You are Havel the Rock Act III

>You are Havel the Rock
>and you're dead
>you were poisoned by that Killer Queen and most likely obliterated by her magic
>you thought you would be on the Highway to Hell by now
>but you're not feeling any pain
>are you on your way to Heaven?
>funny, you thought you would be on a Stairway to Heaven, not a comfortable bed...
>ah yes, a nice comfortable bed...
>that smells like horses...
>...
>you didn't die, did you?
>you Open Your Eyes, but you are Blinded by the Light coming from the windows, causing you to be Dazed and Confused
>at least it wasn't by that damn journalist
>after your eyes got used to the light, you took a look at your surroundings
>you see the sun
>on EVERYTHING
>no really, the bed sheets, the blanket, the ceiling, the curtains, on that pony over there...
>wait what
>you see an Alicorn with a picture of the sun as a cutie mark
>that explains everything
>this must be Celestia, the teacher of that MAGIC user from Ponyville...
>but she lives in Canterlot
>you get up from your bed, only to see Maud sleeping on the floor, Faithfully by your side... but on the floor
>why is she on the floor?
>its actually kind of endearing...
>you thought you would have gone your Separate Ways after that battle...
>considering you thought you were going to die
>anyway, you make your way to a window, completely ignoring the big white pony like the Invisible Sun she is
>what you see confirms your suspicions
>you see Ponyville Over the Hills and Far Away
>yup, you're in Canterlot
>"I see you're alive and well, Havel."
>you turn to the sun one
"Yes. I would imagine you're the one who saved me?"
>"Indeed I am, and I must apologize for my sister's actions. She can be a bit rash at times."
>a bit?!
>"I would imagine you are also looking for some answers as to what happened afterwards?"
"Indeed I am. Now, let's talk."

>You are Havel the rock
>and WHERE THE HELL IS YOUR CHIME?!
>this is another MAGIC horse
>you need your great magic barrier
>"Now now, Havel, I am not going to use any magic on you whatsoever. I know of your deep hatred for magic, so do not expect me to even use my horn in your presence."
>trusting a magic user
>in Act III
>nope
"You may have stopped your sister from slaying me, but that does not mean I trust someone who can use magic."
>"Fair enough, perhaps we can have a more pleasant chat after drinking some tea in the other room."
>tea
>damn, you miss that bomb ass tea that Maud made
>no tea ever comes close to that one
>"oh, and this was made from using the Pie family's recipe."
>WELLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
>you burst through a wall, looking for the tea the sun one mentioned
>there it is, on a nice, fancy-looking table.
>wait
>you just realized you cheesed a wall that belonged to a MAGIC user
>as you turn around, you realize that the wall is repairing itself
>damn magic
>"I had thought you would do that, he told me how much you've done this in the past."
>wait a minute
>HE
"What are you talking about? Who told you about this?"
>"There is an old friend of yours who arrived at my castle around the same time you did. He should be here shortly to join us in our tea time."
>an old friend?
>in Equestria?!
>you really wonder who it might be
>based on where you are...
>nah, there's no way it can be him
"Very well. I will wait for this 'old friend' to arrive before we engage in conversation."
>and then you started waiting
>and waiting
>...and waiting
1 HOUR LATER
>WHERE IS THIS BASTARD
>you are tired of waiting for this man
>at least you have your amazing tea to keep you calm
>you here a door open in another room
>"My apologies, Celestia, it appears I overslept. Is he awake?"
>"Yes, he's in the tea room."
>"splendid!"
>this is it
>you hear the knob turn on the door
>it opens
>...
"YOU!"

>You are Havel the Rock
>and SWEET MERRY MOTHER OF GYWN, ITS...
"Logan?!"
>"No, I'm Solaire..."
>note to self, figure out why you said that
>you and Solaire both walk up to each other gave yourselves the manliest hug in the world
>"Its good to see you, my friend"
"likewise, Solaire"
>you both break the manly hug
>"What happened to you, Havel? Before I left Anor Londo, I recall you were a Bishop serving under Lord Gwyn. You seemed to enjoy serving under him, why did you leave?"
"I...a lot of changed occurred after your exile. I only served under Gwyn for a couple more years until... I was locked away in a tower to defend it."
>"You mean locked away for treason?"
"..."
>"You, of all people?! I knew you had some anger within you, but what could have caused Gwyn to lock you in a tower?!"
"You knew of my fellow bishops, correct?"
>"Yes, they were very kind, strong willed, and some of the few who did not have the curse. Did something happen?"
"They all died to mages while I was busy consulting with Gwyn over some battle strategies."
>"Oh dear, I can see how you spiraled out of control then. you didn't kill innocent people, did you?"
"..."
>"Did you?!"
"...it wasn't just people"
>"By lord Gwyn's beard, all the work Andre and I did you help you control your anger, and this was the end result?!"
"As if you're one to talk! You convinced Gwynevere to leave Anor Londo, which resulted in 53,594 of our troops leaving with her, and right before the undead attempted to take over Anor Londo no less!"
>"I did not guide her down that path, she planned on it well before anyone knew!"
"That did not stop you from going mad at the sight of all your fallen comrades becoming undead, did it? You are just as guilty of slaughtering people as I am, only you got off easy for being of noble birth."
>"I know exactly what happened, and its still wrong, but that doesn't justify you making the same mistake!"
"Don't change the subject, you crazed sun worshiper!"
>"You changed it first, Rock lover."
"Solar Jackass"
>"Tuff Trite"
"Helios crackpot!"
>"Sedimentary Simpleton!"
>"ENOUGH!"
>you and Solaire both look at the sun one
>she does not look too pleased
>"Is this how it always is with you two?!
>you both remain quiet
>"I'll take that as a yes, but I know two used to be friends, so please explain why you are both are acting like this!"
>you and Solaire both look at each other
"Tea?"
>"Tea"

>You are Havel the Rock
>and its tea time
>You, Solaire, and the sun one are sitting at a table, drinking some delicious tea
>the sun one speaks up
>"I see, so you two would always fight like this, but in the end, its friendly. I rarely see anyone's friendship work out like that."
>"Oh yes, Celestia. As I have told you before, Havel and I have engaged in jolly cooperation on many occasions. It was the only way to satisfy his brutish behavior."
>oh hell no, he did not just say that
"I wouldn't be so savage if you didn't lecture me on every 'mistake' I've ever made. If Andre wasn't there, you would most likely be dead by now."
>"Ah yes, he would never allow us to keep fighting. I don't get furious often, but when I do, oh dead, you all better run for the hills. I can only wonder what became of him."
"Actually, I would have to ask the same of you. You also seemed to have arrived in Equestria. Care to explain how?"
>"I was hoping you would tell me. The last thing I remember back in Lordran was being slain by a man I helped. I could not blame him, mind you, since I was under the influence of a strange parasitic insect. The next thing I knew, I was in a castle, surrounded by strange white and grey horses."
"Ah, so it was the same for you as well. I was killed by a strange looking man with a silly mask, and then I ended up in a field with a pink pony talking up a storm."
>"Yes, it seems we arrived in similar ways, but from what I can tell, I arrived with my equipment, however, you seem to not have anything with you."
>hold the phone
>you take a minute to think about that
>...
>ah yes, all of your weapons and armor must still be at the rock farm
>strange how the sun one did not bring your belongings with you to Canterlot
>you decide to seek out your equipment after you are done with your tea
"I arrived with my equipment, just as you, but I seemed to have misplaced it all for the time being."
>"you lost it all, didn't you."
"Quiet, you"
>at least he shuts up for once
>the sun one seems to be perfectly satisfied with only the two of us talking
>time to ask some questions
"So, Celestia, I see you were the one who managed to stop your lovely sister from ending my life. Care to explain why you did it?"
>"Yes, my sister Luna told me about your existence in Equestria only a day before she attempted to make contact with you. Based on what she told me, I knew you two would most likely end up arguing, but i did not expect you both to engage in mortal combat."
>expect the unexpected, sun one
>"after our talk, I confronted Solaire with this information, considering how much Luna's description of your body closely resembled Solaire's, and he immediately asked me to stop my sister from even speaking to you."
>so Solaire was already friendly with the sun one, huh?
>ok, you need to get some facts straight
"I see you and Solaire became friends rather quickly. I would imagine Solaire had a much better beginning in Equestria than I did."
>Solaire seems to fidget in his seat as he puts down his cup of tea
>"Well..."

>You are Havel the Rock
>and Solaire finally stopped telling you his story
>it feels as though this story has gone on for weeks now
>or maybe your sense of time is off
>and here you thought your story was crazy
>oh well, at least he's done
"That was an... interesting tale, my friend."
>"indeed it was. I would imagine you've been through a lot as well?
"Yes... you could say that."
>"Care to tell your story?"
"No"
>"why not?"
"Because we've been sitting here for the past two hours listening to your story, and I think its time we move on."
>"good point..."
"And that couple you've talked about have been standing right behind you for 20 minutes now"
>"What?!"
>as Solaire turns around, he jumps out of his chair in surprise
>Yes, they've been standing there, listening to his riveting story, not wanting to interrupt.
>and they both have horns...
>why must this happen to you?
>the big pink one speaks up
>"Hello Solaire, Auntie Tia, ... Solaire's friend. I was wondering when he would stop rambling on about his past."
>Solaire gets up form the floor and bows to them
>"H-Hello there you two, I thought you were supposed to get here in the afternoon!"
>The big white unicorn speaks
>"Solaire, its 1:00 in the afternoon. How long have you been talking with your friend over there?"
"Too long."
>they both look in your direction
>filthy m- stop it
"Hello there, you two must be Princess Candace a-"
>"Princess Cadence..."
"Right, sorry about that, Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor. It is a... pleasure to meet you both. I am Havel the Rock, A Bishop serving under Lord Gwyn and the bane of all Magicians. Please, join us in our nice little tea time."
>They both walk towards the table, pull out a chair, and have a seat
>you pour them both a cup of tea
>at least things are calm
>...for now
>the white unicorn tries to begin a conversation
>"Well, its nice to meet you Havel, but I think we need t- woah"
"What?"
>it seems he drank some of the tea
>"This is some bomb as tea, Havel"

>You are Havel the Rock
>and this is getting boring
>incredibly boring
>everyone at this table is just talking about their kingdom, the ponies in it, and their sex life
>...this does not interest you
>even Maud is more interesting than this...
>speaking of, where is Maud?
>is she still sleeping?
>"no, I'm right behind you."
>yup, you expected that
>you turn around to see Maud sipping tea while standing behind you
>the other ponies and Solaire seem to be surprised at Maud's appearance
>The white unicorn seems surprised the most
>"How did she do that?"
>"I walked into the room, grabbed myself a cup of tea and waited for Havel to notice me."
>"But how?"
>"I walked into the room, grabbed-"
>"Nevermind, forget I asked."
>Maud sips some more tea and walks out of the room
>you decide to follow her
"Excuse me, I need to take care of something."
>you get up from your seat, go into the other room, and close the door
>finally, a reason to get away from all that
>and some alone time with Maud
>you see Maud laying down on the bed you were resting on after your... one sided battle with that wicked alicorn
>"You finally woke up."
"Yes, I did."
>"Why didn't you wake me up when you did?"
"I wanted you to rest. I thought that you might have been waiting for me to recover all this time, so I decided to let you get some sleep."
>"Thank you for that."
"You're welcome."
>you see Maud get off the bed and trot up to you
>"Havel?"
"Yes?"
>at that moment, you see Maud do something you really didn't expect
>time seemed to slow down as she put her fore legs around you, trying to give you a hug
>Maud is showing her affection...
>that's certainly odd
>you return the hug by doing the same
>"Don't ever do something like that again."
"As I recall, you left me there, knowing full well I would confront that princess."
>"I thought you would talk, not try to kill each other."
>damn, that may have hurt her feelings
"Ah, I see, sorry about that. I'll try not to get into any more of those kind of fights anymore."
>"You're lying."
>Shit
>she's right
"Ok fine, you're right, I will most likely get angry at magic and fight again."
>"At least you're telling the truth..."
>Maud breaks the hug and looks up at you
>still having that same old boring look on her face
>"But can you at least let me fight with you next time?"
>wot
>is she serious?!
>"Yes."
"I...uh...well...are you able to defend yourself?"
>"I can break any boulder in Equestria, remember?"
>you look away from Maud
"....Fine, I'll have you at my side in case this happens again, alright?"
>you look back at her...
>to find her...
>smiling?!
>"Thank you, Havel."
>Maud is smiling
>you didn't even know she could smile
>you can't even think clearly
>so you say what comes to mind
"Y-You too."
>and with that, you hear a door open
>it seems tea time is over
>Solaire walks up to you, looking as though he has news
>"Havel, my good friend, I had a talk with the princess, and she is more than willing to let you stay here in the castle indefinitely. We can arrange a room and get you a position in the royal g-."
"No."
>"What?"
"You heard me correctly, no?"
>"B-But, why?"
>you look towards Maud
"Because I already have a home."
>Solaire looks towards where you are staring, and seems to get the hint
>"You actually... I don't believe it..."
"Is this that hard to comprehend?"
>"No no, its quite alright, I just didn't expect this to happen. I'm guessing you wish to return to the farm you were at previously."
"Yes, Solaire, that's exactly what I want."
>"Oh well, I won't stop you. I was hoping we could spend more time together, considering how long we've been separated for."
"Don't get me wrong, Solaire, it was very nice to see you again, but don't think I've forgotten what you've done in Lordran."
>"We've been over this."
"And I don't have to completely forgive you for anything. I'm not going to fight you over this, but this grudge will take time to let go."
>"...Was it that bad?"
"Weren't you in Anor Londo after it all happened?"
>"..."
"Exactly."
>you begin to walk away, but you stop at the door
"However, I would be more than happy to see you visit me from time to time."
>and with that, you exit the princess' chamber
>well, that is done with...
>wait a minute
>you walk back into the room and point towards the big White one
"You there, Alicorn."
>"That's Princess Celestia to you, Havel."
"Yes, Princess Celery, where is my Armor?"

>You are Havel the Rock
>and you are currently on your way back to the Rock Farm
>...on a silver chariot Princess Celestia gave you
>currently a pegasus guard is pulling the chariot towards your destination, but you do not know why you're allowed to keep the damn thing
>you can't exactly fly, so what use will it have on a damn farm?!
>Solaire is accompanying you for who knows what reason
>maybe to check out where you will be staying
>he always did look out for the people he cared about
>"You're still thinking about the chariot, aren't you?"
"Yes, and for good reason. I know this is a land of horses, but I do not need a chariot. I can get around just fine."
>"The princess is just trying to make up for her sister's rash behavior."
"Death isn't something you just get over in a day, and showering someone in gifts won't make it go away."
>"Its a start, no?"
"Not necessarily a good one, but you're right."
>You continue to sit there as Solaire observes his surroundings
>Maud has been quiet this entire ride
>knowing her, she simply has nothing to say right now
>the ride continues to drag on
>although something has been on your mind for a while
>something you never really thought of too much
"Solaire."
>"Hmm?"
"About our home..."
>"Yes, what about it?"
"Do you think we'll ever go back?"
>"Of course, we're taking you back home as we speak, and I have a way of returning to Canterlot after we're done."
"No, I mean Lordran."
>"Ah, still have that on the mind, eh?"
"Of course I do! I'm not sure how we ended up in Equestria, but I know for damn certain we can't just forget about where we came from!"
>"I'm not sure why you keep dwelling on the past. Isn't this world a lot more peaceful and calm compared to Lordran?"
"...You really don't care about the land we swore to protect, do you?"
>"We took an oath to protect the kingdom, and we failed. There's something you need to learn, Havel."
"And what's that?"
>"Moving on, Havel. What's done is done, and we can't change the past."
"That sounds like a poor excuse to not own up to your mistakes."
>"Or maybe I know the difference between a thriving kingdom and a dead one."
>you give up trying to reason with him
>Solaire only wants to forget about the past and live with "his sun."
>looks like he got everything he wanted so why would he want to leave?
>even though you lost your comrades, went on a rampage, and got locked up in a tower, you can help but think about going back
>you swore to end all magic in Lordran...
>but at the same time, that's an impossible task
>if Gwyn was still alive, you would think its possible...
>but by yourself, you cannot even begin to accomplish that
>This would, though
>although filled to the brim with magic users, is a very nice world
>You even lost the undead curse when entering this place
>So why do you yearn to go back to Lordran?
>...is Solaire right?
>can you really never let go of the past?
>...
>your thoughts are interrupted as you notice Maud stand up
>She begins looking at the direction we are headed
>...no
>you see anger in her eyes!
>how...
>you immediately get up and look ahead
>you see the rock farm...
>that's not possible
>those are lightning miracles erupting from the farm

>You are Havel the Rock
>and this does not bode well
>"What in Gwyn's name..."
"About time you noticed."
>"This cannot be! No one in this world knows of miracles!"
"That's what I was thinking. You there, pegasus guards, take us towards the lightning."
>Both of the guards look at you with a face of confusion
>"A-are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, we have no idea what could be over there."
>"Its alright, corporal, do what he asks."
>"S-sir Solaire!"
>"We'll be fine. Take us behind the house, we can plan our next course of action there."
>The guards fly down towards the Pie family's house, landing safely onto the ground
>You, Solaire, and Maud jump out and ready your arsenal
>"I never thought I would fight someone else who uses miracles again."
"I am inclined to agree upon that statement. So, what's the plan, Solaire."
>"I must say, there is no plan as of right now. We don't even know who is beyond these walls."
"Well we have to do something!"
>another lightning miracle erupts from the farm, breaking a nearby rock
"That's our queue to fight first, ask questions later."
>"That's never a good idea, Havel."
"Too bad."
>"At least use some miracles to prepare yourself."
"Fine fine, I'll do that, at least."
>You both take out your chimes and attempt to cast sacred oath, among other miracles
>until something dawns on you
"Wait... where's Maud?"
>"I thought she was behind you."
>yet another lightning miracle was used nearby
"Let's go!"
>"Dammit, Havel..."
>You and Solaire finally stop fooling around and run towards whatever is causing this mess
>after turning the corner of the house, you see Maud in a fighting stance, facing off against...
>oh, you've got to be kidding
>"Oh my, I never thought I would ever see those two again."
"Took the words right out of my mouth."

