Dark Souls: Story of the Blanks

Chapter Seven

The Wheels of Fate Turns

(Everfree Forest)

Celestia continued to make her way through the rough terrain of the Everfree Forest. So far thanks to SouthPaw staying behind to keep the undead ponies distracted, she was able to get a good enough distance between her and the monsters. Tired, out of breath, and possibly burned enough calories for the rest of her life, the princess of the sun leaned against a tree as she gasped for air.

“Never would’ve thought in one thousand years I would have to run for my life like this. Starting to see why Luna would keep pestering me about getting in shape.” She said before getting into a somewhat sassy pose of Luna. “I told you that you should’ve worked more than just sit on your flank and eat sweets all day. Now look where that got you. Stuck in the forest with a bunch of zombie ponies that want to kill you so they can be your friend~” She said before looking around at her surroundings. “And I’m talking to myself again...swell.”

Celestia looked up at the moonlit sky to see the magic trail of the blast that showed her and the guards from out of the air. She will admit that it does look beautiful with the way the aqua-green color mixed well with the deep blue night and stars. But what worried her the most would be the source behind that attack and where the beam might’ve hit. She knew it couldn’t be Tierk or Chrysalis seeing as one is in Tartarus and the other is missing after her second failed attempt to take over Equestria. So just who was it that caused it? These questions filled her mind for a moment before hearing a twig snap from behind her. The Princess returned from her thoughts upon hearing that as she continued to make her way towards the ruins of the old castle.

“No time to think about what happened just yet. I have to get to the castle that SouthPaw told me to go t, and wait there until he comes back.” Celestia said as she proceeded to run along the trail that leads to the Castle. As she ran, she felt her footing gave way and began to tumble forward down a hill. In a matter of seconds, she soon came to a stop as she landed back first onto the ground. She lets out a loud gasp of air followed by a coughing fit. As she tried to recover from her fall, she heard a familiar sickly sweet voice a few feet away from her.

“There you are, friend! We were beginning to worry that we lost track of you!” said a mare as she and three other undead ponies started to circle the sun princess.

“It’s a good thing we were able to slip by that pony blocking our path. Almost cut off my head if I didn’t duck a second early.” The colt said as he looked over at Celestia, mainly her horn. “Aw, her horn is broken. Don’t worry friend, we’ll patch you up once we save you from your cutie mark.”

Celestia’s eyes widened as she quickly looked around for anything to use as a weapon. She noticed a rusty-looking sword stuck in the mud as she reached over to pick it up and started to swing it around in an attempt to keep the undead ponies at bay.

“Stay back! Don’t come near me you abominations!”

“We just want to help you, friend. To save you from the curse.” The mare said as the colt from behind quickly grabbed her and pinned the alicorn to the ground. The mare begins to struggle in an attempt to escape but soon feels the other two ponies pin her arms and legs down as well. The mare picked up the rusty sword that Celestia had as she positioned herself over the sun princess and aimed the blade near her heart.

“You’re going to kill her now? But shouldn’t we wait until we get her back to the town?” asked a colt as the mare with the sword nodded.

“Grey Hoof said that it doesn’t matter if they’re dead or alive. Granted he prefers to have them alive for the change, but I’m willing to take his lecture when we return. Can’t take any chances with a unicorn. You never know when they could use their magic.” She said as she raised the sword she was holding and was about to plunge it into Celestia’s chest. Only for the mare to get hit in the chest by an arrow made of lightning. Celestia and the undead ponies' eyes widened upon seeing this as the mare holding the sword went limp before vanishing into dust.

“What the-” Before the others could react, the same arrow that killed the mare struck the other three either in the head, chest, or eyes as they too went limp and vanished into dust.

“Wasn’t expecting anyone out here. Guess the ponies from Sunnytown are sending a search party for us.” Alma said as she made the lightning arrow disappear and walked up toward Princess Celestia. “You okay?” She asked while Celestia simply stared at the bat pony in a mix of surprise and shock. Mostly because she saw her using magic. Which was impossible given how she’s a bat pony and not a unicorn or alicorn. “Hey, I asked you a question. Are you okay?”

“O-Oh, um. Y-Yes...I’m fine.” She answered as she tried to pull herself up, only to fall back down on her butt as she let out a loud hissing sound from the pain she felt in her horn. Alma looked over at the alicorn princess noticing the crack on her horn and frowned.

“That doesn’t look good.” She said before reaching down to help Celestia up to her feet. “I don’t know who you are, but coming out here in the middle of the night with undead ponies walking around isn’t the brightest idea.”

“I-It’s not like I had much of a choice in the matter...who are you little pony? You look like one of Luna’s night guards...but you can use magic without a horn...how is that possible?” Alma was about to reply to the alicorn’s questions, only for her ears to twitch upon hearing something moving in the bushes.

“I think we should find a place where we don’t have to worry about getting ambushed or jumped on. Unless you want to have the undead ponies attack you again.” She said before feeling Celestia moving in close to her. “I figured as much.”

“Might I recommend we head towards my old castle until the sun rises? It should provide a means for us to stay and to take cover in.”

“Sadly we have to leave the castle before sunrise and make our way to a nearby town or something.”

