answered. "The biggest, however, behind the bookshelf. Daniel, if you will, pull the orange book for me."

I walked over to the book case and looked for the requested item. Hovering my hand over the books, I found it on the third row from the top. With a quick tug, there was a loud *clang* as the book shelf moved forward, then to the side! The only thing behind the shelf, though, was a staircase that lead back down.

"Don't tell me we're going underground again!" I complained.

Drac placed a hoof on his chin before saying, "Okay, I won't tell you." He then bucked me into the new room, sending me crashing down the stairs. (For those wondering, yes, I was well aware that this seemed to be a running theme)

After tumbling down the stairs for what seemed like hours, I finally hit the bottom. I had a feeling that they were going to take a while, so I got to work reattaching myself once again. The process was quick this time, so I decided to take a quick look around the place.

This was fruitless as it was dark and I couldn't see my bony hand in front of my face if I tried.

I toyed with my beam sword as I waited for the others. I had planned on using it as a makeshift flashlight, but it didn't light the area well enough. Soon, I was writing jokes in the ground, just hoping the team regrouped with me soon.

Finally, I just couldn't take it. "Okay, seriously, where the hell ARE you guys?!?" I shouted. I expected Melody or Marcy yelling happily, Drac or Wisp saying something sarcastic, or Shiira scolding me for raising my voice. Instead, I was answered by what sounded like a wolf's howl.

That didn't sound good, Bard said.

Sounded like a puppy, I thought. What if it's hurt?

Bard sighed. Listen, I know you have good intentions, but you've been ignoring this thing we sane people like to call 'common sense.' Just this once, if never again, listen to it this time.

Okay, okay...I'll stay here.

...yeah, I didn't last five seconds before I got up and followed the sound. Navigating the tunnel with so little light is taxing on the sight. I had my jagged sword out, charged up and ready to go. Like the beam sword, it didn't work as a makeshift flashlight due to its low output. I walked quietly, making sure I didn't kick a stray pebble or step in a small puddle. Again, darkness made it pretty difficult to perform.

Finally, I caught a glimpse of light in the form of a torch on the wall. In its light was a dog, lying on its side. Its fur was mostly black, but it had patches of blue on the top of its head, front paws, and near the back. When it tried to get up, it would howl and fall back to the ground. I glanced around, making sure nothing else was around before I approached the dog.

When it saw me, it growled angrily and tried to stand up again. Just like before, though, it let out a howl of pain as it collapsed. I kept my sword fixed on it and approached slowly, still aware it may be a trap. When I finally got close enough, the dog whimpered, afraid that its life was over. I glanced over and realized the dog was a boy because of the bigger build and...yeah, just don't stare at it.

"Don't worry," I muttered. "I'm not here to hurt you." I set my sword down as I ran my hand over the dog's legs. He howled again as my hand touched his front-left leg, and again when I touched the back-right leg. Whatever he was fighting, it really did a number on him. If I left him alone, he likely wouldn't make it through the day. But if I helped him, would he attack me? Not likely, by the way he was now looking at me. I rubbed his head, making him close his eyes and pant a bit.

I couldn't leave him. I had to lend a hand. With this in mind, I grabbed my sword and gave the mental command. I placed my left hand on his front leg and focused, feeling the magic heal the dog. When I was certain it was good enough, I recharged the sword (about a minute and a half) and moved to the back leg. The dog looked on curiously as his back leg's pain, at least to him, seemed to mysteriously go away. As the last of the magic disappeared, I collapsed backward, somehow exhausted from it all.

The dog slowly got back onto his feet, this time staying upright. He jumped left and right before releasing another howl. This one, however, was one of energy and joy. He charged at me and started to lick my bony face.

"Hey, calm down, boy!" I laughed. "You're gonna be okay. You'll be okay..." I scratched his head and looked around, hoping to find a clue as to who was his owner, current or otherwise. Then again, if he's all the way down here...

My train of thought was derailed when the dog stopped showing me affection and jumped off of me. Looking into the darkness and taking an aggressive stance, he started to growl. I got up (uneasily) and took a stance of my own. I had to squint, but I saw exactly why he was growling.

Dogs. Six of them, but their color was more of grey with red fur. Almost like a palette swap of the one by me. Unlike my new friend, however, they were all uninjured, and didn't really look like they cared for him. That probably meant they were enemies.

And, by association, that made me their enemies, too.

Author's Note

This chapter is dedicated to Judoon_Warrior for his assistance in making this segment work. So go! SHOWER HIM IN PRAISES, TOO!!!

32: Under De Swamp

Chapter 32: Under de Swamp

So the way it's looking now, it's six against one, enemy's favor. I say six against ONE because the dog I helped had suddenly lost his spine and ran behind me for cover. Sighing, I took a defensive stance, challenging the pack to pick a fight.

I bet you just wish you could go one day without a fight, don't you? Bard chuckled.

More like fifteen hours, but honestly, who's keeping track? I asked.

I readied my sword, which wasn't charged: I had felt tired after using the healing spells, which meant I was probably out of mana. Knowing that no mana meant casting from my own health, I decided to play it safe. I tapped my sword against the ground, ready to begin. Two dogs charged me, one on either side so they would flank me.

Tricky bitches. Thankfully, I can be just as tricky, if not more so. I threw my shield at the right dog and slashed at the left dog. I heard two yelps as both dogs retreated back into the pack. As my shield flew back to me, I caught it and turned to the group. I tapped my sword against the ground again. "Who's next?" I asked.

The other four stepped forward, spreading out. Just like the previous group, they planned to surround me and take me down. I grunted; how am I going to deal with all four of them if they all planned on attacking me head on? I decided to repeat the process from last time. When they charged, I threw my shield at the right dogs and slashed at the left dogs. While I hit both of the dogs on the left, the shield only repelled one on the right. The remaining hound, which had one helluva tackle, hit me and pinned me to the ground.

He grinned at his prize, ready to attack the throat. As he went for it, though, he yelped in pain and turned around. Behind him was the black dog, its mouth clamped down on a tail. The leader forgot about me and attacked my new friend, leaving me with the other five to deal with.

When I turned to the pack, though, three of them ran, tails between their legs. The other two, one from each attack, had lowered their heads and bared their fangs at me. Instead of waiting on them, I decided to launch the attack by charging at them, shield raised and sword lowered. Both had jumped, and time slowed down. Just like my fight with the king, I thought.

Left dog's front right leg. Right dog's mouth. Left dog's tail. This time, I hit the spots in that order. I used my shield arm to hit the left dog's front right leg, hearing a bone-shattering *crunch!* My sword sliced the right dog's head in two by going through his mouth. Finally, I somehow grabbed the left dog's tail with my shield hand and, using what strength I could gather, tossed him into the wall.

Now, you would think that with slicing a dog's mouth, it would cause a spray of blood. I thought so, too. But instead, the body lingered for a moment before vanishing in a cloud of blackness. The other dog wasn't getting up, but it was still alive. Three runners, one dead, and one incapacitated, I thought. Let's deal with the leader now.

Turns out I didn't have to worry about the leader. Looking behind me, I saw that the black dog had ripped his opponent's throat out. He barked happily as the body disappeared. He walked a few steps towards me before stumbling and falling.

I sighed. "Guess you got injured from fighting these goons, huh boy?" I pointed out. The dog could only nod. He got up again and walked towards me again, this time a bit slower as focus was on staying up instead of getting to where he needed to be. I sheathed my sword and picked up the incapacitated grey dog that had attacked us. Maybe one of the others could tell me what it was.

Our trip back to the stairs was a lot slower than mine was to the torch since I now had more weight, doubled with an injured dog walking by my side, trying to stay up. And I didn't think to bring the torch with us, either. Not until it was out of sight and we couldn't see three feet in front of us, anyway.

After about an hour of slow walking, I saw a light by the stairs. Figures that THEY would have some kind of light, Bard said.

I know. Least they could do was throw one down to me when they kicked me, I replied. Either way, I called out to them to get their attention.

"WHERE WERE YOU, DANIEL?!?" Wisp yelled. ...well, if THAT'S how I'm gonna be greeted, I might as well go back topside and forget about the group. But, as it is, I need as many allies as I need, so...

"Heard a noise and went to investigate," I answered. "Found a pack of dogs attacking this one, so I intervened."

While Wisp was clearly annoyed at my actions, the others looked at the newcomer with interest. Morva was being carried by Shiira, still out like a light. Marcy examined the dog, looking at the wounds both new and old. "Seems like that pack did a number on you, boy," she mused. "I'd take care of you here, but we need to keep moving. Should we keep him?"

The dog barked, as if wanting to tag along. Shiira, Wisp, and Jack simply shrugged their shoulders and started to converse with each other, not really caring about him. Melody had started to pet him, making him happy for the attention. Morva was out like a light, so he didn't have a say. Drac glared at the dog, obviously not liking the idea.

But, if he had any objections, he kept them to himself. "He can come along," he said. "We'll patch him up, but he'll be Daniel's responsibility. So keep an eye on him," he ordered me. I gave a quick salute before the question came to mind.

"Um, what breed of dog is he, exactly?" I asked.

Suddenly, everyone went silent. They looked at him in confusion as he tilted his head, possibly not understanding my question. I didn't think I was going to get an answer.

"Let's get going. The real hideout isn't that far away," Drac finally said. Yeah, didn't get an answer.

---Later, one turn before the REAL hideout---

"...and that's what happened," I finished. After confirming that it was a complete waste of time to carry around the grey dog, I had dumped him off to the side and left him. Our new friend had jumped onto Marcy's back, trying to keep his balance on the potion maker. Everyone else, except for the still-KOed lizard, was walking or hovering behind Drac.

We were about to turn the corner before he stopped us. "Before I let any of you in, you each have to make a promise: this location does NOT exist. What happens in here, STAYS in here, no matter how awesome or humiliating the memory. If you break this promise, you will wish you hadn't. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir," we all answered. Including Morva, who was still somehow still out of it. Impressive, all things considered.

"Very well," the vampiric lord said. He motioned for us to turn the corner. As we did...

...I was still disappointed. Just a lot less so than before.

In front of us was a huge mansion. Three stories high, had a front yard garden and gate, and it seemed like the whole place was cleared out just for this one house. All around, there were creatures tending to everything: earth ponies in the garden, pegasi flying around and washing off stray spots on the house, and through the windows, I caught a unicorn (in a maid's outfit! SCORE!) dusting off the sill. I could only imagine what exactly was inside.

(In case you were wondering, I WAS expecting it would be a castle. This was Dracula, after all)

"Fillies, gentlecolts, and undead of all ages," Drac chuckled, "welcome to my humble abode." He then said something in a language I didn't quite understand. We walked past the gate, through the gardens, and into the mansion. And let me tell you, there was nothing 'humble' about this place.

Author's Note

Short chapter today, people. But I think you'll like it a lot. Enjoy, peeps.

34: No Exceptions

Chapter 34: No Exceptions

I yawned as I woke up, shaking my head and leaning out of bed. Even though everything was telling me to go back to the covers, I ignored them. There were things to do, places to explore. I found a blue robe and yellow hat combo on a dresser. Seems like Melody decided to give me the usual clothes. I wasn't about to complain, though. I threw on the robe, adjusted the hat, and walked out the door.

Right into Jack. Unlike what you'd think in a comedy where both of us would collapse onto the ground, we simply lost and regained our balance, trying to find what hit us.

"Careful, Daniel!" Jack yelled.

"Sorry! Still waking up!" I quickly replied.

Jack shook his head. "Ugh...same here. Been a while since I've woken up so soon, actually."

*cough*Bullshit!*cough*

"It's an acquired skill, I guess," I shrugged, now following Jack. "Anyway, where are you headed?"

"Kitchen," Jack yawned. "Seems to be a good meeting place."

"...I actually can't disagree with that," I remarked. There was silence as we continued. "...so...a spy and blacksmith, huh?"

Jack shot me a look. "The best. Diamond Dog claws for fast digging, ears for better listening, a nose for finding even the faintest scent, and sharp teeth to help the claws rend my enemies apart."

"And the blacksmith part?" I asked.

"A hobby," he answered. "I'm not the best by any means, but I can still make goods. What about you? Were you always a gladiator?" We took a left to the stairs, climbing down and carrying on with our conversation.

"Never was, actually," I chuckled. "I only fought when it was a last resort. But I was more known for if I ever DID fight, you crossed a line. Plus, I only needed one good hit to knock someone's lights out." We entered the kitchen to find it empty except for a few unicorn chefs. Unlike the maids, these were mostly male, a dark gray-nearly black coat, blood red mane, and a chef's hat.

"One hit as in one hit, one kill?" Jack asked. He tapped one of the chefs on the shoulder, asking for some food. The chef nodded and talked to the others, looking for ingredients.

I shook my head. "Most of the places I was in didn't allow weapons. And even if they did, I never carried any on me before coming here." I gave a small request for food, waiting for them to nod before leaving with the Diamond Dog. And yes, I realize that the dead need no food, drink, or sleep, and I now fall into that category. Force of habit, sue me. As for everyone else, I don’t have an excuse, so sue me again.

We moved to the dining room. As I tapped my finger on the table, wondering what to ask next, Shiira and Morva joined us. Morva was using the vampire pegasus for support, but he managed to stay on his feet. He took a seat next to me while Shiira sat next to Jack. "So, what are you two talking about?" Morva asked.

"Our previous life," Jack said. "That kind of thing."

"Sounds interesting," Shiira smiled. "Mind sharing?"

We spent a bit catching them up, answering their questions as we relayed each of our own pasts. "So what about you two?" I wondered. "What did you do before joining up?"

Morva looked down. Apparently, his past wasn't so nice. Either that, or he didn't have a past TO remember. Shiira thought for a moment before she gave an answer.

"Former caravan guard. Believe it or not, some crazy ponies come to the Black Marsh for ingredients for many high-priced items. They hire a caravan brave/crazy enough to venture here, caravan hires a number of ponies brave/crazy enough to protect them from the wilds."

"You were one of them crazy enough?" Jack smirked. He was met with a glare instead of a slap. I was a bit disappointed with that.

"I was BRAVE, not crazy," she huffed. "With bat wings, you can instill fear in a lot of would-be bandits. And, in case you forgot my fight with Daniel," she added with a grin, "I'm a competent fighter, too. We were far beyond the recommended stopping point for finding plants and herbs. They had gathered the items and were preparing to leave when we were attacked."

"By what?" I interrupted. As she tried to remember, Jack and I saw the chefs with our orders. I actually forget what it was, but damn, was it good.

After a moment's thought, she shook her head. "I can't quite remember," she admitted. "All I know is that they tore us apart. There were six guards and three gatherers when we went in, and only two gatherers managed to get away. Two of the guards had flown away in fright, while the other three sacrificed themselves to keep the attackers at bay. One gatherer foolishly tried to assist in fighting them off. He was injured, and I tried to protect him."

She flipped her mane, revealing two bite marks on her neck. "He had turned. Worse, he made me one of them," she said through gritted teeth. "After I recovered from the attack, I came across a stone boulder by a cave. It went down to Necro City. From there, the rest is history."

"How long ago was this?" Morva asked. He was answered with a simple headshake. I guess time can take a toll on you.

As we finished breakfast, I stretched again. "Well, I guess I'm gonna try to find Drac and see what he had in the ways of training me," I said. "I'll catch up with you guys later." I headed through the doors and looked for our host.

The moment I did, though, I was tackled by a familiar black 'n blue dog. He barked happily as he licked me, a far cry from yesterday. When I finally got him off of me, Marcy and Melody walked in, giggling.

"I was wondering where he went," Melody said.

"Like I said, he wanted to see his savior again," Marcy replied, petting the dog.

"He's pretty strong," I groaned, shaking my head. "Speaking of him, he needs a name." I'll admit, funny as it is, I refuse to call my new dog just Dog.

"Hmm...how about Treble?" Melody suggested.

"I was thinking Rush," Marcy said.

The dog shook his head. He ran past the two, heading outside to the dirt. As we followed him, he started pawing at the ground. At first, I thought he was digging for something, but then I saw his movement. It seemed like he was writing in the dirt, giving his own input. Hmm...the letters weren't as I had ever seen them, yet...I knew what he wanted to name himself.

"Let's call him Pedro Martinez the third, esquire!" I announced.

Both of the girls looked at me like I had sprouted a second head. "What?!?" they asked simultaneously.

"Just messing with you," I admitted. I took a look at the letters again. It translated (roughly) to...Aldous? How do I even know that? "I think he wants his name to be Aldous. Wonder what significance it holds?"

"Hellhound names tend to have an anagram of 'Soul’ within their name," Drac's voice stated. "Plus, they don't like to be called by any other name." We turned to see Drac with a glass of wine levitating beside him. He took a sip and sighed. "Anyway, Daniel, I have need of you."

"I was looking for you, actually," I answered. The dog...er, Aldous, ran back in, barking at Marcy. While Melody was petting him, I waved and followed Drac. "I wanna learn a different weapon."

"Really?" he asked. "What's wrong with a little sword-play? I thought heroes preferred a sword over everything else."

"And I'm no different," I answered. "I just wanna make sure I'm covered on all fronts. So I wanna learn how to use a lance."

We walked into the armory, where many weapons hung. Swords, lances, axes, halberds, muskets and gunpowder, shields, chainmail, you name it. It was like I had walked into the Feudal Era. I went over to the lances and looked at all of the different styles. I took down a seemingly simple one: wooden pole with an iron tip on one side.

"Nice choice," Drac smiled. "Good for either killing or incapacitating. Impale them with the iron side, or just smack them on the head with the wooden side to knock them out."

"I would think so," I nodded. "So...who exactly can train me?"

There was a bright flash. When it died down, the two of us were outside, with a third being, a gryphon, holding an axe in one hand. It growled as it stood on its hind legs, gripping the axe in both of its talons.

"...wanna change to your sword and shield?" Drac asked.

"...nah,” I answered. “I’m pretty sure I can deal with him in spite of the disadvantage.”

Remember these next words: they will be my downfall.

“Also, am I the only one who can hear drums playing?”

Author's Note

I don't know what to say. ...Sorry for the wait?

34.5: Teeth-Clenched Teamwork

Chapter 34.5: Teeth-Clenched Teamwork

Back at the entrance of Necro City, a boulder stood, there to keep the unwanted intruders out. No one could tell, but it was sad. Thirty years ago, it didn't stop a psycho-necromancer from storming in and taking over. Then, two years ago, it failed to keep the now-current king from claiming it for himself. Granted, he was vampiric, so he could get a pass, but...

And now, it realized that a year ago, it failed its job yet again. The living had infiltrated the city and nearly...no, they DID destroy it. All of the inhabitants had escaped through the only other known exit, and that lead to Tartarus. It was now a ghost town, and it knew that did NOT mean it was a town with ghosts as its main residence. That boulder had decided that for the few that left through the main entrance, they could never go back. And no matter what, nothing would be passing it. From now until the end of time, this boulder would move for no one.

But even then, it failed. At the entrance, an angry pegasus, coated in black soot and an eye caked with blood pushed and shoved. Even though the boulder tried to keep him in, he proved he was far stronger than it. With one final kick, he moved it far enough to escape his would-be tomb.

As he left, a string of what could only be called angrish escaped his lips. Probably the only sentence that he could make out (nearly) perfectly was, "Years of (angrish) planning and (angrish) months in execution only for (angrish) bonehead to throw it all off, and (angrish) doesn't even know, I bet..." He stormed through the marsh, still muttering angrily when he saw a patch of blue flowers. He instinctively stepped away from them, only to notice a body within.

Before he could examine it, the body groaned, shakily getting onto its hooves. Jet black coat, sickly green mane and tail, cutie mark in the form a jade skull in the center of a hexagon. A stallion, if his jaw shape meant anything, the pegasus thought. He shook his head, which showed a horn that marked him as a unicorn, before dragging himself out of the flowers. The pegasus took a few steps back. He didn't know what the pollen from those things would do to him, and he didn't care to find out anytime soon.

As the unicorn's sight finally fixed itself, he noticed the armored pegasus. Now introductions are usually in order when two individuals meet and don't know each other. This one was no different. The unicorn spoke first.

"Wow, you look like hammered s-" The unicorn's eyes grew wide. This was not the dangerous, fear-inducing voice he was used to. Instead, he had a very high, squeaky voice. "W-what the?!? I-is that my voice!?" he yelled, coughing after he finished. "Is that MY voice!?"

The pegasus laughed. "Hahahahaha! A-and here, I thought you'd be intimidating!" he taunted.

"Cease your laughter!" the unicorn commanded, making the pegasus laugh even harder. "Silence, lest you wish to feel the wrath of Mordroc!"

The pegasus did as he was told, but it was less because he WAS told to and more because of the name. "You? The 'legendary' Mordroc? The same one that 'founded' Necro City before you were driven out by your own summons?"

Mordroc glared at the pegasus. He hated to be reminded of his greatest failure. "The same, as much as I hate to admit such an...embarrassing event. But I plan on destroying it now and wiping it off of my record. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

"I'm afraid you're a bit late for that. I already dealt with the city," the pegasus stated. Best not to tell him the denizens escaped, he thought to himself.

Mordroc turned back to the pegasus, horn flaring with magic. "You WHAT?!? How dare you deny me my redemption!? I shall make you pay!" Two bony hands erupted from the ground, dragging themselves out. After they escaped from their earthly prison, they took off the sword and shield off of their back, slashing the air as if they were ready to go.

The pegasus glared, wincing as he forgot his injured eye still hadn't properly healed. Two Stalfos. The same creature that left him in this state. It was time for revenge. "So...you're the one responsible for HIM..." he growled. Taking the lance off of his own back, he whirled it around, daring the monsters to attack. "You will regret the day you stood against the Reverent Dawn."

Mordroc's horn stopped shining. All he had to do now was order the minions to do as he saw fit. And currently, only one order came to mind. "Kill that pegasus!" he shouted menacingly. Or as menacingly as you can with such a squeaky voice. Both of his creations roared as they attacked the pegasus.

With a single thrust of his lance, the pegasus destroyed the left skeleton, its bones bursting into blue flames. The right one jumped, attempting to slice the winged pony in two. A quick roll to the right had stopped that from happening, but it left him unarmed. The remaining Stalfos chuckled. It attacked with a quick thrust, but the pegasus jumped onto the blade. Pulling out what seemed to be a vial of water, he smiled.

"May Celestia's blessings drive you from these lands!" he bellowed, smashing the vial onto the skeleton's chest. It roared in pain, disappearing in the blue flames like his brother. The pegasus turned to Mordroc, raising his hoof as if to blast him away. However, he was now face-to-face with his lance. The unicorn snickered, the odds now in his favor.

"So, Reverent Dawn, how does it feel to be destroyed with the very lance you've weilded for so long?" he cackled.

A moment's silence. Finally, he answered. "A lot less embarrassing than being outsmarted by a dumb boneman back in the city."

An angry glare from Mordroc turned into one of confusion. "Wait...you LOST to a skeleton? I thought your kind was well-versed in undead disposal!"

"We are...but this one. He didn't act any way like the ones we fought. He had...his own magic," he muttered.

There was soft splash as the lance hit the soggy ground. "Own magic, you say?" the unicorn asked. "I know of one. And I'd bet anything he's responsible for putting me in the poison joke patch."

The pegasus picked the lance up and placed it on his back. "You have, have you? And why should I believe you?"

"Simple," the necromancer replied, "you want revenge, right? I do, too. What better way to deal with him than as a team? He's competent enough to take us down one at a time. But together, we'll send him back under!"

There was silence in the air. The pegasus tapped his hoof before removing his lance again. "I think I'll take my chances alone," he said, taking to the air and diving at the unicorn.

In a desperate attempt to save himself, Mordroc shouted, very quickly, "IALSOKNOWWHEREASTASHOFGOLDISIFYOUSPAREMEANDLETMEHELPYOUDESTROYTHATACCURSEDSTALFOS!" Luckily for him, the angry pegasus's lance stopped. It rested right on the unicorn's nose, threatening to pierce through his head. A small smile appeared on the flier's face.

"We could always use more funding...where is it?" he asked.

"I can't say," Mordroc admitted. "I've been stuck in a puddle of water for the past three decades. I just know I hid it in a temple. You allow me to help, and every single piece goes to the Dawn. Also, granted, that you don't skewer me before, during, or after the mission."

The pegasus growled. He then withdrew the lance and placed it on his back. "If you try to backstab us, the Dawn WILL blacklist you. You'll be hunted by every member and hired mercenary we can afford. You will be chased to the ends of the earth and then some. You will never. Be. Safe. Are we clear?"

The necromancer gulped and nodded. "C-crystal."

"Also, you'd better hope your temple has at least 10000 bits worth of treasure in it. For every two thousand you're off, you'll be needing a prosthetic hoof."

"Ha! There's at least 50000 bits worth in there! And, as I said, all of it is yours once the Stalfos is eliminated!" Mordroc squeaked. After a small coughing fit, he added, "You, uh, wouldn't happen to have a cure to poison joke on you, would you?"

The warrior sighed. "You're in a swamp: you can probably find everything you need if you look hard enough. Now let's start searching. If we catch him off-guard, he'll be cleansed before he even knows we're there. Speaking of being cleansed..." he jumped into a small pool of water, finally cleaning himself of the soot from before.

"Right, right," Mordroc muttered. As he listed off the things he needed, he turned to back to the pegasus. "By the way, by what name shall I call you by?"

He flew out of the pool, shaking himself off and removing the blood around his right eye. The now alabaster pegasus ran a hoof over a small scar where his eye had been slashed. "Albus. One of the captains of the Dawn."

Author's Note

Random update for the story this time. And it doesn't look good for our game-loving Stalfos. That said, I have a serious question:

I have made a chapter (non-canon to this story) that is...well, I'd put it over Chapter 21, but it's still very random and may dissuade people from reading the story. So, ask you, my loyal readers. Would you like for the chapter to be posted? Or would it be better to ignore and simply continue with the plot? (Although, after 36 chapters and still not out of the Black Marsh, you guys are probably getting tired of this)

NCS 1: Dan's Bad Robe Day

NCS (Non-Canon Storyline) Daniel's Bad Robe Day

*The following is a Non-Canon Storyline, or NCS for short, not to be confused with famous Let's Player NintendoCapriSun. This has no continuity within the story, and therefore should not be taken seriously. That said, please enjoy this joke chapter and groan at the final punchline at the tail end. Again, this has no continuity within the story and shouldn't be taken seriously.*

Ah, a day off. I certainly deserved this. Between training with swords, lances, magic (which always ended horribly for some reason), freerunning, and cooking (for any fleshies that may join one day or another), I was running myself into the ground. Today, I decided to simply traverse the caverns. I carried my shield on my left arm, where it belonged, and examined every nook and cranny. Didn't want to get lost, y'know.

But, for some reason, the further I went in, a familiar, disgusting smell started lingering in the air. If it wasn't for the fact that my nose was embedded into my face, I would've held it in disgust. I ventured further, however, hoping I could find the source and make future trips down here a bit more bearable. I found a light at the end of a tunnel. I entered and then, well...things got weird.

As I entered, the ground had turned from hard rock to liquid mud. Or, I wish it was just mud. The noxious smell was making it difficult to think straight, and I could SWEAR it was coming from the mud. A huge, red beetle was flying in front of me, backing up and unaware of the person behind it. Thankfully, with my robe and hat on, he wouldn't be able to tell I was dead. Before he got too close to bump into me, I called out a warning.