>Those two
>the loyal guards of the princess
>guarding Gwynevere with their lives, no matter the cost
>you know these two
>just... not their names
>"Its Dragon Slayer Ornstein and Executioner Smough."
"I knew that."
>"You never remember names. I only told you so you wouldn't be lost in thought, now let's get to it!"
>The both of you make your way towards the dynamic duo
>"Havel."
"Maud, are you alright?"
>"I'm fine, but my family doesn't seem to be here."
"They must be hiding somewhere."
>"These humans are trying to destroy my home."
"Don't worry, we're here to stop them."
>"I will help you both."
>"Glad to hear it, Maud Pie. The more, the merrier."
>the two soldiers ready their weapons, no doubt ready to fight us
>"Wait, Havel, let me try something."
"You're going to talk to them, aren't you?"
>"It couldn't hurt."
"Solaire, they've never spoken a word. Ever. In fact, they may not have said a word in their lives."
>"They still swore an oath to protect the kingdom. Maybe I could reason with them."
"You mean the oath you could care less about?"
>"Not now, Havel!"
>Solaire slowly walks towards the smaller enemy
>"Sir Dragon Slayer Ornstein, you have no reason to be attacking this place. Lay down your weapons, and we can peacefully resolve whatever quarrel you have with this place."
>the Dragon Slayer looks towards Solaire, never moving a muscle
>maybe he got through to them?
>or maybe Ornstein just shot out a lightning bolt from his lance in an attempt to injure Solaire
"They never listen to reason, Solaire."
>"It was worth a shot."
>you both draw your weapons, ready to fight as well
>"We're not capable of defeating these two, are we?"
"They are the best of the best, Solaire."
>"So we are on even grounds."
"Exactly. I have the big one."
>"I'll take care of Sir Ornstein."
>"I will help Havel."
"Thank you, Maud."
>"Eyes up, here they come!"

>You are Havel the Rock
>and you're in for the fight of your life
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgpYfCnLhAo
>The Dragon Slayer does not leave you all room to attack as he dashes at you all with blinding speed
>you and Maud jump out of the way, however, Solaire did no such thing
>instead, he stood his ground and blocked the lance in front of him with his sword
>"Go! This one is mine!"
>the two of you comply with him, turning around to face the overgrown executioner
>you seem him charging at you with his hammer facing forwards
>he's just as slow as when you've seen him fight in the past
>you position yourself to block the incoming blow
>the charging idiot went straight for you, attempting to bash you
>your shield only does so much as he knocks you off balance with one fierce strike
>he readies yet another strike, but you are in no position for another block
>however, you hear what sounds like a blunt object hitting metal
>at the corner of your vision, you see Maud attacking Smough from behind, most likely trying to draw his attention
>it seems to work as the big guy turns around
>this gives you an opportunity to attack!
>you grip your dragon tooth in both your hands and go smack him to the ground
>your mighty weapon makes contact with Smough's heavy armor, no doubt dealing some kind of damage
>there's a huge dent in the back of his armor now
>again, the behemoth turns around to attack you, only for Maud to deliver a very powerful blow to the same area you attacked
>he seems to be getting angry now, considering he is now blindly swinging his hammer in all directions
>you and Maud quickly step back to dodge the onslaught of attacks
>eventually, the huge man becomes exhausted and tries to recover his stamina
>the two of you do not give him that chance
>you both go in for an attack on both sides, ready to hopefully bring this to an end
>both of you are extremely close, about to strike when...
>you missed?!
>where did he go?!
>Maud is currently looking upwards
>you do the same, only to find Smough in the air
>and currently descending right onto you both!
>you grab Maud and throw her to safety
>*SMASH*
>pain
>agonizing, horrible pain
>this big guy's fat ass is currently crushing your body
>it seems he won't get off
>until you hear a lightning bolt and the executioner gets knocked off you
>you stand up, trying desperately to fight the pain and continue fighting

>you are Solaire of Astora
>and this might be the end of you both
>Sir Ornstein charges towards you
>you said you would take care of him, so you decide to get his attention
>by blocking his hit with your sword
"Go! This one is mine!"
>Havel and his pony friend turn around to face the other foe
>which means its just you and the dragon slayer
>you shove him off of you and take out your shield
"Have at you, Knight of the Four!"
>the dragon slayer continues his assault, using slashes and thrusts in his attempts to end your life
>you cannot seem to find an opening in his attacks
>after blocking and dodging several of his attacks, you seem him charging up yet another lightning bolt from his lance
>you take this time to duck behind a rock and cast Sacred Oath, hopefully giving you enough of a boost to take on this knight
>after the lightning hits the rock, shattering it in the process, you leap forward and attempt your own offensive
>you make a quick slash at your opponent, easily cutting through some of his armor
>Sir Ornstein seems to be effected by this, losing some of his balance from the attack
>you capitalize on this moment, unleashing more and more stabs and strikes against his chest
>it seems to be doing a heavy amount of damage
>you think you might actually be able to pull this off!
>after one last strike, however, you see Ornstein regain his footing and tries swinging his lance at you
>you jump backwards, recieving a gash in your chest from the tip of his weapon
>it matters not, you still have the advantage now
>you hope Havel is doing just as well
>*SMASH*
>that did not sound good
>you look to your right to see Smough sitting on something
>wait, those are Havel's leggings sticking out from under him!
>you see Ornstein charging up his lance lightning again
>a thought occurred to you
>you run towards the knight, sheathing your sword and shield and try to take his own weapon away from him
>you struggle with the knight who is clearly stronger than you, but you get what you wanted
>the lance is now pointed straight at Smough, and fires a devistating lightning bolt at the executioner, knocking him off of your friend
>Ornstein, however, from the looks of it, is not pleased with this as he kicks you away, regaining control of his weapon
>it seems this fight has already begun
>you hope Havel is alright

>you are Havel the Rock
>and you feel pain everlasting
>that lightning blast...
>Solaire must have helped you
>you look at where you opponent was knocked
>only to find Maud trying to make more dents in his armor, specifically, his helmet
>its strange to see Maud not completely destroying whatever is in front of her
>maybe its because its not a rock, but rather, metal
>Smough is now trying to get back up
"Maud, stop him!"
>she quickly moves towards the executioner's legs and stomps the ground as hard as she could, causing the earth around you to shake
>you manage to stay up, while Smough falls right back down
>this is your chance!
>as swiftly as you battered body can take you, you sprint towards the fat man, stopping when you get to his head
"Hold him!"
>Maud quickly jumps on Smough's armor and continues to jump repeatedly
>it reminds you of her pink sister
>no matter, you firmly grasp the dragon tooth in your hand and lift it over your head
"This fight is over."
>with every fiber of your being, you slam your weapon down on the fallen executioner, smashing his helmet, most likely killing him in the process
>you need to make sure, however
>while your weapon is currently lodged in his head, you step onto the big man and stomp on your weapon, driving it further and further into his skull
"Die already, you abnormal freak!"
>the stomping doesn't stop for over a minute
>finally, Maud puts her hoof over your shoulder
>your stomping parade finally ends, leaving a bloody mess coming out of the incomprehensible helmet before you
>you would never have known it was a helmet if you've never seen it before
>Maud picks up your weapon with her mouth and let's you take it in your hands
"Thanks."
>"We still have to help Solaire."
"Indeed, let's-"
>your sentence is interrupted by something knocking you and Maud onto the ground
>"Blasted... tremor"
"Solaire?"
>you recover from the blunt force hitting you to see your comrade, battered and bruised
>"That damn earthquake... knocked me on my feet..."
"Maud, get Solaire to safety. I'll take care of..."
>you look at where Ornstein is standing
>he is currently looking at his own fallen comrade
"What is he..."
>"Havel, don't let him touch Smough!"
>you take up your weapon and run towards the dragon slayer
>just as you're about to strike him, he makes contact with the dead executioner
>all of a sudden, your blow is blocked by an unseen force
"What in the world?"
>you continue to attack, but to no avail
"Why can't I hit him?!"
>"Its too late..."
"What's too late?!"
>"Havel, come here and heal my wounds!"
>you rush over to you friend and take out your chime
"Solaire, what is he doing?"
>"Help me first!"
>you cast Great Heal, showering all three of you in a divine light, healing all of your wounds
>"Dammit, I was hoping we could prevent this."
"Prevent what?!"
>"Take a look at Sir Ornstein."
>you take a good look at the dragon slayer
>wait... he's growing
>and Smough seems to be melting
"Is he... absorbing Smough?!"
>"Yes, its a technique only the two close guards of the princess know. As a last resort, in case their ally has fallen in battle, they can choose to temporarily gain all the strengths of the other, rejuvenating one's body and soul, while combining the raw power of the two into one."
>the now big Dragon Slayer is now completely done with his transformation, with Smough being no where to be seen anymore
>the battle damage on his armor is now completely gone
>not good
>not good at all
>"This is where the battle truly begins."
"I'm ready to face him."
>"Together."
"Together."
>"I will assist you both."
>with renewed vigor, you all brace for the new fight ahead
>this will not be a simple fight
"Let's go!"

>Ornstein starts off just like before, dashing at the three of you with blinding speed, but this time, he seems even faster
>you manage to raise your shield before he lands a blow, but the lightning coming from the lance has no problem piercing your defenses
>as you grunt in pain, Solaire sticks his sword into Ornstein's right leg
>the dragon slayer does not pay attention to that, however, as you continue to be pummeled by the towering foe
>only when Maud goes up to Solaire's sword and hits it so hard that is completely penetrates his flesh, that is when you get a chance to attack yourself
>you swing your mighty dragon tooth at the dragon slayer, causing him to step back in pain
>Ornstein looks at the damage done to his leg
>he takes Solaire's sword out and snaps it like a toothpick
>"Damn, my only weapon!"
"Come on, don't forget about what you do best."
>"Quite right!"
>Solaire takes out his own chime while Maud continues to distract the titan before you
>however, as you attempt to help her, Ornstein manages to catch her under his boot, attempting to crush her bones
"Get your filthy foot off of her, heathen!"
>you take your shield and throw it at the giant's head, trying to get his attention
>luckily, it must have hit a weak spot, because it caused him to topple over
>Maud gets up, but you notice a bad bruise on one of her hind legs
>Ornstein looks like he's not getting up, for some odd reason
>you hear a familiar lightning miracle being used by your friend
>Solaire chucks the lightning spear directly at the fallen giant
>it seems as though it would have made a direct hit
>but as it turns out, the dragon slayer jumped up all of a sudden and smacked the miracle away with his lance
>"Did he just..."
"Shut up and keep fighting!"
>Solaire tries to conjure up another lightning spear while you charge ahead, hoping to land another hit
>as you prepare a swing, Ornstein thrusts his lance forward, impaling you right in the chest
"Agh!"
>he lifts you up high, dangling you in the air
>you hear electricity course through his weapon
>he can't be doing what you think he's doing, is he?!
>all of that energy converges to the tip of his weapon, frying you with pure lightning
>the unimaginable agony that courses through your body
>you don't even have time to think as Ornstein throws your burnt body on the ground
>you can't even move at this point, all the feeling in your body is numb
>however, you hear the sound of a lightning spear making contact with armor
>Solaire must have hit something this time
>"Havel, my friend!"
>you hear Solaire walk up to you
>"Don't worry, I will mend you."
>the sound of a chime making it's familiar noise fills you with hope
>feeling returns to your body, as well as your injuries closing up
"Thank you... Solaire."
>"You mended my wounds, I'm only returning the favor."
"Oh please, you would have used that miracle no matter what."
>"Now listen here..."
>lightning zooms over the both of you, reminding you of the battle at hand
>it seems Maud is holding her own against the lance wielding behemoth
>you can see some new battle damage in his armor
>it must not be much longer now before he falls
>"We have to end this sooner or later."
"Agreed. Solaire, you know what to do."
>"Just give me time, and don't let him notice me."
>you pick up your weapon and stand on your own two feet
>Maud seems to pick up on you plan, luring Ornstein closer to you two by forcing him backwards
"Just keep it up, Maud..."
>you decide to join the battle to hopefully put the colossus in a weaker state
>However, Ornstein manages to turn around, ready to defend himself
>he goes in for yet another thrust, but you use your weapon to deflect the attack
>you see Maud jump onto the dragon slayer, jumping on his head and stomping with incredible force
>while that is going on, you take your weapon and start swinging at his chest, putting dent after dent into his chest plate
>it shouldn't be too much longer now, Solaire's miracle should be almost done
>you hear Maud grunt as she is knocked off of Ornstein's head, having a rather soft landing next to you
>at the same time, familiar footsteps and armor rustling is heard behind you
"Now!"
>Solaire runs up to the now weakened enemy and readies Wrath of the Gods, which will no doubt be more than enough to finish him off
>all this will take is a little hand motion and...
>*Thwack*
>Solaire is hit by body of Ornstein's lance
>which hits you next
>then Maud
>all three of you are knocked on your backs, Solaire losing grip of his chime, along with you letting go of your dragon tooth
>as you three try to get back up, you see Ornstein tower over all of you
>you all have no ways of defending yourself
>he will no doubt kill anyone who makes an attempt to grab their weapon or run away
>he may be weakened, but his strength is still intact
>this is it
>your final moment
>and here you thought you had a chance...
>you see Ornstein lift his lance, ready to impale one of you
>you close your eyes, awaiting the end...
>there...
>the familiar sound of metal cutting through flesh
>you felt no pain, so he must have targeted someone else
>"I don't believe it..."
>Solaire is surprised as well?
>"Havel, look."
>Maud is unharmed too?
>if none of you were slain...
>who got stabbed?

