//-------------------------------------------------------// Bloodborne: the Cursed -by TiaSprinkles- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// A New Hunter //-------------------------------------------------------// A New Hunter "So, Yharama, ha?" Sunset speaks as blood is transfused into her body: "What are those beast you talk about? Can you give me more information about them?" "Oh, don't you worry." the man in a wheelchair says: "whatever happens...you may think it all a mere bad dream." and starts laughing. "Bad dream? What are you..." her eyelids get heavier by seconds. "Ah!" Sunset opens her eyes in a cold sweat. She looked around and saw a puddle of dark reddish liquid. Slowly, a were-wolf beast covered in blood emerges from the liquid, reaching its claw towards Sunset. Suddenly, the monster starts burning. Sunset could only watch as the beast fades to dust while screaming out of agony. "It's a bad dream. It's a bad dream. It's a bad dream..." Sunset repeats. She wants to get up and dash out of this place, but something is stopping her. Sunset almost screamed when she reopens her eyes: countless small, pale, ugly humanoid creatures claiming onto her body. The strange little creatures reached her face before Sunset blacks out. "No!" Sunset screams as soon as she wakes up. Luckily, those monsters are gone, leaving her alone an empty room loaded with empty beds and 19th century looking medical equipment. In an attempt to leave the bed, Sunset fall to the ground as if she never learned how to walk. "Ah...ah..." she tries to scream for help, but her tongue is frozen. She tried to stand up again only to fall back to the ground. Eventually, she used an old transfusion pole as a crutch. "H...he..hel..." she tries to speak again while making her way out of the room and the long dark hallway following it. The sound of chewing becomes clear as she makes her way forward. Great! Someone's here! Sunset though as she struggles towards the sound. I can finally get help. However, an unpleasant sight interrupted her thought: a monster chewing on a corpse appears out of the dark. Running away is not an option. A beast is, in any way, strong and faster than a human. However, a surprise attack may just do the trick. Having made up her mind, Sunset hit the beast with her pole as hard as possible. The beast collapsed to the ground, but only to experience the fury of a new hunter. Once, twice, the monster finally turns into dust as Sunset swings her pole relentlessly. After this battle, Sunset crippled her way out of the building. "Hello!" Sunset screams on top of her lung after seeing a tall man holding a torch: "I am a hunter, and I am injured! Can you help me?" However, as the man approach, Sunset sees beast-like hair and claw-like hands on him. It's not a man, oh no, not even close. A monster dressing up as a man is more revolting than a beast in its pure form. "Away, away!" the monster-like creature screams while charging towards Sunset with an ax. Out of self-defense, Sunset struck the beast with whatever strength she has left. It falls backward as Sunset sprinting toward a ladder. Finally, Sunset claimed up the ladder before that monster gets up, and a lantern sits right in front of her eye. Out of panic, she reached out towards the strangely out of place lantern. As fog fades, a building, with open doors, gradually appears in front of Sunset. Not knowing what danger lays ahead, Sunset decides to proceed with caution. "Eh, madam?" Sunset sees a white-haired lady sitting on a rock: "Hello? oh...my..." It's a plain doll with features so vividly that no one at first glance would see it as a mere doll. Not knowing what to do, Sunset made her towards the open gates. The white little humanoid creatures creep on the ground, offering her weapons as she proceeds up the stairs. One particular weapon caught her attention: it has a massive blade with teeth on its edge. "Go out and kill a few beasts, it is for your own good" Gehrman says as Sunset sits on the ground. "Can I at least receive some training?" Sunset replies: "I almost got killed by a monster dressed in human cloth!" "You shall learn during the hunt," Gehrman says: "Remember, this is all a dream. Nothing here is true." "Fine then," Sunset is a little upset: "Where is that doll from?" "Oh, the doll," Gehrman smiles: "You are welcome to use whatever you find...Even the doll, should it please you..." "O...K" Sunset says: "Does it...train me how to fight?" "You will see," Gehrman replies. After their conversation, Sunset sat down next to the doll: "So, what's up?" The doll sits still: "It's a beautiful place, you know? So peaceful. How do you guys find such a place?" Again, no reply. "I wish I were you," Sunset says: “Just sit here and look at trees all day long. Oh, sorry, your eyes are closed. Sleeping all day long isn’t a bad option, you know. I wish that I can just sit here and sleep my problems away. Gehrman said all this is just a dream, but doesn't feel like it for me. All the monsters I saw, they