"Hey! Watch where you're flying, big guy!" I shouted.

The beetle turned around, a startled yelp escaping his lips. When he saw me, though, he sighed. "Oh, thank god, a live one!" he said happily.

Yeah, let's NOT tell him how wrong he is, Bard chuckled.

"What's going on?" I asked. "Why are you happy to see me?" I put a hand over where my nose should be before adding, "And what's with the awful STENCH!?"

"Look alive, kid, this is Sloprano!" the beetle answered. "And the reason it stinks to high heaven is because Sloprano is nothing but shit! It covers the wall, the ceiling. Hell, you're standing in it right now!"

Ugh! REALLY!? I kicked my feet in vain, knowing Melody was going to murder me for ruining the robes. I don't know HOW she was going to murder me, but she WOULD find a way. "Yuck...I guess I shouldn't have asked..." I mumbled.

"Oi, you shouldn't stay around long. See, there's some weird monster around here! I don't know what it is, but it's already claimed friends of mine!" the beetle continued. He then rattled on about how two of his friends were fine one moment, he turned his back and the next thing he knew they were gone. "There's also supposed to be a huge sack of money here, but no way I'm sticking around! F#&$ that!" With that, he shot out of Sloprano.

Weird... I thought.

What's weird is when he said the word 'fuck,' it was censored, Bard snarked.

I shrugged and examined the, erm...city. It didn't seem like anything was here, save for some moving yellow thing. As I approached it, I saw it was a simple kernel of sweet corn. Well, a HUGE kernel, but simple otherwise. "Huh," I thought aloud, "never thought I'd see something this big."

"Bring me sweet corn!" a voice shouted. Ouch...whoever that was, he could lower the decibels a bit. Picking up the sweet corn, I couldn't help but wonder two things: one, where was I supposed to throw this? And two, why does this seem so familiar?

"Well, there's a huge spot in the middle," I muttered. "I can toss this over there and look around for a bit." I heaved the huge kernel into the middle and started to walk away. Suddenly, there was loud screaming behind me! I turned back quickly to see the kernel, now sporting HUGE FREAKING EYES, flailing back and forth before sinking into the abyss!

I gulped. Whatever was in there, it wasn't nice. And something told me it was responsible for the disappearances of that beetle's buddies. I walked around the edge before I came to a gap. It looked too far to jump, and I didn't want to climb down. One, because I didn't want to mess with whatever was hiding in all that shit, and two, because there didn't seem to be any way back up. Then I noticed a flame between the gap. Maybe I could put my shield there and jump onto it, then to the other side?

Despite Bard's protests, I jumped over the gap, placing my shield underneath my feet. The moment I was over the flame, it shot me into the sky! I landed on the other side, head first, as my shield landed beside me. The voice in my head couldn't breathe because he was laughing so damn hard at my fail. I pulled myself out of the ground, trying to spit and get the taste out of my mouth. As I did, I noticed two more huge kernels of corn, both with HUGE FREAKING EYES and actually moving around.

They must've recognized I was bad news, because when I approached, they immediately tried to run away. A quick toss of the shield had them knocked out long enough for me to pick them up and toss them into the center. Instead of flailing about like their friend, they simply sunk into the dung. I walked around the outside a bit more. There seemed to be three more kernals running around the end of the path. And I mean literally: beyond them was no path whatsoever. After approaching, knocking out, and throwing the three kernals of corn into the middle, I had decided that enough was enough and I was getting the hell outta here. This...is where things get weirder.

There was a rumble. I looked up, hoping there wasn't a collapse about to happen, because that would be a shitty way to go. (Badum-TISH!) Thankfully, the roof stayed in tact, but the path out of here had been blocked by something. There was noise coming from the middle of the room, where I threw the kernels of sweet corn. I peered over the edge, uttering a curse. Whatever was in there, I was about to have to deal with it. What rose is something you can never forget. Especially when music started playing out of nowhere.

A huge mound of crap emerged, with two hands, one holding a kernel of corn. The kernel was freaking out, commanding its captor to let it go. Instead, as it reached its full height, the monster shoved it into its gaping maw, making it seem like it was a tooth. I realized that there were five other 'teeth' like it. The monster then gazed at me, its hands over its supposed stomach. It coughed a bit, as if clearing its throat, before letting out a "Mimimimimiiiii." Then, to my utter horror, it began to SING.

IIIII AAAAAM the Great Mighty Poo
And I'm going to throw my shit. At. YOU!
A huge supply of tish
Comes from my chocolate starfish!
How about some scat,
You little twat!?

Before I could think, one of his hands grabbed his side, pulled on it until a round piece of manure was formed, and he threw it at me! He did the same with the other hand on his other side, throwing them at me. There was NO way I was going to stand there and take a few hits, so I was dodging like mad. "Thisisn'thappeningthisisn'thappening!" I kept muttering to myself. Seriously, this was a SERIOUS case of deja vu, and I did NOT like it! And, to make it worse, I was seeing things! There was a clear spot on the ground, with a huge B on it. As I dodged the flying projectiles, I finally managed to stand on the spot.

"Um, okay...B?" I said uncertainly. Suddenly, I found myself holding a roll of toilet paper. Yeah, definitely going insane. As the crap stopped flying, GMP decided to test his vocals out by letting out a few notes. I didn't do anything at first, but the second time, I threw that roll of paper down his throat. As he inhaled it, he started coughing and sputtering, leaning to the side and spitting it out. He sank into the crap before coming back out. The song that was still playing changed a bit before he belted out the second verse.

Do you really think you'll surviiive in here?
You don't seem to know which creek you're iiiiiin!
Sweet corn is the only thing that makes it through my rear!
How do you think I keep this lovely griiiiin!?

He gave a toothy grin, a sparkle appearing on his teeth as he did so. Have some more caviar. He shot another slab of dung at me. I ran out of the way in time, but the pad I was on was now covered in the muck.

No more use from that thing. You'd better find another one, my unfaithful assistant chimed. Nodding to myself, I started backtracking, avoiding any poop that wanted to fly my way. I passed a translucent wall as I ran, finding another pad. As he started singing again, I stood on it and said, "B." Again, a roll of TP appeared in my hand. I threw it at the King of Krap, but he closed his mouth before it could reach. He then sank into the ground, appearing a few feet away. He sang a few notes, pelting me with a wave of noxious gas. I coughed as I tossed a second roll of paper at him. I smiled inwardly as I heard the telltale signs of success; his own coughing and retching.

As he sank back into the ground, he came back to the middle. The song was now picking up on the tempo, and a key change had appeared. I swore I could see a hint of anger. The third verse confirmed this.

Now I'm really geeetting raaaather mad!
You're like a niggly, tickly, shitty little tag nut!
When I've knocked you out with all my bab,
I'm going to take your head and ram it up my butt!
Your butt? I asked, a hint of doubt in my voice and pitch.
My butt!
Your butt.
That's right my butt!
Your butt.
My butt!
His butt. I muttered under my breath to the side.
MY BUUUUUUUUUUUUTT!!!

As he finished the third verse, I heard a huge crack. I turned to see the translucent wall had started to break. I wanted to go and finish the job, but something told me the Great Mighty Poo still wanted to finish his audience. The pad I was on moments ago had been covered in gunk, leaving it useless now. But from where I was (while dodging crap, mind you), I could see a pad close to the entrance! I just had to...cross the uncrossable gap. Shiiiiiit... (Badum-TISH!)

Another shield ride later, and I was across the gap. This time, I managed to land on my feet, trudging over to the pad. Seriously, with all of the muck flying around, dripping from the ceiling, and the fact I was stepping all over it, I was amazed I could still MOVE! And remain conscious! After a round of throwing it at me, he teleported closer to me. But, instead of singing, he continued the assault. When all of this is done, I demand a f*#@ shower! Bard shouted. I groaned as I heard the censor again.

After more dodging and finally managing to stand on the pad, the GMP started singing again. But instead of long, drawn out notes, it was a quick test before sinking into the ground and reappearing somewhere else, another note belted out. I managed to catch him even then. As he coughed and puked one more time, he returned to the middle and let out a long, drawn out note.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

There was a loud *CRASH* as the translucent wall finally broke from his voice. I was about to walk away when he suddenly threw ANOTHER pile of shit at me! Now he was starting to piss ME off.

"WHY WON'T YOU STOP!?" I shouted in anger. I couldn't backtrack any further as the exit was still blocked off. I had no choice but to examine the remnants of the wall and hope to find something, ANYTHING, to put an end to all of this bullshit! Another shield jump, and at the fork, I slogged over to the broken wall. Above me was a chain and a porcelain handle. Nothing else was here. I sighed as I tried to jump for it. I was too weighed down, though, from being pelted by so many of the Great Mighty Poo's attacks. Tired of it all, I had no choice but to toss off everything. The hat came off, along with the robe, revealing my skeletal, base form.

I jumped again, now able to grab the handle. Somehow, I had enough weight on me to move it. There was the sound of a toilet flushing, and the monstrosity before me started turning.

Aaah! You cursed creature, look what you've done!!! Oh, I'm flushing, I'm flushing! Oh, what a world! What a world! Who would've thought a sorry little punk like YOU would destroy my beautiful clagginess!? Oh, I'm going!!! Aaah! Noooo!

Soon, he could only cry in agony as he sank deeper and deeper into the gunk. I felt like there was something to say. I was chastised by my other self, however, to not say what was on my mind. The music erupted a finale before finally becoming peaceful and quiet. Pretty soon, all of the crap that covered the ceiling, ground, and walls disappeared, revealing the same grey rock from before. The exit had also been cleared. I grabbed my clothes, uncaring of what else could be here in favor of returning to the mansion and getting scrubbed. Even if I showered a thousand times, I felt I would never be clean again.

An hour later, I had arrived at the mansion. One of the unicorn maids came to greet me before she blanched at the smell I was emitting and tried to find something to plug her nose. She took my clothes and, encasing it in a barrier that the stench couldn’t escape from, took it to get them cleaned. She had another maid direct me to the bathroom where I started cleaning myself off.

Afterwards, feeling refreshed and...not quite clean, I ran into the others, who asked just WHAT had happened to me. I told them, with sincerity, the craziest day of my life. But in spite of everything, they did not believe my shitty tale.

Author's Note

For those of you wondering, yes. This is a terrible thing for me to do. Yes, this was made in a short time. No, I do NOT regret making it. No, it does NOT have anything to do with Dark Body, Light Soul and was just made for shiggles.

If the majority doesn't like this joke, I can simply take it down and we can forget about it. But here's comedy, real chapter will be up in a moment.

35. Jawbreaker

Chapter 35: Jawbreaker

Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. The steady sound of a bass drum kept sounding out. The three of us didn't move; me because I was trying to listen to where the sound was coming from, Drac who was trying to find that sound and failing, and the gryphon I don't rightly know. Well, I didn't at the time.

Boom. Boom. BOOM. The beat stopped. And the gryphon started moving. Fast. So fast, in fact, I didn't see him lift his axe and make my head part company with my body. As I (as in, my head) hovered in the sky, I saw the gryphon stop dead in his tracks and turn around, ready for another strike. He lowered it...and stopped moving. At this time, my head landed perfectly where it belonged. I adjusted it to make sure it didn't happen again. I turned toward my opponent and heard the sound of drums again.

"There it is again," I muttered. I still couldn't pinpoint where the sound was coming from. Doesn't matter right now. Hit him while he's a sitting...gryphon, Bard commanded. Again, hard to argue when that's what you wanted to do. I gripped the lance and thrusted into his heart.

And then the drums stopped beating. The gryphon grabbed my lance, making me run right into the wooden end. He lifted it (and by extension, me) up into the air, and then slammed it on the ground, scattering me across the field. Geez, I am just having a terrible run of luck lately, aren't I? I asked myself.

My opponent had dropped the lance and picked up his axe. He then raised it, ready to cleave my poor widdle head in half. I gulped, awaiting the inevitable. And, as luck would have it, the drums started beating again. The gryphon stopped again, the axe way too close to my head for comfort. Quickly, I reattached everything (it was starting to become an art) and picked up the lance again.

Once again, when the drums stopped, he moved again. He finished his swing, only to realize his target had moved. The axe slammed into the ground with a loud *CLANG!* and remained embedded. He tried to pull it out as I capitalized. I held the lance with the tip pointing up, running towards the vulnerable winged mammal. The closer I got, the lower I dropped the tip, aiming to skewer him and make...some random food, I forgot in the heat of the moment.

The beat of the drums started again, a few steps away from him. As the lance connected with him, it bent. As in, I had just used him for pole vaulting. NOT what I wanted as I flew into the air. Before I could recover, the drums stopped. He grabbed the lance, twirled it a bit, and thrust the pointy end in the air, right into my skull and making me a scarecrow. He placed the lance in the ground as if he WAS placing a scarecrow, and flew off. The drums played again, and he dropped to the ground like a sack of bricks.

It was here that I learned that wherever the hell those drums were, they controlled him. When they beat, he stops moving. When they were silent, he was moving. But I bet you knew that before now, didn't you?

Drac didn't hide his smile. "Still wanna learn the lance, Daniel?" he asked.

"And you weren't helping because...?" I responded.

"You can't have me helping you out ALL the time. So I decided to see how well you did without me. Turns out..." he chuckled evilly here, "you're gonna have a lot of fun without me to help you."

And by that, he means you and the ground are gonna be BFFs, an unwanted opinion chimed in.

"If this is your definition of 'fun,' I would like to help you redefine that word," I sighed. I then tried to remove myself from the lance. I had...a bit of difficulty.

Turning to Drac, I asked, "Hey, uh...mind getting this lance out of me?"

He rolled his eyes, but helped me out anyway. He ripped my skull right out of the lance with his magic. Thank goodness I couldn't feel the pain, because I think I would've cried.

"Geez, that would've hurt if I was alive," I muttered. Or...I would've, if it didn't sound like a lot of mumbling. Confused, I put a hand where my jaw should've been. Guess what? Yep: wasn't there. As I quickly looked around for it, I heard Drac laugh. Hysterically. I turned to him, wishing I could give him a death glare, only to find my jaw in his possession.

"Hahahaha! Oh, I haven't laughed this hard in ages!" he exclaimed. "I've got to keep an eye on your adventures somehow!" As his laughter died down, he gave me back my jaw. Putting it back in place and making sure it stayed there, I gave a sigh.

"Didn't think it would be that difficult to weild a freaking lance. Or how badly I'd be beaten because drummer boy had an axe," I commented.

Drac shook his head, his demeanor returning to the stoic expression he had from the start. "You're a rookie lancer fighting an expert axeman. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if you lucked out on every fight you had before you came here."

Not EVERY fight, I thought bitterly. Maybe just the tournament. And the match against Highwind. And Mordroc. ...I think my mind should shut up.

I examined the lance to make sure it wasn't damaged. Apart from a small crack near the tip, it could be passed off as new as the moment I took it from the armory. "I think I'll practice on my own for a while," I stated. "I don't want a repeat of that, either here or topside."

Drac didn't respond, simply turning and going back to the mansion. Once he was out of sight, I started practicing.

Author's Note

And here's the real chapter, what you were probably wanting in the first place. Enjoy with your favorite drink, and I'll see you next chapter!

And holy crap, this is a small chapter! I didn't mean to give you such a small portion!

36: And Now For Something Exactly The Same

Chapter 36: And Now For Something Exactly The Same

Right step. Left step. Thrust. Return to start.
Right step. Left step. Thrust. Return to start.
Right step. Left step. Thrust. And break.

I wasn't tired from constantly using the lance. It was more I was letting the monotony get to me. That's the funny thing about using it; learning the basics is easy. It's when you put your own spin to it that learning becomes difficult. Maybe I should start trying that.

On the one hand, I've seen a LOT of different ways to handle it, and I could mimic or even combine what I observed to make my own unique style. On the other hand, it was still pretty early to be thinking about it. I mean, I may have been doing this for the past seven hours and a half (read: only one hour) but that did not make me a master immediately.

Just go inside and take a break, Bard said. That's enough for today.

Looking out for my well being? Who are you and what have you done with the real voice in my head?

I said it was enough for the lance. You've still got a LOT more work to do.

Oh, there he is. Instead of going inside, though, I decided to see what the garden had. ...what? I'm allowed to see the sights, even if it's just an underground garden! Y'know, for a place without sunlight, these flowers didn't seem to have any problems with growing. For some reason, a small group of red flowers put me on edge. I'd never seen them before...so why did I feel there was more to it than just the looks?

I went back into the mansion, my mind still lingering on the flowers. Yeah, they were pretty...pretty dangerous, an unknown thought echoed. This was stupid...I shouldn't be so hung up on such a stupid IDEA! I can just show Marcy and ask her! Being an alchemist, I'm sure she could tell me what it is! Plus, she can add it's harmless so I don't have to fret over it any longer!

Now I just need to find her. Somewhere in this huge...three-story...mansion...possibly with a basement. I took a moment to voice my...frustrations.

"FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-"

"-UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!" Ah, that felt better. And thus, I began looking for our resident alchemist. Amazingly, it was very easy to find her. The reason being? I bumped right into her as I opened the door to the hallway. Seriously, stop doing that, Bard scolded.

Thankfully, neither of us flinched at the contact. "Ah, Daniel!" the gryphon yelped. "What are you doing in here?"

"Well, I WAS going to find something to learn, but there are some flowers outside that are giving me..." I gave an involuntary shudder before I finished, "...the jibblies."

Marcy blinked. "The jibblies? What in Tartarus are the jibblies?"

"Um..." I put my hand on my chin. Jaw. Whatever you wanna call it. "...it's kinda like..."

"The willies?" Marcy asked.

"Y-yeah," I nodded. "I can't help but feel they're dangerous, and I thought maybe you could...identify them?"

"Why, Dan," Marcy gasped, "I had no idea that you, of all creatures, were interested in BOTANY!"

"Yes, I am very interested in botany. It is a guilty pleasure. How dare you figure it out," I replied, trying to sound as deadpan as possible. "Anyway, since you know more about ingredients than I do, could you tell me what it is?"

"Just lead the way," Marcy said with a smile. I could've sworn a glint of mischief flashed across her eye, but then again, I'm paranoid. I blame the flowers.

"So, what are these?" I motioned to the red flowers. The two of us were in the garden, Marcy looking at the item in question with a magnifying glass. I couldn't tell what was special about them, but by the smile on her face, it was something big.

"Wow! I've never seen a flower like this!" she exclaimed. "But I've heard so much about them! What was their name again?” She hummed a bit before examining the flower a bit more.

"Is it special?" I asked.

Putting away her magnifying glass, she nodded. "Well, this particular patch isn't special. But, I've heard rumors that this can, when cultivated correctly, be brewed into the ultimate potion! One that can revive the dead!" She coughed before adding, “Provided, this is what I think it is.”

"We're already dead," I pointed out. "What use would we have with a potion that can re-" I facepalmed. Of course: revive could mean restore the bodies to what they were when they were alive. Or raise the bodies of the dead and cause the destruction of a town or, in extreme cases, a country. Whoa, where'd Bard come up with THAT idea?

Okay, let's try rewording that. "Excuse me, can you rephrase that? How 'revive the dead' are we talking here? Like, restore life, looks, and memories, or raise hungry zombies with a virus that could spell trouble if not kept in check?"

Marcy...seemed quite stumped at the question. "Y'know, the rumors never said," she admitted. "I had hoped to find a book about it, but we don't quite...keep books."

"Think Drac has one? I mean, this is a mansion. There's gotta be a library, and it's gotta have a book on flowers, right?" I could only hope.

"Yeah, great idea! Let's look for it together!" she exclaimed, grabbing my arm and flying to a nearby second story window.

I looked from Marcy to the red flower bed. It's weird, knowing that that thing, depending on the truth, could be a breakthrough for immortality...or raising hell. I looked back up to see Marcy had entered the window.

"HEY, YOU FORGOT SOMETHING!!!" I shouted.

Marcy poked her head out of the window, looking at me and the limb she had torn from me a moment ago in her haste. She sheepishly chuckled before coming back to pick me up properly.

37: Flowers for Daniel

Chapter 37: Flowers For Daniel

Funny enough, the library was on that second floor, and was near the window we had flown in through. Now for the difficult part: figuring out how our vampire lord sorted his books and if the information we were looking for even existed in here. Something told me it did NOT, but hey, no harm in looking, right?

I just hope my library card hasn't expired yet.

I took the left side of the room while Marcy took the right. While she had her wings to help, I had to rely on the rolling ladder to get me to the upper levels and look around. Hmm...this wasn't helpful. His sorting method was by author, not by topic. I could already tell this was going to be a painful endeavor.

"Hey, Daniel!" Marcy called out.

"Does whatever you are about to tell me have anything to do with that flower we found!?" I shot back.

"Not really, but I found some useful information on relaxation techniques!" was the reply.

"Throw it in the pile, we'll read it later!" Our 'pile' must have had OVER 9000...chapters combined. I was guessing that was our 127th book since we started looking for info on our mysterious item, and not a single damn book referred to it AT ALL. The two hours we spent in here has been, so far, fruitless.

"Geez, ANOTHER Kama Sutra book!?" I shouted incredulously. "Just how many of these things ARE there!?"

"Volume number?" Marcy called out.

"Um...oh, god, it's volume 69!" I shouted.

"Toss that one in, then! I haven't read that!"

"Marcy, you haven't read the first 68, either!" A moment passed before curiosity got the better of me and I added, "Can you even DO that anymore!?"

"I'll find out when I read them all!" Think she's a bit TOO excited to read those books?

Enough that it's distracting her from finding what we're loo- "FOUND IT!" she called. TIMING! She has it!

I slid down the ladder, stealing a glance at the bookshelf for a last minute pick-up before finding Marcy with a book: "Strange Flora: Flowers Found in The Strangest Places." She tapped her talon on the open page, which showed our mystery flower. She flipped it back to where she could read it and said aloud;

"Something Something, or the Crimson Nirnroot, is a rare flower that is found in the Black Marsh, either in the marsh itself or in caves where sunlight can gain access. Its red hue stands out in its environment, though it is uncertain why it is to bring color to an otherwise bland landscape or to lure the uneducated to itself.

"The Crimson Nirnroot, like its normal emerald-colored self, can be used to create poisons or, when brewed correctly, extend life. However, if even one thing is out of order, the patient will suffer a fate far worse than the original outcome. While some have tried to grow the flower outside of the marsh or cave, or even build a greenhouse where the Crimson Nirnroot is known to grow, these properties cannot be replicated in a domestic environment, making it the familiar green Nirnroot.”

"That’s pretty nice. But that just means it’s nothing special, doesn’t it?” I asked.

Marcy sighed. "Yeah. It wasn’t what I thought...but at least I have this for reference now! I wonder how I can convince Dracula to let me borrow this?”

“You can always ask,” I pointed out. “So anyway, we got a good bit of information about our mysterious flower." I looked over our huge pile of books. "Now, what to do with all of these...?"

"Well, you can start by putting them back where they belong," a voice answered. My head quickly shot around to find one of the unicorn maids glaring at me. "What are you two doing in Lord Dracula's library, anyway!?" she asked, her anger seeping through her words.

I pointed at the book Marcy was holding. "We were doing reeeseeeaaarch!" I said, imitating Uncle the best I could. Marcy faceclawed while the maid's expression remained unchanged.

After a moment, the maid sighed. "Next time, ask before you do your, as you put it, reeeseeeaaarch! I am NOT paid to clean up after the two of YOU."

What happened next, I could not stop. And I deserved what had happened afterwards.

"Wait, you're getting PAID!?"

My body was thrown out of the window and into the Crimson Nirnroot bed below. At least it wasn't as dangerous as I thought.

It was several hours later after I pulled myself together, climbed back up to the library, entered it (with permission), and replaced all of the books. All except 71 of them, one of which went with me, the other 70 with Marcy. You can guess what books Marcy had, but my book was far more practical. After all, I was about to enter foreign lands...oh, wait, I already have...ANYWAY! As some people say in America, "If you're gonna enter this country, you'd better speak the language!"

If only they applied that line when THEY flew to OTHER countries. Fucking tourists...

So, lying in my bed, Aldous laying beside me (not surprising, he must've smelled where I was sleeping previously), I began reading a book on speaking and writing in Equestrian. What got me, however, is the book was written in Equestrian. So how come I could understand what every word said, in spite of never seeing it before in my life? Another question for Olman.

Wisp phased through my room, his face neutral in expression. "Daniel," he greeted.

I looked up from my book. "Wisp," I responded.

"We have trouble."

"Rating?"

"Scale you're using?"

"1-10, high is bad."

"Eight."

"Weapons?"

"Possibly."

A moment. "Familiar?"

"No."

I tossed the book to the side and got up. Grabbing my weapons, I followed Wisp. Aldous was right behind me, sensing something wrong in the world. I expected him to lead me to the foyer where I believed the trouble was. Instead, we went to the third floor. Namely, Drac's private chambers.

As we entered, the dark grey unicorn nodded. "Daniel. Wisp."

"Dracula," we said in unison.

"Daniel, remember when I said Aldous was your responsibility?"

"I do. What's this have to do with him?"

"Well, according to the vermin standing in front of my mansion," he answered, motioning to the window. I looked and saw a group of huge bipedal rats. Apart from that, it was difficult to make out what exactly they were. They also brought a foul stench with them.

"...it has everything to do with him," the vampire finished.

Author's Note

Been meaning to get this chapter out for a while now. Sorry for the wait, gang. But here it is! Chapter 37 of the story! Don't worry, next two chapters will have a healthy dosage of carnage.

Also, I HIGHLY doubt there exists 69 volumes of Kama Sutra. If anything, probably 4 or 5 exist. It was just for the sake of a stupid joke.

38: Invasion of the Bone Snatchers

Chapter 38: Invasion of the Bone Snatchers

I looked over the balcony again. It still amazed me; rat people. Here. Why were they here? Oh, right, Aldous. What did he do to piss them off so badly? And was I supposed to meet them at the gate?

"What do you want me to do about this?" I asked.

"Get rid of them," Drac stated. "How you get rid of them is up to you. Just don't destroy anything of mine. I'll let them know you're coming down."

"Will they be pissed that you sent a bone man to greet them?"

"Oh, very. But you're wearing your clothes, right?"

I tugged on my robe and lifted my hat. "Nah, these are illusions that I can touch."

"Oh, shut up and hold still." There was a flash of light, then nothing. I thought he had teleported me to those rats, but he didn't. Instead, he motioned to a mirror. I looked at it and...well, I was amazed.

No longer were my bones showing. In fact, if I didn't know better already, I would've thought I had regained my human form. Or become a Black Waltz. The clothes didn't change, but my face had become shrouded in darkness, two yellow eyes placed where they should be. When I lifted the hat, the darkness dispersed, revealing my Stalfos form again.

"There,” Drac commented with a smile. “Now they'll be none the wiser."

So...who wants to bet a hundred yen they won't fall for it?

Concealing my sword and shield as I approached the door that separated me from an angry pack of rats, I took one deep breath. Aldous had followed me, but I ordered him to stay in the lobby. He obeyed and sat smack in the middle. I looked back, seeing the hellhound snarl. Whatever he did, he must've done it because these rats pissed him off. I sighed and opened the door, quickly closing it behind me so they didn't see my backup.