>"Corporal!"
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNo0EhDhpBE
>you see a pegasus guard jabbing a spear into the dragon slayer's neck
>"I've got him, guys! Don't worry about me!"
>the bleeding titan is desperately trying to get the pegasus off
>this... this is your chance!
>"What are you doing, corporal?! He will kill you in an instant!"
"You idiot, this is out chance!"
>"I... don't want to believe that. That pegasus is in danger!"
"And we were about to die, so let's honor is bravery."
>"Here, I have your tools."
>you see Maud come up to you two with a chime in her mouth and a dragon tooth on her back
>"Thank you."
"Solaire, get the miracle ready again. We're not screwing this up again."
>You grip your weapon as tightly as you can, and bring it down right on the enemy's leg
>Maud does the same with her hoof, but on the other side, successfully knocking the behemoth down
>the brave pegasus flies off of Ornstein, however, he noticed the lightning lance on the ground
>"H-hey, I have his weapon!"
"Good work, soldier. Get that thing out of here!"
>the nameless soldier does just as you requested, flying away with Ornstein's weapon in hoof
>Ornstein seems too weakened to get up quickly, giving the both of you time to pin him down
>by hitting him senseless
"Solaire, you done yet?"
>"Get back, Havel!"
>Solaire jumps on top of Ornstein
>you and Maud steer clear, giving the dragon slayer one last hit before running
>Solaire takes the chime in both hands, the Wrath of the Gods being fully ready to be released
>"Take this, vile knight!"
>your friend slams the chime against Ornstein as hard as he can, releasing the miracle at the same time
>the immense force drives Ornstein into the ground, slowly but surely ending him
>they both go deeper and deeper into the ground, as more and more of the dragon slayer's armor cracks and breaks
>the spell dims as the fallen titan fades away, a death only for those slain by  the gods' purifying light
>it is done
>the battle is won

>You are Havel the Rock
>and today there was Victory Achieved
"We did it..."
>"No one is attacking the farm now. This is good."
>"Hello... can someone be a dear friend and help me out of this crater?
>You walk over to the hole in the ground, finding Solaire stuck down there
"Need some assistence?"
>Solaire raises his hand towards you
>"That would be fantastic"
>you grab his hand and pull him up
>"That was... quite a strange fight."
"Indeed it was. Why were the princess' guards here? What is going on?"
>"I wish I could tell you, Havel, but there doesn't seem to be an explanation at the moment."
>"Sir Solaire!"
>you see that pegasus from before decend, holding Ornstein's gigantic lance
>"Corporal, front and center!"
>the soldier drops the weapon and stumbles his way towards Solaire
>he salutes his superior
>"What you did today was reckless, insane, and down right stupid! You could have been killed at the drop of a hat, and yet you still charged forward against a powerful foe..."
>the pegasus never moves, although you see sweat drip from his forehead
>"And that's why I will tell Celestia of your bravery. I'm sure you will be well rewarded."
>"S-sir?!"
>"You heard me. We need more soldiers like you."
>"No, sir, I'm just a nameless rank and file soldier. If anything, I only got lucky."
>"I disagree. If it wasn't fro you, all three of us would probably be dead right now. You shgould feel honored. Hold you head up high, soldier. You've earned it."
>"T-thank you so much, Sir Solaire!"
>"Not a problem, now get back to your station and tell the coward back there about what it truly feels like to be a hero."
>"Yes Sir!"
>the young soldier flies back to behind the house, where your silver chariot resides
"You enjoy this a lot, don't you?"
>"I must say I do."
"Reminds you of Lordran, doesn't it?"
>"..."
"Relax, I'm fine with it now."
>"I always care for my men. If they go above and beyond what their rank shows, then they must be rewarded."
"I was in the same boat too, you know."
>"I know..."
"Just don't grow too attached to them."
>"I won't let them die."
"That's what I said, and look at what happened."
>"I'm not you."
"You're still a man."
>"Havel, we've both seen death."
"No, you've seen death from the sidelines, just from hearsay. I've seen comrades fall. I've seen the bodies of my brethren scattered across my vision."
>"I have seen my fair share. Don't think I can't understand."
"Tell me, have you ever been close to a fellow soldier before?"
>"..."
"Have you ever lead your own army, only to learn that in your absence, they perished?"
>"Enough."
"I'm not trying to prove who went through more hardships, I'm just trying to make you understand something important."
>"And I'm saying I'm not like you."
>you begin to walk away
"Doesn't make a difference. Sooner or later, your comrades will fall in battle. The less attached you are, the more likely you'll be able to push forward."
>Solaire doesn't say a word after that
>you hope your friend doesn't make the same mistake with his new found rank
>he's not as dumb as you
>he won't make that mistake
>right?
>"Havel!"
>you look to your right to see a pink blur charge at you
>and put you in a death grip
>"I'm so glad someone saved our farm!"
"M-Mrs. Pie! Please, do get off!"
>"Not happening, son."
>you see the rest of the pie family who resides here
>"I'm not sure why those things attacked our farm, but let me tell you, I'm glad you came back to help."
>you see the two twins next to their father
>"Thank you, mister Havel, for rescuing us. They were so big, it was so scary..."
>"For you. I wasn't scared, I just let them do what they wanted because I was tired."
>that little...
>no matter, you still did a good deed
>"Oh dear, Maud, are you alright?!"
>it seems the old pink one noticed Maud's injuries
>"It doesn't hurt. It will heal just fine."
>"Nonsense, you get in the house and we'll get the first aid kit!"
"I believe I can fix that."
>you take out your trusty chime and cast a simple heal miracle on Maud's leg
>it heals up nicely
>you hate the way more severe injuries need to have the healing miracle concentrate on it, making it difficult to do in battle
>"You can fix ponies?!"
"Yes... I thought you knew that."
>"I had no idea, Havel! Thank you for helping my daughter."
"I should be thanking her for assisting me. Maud's fighting really gave us the edge we needed in battle."
>"Did you hear that, Igneous? Maud helped Havel take down those monsters!"
>"Well I'll be damned, looks like all that kooky stuff she does all the time paid off, huh?"
>"Ooh, Maud, I'm so proud of you... Maud?"
"She already went inside."
>"Oh..."
>"Well we better follow her. I would imagine old Havel here is as tired as Tartarus right now, aren't you? Come on, we'll make a feast just for you. How does that sound?"
"That would be lovely. I thank you for that, but I must take care of something before I come with you."
>"Alright, we'll be in the kitchen, making all sorts of dishes for you. Want anything in particular?"
"No, just have lot's of tea."
>"Can do. Come on, everypony, let's cook us up a feast!"
>the Pie family runs inside the house, leaving you alone outside
>you wanted to have one more conversation with your old friend
>you decide to walk back to where Solaire is and discuss something in particular

"Solaire, there is something we need to discuss."
>"If its about more of us arriving in Equestria, then I may have a theory."
"Thought of one that fast?"
>"Well, I wasn't simply talking to myself all this time."
"Ah, yes, your social link or whatever."
>"Yes, that. Celestia brought up something that lead me to this theory in the first place."
"Which is?"
>"Have you noticed a similarity between every resident of Lordran that has been seen here?"
"I'm not following you."
>"Come on, Havel, what can we both do, hmm? Something that Sir Ornstein and Smough do as well."
"Argue?"
>"Miracles!"
"Yes, what about that?"
>"All of us were those who's faith has granted us power. There is a possibility that only those who weild these powers are arriving here."
"That... might be a bit of a stretch."
>"There is nothing disproving this theory, no?"
"You're right in that regard, but that seems a bit farfetched. So what, does that make this place heaven? Because I'm pretty sure we both died before being sent here."
>"I wouldn't go that far, but maybe our faith is sending us here, as would a good man embracing death and journeying up to heaven."
"...Are you really thinking like that?"
>"Come on now, Havel, think about it! Look at this world, the peace it brings, the mostly nice residents, and let's not forget about our curse."
"Hmm... now that's a great mystery. We've never found any way of relieving the curse, have we?"
>"Not in the slightest."
"Huh... there is much we don't know about our predicament."
>"And I want to learn more about this. If the royal guards have arrived, who knows who might come about next?"
"Now I get it, this is to help protect Equestria, isn't it?"
>"It is my duty, Havel."
"And yet in Lordran..."
>"I thought you said you were over that."
"Just bringing up your hypocrisy."
>"Thank you... Havel, that made me feel so incredible."
"Anytime."
>"I think we should call it a day, don't you agree?"
"Agreed. I would imagine you will be going back to Canterlot?"
>"You would be correct. I do hope you will visit every so often."
"Same here, old friend."
>you give Solaire a firm hand shake
>Solare turns around and walks towards the two pegasi in the distance
>you start to walk back to the Pie family house
>however...
>"Havel."
"Yes?"
>"One final thought."
"Hmm?"
>"We were the first to arrive, correct?"
"From the looks of it, I would say so."
>"Do you think... we were the cause of this?"
"I do not think so."
>"Something must have triggered this..."
"We may never know."
>"But just think about it... have we started the fire?"
>you begin walking away again
"The fire Rises, Solaire, no matter how you look at it."
>and with that, you arrive at the humble home and enter through the front door

>You are Havel the Rock
>and you are currently at the dinner table with the ever faithful Pie family
>what a nice meal they've made you
>you decide to start of slowly and dig into some of their delicious Rock Salad
>The immense crunch from the rock tomatoes are simply sublime
>you miss their cooking, even though you were asleep for your whole time away
>the brown one tries to make conversation
>"So, Havel, I've been thinking about what you've done for the farm. Not only did you serve us well, you saved our lives. With that, I think it would be fair to pay off your debt to the princess of Ponyville."
"As much as I would love that, I'm beginning to enjoy my stay here. I have no problems with keeping my occupation at this workplace, unless you would prefer me out of the way."
>"Oh no no, Havel, that certainly isn't the case, I was just offering a reward for risking your life to save my family."
"You have no obligation to give me anything, I was simply doing what I wanted to do, and that was save this farm and the ponies who reside in it."
>the older pink one seems to share the brown one's sentiments
>"Come on, Havel, you've done so much today, probably almost getting yourself killed in the process, and you expect no reward?!"
"I'm simply used to this sort of thing. Please, there is no harm in just giving me a fantastic meal as compensation."
>"Ugh, fine. We were only trying to help, but you're a big human, so you can make your own choices."
>and with that, you continue your delicious meal, moving onto Rock on the Cob
>the rude one tries to speak up
>"So Havel, I-"
"If you ask about my mask, which is clearly a helmet, one more time, it would be extremely painful for you at this very instant, so stop asking."
>that shut her up, causing her to go back to eat rather quickly
>in fact, you do the same, trying to eat your food with haste
>you do not want to hear her ask you more pointless questions
>no matter how big the threat, she still never stops asking
>soon enough, you cannot consume anymore of this delicious banquet and excuse yourself from the table
"It was a fantastic meal as always, Mrs. Pie. You always know how to make someone like me never have enough. Now, it has been a long day, so I must retire to my room."
>you pick up your equipment and make your way upstairs
>finally, you reach the top and...
>"Hello!"
"Bwah!"
>you back back in surprise...
>which just so happens to lead back down the stairs
>this normally would have hurt, but your armor is more than enough to cause this pain to be nullified
"Maud... I thought we talked about you sneaking up on me while coming up the stairs."
>"I didn't remember."
"Fair enough."
>again, you climb back up the stairs and make your way towards your room
>you get your room key that you hide under the floor mat and unlock the door
"Ah, its good to be home..."
>you still miss your home
>but at least you found a great substitute
>"It is good, isn't it?"
>what the...
>she's already in your room
>how...
>oh wait, its the Pie family
>you need to remind yourself every so often of this fact
"Yes... it is. I must thank you again for your assistance today."
>"I didn't want my family hurt. Those two wanted to hurt my family. I hurt them back."
"Indeed, and you did a splendid job as well."
>you get near your bed, ready to hit the hay
>since you never take off your armor, that can be skipped
>however, you notice Maud nearing your bed as well...
>she jumps on the edge of your mattress
>"What are we going to do on the bed, Havel?"

*2 WEEKS LATER*
>You are Havel the Rock
>and you may or may not hate your life right now
>it appears a certain Journalist finally got his story approved and sent to every corner of this land, meaning you've become a bit famous
>and by famous, that actually means "come to the rock farm to check out the walking rock who almost killed a princess."
>this sad turn of events caused quite a few... tourists to appear on the farm
>taking pictures, throwing food like you're an animal
>this is becoming increasingly frustrating
>and yet the news about Solaire seems to be a lot more... charming
>saving a dog from a building?
>that's why everyone seems to love him?!
>and yet they're all scared of you
>confound these ponies
>at least Maud is keeping you company
>she became a lot closer after that night, where you may or may not have had a bit too much fun
>it was very dull, uneventful, quiet...
>just the way you like it
>"Havel, your shift is over."
"Glad you finally caught on to that. Shall we make our way inside?"
>she nods silently as you put away your weapon and push the wagon full of rocks to the barn
>you see a bunch of teenage ponies in the distance, most likely ready to throw more garbage your way
>you have you chime on the ready
>a few more steps and...
>"Think fast, freak!"
>on queue, they throw food leftovers, empty cans, among other objects, right at you
>luckily, you prepared for this as you cast a simple force miracle, knocking the food right back at those idiots
>the sweet sound of their screams is like ecstasy
>"Dammit all to Tartarus!"
"If I catch you here again, that old tomato won't be the only red liquid on you."
>they run off, scared beyond compare, never to return
>hopefully
>"They aren't coming as often anymore."
"They must be learning their lesson."
>you deposit the rocks in the corresponding bin while discarding the wagon
"Looks like another good day on the farm... hmm?"
>As you exit, you notice two pegasi flying towards you
>you recognize one of them
>the pegasus that saved you...
>you never realized he was orange
>"Sir Havel!"
>they land next to you, one of them carrying a satchel
"Its you, that corporal."
>"Its Sergent now. That stunt a couple weeks back got me promoted!"
"I see. What's your name, kid."
>"Oh, its Flare Sentinel. My family's been serving in Celestia's army for generations... although my brother got transferred to the crystal empire."
"Wonderful, now would you mind telling me why you're here?"
>"Yes, I was getting to that. Private! Front and center!"
>the even younger pegasus stumbles forward
>"Private, deliver the letter to Sir Havel... I've always wanted to commend someone like that."
>he pulls out a piece of mail from the satchel with his mouth and leans towards you
"A letter? From who?"
>"Sir Solaire of Equestria."

>You are Havel the Rock
>and this is some sudden news
>according to this letter, a strange wolf was seen carrying a sword in it's mouth somewhere near a town called "Dodge Junction."
>Solaire appears to ask of your assistance in finding this wolf
>a wolf with a sword in it's mouth?
>...
"Sif!"
>"Sir Havel?"
"I get it now, you two aren't just messengers, you are here to take me to this 'Dodge Junction,' no?"
>"Close, Sir Havel. We're here to take you to Canterlot. Princess Celestia herself wishes to see you."
>Magic...
"I see. I will need time to prepare for my departure."
>"Take as much time as you need. We are to listen to your every command."
>"You're leaving again."
"Yes, Maud, and you're more than welcome to join me, if you wish."
>"No."
"Wait, what?"
>"No."
"Why not?"
>"I need to stay on the farm while you're away."
"Something important, I'd imagine."
>"Yes."
"Very well. In that case, tell your family about this. I'm sure they will be fine as long as they know it was their princess who summoned me."
>"Alright, Havel. One more thing."
"Yes?"
>Maud jumps up and puts her forearms around your neck
>you return the gesture, allowing you both to embrace the little hug
>"Be back safe."
"I hope so too."
>you turn back to the two pegasus guards
"Alright, I'm ready."
>"That's... that's it?"
"Yes, is there a problem?"
>"No... I just though you would get packing."
"My armor, my weapons, and my shield are all I need."
>"Um... very well. I know for a fact that you still have your silver chariot, correct?"
"Yes... about that."
>"Did something happen to it?"
"No... no... I'll just show you."
>you walk back into the barn and drag out your method of transportation
>"Oh... I get it now."
"We still need to use it."
>"Yes... Private! Assist me in... pulling this thing."
>"Sir!"

>You are Havel the Rock
>and you are currently riding in the most tainted chariot you've ever laid eyes upon
>"Sergent, I really don't..."
>"Private, if I'm going to pull this thing, you're helping, now keep going!"
"I apologize for this. Ever since more and more ponies have learned about me, they've taken it upon themselves to ridicule me in any way possible."
>"And one of those ways was putting graffiti all over this thing?!"
"Yes, they must have adored putting all of these hateful words and... rather explicit imagery on my lovely chariot."
>"They're all p-"
>"Private, I do not want to be reminded on the artwork, just shut up and move."
>the pegasi continue their flight towards Canterlot, which as now come into full view
>you've wanted to ask the Sergent about something, and now may be the best time to do so
"Sergent."
>"Sir Havel?"
"Tell me about Solaire. What has he done lately?"
>"Um... what do you mean?"
"How does he treat you? The other soldiers? The princesses?"
>"Oh, he does a fantastic job! While he's not on guard duty, he does everything he can to assist us soldiers in... well, whatever we need. He helps Captain Claymore train us, sometimes teaches us new strategies in combat, he even plays cards with us from time to time."
"I see... dammit, Solaire."
>"Sir?"
"Do me a favor, Sergent. Don't get too attached to Solaire."
>"W-Why not?"
"Because what you're doing right now is the biggest mistake any soldier can make, and I would prefer it if you didn't do anything of the sort."
>"Uh... oh, we're here!"
"Of course you're going to dodge this..."

