Chapter 1: Rainbow Dash flies east
Rainbow Dash woke up in a foul mood, she didn't sleep well and waking up late hadn’t helped. After scarfing down a quick bowl of oats she rushed outside her cloud-house to start the day clearing the clouds above Ponyville, never noticing her cutiemark had been replaced.
Clearing the clouds hadn’t taken long, Rainbow’s cloudbucking skills keeping sunny weather over Ponyville as usual; not that the other ponies on the weather team were any help, having stopped working when Dash had shown up, Instead they gave her the side-eye and a wide berth as they went to go work on the couple clouds on the outskirts of town. Do I really look that grumpy? Thought Dash.
After cloudbucking it was usually naptime for the rainbow pegasus, this time however she felt as full of energy as when she started, which although far from her best was still far too much to fall asleep. Might as well checkup with my friends with the thought Dash took off towards sweet Apple Achars. When she arrived however instead of her hardworking orange friend and her family tending to the apple trees, she found the farm seemingly abandoned with Applejack nowhere to be found. Thinking perhaps she had missed an invitation to a Pinkie Party or something, Rainbow flew back into Ponyville.
Landing in front of sugarcube Corner Dash could tell something wasn’t right, the bakery that was usually open from before sunup to after sundown looked dark and empty without a single light to be seen. Trying the door Dash found it locked, a quick glide to Rarity’s boutique showed the same thing. Rainbow feared the worst, surely whatever had happened to my friends wouldn't have affected Fluttershy in her out of the way cabin next to the Everfree Forest.
Flying fast Rainbow slid to a stop in front of Fluttershy’s door, she was about to knock when the buttercream pegasus pony opened the door. After looking at each other for a moment in surprise, Fluttershy softly said “oh, hi Rainbow, did it get you as well?”
“Did what get me?” Dash asked, confused. Flutershy turned so that Rainbow Dash could see her flank, where her cutiemark should be was instead a black circle ringed with embers, quickly looking at her own flank she saw her tricoloured lightning bolt was likewise replaced. “What the hay?” Dash exclaimed, staring in shock at the mark
“I woke up with it this morning and none of my animal friends will talk to me, I was going to go see Twilight.”
Of course Twilight sparkle would have the answers, the purple egghead knew everything. Dash turned to follow Fluttershy down the path to town.
As Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy walked through Ponyville Dash became certain that things were off, ponies would duck around corners as soon as they caught sight of the two. Even the streets seemed darker, as if the sky was overcast even though Rainbow had personally made sure there wasn't a single cloud above.
Arriving at the library Dash opened the door revealing her four other friends bickering, each with the same black mark covering their cutiemarks.
“Alright thats it! I’m getting Discord” Twilight declared apparently frustrated at not having the answer
“You rang?” the serpentine and chimeric Draconequus appeared in the middle of the room with a pop
“Now mister what in tarnation did you do to us? I thought you were redeemed” accused Applejack
Discord looked around the room before resting his eyes on Fluttershy’s black mark. “I didn’t do this, I don't play with this type of magic, few ponies are even supposed to know it's real” he replied dead serious.
“And what sort of magic is it then? Don't make us use the Elements” threatened Rarity.
“I would say necromancy, but it breaks all the rules, including the ones that aren't meant to be broken. And that’s coming from the lord of chaos” Discord gestured dramatically in a failed attempt to add gravitas to his words. “And I really wouldn't use your Elements of Harmony right now, due to your state”
“That's Impossible, we’re not dead, it has to be some sort of curse” argued Twilight.
“Like I said, It breaks all the rules, and I wouldn’t be so sure of that, too bad the only goat knowledgeable enough about soul manipulation to know for sure is Grogor and even if he was available I doubt you’d want him anywhere near” Discord stared into the distance for a moment “looks like Celestia has a strange and very relevant guest that I think you all should meet”
“Wait what aren't you so sure of?” inquired Twilight
“Something Discord considers strange? This I’ve gotta see” commented spike as he walked in from the kitchen with a platter of snacks.
With a pop the six ponies sans dragon. appeared in the throne room where Celestia was speaking with a bipedal figure covered in dark rags even hunched over; it stood taller than any of the ponies save the Princess. “six heroines of Equestria as requested” Discord announced before bowing and teleporting who knows where.