I looked at the group before me. Yep, bipedal rats armed to the teeth, red-eyed and as tall as I was as a human. Four of them were equipped with lances, three of them with swords, and two of them with axes. There was a huge motherfucker who was angrily snarling. I mentally noted his size could probably match The Blob from X-Men. Then there were the two robed rats. The one furthest from the group, which I am thankful for, looked like he (I hoped it was a he) was suffering from every known disease, the most obvious being leprosy. The vials made me think that he was part alchemist, part mage, though the latter MIIIIIGHT be stretching. Also, the smell? Totally coming from him.

The one leading the group, which I believe was the only thing keeping Big Ugly from just tearing the place apart, carried a huge staff. Unlike the others, who were all decked out in armor and itching for a fight, this one simply examined me curiously. Maybe I could get out of this without a fight?

"So...you are its new owner..." the good-robed rat said. The voice was feminine.

"Punctual," I answered. "though I have no idea what you speak of."

"Ah, I forget. He said you were a newcomer and had no idea what is going on," the rat replied. I could've sworn I saw a smirk under that robe.

"I'm allowed to learn, though...right?" I asked.

She tapped the staff, as if pondering whether or not I deserved to know what was going on. "Mmm...no, you are not allowed. But I'll make it simple: surrender your friend, and I will leave with my twelve companions."

I was about to ask which friend she was talking about, but something didn't sound right about what she said. After a quick headcount, I realized her flaw. "Correct me if my counting is off," I stated, "but including you, there are only twelve of you here curre-" My sentence was cut off as an arrow struck my chest. It was lodged where my heart should be.

I looked at the arrow, a tad confused. They did, too, also confused. "Well..." I muttered, "...this is...inconvenient."

"That arrow struck you in heart," one of the sword rats stated. "You should be dead."

"I should be," I nodded, "but I ain't." Another arrow hit me, this time piercing where my lung should have been. I looked around, hoping to find the bastard that thought I deserved to be a pincushion.

The staff rat sighed. "It seems Plan A isn't going to work. Time for Plan B. SKAVEN! KILL THIS FOOL!" With a loud cry, all eleven of them charged at me, while more arrows started to enter my chest.

"Okay, the arrows are really starting to piss me off," I said to myself. I took a moment to review what little information I had: these rats wanted something. Considering Drac said it had to do with Aldous, I guessed they wanted him. They assumed I was the owner because I had come out to 'discuss' the matter. Because their initial plan was for an archer to pepper me with arrows so they could waltz in and get their prize, diplomacy was WAY out of the question. So now it was four lancers, three swordsmen, two axemen, one El Gigante, one rotting mage, one invisible archer, and one robed staff rat versus...one disguised Stalfos with a chest full of arrows.

At what point were reinforcements going to come, and if the answer was never, how in the nine hells of Dante's Inferno was I supposed to come out on top?

Pretty soon, all nine soldiers had jumped and implanted their weapons in me, then stepped aside as El Gigante threw me in the air, away from the door. As I flew threw the air, I was pelted with more goddamn arrows. I landed on the ground with a thud, the decayed one not even bothering to attack me. I contemplated just laying there, thinking they'd go inside, pick Aldous up, and then run off with their prize. The robed rat smirked as she turned to the mansion door.

"I thought the owner would be a bit more difficult to get rid of than that!" she shouted to the third floor. "We'll be taking the mutt now, if you value this worthless mansion!" I saw the decaying rat approaching me, and with it, the overpowering stench of disease. Seriously, HOW is this corpse still walking!? ...actually, that could be the answer. He's a corpse.

If he was a corpse, however, he certainly didn't have the brains of one. He sniffed my body, a confused look forming on his face. Or rather what was left of it. He took a second sniff before turning to the robed rat. "Priestess," he spoke.

"What is it, Rotter?" the robed rat, or Priestess, asked with an exasperated sigh.

"This thing...he's dead," he stated.

"Um, yeah," Priestess said. "That's kind of what we WANT him to be, isn't it?"

"No, I mean..." Rotter coughed. Oh, don't get it over the robes, you diseased-filled rat! "He was dead from the beginning."

There was silence. I heard a cough, thankfully not from Rotter. Then laughter.

"Rotter, I think your nose is fooling you!" a soldier laughed. "You say that as if he was a zombie!"

Showtime. I pulled out one of the arrows that riddled my body and stabbed it through the Rotter's leg. He howled in pain as I used my left arm to trip him, making him land on his back. With my right hand, I grabbed a second arrow, twirled it, and stabbed it through his mouth, shoving it upward and piercing the brain.

Silence reigned as I got up and started pulling arrows out, not caring about the crowd and their jaws on the ground. After they were all out, I removed the weapons that were jammed in me and tossed them over to the rats. Looking at my robes and sighing at all of the holes, I knew they were useless to wear. Seriously, I don't know why I even TRY to keep them decent anymore. So, dramatically as I could (which is to say, not at all), I tossed my hat and robe off, revealing my true form.

"I'm not a zombie," I said, readying my sword and shield, "I'm a Stalfos. Stal-Fos. I don't eat people OR their brains." Rotating my head 360 degrees, I let out a small chuckle as I added, “In that respect? I’m FAR worse than one.”

Author's Note

Next chapter, UP! Anyway, this chapter needs a thank you for BOTH prereaders. That's right: I had TWO people read this for quality control! Glassed, as you know, is my main prereader, but since I added Skaven, I had to pull in the expert.

So yes: Thank you, Fordregha, for your help in prereading. GO! Shower him in praises!!!

39: In Which This Story Receives A Bad Ending

Chapter 39: In Which This Story Receives A Bad Ending

In all honesty, I hated the odds right now. I managed to reduce thirteen rats that wanted me dead into twelve rats that wanted me...I guess deader than dead? Either way, Priestess could barely keep her thoughts together.

"Y-you...you were...you..." she stammered.

"Yeah, me me me me me," I interrupted, rolling the non-existant eyes. "Now, I don't know who started this shit (they totally started it), but leave now and we'll pretend nothing happened."

I swear, silence reigned when these rats were around. A scowl appeared on Priestess's face. Apparently, they didn't believe in 'let us never speak of this again' when one of their own died because of what 'this' was. She was so pissed, she couldn't even gain the focus to give the vocal command. She simply pointed, and the ten attacked.

*THUNKTHUNKTHUNK*

Excuse me, the eleven attacked.

Ignoring the arrows for a bit longer (and not paying attention to the arrows I had pulled out and mysteriously disappeared), I pounded my sword on my shield, taunting the others. First, were the two easiest ones: the axe men. I guess now would be a good time to show why swords defeated axes?

As they charged, both rats held their axes up high, hoping to cleave me in half vertically. This was cleared up immediately as I did a side jump to dodge the terrible attack. I then chopped the left one's head off. I'll simply leave the graphic details to you, since imagination is greater than anything I could say.

Surprisingly, my action was exactly what the right axeman wanted, as now he didn't have the clumsy oaf to work with. Glancing to the side, I noticed that none of his friends seemed to want to help him. Does EVERYTHING underestimate me?

*THUNK*

...sadly, yes.

As we circled each other, I decided to try and throw him off with the oldest trick in the book. I feigned charging at him. He didn't buy it, instead holding his axe like a shield to block the 'charge.' Okay, so rats aren't dumbasses. I twirled my blade and did a real charge this time. This time, he sidestepped as I ran by him. Believing he would attack me with a quick swipe of his axe, I crouched. My belief was correct as I heard the blade miss my head by a small bit.

I stood back up quickly and slashed at him, getting a clean cut on his side. While not immediately lethal, I now had him on a time limit. He tried to stop the bleeding, but the cut was too big; he couldn't cover ALL of it. Apparently, the archer knew he was done for, because an arrow actually hit HIM and not me. The second axeman dropped his weapon and fell over dead. Next time, they won't use slow axes to try and hit a quick swordsman. The speed of the swordsman combined with the slow reaction time of an axeman is what gives the sword the edge.

Turning to the remaining eight *THUNK* nine warriors, the swordsmen came next. I reached for the lance, only to realize I had left it in the room with the book. I blame Timber the Tiger for making me forget it, even though he has absolutely nothing to do with this.

The three rats surrounded me, intent on sealing the fight as quickly as possible. I noted that, when two of them got the same idea and charged at me, swords out, they were headed straight for each other. Added bonus; if they didn't stop and I sidestepped, they'd both skewer each other. I sidestepped, and the two skewered each other. Sucked to be them, huh?

The third swordsman used this opportunity to attack, going for an overhead slash. Instead of using my shield to block the attack, like I should have, I parried with my sword. As we engaged each other, I noticed my opponent had a shield. Ah, a mirror match. But which one is the better? Bard muttered. I decided NOT to answer that question right now.

Soon, as our swords clashed once again, the rat threw me for a loop. I felt something grab me by the neck and toss me over to the group of lancers. They immediately took advantage of the fact that I was down and started kicking me. I may have lost a few bones, but I did manage to make them stop; namely, by kicking one, slicing a second's foot off, biting a third's leg (terrible taste, would not recommend as food), and finally punching the fourth one where it hurt.

I got back to my feet as El Gigante deemed it time to get himself involved. He grabbed my spine and started slamming into the ground multiple times. I felt, and heard, a lot of my bones breaking. When he was finished, he tossed me to the side. Thankfully, the bones he broke were...unimportant to the fight for right now. I shakily got up and assessed the remaining situation.

One swordsman with some otherworldy powers, three lancemen still recovering from the unexpected counter with one dead and legless, El Gigante who was roaring like Hulk, and the Priestess watching all of this with a smirk.

*THUNK*

Oh, and the asshole archer who refused to reveal himself.

Okay, screw this, I thought. I am NOT losing to a bunch of pack rats. I held my sword out in front of me and started charging. I filled it with a good bit of magic, but only enough. I know this because the last bit actually hurt to finish the job.

One shot to do this...but how to go about this? Pretty soon, they're gonna get bored and just finish this. Then...well, the mansion's going down.

...speaking of which, why hasn't Drac or the others decided to help me with my plight? I decided to act fatigued, driving the sword into the ground and breathing heavily.

Priestess laughed at this. "Aww, is the widdle skeleton getting tired of fighting? Sorry to destroy your thoughts (NOT!) but that won't work twice. I think it's time to end this. SPECTER! FINISH HIM!"

I actually expected something to hit me. Anything. I looked around for this Specter, but he didn't appear. I looked a bit puzzled. Priestess did, too. Her brow furrowed as she barked her order again. "SPECTER! I SAID FINISH HIM!!!"

Then he appeared. Specter. He was cloaked like a rogue from all of those RPGs. I guess he was the one taking pot-shots at me with those arrows. Something told me my gambit was about to take a SERIOUS nosedive. By the gleam of his dagger, which I saw was a dull silver, it looked like it was about to end.

He approached me, fury dancing in his eyes. He held the blade to my throat, and I felt it burn. All it would take was one swift movement, and the unkillable...would be killed. But he never did. Instead, he tilted forward. Until his mouth, or where it should have been, was next to my ear. Then, he whispered.

"You owe me big time for this, Daniel." Hold on...I never gave him my name. He then removed the dagger from my neck and 'slit' my throat. As he walked away, I collapsed, pretending he performed the deed. I seriously needed a heal, or else this would be real. Unbeknownst to them, my sword now had that blood-red aura, confirming the enchantment.

I heard Priestess laugh. "It's too bad we couldn't keep him. He would've made a good pet. But then, I'm not into necrophilia. Now, let's go inside and claim our mutt. We can't keep them wa-" her words were cut off by the sound of El Gigante's cry of agony. He collapsed to the ground, gurgling. The reason?

'The Specter' had stabbed his eye, then slit his throat. I think Priestess was going to flip her shit. "Sp-Specter! What the HELL is wrong with you!? He was on our si-" A gasp. "No...it can't be..."

There was a laugh as 'he' spoke. "I'm afraid so. Y'see, 'Specter' is out of it right now. And he will be until I see fit that everyone else is dead."

Another female growl. "DESTROY HIM! KILL SPECTER IF YOU MUST, BUT HE MUST BE ELIMINATED!"

I quickly got to my feet and added my input. "Actually, I prefer 'EXTERMINATE. EXTERMINATE." I then ran to the remaining soldier rats and did a quick spin attack, gutting them in thier confusion. As they breathed their last, I breathed a LOT better, my bones repairing themselves back to full.

When all was said and done, it was now down to me and the turncoat 'Specter' versus the rat Priestess. Her anger was just about to hit boiling point. "You...you'd dare defy us...for one stupid mutt!?" she practically screamed.

"Well, he's kinda grown on me," I admitted. "After all, I saved his life, he saved mine, the others like him, and unlike you, I know his name."

I didn't pay any mind, but her staff began teeming with dark magic. "Oh, I know who it is, alright. Treble has been a disobedient pain in our asses since we found him!"

I blinked (Y’know what? From here on out, I’m just gonna pretend I have eyes. Makes it a lot simpler). Either she didn't understand a hellhound didn't go by other names, or she was looking for the wrong dog in the first place. If I could glare, I would. "Priestess, I only ask once more; leave now with your life. Specter will soon follow, but if you dare stay any longer, I will END you."

Priestess let out an ungodly roar, firing a huge blob of...darkness, for lack of a better term, at me and the renegade. 'Specter' managed to disappear and dodge the attack.

However, with my luck, I didn't dodge in time. Instead, I raised my shield up and hoped that it would protect me. Sadly, my shield had failed me.

I blacked out on impact.

40: The Price You Must Pay, Part 1

Chapter 40: The Price You Must Pay, Part 1

Pain.

That was all I could comprehend currently. My body was aching badly. My head was throbbing as if I was staring at a difficult math problem (which is saying something because I loved crunching numbers). My legs were locked, as if I had a charley horse from doing who knows what.

I moaned in pain as I tried to get myself in a sitting position. Ugh...the longer I stayed one, the more I believed being a champion sucks. No vacation time, the pay is shit, and you don't even get medical insurance. Plus, if you died, would they replace you, or simply pull you out of the abyss, shout a few expletives, and toss you back INTO the abyss? I really didn't want to find out.

Then again, lying on the ground not wanting to face reality isn't really a champion-worthy idea. So, despite my mind's protesting, I tried to get on my feet. After a while of trying to find my balance, I managed to focus and see exactly where I was. Which was...nowhere. Mustering even more strength, I walked around, trying to find something. Anything.

After a while, I finally found something. A large, blue door. This had to lead somewhere. I placed a hand on the doorknob and twisted it. There was a rattle, indicating it was locked. I tried again. No change. Maybe I should knock? I made a fist and tapped the door a few times.

And then I waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And I waited some more.

Soon, I got tired. "Guess no one's home," I muttered. I was about to walk off when I heard a small *click!* Turning around, I noticed the door was now open a bit. I approached it again and tapped lightly. It opened slightly more.

"Come in," a feminine voice called.

I gulped as I opened the door. The room was quite weird: it looked as though the whole room was bathed in a black light, making everything a shade of blue or dark blue. There were windows that revealed a purple fog, passing by quickly as if we were moving in a car. From the muffled sound of tires spinning, I guessed we WERE in a car. A table sat a few feet away, with a young lady sitting down, a huge book resting in her lap.

When I entered the room, the door slammed shut behind me. I turned at the sound, only to find the door disappeared. I could feel sweat starting to form now. Was this where judgment was to be passed?

"Don't feel alarmed," the lady spoke. "You are here to meet with the master, aren't you, Daniel?"

I couldn't find any words to say. Who was the master? How did this woman know my name? Where was I?

The young woman spoke again, as if she knew my answers. "I apologize that my master did not meet you here during your first encounter. It was his first time in the real world, and he was searching for something." Her head raised as her yellow eyes met mine. "But you seem confused, Daniel. Please, take a seat. The master will be here shortly."

I gulped as I took the seat across from her. As I made my way there, I noticed there were multiple bottles of alcohol, along with wine glasses to drink them from. I sat down, looking over myself. My form had changed: I was human again.

I looked up after a moment and met the woman's gaze again. "Excuse me for being rude, but how do you know my, uh...alias?" I asked.

A smile appeared on her face. "I watch the master from here." Just as suddenly as it appeared, it disappeared behind a neutral expression. "I apologize, I never introduced myself. I am Margaret."

I held out my hand. "Daniel. Pleasure to meet you." Margaret gazed at my hand curiously, unsure of what to do. I retracted my hand after a moment, noting that there was now an awkward silence.

Margaret's voice sounded again. "I am quite curious: how did you manage to meet up with the master while he was out on business?"

I closed my eyes, going back to that day. "It was by chance. He...caught me after I was finishing a game. He actually bought me dinner and we started talking. I never got his name, though, so I just call him Olman."

"I'm sure he had his reasons for not revealing his real name," Margaret nodded. She opened her book, scenes from the meeting between me and Olman playing in a photo. "I hear you signed a contract with him, though. A new world, a new body, an adventure of unknowns."

I looked up again. "I...don't remember pen and paper in our meeting," I pointed out.

The woman's expression returned to neutral. "A contract isn't always pen and paper. Some contracts are by word of mouth, or through actions of acknowledgement. You chose to use the item the master gave you, thereby signing the contract he made."

"Right. The...yeah, I remember using it," I admitted. It's hard to forget the item that started all of this. The room was silent as a tune started playing. "So, uh...where am I? Dead?"

"You now reside in what we call the Velvet Room." Velvet Room? Like in the Persona games? "It is a room that exists between mind and matter, separates dream from reality. Only those who have formed a contract are allowed to visit."

Her smile returned. "I'll admit, I was a bit saddened when you didn't immediately enter the Velvet Room. But now that you're here, we may begin your journey proper."

Now it was my turn to change expressions: one into a frown. "I'm afraid that's going to be complicated," I sighed. "I...don't think I survived the attack."

"You'd be surprised at how tenacious the human soul can be," a third, familiar voice called out. I turned to the source, just to the left, to see Olman sitting in the seat. He still wore the tweed jacket, the top hat, and had the cane, but his posture...

"Ah, master! You've returned," Margaret said. She turned to me. "I'm afraid it's time for the business portion of why you're here."

"Business portion?" I asked. "You mean my death, right?"

Olman answered my question. "I'll be honest: your body is badly destroyed. When you took the hit, every bone that could possibly be broken WAS broken. Your friends managed to pick up the pieces and put you together, so that you could possibly be fixed. But the healing process hasn't started. Not since you were put back together. It clings to the material world on a strand. One...that you hold.

"When you took the hit and blacked out, I saw your mind. You began to doubt your power, began to doubt you were 'The One.' Maybe you aren't. Maybe I chose wrong. But I chose you, and you accepted. I gave you a choice, Daniel, and you chose the path previous would-be champions refused to take. But now, you must make a difficult decision, as you did before."

Margaret took over from there. "We've learned through reading some books that your body can be restored. But it's something we have never done. According to the texts, it requires a lot of power to do. Power, sadly, that we don't have." She opened the huge tome in her lap, showing the battle with the Skaven. "But you do. If your body, your human body, has as much power as your will and tenacity, there is just enough energy to allow us to restore your given form. The process will be long, but we can give it back."

"There's a catch, though," I guessed.

"Always," Olman confirmed. "In order for this to work, I must use life energy from one body to restore another. Because of how close to destruction your Stalfos body is, your human body will be on that same verge of death. I doubt it will survive the process. Thus, my choice. I can fix your Stalfos body, at the cost of destroying your human body, forever closing your portal home. Or, I can send you home. Should I do this, your Stalfos form's thread will be severed, and it will be taken by the blue flames."

I gulped. There was no way such a decision would be easy. If anything, it was probably up to me to make that choice. I asked the question anyway. "What...what is your decision?"

He sighed, removing his hat and scratching his head. "That's the problem; I can't make that decision. They are YOUR bodies, and therefore, the choice falls onto you. You have the choices. You have the cost. All that's left...is what your decision is."

So...the choice was mine...I looked over to the alcohol. Even though I don't think I can get drunk here, I'm probably gonna need one very soon. "There isn't...a third option?" I asked helplessly.

"I'm afraid not," Margaret answered. "That is the price you must pay. For this one, there is no middle; only left or right."

41: The Price You Must Pay, Part 2

Chapter 41: The Price You Must Pay, Part 2

Olman pulled out a card from his pocket and placed it face down before me. "Your action here will be your answer. Flip this card, and we will null our previous agreement. We will then create a new contract officially." Behind me, I heard a door click.

"The other action is getting up and walking away," he continued. "You will forfeit the game, and the Stalfos body, and awaken in your world. It goes without saying, but I feel it must be said; once you've made your choice and performed the appropriate action, you cannot change your mind."

I mulled over my choices, unsure of which was better. No matter which way I went, I was leaving behind friends or family. This wasn't going to be an easy way out, especially considering both sides had at least one person I liked. I sighed as I looked at the table, examining the card. Blue border, a face on it. Half of the face was black, the other white. Yeah...looks just like the Persona tarot card, I thought.

If I kept the human body and went back to Earth, what awaited me? Almost nothing. I could claim I was living on my own if someone asked, but it rarely felt like it. But I had family that really cared, who'd bend over backwards to keep me going, to help me get what I wanted. But with how long I've been here...what did they think happened to me, if they did at all?

What if I kept my Stalfos body and stayed in the other world? Who knew how long it would be before I could get back in the action? I had enemies that were well known, and wouldn't hesitate to come after me again. Was it a lie, and I'm not even in the same world as I was promised?

I looked at the door, which had swung open. Whichever path I chose, the others would never see or hear from me again. The choice I had...was I making the right one?

I sighed and stood up. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm fit to continue fighting in your name," I said. I walked to the door and put a hand on it, ready to close it behind me.

"Think carefully on your decision," Olman reminded me. "It is yours to make, but once you leave the room, you cannot change your mind."

I closed my eyes and, without answering, kept walking. As the door shut, I heard it click.

"Very well. Not everyone can handle the call of duty. You will be returned to Earth, and this will never be mentioned again. Farewell, Daniel," the voice rang out. From there, a wave of nausea hit me and my vision became distorted...

I groaned as I awoke from my slumber. I leaned forward, noticing that my covers had fallen off again. Not paying it any mind, I decided to get ready for the day. One Japanese Culture Club shirt from college? Check. It’s even stylized with my nickname on the back: Texaphones. Blue jeans that fit just right? Check. Old white tennis shoes that were hand-me-downs from my parents? Check. After confirming I had my keys, wallet, and cell phone, I packed up my laptop and opened the door to my apartment. The only time that passed was the moment I slept to the moment I woke up the next day. Locking the door behind me, I walked into the foyer where I saw my neighbor.

"Morning. Going to work?" he asked.

"Yeah, same as always," I replied. "I'll see you in the evening."

"Okay, have fun." That was our conversation. Same as before, same as it will always be, it seemed.

It felt weird how little time had passed, almost as if it was all a dream. It was still summer, which was nice when you're up north. I was walking to the library, my usual haunt, when I heard someone call out to me.

“Al! Over here!” Looking in the direction, I saw Eduardo. He’s the town’s carpenter, and if you asked anyone, the only thing keeping this city alive since there isn’t a better one in this or any of the surrounding counties.

“Eduardo, how’s it going?” I asked.

“Fixing up the shop,” he replied. “I’m putting in some new walls, but my coworkers all called in sick! I know you’re busy, but can you lend a hand for a moment?”

Now for those that don’t know, living in a small town means not many full-time or even part-time jobs exist. Those that do are usually set aside for family members or volunteer work. How does one get around this? My path is simple; become an odd-jobber, walk around and assist other people with their work. The pay isn’t as good as a true job, but it pays the bills.

Setting my bag down, I nodded. “I’ve got plenty of time. What can I do for you?”

Today’s first odd-job was simple: Eduardo was cutting some drywall, and needed an extra pair of hands to keep it steady so he didn’t cut it crooked. Then after it’s cut, we’d get it aligned, drilled in place, and boom; job well done.

After an hour or two, some of the coworkers came in, so Ed dismissed me and thanked me for helping him. With an extra $20 in my pocket, I left the carpenter’s shop, hearing Eduardo chew out the late workers.

Just at the library’s door, I heard my name called out again. “Excuse me, Al?” Turning, I saw an unfamiliar face. I guess it was inevitable, seeing as I’m here all day and sooner or later, everyone learns your name from hearing you talk to someone else. Our mystery person was pale skinned with dark red hair and freckles on her face. A strange combination of orange sweatshirt with Hello Kitty in the center, blue jeans, and sandal slippers made me think the poor girl didn’t see the light of day very much.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” I asked.

“N-No, we haven’t,” she replied. Her response seemed far quieter than when she asked for me. “Alice Tolan. I, uh...heard you do things for others?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Depends...what’s the job?”

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a small figurine. “A friend of mine, Rachel...she left this at my house. I-I’d deliver it myself, but...her neighborhood is dangerous. You take risks, right? Can you get it to her?”

I groaned at the request. It wasn’t the fact that they needed something delivered: it was almost always “the neighborhood’s dangerous and I don’t want to get hurt, but you’re expendable.” They’d never say expendable, mind you, but the sentiment was always there. It annoyed me to no end. Why not just go to the post office and mail it back? But...to deny it would mean to turn down possible rent money...

“Okay, Miss Tolan, I’ll deliver it for you. Where’s her address?”

Alice gulped. “W-Well, it’s...from the Quik Trip, three blocks east and one block north.”

“That would be the graveyard,” I deadpanned.

She blinked a few times before blushing and smiling...were those braces on her teeth? “S-Sorry...that’s three blocks WEST and one block north. It’s a white house with...a brown roof?”

I sighed. “I’ll find it, just give me a full name for your friend.”

That slight outburst made her winced. “R-Rachel Forsythe. Her last name is Forsythe.”

Forsythe? I don’t remember someone with that last name. But with a simple nod, I headed to Quik Trip. It’s a gas station, but for our town it doubles as a grocery store, since we’re too small to have a proper one. Let’s see, if I approached from the library, west would be...to my right. I looked both ways before crossing the street, examining the figurine given to me once I was in the clear. It was weird...a dark blue horse with wings and a horn, its mane and tail both a lighter shade. On its flank seemed to be a crescent moon. If I didn’t know better...

I shook my head. Not everything revolves around ponies, Al. It’s just a coincidence, I thought to myself. After getting to the right street, I realized why Alice described the building’s look; no two houses on this block were the same. Bad news was that the house I was looking for was on the other side of the street. Once again, I looked both ways before running. Despite this, I heard the loud honking of a car. I jumped and hit it, sliding off the hood and onto my feet as it kept driving by. Could’ve sworn I saw the bird, too.

Stupid drivers...they’re inside the city limits, they can slow down just a bit. As if to answer my sentiments, I heard police sirens soon afterwards. Giving a simple smirk of (moral) victory, I went to the white house and a brown roof. Standing at the door to compose myself, I nodded and knocked. *knock knock knock, knock knock-knock knock*

A young woman opened the door, a bit rotund and uncaring of her appearance. A cigarette rested between her index and middle fingers, her long brown hair a mess, and pajamas with Coca-Cola patterns on it. “Listen, you’re cute, but maybe you should come by when I’m a bit more...”

I coughed and replied, “N-Not here for that. Are you Rachel Forsythe?”