“Wait, why leave something that could provide us protection?”

“Because those undead ponies will start looking over here,” Alma said as she pointed to the remains of the ponies that attacked Celestia. “I don’t know if they can communicate via magic or if they have a hive-like mind. But they will notice the group I killed missing, and they will notice their friends are gone. Which means that they will see the castle off in the distance and head over there where I and the others are in.”

“There are other ponies out here than just you?”

“I just met them due to them helping me out or vice versa...fair warning try not to let their appearances scare you.”

“Why’d you say that?”

“.....Just informing you beforehand is all.” She said before leading Celestia towards the castle of the two sisters. “Come on. We have a long road and night ahead of us.”

(Castle of the two sisters)

“So...What are you two thinking?” Nightmare Moon asked as she noticed the two mares looking at the fire. Though Apple Bloom is just poking at the fire with a stick while Mitta just glares at the flames dancing.

“I don’t want to leave...especially with how I look.” Apple Bloom said as she tossed the stick into the fire. “But...I don’t want anypony to end up like us.”

“I’m...conflicted. I want to kill them for what they did to us...but I can’t because we need their help...but I want to kill them.”

“The ponies of Sunnytown or Celestia & Luna?” Nightmare Moon asked as the older mare deadpanned at her.

“Both, but I know Alma would be annoyed if I were to kill the princesses...maybe I could just punch them in the face as a means to quell my anger...for the time being at least. What about you?”

“I’ve given up on trying to take over Equestria. My revenge went downhill the moment I got turned to stone for the past nine years. Still disliked the princesses...but my anger and rage died off for the most part. I’m just here to finish something that the Princesses failed to do.”

“You’re going to help us?”

“Might as well seeing how I’m curious as to how this little adventure goes. That and this will be something to add to my list of things that I can outshine them both in.”

“I thought you’d given up on the whole revenge thing?” Apple Bloom asked as the alicorn smirked.

“I may not be able to kill them, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do passive-aggressive stuff like this~”

“Why am I not surprised by this...then again who am I to judge seeing how I might do the same if need be,” Mitta said as she leaned back against the stone pillar. “So it’s agreed then? We’re going to ask the...Princesses for help?”

“Seems like it. As much as I hate to say it, we’re going to need help with this. Which reminds me, we all might want to put on some different clothes if we end up going to Ponyville.”

“What’s wrong with what we have now?” Apple Bloom asked

“You two look like something from a horror book. Do you think anypony wouldn’t be scared of you two? I might be able to sway the masses with my charms to try and talk to them, but they will keep their distance from you two sadly.” Nightmare Moon’s horn glowed as she pulled off pieces of tattered cloth from the ceiling and pieces of old scrap metal from off to the side of them. “‘I’ll have to make something for you two so you won’t be seen as much of a threat...better make something for Alma as well given how old and rundown her armor and clothes are.”

“Never knew you were this good as a seamstress and smith,” Mitta said as the alicorn smirked.

“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me.” She said as the cloth and armor pieces she gathered started to glow and filled the room they were in with a blinding light. Once the light vanished, both Apple Bloom and Mitta were wearing a different set of clothes than the ones they had on moments before the light filled the room. The mare and the filly looked over at each other for a moment, then back at themselves for what they had on. Apple Bloom had on a black long-sleeve shirt, a red bandana around her neck, a pair of dark tan-colored overalls, and a metal pole in a holster on her back.

“Wow, these clothes feel much better than what I had on before.” Apple Bloom said before smelling herself causing her nose to scrunch up a bit. “Though I kinda wish it didn’t have the smell of something dying.”

“Better than running around in tattered clothes and having it come apart in a matter of seconds,” Mitta said as she looked over herself. She was wearing the same shirt as Apple Bloom, only hers was red, a pair of dark blue jeans, an apron, and a frying pan hooked to the side of her waist. “....Really?”

“Well you’re not a fighter, so why not give you something that seems comfortable to you.” The alicorn said as the earth pony flipped her the finger. “You’re welcome~,” She said as her ears began to twitch. “Seems like the bat pony is back...and she brought somepony with her.”

“About time. I was beginning to worry that she might’ve gotten lost or something.” Mitta said as she looked over to her right to see Alma walking into the room they were in. “So, got anything from your trip in the forest?”

“Other than a unicorn I found in the woods that almost became the next victim of the undead,” Alma said as she moved out of the doorway to reveal Celestia to the group. Celestia’s eyes widened upon seeing the group, mainly Nightmare Moon as she glared at the alicron in anger.

“You! How are you still alive!?” Celestia yelled as Nightmare Moon smirked and leaned back against the wall she was brushed up against.

“Never thought I would see you again Princess Celestia. Fate is a fickle mistress I see.”

“Wait, that’s Celestia? As in the bitch that caused the whole mess in Sunnytown?” Mitta asked as Nightmare Moon nodded while Apple Bloom tried to hide herself beside the dark alicorn. “....Alma, I want to punch her in the face.” She said as Celestia flinched back a bit in surprise from hearing that.

“You know I can’t let you do that.” She said before looking over at Celestia who was now glaring at her. “What?”