>You are Havel the Rock
>and you are currently walking along the path to the princess
>you would never had agreed to her summoning if Solaire wasn't the one who wrote the damn letter
>this can only end badly
>"Alright, Sir Havel, here we go."
"Lovely."
>you arrive at the huge double doors
>the Sergent in front of you gives the two guards a signal, and, with their MAGIC, open the doors just enough to grant you a passage
>with a salute, the orange pegasus lets you go on ahead, most likely because the princess wants to speak to you alone
>you walk through the small crack in the door and look upon what looks like the throne room
>and there she is
>the sun goddess herself
>a powerful MAGIC wielder...
"Princess Celestia."
>"Sir Havel."
"I'm not stepping any closer unless you swear upon your duty as ruler of this land that you will bring me no harm with your... magical abilities."
>"Very well, I accept those terms. I will refrain from any unnecessary magic."
"Good."
>you walk towards the Sun Deity, knowing she is a... pony who keeps her word
>at least, according to Solaire
>"Now, Havel, I'm sure you've been briefed on the situation at hand?"
"Where is Solaire?"
>"Currently preparing for your travels, of course."
"I see... yes, the letter told of a wolf wielding a sword in it's mouth. There is no mistaking it, this is most likely yet another being from my world."
>"Solaire spoke of the same thing. Not only that, he mentioned a master to the beast."
"Sir Artorias is here?! The knight of legends?!"
>"Legends? Solaire sad nothing of a legend, only a brave knight with no equal in kindness, compassion, and devotion."
"Wait... he didn't tell you?"
>"About what?"
"We know of Sir Artorias and his companion Sif through books and stories. They were long before our time."
>"How interesting... moving on, to answer your question, his master has not been seen, so there is a possibility that the wolf is by himself."
"Then it is most likely only Sif... and I was looking forward to meeting Sir Artorias..."
>"My apologies, Sir Havel, but that might not come to pass. Now, onto the reason why you're here."
"You want me to capture him, don't you?"
>"I wouldn't say 'capture,' only try to befriend him and bring him here, where he'll be safe."
"You do realize who I am, right?"
>"And I believe you can form a friendship with anypony, so long as you put your mind to it."
"Yeah yeah... keep dreaming."
>The Princess' horn lights up, causing you to pull out your chime and begin casting a magic barrier
>"Relax, I'm only going to show you a map."
"Warn me next time, magician."
>the light shines brighter as a strange image appears before you
>it looks like a desert of sorts, with a town near the middle
>"The town you see before you is Dodge Junction, a small settlement of mostly earth ponies who have learned many different methods of growing wildlife in sand instead of dirt."
"That's impossible."
>"And growing rocks on a farm can't be done as well?"
"...Point taken."
>"Now, that's obviously not the only thing that goes on down there, however, look towards these canyons to the south here."
>although they aren't that big, you do notice some rock formations
>"This is where your wolf friend was spotted. We have no exact location, but that shouldn't be too hard for a bishop such as yourself."
"And that's all you want me to do, just go there, apprehend Sif through non-violent means, and bring him back?"
>"Yes, and you will be receiving some assistance with this task."
"Hopefully Solaire will be all the help I need."
>"There will be one more ally with you."
"And who might that be?"
>"You can come in now, you won't be harmed."
>won't be harmed?
>you wonder who this could be
>you see something move from behind the throne
>...
>no
>no no no
"Oh dear sweet Gwyn, not you! Not the purple demon spawn!"
>"Sir Havel, that is no way to treat a princess. I'll have you know she can be quite capable when she puts her mind to any task."
"I have tolerated her, as I have tolerated you. I have given up my crusade of hunting down magic users, at least of this world."
>"And?"
"Not now, purple one. I have taken many steps to let bygones be bygones, but I will not share any mission, order, quest, or request with the likes of a magician, and not only that, its the element of said magic."
>you can see the look of displeasure on the purple one, however, the princess before you still keeps a soft smile on her face
>"I'm sorry, Havel, but it is imperative that princess Twilight Sparkle should accompany you on this task."
"And why should I allow that?"
>"Think of it as killing two birds with one stone. You are able to apprehend the wolf and Twilight might be able to learn how to negotiate with beings from another world."
"...You're joking, right?"
>"Actually, mister Havel, there are a couple matters of royal business I need to attend to in Dodge Junction as well. There seems to be quite of few strange things happening down there, and its up to me to set things right."
"Really. A princess is going to get her hands... or hooves dirty for the sake of commoners?"
>"Of course! I may be the princess of Ponyville, but..."
>"She needs more experience to improve her ability to rule. This is a perfect opportunity to train Twilight, and it just do happens to coincide with your mission."
"I see..."
>"Now, Sir Havel, what is your choice. Will you, along with Sir Solaire and princess Twilight Sparkle, go to Dodge Junction to befriend a possible comrade?"
"..."
>you stand there, pondering the thought of allowing a magician of her caliber at your side when trying to find Sif
>maybe she'll die to Sif, making her no longer a problem...
"I accept these terms, but on one condition."
>"And that would be...?"

>You are Havel the Rock
>and you're c-
>"400,000 bits?!"
>and you are currently riding in a chariot w-
>"You asked the Sun Goddess herself for 400,000 bits?!"
>...in a cart with the element of MAGIC and your good friend-
>"What possessed you to ask for such a steep bill for something as simple as this?!"
"She knew full well how much I wanted no part in this, even if it did involve meeting the pet of the Great Knight Artorias."
>the purple one seems to be sitting in a corner, managing some scrolls that probably hold information pertaining to her mission
>"But... I thought you were happy living a modest life in that rock farm."
"The money isn't for me, you ninny."
>"Then who is it for?!"
"The Pie family."
>Solaire seems to be taken back by that statement
>was it really that shocking?
"I feel as though they secretly loathed the idea of me staying at their farm, considering I've broken a number of their equipment and furniture, no matter how indestructible they really are."
>"Oh, come now, Havel, I'm sure they enjoyed all the fun times you all had together."
"That... is a possibility, but I do not believe they're too fond of my destruction still."
>"Ah, this is to pay them back, correct?"
"With interest. I hope to continue living with them, and this is to show my gratitude for their hospitality."
>"You do realize I could have asked the princess to-"
"I prefer to earn my rewards, not use connections to bypass work."
>"I see..."
>after that little conversation, the sergeant pegasus in front grabs Solaire's attention
>with Solaire and the purple one occupied, you decide to take a look at the scenery
>...
"Wow."
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjfdQYo-G_I
>you take a good look at the landscape you never really gave any attention to
>the vast amount of trees covering most of the ground with not a rotten or dead one in sight
>such a rich hue, green as far as the eye can see
>there's animals, big and small, scurrying about in the small patches of land you see
>to your right, you can see a more exotic look in the distance, most likely signifying the Everfree Forest you've heard about
>unlike the rich green you see under you, the Everfree Forest holds a wide array of colors, all mixing with the normal dominant color green
>you soon come across a river below you, again, with a surplus of animals nearby
>some fish can be seen swimming through the water, along with a number of bigger animals, mostly bears, trying to catch them
>you just realized you're heavily examining nature, not giving a care in the world to what your mission is currently
>you decide to continue your watch
>this seems to leave you at peace
>even witnessing the rules of nature at work, a rabbit being caught by a strange chimera looking creature with a scorpion tail and lion body, doesn't seem to bother you
>a calm state of mind...
>this helmet might be interfering with this, so you decide to remove that part of your armor
>the instant it comes off, you feel the wind flow through your hair, enveloping you in a cool, refreshing breeze
"What a magnificent feeling..."
>the satisfying sight of the landscape is somewhat interrupted but the sight of a ruined castle
>from the looks of it, it has seen a better day, no doubt crumbling away due to decades... no, centuries of wear and tear
>it reminds of you of the burg you once stayed in
>...as a form of banishment
>you miss your home...
>nothing will ever change that, but at least you can balance that longing with the present, remembering your current life with Maud and the others
>so many thoughts are running through your head
>why have you been having these moments lately?
>could it be the wonders of this world?
>the positive outlook on life?
>you may never know, and you can live with that
>"Mister Havel, are enjoying the view?"
"Huh?"
>you take notice upon the purple one trying to speak with you
>"The incredible sight before you, are you growing fond of it?"
"Leave me, purple one. I do not wish to speak to the likes of you."
>the purple one doesn't lose her smile as she gazes off into the distance
>"This world is quite something, isn't it? All the bright colors, how its able to be easy on the eyes while staying vibrant, is something to behold, isn't it?"
"I thought I told you to leave..."
>"You know there's a reason we all strive to protect this land, right?"
"..."
>"Would you want to lose something so incredible?"
"I already have, in the past."
>"Oh..."
>the purple one looks down in guilt, most likely thinking your feelings have been crushed
"But I can... see your point."
>that seems to bring up her spirits
>"Yeah..."
"Indeed..."
>"Mister Havel?"
"Yes?"
>"I need to get this off my mind..."
"As long as its not any incantations or spells, I'll allow it."
>"You... remind me of myself in the past."
"...I beg your pardon?"
>"Its like how I used to not care about anything in the world except for me and my studies, trying to constantly grow stronger, having no friends..."
"We do not share that last part."
>"We did when you first arrived in Equestria."
"...Your point?"
>"Well... by the looks of it, you seem to be enjoying a lot more new things in your life, even willing to put aside your differences and ideals for the sake of something greater."
"And?"
>"I'm just proud of how much you've grown in the past couple months you've been here. Standing here, I realize, you were just like me trying to make history, although, for different reasons. You know, with all that,' I'll kill all magic users,' thing you have going on."
"Do not compare me to a magician such as yourself."
>"...And from the looks of it, you still have a long way to go. I hope this mission helps you on the way down the right path."
"I follow my own path I've taken. I know what is right for me, and I will continue down that pathway."
>"What might that pathway be, Mister Havel?"
>you put your helmet back on
"A path that will protect what I care for, along with anything that is righteous and pure."
>"Is that really what you fight for?"
"For the most part, yes."
>"That's... definitely news to me."
"There's a lot you don't know about me."
>"I hope to one day find out."
"Keep dreaming..."
>as you and the purple one finish speaking, you notice part of the ground ceasing to have trees, along with a surplus of sand everywhere
>it seems you've reached the desert
>"Alrighty, passengers, Dodge Junction shouldn't be too far now."
>the sergeant seems to be in high spirits
>soon enough, the grassy fields and tall tress end, and the ground becomes completely covered in sand
>Solaire looks towards you, most likely ready to converse with you
>"Well then, we're almost at the town. I predict this will go somewhat smoothly. What about you, Havel?"
>you can only think of one prediction for this mission
"You may have just cursed us with that statement."

>You are Havel the Rock
>and this desert is not a barren as you thought it would be
>you've heard stories about how deserts only have mounds of sand as far as the eye can see
>however, here, there is a lot more than that
>rocks, cacti of many shapes and sizes, a couple skulls...
>"Over there, I can already see the canyons."
>Solaire was correct, there are rock formations in the distance
>that must be where Sif is located
"Purple one, you spoke of having business in the nearby town, correct?"
>"Yes, I am required to solve numerous problems in the town along with helping you catch that wolf you spoke of."
"Can that wait? I would prefer to catch that wolf before anything."
>"Uh... sure, I guess?"
"Good. Sergeant, make way towards that canyon."
>"Sir... I don't take orders from you."
>"Then I order you to listen to my friend's request."
>"Sir Solaire!"
>"You heard me. I may not be in your army ranks, but as one of Celestia's personal guards, I outrank anyone you know."
>"I get it. You heard him, private, to the canyons."
>the two pegasi do not slow down as all of you fly passed the little settlement and head towards your destination
>you think about planning your course of action
"Solaire, I suggest we plan out how we are going to go about catching a wolf."
>"You? Planning? This is new..."
"Quiet, you. I'm just not too sure in my own abilities in catching a fast target."
>"Ah, yes, with your armor, this would be most troublesome for you."
"Indeed it would be, now I suggest we-"
>the sergeant in front seems to stumble in mid air, if that's even possible
>"Look out!"
>at that moment, a green blast of energy shoots passed the younger pegasus
"What in Gwyn's name was that just now?!"
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgPztJtarOA
>"Oh no, that's what's been causing trouble in dodge junction?! Princess Celestia didn't tell me it would be..."
>*crash!*
>another green bolt interrupted Twilight's sentence as it put a rather large dent into the chariot
"Purple one, tell us what's attacking us!"
>even more projectiles zips passed you all
>"There's no mistaking it, this magic belongs to changelings."
>even Solaire seems to be confused by this
>"Changelings? According to Celestia, the Princess of Love and her lover took care of the a few years ago, correct?"
>"No, they only managed to send them back to where they came from."
"Which means they're not dead, and we're being attacked by them."
>"Sergeant, land this chariot on those rocks now!"
>"I can't, not without probably getting killed in the process."
>you take out your trusty chime
"I'll handle that part, you just focus on landing this thing."
>"Are you crazy?!
>you start casting your ever faithful great magic barrier, but not on you
>"What are you... what's this white stuff all over me?!"
"You said you were worried about all that filthy magic. Now you have nothing to fear."
>at that moment, a green blast of magical energy hits the sergeant right in the face
>however, it doesn't seem to leave a mark on him
>"That... only felt like a pinch."
"Exactly, now let me cast it on your ally right here."
>you do exactly that, summoning more strength to make sure both pegasi have this barrier
>"Go, sergeant, to the canyons!"
>"Aye aye, sir!"
>the two in front make a dive towards the rock formations ahead of you, paying no mind to the enemy fire
>however, you notice that they eventually stop aiming for the guards...
>and start bombarding your chariot
"This isn't good, there's no way this chariot will outlast their firepower."
>"I can't get a good look at where they are. It seems as though they're hiding in some caves and cracks in the rock formations."
>the MAGIC princess gets up and looks towards the oncoming fire
>"I'll take them down."
>you see magic form within her horn
>she puts her head down as the light shines brighter and brighter
>you thought that maybe she would fire an immense blast of magic towards the artillery
>however, you are mistaken as an incredible amount of small, magical projectiles, just like the changeling's attacks, only purple instead of green, begin raining down upon the land.
>the purple light show seems to be helping quite a bit as almost no more projectiles seem to come your way
>she doesn't seem to let up, most likely continuing until there are no signs of these changelings left
>"Havel, above us!"
>Solaire seems to be pointing upwards while taking out his own chime
>you look towards the direction of his finger, only to see a wave of a dozen black figures coming towards the chariot
>they look like gigantic insects, similar to the ones found in that accursed place back in Lordran, Blight Town, however, these seem to have a more... equine look
>"To arms!"
>Solaire charges up a lightning spear and hurls it at the charging insects
>it manages to hit two of them, leaving ten left
>they seem to notice their fallen comrades and start to emit a green glow around their bodies
>its the same light as their previous magic...
>which means...
"Solaire, get down!"
>you push Solaire down and put up your greatshield in hopes of blocking some of their attacks
>as you expected, some of the strange creatures slam into you in an attempted to suicide bomb everyone
>however, a couple fly right passed you and make direct contact with the chariot
>all of that vile magic burned right though it, making a number of holes, almost getting rid of half of the whole chariot
"Solaire, we need to-"
>"Already on it."
>Solaire unsheathes his sword and slices through the changelings stuck on your shield, eliminating them as a threat
>"How are going to defend ourselves when we can barely maneuver?!"
>the rest of the insects fly back for another round at the chariot
>you notice that Twilight is still continuing her barrage of attacks
"If you don't mind, Twilight, we might need your help!"
>the purple one finally seems to notice the apparent dilemma at hand
>"I was right, they are changelings!"
>one of these "changelings" goes for the chariot, but you swat it away with one swing of your weapon
"Enough talk, help us defend!
>Solaire stabs another hasty changeling as Twilight takes flight with her wings and charges towards the few remaining insects
>he changelings attempt to bomb the princess instead, however, they are soon caught within her magical field, immobilizing them
>"Havel, catch!"
>Twilight turns around with the changelings still in her grasp
"I really hope you're not going to-"
>right then and there, she throws the confused changelings at you
>you rev up your dragon tooth, ready to swing
"Solaire, duck!"
>your friend gets down at the perfect moment, allowing you to swing your mighty weapon with all your might, hitting the last few changelings and sending them speeding towards the unknown
>that should have been the last of those things
>"You could have warned me earlier."
"I thought you would have noticed the three black objects hurling towards you."
>"Now look here, I was planning on taking them out as well."
"That's a lie, and you know it. What could you have done to-"
>you are cut off by the chariot starting to shake
>you notice the floor below to start to turn green
>"The floor is melting!"
>"Sir Solaire, Sir Havel, the changelings have begun to return fire!"
>"Are you close to the ground yet, Sergeant?
>"About two hundred feet off the ground, sir!"
>Solaire turns to look at you
>you got the message
>"My friend..."
"Jump!