Celestia looked over the six and sadness filled her eyes “It’s as I feared, I’m so sorry my little ponies”
“What’s happening, why do we have these marks Princess?” Twilight asked fearfully having read her mentor’s expression
“You have been cursed with the Darksign, you must travel to the Land of Lordran and link the fire to save both our worlds, or turn hollow in the attempt.” the strange figure spoke gesturing with it’s long walking stick.
“A curse? Please tell us there's a cure” cried Rarity.
“Who cursed us? Let me at them” called out Dash.
“What's a hollow?” asked Pinkie.
“There Is no cure known to Equestria but I have been informed that returning light to the Lordran will end the spread of the curse” Celestia responds mournfully
“Return the light, End the spread? What happened to this Lordran” Applejack asks
“It is a world created in darkness, and only through great toil was light brought to its lands. But now its light grows dark and with it this curse spreads, even worse Lordran links many worlds and all will share it’s fate.” Celestia nodded towards her sun which had taken a dimmed, reddish, almost sickly hue.
“The Land of Lordran will spread its power and it’s curse to every world to keep the light from dying just a little longer, and to find the chosen undead to link the flame and continue the cycle” the figure spoke ominously before chuckling.
“Undead? But we aren't dead? Princess please tell us we aren't dead” Twilight pleaded.
“I’m sorry my faithful student, but those with the mark are beyond death, their souls bound to wonder until their task is finished or, or they lose themselves to darkness” the Princess's insinuation to Nightmare Moon was not lost on Rainbow or the other girls.
“We’ll do it, we’ll save Equestria.” Dash said with more confidence then she felt.
“Head east beyond the borders of this land. there you find a great swamp and there you will find my sisters, they will show you the way to Lordran”
Rainbow Dash and her friends were soon on a train heading east as far as the line would go.
The six ponies stood at the edge of the swamp, it was really more like a lake, a wide expanse of open if not very deep water past the wooded and overgrown shores with much of the lake shrouded in fog. A Rickety wooden bridge stretched across the waters suspended on poles as it made its way to the shadow of a hut built over the center of the lake.
Making their way onto the bridge it creaked under every hoofstep, and Rainbow and Fluttershy took to the sky in order to keep the bridge from collapsing. As they cautiously made their way into the hut they were met by two more of the strange figures however this time Dash could see their flat faces with downturned nostrils protruding from the center. “Ah, more ponies making their way to Lordran'' one of the beings gestured with a long grafting appendage
“More ponies? Have ponies gone this way before?” Pinkie questioned.
“You are not the first of your kind to come this way, but Lordran must be dim indeed for so many to be marked at once” the other figure spoke up.
“Are you going to bring us there?” Twilight asked cautiously.
“You are very nearly there already” cackled one of them showing a mouth of broken teeth “but we will show you the way, after we have given you each a boon” the other bright forth a box and opened it to reveal several items.
Pinkie reacted first grabbing a satchel of black spheres grinning to the witch as if she knew exactly what they were. Applejack went next picking up an old pair of binoculars to which Pinkie commented “good eye”
Rarity picked out a fine ring embedded with a small ruby, which when Twilight saw it noted “that ring has some sort of magic charm”
Hearing that the box held enchanted jewelry Dash quickly picked up a necklace to which the one holding the box responded “now you are a bold one”
“What do you mean?” she asked to which the figure laughed but did not answer.
Twilight carefully inspected the box and removed a large ring of keys.
Finally Fluttershy pulled out a plain looking ring. and as the witch holding the box put it away, the other one opened a door on the opposite wall from where they entered and nodded and commented “a old favorite of mine”
The door led out to a pier “At the end of the pier is what shall bring you to Lordran” the ponies expecting a rowboat or raft tied below the dock walked to the edge. But instead of transport was a massive whirlpool, far too big and deep to fit in the lake/swamp. And with a roar the whirlpool which had been completely silent became deafening.
Dash felt something inside her draw her to lean over the edge of the pier to stare into the black abyss, her friends doing the same. The last thing Rainbow Dash remembered before blacking out was falling into the darkness.