“How could you side yourself with the mare that took my sister away from me, and tried to take over Equestria!?” Celestia asked before continuing with her rant. “You can’t trust that mare. Especially with what she has done in the past.”

“I can give you a lot of reasons why I’m helping her. One, she’s no longer evil or trying to take over Equestria. Two, we have undead ponies trying to come after us. Three, we need to stick together to escape the Everfree Forest and Apple Bloom is the only one that knows the way out. And last, because you need to help fix a huge mistake that you caused all these years ago from what Nightmare Moon said when she was still fused with this Luna pony.”

“What do you mean by my mistake?”

“....You don’t remember do you?” Nightmare Moon asked as she chimed in on the conversation. “Does the word Sunnytown mean anything to you?”

“No, why would something like that mean anything to me?” She answered as Mitta gritted her teeth and caused the dark alicorn to sigh in disappointment.

“Think hard Princess. One thousand years ago you and Luna conducted a test to see if ponies can survive living in the Everfree Forest and you named the colony Sunnytown.” Nightmare Moon said as Celestia continued to stare at her like a deer in headlights. “Okay, how about the cutie pox incident? Where Starswirl suggested you seal the town up until there was a cure for the sickness, but some idiot cultists bucked up the spell to curse you and Luna?” She said as Celestia’s eyes widened in remembrance of Sunnytown hitting her like a ton of bricks a grin appeared on Nightmare Moon’s face. “There we go~” Celestia looked over at Mitta for a moment before noticing Apple Bloom hiding behind Nightmare Moon as she peeks out from beside her before hiding back again. She stared at her in shock before walking over to Apple Bloom to get a better look at her.

“You’re Applejack’s sister. The one that she said went missing two years ago, aren’t you?” Celestia asked as the little filly sighed and moved away from Nightmare Moon to reveal herself to the sun princess.

“H-Hi Princess Celestia.” Apple Bloom said as she gave a weak smile and waved toward the white alicorn. Tears began to well up around Celestia’s eyes as she placed a hand over her mouth from seeing this.

“Mother of me...how could I...I didn’t-”

“Yes, let it all sink in. I may be a monster to you or any other pony, but even I wouldn’t have done something like this.” Nightmare Moon said with a smirk still on her face. “You left these ponies to suffer for the past one thousand years and did nothing to save them. Just cast them aside like all things that don’t suit you or your kingdom-”

“Not to ruin the moment of sudden realization or whatever, but we need to leave,” Alma said as she walked over to gather her belongings. “The ponies from Sunnytown are getting close to the castle, so we’re gonna have to step up the plan on leaving the forest.” She said as Celestia turned her attention over to the bat pony.

“W-We can’t leave. One of my guards who told me to wait for him here is still out there after we crashed into the forest. We can’t just abandon him to his fate with the undead ponies.”

“You crashed into the forest? How in Tartarus did you crash into the forest?” Mitta asked as she folded her arms.

“A beam of pure magic that came from out of the forest hit us. It was almost as powerful as one of my own if I was in my prime. And because of that, my horn got damaged and I can’t use my magic as well until it can recover.” She said as Mitta and Alma stared at each other with nervous expressions on their faces for a moment before the bat pony looked over at Nightmare Moon.

“Moon, could you make Celestia something to wear as a means of protection?”

“I can...that is if I’m allowed to do so and if the armor I make can fit on bubble butt over here.” She said which caused Celestia to blush and glare at her. “What? You’ve been on your flank for over one-thousand years and I was able to foalnap you easily when I returned from the moon. If that’s not saying something about how strong you are, then I don’t know what is.”

“Just make the armor for her, please. We don’t have time for you two to argue like a bunch of yapping dogs.” The bat pony said before looking over at Celestia. “Will you allow her to do that? Because given the way you’re dressed, you might need it so that your clothes won’t fall off and reveal certain things.”

“I….I will allow it.” Celestia said before noticing Nightmare Moon motioning her to the other room. The moment Celestia and Nightmare Moon left the room, Apple Bloom looked over at Alma and Mitta with a concerned expression on her face.

“Is something wrong?”

“We...or in this case, I might’ve been the cause of Princess Celestia crashing into the Everfree Forest.” She said as Apple Bloom’s mouth dropped open. “It was an accident! I didn’t think the moonlight greatsword would be that powerful to fire a beam of that caliber…”

“Do you know how much trouble you’ll be in if Princess Celestia knows it was you!? She might send you to the dungeon...or worse...to the sun!” Apple Bloom yelled as Alma and Mitta quickly covered the filly’s mouth before looking at the doorway. They sighed in union due to not seeing Celestia busting into the room as they looked back at Apple Bloom.

“Celestia doesn’t have to know about this. Got it? We’re going to keep this a secret and not say anything about this.” Alma said as she and Mitta removed their hands from off of the filly’s mouth.

“But what if she finds out?”

“She won’t, we’ll take this secret to our grave if possible,” Mitta said before looking at Alma. “We might want to have a plan in case the secret comes out from one of us.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. But for now, gather your stuff. We’ll leave in about two hours, so that will give the guy that Celestia came with enough time to get here.”