You stand solemnly with Celestia, as Ajax’s body is carted away on a stretcher. Her faced is etched with grief and confusion: her eyes gaze distantly at an object only she could see, and you feel a tinge of pity for her, despite all that you had been through yourself. You wrap an arm around her shoulder, causing her to press herself against you, and for a while the two of you stand there, watching the spot where Ajax’s life left him.

Finally, Celestia signals for her leave with a weary, heartfelt sigh. “We need to talk.” You nod silently, and patiently follow her back through the winding castle corridors. She remains silent throughout the journey, only stopping to stifle a sob or sniffle.

You reach her private, expansive quarters and she immediately seeks out a luxurious chair. She climbs on, easing her body into the comfort it provided. The uncomfortable silence returns: and you shift on your feet uneasily.

Celestia finally clears her throat, locking her tearful eyes with yours. ”I’m so terribly sorry, Solaire.” Her plea for forgiveness strikes your heart like a bandit’s dagger, and you resist the urge to run over and scoop her up into a hug.

“Celestia, you are not to blame for my misfortunes. No-one is, bar Ajax, and he has already paid the price. The guilty always do…”

”It was my mistake to trust him. I looked him at him and saw a good, strong soldier: but I was blind to the demon within. That… critical failure, on my behalf… it almost cost me Canterlot. It almost cost me all of Equestria, and the safety of my subject, my ponies. It almost cost me… well, you.” She stops for a moment, thinking. “I may not have been responsible directly. But I can never live this down. I failed everypony who mattered to me, and I failed the man who risked his life for me time after time after time… How do you not loath me after how-“ You raise your hand gently, stopping her mid sentence.

“Celestia… let me tell you a story.”  She eyes you with confusion, before you sit down beside her, the calming effect of the fireplace ever reminiscent of Lordran.

“Back in my land, Lordran, I searched for my sun. This you know of, of course: it’s why I took a liking to you so quickly. But near the end of my quest, I came close to failing, closer than I’d ever come.” Celestia shifts herself upright, her attention utterly focused on you.

“I had fought my way through the land, eventually winding up in a domain known as Lost Izalith. It was a hellish, scarred ruin: filled only with blistering lava and the corrupted remains of ancient demons. But it was there I wound up: my mental faculties close to breaking.” You take a breath, the still-recent memories haunting you still. “I stumbled upon a vile parasite known as a sunlight maggot. Completely immobile, utterly hideous and destined to die without it’s host… and yet for some reason I cannot even comprehend…” You take another pause. “I was about to place the light-emitting parasite on my head. To do so would have been insane: the parasite would have taken over my body and mind, perhaps even have forced me to strike my only friend in the land.”

The nameless warrior… You hoped he was doing better than you were.

“He arrived as I was about to give into my delirium, and he snatched the parasite out of my hands, spewing all manner of curses at me.” You chuckle. “He was not happy, let me insist. But, that is my tale of how I almost became undone. I bet you are wondering why I bothered to share it, especially at this time and hour?”

”It is certainly a saddening tale, but yes… I do not know why you have shared it with me.”

You lay a hand on Celestia’s head, smiling sadly. “We both might hail from worlds separated from each: our chance meeting due to the convolution of time and space. But you and I? We are not different, not at all. We have both made terrible judgements on our behalf: judgements that would cost us everything we have worked for, everything we have fought for, everything that we have lived for. But I tell you now… you cannot hold these mistakes against yourself. Promise me that.”

A single tear turns into a torrent as Celestia sobs, wrapping you in an awkward hug. You sit in place, letting her cry into your shoulder, as uncomfortable feelings arise within you. Just as you reach your max level of discomfort, Celestia lifts her head, letting out her last few sniffles.

“Have we expelled that from our system, yes?” Celestia nods, before a small smile graces her face. “I s-suppose you must think I’m acting so melodramatic, don’t you?”

“I’m patient, and I understand your sorrow. There is no need to be embarrassed in my presence.” She nods, before a spark of enthusiasm returns to her magnificent eyes. ”Of course! I almost forgot!”  She hops off the couch and rushes into a back room, piquing your curiosity.

Not five seconds later, she returns from the room, levitating with her two familiar items.

“How did you recover these?” you ask incredulously as she gently lays your Sunlight Straight sword and Shield before you.

”When Ajax and your men returned, Ajax was caught trying to sneak these into his quarters. I questioned him, only to be told that you… that you had perished on the train: your body unrecoverable. I was inconsolable: but in my grief I did not question why he had taken the sword and shield, or indeed how he had acquired them if you died. In hindsight, I suppose he wanted to keep them as a trophy…”

“Did we lose any soldiers during the train siege?”

”No, thankfully. We had a few serious wounds, and one pegasus has an inoperable stump of a left wing due to the injuries sustained, but as far as losses go… well, losing you was still horrible.”

You reach down and embrace her, before lifting up your longsword. Fatening the sheath to your belt, and securing the shield to your arm: you feel complete. Safe. Ready.

“If I may ask… how badly has Ajax’s death affected you?”