are just all too real for me." Sunset looks at the doll as if she's expecting an answer. "Yeah, right, you are not real. None of this is! That means I can go out and hunt down these monsters like a boss! Right?" Sunset looks upwards: "Who am I lying to? I signed the contract, and this is what I have to do now. Maybe this is my reality, all alone, and everything else is fake. Princess Celestia...Twilight...my friends...all fake, and this is the real world. Well, no matter. Now I am off to the hunt. Nice dress, by the ways, fits you really well. Maybe, just maybe, I can buy that dress somewhere and then we can play dress up! OR, if I am not insane by then, we can host a tea party with Gehrman! When I am done with my duty, I can bring you all to meet my friends. If I am not insane, that is." //-------------------------------------------------------// Journey //-------------------------------------------------------// Journey “Someone...help me...” Sunset crumbles though the gutters of Yharnam in an endeavor to avoid the deadly werewolves who were now roaming the streets. “Princess Celestia...Princess Luna...Twilight...” she repeats the names of the Equestrian rulers, hoping that they will come to her aid. Unfortunately, the sound of her feet dragging along the muddy floor will only attract rats that are larger than hounds. Running out of blood vials, Sunset does not stand a chance facing a swarm of rats. Beasts have trained her well; her strength grows each time she falls. However, she is still new as a hunter. “Be gone...” Sunset whispers as she moves towards the corner of the gutter: “I said, be gone with you...” A werewolf holding a spear jumped out, trying to land a hit on her. “I said be gone with you,” Sunset says while swinging her weapon at the beast with full might, and the creature falls to the ground without a sound. Something shiny caught her eye; it’s a light ball sitting on the ground, and in it is the hunter’s uniform. Sunset always thought she would receive an uniform as approval of her skills instead of finding it in the gutter. Yet, there is no time to celebrate as another level of the gutter shows in front of her. With no strength left to fight the approaching rats, Sunset plunged down as no moving enemy is spotted. As she lands, human-like claws emerge from the mud and start attacking. Out of surprise, Sunset screamed the princess’ name while dashing towards the closest ladder. Finally, she made it. A metal gate stands between her and the square now free beasts by her efforts. “Hello?” A girl’s voice comes from a window beside the gate: “Are you a hunter? Can you help me find my parents?" "Where are they?" exhausted, Sunset asks without any emotion: "Why are they out anyway?" "Thank you dearly, take this," the window cracks open, and the girl slides a music box out: "Play this when you see my father, it's his favorite, and my mother has a beautiful ruby brooch." "Alright," Sunset answers as she walks away: "I will see what I can do." Sunset knows that the beasts will come back as soon she sits down next to the lamp, but there is no other option. The streets are clean thanks to her, but now her endeavor is in vain. This time, she puts on the hunter's uniform before facing the night. Out of bravery, or perhaps foolishness, Sunset slew every beast on the bridge, where she had to flee last time and proceeds. Little does she know; a bigger threat lies ahead. Suddenly, an ear-piercing cry halts the new hunter. "Eh!" Sunset covers her ears and starts looking for its origin. Soon, a beast with the size of a house lands on the bridge after jumping over several buildings. It has arms like humans while one is significantly larger than the other, face like deer with deformed horns, legs like wolves, and size like houses. The creature let out another scream and jumps straight towards Sunset. She quickly rubs a piece of fire paper on her weapon while moving slightly, rightwards the beast to avoid its attack. It worked, Sunset is now standing between its fist and legs. She lands several hits on its legs with a weapon covered by burning flame. The monster cries as burning blades slash through its body, but Sunset's arm gets heavier with each hit she lands. The fight drags on, each time the beast smashes its fists on the bridge, Sunset simply moves rightwards. Indeed, monsters are stronger, but humans are smarter. A beast may know how to crush its opponents with one strick, but humans will learn how to dodge lethal attacks with minimal efforts and attack when their enemies are exhausted. Eventually, the beast lets out a final cry and fall to the ground. As for Sunset, she has to analyze the creature's movement with extreme caution before taking a step or striking, and failure to do so might cost her life. "Oh my..." Sunset collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily. Every inch of her skin hurts from constant movement. Her eyes sore due to a lack of blinking. She tries to get up, but her arms are so heavy that it feels like they