She blinked. “Oh. One moment, I’ll get here down here.” She closed the door and shouted something. I didn’t wait long as the door reopened. I had to rub my eyes (by way of making it look like I was pinching the bridge of my nose) to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. Rachel was a slender woman. Her hair, which was in a ponytail and stopped at her shoulder blades, was a multi-colored hue of pink, cream, and purple. Her jeans seemed a size too big for her, but a belt kept them firmly in place. Her t-shirt had a blue heart that reminded me of the Blue Enigmas from Resident Evil 5, on a pink background.

Her voice even sounded a bit heavenly. “Yes, sir? You wished to see me?”

It took me a moment to realize I was staring. “Y-Yes...are you Rachel?” She nodded curiously. “I have...a figurine from Alice Tolan, if you know her. Do you recognize this?” I revealed the mini-alicorn, eliciting a gasp from Rachel.

“Oh, god, I thought I lost this!” She snatched it from my hands and suddenly hugged me. “Oh, thank you for getting this back to me! You have no idea how much it means to have this again! But please, come inside!” Without waiting, she actually yanked me inside by my shirt and shut the door.

As the door shut, the other woman’s voice bellowed, “RACHEL, ARE YOU TAKING HIM UPSTAIRS!? MAYBE YOU'LL BE QUIETER ABOUT YOUR-”

Rachel blushed and shouted, “Mooooom, don’t tell him about THAT! He’s just a friend!”

“AREN'T THEY ALL!? YOU SAY THAT ABOUT EVERY BOY THAT'S HER FOR YOU AND NOT ME! THEN YOU TWO GO UPSTAIRS AN-”

“That’s enough, Mom! Be nice to our guest!” She turned back to me and chuckled sheepishly. “S-Sorry about Mom...she’s always loopy in the mornings.” This was punctuated by pointing to her ear and making a circle motion.

“Every parent is. But they’re the reason we’re even here, so I just grin and bare it with my own,” I replied. “So, um...why DID you drag me inside?”

Rachel put the figurine on a table. “Do you know who this is?”

I blinked and said the first thing that came to mind. “Princess Luna of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic?”

“IS YOUR NEW FRIEND A DUMB BRONY!? I THINK WE STILL HAVE SOME OF THOSE CUPCAKES YOU MADE FOR YOUR LAST FRIEND!!!” Geez, does that lady have volume control when she’s out of sight?

“CAN I TALK TO HIM IN PEACE, MOM!?” Rachel shouted. She turned back to me. “Sorry again. Anyway, you are right. But maybe we should talk where we have more...privacy.” Trust me, though her mother gives you thoughts, Rachel’s own tone says it IS for privacy, nothing more.

As we headed up the stairs, there was another shout. “HEY, BOY, DON’T REMOVE ANY OF YOUR CLOTHING! SHE’LL STRIP EVERYTHING ELSE OFF THE MOMENT YOU TAKE OFF THE HEADPHONES!!!”

Putting a finger in my ear to get some hearing back into it, I asked, “Is she always this loud?”

“Sadly. But it’s only when she’s out of sight,” Rachel replied. She turned at the top of the stairs and put a hand up, signaling to stop. “Give me a moment to, um...clean it up. Stephen isn’t the cleanest boyfriend.” She went into her room, and I heard a bit of rustling.

Another shout. “HEY, BOY! WHAT’S YOUR NAME!? HAVE YOU LIVED IN TOWN FOR LONG!?”

“Uh, about a year and a half, if that’s long enough!” I shouted

“ARE YOU A SEXUAL PREDATOR!?”

“MOTHER, WILL YOU QUIT ASKING EVERY NEW BOY THAT QUESTION!? NONE OF THEM WANT TO DO THAT TO EITHER OF US!” Rachel shouted inside of her room.

“MAYBE NOT YOU, DEAR, BUT I’VE STILL GO-” I took this time to put hands over my ears and begin humming random songs to drown out the shouting. This continued for minutes until Rachel opened the door and beckoned me in. Without wasting another moment, I quickly dashed inside.

Closing and locking the door, she chuckled sheepishly once more. “Again, sorry about my mother. One day, gonna have to find a nursing home for her...”

“Not to sound rude, but is she that old? You both look...”

“Young? Yes, we do. And...technically, we are, really...but it doesn’t hurt to start looking now. I mean, in a few years, she’ll get THOSE letters, y’know the ones, right?”

I shrugged. “Hey. You know family better than me.” I took a look around the room. While every bit as feminine as I thought, there were a few things that caught my eye. Those that know me would realize when I see a console, because I become focused. And my acquaintance (because friend is a bit too much right now, honestly) happened to have a Nintendo Wii. She seemed to catch my gaze, as she went over and kneeled in front of it.

“Oh? Have I found a gamer boy at last?” she teased. “Well, if you have some time, let’s play a game.”

Wait, what? A girl was asking me to play video games with her? Am I dead? Or is this a dream? Oh, god, please be neither. I nodded. “Sure...what games do you have that we could play?”

“Well, since it’s just me, I usually don’t have many ‘hardcore’ games that most people play. Just things like Brawl, New Super Mario Bros., Mario Party, and I recently acquired Dokapon Kingdom.” She quickly added, “Never play that game alone, the computer ALWAYS wins.”

“I’ve...never played Dokapon Kingdom...so yeah, let’s play that.”

Ladies and gentlemen, I call myself one of the BEST gamers out there. While I don’t compete because I don’t want to others to prove me otherwise (and yes, there are PLENTY that can prove otherwise), I still act a bit annoyed when I lose games, whether by a huge portion, or more often, by the skin of my teeth.

Dokapon Kingdom with Rachel, however, was NOT one of those times where I was annoyed to lose. In fact, I had more fun than I’ve ever had playing four-player-free-for-all Super Smash Bros. She informed me that the game can be played on Playstation 2, if you can find it, so it wasn’t a total lost cause to have to leave and find some more things to do. Namely, let Alice know I delivered the item safely.

Before I left, though, Rachel stopped me. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Um, sure. What can I do for you?” I asked.

“Two things. One, can you drop by again? I had fun playing games. Two would be...take this.” She held out her hands, obviously holding something in them. I put out my hand under it. When she opened her own, she placed the Luna figurine from before in my hand.

“It’s a gift. From a pegasister.” She looked away before adding, “I mean, if you want it. If not, I can...”

“No, it’s okay. Thank you very much, Rachel,” I said. I pocketed the figurine in my jacket pocket. “But why give me Luna? I thought you missed her?”

“I did. But...wanting is sometimes better than having. And if you keep her with you, she’ll watch over you in your dreams. At least...that’s what I believe.” She whispered, “Also, Stephen is a nice guy, but the poor boy can’t press A to save his life in a game.”

I was about to ask about that when Lady Loudmouth bellowed, “RACHEL! ALL OF YOUR FRIEND IS HERE!!!”

The look on Rachel’s face was very annoyed. “So glad you POINTED THAT OUT, MOM!!!” To me, she added, “She makes that joke every time Alice is here. She doesn’t think the ‘boy’ friends are true friends.”

“So glad I can be approved of,” I commented. We both left the room and descended to ground floor, with Alice waiting in the living room.

“Y’know, if you were going to drop by later, why didn’t you wait and bring the figurine then?” I asked. Alice jumped at the comment and attempted to hide.

“I-I didn’t know...you’d still be here...” she squeaked.

“I didn’t plan on it, really. I’d better get going.” I picked up my belongings and walked to the door.

“W-What about payment?” Alice asked. “I d-didn’t...”

“It’s okay, Alice,” Rachel replied. “I paid him.”

“I THOUGHT SO! YOU STOLE ANOTHER BOY’S INNOCENCE, YOU LI-”

“Wellwouldyoulookatthetimethingsmustbedonegoodbye!” I quickly shouted as I left as fast as I could.

I decided (or rather, my stomach decided) that now would be a good time to pick up food at Quik Trip. Well, it would’ve been a good time. I grew careless in my walk when another horn alerted that I was about to be hit. And, unlike the last one, this one signaled bad things.

It was a semi’s horn. And tire screeches. And everything went black.

Just like last time, I felt queasy. Moving anything hurt like hell. Even thinking hurt like hell. And the fact I was falling sucked like hell. The last thing I heard scared me like hell. So, with all of this in mind, I asked myself, “Why am I not burning in hell?”

“Because you are not dead,” a soft, matronly voice answered.

From my pocket, the Luna figurine jumped out and flew. She grew taller, her wings and horn growing larger, and her mane becoming dark blue with stars within. At least it seemed like it. When her transformation finished, she landed in front of me, gazing at me curiously. My gaze was less in awe and more ‘slack-jawed confusion.’

I finally blinked and closed my open mouth. “Princess...Luna? What are you doing here? And...what happened to my home?”

“It was not your home. It was an illusion, cast by your mind. That is what dreams do. They make you feel at home. Or...in the case of a nightmare, make you wish it wasn’t happening.” She lied down, prompting me to mimic the movement. “Your dream, though...we felt it, but t’was difficult to locate. Almost as if you weren’t in Equestria.”

“Wait...I AM in Equestria?” I asked. “I wasn’t lied to?”

“No,” was her simple reply. “But how far are we from Canterlot? Are we in the Dragon Badlands? The old Griffon Dominion?”

“Um...I think he said I was in the Black Marsh,” I offered. “Pretty wet place, and very untamed. And did you know necromancers lived there? Because they do. They’re jerks.”

“We would never have guessed,” she said, dropping the motherly tone. “In fact, we are amazed one such being even exists anymore. Please tell us he is no more.”

“Would you simply like me to SAY it, or say it and sincerely MEAN it?”

Luna sighed. “Never you mind, then. However...if you’re wishing to enter Equestria, the Black Marsh is far from Canterlot.” She closed her eyes as if to guess our location. When she opened them, however, her gaze was very death-giving. “Dost thou believe us to be foolish?” she asked.

“Um..what?” I asked.

“Thy soul cannot be located anywhere in the Black Marsh. Nor on Equis itself, for that matter! If thou wishes for the help of thy saviour in dreams, THOU SHALT DROP THE ACT!! WHERE. ART. THOU!?” Her voice became so loud, I was shot back a good five yards, landing on my back. Dreams hurt a lot, did you know that?

I got up, grunting. “I’m not lying! My body really is there! My soul is...” I realized the problem. “My soul...is in turmoil.”

Luna regained her motherly tone, but her posture still proved she was skeptical about my words. “Explain.”

“Well...my body is pretty much near death...and I have to choose between going home and pretending this never happened...”

“Or choosing to stay and complete the mission your god set forth?” she finished.

“Or choose to st-wait. How did you know?” I asked.

“In case he, or she, didn’t tell you, there are others like you,” she explained. Her horn glowed as a globe appeared. Was that their world? “Others, chosen by gods to protect the world of Equis. Or in some cases...” The globe turned red and exploded into nothing. “...they wish to destroy it.”

“...wow. Way to make my choice even harder. Now I choose between a normal boring life on my old world or come back to Equis on a quest to either save or destroy it,” I deadpanned.

Luna laid beside me. “We know it is a difficult choice. Your old life didn’t have curves, did it? A simple life, a simple path, a simple...you. And this new life...full of wonder, new opportunities, and everything you could hope to achieve.”

“Like it’s a dream,” I sighed. “How do I know my life there isn’t a dream? How do I know I’m not in a coma and my life there may end without warning?”

I felt a wing wrap around me. “Simple. If you were dreaming in your world, we would be unable to visit you now,” she responded. “We know you may want nothing more than to go back now. But you being in Equis...it means you’re needed here. Besides, you can always go back home.”

“If only,” I muttered. “I can’t go back if I choose to stay here. Otherwise I would’ve chosen to stay in a heartbeat. And I can’t see my future for either path...so I don’t know if I would be making the right choice or not.”

We laid there in silence. Luna had closed her eyes, though I couldn’t tell with her mane blocking my view. “...your real name is Al, yes?”

“It’s...short for my real name, but yes. Why do you ask?”

“I...rarely give such direct answers. I believe in my sister’s way of guidance, which is in riddles. But...you should help the god who guided you here. Change Equis. Show us, not just me, but my sister, my niece, everyone in the world, that you can make a difference.”

I looked to Luna. She had a determined look, and some kind of fire in her eyes. “You are one of the chosen few to have received the call,” she continued. “Do not deny it! Show that you deserve to be a champion!! A HERO!!! THE PROVERBIAL LIGHT TO PENETRATE THE DARKNESS!!!” she bellowed as a finale. I couldn’t help but smile at the Moon Goddess’s energy. She’s right; even though I was the seventh chosen by Olman, I was the first to take up the call. And if I didn’t step up, who would take my place? Earth could stand without me. Though my friends and family would mourn, they would live on. Equis needed me.

I jumped to my feet and nearly hugged Luna. Keyword; almost. I realized before I did so that she was still a princess. She seemed to note my hesitation, and voiced it. “As long as we are in the Dream World, only two beings rule here; myself and Morpheus himself. You are allowed to hug, if you so wish.” I didn’t waste a second hugging her.

“Thank you for your words. I...don’t know what lies ahead, and it honestly scares me to no end,” I admitted.

“I do not know, either,” Luna consoled, “but that’s the fun in living. Now go; your god awaits your decision.” With a nod, I saw myself disappear. With a final wave, I was gone.

Luna watched the human disappear, her motherly gaze turning stoic. “You could have introduced yourself to him, too, Morpheus,” she stated.

Another human, one with neat, long curly blond hair; pale yet healthy-looking skin; and a simple dark-blue suit with a tie, stepped beside her. “I shall, in due time. But he needed a mother figure at that moment. To join in would ruin that precious moment.”

“I...should apologize to Igor when I see him next. I shouldn’t push his piece in a direction he doesn’t wish to go,” Luna replied.

Morpheus made a motion, showing an image of Earth. Near a gas station, multiple people crowded around a large semi, blood on the front grill. The driver had come out, talking to police on the scene. Most people weren’t concerned with him, though. They were focused on the young man that had been hit by the truck. He wore a now-blood soaked black shirt, with a blue fox and JCC on the front, the back reading Texaphones. His blue jeans were torn, showing broken bone and muscle, his tennis shoes either torn or unable to be found; no one quite knew.

Luna gasped at the sight. This was just the boy she was talking to.

“There are some things that should be avoided. You pushing him to stay allows him to travel a different path. One that will not end in such a swift demise,” Morpheus explained. “Do not apologize for saving a life. Even if they are unaware it needed saving.”

Author's Note

Okay, ladies and gentlemen. This chapter was LONG overdue. I had hoped to complete it before the New Year came, but...well, it's here now, not then. But hopefully, this proves I am NOT done with this fic quite yet. And believe it or not, I toyed with this ending here and leaving you to think it's over before it even began. Can't be that heartless to my loyal readers, though, so...hope you enjoyed!

42: The Price You Must Pay, Part 3

Chatper 42: The Price You Must Pay, Part 3

I’m not sure how long I was out of it. All I know is I awoke with a start. Both Olman and Margaret were there, and both showed a bit of concern for me. Margaret was the first to speak.

“Are you well? If you do not wish to make a choice now, you have time. You may stay and ponder your choice here in the Velvet Room as long as is necessary,” she said.

I shook my head. “No...I just had to think on my choice, and I believe, with what I’ve seen...I will make the right one.” I placed my hand on the card and, hesitating for a moment, flipped it face-up.

I heard the door behind me slam shut. Olman smiled as he held out his hand. “Then I officially welcome you to the game, and express my delight in having you as my champion.”

“Same here, Olman,” I responded.

“Ah, about that...it is time I revealed my true name,” he remarked. A bright light enveloped the room, and I had to look away and squint just to make sure I didn’t go blind. When it finally dimmed enough for me to see again, I was shocked. Gone was the gentleman in the tweed suit, gone was the hat, gone was the cane. In place of all that was a man with slender arms and legs, a long nose (probably the most distinct feature), and a bald head with white hair encircling it, almost like a kappa. His clothes were still fancy, a black suit with a white undershirt, white gloves and shiny black dress shoes. Opening his eyes, they were bloodshot, and it seemed to be only black dots for irises.

“My name is Igor,” the creature responded, in the same voice as Olman. “and I am the Master of the Velvet Room.”

I could only blink in response. “Wow...uh, just...wow. Pleasure to meet you again...Igor.” I had to catch myself from calling him Olman again. Margaret opened the book in her hands.

“As our guest," she recited, "we shall allow you the use of our powers. However, unlike most of our guests, who have the power of the Wild Card, your Arcana is already defined, as shown by the card.” As she spoke, the card showed a picture: a crescent moon. Above it rested a scorpion...or a lobster, it was hard to tell, honestly. Below were letters. The Roman Numeral for eighteen: XVIII.

“Creativity. Inspiration. Dreams. Madness. Illusion. Fear. Fantasy. Trickery. When someone speaks of those born under the Arcana of the Moon, these are the words that describe them best. I wonder which of these words describes you the best,” Margaret wondered aloud. The card floated to me and rested on my chest before seeming to sink into it.

“Although you cannot personify all of these aspects,” Igor said, “you may form bonds with others that represent these aspects. One with a creative mind, one that rules the realm of dreams, one who relishes in madness, one who hides in illusions, one who instills fear, one who lives in a fantasy, and one who persuades through trickery. The bonds you form with them, shall give you the ability to use the powers of the Moon to its fullest.”

“That...sounds like a lot of work, honestly,” I admitted. An alarm rang in my head. “Wait, I think you missed one. What about ‘the one who inspires’ or something similar?”

Igor chuckled at the question. “Daniel...you cannot personify ALL of the aspects of the Moon...but you can at least personify ONE. Your time in Necro City...you aided her citizens in a time of despair, and inspired them to work together instead of hide in fear, waiting for the inevitable. You embody the Moon’s Inspiration.”

I felt something move inside of me; from my heart, to my left shoulder, and down to my wrist. A silver bracelet formed on my wrist, with a sapphire embedded in the top of it. Simply wearing it felt like I was given power to take on the world. Igor continued speaking, “Your first power is something that cannot be learned naturally by those of the Moon. But I feel you can put it to great use. When an ally needs a push, you can inspire them to push themselves further than they could go alone. You may also push yourself over your own limits. But be careful; everyone has limits for a reason, and to push yourself too far may cause more damage than you think.”

“The bracelet allows you to channel this power to others, and as you grow closer to others, it will give you more abilities that can help turn the tide of battle,” Margaret added. “It also serves as a key to come back to the Velvet Room. When you are unsure where to go, the bracelet will show you the way to us.”

I examined the bracelet as they spoke. It was amazing how much promise one little trinket could hold. “And the price to use this is simply to do as you ask?” I confirmed.

Igor waved his hand, producing a parchment and a pen. The contract. “The powers we give you, and those you gain because of it, are yours to keep, from now until the end of time. The only two things we ask are responsibility and...a personal favor, shall we say.” Igor seemed to chuckle at the addendum. I recognized the first part; as part of contracts I’ve seen, the choices I make are ones I must make myself, and like it or not, I will see my choices through.

The second part, however… “A...favor? I thought I was doing that already?”

Margaret held a finger to silence whatever other objections I may have thought of. “This favor will be told in due time. We will not leave you in the dark, but now is not the time to reveal it. Just yet…”

I looked over the contract. Bracelet contains power, all powers kept until end of time, take responsibility for any choices, and a personal favor done will ensure the residents vouch for me if questioned by other gods. That didn’t seem too bad...and I double-checked to make sure there wasn’t any fine print. With nothing else on the contract, and nothing else to lose, I signed my name. This is it. No turning back now, even if you wanted to. Let’s make that difference.

With a swipe of his hands, Igor dispelled the contract and pen, leaving the empty table. “Although your journey began before the signing, the real adventure starts here. While your body is being repaired, you may stay here in the Velvet Room, or wander your dreams and hone what has been lost,” Igor said. “When we meet again, your body will be complete, and our favor will be revealed.”

The door clicked behind me. Turning, I saw a small opening in the door. Guess it was time for me to take the first step. I got up and stopped at the door, but I didn’t bother to look at the denizens. “Igor, Margaret. Thank you both. I may not be the best choice, or your first, but I promise not to make you regret your decision to choose me.” I left the Velvet Room, making sure to close the door behind me.

Stepping into the void, my foot stepped on something solid. Looking down, I realized it was a stained glass platform, big enough to support me. Before I took another step, I felt a sudden force lift myself and the platform up. Higher, higher, into the void. Suddenly, a quick turn to the left. Then a curve to the right. Moving this quickly made my stomach churn, or it would’ve had I been in the real world. ...actually, I don’t think it mattered, because I was feeling sick from this roller coaster ride. My salvation came in the form of a stained glass circle, in the distance. That salvation turned into fear as my platform increased in speed towards it.

I flew towards the platform at such high speeds that the sudden stop sent me flying onto the circular platform, landing on the other side with a *thump!* facing the black sky. I groaned and laid there, waiting for everything to stop spinning. When it did, I rolled to my stomach and pushed myself up gently, examining the stained glass a bit more. On it seemed to be a snake with eight heads, each one looking in a different direction, no doubt menacingly. What concerned me was I could only tell there were eight heads because there were eight necks; seven of the heads were shrouded in darkness. The eighth, the one I could see, was the only one that wasn’t darkened.

Curiosity got the better of me as I went to examine it. I remembered the legend of the eight-headed snake: Yamato-No-Orochi, a demon that demanded a maiden for a sacrifice. When a warrior’s loved one was chosen to be a sacrifice, he challenged and defeated the scaly monster. But why was the image here? What purpose did it serve? Looking at the head, I realized one fang was jutted out further than the other, and a bit...less glassy. I grabbed the ‘fang’ and pulled, losing my balance and hitting my head against the floor as I pulled it out.

“Ow...that smarts…” I muttered. Looking at the fang, I realized it was a familiar hilt. If that was true...a button should be on the guard. As suspected, pressing the button made a pink energy beam emit from the hilt. “Nice! I found my Beam Sword again.” Clicking the button again to turn it off and placing it in my pocket, I turned around to look for a way out. A path of stained glass platforms rose to another circular area. I could follow it and see what I can find there. I ran up the path, not paying any mind what may lie ahead, nor that the path behind me disappeared so I couldn’t go back. At the top, the platform’s image...threw me for a loop. On it were two faces; one of them my own. It stared at the other, as if challenging it to a fight. The other, while similar, seemed to ebb with darkness, its eyes a bright yellow. What could it mean?

“Well, if isn’t Daniel. That IS what you’re calling yourself these days, right?” a familiar voice called out. I quickly turned to the voice, hilt revealed and thumb on the button. What I saw caught me off-guard, far more than the glass I stood on. Across stood an exact replica of me, except I could see dark energy seep from his body. His eyes were a bright yellow; just like the glass, I thought.

“...what’s the matter, Daniel? Aren’t you going to say ‘hi’ to your old self?”

Author's Note

What's this? Two chapters in two days? Are you trying to make up for lost time, you ask?

.........yes. Yes, I am.

43: Shadows of Doubt

Chapter 43: Shadows of Doubt

“Well, Daniel? Are you going to say something, or just let me do all of the talking?”

The shadow creature kept a smirk the whole time we had been staring each other down. This thing is me? I know I’m a fan of the games, but there’s no way this joker could be me.

“Who are you, and how did you get here?” I asked.

“I’m here because you are. With no one else around, we can have a nice chat. As for who I am, I’m Daniel Fortesque, champion of Igor, savior of Necro City, and a sloth from Earth.” The last part was spit out as if he ate something rotten.

I glared at him, but before I could get a word in edgewise, he continued. “The Station of Awakening, huh? I guess you’re gonna hone what little power Igor gave us so when you’re back on your feet, you won’t feel like a burden, right? I can’t blame you. That old sword of yours might not work anymore when you try to use it.”

I lost my train of thought. Station...of Awakening? “Quit lying to me; this looks nothing like the Station,” I called out. “And even if it is, why haven’t we been attacked yet?”

The shadow dropped his smirk. “Not everything is as the games show you. This is a dream, a fabric of your own reality. If Heartless Shadows want to appear…” Three globs of darkness appeared around him, growing from the ground. Imp-like stance, two long antennaes, sharp claws, and large yellow eyes made me realize he summoned Shadows. “...then it’s because you willed them to appear.” In a swift motion, he pulled a red curved sword out of his left sleeve and destroyed the summoned creatures.

“Or YOU willed them. I’d like to keep my dream free of Heartless, thankyouverymuch,” I retorted.

“But you see,” he chuckled, “I AM you. So if I will them, YOU will them, too. But we’re not here to discuss the ways of summoning creatures just because we want to keep continuity in a game we’re not even part of. We’re here to discuss myself.”

Egotistcal bastard, isn’t he? “Go tell it to someone who cares!” I commanded.

“That’s exactly the plan.” His smile disappeared once more. “Because I have a bone to pick with you, Daniel. Or should I say Al? Al...short for so many names; boring, bland names that no one even care for. But Daniel...strong, cool, all of the ladies would want a man named Daniel. And so many cute nicknames to go with it; Dan, Danny, Dan the Man...much better than Al.”

“What would you know about a name? It doesn’t have to do with anything,” I growled.

With a shrug, he continued. “Alrighty, then. What about the day you left Earth? How did that happen again? An old man tells you, ‘Hey, I can take you to a new world, away from the boredom of this rotting shithole.’ Without even thinking, you take him up on his offer. Then, instead of being the star that he thought you were, you screwed up and got yourself nearly killed. Then again, what should he have expected? You were simply back-up to no less than six other candidates.”

“Silence yourself!” I barked.

He ignored my shout. “So now, you’re left with a choice: do you go back home to the boring world, where you just leech off of others so you can live a life of solitude, uncaring for those outside your door; or maybe stay here, trying to patch up the mistakes you made, see the land you expected, maybe even find a local to love? Don’t tell me you didn’t have eyes for one of the girls you met.”

“Sh-Shut up!” My anger was nearing the boiling point, despite the fact I already knew what he was attempting to pull off.

“Then along came Luna, the Maiden of the Night, co-ruler of an empire. You realize you really are here, and abandon ANY notion of returning home. You can’t stand to go back to Earth, where you’re just a nobody. Why not live in Equis? If all goes well, ‘HEY! Maybe I can be a HERO!’ But tell me, what story is that ever a success, where the hero is nothing but BONES? The games and stories that try to make them heroes? They were more flawed than heroic! And you’re no different from ANY of them!”

“That’s not true!” I clicked the button and activated my sword, gripping the handle tightly. “None of it is, you liar!”

The shadow me chuckled again. “Oh, but it is. Deep down, you know it. You know why? Because we’re one and the same. A poor, deluded kid with dreams of heroics...and his Shadow, there to make him remember the cold hard truth.”

I gripped my sword tightly and charged. “Take your so-called ‘truth’ and shove it!” In my anger, I struck out at the shadow with an overhead attack, only to be blocked by the smirking devil’s own sword.

“Hmph. Not so keen on accepting my word. Very well…” His smirk faded as I saw his form grow darker. “I’ll just have to beat it into you!!!” He kicked me in the chest and gave himself room to maneuver, starting our fight proper.

I charged at him again, anger clouding my judgment as I tried the same tactic from before. Again, he blocked it with a smug grin and threw a punch to the chest. I backed off, giving him time to counter with his own attack. I put some distance between us to dodge, and charged once more, this time with a stabbing motion. He danced around it and thrust the sword into my left shoulder, eliciting a cry of pain from me. He pushed until I fell to the ground, where he pinned me.