Celestia sighs. “I thought I could trust Ajax. He always seemed so eager, so reliable. I had never even entertained the idea that he might be undermining me, plotting against me.”

“I’ve had my share of those who seem trustworthy at a first glance…” You were still bitter about Lautrec, and his nefarious murder of the Firelink Firekeeper. How satisfying it was to rip her pillaged soul from his cold, dead hands.

”And while he certainly deserved to pay for his transgressions against us both… I did wish for such a fate to befall him. I could never order the execution of one of my ponies.”

“Then you’re a better person than I. If Ajax hadn’t attacked first, then I would have ripped him limb from limb…”

”That I do not doubt. I assume a similar fate befell the Changelings, yes?”

“I… I did not harm any Changelings while captured.”

”Really?” Celestia asks in disbelief.

“Before the General, who went by the name of Mimicry, could torture me I was able to cast the miracle which disabled magic. He left following from the ensuing pain and confusion I caused to him, and it was then that the assassin who attacked you back in Canterlot made her move.”

”Drejtimi was there? And she attacked you!” Celestia gasps.

“No, no! She was the one who gave me back my talisman in the first place, allowing me to escape. She unloosened my restraints and we fled the prison!”

Celestia is gripped by your revelations, moving in closer to hear your words. “My word! Out of all the ponies in the world who could have intervened in your fate… why did she help you, anyway?”

“She felt bound by honour to help me, given that I spared her life despite my justifiable desire to strike her down.”

”Oh… and what became of her?”

“She has moved on… she said her purpose in this world was fulfilled. I respected her decision, she flew off into the night sky, and I began to make my way home.”

”That is a shame: I wish I could have thanked her for assisting in your escape.”

Celestia visibly relaxes, settling back into the chair. “At least this wretched business is over. Now we can both rest ourselves…”

You gulp, unsure of how to break the news to the Princess, who notices your discomfort. “Actually, Celestia… it’s not over yet.”

”What do you mean, Solaire?”

“When I was escaping the Hive, a… terrible beast was summoned. It killed the entirety of the Hive, and almost took me with them.” The look of shock on Celestia’s face would be comical if the situation was not so dire.

”A terrible beast, you say?”

“Indeed. I believe it to be from my own realm, Lordran, as it only surfaced once Cry had tampered with my humanity. Its presence, both physical and ethereal, also is too familiar to discount. I have fought creatures like it before, in a forsaken darkness known as The Abyss. Of this, I am sure…”

”You said it killed the whole Hive… correct?”

“Yes, without warning or hesitation.” Celestia ponders your words carefully, her eyes darting between her front hooves.

”What do you propose to do about it?” She asks.

“Immediate retaliation.”

”Are you serious?”

“This threat hails from my land: therefore, I cannot allow it to escape the confines of the Hive, nor can I allow other creatures to potentially make their way through.”

”Negotiation has always been my main policy: there is little in this land that cannot be swayed through non-violent means.”

“As I said, this demon is not of your land. Lordran is overwhelmingly brutal, as are the demons that inhabit it. By attempting peaceful talks with this creature, you would severely endanger yourself… and every inhabitant of Equestria.” Celestia returns her gaze to the floor, before looking up into your eyes.

”Solaire, I know you may feel restless to fight this new threat, but I beg of you: stay here in Canterlot with me, if only for a few days. You’re weary, and the soldiers are worried about you. Please, stay: if only for my sake.” She spoke truthfully: you did wish to go and end the looming threat. But to do so would be suicide… you were brash and made decisions without thought, but that did not mean committing yourself to a certain death.

“Very well. If you insist, I shall stay the night here in Canterlot. Goodnight Celestia.”

”You’re staying in my quarters tonight.”

“I… beg your pardon?”

”You’ve had me worried sick: You’re sleeping somewhere I can keep an eye on you.”

You chuckle as a slight blush forms on her cheeks, while she tries to keep her composure.

“Very well m’lady, it seems I shall be enjoying your company a little longer then…”

On the morning of the third day marking your return to Canterlot, you found yourself strolling through the streets, wandering aimlessly. Ponies around you smile, wave or even offer mock salutes to you as you pass. This did not surprise you: you were still regarded as both a hero and an oddity, given the circumstances that had brought you into Equestria and allowed you to save Celes-

With no warning the ground begins to shake violently, causing you to stumble to your feet. Ponies cry out in surprise as the earth tremors rise in intensity, before suddenly fading as quickly as they had arrived. You pick yourself up, check around you to make sure no buildings had collapsed, before breaking into a sprint back to the palace.

Celestia meets you at the steps, her panic evident by the hesitation with which she speaks to you. ”Follow me Solaire! We have a serious problem on our hooves!”

You follow without question, and Celestia leads you into throne room, where a table has been hastily set up. Luna, who appears to pacing up and down the room, snaps back to attention as the two of you enter.  

”Let us not dither on questions right now: just hear what we have to say, Solaire.”

“Of course, Luna. Proceed.”