>You are Havel the Rock
>and currently, you are free falling down onto a hard rock surface
>this shouldn't kill you, considering your armor, but your friend, on the other hand...
>you look towards your friend, expecting uncertainty, but you are met with... confidence?
>you're on the verge of hitting the ground, which leads you to bracing for impact by trying to protect your head with your arms
>any second now...
>and second...
>...
>why haven't you hit the ground?
>you move your arms away to see the ground right in front of you
>for some reason, you're still in the air... floating
>"Gotcha!"
>what is that purple magician going on about?
>you look up to see said magician hovering with you
>with her horn glowing...
>oh no she didn't!
>"Thank you, Princess Twilight. I would have been done for if it wasn't for you."
>"You're welcome, Solaire. Havel, do you have anything to say?"
>you were too busy reaching for your chime to say anything
>you quickly cast a magic barrier to relinquish her magical grasp on you
>which promptly plops you onto the ground as a result
>"Well?"
>you get up from the ground and dust yourself off
"Never touch me with that magic again."
>"Hey, I saved your life!"
"My armor would have been more than enough to take the impact."
>"Ugh, why do I even bother at this point?!"
>you notice the two guard pegasi flying towards you
>you decide to walk towards them
>a magician used to magic to help you...
>such a foreign thought...
"...But thanks anyway, Twilight Sparkle"
>you remembered how mages in this world are different
>maybe... they don't deserve your hate
>you do not know of the purple one's reactions as you meet up with the soldiers
>"Sir Havel, is everyone alright?"
"Yes, Sergeant, no one seems to be heavily injured."
>"Good, good... oh, and please, call me Sergeant Flare."
"And why is that?"
>"Heh... has a nice ring to it."
"Lovely, now tell me where our lone wolf is located."
>Sergeant Flare pulls out a map from his satchel and gives it a good look while taking in his surroundings
>"hmm... uh... a boulder is there... so... ah, here we go!"
>the Sergeant points towards a nearby cave going into the entire rock formation
>"The wolf tends to reside in caves and according to this map, this is the one he visits most often."
>his ally beside him seems to be very uneasy, not allowing himself to stand firmly in place.
>"Sergeant, can we please make our way towards it now? I don't like being this exposed when there's enemies nearby..."
>"Come on, we evaded them! They wouldn't attack us so soon, so stop worrying-"
"It would be wise to listen to your comrade, Sergeant Flare."
>"Fine fine, let's be on our way. Private, alert the princess and Sir Solaire."
>the simple grey pony flies up and glides towards the two, who seem to be conversing
>"Princess Twilight, Sir Solaire, we need to head towards this c- AH!"
>you see a green object make a forceful impact on the young soldier's helmet
>"Private!"
>the sergeant next to you makes a mad dash towards his falling soldier
>you decide to do the same
>right when you both get close, another barrage of green projectiles greet you
>luckily, the princess negated their attacks with a shield spell
>"Private, get up! Come on, don't let me down."
>the Sergeant seems to be trying to wake up his friend
"Damn it all..."
>you stand above the injured pegasus and pick him up in one arm and bring up your greatshield in another
"What are you standing about for? Move!"
>"That's an order, Sergeant, get going!"
>Solaire's words finally register with Sergeant Flare, allowing you all to make your way towards the cave
>the purple one seems to be moving along with you both while keeping her shield up
>suddenly, as you near the cave, a group of changelings appear on the rocks above you, readying their ranged fire
>you jump in front of everyone and put up your greatshield
>you manage to take most of the blasts that were intended for Solaire and Sergeant Flare, however, their magic is already starting to damage you and your shield
"Keep moving, damn you!"
>Solaire fires lightning spears from behind you while the Sergeant tries to help you steady your shield by holding it in place while hiding behind it
>the private in your arms doesn't seem to be moving, but you'll be damned if you leave a fallen soldier lying on the field
>after what seemed like an eternity, you finally reach the walls of the cave, forcing the barrage of green bullets to end
>the purple princess soon enters as well, keeping her magic shield up
>the green projectiles never seem to stop
>you do not know the princess' limits, but you're not going to find out today
"Move."
>you stand in front of the entrance and take your chime out
>you begin channeling your great magic barrier, but you're not casting it on yourself
>the miracle finishes as you direct the chime towards the shield the purple one put up
>it connects with the barrier, causing a white fog to surround the purple shield
>the purple shield soon dissipates, leaving only a white glow where it used to be
>the green attacks disintegrate upon touching the barrier
>"Havel, what did you do to my shield?"
>The purple princess does not look angry, but confusion is written all over it
"Took a gamble, to be honest. I can imbue anything with my great magic barrier, so I tried to see if I could use it on your own barrier. It seems it destroyed yours, but my miracle still lingers in the air where your shield used to be."
>"But... how is this possible?"
"I can't say. Maybe the mixing of the two allowed this to happen. Maybe we created a new miracle or spell. Who knows."
>"I... need to study this!"
>The purple princess conjures up a quill and paper, sits right down in front of the barrier, and begins... examining it?
>she's writing down notes, so she must have figured out something
>now that this is done, what became of the wounded soldier?
>you turn your attention to the light emitting from Solaire's chime
>"Sir Solaire, i-is he going to be alright?"
>the miracle finishes, and Solaire lets out a sigh of relief
>"He's unconscious, but he'll be fine. I do not know when he'll wake up, however, so we'll need to guard him for the time being."
>"Oh thank Celestia... I... I almost got him killed."
"You should have heeded the words of your ally."
>you walk up to the Sergeant, who is currently on the verge of crying
>how could someone this soft obtain this rank?
"Remember, you can replace anything in this world, but comrades... they're a different story. Did you not wonder why Solaire fears for your own safety?"
>"I... well..."
>you stand above him and take off your helmet
"Although I think its too much, Solaire values the lives of you all with good reason. Life is the only thing you can never truly replace, and make sure you remember that."
>he averts his eyes from your gaze
"Look at me, soldier."
>slowly, he turns his head and his eyes meet yours
"Don't play around on the battlefield. If you know enemies are about, keep your wits about you. Your friend was wise to consider this, but you gave him a false sense of comfort, allowing his guard to be let down."
>"Havel, this might be a little too much for the boy."
"No, he needs this. Every soldier needs to learn this. Today, your friend is lucky to be alive. You're lucky to not have to live with the guilt of sending your ally to his death."
>"That's enough, Havel."
"For once, you're right. I've told you enough, now you need to learn everything else."
>"B-but... how?"
>you look at the sword he currently has at his side
"Pick up your sword..."
>for once, Sergeant Flare listens to you and unsheathes his blade
>"Flare... dawn your wing blades."
>upon hearing Solaire's orders, the Sergeant stands up and flares his wings out
>you notice a bit of metal near the base of his wing
>Flare reaches for the metal on his left wing and you soon hear a click
>the metal stretches out, encompassing most of his wing, leaving a highly sharpened blade at the end
>he does the same to his other wing, which now leaves the pegasus with three means of attacking
>a sword in his mouth and two blades on his wings
"You are going to protect your fellow soldier with your life, do you understand me?"
>"...Yes."
>"Don't push yourself too hard, but it is your duty now to keep him safe."
"Bullshit, push yourself to your limits. We're deep within enemy territory right now, and we still have a job to do as well."
>"I'll... I'll defend him with everything I've got!"
>you can see the fierce determination in his eyes
"Good. Now that we've finally made you realize the situation at hand, now we need to actually accomplish the mission."
>you dawn your helmet and take out your dragon tooth, ready to get to work
>the purple princess seems to be charging her horn behind you all
>"We may have a problem here."
>you all turn around to see a small army of changelings ready to enter the cave
>it seems they're ready to fight up close now
"I don't think we have a problem at all. A mage of your caliber should be able to take on these hings with no problem."
>you can see how shocked she looks from that sentence
>"Are you crazy? There's about a hundred of them out there!"
"And I saw just how powerful you were earlier. These changelings shouldn't pose a big problem."
>"I...I'm not sure. They're close to us this time. I may have dealt with them in the past... but I had my friends with me. I can't take them all on by myself and... where are you going?"
>you already started walking away, ready to search for the wolf in this cavern
>"Hey, you're  not going to leave me here, are you?!"
"I already said they won't be a problem, so that's that. I don't want to waste any time, so I'll be on my way."
>"But... but..."
>"Havel, we cannot simply leave a princess behind!"
"Solaire, you know full well how powerful she really is."
>"Yes, but its out sworn duty to-"
"No, its your sworn duty to serve them, not me. You can stay and protect someone who needs little to no protecting, I'll simply to this on my own then."
>"You can't be serious!"
>"Sir... Go with him."
>"Sergeant Flare, have you lost it as well?!"
>"No... but I can see Havel's logic. Don't worry, this is what I'm trained to do, right? I'll protect the princess, you go and help your friend complete the mission
>"I... but..."
"Listen to your comrades, Solaire."
>"Don't try to use that talk on me!"
"Does that make me wrong?"
>you can see the uncertainty in Solaire's eyes through his helmet
>"Sergeant... if things get too heated, get the princess and the private out of here."
>"Can do, Sir Solaire."
>Solaire walks up to you
>"If you're wrong about this... I'll never forgive you."
"Is that only because your precious sun won't do the same if I'm wrong as well?"
>"You're pushing it, Havel."
"Its the only way to get you moving."
>you and Solaire stand side by side, looking at the dark cave ahead of you
>you look behind yourself to see the princess and the Sergeant ready to fight
>greatshield, equipped
>Dragon tooth, ready to be used
>Chime, still at your side
"Alright... let's go."

>You are Havel the Rock
>and this cave seems to go one forever!
>"...and there was this one time I was dining with Princess Celestia when all of a sudden, her chefs brought out the most delicious steak I've ever eaten..."
>and there goes your friend, trying to drown out the silence by talking about his experiences with his precious sun
>you're glad this cave is completely dark as it eventually opened up into a small canyon, allowing sunlight to penetrate these walls
>although, your friends stories are getting a little... annoying, to say the least
"I'd hate to interrupt your cave story, but we still have a mission. Focus on that."
>Solaire picks up on your slight frustration and finally stops
>"You're the one who said do something to calm myself, and this was the only thing I could think of."
"Dammit, Solaire, there's more to life than worshiping the sun. Talk about something other than that princess of yours."
>you both walk for a good minute, still not finding any trace of any wolf, until Solaire breaks the silence yet again
>"Well... I've been reading a rather charming romance novel involving three separate kingdoms and..."
>it never ends...
>after even more walking, while trying to drown out Solaires useless babble, your exploration finally comes to a halt due to an obstacle in front of you
>"Its a..."
"A boulder."
>"There's a damn boulder in the way."
"These walls are too smooth to climb and the boulder seems to be just the same."
>Solaire seems about ready to turn back
>"I knew this would end in a fruitless endeavor. Did we really think we would pick the right cave on the first try? Come, we should make haste back to Princess Twilight."
>your friend starts to walk back, but you have other plans
"Get back here, you ninny. We're not done with this thing."
>Solaire stops in his tracks and lets out a laugh
>"And you think you can get passed this giant boulder?"
>you drop your weapon and shield
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
>you focus on the rock before you, examining it's exterior
>"Really? You've learned something at that rock farm of yours?"
>you walk up to the giant rock
"You don't work at a farm like that without learning a few things."
>you take a deep breathe and put yourself into a battle stance
>"Wait... you're not actually going to."
>A battle cry is heard as you begin making swift jabs at the boulder
>you can hear Solaire drop his sword in disbelief
>this boulder isn't as hard as others you've encountered
>because of that, you quickly stop after several seconds
>you turn around to face Solaire and walk towards him
>a cracking sound is heard behind you
>you march up to your friend and pick up his sword
"You dropped this."
>the second you say that, the boulder behind you shatters into rather small chunks, granting you both access to the rest of this pathway
>Solaire still seems to be in shock
>"You just... that thing... with punches..."
"Come on, you don't want to waste any time, do you?"
>Solaire takes his sword from your grasp and let's out a deep sigh
>you find your discarded equipment, re equip them into your arsenal, and continue your search for Sif the wolf
>Solaire follows through as well, but can't help but ask you something
>"That technique is so strong... why do you still carry these weapons with you?"
"It only works on rocks. I don't use force to break them, I only hit it in key structure points to cause it to collapse. You'd be surprised at how weak this really is towards anything else."
>"I... see. I guess we should be glad that you have knowledge of this arte. At least we may be able to find-"
"shh..."
>"what? I'm merely..."
"Quiet you! Do you hear that?"
>you and Solaire stop moving, trying not to make a sound
>it appears Solaire has picked up on it as well
>"Is that..."
"Growling."

>You are Havel the Rock
>and you definitely hear growling
>from a canine of sorts...
>but it sounds deeper
>larger
>and angry
>but where is it coming from
>*crash*
>that sound came from behind you
>the growling has gotten louder
>it sounded like a huge monster appeared behind you
>"Havel..."
"I think we may have found our wolf..."
>the both of you turn around slowly
>only to gaze upon the largest wolf you've ever laid eyes upon
>an enormous grey wolf with small blotches of some kind of green liquid on parts of it's coat stands before you with clear anger in it's eyes
>must be the blood of changelings...
>damn, this thing is easily bigger than four of you put together
>how could a wolf grow to this size?!
>the wolf seems to be carrying something in it's mouth...
>is that a greatsword?
>"You're a big wolf..."
"I... would have to agree with you on that."
>"This couldn't be the great grey wolf Sif, can it?"
"We're in a canyon where a beast like this would never normally reside in. I think that answers your question."
>the beast puts down it's weapon for a moment to let out a howl
>you and your friend ready your weapons
>"Wait, Havel!"
"I know, we're not supposed to kill it, but I think its not really giving us any options here."
>"Hmm... let me try using miracles. Hopefully it won't kill him."
>you see your friend use his chime to erect a lightning spear
"That's a weak attack?!"
>"I weakened the miracle. It should only injure him enough for us to restrain him
"Restrain him with what?!"
>"Blunt attacks to his head, knocking him unconscious."
>you ready your weapon in both hands
"Now you're speaking my language."
>"Alright, I'm ready to fire. This should buy you enough time... what in the world?"
"This... doesn't look right."
>you notice the wolf looking at the lightning spear Solaire is holding
>it looks somewhat at ease from the sight of it
>it even sits itself down
>"I'm not entirely sure what to make of this."
"Same goes for me."
>"Does it... does it know we're not trying to kill him?"
"Beats me, but it seems to take interest in your lightning spear."
>"I fear that won't be for long. This only lasts for a short amount of time before..."
>the lightning spear fizzles away in his hand
>"It fades away..."
>you see the big wolf stand back up on four legs and begin walking towards the both of you
"Ah crap, here it comes!"
>"It doesn't look like it wants to fight..."
>you ready your weapon in a defensive stance, ready to parry any attack it throws at you...
>only for it to walk right passed you and towards Solaire
>it seems to be looking at Solaire, almost as if its waiting for something
>your friend puts his hand out, most likely hoping it would do something
>at that moment, the wolf drops it's sword and pushes it's head towards Solaire, allowing him to...
"Oh you've got to be kidding me."
>Solaire seems to be... petting the wolf's head
>"Would you look at that, he's friendly."
>Sif seems to be enjoying himself as he continues to let Solaire rub his head
"So... what, now he's just not going to attack us?"
>you begin to walk towards the wolf, only for it to start growling at you
"What the..."
>it seems to be eying you, ready to make a move if you come closer
"Why does it consider me an enemy?!"
>"I'm not entirely sure, but it might have something to do with our chimes."
>you ponder that thought for a bit
>he doesn't want to fight if it sees chimes?
>you decide to pull out your own chime to see if he is correct
>the Great Grey Wolf Sif looks at your chime and then back at you
>and he looks at you
>and you look at him
>and he looks at you...
>and you look at him...
>and Solaire says, "Havel, you might want to cast a miracle."
>a miracle, hmm?
>what do you know that might get this wolf's affection...
>you decide to enchant your weapon with lightning in hopes of repeating Solaire's actions
>after a little channeling, you imbue your dragon tooth with the power of lightning and show it to Sif
>it seems to get the picture and stops looking so menacing at you
>"That seems to have done the trick."
"I was almost expecting that to go wrong..."
>"What makes you say that?"
"Just a hunch..."
>you walk over to Sif and stand next to Solaire while looking at the giant beast
"It looks like we managed to tame him."
>"Indeed we have."
"I wonder why it likes our chimes so much..."
>"It might have to do with the fact that this wolf was trained by Artorias himself, and you know what Anor Londo is famous for..."
"Ah, yes, miracles."
>the wolf seems to be happy to have found you both
>"Right then, now that we have what we came for, we should make haste towards the princess!"
"Fine, let's be on our-"
>a strange noise interrupts your sentence
>it sounds like... whistling?
>"What in Gwyn's name could that noise be?"
>at that moment, Sif picks up his sword again and dashes passed you both
"What got into it?!"
>"I'm not sure, but follow him!"