“Well, well, well...looks like our little hero isn’t as heroic as he thinks. And to think, I thought this would’ve gone on a bit longer,” the Shadow laughed. His laugh stopped and his voice grew cold. “It hurts, doesn’t it? To be alone, helpless, and unable to fight against the darkness. Those that try to resist only hurt themselves and others, and you’re no exception, Al. Accept that. Accept that you were wrong this whole time, and end your misery. Give up on both sides, because you’re insignificant to either of their futures.”

Even as the pain became greater, I knew it...he was right. What did I hope to change? One guy, an undead, a despised creature of darkness...and I hoped to make things better? I’d be better off not waking up...just staying here...in safety…a small flash through of my life should be a good end to all of this…

Here, I saw exactly what he meant earlier. The times I had angered others, been selfish, taken but never gave, the countless mistakes I made, what I did wrong, what I refused to do. Everything I did...and shouldn’t have done.

Then, something changed. A familiar friend’s voice. Opening up to him, so he would open up to others. Giving a bottle cap worth a lot of money to someone simply because I had no use for it. Standing up for someone who was being hurt, and winding up on the receiving end of a beatdown for it. A most recent memory played; the one with Luna.

“You are one of the chosen few to have received the call. Show you are a hero. The proverbial light to penetrate the darkness.” Her voice was softer this time, unlike when she shouted it out as part of a rousing speech. But it still had the effect that it did before.

The Shadow twisted the blade in my shoulder, aiming to cut me in half. “Hope you enjoyed your life, Al, because it ends now.” With a sadistic grin, he pulled the blade across my chest.

With a newfound resolve, I grabbed the blade with my right hand, stopping him from cutting to the heart. Shadow Dan must not have expected a second wind, as his grin turned into confusion, then anger as we fought for control. “Grr...give up! The world has no use for a slacker like you!” he shouted.

“That’s...where you’re wrong…” I strained. “...if that were true...I...WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN CHOSEN!” I managed to pull the blade out of my shoulder, causing the other me to lose his balance from applying pressure. I kicked him away from me and struggled to get back up, putting my arm to my shoulder.

The doppëlganger growled at me. “Chosen!? Don’t delude yourself! At least SIX others were chosen before YOU were even considered!” he pointed out.

“And they all denied the call of duty!” I shot. “I was chosen, and I accepted! No matter my reason, I made a choice! And I will see it through, no matter who I have to go through!” I picked up my fallen sword, keeping a stoic demeanor despite the face I was amazed there wasn’t any blood. “Even if it’s through me.”

Shadow Daniel smirked. “Very well...if that’s what you believe, then I’ll have to open your eyes to the truth.” He pointed his sword at me, the darkness intensifying. “Let’s dance!”

This time, he made the first move, going for my injured shoulder with a blade thrust. I countered with a quick step to the right and a thrust to his abdomen. He quickly turned his thrust into a slash as he hit the same spot, but not before grunting as he took the hit. I gritted my teeth and attacked again, but he opted to jump back, putting a bit of distance between us.

“I AM A SHADOW!” he shouted. “THE TRUE SELF! YOU THINK YOU CAN MATCH BLADES WITH ME!? YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW THE BASICS OF SWORDPLAY!”

Well, he’s got the last part right, I thought. Doesn’t mean I’m not dangerous, though. He’ll have difficulty figuring out my attacks at the very least.

I looked at my shoulder to make sure it wasn’t too badly damaged. Surprisingly, it was just a mark; no blood, no huge pain, no ‘lag’ when I rolled it. But it WAS still a target, so I had to be careful. Looking back, Shadow Dan had opted to taunt me. “C’MON, I HAVEN’T GOT ALL DAY! LET’S GET THIS OVER WITH, SLOWBRO!”

I decided to charge once more, sword in my right hand. Shadow chuckled and took a defensive stance. As soon as I got close, he swung his sword in an attempt to cut me down, or at the very least slow my charge. I dodged his attack by rolling under it, countering with an uppercut to his jaw. He recoiled, giving me an opening to continue the assault with a thrust from my sword to his chest. He recovered enough to dodge the lethal attack, however, taking the hit in the same shoulder he had hit me in prior to my second wind.

Shadow Dan kicked me in the chest , giving him more room to work with. He then launched an all-out attack, slashing with his sword, causing me to go on the defensive. Every attack he launched, I blocked with my Beam Sword, though I knew I was at a disadvantage; he was gaining ground with every attack, and I only had so much before he drove me to the edge of the circle. Adding to this, my movements were starting to slow, and he managed a few hits. To keep myself from losing more footing and recover some strength, I locked blades with him in the middle of the arena. He made that cocky grin again as his yellow eyes bore into my own.

“Is that all you’ve got, Al?” he asked. “It seems as though you’re at your limit. Just a few more minutes, and this fight will be over, so why not save me the trouble and surrender? That’s what you’ve done before to avoid fights back on Earth, so why change now?”

“Because...this is important...far too much...to simply give in,” I breathed. This was a problem. If I couldn’t best him soon, I’d be in dire straits. And worse, he was right; I was pushing my limits as it were. But wait...I had just the solution, given to me mere moments ago! The only way to beat him was to break my limiter!

“Then I’ll grant you some last words. Got any?” he sarcastically remarked.

Well, if what they said is true, I think what I’m about to do is similar… “Yeah. Just two words,” I replied with a smile. The sapphire on my bracelet began to glow, catching my clone off guard. “HEAT RISER!” I punched him away and felt energy course through my body. I felt...well, no words can describe a power high, I think it’s different for everyone. The sudden rush of strength made me glare at my opponent, and on a whim, I dashed at him, faster than I had even imagined.

He growled as the tables were turned; now HE was on the defensive, with me pressing the attack. Every swing, every parry, every step, it felt like we would end in a stalemate. Or it would have, had he not mistimed a block. He roared as my blade hit his hand, causing him to drop the curved sword, and jump to dodge the next attack. He was about to take a step back before he looked and realized; he had nowhere to go if he wanted victory, and that was already out of his grasp. To prove it, I kicked his blade over the edge and into the darkness.

“You...you haven’t won this!” he cried. “This is only a temporary setback! We’ll meet again, and I’ll show EVERYONE what a coward you are! You don’t deserve to be a champion!”

“Oh, shut up already,” I sighed. “I already said if I was unworthy, I wouldn’t have been chosen. Quit being a sore loser. In fact...stay out of my dreams.” With lightning speed, I closed the distance and performed a snap kick to the chest, one that King Leonidas would be proud of. Shadow Dan cried out in pain as he was sent careening into the abyss.

“DAMN YOU TO HEEEEEEEELL!!!” Those were the last words before I couldn’t see any sign of him. I took a few steps away from the edge and groaned loudly, feeling the strain of breaking the limit.

“Damn it...why do my dreams feel so much more painful than they should be?” I complained.

Author's Note

Alright, I have a bit of thanks to give to Thethhron for taking Jazz's place as my prereader. You know what to do. And for first timers; you have the link. GO! SHOWER THIS PERSON IN PRAISES!!!

44: The Station Proper (and Improper)

Chapter 44: The Station Proper (and Improper)

I couldn’t tell you how long I laid in that spot, just getting my energy back. Time’s kind of meaningless when you have no way of knowing how it passes.Then again, I had this same problem when I was within the city. I rolled over to my stomach and slowly picked myself off the ground. The time I couldn’t tell was being wasted, and I needed to crunch that all in before it was time to return.

As if to answer my call to explore, the circle beneath me began to crack. That was never a good sign. As I looked around, I realized that it was coming from the shadow side of the platform. He’s not coming back THIS soon, is he!? No, it was impossible. Wasn’t it? I didn’t know then, and I don’t know even now. But the cracks became larger, spreading all the way to the edges. And then...it all stopped. The cracks just stopped spreading for unknown reasons. Maybe…

No. Bad idea. Even one step will mean this whole thing will shatter. Just wait around and maybe the stained glass platforms will return. It shouldn’t be too long, you have no reason...to…

My eyes shouldn’t have looked up. Because they saw a red curved sword, falling from the sky, right to the middle of the platform. Like it or not, this thing was gonna be destroyed soon, and I did not want to be there when it was. I can safely say that my thought process was roughly please get here platforms pleasegethereplatforms pleasegethereplatforms pleasegethereplatforms!

It didn’t happen, though. The sword had landed and the whole thing started to fall apart. From the middle out to the edges where I resided, every shard began to fall. I soon gave way and fell through the platform myself, shouting curses as I fell into the abyss. The landing was gonna hurt. Badly. I could feel it preemptively. Dreams suck in regards to falling from a high place. If you don’t believe me, then you’ve never had such a dream and I envy you.

There it is; another circular platform. So pretty much I’m either A. Gonna land on the platform in great pain, B. Go THROUGH the platform and continue falling into the abyss, or C. Slow my ascent and...land on my feet? As weird as it was then, C was exactly the option that happened. It was strange enough, but the glass now under me just made the situation even more confusing.

On it was a unicorn. White coat, black mane, a blue hat worn on her head; I think it was a she, at least. Many different pins and decorations adorned the hat, some curiously familiar. Even more curious were the twelve smaller circles around her, numbers on a clock if you will. Just like the platform from before with Orochi, there was a shadow on certain points.

Why is there so much darkness on these things? Are they going to spawn Heartless or something? My hand went to my hilt, taking a defensive stance. I glared at each spot, daring something to happen. When nothing happened, I moved to one of the small circles with darkness. Closer inspection showed it was less of a spawn point and more of just blocking something out. But what were they not wanting me to see? Maybe the other portions will be a clue…

I didn’t get to check it out. Within moments, the whole dais went dark, blocking out everything, apart from a small path to the closest edge. Not wanting to find out what was going to happen, I quickly ran on the path and jumped, landing on a well-placed platform that moved me away from the now-darkened circle. Was something, or someone, wanting to keep it a secret? Were the answers not to be known so soon? I could only guess now, and hope the platform took me somewhere safe.

I really didn’t want to stay in the Station of Awakening anymore.

It was a hint that your party isn’t going to stop growing, Bard said. It was amazing he decided to speak up now instead of earlier.

“Oh? And who was the pony in the middle of the circle, myself?” I asked sarcastically.

Could’ve been you. I mean, that hat looked like something you would wear.

“Very funny. The pony was a unicorn, and far too feminine to be me. I look at myself as an Earth Pony if any of them.”

So you lose the fun of having the horse equivalent to opposable thumbs and the power of flight for…?

“They won’t be around as long as I would be. At least, I think it would work that way. Plus, attuned to the land, what’s so bad about that?”

It would be good if you were a hi-

A voice cut off my argument with myself. Two, to be exact. One was a familiar, motherly voice. It made me wonder if I was about to meet Luna again. The other, however, was completely new; seemed smooth and bass-like. And was that a hint of...teenager? I think it straddles the line between teen and adult. Although I couldn’t make out the words, I could tell they were talking business.

Soon, I was close enough to hear a question, from the motherly voice. “Why are you here on Equis?”

There was a pause as my platform stopped, and began making a staircase. The bass voice seemed to chuckle. “You sounded curious about that. Do I interest you, Mare of the Moon?” Uh-oh. This didn’t sound good. I kept low and climbed the stairs, keeping my ears open and my mouth shut.

“We fail to see the humor in your shallow cleverness, Mr. Silas. Please refrain from using humor of such a crude disposition when conversing with Us.” Yeah, that was definitely Luna. But what was the princess doing here a second time, much less with someone whose name I didn’t even recognize? Wasn’t this my dream? Or maybe...

“Fine, be a killjoy.” Silas’s voice cut my thought short. “I’ll keep my happiness to myself; sure enough seems like I’m the only one to care for it. And to answer your question from earlier…” He seemed to pause. As I got closer, I could see the top of the circle the two stood on, but not the speakers themselves. That required a bit more climbing.

“I don’t know,” Silas continued. “Maybe I’m seeking fun; maybe I’m seeking happiness, love, hate, power, wealth.” There was another pause as I heard a hiss of a snake. What the hell was he doing? “I don’t think I’ll ever know.”

Wow, way to be vague, Si. As I approached, I finally got a look of the speakers. Luna was wearing the brown cloak, the same one I remember from the Nightmare Night episode. The other guy, however, was something I never imagined I would see. He looked vaguely human, but with far more draconic aspects; clawed hands, raptor feet (y’know, three front talons and the back razor and standing on the balls of your feet?), and inverted knees. His scales were a navy blue, with a lighter blue - I think sky blue? - underbelly. He wore a jacket that matched the underbelly scales, along with anaconda-patterned pants. I saw black around the waist, where I assumed a belt was. Man, did I imagine this dragon, or…?

Luna’s voice cut that thought. Man, I don’t think I’ll ever complete another thought as long as I’m around these two. “Then answer Us this: What do you plan to do now that you’re here? Be warned, however; We sloth not in detecting deceit.” We sloth not in detecting deceit? Really?

Silas chuckled as he turned to face Luna, giving me a look to his back; was that hair on his head? Just like everything else about him, it was sky blue, dropping down to about mid-back. I also mentally noted to kick myself for thinking how muscular the guy looked compared to me.

“Worry yourself no longer,” he said. “If you think me a threat, you’re deluding yourself. I haven’t the time to concern myself with petty subjects such as world domination and the like.” Okay, I am done standing to the side. It’s time I made myself known. Hopping onto the circular platform, I made my official entrance.

“So what ARE these plans of yours?” I asked. “You didn’t quite answer her question.” Silas’s face made a frown at seeing me, as if my presence was unwelcome. Luna didn’t bother to look my way, instead keeping her gaze solely on the dragon-man.

He turned his attention to Luna and answered properly “My reasons revolve around survival only, Luna. I was forced to come here; a situation in space demanded it to happen. There was no choice. Your people will not be harmed, I can assure you.”Situation in space? What is he, a draconaut? Because of my loss in thought, him turning his attention to me just about caught me off-guard. “And as for you: who are you and what do you want? In case you haven’t noticed, I’m dealing with royalty right now.”

No, really? Well, if I’m gonna see him in the real world soon, might as well have some fun here. “Ah, you too? What a coincidence: I just got finished talking to royalty,” I explained. “Convinced me to stay in Equis. My name is Daniel Fortesque. As for what I want…” I coughed before putting on my best Tony Montant impression, “the world, chico, and everything in it.”

Luna’s tail gave a slight irritated twitch, but otherwise didn’t give me any attention. Maybe asking for the world and everything in it was a bad idea, Dan. Expect retaliation soon, Bard chuckled.

“Ignoring that shameful response, We wish to impart an apology for my earlier assumptions, Mr. Silas,” Luna said. “Your exotic appearance did little in helping Us to discern your position as malicious or harmless. We were only protecting Our subjects from would-be threats.” Luna dipped her head. Bowing to a commoner? What the hell!?

Silas didn’t even seem to CARE what happened, because he simply waved his hand dismissively. “Save the formalities, my dear, they serve no purpose with me,” he responed. “As you can see, I’m a very laid back individual that seldom gets upset or feels anything other than boredom or happiness. This was, however, a rather interesting experience to say the least...” His eyes went wide-eyed as a thought occured to him. “And opportunistic! As you might have guessed by now, I’m not exactly from Equis. Do you think a showing of myself backed by you could happen in the future?”

“Wow, get in line, buddy,” I commented a bit more sour than I usually acted. “Behind about twenty thousand nobles who want their backing.” I haven’t even known the guy for five minutes and already he was pissing me off more than Albus.

He frowned once again at my comment. Not surprising, I actually did have a way of changing someone’s attitude simply by talking. “The same twenty-thousand nobles that plague her courtroom with pleas of increasing their wealth, no doubt?” he sarcastically shot back. “You must be kidding, declaring them to have better standing than me. Their lives aren’t in danger the moment they step out of their spaceship, nor are they prone to any violence after leaving their homes.” His gaze turned deadly as he spoke the next words. “Do not interrupt this matter again, as it is very important to my health, sir.”

“Oh, so if I interrupt again, you’ll keel over or something? That’s pretty unsafe, you might wanna find a doctor for that,” I said. “As for those nobles, I’m not saying they’re higher standard than you. But that wealth they have? They would NOT hesitate to spend it going after something they deem ‘foul’ or ‘evil,’ even when evidence says otherwise. Trust me on that, I have a whole army after me just because I’m not a species they like.” I couldn’t help but give a cocky grin, since I knew I had him there.

“Daniel...” Luna began with that ‘Do not make me kick you’ tone. I immediately regained composure, knowing she probably wouldn’t hesitate to make that unsaid threat a reality. Shaking her head in annoyance, Luna looked back at Silas. “We see no harm in this. Should you ever happen upon Canterlot, Mr. Silas, please drop by the Castle. We know Our ponies will not receive you well based solely on your draconic appearance, but rest assured that the Guard won’t be giving you any problems.” What the hell!? Is Silas hiding a silver tongue in his mouth or something!?

As if to taunt me, the dragon did indeed stick his tongue out at me. It took all of my will, along with Bard noting that starting a fight in front of Princess Luna was not a good idea, to keep myself from attacking him. “You have my thanks in advance then, Ms. Luna. I hope this marks the start of a great companionship,” Silas said, dropping the quick petty act. Luna hummed, as if thinking over the request. Please don’t say yes, please don’t say yes, please don-

“We have no qualms with it, no.” God damn it. “Welcome to Equis, Mr. Silas. We await an audience with you at Canterlot Castle. Take your time in getting here, and enjoy the view as you do. This world has many wonders, We can assure you,” Luna replied.

I finally voiced my disgust the only way I could; meta-humor. “Geez, can you get any more cliché, Mr. Businessman? Seriously, just give her the Oxy-Clean now and be done with it.”

“Is this really the time!?” Silas roared. “I’m trying not to die here, and you’re being quite rude with your comments! Knock it off, or get out! I’ll talk to you after Luna and I are done!” He crossed his arms, I guess his way of being intimidating.

I raised my hands in defense. “Okay, okay, geez...seriously, though, just what have you done to just ask her for support?” I asked sincerely. “Or shall I wait until the Night Princess has taken her leave to hear that answer?” I imitated Silas, crossing my own arms and tapping my foot for an answer.

I could tell I was getting to him by his deep sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. After a moment, he spoke with a little bit of irritation. “... Nothing. I have done nothing. I do not have the right to ask her for help, for I am not one her precious sheep.” Oh, great, he’s a philisophical draconaut. “But again; I am no hungering wolf roaming her pastures. If anything, I am the blackbird near her chicken feed; barely worth her time or effort. Is it wrong to count on the kindness of others without any redeeming qualities to speak for oneself; to simply rely on the good graces of a fellow sapient being to help them?” My god, I could just FEEL the cheesiness of his speech. Glancing at Luna, she had opted to sit down and watch this joke of a debate.

“Honestly? I’d rather know it’s the wolf than deal with the wolf in sheep’s clothing,” I stated. “Yes, getting some kindness from others isn’t something I should preach against, but why not offer her something in return? Y’know the saying, I scratch your back, you scratch mine?” He wanted a debate, that’s what I would give him. Though, judging by the fact that he seemed to apply more pressure to the nose bridge, he was hoping I would shut up, not continue talking.

His next paragraph was given after another sigh and with a helping of another hateful glare. “What could I give? I am not from here, and I don’t recall how to work most of my technology. Giving them parts from my ship could end up starting something no country wants... war. A war over who gets to keep the shiny object that the alien gave to the Princess, or a war for its uses thereof! Your questions, while valid, are nothing more than the bare minimum in what’s to be assumed when dealing with extraterrestrials. Please silence yourself, Daniel, and let me speak to Ms. Luna.” I suddenly realized; this guy is freaking pessimistic AND materialistic. But fine; if he wanted to speak to Luna without interruption, I would let him. But I wasn’t going to sit down without one more word in edgewise.

“One more thing before I allow you two to finish undisturbed,” I said. I gave him a stare of my own, though not one of hate, as I spoke. “I’m not saying give her tech. Helping with an uprising or balancing taxes or just, I dunno, doing a random comedy routine to brighten someone’s day. Those things can do just as much as giving up a shiny object capable of engulfing a world in flames just because everyone wants one. Now, I’m not saying do something immediately, but when you’re asked to help, you’d best be prepared to help; double time if they’ve already backed you.” I sat down and hoped he would nod and at least take my advice with a grain of salt.

“I don’t know where you read up on how to deal with extraterrestrials in first contact, but you need to burn whatever article you did to cinders.” So much for that. “I will once again present you with the pachyderm circus in town; I am an alien. I do not understand this planet and its inhabitants, nor do I care to.” And a strike against the draconaut for not acting Roman-like in Rome. “No one will accept a random act of kindness from me, not if driving the ‘unknown creature’ from their town will work in alleviating the falsely erected fear of me.” He frowned as he finally removed his claw from his face.

“There will be no guarantee for my safety unless a public address happens; preferably from a notorious political figurehead; double that if they are one the people enjoy.” Ooh, using my own words against me. Props for that. “I have nothing to offer, and I refuse to offer myself. I keep my word, and although I have no proof of this, I had honestly expected to count on any shred of goodwill from anyone. But as it stands...” He gazed at the both myself and Luna with equal displeasure. It was just me contesting, why the dark look to Luna, too? “I can see that goodwill is all but extinct on this planet. It’s an illusion,” he finished.

Now, had I not made my promise, I would’ve fought more. But, I’m a man of my word. I simply sat down and looked at Luna, who had stood up. “We see this clearly now,” she announced. “You wish for Us to help you with no strings attached. No qualms exist with Us on this matter, but We do not think proper explanation is necessary if you spit upon our goodwill.” If it weren’t for that last portion, I would’ve asked if Luna was off of her rocker for actually agreeing to help this jerk.

Silas, for the most part, nodded in confirmation.

“Good! Then an accord has been reached!” she shouted loudly. “We are pleased to have made an extraterrestrial friend on this night of Ours! Well then, We must be off. The duties of the night never rest, even as my subjects do.” She made her way to the edge of the circle and looked at me. She said nothing, but her eyes said it all; she was going to visit me after she made sure the rest of her subjects were taken care of. “Remember to play nice, you two.” And with that, she jumped over the edge and disappeared into the abyss. There was a bright flash that signaled she left in her own special way.

I decided to speak up, now that Luna was gone. “Couple of newsflashes...Silas, was it? Yeah, I think that’s right. First off, you’re NOT the only extraterrestrial here,” I pointed out. “Humans don’t exist on Equis. Second, if you’re gonna be here for so long, whether it be a week, a month, or even a YEAR, you’d best understand the planet and all of the sentient beings it inhabits. For example,” and no offense to the Mistress of the night, “you asked the wrong alicorn to get good PR for Equestria.” I decided to make sure my sword worked, just in case Silas tried anything. I pulled out my hilt.

“And that’s out for what purpose, Daniel?” he asked, hand to his belt. Ah, so he had a weapon, too. I pressed the button on my hilt and showed the Beam Sword’s blade. He gripped his own weapon and glared, daring me to attack. I looked down at my sword and wondered to myself if I could probably get this in a blue color.

After a while, he spoke up again. “Irony at its finest; a Princess who the people barely like.” I looked up, a tad confused. A princess not liked by her people was ironic? Did he even know the meaning of the word? “Normally they’re something out of fairytales; played up to be too righteous and really good singers that love peace and happiness. I could tell from the way she looked at me that her life wasn’t sunshine and rainbows, like how most of those fairytales go. That’s why I asked her, and not her sister when she spoke that she had one.” He turned his back to me, as if saying he was right and I was wrong.

He kept going, though. “It is because she seeks to do things to improve her own standing with her people. Back then, when you said I should do something to scratch her back? Little did you know that I was way ahead of you in that regard. I saw the hurt on her face, even though the mask she put up was rather good.” He paused and looked back at me, seemingly giving me the stink eye.

“One who constantly wears masks is quite good at getting behind those of others. And to think you thought yourself to have her best interests at heart....tsk tsk tsk, Daniel; alas, you do not. Nor will you ever, I’m afraid. If you’re done, please leave and stop taking up my time; or do you have something else to discuss rather than my future plans on Equis?” As he looked away, I gritted my teeth. A dragon, who admitted to not even CARING about her best interests, is telling me I don’t!? And worse, that I NEVER will!? This guy has some serious issues that he’s hiding, and with his talk about putting on a face to disguise it...yeah, sooner or later, his own mask will break, and he’s going to find himself in my position just moments ago.

“Well...I do have two. First, if and when you face your Shadow, will you be ready to face it? Everything you’ve said and done to build your own mask, being attacked from every angle, blows that are low even for a heartless villain. If you had to face yourself, your TRUE self, would you be ready to fight for your life?” A warning is better than nothing. If he knows, he can probably open up to others and prevent a lot of collateral damage.

He was silent for a moment, as if wondering if I was speaking the truth or calling him out on his actions. “I guess I’ll find out,” he seethed, not turning to look at me and say it to my face.

He’s not prepared. When he runs into his Shadow, he’d better have good comrades to save him. “Now, the other question, and this is far more important…” I hesitated a bit, turning my blade off and pocketing it. While I was curious about what his true intentions were, and no, I did NOT accept ‘just survival’ as the answer, I decided that he needed comedy more than seriousness. “...are you gonna give Luna the spray-on Oxy-Clean, or the detergent-type Oxy-Clean?”

He got onto his feet and gave me a glare so great that it would’ve made hearts stop. “Leave. now,” he commanded “You’re no longer wanted here. This is my dream realm, and I want you gone!”

I held up my hands in defense. “Yeesh, sorry for trying to get you to lighten up,” I replied. “If you can’t take a joke, your time is gonna suck in Equis. If you really want me gone that bad, I’ll take my leave. There are other platforms like these that I can walk on, and less draconic.” I put my hands in my pocket and went to the edge of the circle when a cough stopped me.

“You just don’t show up here for no reason; I’m not daft,” Silas said. “What has brought you here, besides annoying me and hindering my progress towards survival... and for that matter; what are you?” Huh. He must be some crazy alien from a different dimension if he’s asking WHAT I am. Either that or he’s asking what he’ll run into on Equis. I decided to ask for clarification.

“That depends. Are you talking about what you’ll see on Equis, or what you’re looking at now? Because right now, you’re looking at one of over six billion humans from a planet simply called Earth. And I’m here because...well, I can’t currently wake up and go back to my own body.” I looked at the ground as I said that, knowing I’d pretty much be asleep for a few more days still.

“Oh? You’re using magic, I take it?” he asked. “Scrying, perhaps; if I do recall correctly. Nevertheless, there’s a reason why you’re here, and I want to know what it is. And of course I know of this form of yours; I’m human as well, Daniel, even though I might not look it right now.” So it was the latter. And I’ve been talking to a cynical human this entire time. “However, I do not plan to recover my old body whatsoever; I haven’t a need for it anymore, not when this one is superior.” I raised my head up at that, noticing that he walked over to a fountain. Was that there before, or did he conjure it? And if it was his doing...

“I’m not using magic. As it stands, I’m in a coma that’ll last for another…” I counted on my fingers, just because. “Six days or so. I am here because I wandered here. I saw yourself and Luna and, fearing for her, I approached. I won’t lie and say I didn’t think you’d do something to her.” As I finished speaking, he gave one of those smug smiles. Rubbing a point in my face in three. Two. One.

“And your basis out of that assumption; does it not stem from the fact that I’m an alien, unseen and uncharacterized?” he asked, a hint of superiority in his voice now. “It is as I said earlier; the masses will not bother understanding me, just like you assumed I’d harm Luna, they too will assume me guilty in plotting to harm them.” He turned his back to me once more and waved a claw, as if telling me to leave once more. “As fun as this chat has been, I’m afraid you’ve overstayed your welcome. If we do meet outside this Station, I hope it will be on less annoying terms than in here.”