Author's Note
Author’s Comment: yes I admit the chapter title was clickbait, but I’m not a liar so I did make Rainbow head east. And don't worry about the anthro tag, it’s coming soon don't worry. Can anyone notice which button on my computer is broken? *hint* it’s not capitalized except at the start of a sentence. Helpful suggestions are always welcome, I’m not great about knowing where to add detail.
Chapter 2: the Black Mark
Rainbow Dash awoke on a hard stone floor, as she looked around she found herself in some sort of cell, with an iron door and moldy stone brick walls, the only light coming from a small hole where the ceiling had collapsed. Looking around Dash realized something was very wrong, her body felt weird everything was out of place, her hindlegs were too long, and her forelegs had some sort of claws like spike instead of a hoof her barrel was compressed with two soft lumps on her chest covered in ragged fabric, as was her waist.
“Girls? Twilight, Fluttershy? Anyone there? Applejack?” Dash called out but was answered by silence, crawling her way over to the door she used her new appendages to pull herself up to the small rectangular window in the door, and found that they were very good at grabbing things. Looking out she saw the shadowy figure walking on its rear legs like a minotaur “hello? Can you let me out” Rainbow tried asking it, but there was still no response.
Mimicking it she pushed away from the door and balanced on her hindlegs, it felt weird and yet natural at the same time, even if she still needed to hold her arms and wings out for balance. Shakely she took a step in her small cell. Now she was off the ground she could more easily look around, not that there was much to see, just a mossy pile of small stones from where the ceiling had collapsed and a small bucket used for, she leaned over to look into the bucket and found it full of rainwater and algae, well she wasn't sure what the bucket was supposed to be used for and she wasn't interested in finding out. Looking up at the hole she thought that maybe she could crawl through it but a failed attempt to climb the flat walls, and finding her wings were useless in this new form quickly ended that. Trying the door just in case Rainbow found it as expected to be locked, perhaps she could pick the lock but there wasn't even a stick so that idea was out. With nothing left to do she sat in the corner and waited.
A shadow filling her cell grabbed Dash’s attention as something metal fell from the hole, she looked up to see a golden face wearing a helmet nod and vanish from view. “hey? who are you?” Dash called out to no response. Looking at the items the figure had dropped she saw that they were a key and a small dagger, she picked them up and walked or whatever the twolegged term for it was; to the door and inserted the key. Turning it the door clicked and opened revealing a dark passage in somehow worse condition then her cell was in, and lit only by the occasional torch. Stepping into the corridor she walked past a few empty cells before she saw something terrifying, behind some bent and very rusty bars was a massive green potbelly creature nearly the size of a house and carrying a staff as tall as it was, fortunately it hadn’t seemed to have noticed her as it wandered around its massive enclosure.
Sneaking past the bars she made her way further along the tunnel until she saw the shadow wrapped figure from before “Hello” she called warily, unlike previously the thing turned and walked towards her. As it walked under a torch and was illuminated. Dash saw that it was furless and had a flat, muzzeless face. Furthermore its pink body was withered and gaunt and she could clearly see its bonestructure under it’s skin.
As the thing got closer she saw its empty, lifeless eyes. “Stay back, I’m armed '' she warned but the thing ignored her and instead tried clawing at her face, Rainbow dodged and took out the knife and swiped it to ward the zombie off but the thing didn't seem to notice and she ended up cutting it in the arm.
The creature barely bled and didn't even acknowledge that it was hurt instead attacked with its other arm. Dash ducked under the appendage and swiped the dagger across its midsection, the skin peeling open leaving a gash that would be devastating for any pony, but this thing didn’t care. instead reorienting itself to attack Rainbow again. Darting to the side Dash ran around the zombie and stabbed it in the back. Finally the thing fell to the ground as Dash pulled out the knife. Right before she turned away she saw a small white object no larger than a pebble leave the body of the thing. Cautiously she picked it up, it was surprisingly solid despite appearing to be made of some sort of gas
Reaching the end of the passage Rainbow found herself in a tall round room like some sort of massive well with an old ladder leading upwards, climbing to the top she found herself standing before a courtyard with a massive pair of doors on the far side, a smaller metal door to the side and the embers of a small campfire impaled with a strange sword. Approaching the campfire she reached out and touched the sword, at the moment of contact the fire blazed to life. Backing away from the self lighting fire, she tried to open the smaller of the two doors but it seemed to be locked with no way to open it
With some trepidation Dash approached the massive doors and pushed them open, while heavy they weren’t locked and inertia carried the doors fully open revealing another large courtyard with another set of large doors at the far end, but as she approached another of the massive green monsters jumped down in front of her with a thunderous crash, shaking the ground so much Rainbow almost fell over. Unlike the other one, this was holding a hammer easily twice her size. She glanced at her dagger before yelping as she saw the demon swing the hammer her way. Rainbow dived to the side, out of the way of the hammer, seeing the ground rise up to her face, instinct from experience crashing made her tuck and roll ending up on her feet. Seeing the monster had already recovered from the attack she glanced around the room, looking for an exit. The green goliath was firmly between her and the second set of doors looking off to the side Rainbow saw a small passage behind some pots and pillars supporting the overhanging second story. Dashing over to it she felt the hammer pass an inch behind her tail, the shockwave throwing up small pebbles that pelted her legs, as she leapt over the pottery and into the tunnel to safety.