>You are Havel the Rock
>and you are entirely too agrivated by this damn wolf running away from you and Solaire
>you've been chasing it for some time now, barely keeping up with it's agility
"Will you stop running, you damn, dirty mut!"
>it eventually turns a corner, disappearing from your vision
>you follow it, only to come across a dead end
"How the hell..."
>"He Vanished!"
"Thanks for pointing out the obvious, now try fivuring out where he went."
>you take a good look at your surroundings
>it still seems as though you're confined by these rock walls while the sun beats down from overhead
>although you seem to be closer to the surface by now
"Maybe... he jumped?"
>"That's absurd, there'es no way a wolf can jump that high, even with his rather large stature."
>you look at the ground, hopefully trying to find some evidence of the disappearing wolf
>there seems to be a lot of rubble
>as if a large rock recently got destroyed here
>and you're at the dead end in a canyon...
"Solaire... I think I know where our wolfy friend is."
>your friend looks at you, unsure of whether to believe you or not, as you prepare your dragon tooth to hit the dead end in front of you
>"You don't really think..."
"He's from our world, and that's all the reason I need to test my suspicions."
>you swing your weapon at the wall, caring not for the damage it will deal
>just then, your weapon passes right through the wall, causing it to fade away, leaving an entrance to a dark cave
>a rather unnatural looking cave...
>"How can a Wolf use a miracle that only Gwyn and his most trusted knights can know of?!
"I'd like to know this as well. Let's move on, it doesn't look like this cave goes deep."
>the second you take a step into the cave, you hear a familiar growl
"Oh great, it doesn't trust us again?"
>its hard to see through the darkness, but you can see a faint light coming from the wolf's eyes
>you always hated the eyes like that...
>your friend seems to want to calm it down
>"Please, do not see us as your enemy. We only want to bring you to a safe place."
>"Then you'll have to bring both of us..."
>you and Solaire look at each other, questioning where that voice came from
"Who goes there?!"
>the unknown voice let's out a small chuckle
>"It's alright, Sif, you can show them to me."
>you can see the wolf move from within the shadows due to it's eyes never averting their gaze
"Show yourself."
>a light shines from within the cave, where the wolf's eyes used to be when you entered
>it looks as through a shield of sorts is creating said light
>you see a figure leaning against the wall near the shield...
>"I... don't believe it."
"What?"
>"I thought he was dead..."
"Who?! Who did you think was dead?!"
>"I... I've been waiting for this! To finally meet him!"
"Meet him... wait... you're saying that's..."
>you gaze upon a large man wearing a magnificent armor made up of what looks like silver
>he looks badly damaged, however
"I have to ask... are you..."
>the silver knight puts his hand out as if he's looking for a hand shake
>"Sir Artorias, knight of the four, commander to Gwyn's army, at your service. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

>Your name is not important
>what's important is what you're going to do
>you quickly speed walk your way towards the legendary knight and shake his hand vigorously using both arms
"I-it's an honor to meet you, Sir knight!"
>"It seems my reputation has grown. That would mean Lordran is still alive."
>you stop your greeting at that statement
"Well... Sir Artorias... the thing is-"
>you immediately get knocked away before you get a chance to finish what you were saying
>"Oh my goodness, I must say it is an honor to be in your presence. To think I would be talking to the legendary knight Artorias!"
>you get up and turn around to see Solaire copying your exact movements, shaking his hand just as much as you did
>"My my, two adoring fans. This is not something I am used to. Has my reputation preceded me by that much?"
>"This is such a wondrous moment. What brings you to this world?"
>"World? You mean we're not in Lordran anymore?"
>Solaire repeats your moment of stopping abruptly
>"Oh my, have you ever ventured outside of this cave?"
>"Yes, but I've been here for quite some time, allowing my wounds to heal."
>"Allow me to do that for you!"
>"Wait, that-"
>your friend takes out his chime and immediately casts a great heal miracle on Sir Artorias
>the light seeps into the knight's wounds, healing it up as...
>wait a minute
>it didn't do anything
>"What sorcery is this?!"
>"I didn't want you to waste your efforts on this. I'm afraid any sort of miracles won't work on these shattered bones."
>"How can this be?!"
"I would have to ask the same question. What could have caused a injury that rejects miracles?"
>"I... would rather speak of this another day. For now, I'm glad you have arrived. Sif has been fighting off-"
"Oh no, you're not dodging this question."
>"Havel! You're speaking to one of the Four Knights! Have you no shame?!"
"I don't care if he's Gwyn himself, something that miracles cannot effect is something dangerous."
>before you are able to continue pressing for answers, you hear a growl coming form right behind you
>"I understand your concerns, but for the time being, we are clearly in enemy territory. I was hoping you could help us escape from this accursed place."
"...When we're done, I expect answers."
>Solaire seems less than pleased by your attitude
>"I'll never understand how you do it."
"I had a moment of shock, that was enough for me."
>"At least you had some respect..."
>"Now, Sif can lead us back to the surface, but he will need help against those grotesque monsters out there. He may be huge, for some odd reason, but he can only do so much while trying to protect me."
>"Which would explain why you've been hiding here."
>"Correct, Sif has done a fantastic job leading them away from us, fending off a few attackers here and there, and managing to come across some fruit every now and then."
"Hmm... so that's how the locals knew of Sif's location. It must have been stealing from them. Not sure why they didn't mention the size of it when they reported all of this to Canterlot."
>"Canterlot... so that's the kingdom we're currently in?
"No, its only the capitol. We're currently far from it, but there's a town nearby, so maybe we can-"
>from out of nowhere, a splash of what seems like green blood falls onto your armor
>you swiftly turn around to see Sif biting into a changeling right above you, most likely trying to kill you
>"Dammit, they found us. The wall has been opened for too long, and they were no doubt following you."
"That's our cue to leave."
>"Yes, help me onto Sif. Do try to protect him."
>"On my honor as a knight, I will make sure no harm comes to your wolf companion."
"Come on, let's get a move on!"
>you and your friend help Artorias up and manage to sit him on top of Sif
>damn, he's as big as Ornstein
>"Come, join me on his back, just make sure to keep them off of us."
>you and Solaire climb onto the great grey wolf and dawn your weapons and chimes
>"I'll attack them from afar and heal us from any attack that befalls us."
"I will attack them if they get close while keeping their filthy magic off of us."
>"Sif... hand me my sword."
>the wolf picks up the sword in it's mouth and throws it behind himself, allowing Artorias to catch it in his unharmed hand
"Are you sure you're able to fight?"
>"I am a knight of the four. My good arm may still be broken and my legs have been severely wounded, but so long as I do not need to use them in the first place, I will not sit idly by like a defenseless damsel."
>"The stories were true... will of steel!"
"Enough chit chat, let us make haste!"
>"Sif... charge forward!"

>You are Havel the Rock
>and right now, you're living one hell of a dream
>you, your long time friend Solaire, and a living Legend with his wolf companion, going forth through danger towards freedom
>even through this green bloodbath, you have to admit, you are a bit excited from this
>you notice some changelings coming up from behind
"Behind us, Solaire!"
>"I see it!"
>a lightning spear is hurled at the pursuing insects, skewering them together, and sending them hurling towards the rock wall
>"Amazing... you really know how to aim your spears!"
>"Thank you, Sir Artorias, you have no idea how much that means to- look out!"
>a changeling is caught in the vice grip of Sif's mouth, however, several changelings soon follow up, charging up a spell in the process."
>you ready your chime to block the spell
>sadly, you've used up a lot of your miracle power in the previous battles, which means you cannot keep them up for long anymore
>not that it would stop you from trying
"You will not use your magic on us, feeble insects."
>you put up a barrier in front of Artorias, who is currently putting his arm back, readying a swipe
>the magic is mostly fizzled out by the time it hits him, leaving only tiny cinder marks on his armor
>the legendary knight lets out a battle cry as he swings is mighty weapon, slicing through the exoskeleton of your enemies like butter
>green blood, yet again, stains Sif, almost blinding his vision as a result
>luckily, he still pushes on as more and more of these changelings continue to throw their lives away
>however, you are still fixated on the knight in front of you
"To have that much strength to swing that blade. Not bad, Sir Artorias."
>"I must thank you for that barrier. Where on earth did you come across such a miracle?"
"I made it myself, although it took a lot of time and- duck!"
>you swing your dragon tooth at a pair of changelings about to pounce on the injured knight
>"I must thank you again... maybe we should save this conversation for later?"
"Agreed."
>while you were talking, you heard Solaire let out a small grunt
>you turn around to see him battling with a changeling on top of him
>the damn bug has his sword in it's mouth while Solaire is trying to free it from it's grasp
>you take your chime and hit the accursed thing with it, knocking it off of Solaire and freeing his weapon
>"Why didn't you respond to me earlier?!"
"Less talk, more fight."
>"You... quite right."
>"Everyone, grab on to Sif's fur, now!"
>without hesitation, you both grip the wolf's fur with all of your might
>all of a sudden, you feel Sif jump to incredible heights
>you look up to see it land right onto the surface, escaping the path below you and allowing more freedom of movement for the wolf
>however, a thought occurred to you
"It waited until now to jump?!"
>"My dear wolf Sif was trying to wait until we were elevated enough to jump, and I would prefer it if you stopped calling him an it!"
"Do you really think its a good idea to argue this now? Come on, keep following the path, we need to rescue the princess and the two soldiers."
>Artorias pets his companion on the head and away he goes, doing exactly what you requested
>you friend behind you seems to be charging up yet another lightning spear
>"Here they come again, right side."
"Let them come to their death."
>"I say, what are those strange purple objects flying into the sky?"
>you don't even look ahead to see what he's talking about
"That's the princess. Tell your wolf to make... his way over there."
>"He already heard you."
>The wolf suddenly has a burst of speed, hopefully shortening the time it will take to make it to your destination
>"If she's firing off magic... that means the changelings got through your magic barrier!"
"Of course they did, it was only meant to stop magic. I knew if they got close to her, her own magic would make short work of them. Now, shut up and fire!"
>Solaire continues to open fire with more and more lightning spears, however, a number of them still get close
>wait, you see one of them is wearing some type of armor
>it doesn't seem to offer much protecting, but the navy blue armor seems to show some for of significance
>as several of them get closer, you ready your weapon to fight off any that get too close
>you take a count of how many are around you
"One, two.... there's eight of them."
>"I... I'm all out of lightning spears. I can't produce anymore..."
>"Do not fret, young knight, for you did a good job. Now, draw your sword and fight with honor!"
>even though Artorias is still injured, he still manages to turn himself to face the oncoming onslaught
>all three of you ready your weapons at the first sign of trouble, which comes in the form of four changelings charging at you all
>Solaire thrust his sword forward, attempting to stab through two of them at once, but one of them managed to duck below the attack
>you are about to cover your friend from danger, but Artorias reacts faster, using his massive sword to cover a great distance and impale his weapon right into one of their skulls
>Sadly, you hear the sound of scraping metal coming from behind you
>you turn around to see a changeling digging it's horn into Artorias' right side, somehow piercing his armor
>with your free hand, you grab the infernal thing and pull it's horn out of the legendary knight
>it struggle within your grasp, but in a fit of rage, you grip it's neck with all of your might, snapping it's neck
>three down, five to go
>or, rather, make that four more, considering the green blood dripping onto your shoulders is a sign that Solaire killed one about to pounce on you
>"You owe me."
"I think you just repaid a debt, so we're even."
>you look around you to look for the rest of the changelings
>you spot them flying around all of you in circles while still keeping up with Sif
>their horns begin to light up with magic
>"Knight Havel, can you erect another barrier for us?"
>you take out your chime and try to cast a barrier
>a small bit of it starts to leave your chime
"Come on... come on, just one more. We only need a small one..."
>sadly, the miracle dies out, leaving you all wide open to attack
"My apologies, but I cannot use that miracle anymore..."
>"Then that means..."
>Artorias doesn't even speak as he lays his greatsword down and raises his shield in his good hand
>you follow up by bringing out your greatshield
>Solaire seems to have tried creating a lightning spear to hopefully prevent them from casting any spells, but just like you, he failed in that regard
>"Of all the times for us to lack the strength to cast..."
"Enough of that, bring out your shield and huddle together!"
>you put your back towards your friend and the silver knight and raise your greatshield up high, prepared for anything that may come at you
>soon enough, a barrage of small blasts of magic begin raining down upon you
>many of the hits connect with your shield, and judging by the same sounds coming from both sides of you, your friend seem to be doing alright
>you and Solaire seem to be content with holding out, but Artorias seems troubled
>"We cannot hold out for long."
"Why do you say that? We don't seem to be getting hit by these attacks."
>"I'm not worried about us..."
>"Oh no..."
>it seems something startled Solaire
>as you wonder why, you hear a whimper
>...now you understand
"Sif..."
>he seems to be slowing down because of the pain
>"My companion... my friend... he cannot keep going in all of this."
>you feel a sudden sense of dread fall over you...
>but you cannot explain why...
>you're confident you can figure out a way to kill these aggravating changelings...
>but something doesn't seem right
>"Havel... look."
>you turn to you friend, who seems to be looking at Artorias
>you look in the same direction, and at that moment, you realize why everything felt wrong
>a dark aura radiates from the legendary knight in a very menacing way
>even as more and more green attacks hit your shield, you can't help but put all of your attention to the sight before you
>"He will die at this rate... and I cannot let that happen."
>he puts down his shield and allows himself to be hit by numerous magical attacks
>however, they don't seem to be hitting him...
>they disappear within the dark energy forming around him
>"These damn vermin..."
>"This is not looking good."
"I don't we should stay here!"
>the darkness keep growing and growing
>"They will feel... my..."
"Damn, get off the wolf!"
>you and Solaire both jump off the Wolf and ont the ground, but now before hearing the legendary knight make a terrifying shout
>"WRATH!"
>after you landed, you try to look towards the fleeting wolf, only to be met by the sight of an enormous wave of dark energy surrounding it
>the darkness consumes the changelings, leaving not a trace of them behind
>as quickly as it came, the darkness dissipates, leaving a seemingly unconscious Artorias still riding on top of Sif
>you look ahead to see how close you really were to Twilight and her soldiers
>from the looks of it, the wolf will get there in about a minute at that speed
>"What manner of hex was that..."
>you look towards Solaire, who seems to be in a state of shock right now
"I'm not sure, but I was not aware he was capable of such an act."
>"The books never said anything about him having an ability to use hexes..."
>you stand up while still looking at what transpired
"Whatever the case may be, we still need to make our way towards the princess."
>"Quite right, let us not waste anymore t-gah!"
>you're snapped out of you gaze and look towards Solaire
>a changeling now rests on top of his now dented helmet, using it's hind legs to keep you friend on the ground
>this does not please you in the slightest
"You... wretched creature!"
>you hear a chuckle come from the insect
>wait, this was the one you saw wearing armor
>"H-Havel..."
>the changeling noticed your friend struggling to move
>however, he slams one of his hooves onto his helmet, putting yet another dent in it
>Solaire seem stop completely stop moving at that point
>"Silence..."
>you did not expect that thing to talk
>"Now that you're out of the way... let's see what else I need to take care of."
>his voice shows no remorse from his actions, almost as if he's enjoying himself
"Solaire... who are you, creature?!"
>"Hmm?"
>he finally looks in your direction
>"Ah, you're the other one who came to that thing's rescue."
>you draw your weapon
"Answer me!"
>he finally gets off of your fallen friend
>you hear a noise come from him, which means he's still alive
>"I am experiment number 343, the first of a new breed of my kind, but you may call me Adapt."