“...so it was wrong of me to stand aside and watch what would happen? Give you the benefit of the doubt instead of pull out my sword and engage immediately?” I shot back. “Though my initial impression was you two were about to fight, I wasn’t about to go berserker on you just because you look like a dragon. And apparently have the attitude of one, being somewhat selfish,” I added, the last part simply being out of spite more than anything.

SIlas scoffed. “Selfish? No no no, I don’t think it was selfish to preserve my life, Daniel; that’s instinctual; a commonly shared survival tactic amongst all races, regardless of planetary background, you see. Even though I could thank you for not charging me with that blade, I’m afraid I won’t; seeing as how it should be common practice not to act so crudely to the unknown unless they identify themselves to be of malicious intent and insidious in nature.” He was just making it hard for me to actually feel good about my choice. He was acting like nothing more than a smug monster who expected mountains to move at his command.

He took a drink from the fountain before he continued. “I hope this planet will continue to be entertaining, for Earth was too monotonous for me. There was no place for someone of my caliber there; someone with my indomitable spirit and quick mind. Do not think this to be pride, Daniel; it is fact.” I could only snort to myself at his arrogance. I turned and went to the edge once more, waiting for him to finish. “You may take your leave now; and trust well that we’ll be in touch again. As much of an annoyance as you were, your entertainment factor has drawn my curiosity. I look forward to when we meet next, Danny boy.”

Ugh, now he was resorting to stupid cutesy nicknames. Dan is fine, but Danny wasn’t really okay, and Danny boy was just right out. Staring into the abyss, I replied. “I have no doubt I will see you again, Silas. I do hope you do something for Luna, despite the fact you say otherwise. But then, I hope for many things. Like I hope to see you outside of dreams.” I positioned myself as if preparing for a dive.

“Until then...farewell.” I jumped into the abyss, only to land on one of the square platforms, which took me away from the draconaut. I also realized that as it took me away, the darkness seemed to dissipate, giving way to light. Where was I going now?

Author's Note

This chapter is a crossover with another story in the Chessverse, Silas Epista. Probably one of my funner moments in writing DBLS.

45: Past, Present, Future

Chapter 45: Past, Present, Future

I had recently acquired sunglasses in my dream, the reason being this bright light crap was getting old VERY fast. I would've gone blind if I didn’t have protection by the time I woke up. Still, when the light died down, the sight of the scene below nearly made me wish I was blind.

The sun was shining on the remains of what looked like a town. Dilapidated buildings, dead flora that seemed like it didn’t even belong… It was almost as if I was looking at a scene from a Fallout game. The platform beneath me lowered to the road, allowing me to jump down and survey the area. Looking through the buildings showed nothing good; many things were broken, and nothing seemed like it could be in working condition. Some of the buildings had a weird purple glob on the remains of their roof, moving as though alive. Looking in the distance, even if a building couldn’t be seen, the glob was clearly visible.

Traveling to town square, or what I thought was the town square, I saw a shattered fountain. But worse yet was what else was there. Ponies, all of them... well, zombified seemed like the best term. Some looked just like you’d imagine a zombie, but others were part zombie part... that same blob on the buildings. Most of them, however, seemed to be a ponified version of a Darkball; they grotesquely bloated, made of solid shadows, exhibited an overly large and pointy set of teeth, and eyes that could pass for weak lightbulbs. I know movies and video games always show how dangerous they can be, but when you see one… I had to turn away, quickly. To my horror, I saw something far worse.

A survivor. Hiding in the bushes. Probably not even nine years old, a unicorn colt. He was inching out of the bushes when an ear-splitting cry emitted from the sky, strong enough to bring me to my knees as I covered my ears. One of the ‘zombies,’ for lack of a better term, must have seen him. I saw one run towards him, while he quickly tried to get away. Something caught his tail, lifting him from the ground as the monster approached the helpless kid.

No. Whatever happens next... please don’t be what I think it is… Not that it would help. The monster stopped in front of the colt, who was now shivering in fright at his executioner. I saw black smoke start to emit from its mouth. Then, it opened up and blasted the poor child’s face. And all I could do... was watch in silence. The colt struggled against the smoke for only a moment before he went limp. The magic holding him aloft stopped, and dropped him to the ground with a sickening thud. The smoke that hit him began to expand, covering the colt’s body. I didn’t want to see what it did, but something prevented me from looking away.

As the smoke disappeared, the colt rose, his coat now pitch black and his eyes the same sickening glow as the others. Now he was just another soldier in the army. It was terrible… What was this? What happened to this town? What are these things? Is this…

A loud, booming voice filled the air. I had to put my hands over my ears, and it still wasn’t enough to stop it. “They always think they can get away. Tsk tsk tsk. Soon, they will all be gone. And this world will be ripe for my taking. Even the humans, harbingers of destruction, couldn’t stop me.” There was an evil chuckle before it shouted again. “TO ANY OF YOU PETTY GODS THAT CAN HEAR ME! YOUR CHAMPIONS ARE ALL DEAD! I HAVE WON, AND EQUIS IS MINE TO CONTROL!”

He’s bragging... about a victory? He’s... the cause? I couldn’t think clearly with the booming voice’s shouting.

“ONCE I’VE FINISHED CLEANING UP THE SCRAPS HERE, MY NEXT STOP IS THE PATHETIC WORLD WHERE YOU PICKED UP YOUR MISERABLE EXCUSES FOR WARRIORS! THE UNIVERSE WILL BE MINE AND MINE ALONE!!!” Ugh, whoever this guy was, he’s giving me a headache just listening to him.

Then came the sound of hoofsteps. As I looked towards the sound, I saw all of the ‘zombies’ had disappeared. There was a figure on the horizon, though I couldn’t make it out. It walked toward the town center, almost with purpose. When it finally arrived, I was greeted by the sight of a male centaur. Again, its body was covered in darkness, and I couldn’t make out colors. When I tried, I felt something grip my neck and lift me up from the ground, to the creature’s eye level.

“You…” he said. “You are the last man standing. How does it feel? To be on the winning side? To serve your true purpose? To embrace the darkness from whence you came?”

I choked, unable to give a coherent response. The figure chuckled again. “It was good of you. At least to my cause. A being of darkness can never be a hero..." He paused, as if waiting for a response. When he didn't get one, he continued. "What's the matter? You don't remember? Or maybe you feel regret, and don't WISH to remember. Either way, let me give you a refresher. You joined me when it became clear that, when your job was done, all that awaited you was to forever be sealed in a coffin and locked in a mausoleum. And look.” He dropped me, then turned me around to force me to see the desolated city. “Look at it. Look at what you’ve wrought. Bask in your glory, my servant, at what you created simply by bending your knee to my will.”

The monster shoved me to the ground before a sharp pain filled my side, flipping me face up. Grabbing my stomach in pain, I barely made out that he was now beside me. “However, you and I both know that if you've betrayed once, who’s to say you will not betray me later? Therefore, I give you a fate better than eternity in a cramped wooden space.” A hoof hovered over my face. I wanted to move... but something prevented me. I wasn’t sure if it was the shadow’s doing, or if I was in too much pain to do so. Either way, it seemed my fate was sealed.

“Farewell...Daniel.” *crunch*

I shot up from where I lay, breathing heavily. I was... okay? Quick check, then. Both of my arms were here… legs were fine, too… no damage to the body… a hand to the face revealed no damage there… Did I just dream within a dream? No, that’s impossible.

Impossible was when you appeared at the Station of Awakening to fight your Shadow and meet with a draconaut and Princess Luna. And that happened. Anything’s possible now, bucko.

Yeah, there’s Bard, so I’m still alive. For now. But why did the ground feel like grass? Pushing myself back onto my feet, I realized I was in a dark, forested area. Not bright enough to be the marsh. There was a path nearby, and I guessed it could lead me somewhere to regain my thoughts. Rule of gaming; when in doubt, go right. But because right usually led to doom and sadness, I decided to instead go left.

The forest was eerily quiet. Was I still dreaming? I haven’t seen anyone or anything since I awoke. Maybe I’m in the same universe as Inception, and can now dream within dreams. Or I’m just bored out of my skull walking around in the woods and I’m just trying to keep myself from going clinically insane.

The path led to a bridge, one that looked hastily remade. Taking a deep breath, I put a foot forward to cross.

“No need to use the bridge. We may converse here,” Luna’s voice echoed.

Again? Geez, if Luna keeps this up, people might mistake us for a thing. “Uh, okay,” I called. “Why can’t I cross the bridge, is it actually out of order?”

“Not unless one wills it to do so. And trust me, I am sorely tempted to do so,” she replied.

I quickly took a few steps away from the bridge. So quickly, in fact, I couldn’t stop myself from bumping into something. Considering who I was talking to, I guessed I had ran into Luna. There was a chuckle as I tried to regain my footing. “Why, Al, one usually takes us to dinner before they hit on us.”

“Subtle, Princess. Subtle.” I dusted myself off before facing her. Yep, ‘twas the Princess of the Night once more, with a smirk on her face. But it looked forced. “Y’know, if you keep in my dreams, you’ll never help those that need it,” I said.

“We do not converse with you if our subjects are in dire need of our assistance,” Luna explained. “Their priorities supercede yours.”

I nodded. I wasn’t really offended, since subjects before outsider and all that jazz. But if she’s here again, it had to be important. “True. I... guess you wanted to talk to me about my behavior at the Station?”

She blinked. “Station? Do you mean our first meeting?” she asked.

“I was thinking about the second, actually. With Silas?”

“We do not know of a Silas...are you well, Al?”

Now it was my turn to blink. “I...was just there. Talked to him, you were there, I made many stupid jokes like Tony Montana?”

She looked quite confused at my answer. “Al? Are you, by chance, sane?”

“Doctors have yet to prove I’m crazy, if that’s what you’re asking,” I answered. “Why are you acting like this is our second meeting when it’s our third?”

“Why do YOU act the opposite?” Luna asked, glaring at me. “I have only met you once before now, and that was to help you make a decision that would save your life.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “We’re going to have to draw up a diagram, my brain is beginning to hurt.”

I looked over the diagram we had constructed. It still made absolutely zero sense.

“So, if this thing is right...we’re right on our first meeting. But you left to check the others, lower the moon while your sister raised the sun, day goes normally. Mine is you met someone you don’t even know, we all converse, and I... well, let’s not go there right now. But this is your second meeting with me, while this is my third meeting with you. How did that happen?” I scratched my head, still unsure how this can work, or if it even DID work.

“My only guess is that you traveled through time,” Luna commented.

“Which brings the question as to, once again, how did I pull that off? I have absolutely zero power with time magic,” I pointed out.

“Dreams are strange things. Even after millennia of dreamwalking, it continues to amaze me just what can happen within the minds of others.” The Princess of the Night looked just as confused as me.

“One can examine others’ dreams without trouble, but try to examine yours, and you just wonder what you ate last night,” I muttered.

Luna coughed. “Either way, time traveling via dreams is not why we are here right now.”

“Yeah, why ARE you he-” My sentence was cut off as I turned around and found the tip of her horn DANGEROUSLY close to my throat. I gave a nervous chuckle. “I-I did say that me wanting the world and everything in it was just an idiotic joke, right?”

“Oh, it’s not that,” Luna said darkly. “The dream I saw before we conversed... what is its purpose?”

“Wait, are you talking about the Station, or... the one after that? Because I’d rather NOT remember the one after the Station,” I quickly replied.

“You’re going to talk. And you’re going to answer every question I have on the subject. Think of it as... twenty questions. One wrong answer, though, and you WILL regret ever meeting me.” As if to make a point, she turned her horn away from my throat and fired a beam at a nearby tree, evaporating it in an instant. And yes, you read that correctly.

I nodded slowly, and simply went to my knees. “Twenty questions. No lying. On my honor.” Seriously, I was NOT about to lie to her, knowing she could eliminate me and no one would ever know.

She glared at me. “First question, then. What is your full name? Al does not sound like a full name on its own.”

Wow. Is this tsundere or is it just me? “Alton Barak. First name is my given name, the last is my family name.”

I thought I heard the breaking of a chain. Her glare still laid squarely on me. “Hmph. Your name doesn’t even sound strong. Who would send you here as their champion?”

“And yet you converse with me as if we’ve been friends since day one. But to answer the question, I was sent by the Master of the Velvet Room.”

Another chain break. The hell was that? Luna averted her gaze for the moment, muttering something to herself. Turning back to me, she spoke again. “Why did you have the dream? The one with the ruined city?”

“I...I don’t know, honestly.” A shot of light fired by my head. She was apparently not happy with my answer. “I really don’t! If I did, I’d tell you!”

There was the sound of another chain break. Luna didn’t seem to like the answer, if her snorting was anything to go by. But she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and calmed herself down. “According to your little diagram, you introduced yourself as Daniel Fortesque to this ‘Silas’ character. Why Daniel and not Alton?”

“That’s the name I’ve adopted for my stay in Equis. It’s what my new acquaintances know me as. Currently, only you and the Master of the Velvet Room, if even him, know my real name.”

Chain break. “What do you know of Tirek the Destroyer?”

I blinked. “Tirek? The hell is that, some kinda T-rex knockoff?” Another light ball shot at me, going past the other side of my head. “I don’t know who he is! If I’ve heard the name, it was in passing once, MAYBE twice. But it was never elaborated on, so I ignored it.”

There was a sigh as that chain break resounded again. “You are USELESS for information. I can’t be the first one to have said that to you.”

“Well, if you count family and myself, no, you’re not. Excluding them, you actually are. First to say it out loud, too,” I pointed out.

“I expect you to answer my twenty questions, but for now, I only have one more to ask.” After a nod from me, she continued. “From what I’ve seen, the humans summoned here are never human in appearance. What form do you take in our lands?”

Ugh...here comes the hurricane. “Stalfos. Skeleton. Either/or at this point, no one cares to figure out the difference. But either way, I’m a dead man,” I answered.

As that chain-breaking sound reverberated in the air again, I expected Luna to look horrified, angered, or simply blast me and end it all there. Instead, she looked a bit pensive. “Huh. Not a bad form. Wonder why you’re the first.”

“With how I’m treated on land, I can take a few guesses, m’lady. And none of them are kind.” I expected another shot to come at me. Instead, Luna nodded and approached me. I guess I was off the hook for now?

“Thank you for answering. I apologize for my...intimidation strategies. Even if I wanted to, I am forbidden from hurting you directly. It’s the price for being a god.” She looked away, almost ashamed.

I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “You say this as if I would show kindness and sympathy should the roles be reversed.”

Now it was Luna’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “You...understand?”

“Yeah,” I admitted. “I mean, that dream? Enemy-of-the-state type guilt right there. Hell, even I would think I was a minion with regrets if I didn’t know myself better. And honestly…” I looked away sheepishly. “I… wouldn’t let rules get in the way, I would’ve actually done something about it… so you’re better than me in that regard.”

There was a chuckle from Luna. “Honest to a fault. Are you sure you’re not secretly Applejack if she were a boy and living on Earth?”

I could only chuckle from that. “Who would that be?” I knew already, but I didn’t want to reveal I knew a bit about the Equestrian inhabitants that I learned from watching the show.

“Let’s say... you’ll meet her when you make it here. Maybe. Possibly. Could meet her the moment you cross the border,” she teased.

I couldn’t resist. Holding up my hand, my middle finger wrapping around my index, I responded, “Fingers crossed!”

She was about to speak again when there was a thud sound to the left. Turning that way, I saw a strange knife jutting out of a tree. I almost went to examine it when Luna shouted, “Get down!” Not wanting to ask why, I simply did so. And thankfully, I dodged many other knives like it. Getting back to my feet, I scrambled to Luna for protection. I am not afraid to admit that I didn't care about my image when I ran to the pretty pony princess for protection.

Multiple figures suddenly appeared in puffs of smoke. All covered in black clothes, masked, and with a ninjato on their back. Or was that a katana? I don’t know sword names. There were eight of them in total, and each one glared at the two of us. One by one, they each unsheathed the blade on their back.

“Nightmare Ninjas...how did they find us?” Luna growled. So she has a history with our new friends. Good to know.

“So I’m gonna guess they’re not on our side?” I asked, pulling out the Beam Sword’s hilt and activating it.

“They are not,” Luna replied. “Mind showing me your moves, Mr. Barak?”

“Please. Daniel is fine.” I suddenly had a random thought. “Question, Princess.”

“Permission to ask.”

“Ever get the feeling you’ve jumped the shark somewhere in your life?”

There was a chuckle from Luna. “Please. We flew over it the moment you humans entered Equis.”

With that, they attacked us.

Author's Note

Don't worry, guys. After next chapter, you'll get Bone Boy back, and we'll finally be getting to Equestria proper! Or at least begin the journey there. But for now, have exposition, Vision Of The Future for a (failed) future mission, and more dream shenanigans!

And yes, I'm aware adding Nightmare Ninjas may have made me jump the shark, as I have kindly lampshaded. And let me tell you, I regret nothing.

46: Fighting Dreamers

Chapter 46: Fighting Dreamers

The first attack was thwarted by Luna, who created a shield around the two of us. With a cry from the mare, the shield released a wave of energy and sent the ninjas flying. Questions flooded my mind: who were they? Why are they attacking us? Did they have to be ninjas? Where did the forest go?

Before I could verbalize any of my thoughts, one got up and swung at me. Blocking it with my own sword, I delivered a left hook to disorient him. I backed off to get some breathing room.

I should mention I get the dumbest ideas under pressure, and don’t ask for opinions. I usually realize they’re inherently stupid only when it’s too late, and this time was no different. What is General Fortesque’s ‘brilliant strategy’ for dealing with nightmares? To shout at them like a drill sargeant. “Alright, you shadowy soldiers! You wanna fight, line up, three at a time!! C’mon, daylight’s burning!!!”

Luna stared at me, eyebrows raised, as though to question what I was attempting, all while maintaining her shield. At some point, she had conjured a large magical mallet.

I crossed my arms and waited for something to happen. I expected the shield to drop, ninjas to move, or even Luna’s mallet to just bop me on the head.

The mallet flashed out at me, impacting behind me as a ninja crumbled under it’s might. “We are unsure of what you attempt, but these are not beasts that can be reasoned with. They exist only to confound Our job, creating nightmares where none should exist.” A pulse of her shield sent out a wave of magic. One ninja was caught in its wake and dissolved, while the rest flashed across the stain glass.

I shrugged. "Meh, it was worth a sh-huh?" I had to shake my head to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. The ones that didn't attack us had, indeed, lined up to fight us as I asked!

Luna stood just as perplexed as me. "We- How- You should not have been able to do that! They have never done such a thing before. It is inconceivable!!" she pointed out.

"Maybe so, but we should take what we can get! Let's deal with the first wave now!" With that, I put my hand out and gave them the taunt to attack.

Luna's shield remained strong under the now-smaller assault, her mallet flashing out to smack at the ninjas, only missing occasionally as they used a shadow step. The best I could do behind the barrier was get their attention so Luna could get the drop on them with their hammer. Sadly, after three waves, the ninjas got the idea that the guy with the fox on his shirt did not give them a good idea, and all of them attacked Luna's shield.

"ACK!!" Luna cried. She dropped the barrier that protected us and jumped into the air. She glided to the other end of the battlefield and conjured a second mallet, smiting enemies in her path. And because I wasn't warned about the barrier's sudden disappearance, I had to act quickly to prevent myself from being cleaved in half by one of the ninjas I was taunting. Which meant I yiped and quickly followed after Luna on my own feet. Considering the horde I had to go through, this was a feat in and of itself. I kept most of the enemies at bay with wild sword swipes.

"A warning would've been nice, y'know!" I shouted. I vaulted over a ninja and kicked him into his comrade as I finally caught up to the Night Princess.

"We apologize, Daniel. We were surprised at their sudden aggression." Luna struck out with her dual mallets, smashing to and fro. Occasionally, a ninja would approach her from behind, only to either get bucked in the face or forget about the guy with the glowing pink blade. Even still, most of the ninjas simply moved away, seemingly uninjured by her strikes.

I assisted as best as I could, but it seemed like this was her show, and I was a supporting character. Not to say I didn't get a few KO's of my own. For every ninja we defeated, however, two more seemed to take his place.

After a while, I believed this was starting to get ridiculous. "So, do we just fight until they run away, or is their a way to put them down for the count?" I asked.

"Normally, We simply crush as many as We can and the rest flee. Tonight, however, you appear to have angered them with your 'trick,' not to mention your taunting." A bolt of magic shot from her horn, incinerating a nearby ninja.

"What can I say? I'm a trend setter," I replied. Another idea clicked the moment I finished the sentence. "Hey, ever done something I call a Shinku Hadoken?"

She didn’t take her eyes off of the enemies, but her reply told me all I needed to know. "A what?"

Maybe I should've said something simpler. "Just aim at a target and blast them with a continuous beam!"

Luna paused for barely a moment but then smiled in understanding. "Ah, We have not performed such a thing in quite some time. You might wish to stand back." She began charging her horn, spinning the mallets like a pinwheel in front of her.

I stayed close to the princess, making sure I wouldn't be caught in the blast. "Now, let's strike fear into their hearts." I placed a hand on her back and shouted, "HEAT RISER! Don't let a petty thing like 'limits' stop your power!"

She twitched at my hand, but held her head steady as the medium-sized beam of energy flew outwards, blazing through the ninjas in its path. "Daniel, while We are sure you are making a reference to some situation of which we are unaware, would you kindly remove thy hand from Our shoulder? We need concentration!" Her eye twitched as she spoke.

“Sorry for touching without permission, but I want to show them why messing with us was a bad idea. Just waiting for the result." I smiled as I saw my bracelet begin to glow. I started to give a laugh worthy of a villain as Luna’s beam suddenly became wide enough to engulf most of a small rural town. I watched as nearly all of the enemies were hit, most of them disintegrating on contact with the death beam. Luna breathed a small sigh of exhaustion as her beam died down. A good portion of the onrushing ninjas had been removed, and some were beginning to doubt their charge.

"It is alright, Daniel,” she replied. “If We are ever to meet you in Our sister’s presence, however, you would be wise not to attempt anything similar. Tia is rather… protective of us." Luna's attention was drawn to the stained glass pattern that made the floor as a single mallet materialized in front of her.

I sheepishly scratched the back of my head. "Yeah. That won't happen again, don't worry. Again, sorry." Examining the arena, it seemed that only a handful ninjas remained that felt confident they could still win this.

Luna gave another sigh. "This has dragged on long enough. It must end." The mallet disappeared and she concentrated momentarily. In a flash of light, two familiar shapes appeared in front of her, blades crossed. At a glance, they looked like two keys; one as black as the night, the other as pale as the moon itself.

"Are those...Oathkeeper and Oblivion? When did you...?" I was so enraptured by the Keyblades that I failed to notice my bracelet was still glowing.

"Worry not,” she grinned. “These are taken from memories of a friend. I assume you recognize them for the same reasons his memory contained them. I have yet to test them out, and now seems like a good opportunity." Luna galloped forward, spinning the blades at her sides. In moments, the ninjas before her were demolished, fading to smoke.

Just before we had a chance to relax, though, another wave of the Nightmares appeared. Luna wasted no time in blazing across the stained glass, throwing Oathkeeper out, only for it to return, while she kept Oblivion close by, travelling in arcs around her body. Each slice of her blade was marked with a poof of blackness. Of course, I took some out with my own Beam Sword, but compared to how she wielded her own weapons, I might as well have looked for popcorn to watch the show. Before a half minute had even passed, every ninja that had appeared was gone, smited by a flash of her blades.

Putting my own sword away, I finally managed to speak. "He must be a big fan of Kingdom Hearts. Also, that was pretty amazing of you. You practice often?" I was still oblivious to my glowing bracelet as I saw Luna gracefully move with the Keyblades.

"Practice?” She nodded. “I suppose I do. I do need to make sure my wares work after all. It isn't often I test them in the dream realm before I make them, however."

"Make them? You mean you can make these...in the real realm? Man, how much do I have to pay to get you to make me an Oathkeeper of my own?" I joked.

"For you, Daniel?” She placed a hoof over her mouth before nodding. “I might just give you the one I have plans for. Many of my weapons have no owners, being things I create for fun." Well well well. She’s a blacksmith for the hell of it, and she has no problems with giving me one?

"Well, thank you, Princess. That's pretty n-" I cut my compliment short as I saw a survivor try to get the jump on Luna. "Look out!" I shouted, pointing at the ninja. As if on cue, a lightning bolt shot out of my finger and blasted the ninja into dust.

Luna's eyes opened wide as the bolt sailed past her. "What- It seems you have been keeping much from the fight, Daniel! Such an ability would have been useful." Luna twirled around, searching for any other would-be attackers as she spoke.

I simply stared at my hand, dumbfounded. "I...didn't have that before the battle, honest! How did I..."

"I would ask that you do not point your fingers at Us until you can control your powers. While it won’t affect Us in the long run, We would prefer not to experience the unpleasantness that comes with electrocution." She closed her eyes as her horn glowed, probably to see if any were trying to conceal themselves.

“Duly noted," I replied. If anything, I didn't want to make any more sudden movements, in case I had some OTHER power I had no idea about.

Luna finished her visual and aural sweep of the area. "It appears the two of us have finally driven them off."

"Good,” I sighed. “I need a moment to figure out a few things, if you don’t mind sticking around.”

She nodded and continued examining the glass under her. Dreams are weird, I thought. Never in my life did I ever think I’d fight side by side with a princess, much less the Lunar Maiden herself. Against ninjas, no less. Maybe I AM insane.

“Daniel? What is the meaning of this… creature?” Luna asked.

I raised an eyebrow at the question. “Creature? What creature?”

“The monster of the stained glass.” She gestured to the glass, which I finally realized was the same stained glass platform from before; the eight-headed serpent. Unlike the last time, however, two heads were revealed while the other six were clouded.

“It’s a Japanese creature; Yamato-no-Orochi, the eight-headed snake. According to legend, he would threaten a village to offer a maiden as a sacrifice, until Susano beheaded all of them.” And they said video games didn’t teach you anything… Thank you, Okami, for disproving them.

“Eight heads… then shouldn’t this show all of them?” she asked.

“Should, but doesn’t,” I replied. “Last time I was here, only one was revealed. Why are there two now?”

Luna hummed, but didn’t answer. This left me with time to think for myself. Wait. Orochi was one of the Personas of the Moon. Maybe… yeah! It makes sense!

“Princess, I think I've figured out why I suddenly can fire lightning bolts,” I announced. “And I'm not sure if I should be cheering or apologizing."

Luna looked at me questioningly. "Why? What did you figure out?"

"It has to do with this." I showed her my bracelet. "According to Igor, this allows me to connect with others of my Arcana. Namely, the eight aspects of the Moon. I apparently am the Aspect of Inspiration. And if I'm right… well, you're one of my connections."

Luna pondered for a second. "That does not explain why you would need to apologize. We are the Princess of the Moon. Why would We not be one of your connections?"

That’s a good point. I put a hand in my hair and messed with it for a moment, trying to think on how to explain it. "I guess... ugh, how do I say this without sounding dumb or implying love when it's obviously not there?"

Luna simply stared, a hint of amusement on her face.