As Rainbow passed through the ingress of the small passage the demon roared in frustration as it was too big to follow. Making her way further down the hall she encountered a small square room mostly filled with what she hoped was stagnant water, taking the raised path around the foul pool she turned through the door out, only to yelp as an arrow flew past her head, after ducking back around the doorframe she leaned to get a look around the corner to see a hall with a collapsed ceiling under a dim, overcast, sky, with an several cells only one of which was open and another of the undead, this one with a bow notching another arrow. Rainbow ducked back around as the second arrow flew past, before sprinting forward and sliding into the open cell just in time as an arrow went through her rainbow tail.
Glancing around her new shelter Rainbow Dash saw a dead body sitting in the corner, really it was more just skin and bones but it was wearing a small buckler and had a one handed sword. Dash pried them from the corpse's body before looking back at it and seeing thick black clothing, made from some sort of unknown but sturdy looking material. Since it was better protection then the cloth scraps she was currently wearing and she had already desecrated the body she shrugged and took its armor as well.
Stepping back out into the corridor, Rainbow managed to block the arrow with her shield then charged up the rubble from the fallen roof knocking the archer over before it could ready another arrow, she stood over its prone form and stabbed it in the neck. It spasmed for a moment then fell still. Pulling her sword from the cooling corpse and turned around the corner to find herself on the balcony overlooking the campfire, on her right was a broken staircase and with her wings not producing lift she doubted she could get up it, on the other side the stairs looked intact so she made her way over to them, looking up she couldn't see the top through the darkness almost as if something was blocking the light. As she started climbing the stairs she heard the sound of stone grinding on stone, she realized what was happening just in time to jump off the stairs as a massive boulder rolled down them. She landed hard and found herself on a second staircase, this one leading downwards. Looking back up Rainbow saw that the boulder had smashed through the wall revealing the yellow knight that had helped free her.
As Dash approached the figure she noticed that it had an equine face and a unicorn horn poking through her helmet, she didn't seem concerned that the boulder had pinned her leg, instead looking up at Dash through a lock of red mane. “Oh good, you're not hollow, I never thought I’d see another Equestrian before..., well, ever.”
“Who are you? Why am I here, why are these things attacking me?” Dash asked
“I’m sunset of Equestria, and we’re at the Undead Asylum, it's on the edge of the lands of the living, and Lordran proper, I saw them bringing you here”
“Did you see my friends? They were supposed to come with” she asked hopefully.
“No, but if they are undead like us, I’m sure they’ll be along shortly, although such things can be a bit strange, time and space overlap in Lordran so they might be in a parallel timeline, they merge and separate at random so you never know when and who you’ll meet.”
“Do you need help?” questioned Rainbow eyeing the bolder pinning the mare’s leg..
“Best not to, I could probably move it given time, but I’m going hollow, soon I’ll be like them” she said mournfully as she gestured to the zombie, no, hollow, laying dead in the corner. “it's best for you to be far away when that happens” Dash noticed that the mare looked a lot older and withered then she sounded.
