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Errant Knight

by Orcus

Chapter 3: Heavy Rain

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By the time night fell upon the land, a heavy rain had encroached onto Ponyville. The black clouds from above blotted out the moon and stars like an extinguisher to a candle, leaving extremely wet darkness in its wake. The only light to appear in town were the multiple lampposts lining the edges of the streets, their individual, yellow glows faintly illuminating their surroundings.

Through the thick drizzle, a non-pony, upright, and very obtuse shape passed along the empty street, alone. The rain pattered off of its wide, round, tan-brown armor and equally wide and round helmet, the shape of which could only be described as looking like an onion. Held onto with one hand and hoisted over its shoulder was the blade of an enormous zweihander sword, while gripped in the other hand was a small, round, outwardly-indented shield with a large, metal protrusion poking out from its center, made as much for piercing the enemy as it was for defensive purposes.

The figure continued on by its lone self, the sound of stone and gravel below its armored boots being pushed downward or aside, jiggled loose by the water from the falling rain and moved by the sheer weight it currently felt. It wasn't long before the being came upon the impossible-to-miss shape of Twilight Sparkle's castle. The magnificent structure sprang up from the ground, and the creature couldn't help but whistle in an impressed manner at its size.

Without another thought the figure walked up to the large, golden entrance, reached out a gauntleted hand, and knocked on the door. When no reply came, it sighed in a tired, male voice, and knocked again. When this failed as well, he tried to pull on the handle of the door, then tried pushing, but it would not budge. He quickly gave up and started to walk a few dozen feet off in the direction he just came from.

"Ho-hum... what is one to do?" he spoke in a tired voice, the sound partially muffled from behind its helm, after coming to a stop. Lifting his gigantic greatsword up, the creature turned it about and planted its tip into the ground, before strapping his shield behind his back, next to the long sheath for his sword. After folding his arms, the vaguely knightly figure's shape slackened, and a loud snoring noise began to erupt from him mere moments after, falling asleep in the middle of the downpour while still standing up.


"This is... the only word I can find for this is strange," Twilight Sparkle spoke, as she looked at the drawing she was given. It was a hastily scribbled, one-dimensional shape of an armored figure with noodly limbs, a smiley face in front of its helmet, a party hat on its head, and the words "swish-swish" written next to a sword held in its hand.

Twilight and her friends were currently inside the throne room of her castle, and for the last three hours they had been discussing what the creature Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy witnessed could be. The sudden rainstorm going on outside had arrived before any of them could follow Fluttershy into the woods, and they all decided against doing such a thing until the weather lightened up.

"Remember Twilight. My drawing skills may portray the thing as looking a teensy-weensy bit... off," Pinkie Pie spoke with a small laugh.

"The thing was wearing a great helm of some sort on top of its armored body, but not one suitable for ponies to wear," Fluttershy went on, pointing to the top of the drawing.

"A great helm not made for ponies? Hmm..." Twilight said as she rubbed her chin. "I remember from my time in the human world that humans were shaped just like this, and while I was in the library at one time, I saw a picture of several human knights in one of the history books. The one closest to looking like this was a member of an ancient organization called the "Teutonic Order," but it's just... off. The clothing is different, the size is a tiny bit larger than what I've seen, and the mannerisms are most queer and unnatural... I'm sorry, but I just don't know what to think."

"Maybe it came in from another universe?" Pinkie asked again. "Wait... what if it came from a universe full of undead creatures and evil monsters that want to eat you and take your soul, but instead you have to beat them and take their souls instead! That sounds like an awful place to live in..."

"As "plausible" as that sounds Miss Pie, I'm going to have to disagree," Rarity spoke.

"I bet it's a creature from the Plaguelands," Rainbow Dash wagered. "In Daring Do and the Claw of the Orium Dragon, Daring Do remembered encountering giant, living statues of that size and shape down there."

"I hope we can find this out soon," Fluttershy said in a weary tone. "I think I'll go home and go to sleep now, if that's alright with you girls. I'm tired."

The pegasus hopped out of her throne and started for the door, before quietly slipping out of it. Her friends each looked at each other with equally worn-out expressions.

"Well... it is late..." Spike agreed from where he sat on his smaller throne next to Twilight, before rubbing his eyes.

"I think Fluttershy is right," the alicorn princess said, as she patted her assistant on the head. "Let's talk for a few more minutes and then get some rest. I'm sure all of our heads will be clear in the morning."


It wasn't long after Fluttershy left that the rest of her friends decided to join in on her example, and left Twilight's castle for their own houses. The only shape to carry an umbrella through the downpour as the four ponies exited the crystalline keep was Rarity, who held the dark blue object up in a magical grip just above her head.

"It's just so weird," Rainbow Dash spoke as she took to the air, and flew a few feet above the ground next to her friends.