>You are Havel the Rock
>and this changeling is definitely stronger than the other ones you've slain
"New breed, old breed, none of that matters, you still almost killed my friend."
>"Almost?"
>he looks behind himself and stares at Solaire
>"He's not dead, is he? Allow me to change that."
>you seem him lift up his hind leg yet again, trying to finish off Solaire
>such an act send you into a fit of rage, causing you to start sprinting towards this new enemy with full force
>right as you are about to strike, you notice him put his hoof onto his helmet, but it doesn't seem to do any sort of damage to Solaire
>it matters not as you swing down your mighty weapon onto the insect
>there's nothing that small amount of armor can do against your attack...
>*clink*
>you feel your weapon connect with metal...
>you made sure your attack would aim for his neck, breaking it easily
>"He he he... that was a very strong attack, wasn't it?"
>you take a step back and look closely at what you hit
>the sight before you baffles your mind
>the changeling you saw before is no longer a simple bug with armor...
>but a solid metal entity
>it starts to walk towards you, but you keep your distance
"What in Gwyn's name..."
>"There's a reason why I'm called adapt."
>he charges forward and tries to ram into you
>you put up your greatshield to block the oncoming attack
>although you managed to stop him, you feel the immense amount of strength within his metal body
>it almost managed to break your defensive stance
>"Hmm... you're stronger than you look."
>Adapt swings his hoof at your shield and knocked it out of the way, leaving you wide open
>a pain in your abdomen is felt soon afterwards, again, almost making you lose your footing
>although you're in agony, you take your chime and punch him directly in the face with it in your grasp
>a surge of electricity courses through the attack, causing him to stumble back in pain
"I would have to say the same about you... what the?!"
>the metal surrounding Adapt is now gone in place of something else
>it looks like the same material that was used to make your chime!
>"Now that was interesting... that thing emits a form of lightning?"
"Why don't you come over here and find out?"
>it starts laughing as if it heard some kind of joke
>"Oh, this should be fun, but I digress, I'm on a mission, so I do not have forever to play with you..."
"I'm not strong enough for you?"
>"Hmm... maybe. I really don't know, to be honest. How about we make this a little more interesting, hmm?"
"Pass."
>you charge forward and attempt to bash your shield into him, hopefully knocking him off balance
>however, as you're about to hit him, he takes flight and lands directly behind you
"I don't have much time either, so let's both agree that time is not on our sides and finish this quickly."
>"Ha ha! I like your style, knight."
>thanks to his wings, he flies on over to Solaire and lands in front of his sword
>he puts his right hoof onto it and starts channeling magic, however, its not the same old green magic like the others, but a mix of green and... black
>somehow, you see the blade start to merge with the appendage, forming the blade where his foreleg used to be
>this doesn't bode well for you, so you take out your chime and start channeling Sacred Oath to hopefully make you strong enough to combat this thing
>you may not be able to keep casting barriers, but you haven't used this miracle ones yet, making it a simple task to cast it
>sadly, you notice the changeling is done merging with the sword
>no longer is there a leg of any kind, but a perfect replica of Solaire's sunlight straight sword
>although the rest of his body seems to still be like your chime, the sword remains unchanged
>the changeling seems to be talking as well, but it doesn't seem to be anything you can understand
>finally, his magic subsides and he turns to look at you with a sadistic grin on his face
>"I'll give you ten minutes..."
"What?"
>at that moment, you finish casting the miracle and you begin to feel the added power within you
>"In ten minutes, my brethren will come and bomb the hell out of this place with magic never seen before in Equestria."
>he starts to hover in the air with his wings
>"If you can beat me within ten minutes, you may have enough time to escape the blast zone."
>you equip your dragon tooth and greatshield and hold them steadily
>"Let's use this time wisely and have the greatest battle of our lives."
"If you don't defeat me, you'll let time be the killer?"
>"Anything to fulfill the wish of Queen Chrysalis."
"Queen Chrysalis?"
>"Come on... face me!

>You are Havel the Rock
>and its time for a showdown
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9Pbh9I4Xtw
>you take up a defensive stance, putting your greatshield forward as Adapt swoops down and attempts to stab you through the chest
>you successfully block it, but the changeling soon tries to punch your face with his left hoof
>the attack makes a direct hit, sending not only small jolts of electricity throughout your helmet, but the physical force is also felt, almost dazing you
>however, you soon make a recovery and shove off the changeling
>before he has a moment to counter attack, you bash your shield against him and the effect really shows
>the material used to make these chimes are not hard by any means, and because of that, you see a crack form on it's chest
>instead of taking a long moment to swing your weapon, you kick him right where the crack formed, causing blood to start spilling out
>now that it is truly feeling pain, you take the time needed to bring down your weapon on it's skull
>right before it is about to make contact, Adapt brings up his stolen sword and manages to hold off your attack
>somehow, the sword itself does not break and the changeling is able to push you off of him
>"This damn form... almost useless!"
"I'm glad I kept my mouth shut about how flimsy this chime really is. That's why I never hit anything directly with it, only keeping it in my grasp."
>the changeling flares it's nostrils in anger, but soon realizes his sword was able to deflect your attack
>he soon touches the blade with his hoof and begins to change his appearance again
>you take the initiative of the situation and run at him, ready to swing your weapon at his right side
>luckily, you manage to hit that point with your dragon tooth before it changes to a metallic state, causing yet another crack
>however, the changeling manages to stand his ground and take a swing at your left leg
>a loud clank is heard when the metal hits your armor
>thankfully, it does not pierce it, but the force sure enough caused you to fall over
>with your back on the ground, you see Adapt take to the sky and plunge downwards, trying to impale you to the ground with his sword
>he seems to be directing it towards your head, so you take defensive action
>by catching the sword between your hands
>"What?!"
>you struggle to keep the sword in place, but the insect keeps fluttering his wings, trying to push more and more forward
>the sword is but an inch away from your helmet and can easily slide through one of the holes and stab one of your eyes out
>almost panicking, you throw the the blade away, which takes Adapt with it, causing him to fall to the ground
>you pick up your dropped weapon, get up, grip it in two hands, and swing it downwards onto the changeling's backside
>again, a crack is formed on it's back, but it is lessened due to the changeling's natural armor it's wearing
>you lift up your weapon and go for another strike, but the downed changeling rolls on the ground and towards your feet, creating enough momentum to knock you yet again onto the ground
>the changeling is heard using it's wings again, no doubt using it to get back up
>"Why... why isn't this metal helping? The sword deflected the last attack like nothing..."
>Adapt almost didn't notice you get up and swing your dragon tooth at his left side, but he managed to use his sword to defend himself against the attack
>"It can't cut, it only blocks, this thing almost has no use..."
>you notice a grin come onto Adapt's face while he's still holding off your attack
>he goes to touch your weapon with his hoof, but you swiftly bring your weapon back in an attempt to prevent him from possibly copying it's material
>you must have not been fast enough
>Adapt seems to be... adapting to what he just touched, causing his whole body to become just like your dragon tooth
>"This feeling... the tooth of a dragon?! I feel... invincible!"
>you see a maniacal look on his face while he holds his left foreleg out
>Adapt uses his sword arm to try and slice through his new body, but it fails to even scratch it
>both his body and Solaire's sword remains unharmed
>"Yes... Yes! I'm fucking invincible!"
>you think he may be right in that regard
>nothing has ever made a single scratch in your weapon, no matter how hard, how big, or how sharp anything was
>Adapt makes a mad dash on the ground and swings his sword like a madman... or mad changeling
>you find an opening it in, however, and use your mighty weapon to swing upwards, making a direct connection with his jaw
>although it hits, the changeling barely staggers and merely starts to laugh
>"That didn't even tickle!"
>the changeling swings his sword at you and you barely have time to block it with your greatshield due to how stunned you are
>he barely felt a thing from that attack
>Adapt begins to swing wildly again, causing you to keep your greatshield forward
>you don't even consider trying to counter attack, considering how useless it would be, so you decide to keep blocking while trying to think of how you can deal with this
>a few minutes have passed since you started fighting, and by this point, your sacred oath should be wearing off soon
>you don't have much time left, and soon afterwards, those changelings will come and you'll become nothing more than dust soon enough
>his damn dragon exterior is proving to be too much for you
>wait a minute...
>dragon exterior...
>that's it!
>you bring out your chime yet again and look for an opening for you to counter attack
>after a particularly big swipe from Adapt, you grip your chime with all your might and deliver a haymaker to the changeling's neck
>you know the force of it did almost nothing, but you soon see the results of your attack
>the electricity from your chime soon starts to make the changeling cough up it's green blood, forcing him to back off
>he now stands several meters away, trying to recuperate
>"How did *cough* that stupid thing *cough* penetrate my armor?!"
"I must say, this is only the second encounter I've ever had with any form of dragon, but at least I came prepared."
>he seems to have stopped coughing up blood now
>"That chime... the lightning... don't tell me..."
"The natural weakness of a dragon. That is how Lord Gwyn took the land away from the dragons. No knight, bishop, or cleric doesn't know how to fight a dragon of any kind."
>"No... this can't be... There must be something stronger!"
>he must have not noticed you walk up to him, but the look on his face is one of complete shock
>you are barely damaged from all of this, and yet Adapt is badly beaten
"Unless you take off that damn armor, I will shove this chime into your mouth and make you eat lightning and crap thunder."
>you feel confident now that you're going to win now
>if he stays like that, your chime will make short work of him
>his metal form will serve little purpose against your weapon, as well as copying your chime
>there's nothing more for him to take
>"Heh... hahahahahaha..."
"Hmm?"
>he just keeps on laughing as if he's won or something
>"Fine... you win... I don't think there's anything else I can- ha!"
>Adapt immediately charges forward, catching you off guard, causing you to collapse with him on top of you
>you feel him punch your chest with his hoof...
>which means he's about to...
>you take your chime and punch him off, allowing you to stand up and look at your enemy
>just as you though, he is currently copying your suit of armor
>"This... is strange. I've never come across anything like this..."
>he completely encases himself with the same material used to create your armor
>...your rock armor

>You are Havel the Rock
>and you've won this fight
>"This is some strange stuff, isn't it? Not as hard as that tooth of yours... but somehow, it might be stronger in other ways."
>you put your weapon and shield down
"That's it... this fight is officially over."
>the defeated insect points his sword at you and starts laughing his life away
>"R-really?! You're throwing in the towel now?! Ha!"
>you pull out your chime and start casting a simple healing spell
"The loser simply cannot do anything to win now... so I'm going to try to even the odds. 'Make this a little more interesting,' right?"
>"Oh, this should be fantastic to watch. Only four more minutes until destruction rains down upon us, but you still want to win. How pathetic, when you really think about it."
>Adapt just keeps on laughing when he's not talking to you
>your miracle is done and you're about ready to cast it
"Allow me to heal the loser..."
>he's clearly letting his guard down, allowing you to make a mad dash towards him with the healing spell still in your chime
>you punch him right in the chest while he's distracted, not only sending him back a couple meters, but also allowing the healing miracle to completely fix any cracks in his body
>he swiftly gets up and realizes what you've done
>"Heh... heh heh. You've really lost it now, knight. For what purpose was that for? What could healing me possibly do to give you a chance at winning this fight?"
>you put away your chime and slowly start walking towards the now fully revitalized changeling
"You obviously didn't hear me before. I'm simply giving the loser a fair chance."
>you can see some panic start to appear on Adapt's face
>"Me? Losing? If you wanted to heal the loser, why didn't you heal yourself, you idiot!"
>you're almost on top of him at this point
>he seems both afraid, but still able to stand his ground
>which is a big mistake for him
>you start stretching your arms, warming you up for your final attack
"If I heal you back up first, I won't feel guilty afterwards, considering its now a fair fight."
>a battle cry is heard coming from you as you starting sending numerous swift jabs towards your opponent
>you look at Adapt's body, pinpointing where exactly you need to hit on his body for this to work
>none of these punches could possibly deal any damage on their own
>but you're not trying to win through force alone
>soon enough, you know its officially over for Adapt, letting you sending one last punch towards his head, sending him staggering back
>as expected, he doesn't seem to realize what you've done
>"That's it? That's your big attack? Was completely failing in that regard part of your plan?"
>you turn around and walk away, picking up the weapons your dropped in the process
>"Hey, I'm talking to you, big guy!"
>next, you start walking towards your fallen friend with the intent of healing him with a miracle
>"I'm still alive here, dammit! Don't pretend like I'm not here!"
>you start charging your chime, still not looking at the soon to be dead changeling
>however, he only has a couple seconds left, so you decide to taunt him
"Why would consider you a threat if you're already dead?"
>just then, you hear cracks form within the rock changeling's body
>you don't even have to look at him to know what's going on
>his foreleg should be the first to crumble into pebbles
>"What the... how... what is this magic?!"
>his hind legs should be next, along with his body starting to crumble as well
>"This cannot be... I... Adapt... cannot die!"
>and with that, Adapt is silenced as his head crumbles, finally bringing an end to the fearsome insect
>your healing miracle seems ready
>the light falls onto your friend, hopefully giving him the energy he needs to get back up
>after the light fades, you notice your friend twitch and then slowly get up onto his knees
>he starts looking around until his eyes land on you
>"That thing... I heard what happened for a little while, but I seem to have passed out."
>you put your hand on his shoulder
"Don't worry, he's dead now."
>"Oh good... he said something about being a new breed of changeling, correct?"
"Indeed he did. He possessed a strange power, but I don't think he was smart enough to use it effectively."
>"But still, we should give a detailed report to the princess."
"A report to the princess... that reminds me, can't you communicate with her through your mind?"
>"Ah, you remembered that. It does not work from this large of a distance from her. There's a limit to how far our minds can still stay connected."
>Solaire seems to look up at the sun for some reason
>"I was only out for seven minutes?"
>seven minutes...
>which means...
"Come, get up, we need to move."
>you run over to the fallen changeling in hopes of finding Solaire's sword
>within the rubble, you see a piece of metal sticking out
>it seems to be still intact
>you grab the weapon and run over to Solaire who is now standing and stretching his legs
>"Is there something wrong, Havel?"
>you give him his sword back, allowing him to grab is and put it back in it's sheath
"We have to hurry, we only have three minutes before this whole place get's blown to hell by magic."
>you grab him, spin him around, and push him so he can get started running
>"Its going to what?!"
>you run with your friend towards where Twilight and the others are
"I'm guessing you fell asleep for that part. The changeling made a call to his allies from afar, telling them to use magic to bomb this place in ten minutes, and that was seven minutes ago."
>"Yes, I may have missed that part!"
>the realization of the situation seemed to have caused Solaire to double his efforts with his running
>you use all of your might to keep up with him, even in your heavy armor
>"Havel, is there a reason as to why there's no more magic emitting from the cave?"
>he's right, you no longer see and of Twilight's magic being used, which is a good sign of her victory
>"Those heathens could have captured her by now, we must hurry!"
>although you're rather close to the cave, Solaire doubles his efforts even further, outrunning you
>he manages to reach the entrance and calls out Twilight's name
>"Princess Twilight! Sergeant Flare! Can any of you hear me?!"
>just as you come close to the cave, you see a huge object leap from the cave and head straight for you
>you fall to the floor in an attempt to dodge whatever just came at you
>although you can't see it, you can tell it is right above you
>you roll to the side and quickly get up to see what it was
>...and why didn't you see this coming
>the thing that jumped on you was the great grey wolf Sif and his rider Sir Artorias
>you also see something else on Sif's back as well
>"Princess! Sergeant! Private!"
>the wolf turns a little to look at Solaire' giving you a good look at what that thing was
>you see the princess and her two guards resting peacefully on Sif's back
>the Sergeant seems to have been pretty banged up from all this, considering the amount of battle damage his armor has, but the princess seems to be mostly unharmed, just as you expected
>Sir Artorias waves his sword at you two, beckoning you both to come closer
>you and Solaire swiftly sprint towards the legendary knight and quickly try to climb on Sif's back
>"It's good to see you two, but there's no need to rush. We've vanquished those dreaded insects only moments ago."
>the both of you finish climbing, firmly sitting next to the exhausted princess
"You don't get it, we need to leave now. There's an army on their way to destroy this entire place."
>"We only have a little more than a minute, meaning we need to leave now!"
>thankfully, Artorias doesn't question any of it, most likely realizing the honesty coming from you two
>"Sif, to the desert, go!"
>the wolf leaps forward and starts running as fast as his four legs can carry him
>at this speed, you should be able to safely exit the blast radius
>you hope
>"You two... made it..."
>the princess behind you seems to be still awake
"Yes, and we even managed to accomplish our mission."
>"I noticed..."
>"Please, princess, you've done enough. Rest easy for the time being."
>"Solaire... just who is that human?"
>"As I said before, my name is Sir Artorias, knight of the-"
"Everything he said before is the truth."
>"So... he's another human from your world?"
"Yes."
>"But... he's such a big guy."
"For you, but in Lordran, some humans are quite larger than others. In fact, they might not be considered humans, considering how much stronger they tend to be."
>"Is that so..."
>"Yes, but there's a different oddity that I'm more concerned about. Sir Artorias... it doesn't seem possible for him to be here..."
>"And why, might I ask, is that, knight Solaire?"
>while this conversation is going on, you notice faint black spots in the distance
>those must be the changelings ready to destroy that area
"Heads down, everyone!"
>you duck and cover while making sure the ponies on board do the same by pushing their heads down
>a few seconds later, an incredible explosion is heard behind all of you
>you can only imagine how massive it must be from the sound of it
>just then, a massive force comes toward you all, sending him a couple meters into the air, but he manages to steady himself and land without a problem
>it must be the force of the explosion
>soon enough, you sit up to check if everything is clear now
>you look behind yourself and gaze upon the damage done
>everyone else notices you get up and soon does the same, as well as looking behind themselves
>a massive spiral mix of green and black is seen erupting from the canyon, easily putting a large dent into the whole thing
>the surface seems to be completely destroyed, but the most of the place seems to be still standing
>if you were still in that cave, all of you surely would have perished
>Twilight seems to be the most surprised, for good reason
>"Mister Havel... what was that just now?"
"An explosion..."
>"W-what kind of explosion was that?!"
"I... I don't know."