“But I’m supposed to uh, link the fire or something”
“Head to Lordran and ring the Bell of Awakening then your fate shall be known” she said as if quoting a prophecy. Dash was about to turn away when the yellow mare reached into her bag and pulled out a greenish glass bottle and offered it to Dash. “here, an Estus flask, fill it at a bonfire, good for emergencies, I think you’ll like it”
Dash took the bottle and backed away from the fallen warrior, just before she turned away she called out “If you succeed, tell Celestia I’m sorry”
Nodding Dash was about to climb the stairs when she looked into the courtyard and saw the bonfire she saw earlier and noted that the door to the other courtyard with the beast had been closed again. Glancing at the flask still in her hand she took the stairs down instead, finding herself at the locked gate but now on the other side she could see the latch keeping the gate locked. Undoing it she opened the gate and approached the fire as she stared into it’s embers it felt warm and welcoming like she could stay there forever, uncertainty she held the flask to the fire where to her surprise yellow fire slowly flowed into it.
“Huh.” Rainbow pulled the bottle away from the fire and gave it a little shake, the liquid fire swirled around the bottom of the flask. she gave it a sniff but it didn't smell that good, smelling like smoke or the bonfire she was next to. Putting the bottle into her belt she made her way back up the stairs, giving the yellow knight a wave as she passed. She headed up the next flight of stairs only to see another of the zombie-like hollows which turned and ran down the corridor when Dash pulled out her sword. That bastard must have pushed the boulder she thought and gave chase.
As they approached the end of the hall Dash could see that it opened onto a balcony outside, the undead sidestepped around the corner of the exit and out of view. As Rainbow turned the corner to follow she was greeted by the hollow and two more figures partially covered in armor all three took out blades, the armored ones holding swords longer than hers and crept closer, murder in their lifeless eyes.
“Oh, come on!” Dash exclaimed as she raised her shield in time to block one of the soldier’s strikes, their strikes she noted were extremely sloppy, well, compared to what she’s seen of the royal guard’s drills, compared to her own untrained strikes they were only twenty percent worse. After blocking a couple more strikes she managed to land a few of her own on the unarmored hallow, cutting a deep X into its torso, a heavy third swing to its neck and it fell dead, but in putting it down Rainbow had let the other two flank her and seeing her finish off their college they both struck, she was able to block one of their strikes with her buckler but the other sword buried itself in her right shoulder. Dash screamed more out of shock than pain which was far less then it should have been; and ran past the two armored warriors, turning around she faced the two of them once again.
With a warcry she grabbed her sword with both hands and swung it down onto the helmet of the one on the left, it didn't crumple like she’d hoped but the attack did stagger it, however it’s comrade used the opportunity to swing its sword across her back, slicing open her right wing and making her yelp. She spun around and ducked behind the hollow still coming to its senses only to be met with a sword coming at her head from the other side, luckily it only grazed her left cheek before it sunk deep into its compartieate’s neck. The wounded hollow stumbled but didn’t fall until Dash hit its neck again, this time causing it to hit the ground, its neck almost ripping off on impact and laying at a disturbing angle.
Wiping the blood from the cut on her cheek she and the warrior circled each other “you’re going to pay for that” the hollow uncaring of her threat or its fallen kin, swung its sword in a wide swing which Rainbow easily blocked with her shield before stabbing her sword into the thing’s gut up to the hilt, the thing seemed to have the good decency to die from the strike but limply fell forwards on to its killer. With a grunt of effort Dash pushed the corpse off her and pulled the sword from its torso. Seeing the same white pebbles rise from the corpses she picked them up and pocketed them.
Panting from exertion she finally felt the sting of her wounds, inspecting her injured wing she winced when she saw bone. It didn't look broken, but at best it’d leave a nasty scar and if a tendon had been cut she probably wouldn't be flying again for a long time. Looking at the horizon she thought probably won't be flying for a while anyways. The glow of the sun barely visible through the cloud layer she remembered what sunset had told her and pulled out the estus flask. Grimacing, she took a gulp, but it didn't taste like ash like she was expecting, instead warmth flowed through her and the pain subsided, checking her injuries they looked almost healed, or at least only grazing cuts. looking at the now empty bottle Dash regretted not waiting for the bottle to fill completely.