After a moment, I just shook my head. "I guess because... we're connected by my power. And like I said, if I'm right, our bond gives me lightning powers." I quickly added, “Y-Yamato here… he’s kind of a tracker for my progress… when I find a bond…” At this point, I couldn’t form my thoughts properly.

Luna covered her mouth and snickered a bit at my awkwardness. "We understand, Daniel. It is not that uncommon in this game between gods. We do wonder what other way you were going to put it, but alas."

I should have stopped talking. But my mind wasn’t fast enough to stop my mouth. "I'm afraid to ask. But what do you mean by 'what other way I would put it?'"

Princess Luna smiled. "You were concerned about sounding as though you had deep feelings for Us. We simply wondered what statement you would make to accidentally convey that."

"W-Well, I..." I couldn't help blushing at her questioning. Damn it, this wasn't supposed to be happening! "...m-maybe I shouldn't say the EXACT sentence right now."

Luna's smile threatened to remove her ears if it got any bigger, but she regained her regal composure and nodded at me. "If thou does not wish to share it, that is alright. We remain curious, but shall not press further."

"Yeah. Tale for another time, if that's possible.” I coughed, trying to regain my own composure. “Anyway, I do want to thank you for showing me your fighting prowess. Wish I could be worthy of a friendly spar when this is all over."

"A spar you say?" Her eyes lit up as her grin returned full force. "It has been so long since we truly sparred with anyone. We would be delighted to do so Daniel."

"Consider it a da-" I caught myself before I said something either Luna orCelestia (if Luna told her) would hold against me. "Well, right now you'd mop the floor with me, so I need to train before I can even match you."

"Yes, yes you would,” she agreed. “Your combat prowess is severely lacking."

I winced. "You noticed. But hopefully, with my new skill, I can get back to my former arena glory."

Luna looked at me thoughtfully before doing something with her magic. "We don't know how long you will be here for, but this is the realm of dreams. You can do whatever you wish to here, create any scenario, wield any weapon. Maybe you may do something with your time."

I crossed my arms and nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. So before we part ways, should we set a time for that spar? Say, just to see how far I've come?"

A mischievous twinkle entered her eyes. "The date? Why, I'm sure it will come of it's own accord Daniel. Bring some roses, worry not and farewell." She slowly floated up and out.

As I waved farewell to her, the sentences finally clicked. "Wait, what!?"

47: Waking the (Not Quite) Dead

Chapter 47: Waking the (not quite) Dead

Breath in through your nose… and out through your mouth… now, try again.

I opened my eyes and took aim. I looked like a playground kid playing Cops and Robbers, using my hand as a ‘gun.’ In front of me were little Servbots, holding up target signs and running around. As I mentally chose which taget to shoot, my bracelet glowed in response. There we go.

“Zio!” I shouted. A small bolt of lightning shot out, flying through the air. It hit a poor Servbot and sent the little guy flying. I felt a toy hammer smack my head in response. No no no! The goal of the exercise is to hit the target, not the Servbot! Get your bearings and try again, lunkhead!

At this point, I couldn’t tell if that was me berating myself or Bard being Bard. Learning to control my new power was proving far more difficult than I thought. While my swordplay wasn’t as up to snuff as it was back in Necro City, I considered what I learned good enough to pass. Looking at my targets, only three of them showed signs of being hit. There were medical Servbots taking care of the poor toys I blasted, which was now approaching double digits. The battlefield itself was littered with black scorch marks where I missed both target and Lego.

Just channel your energy. Breath in through your nose… and out through your mouth… once more. I furrowed my eyebrows as I aimed again. Before I could fire another bolt of lightning, though, I heard a ringing noise.

“Damn. Time’s up,” I muttered. That ringing signified that it was just about time to meet up with Igor and get all of the last-minute details out of the way. It seemed the Servbots were relieved to here it, if them dropping their targets and hugging each other for dear life was any indication.

As the scene went to black, the blue door appeared in front of me. Well, this was it; the final moments before I went back. I repeated the relaxation exercise and put my hand on the knob. The moment I pushed open the door, I met an unexpected sight. Instead of the inside of a limo, it looked like a battleground. A meadowy field filled with huge craters, probably from the impacts of cannons or missiles. Why would the Velvet Room become this?

“Uh, hello?” I called out. “Igor? Margaret? The hell happened to the place?” There wasn’t an answer. Looking around, the grounds were far quiter than it should be. Almost like a wasteland. I contemplated going around the battlefield looking for answers, but I wanted nothing to do with this. I turned around, thankful that the door didn’t disappear, and went back to the darkness.

The door shut just as the monsters came out of the ground. A shadow skeleton, which looked suspiciously like a Stalfos, cursed under his breath from a nearby tree as he dispelled the enemies.

“Damn… wasn’t the door supposed to go away once he went through it? Now my pla- er, I mean our plan is shot,” he said.

“Worry not over a setback. He’ll return, of that I’m sure,” a distorted voice answered.

“Heh… that’s true. Al’s a creature of habit; he’s not gonna stop unless either it’s impossible, or he actively tries to break it,” the shadow chuckled.

“And you say he’ll risk it all to protect a friend?” the distorted voice asked.

“Damn right,” he answered. “I should know; we’re one and the same.”

“Hmph. Such a foolish ideal; he only invites suffering on himself with a mindset like that,” the other shadow grinned, revealing sharp fangs. “And with your permission, I’ll be the one to give him just what he wants.”

“As if you need it!” Shadow Dan remarked. “If I said no, you’d pop me like a balloon and attack him, anyway!”

“Formalities, my friend,” the fanged nightmare responded. “But I have a slight… alteration… to our original plan.”

“Oh? Just what do you plan to change?” he asked.

Another smile graced the shadow’s form. “I say you introduce the two of us, on a first name basis.”

“C’mon, where the hell is that door?” I muttered. If I didn’t hurry, I would be late to my appointment. And I hate being late. Was the battlefield actually the Velvet Room? Was it a trap? Was it both, and Igor was wanting to test my skills? I doubted that such a battlefield could be…

There it was! Another blue door! I went to the door and took another deep breath. Silently pleading for this to be the real door, I opened it. I breathed a sigh of relief as I saw the inside of the limo. Strangely enough, there wasn’t anyone in the Velvet Room.

“Hope I’m not late,” I said to myself. I closed the door behind me and took a seat, waiting for Igor and Margaret. There wasn’t much to do, so I simply tapped the table, mostly to random tunes I learned from all of the music I heard since fifth grade band class. They would show up soon, right?

I heard the door behind me open. Turning to see who it was, the door opener caught me off guard. She looked a lot like Margaret, but her face seemed to be younger, her blonde hair was a bobcut, and her blue attire seemed closer to a flight attendant. She held a tome similar to Margaret’s in her hand. When she noticed me, she gave a gentle smile.

“Ah, someone is here already,” she said. “Are you the boy with the contract?”

“I am a boy with a contract,” I corrected.

“Then allow me to introduce myself. I am Elizabeth, a Dweller of the Velvet Room. Welcome.” She took her book and held it across her chest as she bowed.

I stood up to face her and bowed myself. “Daniel. A pleasure to meet you, Elizabeth,” I greeted.

Elizabeth righted herself. “I’m afraid Master Igor is away on business right now. If you could wait a little longer, it will not take too much more time for him to arrive.”

“I have much time on my hands. A few minutes longer will not kill me,” I chuckled.

The Dweller approached me and gazed into my eyes. I took a step back, only for her to take another step towards me. “Hmm… oh. You are different from our… past guests. I wonder if you are as strong as they were, though?” She took a step back and held her book to her side.

“I, uh… I’m working on it?” I said uncertainly.

“If you do not mind, Daniel, shall we test your skill?” Her smile never faded, but she seemed to be prepared for combat.

“W-Wait, here and now? Wh-what abo-”

“Now, Elizabeth, you know the Velvet Room is far too small for these sessions,” a familiar voice announced. I turned around and, to my relief, Igor was sitting in his spot, as serious as ever.

Elizabeth’s voice seemed to carry a hint of nervousness at the reminder. “Y-Yes, sir. I simply wanted the confirmation. We would have taken it outside.” She walked over and sat to Igor’s right (my left) and opened the tome.

“It is good to see you once more, Daniel,” Igor greeted. “I take it your time in the dream world was time well spent?”

I took my seat across from him and nodded. “Yes, sir. A lot of progress within a week, if I do say so myself,” I replied.

“That is always a matter of opinion,” he commented. “A lot of progress for you could be astronomical in another’s eyes, while another would believe you could have tried harder.”

“What is your opinion?” I asked.

Igor simply chuckled. “My opinion is nothing more than that. Pay no mind to the idea.” He made a sweeping motion over the table, a few cards appearing on them. What was he doing this time?

“Your focus for now is what you shall do from here. We are here to discuss the… favor that we ask of you. Or, I should say, favors,” he said.

I looked to the other Denizen for an explanation. “The first favor is a simple one; the actions you perform will have consequences, both positive and negative. Whatever happens, you must take responsibility for those actions,” Elizabeth said.

“Of course. My actions are my own, not anyone else’s. You have my word I will follow them through,” I nodded.

“Our second favor is a bit more important to your journey,” Igor continued. “Though, I’m afraid those terms have… altered slightly.”

I looked at Igor in confusion. “Altered? How altered, if I may ask?”

Igor adjusted himself before continuing. “You see, I have many Dwellers who reside with me in the Velvet Room. You have met Margaret…” He paused before gesturing to Elizabeth. “...and you have just met Elizabeth. They have two ‘siblings’ that also reside here; Theodore, the only male Dweller apart from myself, and Marie, the youngest of my charges.”

“Pretty soon, I’ll meet the whole family,” I muttered to myself.

“The ‘favor’ I ask of you involves Marie,” Igor continued. “I had wished for her to accompany you back to Equis so that you may teach her of the world. With your guidance, I believe she will become a better person. However… when I searched for her earlier, she was gone.”

“Gone? How did she even leave?” I asked.

“The same way you came in,” Igor replied nonchalantly. “I believe she was eager to leave, and didn’t wish to wait for you. As it stands… I do not know where in Equis she is. I have no doubt, however, that she is close to your position. With this in mind, you have probably already guessed what my favor is.”

I nodded. “Find Marie and have her join me. From there... teach her how to act and everything?” I guessed.

Igor chuckled as he flipped the card in the middle. It was a door, and in front of it was a skull. I gulped instinctively, as skulls usually mean bad things.

“Ah, your immediate future reflects exactly what you will be going through. Death, in the upright position.” Igor looked up to me. “Tell me, Daniel. What does Death usually mean?”

“Uh… exactly what you think? It means to stop living…”

Elizabeth giggled at the answer. “In life, that is true. However, in the world of fortune telling and Arcanas, Death is not the loss of life. Rather, it is change. You cast away your old self and transform into something new,” she corrected. “You have given up a life on Earth, a safe life, to join a select group in deciding the fate of another world. I wonder… how will this change affect you?”

I looked at the unrevealed cards. “Um… will I know the rest of my future?” I asked.

Igor simply chuckled. “Your future will present itself in due time, Daniel. Piece by piece, just like the power we have bestowed upon you.”

On those words, I instinctively looked at my bracelet. It still felt weird to have such power in such a small item. Then again, greater power’s been locked up in far smaller objects. But to actually wield it…

“Speaking of that power,” Elizabeth spoke, interrupting my train of thought. I looked up as she opened her tome, showing the battle I had against my Shadow. “I see you faced your other self, and won. Do not revel in your victory, however, as one’s own Shadow is not so easily dispelled. You will fight it again, and I believe it will be stronger. Be cautious in your next encounter.”

“Beyond that, you have found an Aspect of the Moon; the Aspect of Dreams,” Igor commented. As the meeting with Luna and myself played out, he chuckled. “Of course, it should be no surprise that the Princess of the Night herself is an Aspect. But you have a ways to go, young Daniel. There are six other Aspects out there, each giving you a new ability. This is adding on to the fact that strengthening the bonds you have strengthens the power they give you.”

I took the speech in stride. “Uh, wow. That’s quite a mouthful,” I replied.

I thought I heard Elizabeth mutter something under her breath, but that could’ve been me. The look Igor gave her, however, told me she did say something; something he didn’t approve of.

“Regardless, you now have your task. Find our Dweller and teach her the ways of the world to the best of your ability. Remember also, Daniel, that the Velvet Room is open to you, and do not hesitate to enter should you find yourself lost. Do you understand?”

I took a deep breath. It was time to begin again. “I understand, and I’m ready to go back.”

Igor swept his arm across the table. “Then it is time for you to reawaken in Equis. Until we meet again…” With that, the door behind me clicked. As I stood, both Dwellers gave me a nod. I nodded in return and went to the door. Upon leaving the room, a sudden wave of dizziness hit me, and everything went dark.

Author's Note

This is it, guys; he's finally going back! After nearly a year in real time! I apologize it took so long for him to return, and I thank every single one of you for sticking with me thus far.

From here, the story will finally focus on the Stalfos and his team instead of the guy.

Prologue: Me, Volvagia, And Some Random Guy

Prologue: Me, Volvagia, And Some Random Guy

"...and I'll be DAMNED if I let a dragon stop my progress!"

Those were the last words I uttered before I stepped into the arena. A rocky platform surrounded on all sides by lava, with 9 holes on its surface. The ground rumbled as my opponent rose from the middle crater. The in-game text revealed his name:

Subterranean Lava Dragon
Volvagia

I rolled my right arm, ready for battle. I gripped my controller, ready to face the next obstacle in what I considered my greatest challenge: the 3-heart run. With a smirk, I said one last thing before the fighting ensued. "Prepare to go back to your grave."

Guess I should introduce myself before I get too wrapped up in this. My name is...actually, I'll tell you that later, it's not important right now. I'm a gamer, almost literally born with a controller in my hands. And as a gamer, at least in my opinion, this also extends to being a computer guy. Not as big as, say, Tech, but pretty good at figuring out problems. I'm 6 feet tall, around 210 pounds, the whitest kid u know (not really, I do have a bit of a farmer's tan), and a Texas-born individual with the accent to match. Or I wish, but I feel living up north is making me lose it, but I ramble.

Speaking of rambling, I bring you back to the epic fight. Volvagia is looking grim, having to cast 3 fire spells to keep me guessing at where he'll pop up next. It's no different from the last two times: as he appears, I use a jump attack to drop the hammer on his poor head. He takes the hit, slumping from the weight I just applied. I follow up with another jump, making him clutch his throbbing cranium and sinking back into the pit. He comes up from the far end, ready to drop flaming rocks. I look at my health: 3 full hearts. This is almost too easy.

What? Personality? Okay...best way to say it, I always start by trying to be nice. At least, if I want to catch someone's attention. If I don't, I try to avoid people as much as possible. Or, if they're like Kyle Kusanagi (a.k.a. a perfect asshat), then I will respond with malice. I'm very easy to irritate, not very trusting (since my trust has been abused so much), but loyal to those I deem worthy enough to be considered a friend.

"Oh, that's not good," I muttered. What I was going to consider my "finishing blow" missed, and Volvagia kindly reminded me why it's important to land your hits. Namely, by bringing my 3 hearts down all the way to one. Yep, that critical sound was going off. This just turned from "curb-stomp battle" to "sudden death overtime." No health restoratives, no fairies for insurance, and certainly no more arrows to damage him further.

I glanced at the picture beside my emulator screen. "C'mon, Rainbow Dash. Give me some luck here!" Oh, you didn't know? Yeah, she's a character from this series called My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I'll admit, I didn't think much about it when it first came out: it's meant for young girls, not a college-level student, right? Well, fandoms have a way of getting into my media. After hearing so much hype about it (and finding a cool drawing of a ponified Justin from EGS kicking a dragon outta nowhere), I finally caved in to see what the hype was about. The rest, as they say, is history.

Volvagia came down from the sky and back into the arena. One, two, three, four, YES! He was close by! Lock on, jump attack, and...no! I missed again! I swear by Azura's Star that Volvagia laughed at my miss as he swung his claw at me, taking away the small amount of health that I had left. My character dropped his hammer, fell to his knees, and finally collapsed facedown into the dirt. Dead. And along with it, my 3-heart challenge. Oh, how I wish to practice that which I preach, especially when I see what happens to everyone else.

I closed the emulator in sorrow, and turned my attention to the picture of the rainbow-maned pegasus. Apparently, I couldn't will her to give me good luck. I switched to a different tab where I listen to music and started listening to the trainwreck that was the Battletoads 4 Player race.

"Such a pity. I thought you were doing so well," a voice remarked. I looked behind me to find a middle-aged man. You know, that one guy who's between 35 and 55, not old enough to be a geezer, but not exactly young enough to be ignorant of the world? Yeah, yeah, not everyone is hardwired the same, but that's how I see it. He was wearing a real nice tweed suit, with one of those old-time top hats (not like "Abe Lincoln" top hat, but like Flim and Flam's hats), red tie, and dark brown dress shoes.

First thought in my mind: The 1950s called. They want their look back. First thing I said: "I seem to be off today. That punk doesn't even get a hit on me when I'm doing a normal run."

"It happens sometimes," the man nodded in agreement. "Maybe next run, you'll get him back for this transgression."

I couldn't help but smile in agreement. "Yeah...there's always next time."

The man leaned on his cane (wait, where'd that cane come from?) as he glanced over at my laptop's screen, watching the race. He didn't seem interested in it, though. "Excuse me, but could you, uh, pull up that other tab you were on just now?" he asked politely. I was a tad worried about that request. As much as I liked the ponies, I wasn't quite as ecstatic to actually show my appreciation to everyone else. In fact, real life fact, the only one that knew about it within my family was my aunt, and that's because she watches it with her 6-year-old son. (Another fun fact: both believe Princess Luna is best pony)

After a moment's hesitation, I clicked on the tab I had recently broken away from. "Interesting..." he said. "You're one of them 'brony' fellows, aren't you?"

No denying it now. "Yes..." I muttered. I closed my eyes, not really wanting to see the negative reaction. So it was surprising when I actually heard him chuckling.

"No need to hide it, boy," he said. "Nothing wrong with it. Actually, let's talk a bit. You hungry?"

As soon as he said the word, my stomache rumbled. I gave a nervous laugh. "A little, yeah."

He pointed over to the nearby diner. "How about we fix that? It's on me, and before you say no, don't worry. I have no problem paying for you."

We decided to eat outside of the diner. It was a nice enough day, clouds were blocking the sun, but there was no rain, we had a nice breeze, and the temperature was around the 80F mark. Even though he was paying for me, I ordered something small so I didn't break his wallet. Our conversation was mostly pony-related: this guy seemed to really know his stuff. Was he a brony, too? As I polished off the last of my fries, he asked the two most important questions (or at least the ones I considered most important).

"So out of all the different ponies out there, who's your favorite?" Ah, the old "who is best pony?" question. The one question sure to get fans debating, but never fighting. At least, I haven't seen much fighting over it.

"Well," I started, "like most fans, I don't really have a favorite. For me, it's more along the lines of 'which pony do you like best in this category?' simply because my top three are all different types."

"Don't keep me in suspense," the gentleman egged on. "I wish to know."

"For pegasus, that's a given always," I chuckled. "You say 'pegasus,' my first thought is always Fluttershy. It's just so hard to dislike her, or even have neutral feelings for her.

"Unicorns aren't really my favorite type, but thanks to the fandom, they seem to display the Great and Powerful Trixie as such a likable character. If you follow their interpretation most of the time, she just seems like a shoo-in.

"And for Earth Pony, honestly," I chuckled again, knowing what I was going to say, "I believe I follow Commander Shephard in his decision: Applejack is the best pony in all of Equestria. She's got great strength, a kind soul, never afraid to tell it like it is, and...well..." I mutter the last part to myself, "her accent reminds me of home."

The man smiled. "Nothing shameful about connecting with someone simply because they remind you of your roots." He took a bite out of his fish before he asked the second question: "Given the chance, would you like to meet them?"

I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Where have I heard this before? "I actually wouldn't mind. Even if it's just meeting their VA's, I'd feel honored. It's ju-"

"Nonononononono, you didn't hear me," the man cut me off. "I didn't ask if you'd like to meet their voice actors. I asked if you wanted to meet THEM. The ponies themselves. How would you like to meet Fluttershy, Trixie, and Applejack?"

"It's impossible, isn't it?" I asked. "It's just a show, nothing more."

The man frowned and gestured at me to give him my hand. "The difficult can be done immediately," he responded. He placed a black pill in my palm. "The impossible simply takes a while." We got up as he paid the bill. "If you want to truly see them, take that pill. If you don't believe me, you can do whatever you wish with it: keep it in case you change your mind, give it to someone who really wants to go to Equestria, or simply throw it away without a second thought."

I broke eye contact with him and examined the pill. It was one of those "liquid pills," the kind with a shell that actually holds the liquid inside, and God help you if you break the capsule before you pop it in your mouth. I took a deep breath. "Assuming I actually go through with this, what will I be?" No answer. I looked up and found he was long gone.

Before I headed home, our waiter stopped me. "That old man asked me to give you this. He said you'd know what it meant." Without another word, he handed me a sheet of paper and went back to his duties.

Thus, it brings me to why I'm sitting back in my apartment, with a black liquid pill on a small plate, with a glass of water on the right and a quarter in my left hand. I kept switching my gaze from the coin, to the pill, to the note, and back to the coin. I examined the quarter: normal, George was on one side, the eagle on the other. The pill was black as ever. The sheet of paper was a simple sentence: "Your form is related to what killed you first in your 3 heart run."

I thought back to how Volvagia had defeated me. To be that underground lizard? In such a peaceful land? I couldn't bring myself to unleash that kind of evil on them! Then again...that would be me, right? I could choose to be Volvagia, or I could choose to be me: Mr. Nice Guy who could roast the one who pissed me off one too many times.

I looked back at the coin. I sighed and thought to myself. This will make my decision for me. Heads, I take the risk. I may wind up in the hospital, and Dad may give me a dope slap for actually doing this, but that's only if it doesn't work. If it does, hey, I'm a snapping dragon in Equestria! If it's tails, I'll just toss it. I don't want to be tempted to go back on a coin's decision, and I doubt anyone would believe me if I told them what this was for. I nodded and flipped the coin as high into the air without hitting the ceiling as I could. When it came down, I caught it and slapped it onto the back of my hand.

I lifted my hand slowly. The result............

was heads.

Well, Equestria, I thought, prepare yourself for Volvagia, the dragon. I grabbed the pill, threw it into my throat, and took a swig of water to help. I waited for a while for something to happen. 5 minutes passed. 10 more passed. And another 15. Nothing happened. I sighed. I guess it was too good to be true. I rolled my arms and decided to go to bed.

"Oh, tomorrow's gonna be a long day if that pill doesn't agree with me," I muttered. I gave one last look at the diner across from the apartment complex, wondering who exactly was that guy? I hit the bed, closed my eyes, and went to sleep.

I reiterate: Why, oh why, do I never practice what I preach? Because in all things, the lady known as Fate just HATES it when you tempt her.

5: Ladder Matches and the Things They Burn

Chapter 5: Ladder Matches and The Things They Burn

In all honesty, I actually expected a chupacabra like the one I saw from Jackie Chan Adventures. Maybe a bit bigger. Instead, what I'm staring at is nothing more than a goat. Seriously? Those guys were breaking their bowels over THIS? I thought. This thing looked less dangerous than Monster Madness's version of the chupacabra, and THAT'S saying something! This was going to be easier than the cyclops!

............

That was before it showed its true colors. That goat turned itself inside out to reveal a huge, snarling brown lizard with razor-sharp teeth, knife-like claws, and jagged scales. Again, I thanked God for my form, because if I were human, I probably would've been wishing for my brown pants.

In a flash, the monster jumped right at me. Instead of dodging out of the way, though, I rolled onto my back and allowed it to get over me. I planted my feet on its chest and, using as much strength as I could muster, shot him over to the other side. That thing was quick: no sooner had I lifted it, it had manuvered itself to where it would land on its feet, ready to pounce again. The monster charged at me, however, instead of jumping towards me. I held my kite shield up, ready for impact.

I silently counted to myself. 3...2...1...NOW! I dashed towards my opponent, shield raised and sword travelling behind. Claw and steel collided, sending the chupacabra reeling. Capitalizing, I pierced his right side with a sharp thrust. It howled in pain, actually knocking me down with its tail, but failing to follow up. And that was good for me, since I think I lost my leg with its tail swipe attack. As I used my sword to steady myself, I was shocked to find it glowing.

A white aura surrounded it, as if a holy spell had been cast on it. But I couldn't recall using any such spell. Or even knowing one, for that matter. I ignored it for the moment to look for my leg.

............oh, that no-good, goat-eating, son of a bitch.

The chupacabra had decided that my leg would make a good snack, and was gnawing on it with its sharp teeth! "Give that back! It's not yours to eat!" I yelled. I hopped over to it and tried to use my sword to convince it that my leg was not tasty. He deflected it with a quick claw combo, blocking the sword and hitting me in the torso area. I felt a few ribs dislocate, but I shook it off for the moment. I tried again, same results, except different ribs were dislocated. This was not doing well for my PR.

How was I going to get that thing to drop my leg? Wait, if I could control it before, when I fell down the stairs and became a disjumbled mess, could I control it now? I flexed my unattached limb. Yes, it responded in kind! The chupacabra stopped, surprised its snack had started moving. It munched harder on the leg, trying to break the bone. I flexed it back, the heel kicking the monster in the jaw. It only served to piss it off, as I heard the bone start to give in. Wait, I've had the solution since before I even came into this place!

Dropping my sword, I tossed my kite shield into my right hand. Aiming carefully, I threw it right at the chupacabra's legs. It connected, making the monster howl in pain and drop my limb. Hopping over, picking up my sword along the way, I decided it was time to finish this with a bang. As I hopped, my sword's aura changed from white to red as it connected with the lizard's skull. And I got my wish. When I removed the blade, the chupacabra let out one final guttural roar before it exploded into tiny chunks. The head came down towards me, and I let my sword become a shishkebab by catching it. The aura had disappeared from my twisted blade.

The crowd roared for me again as I lifted the head in triumph. Some of the skeletons I saw during my intermission were looking around, and I saw some of the attendants around them were nodding their heads, as if they agreed my match was awesome. Others were shrugging their shoulders, while one undead type, I won't point out which, waved their hands as if they could do better.

I left the stage, tossing the head into the crowd as a gift for them. The one who caught it actually squealed in delight for having something to take home. Who knew they loved this sort of thing? I waited for the announcer before I took my official leave.

"The winner, once again, is Daniel, the fighter for Jack's Weapon Emporium! That's what I call a match-up!" The crowd roared again as I took my leave...

...only to pass right through Melody and bump into Jack, who were both at the gate.

Melody looked downcast, and Jack looked a bit sorrowful as well. Why would they? I just got through round 2 of the tournament, and I'm pleasing the crowd.

Melody spoke first. "I'm sorry, Mr. Fortiskay, but I couldn't keep it a secret any longer," she murmured, nearly breaking down into tears.

"What are you talking about, Melody?" I asked. "Keep what a secret?"

"Quarter. Now," Jack commanded. His voice was more forceful than it was when we first met. I had a suspicion about what the secret was, but I didn't want to own up to it in the open. And apparently, Jack didn't want anyone else to hear, either. Nodding, we took refuge in my room.