>You are Havel the Rock
>and you are currently getting rather close to Dodge Junction while still riding atop Sif
>you can't believe how much will this wolf has
>to be able to take so much punishment and still be able to run with all of us on his back
>truly remarkable
>no one has said a word since you all escaped that terrible explosion
>most likely due to exhaustion, but you digress
>someone needs to stay awake and make sure you're all safe
>at least everyone is resting
>although, Sir Srtorias seems to be just fine
>or, rather, as fine as a man with two broken legs and a broken dominant arm can be
>you decide to make conversation
"Sir Artorias... so how did-"
>"I will explain once we're truly safe and not a moment sooner. Forgive me for my rudeness, but I need a sense of security right now."
>you quickly bite your tongue because of that statement
>he sounded surprisingly cold
>granted, you can't entirely blame him
>he must have been on the run from those damn changelings
>you thoughts are disturbed by unfamiliar voices up ahead
>great, you've all made it to the town, however, the locals don't seem too happy
>even amongst the commotion, Artorias still guides Sif, now slowing down to a strut, through the town
>the legendary knight seems to be looking for something amongst the buildings
>he finally commands Sif to stop near a slightly bigger wooden structure with a sign hanging from he front
>the sign only shows a rather crude picture of a house
>"This must be an inn. We're staying here for the rest of the day."
"Fine by me. Hey, Solaire, wake up."
>you nudge your sleeping friend next to you
>"nrrrrffghdhfnbv..."
"I said get up..."
>you flick his helmet this time
>"Oh yes... Celestia... turn around and.. let me..."
"GET THE FUCK UP!"
>your friend quickly sits up straight and frantically looks around
>"Who? What? Why?"
"Everyone is too tired out, Artorias is a cripple, no offense, and you're the only one I know who can stand up and help everyone inside."
>"Oh... right... *yawn* let's get to it then."
>as you and Solaire get off of Sif, you hear more and more commotion around you until someone really speaks up
>"That's the dog that's been eating up our crops!"
>"My poor cabbages... he took them all!"
>"Where's old stallion Jenkins?!"
>it seems some of the local ponies are looking at you with hostility in their eyes
>you take your dragon tooth out and slam the ground with it in an attempt at intimidation
"Don't. Even. Think about it."
>it seems to have worked as their gazes turn from anger to fear in an instant
>your friend, however, seems to want to peacefully resolve this
>"Please, we have been through an awful lot over the past couple hours. We mean no harm and only wish to rest for the night an your local tavern."
>some of them seem to calm down at that, but other ponies still retain their fear
>"Alright then. Sir Artorias, climb down and put your arm over me."
>your friend helps the injured knight down, although he stumbles due to his size
>you quickly help him "stand" upright and walk him towards the inn
>after a rather rigorous task of having him climb a total of two stair steps, the three of you walk through the big double doors and enter the house
>it looks rather old, but sturdy with decorations in every nook and cranny
>and hats
>plenty of big hats
>you see a light blue earth pony with a rustic color mane behind a counter of sorts staring in shock at the sight before him
>"W-welcome to the Stumble Inn, fine travelers... what can I g-get for you three?"
>of course he's frightened by three creatures he's never seen before
>hopefully you all can get a couple rooms
>Sir Artorias is the first to speak
>"Please, if you may, we would like two or three rooms for us all to stay in for one night. I do not know if we can pay you accordingly, but hopefully we can work out an agreement."
>Solaire quickly follows up with his own statement
>"I assure you, I can pay for any sort of lodging you have, just please, escort us quickly, my... friend here is rather heavy, no offense."
"None taken."
>"None taken."
>he looks a bit confused right now
>"Shouldn't ya'll be looking for a doctor?
"We'll handle that part, just find us a room."
>the pony looks at the book in front of him and seems to be reading one of the pages
>"Yes... we have a couple rooms on the second floor that are currently vacant. Would you like... any help with carrying... whatever you are upstairs?"
"That would be very kind of you. Please do so now, if you can..."
>the pony jumps over the counter and allows Artorias to lean against him, giving the injured knight some balance
>"Put him on my back, I should be able to carry him to his room."
>you and Solaire to just that, allowing the hulking knight to lay uncomfortably on the rather small earth pony
>somehow, he seems able to lift his weight and slowly starts climbing a set of stairs
>your friend seems rather nervous from the looks of it
>"Are you sure you can handle his weight?"
>"No problem... don't sweat it... just another work out, right?"
"He's fine, Solaire. Help me get Sif and the others into this place."
>Sir Artorias turns his head to look at you
>"Just tell him I will be upstairs waiting for him, alright?"
>"Yes, Sir Artorias."
"Really?"
>"What?"
"Did you have to answer him like he's giving you an order?"
>"Havel, we're not discussing this now. I'm far too exhausted and this headache is far too great for an argument right now"
"Fine, fine."

>You are Havel the Rock
>and you are currently sitting in a rather small room with Solaire, Artorias, and his way too damn big wolf
>you're still wondering how that magic princess was able to teleport Sif into this room even though she was so tired out
>the ponies are in their own room, resting after a your miracles tended to their wounds
>your chimes may be able to cure any injury, but it does not rejuvenate their spirit
>they must still rest if they're exhausted
>currently, your friend seems to be meditating in his bed
>and by meditating, you mean putting his hands on his head and it looks like he's trying really hard to figure out two plus two
>who knows what he's really doing
>the injured knight, however, seems to be playing with a rather old looking talisman while laying down on his furry friend who happens to still be covered in changeling blood
>people used to cast miracles with those things, and some still do, but good luck fighting with it
>he keeps tossing it up and down
>and up
>and down
>ok, you're getting tired of this already
"Sir Artorias, I think now would be a good time to explain yourself."
>he stops playing with his talisman
>"Yes... I do owe you all an explanation, don't I?"
"Indeed you do, now start talking. Start from when you died."
>"When I died... I think I may have to go back a little further than that."
"As long as you don't leave out any information, go right ahead."
>"Very well, it all started when-"
>just then, a blinding flash of light appeared in your room for only a second
>and a familiar white pony appears before you
>you almost grabbed your weapon in case it was someone who would kill you
>now you really want to grab your weapon for that very reason
>you friend seems to have finally stopped meditating
>"Ah, so you heard my request?"
>she turns to face Solaire
>"It was faint, but if I focused carefully, I could hear your thoughts. You wanted to introduce me to someone?"
>"Yes, and before you ask, Twilight Sparkle is safe and sound, resting in the room next to us."
>"Good, I'm glad to hear she's doing alright. Now, where is your friend?"
>the sound of growling immediately covered the room
>she looked to her right to see the enormous wolf and the legendary knight sitting on top of him
>"Oh my, he's a big wolf."
"We've already established that."
>"Nice to meet you to, Sir Havel."
>she didn't even turn to look at you
>"Oh, where are my manners. Welcome to Equestria, Sir knight. I am Princess Celestia, co-ruler of this magnificent land and deity of the Sun. However, I'm no goddess, so do not be alarmed by that."
>the knight of the four seems to be at ease while in front of the princess
>"Good day, Princess Celestia. My name is Sir Artorias, knight of the four and commander of Lord Gwyn's army. I am blessed to be in your presence. Forgive me, but due to my injuries, I have little to no way of kneeling before royalty."
>Sif seems to still not fully trust Celestia
>"At ease, Sif. She's not a threat, I'm sure of that."
>the wolf finally calms down, but still gives the sun goddess an icy stare
>"It is wonderful to meet you. I see you've met my personal knight in shining armor and his bishop friend, no?"
>"A bishop? Here?"
"That's me. Is that really so surprising?"
>he genuinely looks shocked
>"I... apologize for calling you by an incorrect name. I'm sure you've done a lot for Lord Gwyn."
"Yeah yeah, I've done my part, but you can stop changing the subject now."
>"Yes yes... Princess, forgive me, but I was about to share my story with your servants."
"I'm not her servant!"
>"I would be happy to join them, Sir Artorias."
"Yes, keep ignoring me."
>"I am honored, Princess Celestia."
"Your smile makes me want to vomit."
>she takes a seat on a rather huge pillow she just conjured up
>this room is getting rather cramped rather quickly
>"Let's hear what you've been through."
>"Right... it all started with a mission given to me by Lord Gwyn. It was a simple task; arrive at the town of Oolacile and eradicate an ancient beast that resides in the Abyss."
>"The Abyss?"
"It is a realm of pure darkness. It can corrupt anything that even so much as nears it's black sanctum."
>"He's not wrong. I am an example of what the Abyss can really do..."
>Solaire seems to be a little frightened by this
>"Then that means... when you never came back..."
>"I failed my mission. The darkness consumed me and corrupted my mind. I was the closest thing to a hollow I could ever be, but without the decay. I still have very faint traces of it left within me..."
"Ah, so that explains why our miracles did nothing."
>"Yes. fighting darkness is one thing, but the Abyss... it doesn't follow the same rules."
>"Oh my, and your injuries seem so severe. Would you mind if I tried to use my magic?"
>"Please... I would rather not risk anything. Besides, it is still healing on it's own. Only time will heal these broken bones..."
"So you were corrupted and lost your sanity?"
>"That is correct. I wondered for some time in the now ruined town of Oolacile until one day, a man with a strange mask, a zweihander, and armor the likes of which shouldn't be normally worn on someone of that size, found me in my corrupted state."
>wait a minute... that description seems awfully familiar
>"What a strange coincidence..."
"Is something wrong, Solaire?"
>"No, nothing, do continue."
>"He took up his sword and dueled me in a battle to the death... needless to say, you know who won that fight."
>Celestia seems a little distraught from that
>"You experienced death... and ended up on our world?"
>"Correct, however, I think Sir Havel and Sir Solaire ended up in a more pleasant area than I."
"I ended up in a field of grass."
>"I found myself in the castle grounds, surrounded by pony soldiers."
>"My assumption was correct then."
>"Please, Sir Artorias, can you tell us exactly where you were found?"
>"I was awoken to a fact. Somehow, I had control over my body, however, my arm was of no use. Although I was overjoyed with that, I soon noticed quite a few things. I was a dark looking castle of sorts with a plethora of strange insects surrounding me..."
"Changelings..."
>"I noticed you calling them that. I did not know what they were, but at least now I know what they're called. Anyway, they did not even try to attack me due to what was underneath where I was standing. Somehow... there were traces of the darkness from the Abyss on the ground."
>"The Abyss is now here?!"
>It seems Solaire, and now, Celestia are now worried by this
>"It must have been expelled from your body upon death... Sir Solaire and Sir Havel have both experienced a similar outcome with something you call an 'undead curse.'"
>"You... you both suffered from the curse?"
"Yes, but that's all in the past. Can we please move along?"
>"...As I was saying, the Abyss was festering on the floor. In a state of panic, I quickly stepped back to get away from the horrid substance. That was a big mistake, however."
>"Those heathens captured you as soon as you were away from the Abyss."
>The knight starts rubbing his legs
>"Yes... they showed no mercy."
>"I'm terribly sorry about this. No one should have to suffer in my kingdom..."
>"Please, you had no way of knowing where I was, I assure you of that."
"What happened next?"
>"Of course, they spared me, only to throw me in the dungeon and torture me fore information. Throughout all the whippings, mind sorceries, and... experiments, my will did not falter. They still know nothing about Lordran."
>"Incredible..."
>"Solaire, I can hear everything you're thinking. Does Sir Artorias really make you that excited?"
>"Um... well... to be honest..."
"Moving on!"
>"For some time, maybe about three weeks or so, it was the same old routine. Survive being beaten, get fed scraps of food, sleep. I know for a fact that the Abyss was still in the castle. Every time they dragged me to the torture chambers, I noticed some of those insects... researching the Abyss in the main room. It didn't look like it was growing... but that could easily change."
>"And that's when your pet Sif managed to bust you out?"
>"Again, correct. One day, out of the blue, I heard a lot of commotion going on in the castle. in a matter of minutes, my old friend came bursting through the wall, although, he wasn't his normal size."
>"Yes, his size is enormous! I'm glad his size helped us get through the canyon, but how did he get so big?"
>"I do not know, but I am not going to question it. His immense size and strength allowed him to bite the bars to my cage and carry me to safety. He even had my weapon with him, which I am very thankful for."
"I think we know the rest from here. You escaped the castle, ran to the canyons, hid yourself there, and Sif helped get you food and water to live."
>"Right you are. I was in that small cave for a few weeks until the two of you arrived. Now, here we are."
>Celestia looks as though she's in a state of deep thinking, but soon speaks
>"Hmm... That's quite the story. You say this Abyss is still within you, correct?"
>"Yes, princess, but do not fret, it has no control over me..."
"Unless you get pushed to your limits, physically or mentally."
>"Havel!"
"She's the ruler of this kingdom. She must know of this."
>"Sir Havel is correct. I did not know I had that energy locked away within me, but rest assured, it will not happen again."
"For now..."
>"I see. Once we all get back to Canterlot, I will have you see a doctor right away. Hopefully, with the help of my scientists, we will be able to expunge the rest of this substance from you."
>"I am truly grateful for your benevolence."
>"Now, is that everything that has happened? Is there anything we might want to know about?"
>"Hmm... now that I think about it... there is one thing."
"And that would be..."
>"I overheard two guards talking outside my cell. They mentioned something interesting. The Queen is pursuing new research. They claimed what their race is doing in the main room is the missing piece... and then they said something I didn't quite understand."
>"What did they speak of, Sir Artorias?"
>"A weapon to surpass the Elements..."

End of Act III