Looking around Dash saw another doorway presumably into the other side of the asylum's balcony, opposite the balcony which overlooked a triangular outcropping of land; was an arch filled with white mist completely obscuring whatever was on the other side, looking down from the balcony and the distance she was above the ground she gave her wings an experimental flap but as they still did not generate any lift she decided against jumping down. That option eliminated, Dash turned and poked at the white mist, nothing more supernatural happened so she took off a glove and pushed her arm through, after sinking her elbow though she couldn't feel the cool mist on her hand anymore, pulling it back with no side effects back she took a deep breath and stepped through the mist.
On the other side Rainbow Dash found herself on a tiny platform above the green demon which had its back to her, its antlered head only half her height below her, holding her breath so as to not make a sound she took her sword in both hands, tip downwards and jumped from the platform, the blade slicing deep into the thing’s neck, the thing writhed and shook, at one point only Dash’s grip on her sword had kept her from falling to the ground. Swinging around she grabbed ahold of one of the thing’s slimy antlers and used a pause in the bucking to stab the creature again. With a jolt the creacher flew up into the air and Rainbow saw the creature had a pair of tiny wings that unlike hers seemed to be able to propel itself into the air.
“Are you kidding me?” she exclaimed a moment before the thing stopped its accent and smashed into the paving stones breaking Rainbow’s grip and causing her to bounce off the thing’s fatty back, her sword clattering to the ground beside her. she scrambled to pick it up before the thing turned around and swung it’s hammer down on her. She managed to roll to the side avoiding getting squashed instead getting pelted by pebbles and shards of stone, whatever her clothes were made of stopped the shrapnel well enough but her exposed face was cut in a dozen places as she was again knocked prone. Scrambling to her feet she dashed around the left of the thing swinging her sword at the back of it’s leg cutting deep and laming the leg. With the beast having to drag the crippled limb behind it, she was easily able to run behind it, slicing the demon’s rear end and avoiding the backswing of the thing’s hammer. Reaching the other leg she hacked at it eventually hamstringing it, with a roar the thing tripped and fell forwards, dropping it’s hammer and trying to push its great bulk back upright. Before it got a chance Dash climbed up the bony thing it had for a tail and stabbed into its back.
She kept stabbing its spine until it stopped moving. Standing up and looking at the bloody mess she made of it she futilely wiped the blood from her face before noticing the white light piercing out of it. Taking a step back as the white light shot out of more of the creature she yelped as she fell into a hole the white light had opened behind her. Her backside landing on stone she saw the last of the creature vanish before her eyes, leaving only a large key, and a golden thing made of swirling gas, with a light emanating from its center. Cautiously she approached while sheathing her sword and picked up the key, poking at the glowy object, she found that it responded to her touch as if it was solid and she was able to hold it in the palm of her hand.
After looking deep into it Rainbow put it in a pouch and walked to the door massaging her battered shoulder, only to find it locked, noticing a large key hole she tried the key the demon had dropped and to her satisfaction it clicked and unlocked. Removing the key she pushed the doors open with both hands. A moment too late she saw half a dozen hollows on the other side and with the door now open they charged the unarmed pegasus. One brandishing a torch swung wildly at her and caused burning pitch to stick to her in several places. Stumbling back Dash tripped and fell on her back as the zombies swarmed her burning form, cutting and tearing into her with knives and clawed fingers.
Rainbow Dash came-to laying next to the Bonfire, she could faintly remember her crippled body crawling towards the light, one arm broken beyond use. Looking over herself she found herself whole and uningered, although her fur had lost its youthful glow. Standing up she checked her equipment, her armor was battered but far from broken, she still had her sword, shield, and knife. And was pleased to find her estus flask had filled itself to the brim. Whatever the baubles were it seemed that the hollows had taken them when, well Dash wasn't sure, it certainly felt like they were trying to kill her, and she doubted that they'd save her afterwards.
“Those with the darksign are beyond death, forced to wonder until their task is finished or they lose themselves” Dash realized with horror that the hollows she had been fighting were undead cursed with the darksign just like her, only they had given up and lost their sense of self. And that now, no matter how much she died she’d always come back and have to try again.
Unsteadily she got to her feet, and approached the doors separating the bonfire from the courtyard she had fought the demon in; weapon drawn and shield ready, opening it she found that four of the hollows had stayed in the other doorway where she had, well, died, while two had wandered around the edges of the courtyard. Now that she could get a good look at them she was pleased to find that none of them wore armor. Deciding to go after the isolated ones first she crept to the left to the first of the hollows, she managed to get near it without the other hollows noticing, despite the courtyard not hiding her in the slightest. Her target shambled towards her and she used her sword’s greater reach to dispatch it with a few swings.