"It's foreboding..." Rarity agreed. "How peculiar that Fluttershy discovers a creature like that, right after Silver Spoon claimed to see a giant monster running around in the outskirts of the forest."

"I know, right?" Pinkie chuckled. "But since this clearly isn't a giant bat-creature, did the pony that saw the monster mistake it for something else? Or... was what she saw an actual giant bat-creature, and we have two creatures on the loose?"

"Even if we have a couple of monsters running loose, I could more than easily take on either of them by myse-" Rainbow Dash found herself interrupted from her cocksure boast when the four suddenly came upon a tall, round, wide silhouette in the rain, standing before them in the middle of the road like a wall. Before Rainbow could do anything else but stare at the armored mass, it let loose a loud, rumbling snore.

"What in tarnation...?" Applejack inquired in surprise, her eyes squinting to get a better look.

"MUTANT ONION!" Pinkie screamed, pointing out the vague shape of its pointed head before diving behind Rainbow Dash.

"Now, now... just hold your horses there sugarcube," Applejack spoke, raising a hoof to silence the hyperactive pink mare. Once this was completed, she gave another questing look to the creature, and slowly walked up to it. "Just what the hay is this thing?"

"It looks sort of... like a knight. And it's fashion, while unique, is certainly odd," Rarity spoke as she examined the material the shape was wreathed in, as it rocked back and forth on its legs, still dead asleep as indicated by the boisterous snoring that its continued to make. "Um, Pinkie... is this what you and Fluttershy were talking about?"

"No. The one we saw had different armor, and he was waaaay bigger! Plus he didn't have a shield thing, and his sword was a little smaller," Pinkie responded, as she leapt in front of the being with a much less fearful expression. "Hello?" she asked, poking the protruding belly armor with a hoof before her friends could stop her. "Can you talk, onion-knight-guy? We have questions! Lots of 'em!"

"Mhmmm... mhmmm?" the figure yawned, shuddering to life as his head lifted and arms unfolded. "Oh-hoh! Forgive me, I was absorbed in thought."

The visored helmet looked around, and reeled back slightly when he finally spotted the four ponies standing before him through the thick rain. "Hm?" he said again, wondering out loud. "I've not seen miniature horses speak before. And I could swear on my honor as a knight that I heard a voice as well. Hmm..."

"Um... we did speak," Rainbow Dash said. The creature took a step back in unexpected surprise before regaining his composure.

"So the land I came upon is full of talking horses, hm? Well, I must admit I've seen stranger. At least you're not some new form of terror that has come to try and kill me."

His head suddenly tilted questioningly to the side, as his hand wrapped tightly around his sword in a cautious display.

"You are not here to perform such an act... correct?"

"Why would we?" Applejack asked.

"We're a peaceful kind of ponyfolk that like to treat others with politeness," Rarity continued. "Not barbarity."

"Well then, jolly good!" the knight said again, loosening his grip on the weapon. "I am Siegmeyer of Catarina. To be quite honest to a few pleasant creatures like you, I've come into quite a pickle."

"What kind of pickles are we talking here?" Pinkie Pie spoke up. "Pickled cucumbers, pickled beats, pickled... onions?"

"Hrm... I last remember thinking of my daughter, then I remember waking up in a shallow grave below several feet of dirt, under the ground of a place known as Ash Lake. After unburying myself, I noticed a bright, white light coming from above me, and a most perplexing voice. When it finished speaking, I was there one moment..."

He snapped his fingers for emphasis.

"...and with a bright flash, now I'm here! Quite the unfortunate series of events, you see..."

"Wowzers," Pinkie began again, turning to her friends. "Should we go back and tell Twilight about him?"

"Nah," Applejack replied. "It's almost midnight, and I'd be willing to bet my hat and then some that Twilight's in bed already. We should try tomorrow morning."

"Yeah..." Rainbow Dash agreed with a giant yawn. "I'm beat."

"I do not wish to be a burden, but do one of you have someplace I could bed down for the night? Or, at the very least, until this cursed rain dies down?" Siegmeyer inquired.

"I have a barn," Applejack suggested. "You can rest there for the night I reckon."

"Ah! You have my gratitude, horse," the knight thanked with a bow of his head, as he pulled his zweihander from the ground, and hefted it once more over his shoulder.

"We're ponies, Mister Siegmeyer. And call me Applejack," the earth pony corrected, as she took her hat off and quickly wringed the water out of it.

"Very well, Applejack. Lead the way!"

"Well then, I guess this means goodnight girls. See ya all later," Applejack spoke again as she and the outlandish character began to head in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres.

"See you all in the morning!" Pinkie waved goodnight with a hoof, as she started in the direction of Sugarcube Corner. Waving back and shouting their own good-byes, Rainbow Dash and Rarity went their own separate ways, determined to get out of the storm as soon as possible.

Next Chapter: More Arrivals Estimated time remaining: 5 Minutes
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