My fears were confirmed. Not my worst ones, since that would include guards coming and taking me away immediately for execution. Instead, Melody had confided in Jack about my true form, since he was sponsoring me and she was worried for his well being should others find out. Jack seemed sorrowful not because of this fact, but because I wasn't honest with him when we first met. We sat in my room, discussing the full tale of how I came to be (starting from when I woke up in the Black Marsh and leaving out my meeting with Olman). As I finished, I tossed my robe and hat onto the bed, waiting for the retribution.

"So, you be Stalfos?" Jack asked. I simply nodded, not in the mood to speak up. "You want release Keeta?" Another nod. "You know why Stalfos untrusted?" I shook my head. I had heard from Melody they were all wiped out, save Keeta, but I never knew the why of it.

Melody piped up here. "Stalfos were never trusted here. Most of them were created by unicorns using dark magic and unholy rituals. They attacked anyone who dared enter an area their summoner labeled 'restricted.' 30 years ago, a foolish unicorn by the name of Mordroc created a whole group of them and labeled our city as 'restricted.' His army drove out all of us. Of course, we were all 'living' at this point. Most of the males tried to fight back. They were cut down. Those that fled were either picked off or caught by the other unholy abominations of the forest. He had taken over the whole town.

"Of course, his victory was short lived. In his glory, he dismissed the Stalfos as his summons. Since they were no longer under his employ, and he was technically in a 'restricted' area..." she made a motion with her hoof. Man, Mordroc was one stupid necromancer. "After his death, Igos, his strongest Stalfos, took the throne for himself and named himself King of the city."

I cut her off here. "Waitwaitwaitwaitwait. Two questions. First, what's the name of this city? I never saw the city limit sign when I came in."

"This be Necro City," Jack piped up. "Igos name it after taking over."

Necro City. That's a pun of some sort, I just know it. "Second, Are you sure it was only 30 years ago?"

Melody nodded. "Yes. Igos actually ruled this town for 28 years with an iron fist. He treated other undead like dirt, while Stalfos and skeletons basically lived a life of luxury. The same went with his followers. Except..." she trailed off.

I motioned for her to continue. "Who? Who didn't follow King Igos's orders?"

Although it was the answer I expected, it still surprised me when she said it. "Everyone except Captain Keeta."

21: Leaning On The Fourth Wall, Much?

Chapter 21 Leaning On The Fourth Wall, Much?

We circled the arena, waiting for the other to make the first move. Now, usually, I would charge in and unleash hell. But, for some reason, I felt something was missing.

"What's wrong, Stalfos?" Shanoa asked. "Regretting picking a fight with King Highwind now?"

"Nope.avi," I responded. "But, I just feel...something is missing. Do you hear anything?"

In case you couldn't tell, I forget that you can't convey confusion on a skeleton by looks alone, so it always catches me off guard when they actually DO convey it. Don't ask why. "No...am I supposed to?" she asked.

"Not really...but it's going to annoy me for forever and a day if there's no crowd or music. Wait, that's IT! One moment, milady." Again, don't ask how this works, because even NOW, I have no idea what I was doing, or even how I did this. I pulled a jukebox out of nowhere and started playing random songs I believed that would be fitting for background music. Some select tracks:

Highway to the Dang- No. That'll be good for flying, but flying this ain't.

Hmm...may be non-lyrical, but it's a tiny bit cliche.

Indestructible, deter- No. But gotta keep that one in mind for the next karaoke session.

Another non-lyrical. Better, but still not what I'm looking for.

I lo- GOOD GOD, NO! Whoever created this jukebox, I hope they're in hell right now!!! Wait...

Hey...okay, this track doesn't have lyrics, but the beat is...catchy. VERY catchy. Yeah, this will do. Mental note: If/when I go back to Earth, find the soundtrack this song comes from and GET IT!

I turned to my opponent, the jukebox disappearing, but the music still playing in the background. "Okay, NOW I'm...wait, where'd she go?"

She wasn't there. Recap: we're on the Final Destination, which is nothing but a flat piece of land. There are no places to hide, therefore you can see an opponent no matter what. Yet, I couldn't find her. So where could she be? And why was the shadow under me growing bigoh no...

*SMACK!*

Unicorns. The MMORPG mages of Equestria. I fucking HATE the MMORPG mages. Just when you think you've figured their tactics out, they pull out ONE MORE SPELL to throw everything out the window and start from scratch. Doesn't help that I'm usually a warrior who can't get in range.

As soon as the dust settled (and I found my head), I saw her on the far edge, shimmering back into existance. Invisibility spell, how typical. She pawed the ground, ready to charge. I grabbed my heavy warhammer, which will henceforth be referred to as MC, and charged. We looked ready to meet in the middle and clash in the most epic way possible. ...three guesses as to what really happened, first two don't count.

If you guessed she teleported behind me, go get yourself a cookie. If you guessed she threw a black orb with eyes at me, go get yourself a cookie. If you guessed she teleported behind me AND threw a black orb with eyes at me, go get yourself two cookies, take a scoop of ice cream, and make yourself a sammich, because you DESERVE it.

I swear, this lady was not out to stop me as much as she was out to piss me off (which, all things considered, is succeeding, thanks to the BGM). I looked around, trying to find ANYTHING that could help me even the odds. Let's see...there's a red and white ball, a huge box that looked like a present, a flower (really?), and another black orb with eyes. Yeah, real nice options for me.

I decided to start with the black orb. On closer inspection, I found it to be a Bob-omb. You know what that is, right? I really don't have to explain what that is, right? Actually..."Yeah, this is useless against her," I muttered. I tossed it over my shoulder without a thought, only to hear an explosion (expected) and a random cry of "MY LEG!" (TOTALLY unexpected)

Disregarding the items for now, I turned back to Shanoa and slammed MC on the ground, begging for her to charge me again. She instead charged her horn AGAIN to reveal a small red thing. She threw it at me, and...well, let's just say that the pain I would've felt had I had flesh? It would SMART.

Funny enough, when the explosion sent me flying, I barreled right into the bitch. Nowhere for her to run now! I pulled out MC and went to town, trying to smash her into a million bits just as she was trying to make me another firework. It is here that I remember why I liked my Regal Sword over MC: the Regal Sword's prep, swing, and recovery should you miss were a LOT faster than MC's! It didn't help that she wouldn't just stand still and take a shot, no, that'd be TOO easy on me! After 10 minutes of awesome music but no damage on her (while she went in with a few jabs of her own, to save magic I guess), I decided to drop the hammer and just rely on my fists.

I guess this is a bit late to say, but I was never good with fisticuffs. I never trained, and my fights back home, just about all of them street fights, were never drawn out to where I could learn what worked and what didn't. But even so, I did manage to get a few respectable hits on my opponent. That said, it still wasn't enough, and she bucked me into the middle of the arena, back to the items from before.

I looked at the red and white ball. Hey, this looks familiar...
*loading*
*loading*
*loading*
*DING!*
"Holy hiphopoppotomus, a Pokeball!" I cried. I grabbed it and threw it towards Shanoa, hoping for something good! The ball opened, a bright light filled the air, and my savior was in the form of.........

...a Magikarp. A freaking Magikarp. The poor bastard was just flopping around helplessly, gasping for air. It's at this point I finally snapped. Shanoa laughing her nonexistant ass off was not helping. So I pulled out a BFG. I picked up the flower, yelled, "SCREW YOU, BUDDY!" and threw it at the fish. Can anyone guess what this particular BFG stands for? Because it doesn't stand for "Big Flipping Gun." Here's what my BFG was:

Big. Fucking. Goof-up.

You see, when that Magikarp took that hit, it started to glow white. It grew. Yeah, Pokefans know what's going on. I didn't like it. Shanoa was laughing harder. And as soon as the glowing stopped, I was facing a tall, blue, pissed-off sea serpent.

For the uneducated, that tall, blue, pissed-off sea serpent goes by the name Gyarados. Go ahead, say hi! As for me, I'm just gonna SCREAM MY HEAD OFF AND RUN AROUND THE ARENA HOPING IT DOESN'T DESTROY ME! As always, it's one thing to say it, and another thing to DO it. Barring me was high-powered water, blue fire in the form of Dragon Rage, and a yellow beam that made even MORE explosions. Yeah, today's fight had a nice, explosive theme, doesn't it?

I ran past Shanoa, who was still laughing hard, when I called out, "SPECIAL DELIVERY!" She finally calmed herself down to mutter, "Wha...?" before she was hit with Dragon Rage. It did little damage, but it still managed to knock her off her high chair, and decide to fight again. Also, it was when Shanoa took the hit that Olman convinced the other gods to pity me and take away the evil blue sea serpent. (At least, that's what I'm going to believe)

So we had another round of CQC, this time with more blows being exchanged between us, when Shanoa grabbed the Golden Hammer. Brawl fanatics know, and will tell you, just how dangerous this thing is. Whoever grabs it starts mindlessly swinging it in front of them, destroying any and all obstacles in their way. And may they have mercy on you if that obstacle happens to be you.

Of course, there's always a small, SMALL chance that the Golden Hammer is, in fact, a PikoPiko Hammer in disguise. The difference between the two? PikoPiko does nothing except make a "Pik pik pik" sound when it hits you. Doesn't hurt a bit. Which is why I was so happy when I got hit and heard that melodius noise. So happy, in fact, that I expressed it with the present box that had miraculously survived the Gyarados encounter. I picked it up (yes, it was VERY heavy), and threw it at the skeletal unicorn with a shout of "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

It knocked the hammer out of her grasp and sent her flying. Not as far as I hoped, but still. When she landed, I glanced at the remains of the box. In the debris, to my delight, was my favorite weapon in this god-forsaken place.

The Beam Sword. A simple, metallic hilt with a pink beam coming out of it, manipulated to look like a dagger. But, in the right possession, able to triple its size and send suckers flying. And boy, was it in the best possession ever. With it in my grasp, I charged Shanoa once more.

Unfortunately, I forgot one minor detail. She's still a unicorn. She still has magic. Before I could connect, she teleported away, making me trip on MC and land on my face. Did I mention how annoying it was getting? While I shook off the pain, I grabbed the hammer and placed it on my back, making sure it was secure before I looked for Shanoa once more. And when I found her, I wish I hadn't.

You see, while I was distracted, Shanoa had found Bob-ombs. Many Bob-ombs. So many, in fact, that she used her telekinesis to form a wall to separate us. Her chuckle only served to remind me what Bender would tell me if he were around.

"Well, Stalfos?" she finally spoke, with a hint of arrogance. "Any last words before you become fireworks?" An idea sparked in my head.

"Only two," I replied. With the flick of my wrist, I threw my Beam Sword at the wall and yelled, "THINK FAST!" Apparently, though, it didn't register for her in time, because my sword hit a Bob-omb. It exploded, close enough for another Bob-omb to explode. And another. And yet another. Repeat until all are gone and Shanoa is flying off of the arena.

I quickly picked up my sword as I ran to that edge, where Shanoa was trying to get enough movement to grab on and pull herself up. Unfortunately, I wasn't going to let her get that far. I pulled out MC one more time and, as she came closer, I said, "STOP! ...HAMMER TIME!" and dropped it on her head. With no ground to stop her, she went into the abyss.

Wait for it...

There was a bright flash of light. "Game set," I chuckled. The music stopped, and the Final Destination started to disappear as I was transported back to the room.

33. Mansions and Skaterparks

Chapter 33: Mansions and Skaterparks

Okay, so I bet you're dying to know what the inside of the mansion looked like. Well, imagine the fanciest mansion you've ever been in. ...never been in one? Then just imagine the fanciest house you’ve managed to see the inside of. It can range from a rich friend, a video game, a movie, etc. Got the best? Good.

Now increase the beauty of it tenfold.

As I picked my jaw up off of the floor, Drac stomped his hoof twice. Immediately, two unicorns had ran over to him, heads bowed. "Yes, sir?" they asked in unison.

Shiira stepped forward, Morva still on her back. "The lion and the unicorn are fighting for the crown," he muttered.

He knows the password, Bard said. He has to die.

Did I mention having no eyes has its perks? Because it does: no one knows when you roll them. Perfect if you're crazy and have voices in your head that say the dumbest things! But I'm steering away from the story.

Drac lifted the lizard off of Shiira's back with his magic, setting it on the right unicorn's back. "This guest was poisoned. He's cured, but he needs some rest, so I need you two to take him to one of the guest rooms. Can this be done without a problem?"

Both unicorns nodded in sync. I guess I should mention that every unicorn looked the same: light-blue mane, fuschia coat, wearing a black and white maid outfit. If there was a way to tell them apart, I couldn't tell. As Morva was taken out of sight, Drac turned to the rest of us. "While he's being taken care of, why don't I show you around?" he asked, gesturing to the doors under the stairs.

The tour was pretty long, considering the size. There was a room for EVERYTHING: a ball room, a kitchen, a work-out room, a room full of armor, a room for tea time, a room full of nothing but clothes (for mares AND stallions), and so many other rooms that I thought could not exist. Although, some of them I actually wondered why he had in the first place, like a freaking conservatory.

Apparently, Drac DID build this topside: where the shack was, in fact. But, according to the big guy himself, 200 years after it was built, it sank into the swamp. So he built the shack as a disguise and dug his way back to the mansion. Of course, this was difficult as it was only himself and you had to dig the hole, drain the water, build a staircase and line the walls up with torches...yeah. When he finally found it, it was just as bad as the shack; maybe even worse.

So, he set out north of the marsh, into Equestria. NOW he had my attention. He had traveled the lands and picked up ponies of all kinds: usually orphans or street rats, those that society wouldn't miss should something happen to them. But he treated them with care and respect, and gave them shelter in exchange for restoring the mansion to glory and keeping it tidy.

If you ask me, they succeeded greatly.

Our tour ended in the hallway, with multiple doors leading to guest rooms. As everyone chose a room and retired, Drac stopped me from entering the one I wanted. "Get some rest, because tomorrow, you're going to start a bit of training. You may have beaten me because I let you, but others aren't so kind." I nodded and entered my room. After stretching my limbs, I climbed into bed and nodded off.

---The Mindscape---

I had a good silence for about fifteen minutes before a familiar figure entered my vision. You know, tweed suit, Flim and Flam-style hat, and cane? Yep, Olman had deemed it a good time to see me finally.

"Good evening, Daniel," he greeted.

"Likewise, Olman," I returned.

"Good to see you're doing well, my champion. I'm actually glad the others rejected my offer now."

I rolled my eyes. "You say that as if putting me on your team was a bad idea at the time."

Olman shrugged his shoulders as he waved a hand. It showed my fights; against the cyclops, chupacabra, Wisp, Drac, Morva, Shiira, Shanoa, Highwind's forces, Highwind himself, and Albus. Each one only played for a moment, showing the highest and lowest points of the matches. After each passed, Olman waved his hand again, revealing a sphere.

"You did as I wished," Olman said, "but your skill is...very lacking. You need training." He handed me the sphere as he finished the sentence.

"Yeah, Drac agrees with you, because he's having me start training tomorrow," I revealed. The sphere disappeared into my hand, but I didn't notice a change of any sort. "I don't know what kind of training, though. And that worries me."

The geezer tapped his chin for a moment before nodding. "Well, I have an idea. How about a bit of training in your sleep?"

Training in my sleep? That's new. Wonder what I'm going to learn?

"I bet you're wondering what you're going to learn," he said.

Oh, he's good, Bard chuckled. Oh, great, he's entered my dreams, too. I shall never have a good night's sleep again.

"You shall learn two things in your sleep: sword training and freerunning. While it's obvious why you need sword training, I have a reason for freerunning."

"And that would be?" I asked.

"That, I cannot reveal yet," Olman chuckled. "But I will say this: if I can get my way, you'll get to see someone you've known since the day you were born."

"...why aren't you going to tell me?"

"Because I don't want to get your hopes up. Though you will agree that when you see him, he's the best there is."

I nodded before a thought entered my mind. "Just how long am I stuck here? I mean, I know I came here of my own free will, but can't I leave the same way?"

Olman tapped the floor with his cane. "Sadly, that is not how it works," he answered. "Your adventures in the underground city were just the beginning. You will be able to go home, that much I can assure you. But I wouldn't hold my breath for it being anytime soon."

I closed my eyes in thought. When I opened them again, the land changed from empty space to a warehouse. Multiple ledges, a wooden halfpipe, rails...it looked like it was ripped from a Tony Hawk game.

"You'll spend most of your training, sword and freerunning, here in this warehouse," Olman instructed. "You can stay as little or as long as you like. Just remember that you can't heal until you wake, so careful of injuries. Understood?"

I nodded. As I examined the room, I found the Beam Sword hilt lying on the ground. I picked it up and clicked the button, the pink blade showing itself.

"Ah, also I hope you don't mind that I've taken your Beam Sword and kept it in here. I know you like it, but I've enchanted it to where it won't leave your mind. After all, you have the other sword, right?"

"And the shield," I added, swinging the sword and getting a feel for it. "Not sure if I still have MC, though. It'd be nice to have a two-handed weapon."

Olman was behind me, so I couldn't see his expression. "Then I would suggest a lance: they have a good reach. Plus, lances over sword, remember?"

I performed a small spin attack, facing Olman as it ended. "Yeah, but axes over lances, and swords over axes. I know the weapon triangle. Not many people uses lances."

"But even fewer rely on axes," Olman pointed out. "Therefore, by mastering a lance, you have a huge advantage over opponents. It's up to you in the end, however. If you don't want to, you don't have to."

After a while longer, I finally clicked the button, returning the Beam Sword back to just a hilt. Q&A time, I believe. "So, the gods saw fit to have fun here. But just what are you the god of?" I asked.

Olman tapped his cane again. "Hmm...a blunt question, my champion. But a good one. I guess you can call me the god of cutscenes."

"...what," I deadpanned.

"Oh, don't write it off as rubbish JUST yet," he countered. "Think of every single cutscene you've witnessed. Ever wonder how one gains so much power when you're not in control? I give them that power. I can also take it away, hence why others can't seem to catch a break when you're not controlling them. Then there are the events that happen where you need to press a button to gain an advantage, prevent a disadvantage, or even to avoid kicking the bucket. Though it seems trivial, it is what I am."

Well, he certainly has the charisma. I wonder, though, if he was telling the truth. I mean, c'mon, video game cutscenes? He's gotta be pulling my leg. Or...he's not ready to reveal it just yet, and that's what he's gonna stick with until he IS ready to tell me.

"So why did you accept the offer?" Olman suddenly asked.

His question caught me off-guard. I hesitated before saying, "Had nothing better to do on Earth. It was boring, and this seemed like an interesting option."

"That's not your only reason, is it?" he questioned.

I stayed silent for a while. "...my life isn't really one I wanna talk about, okay? Besides, if you're a god, you should know what my past was like."

Olman pulled on the top of his cane. Slowly, it detached to reveal a sword. Sword cane. An old man's gotta have defense somehow, I guess, Bard observed.

He pointed the blade at me with a smile. "Point," he said. With that, he thrusted the blade at me. I hit the button on the hilt and side-jumped, glaring at the god.

---One Training Match Later---

*pant, pant, pant*

"Well, you're pretty skilled for someone not trained," Olman remarked, sheathing his sword. I couldn't reply: our session left me gasping for air from trying to keep him from hitting me. I dropped to my hand and knees, my sword dropped to the side. He helped me back to my feet and put my hands behind my head. "Remember what your athletic coaches taught you," he said. "You'll get more oxygen this way."

I breathed in, held for a moment, and breathed out coughing. "What was...that for?" I asked.

"Had to gauge you somehow. I know now where to start you off. Now wake up. It should be time." A bright flash erupted from the sword cane's gem, blinding me. When it faded, Olman was gone.

I sense a lot of fun in your future, Bard laughed.

I sense a lot of pain in my future, honestly, I muttered. I closed my eyes, letting darkness take me again.

Author's Note

Yay, I finally have another chapter made. And yay, I finally have new coverart! The one responsible is in the story description, in case you want to see more of their work.

48: Forward, Backward, Over, Under

Chapter 48: Forward, Backward, Over, Under

*Three Days After Awakening*

One broken down sword. One shield erased of its paint job from the tournament. A fresh new set of robes that I should really start paying for somehow. A beautiful bracelet that just appeared out of thin air. Status: major power decrease.

Even worse; I was getting bored waiting for my sword to be repaired. I stayed in my room, pacing. Had to keep moving; I feel like something bad will happen if I stop.

Apparently, I forgot that I closed the door. I heard someone knocking. I stopped pacing and started tapping my foot. “Yeah?”

“Your favorite flier is here!” said the voice.

I could’ve smirked. “Prove it,” I commanded. “Phase through the door.”

The voice scoffed. “It’s Shiira, you dolt. And Melody’s nowhere near my flying expertise!” Is it just me, or has she gotten an ego over the past week? I also could’ve argued with her on her boast, but I decided to see what would happen if I fed her confidence.

“Very true. Door’s open, anyway, c’mon in,” I replied.

Shiira opened the door and strutted around. Not gonna lie, I missed the black and gold mane and tail. Very unique if you ask me. “Honestly, the nerve of some creatures these days,” she huffed as she came in.

“Letter of the law, Fangs. You said ‘favorite flier.’ You said nothing about the best,” I pointed out.

The vampire smirked. Whoops, more ego feeding. “I am the best, aren’t I?” She chuckled a little before stopping her strut in front of me. “Unfortunately, what I have to tell you won’t exactly make your attitude soar.”

Oh, great, they sent her to give me the bad news. Why couldn’t they have just sent Melody? I can’t get mad at her… too much. “Let me guess: the paladins have already found us?” I asked.

“Oh, don’t be silly. This place is well-hidden,” she chuckled. With a cough, she gave me probably the most stoic look I’ve ever seen. “The Skaven is joining us.”

If I had a heart, it would stop there. Now, while I was out, they had captured the one that priestess called Specter and supposedly gotten a lot of information on why she even wandered this way. The guy was a crack shot, he didn’t mess around, and I’m sure he had the means to kill me had worse came to worst.

I coughed. “Shiira. I know a lot of people that can tell a bold-faced lie with the straightest of faces. You’re pulling my leg.” I tugged at my leg to get the point across. Dunno why, I’m dumb like that sometimes.

Shiira sighed. “Sorry to disappoint, Daniel, but… it’s true. I swear on my wings.”

Son of a bitch. I turned away from her and started feeling around. “Okay, where’d I put the sword…”

Shiira began to hover behind me. “Listen, I know you have your doubts, and honestly who wouldn’t after that fiasco from last week, but everyone else talked about this. And we think this may help us in the long run.” She came into sight, doing a backstroke-type fly. I still don’t know how it works. “How does this look? I feel as though I’m leaned to the right a little.”

I sighed. “Then lean to the left. But what makes you think putting him on our side will make him suddenly change his heart? What makes you think he won’t backstab us?”

The vampire did a quick aileron roll and righted herself before looking at me. “Listen, Danny-boy,” she began.

“Don’t call me Danny-boy…” I interrupted.

“Listen, Danny-boy,” she recited more forcefully, “there’s five of us and one of him. I’d add Marcy and Melody, but they’re not combative. If he tries anything to kill us, we will make him deader than us. And need I remind you that it took thirteen of them to even put you down? He is only one rat.”

“One rat that could escape our sight and snipe us,” I countered. “He’s probably got a secret stash of silver arrows or holy water or something like that!”

“Oh, he doesn’t. Dracula took his weapons, and Melody confirmed he didn’t have anything that could hurt us. She figured you’d be paranoid.”

“I’m amazed someone picked up on that,” I muttered.

Shiira finally landed and yawned. “Well, if you’re done losing your head on this, I’d say you go meet our newest recruit.”

“I’ll get on that,” I answered, finally remembering my sword was being repaired and picking up a greatsword nearby. “While I’m at it, I’ll take his head and mount it on a pike.”

I opened the door out of the room, but I was blocked by the red pegasus. “No, you won’t,” she snorted.

“Uh, did you happen to count the arrows in me when you cleaned up the mess?” I asked.

“Oh, stop bitching about it. They didn’t do anything to you, and you’ve survived worse.” I tried to walk around her, but she moved in front of me, locking eyes. “Look, if I didn’t make it clear before, this was a majority vote. Like it or not, he’s coming with us.”

“Like hell he is!” I shouted. “If any of the others were out there fighting, they’d have the same reservations I do!”

Her stare seemed to intensify. “Daniel. I’m telling you this for your safety. If he joins us, we have five others who will deal with him if he tries anything. You go and kill him, you will be dealing with four of them. And last I checked, I kicked your bony butt last time.”

I growled at the memory. “You got lucky…” I mumbled.

“Just the complaints of a loser~♪” Shiira taunted in a sing-song voice. “And once again, defying the majority will make me replay the scene for everyone. Or at least the highlights.”

My hand trembled. She had backed me into a corner. “...fine. I’ll let him in. But if he tries anything, I’m the one that kills him!” I ordered.

The pegasus giggled as she took off down the hallway. “That’s for Dracula to decide, he’s the one calling the shots!” she gave as a parting shot.

I made sure she was out of sight before I slammed my blade into the wall in anger. No wonder the living aren’t on good terms with vamps; they can play you like a fiddle.

*on Earth*

“Up… down… make every stroke precise… keep focus…”

The young girl kept her motions as smooth as she recited to herself. Her pencil sketched the scene before her. It was a nice forest: quiet, nice to come and relax after a hectic day of classes. She could’ve painted it, possibly with watercolors or even oil. But she preferred sketching as it meant she could color it later, back at the dorms.

“Just a bit more,” she murmured. While China was her home, she came to America to study abroad. Most of her studies involved the ways of art and English. How long ago was that? It couldn’t have been more than two or three years. Four at the most. One more stroke, and… “Done!” She put her pencil behind her ear and looked at the forest scene on her easel. She then looked beyond the sketch.

Strangely enough, someone was there. Another girl. White shirt, a blue hat, plaid skirt… quite the unusual get-up for Texas. Then again, she’s seen worse. Blue Hat approached the artist. “What’cha sketching?” she asked.

“I am… well, I was sketching the forest.” The young artist picked up her easel. “I’m sorry, but I need to get this back to the dorms.”

“Allow me to help,” the blue hatted girl offered. She picked up what the artist couldn’t. “Name’s Maria.”

The girl adjusted her easel. “Amy. Nice to meet you, I guess.”

“Amy… yeah, that sounds like a good name,” Maria nodded. “Mind if I stick with you for a while?”

“I’m sorry, but I’m very busy today,” Amy sighed. This was a lie; the sketch was her last objective for the day, and she wanted to relax. Unfortunately for her, her guest knew this all too well.

“Much as I’d like to let you go… I need your help. Plus, you and I both know you have nothing for the rest of the day.” She followed Amy. “I can help you get everything back to your place.”

Amy sighed again. “You’re going to be persistent, aren’t you?”

“Yes. Very.” Maria was blunt and honest.

Amy kept walking. She got to her truck and put her easel in the back cab. “Why would you need my help?” she asked.

“It’s a long story. Might take all afternoon if you want to hear it from the start,” Maria answered.

Amy took a deep breath. She knew this would come back and bite her. She just didn’t know how soon. “Get in. We’ll drop my stuff off, then I need to grab a bite to eat.”

Author's Note

Geez, how long has it been since I last put up a chapter? Well, loyal followers, I'm glad you stuck, because I've finally gotten over that damned writer's block! ...well, for this round. Hopefully it won't take half a year for the next one.