She started to cross the courtyard to eliminate the other wandering hollow when all of them turned towards her and started shambling her way. Not wanting to be surrounded again she charged forwards and ran the hollow through with her blade, despite having a sword sticking through it’s back it refused to die, until Dash used a foot to pry her sword out of the thing and slashed across the neck putting it down for good. Turning to face the remaining undead she watched them pick up the pace and charge at her, rapidly closing the remaining distance, weapons raised. Rainbow’s shield arm hurt from repeated impacts as attacks hammered into it, she swung wildly trying to drive back the hollows, but she herself was pushed back, her attacks only causing minor cuts to her fearless foes. Stepping back and darting to the side she managed to put one of the hollows between herself and the other three, it only managed to claw at her once, only hitting her buckler before she hacked into its arms rendering them useless, a third cut to its leg put it down. Facing the last three together she noticed that the eyes of the middle one, which incidentally was the one with the torch, glowed a strange green color.
Instead of waiting for her arm to get sore blocking their attacks Rainbow rolled back and to the left, before she could stand up the closest hollow loomed over her, with no time to spare Dash, still crouching thrusted her sword upwards through its gut and up into its chest. standing up she yanked the blade out causing blood and ichor to splatter out of the corpse. The hollow without glowing eyes charged her swinging its broken sword in a high arcing swing, raising her buckler Dash knocked the blade to the side and stabbed the hollow in the jugular, the blade went deep and she heard the spinal collar get severed with a sickening snap.
The remaining hollow used her momentary distraction to hit her on the side, striking Dash on the elbow with its burning torch, causing her to drop her buckler with a cry as she stepped back and patted out the flames. The hollow stepped forwards and Rainbow barely blocked the torch with her sword when her left hand brushed against something on her belt, pulling it out Dash found herself holding the dagger sunset had given her. The zombie swung the torch to the side, Dash caught its wrist with the knife, cutting deep into the tendons and knocking the arm aside. The hollow didn't waste a moment and leaned forwards and tried to bite the pegasus mare. She pushed the hollow back, staggering it; then held the blades together and chopped down on its shoulder with a two-handed strike, and kept hacking until its legs collapsed under it, it's upper body a bloody mess, sliced all the way into its ribcage.
Panting Dash watched as the green light left the thing and rose in a cloud that moved towards her on its own. Rainbow took a step back but the mist enveloped her as she put her hands over her face and she braced herself but instead of some sort of attack it felt cool and as it sunk into her skin she felt rejuvenated. Looking down she saw that the hollow corpses were carrying the glowing baubles she had lost, looting them Dash picked up her buckler and proceeded through the door, this time with her sword at the ready.
Looking around all she saw was the top of the triangular outcropping and mist shrouded hills far far below, seemingly inescapable and certainly not warranting the defenses Dash had to fight through to get out. Rainbow moved to the edge to get a better view of the cliff face and maybe her friends, only to be met with a steep overhang and a massive raven flying up to her, claws raised. Rainbow Dash had no time to react before she was snatched up and carried off towards the horizon.
Author's Note
Author's Comment: what? You didn't think I’d have a Dark souls tale without the protagonist dying in an embarrassing manner did you? After beating the boss on the first try I couldn't let her ego get to her head, no death runs make for a boring story anyhow. Also sunset found her way to Lordran, perhaps that’ll be another story someday. As I’m sure you can tell if you’ve played the game it’s only similar, this is a story not a playthrough, although I plan on sticking fairly close to the actual game, at least to start. And it's officially anthro time, I couldn't bring myself to take Dash’s wings away but having her fly would be waaaaay too powerful early game so I compromised. I don't plan on having explicit leveling up or stats but don't worry she’ll get more powerful as time goes on so don't get mad if a weapon is too heavy at the start but she can carry an even heavier one at the end. And yes Dash is wearing the Black leather set (most of it anyways). Her preferred sword has yet to be decided on (if she even picks a favorite) so go ahead and post which blade you’d like her to use. I wonder what her friends are up to...