might fall off at any moment. The beast turns into dust, but a horrible smell lingers in the air. "Rainbow Dash!" She screams: "Wake me up! I don't want to be later for school! Pinkie Pie! Dump some cake on my face!" She finally stands up, slowly making her way to the nearest lamp, and returns to the Hunter's Dream. "Hello, good hunter. I am a doll, here in the dream to look after you." The doll greets. "You've got to be kidding me..." Sunset whispers, not knowing how to react to this situation. "Honorable hunter, pursue the echoes of blood and I will channel them into your strength." The doll continues. "It's my honor" Sunset says, hands covering her eyes. The doll then sits down and takes Sunset's left hands. Moments later, the doll stands up. "Good hunter," the doll says: "it is done. You may open your eyes." "Thaaaaank you." Sunset replies, hands still covering her eyes. "You are quite talented at bloodtinge and arcane" the doll continues: "It would be in your interest to develop those skills." "Ok," Sunset says, turning her back at the doll: "Thank you very much, but I have...that thing...eh...in that place...yeah! See ya!" "Farewell, good hunter." The doll says: "May you find worth in the waking world." //-------------------------------------------------------// The Curse //-------------------------------------------------------// The Curse "Curse the fiends, their children too. And their children, forever, true." A voice echoes in Sunset's head. What happened? "Hi," Sunset feels someone shakes her body: "wake up. Hi." It's a woman's voice, but who? "Why does bandage cover your eyes? I don't recall you being blind." The woman tries to tear off the bandage around Sunset's eyes. "Bandage?" Sunset grabs the woman's wrist: "no way, I can see everything perfectly." "Ok..." the woman, wearing a bird mask, sounds confused: "I am not worried about you, but you've been sleeping for a long time." "I..." Sunset feels it; something is wrapped around her eyes. As she tries to remove it, the voice echoes again: "Curse the fiends, their children too. And their children, forever, true." "Who are the fiends?" the woman with a bird mask, named Eileen, is even more confused: "Where do you get those garments? I thought only the old hunter wear those. By the way, the sword on your back is wrapped in a bandage as well. So you might want to take it off." "Oh! Pardon me! I don't remember anything!" Sunset closes her eyes but still sees everything perfectly. "Ok, what's in my hand?" Eileen holds a cup of a pebble in her hand. "A pebble?" "Yes! Now answer me, where do you even get those garments? And how can you see with your eyes covered like that?' Eileen asks. "I don't know...The last thing I remember is a dark graveyard, and. That's it. I don't even know what place this is..." Sunset looks up to the sky and holds her sword upwards as it shines brilliantly like the moon itself. "Listen, why don't you take a break and sort things out?" Eileen says as Sunset stares at the glowing sword. "Indeed..." Sunset mumbles: "My guiding moonlight..." "Good hunter, have I somehow changed?" The doll asks as Sunset returns to the dream: "Moments ago, from someplace, perhaps deep within, I sensed a liberation from heavy shackles. Not that I would know. How passing strange..." "Maria..." a name slipped Sunset's lips: "You are...Maria...the clock tower...fishing hamlet..." "Beg your pardon?" The doll asks: "Who is Maria?" "This blade, do you recognize it?" Sunset hands the doll a beautifully decorated sword with a dagger attached at the end of its handle. "Good hunter, are you all right?" The doll is now concerned: "I am not a hunter..." "I sorry, " Sunset answers: "A massive chunk of my memory is missing now, and your face rings a bell. I don't know who Maria is, or any clock tower or fishing hamlet. Those words just slid my mouth! The last thing I remember is a dark graveyard, but then I was woken up outside of a place called Oedon chapel. It was supposed to be dusk out, but all of a sudden, it's dark! I just feel like some mysterious hand snatch me away from where I was and throw me to a random place! Sorry, I am a bit out of it. Do you know where Gehrman is? I want to talk to him. " "Oh, I can hear Gehrman sleeping. On any other night, he'd be restless. But on this night, he sounds so very calm. Perhaps something has eased his suffering" The doll answers with delight. "Thank you," Sunset says before dashing off. "Oh, Laurence..." Sunset stops as she hears Gehrman. An image, image of a flaming beast lying on a large seat, shows in her mind. "What's taking you so long..." The image changes, from a sitting beast to a beast crowing on the ground while lava spills out of its body. "I've grown too old for this..." As Gehrman keeps mumbling, more images show up in Sunset's mind. Images about a forest, a building, two men are talking with each other... So much that she was brought to her knees. "Fear the old blood." those words, words that are so alien yet so familiar, slipped her mouth again.