Luna points to a map unfurled on the table, an area in the badlands circled off. ”Over the last few days we’ve had several reports from various towns. These reports all detailed an occurrence of earth tremors, ranging in their magnitude, but as you know Canterlot was just hit with a massive one.”

“You’ve been receiving reports of tremors for a few days now? Why was I not informed?”

”I did not wish to concern you, Solaire…” Celestia says pleadingly. You frown at her, before facing Luna.

“Anything else? Anything that might reveal the cause of these tremors?” Luna points a hoof to the circled area, a knot of fear already rising in your stomach.

”We’ve had sporadic surges of magic coming in and out of this general area since the tremors began. Just there now we felt the biggest spike yet: Had I still been telepathically monitoring the flow of magic, I would have surely been killed.”

“By the Gods, what could cause such a disturbance?” You already knew what the answer would reveal…

”The creature that decimated the Changelings, of course. The magic that is flowing out the area is… unworldly. It is unlike anything we’ve come to know in Equestria, which leads me onto my next conclusion.” Luna sighs. “Celestia and I are thinking that there may be a rip between our world and yours, formed at the spot where the beat was summoned.”

“Sunlight saves us…” You whisper, your hope draining. If a gap between the worlds was forming, then all manner of horrors could diffuse through, not just the grey Demon. “What are we meant to do now then?”

”We don’t know.” Celestia admits. “We have no plans for this sort of situation, no fallback to rely on. Canterlot can’t afford to get hit by these sorts of tremors; we can’t risk Equestria merging with Lordran…

“Then there remains only one option. We fight.”

”You’re not going.” Celestia says adamantly.

“Celestia, I respect your decisions and judgements… but forcing me to stay here would be utter lunacy! I have more experience with fighting, fighting demons themselves – what good would come of forcing me to stay in Canterlot!”

”It’s asking too much of you, Solaire! You’ve already risked enough, it wouldn’t be fair to-“

“What part of this is fair, Celestia? War isn’t fair! Lordran isn’t fair!  The demons won’t acknowledge “fairness” when they overrun this land!”

”But…”

Luna clears her throat, interrupting the argument between you and Celestia. “Sister… Solaire is quite right. If anyone is capable of clearing the demon out, it’s him.”

”But what if that achieves nothing…?” Celestia pleads.

“Then we’ll have one less demon to face when our worlds collide.” You rub your temples in frustration, before glaring at Celestia. “Why should you care about my wellbeing now, anyway? It didn’t stop you from originally summoning me: nor did it stop you packing me onto the train and sending me off to Dodge City.

”You know very well what reasons I had for those events!” Celestia shouts, the tension in the room reaching critical proportions. A bitter silence descends as you and Celestia fume at each other, Luna looking on with a deadpan frown.

”Now is not the time for inane bickering. Everything is at stake here!” Luna commands, staring you both down.

”Yes, you’re quite right Luna… look, Solaire. I may be annoyed at you, but please… do not go and fight this beast by yourself. Please!”

You sigh impatiently. “Very well… every fibre of my being screams that this is a bad idea, but I respect your decision.” Celestia’s body deflates with relief, oblivious to your true intentions…

Later that night as Luna’s namesake shone brightly in the cloudless sky, you stood by Celestia’s beside, calmly looking down on her sleeping form.  It pained you to have to betray her like this, but you were responsible for the demon’s inception into the land, and you were not going to let it threaten anyone or anywhere. You kneel down; sweep back the mane that lay cross her forehead, before giving her a gentle kiss. She smiles to herself: her sleep undisturbed.

With a heartfelt sigh you turn away from the bedside, making your way to the door of Celestia’s quarters. Your equipment was already with the duo of unicorns who would be assisting you with the long-distance warp: you planned to use the same technique to get there as you did to return here.

Your resolve almost breaks there and then: the desire to shout or scream, to foil your own plan almost overwhelmingly…

No. You’ve got a duty, and you’re going to stick by it…

You raise your right arm silently, still facing away from Celestia, before giving a silent wave as you walked away. You meet with the unicorns, who had sworn to keep this a secret from Celestia. Your heart numb, you thank the soldiers for their efforts, before initiating the travel. One homeward bone and a few seconds later, and you found yourself a few feet from the edge of the Hive. You briefly check your equipment, and once confident that you’re fully prepared, you hesitantly begin to make your way through the tunnel entrance.

Almost immediately an overwhelming sense of fear and claustrophobia strikes you, and it takes all of your faith and determination to keep walking. Celestia’s miracle of light only extended your field of vision by a few feet at most: the darkness seemed to snatch away at the light…

As you continue walking, you realise that the tunnel itself has changed. The ground underfoot was far more ancient-looking and worn out than you remembered, and the tunnel seemed to be widening at an unusual pace.

“The very environment itself is being warped…” you whisper to no-one in particular. As you trek further into the winding cavern, you notice several sprites watching you from a distance. They appeared to have the look of humanity, only more… Primal. Evil. They emanated a sense of despair, and you broke into a job to escape their distant eyes.

Finally, you reach a sheer cliff-face surrounded by darkness. Below you lay The Abyss: no light escaped its dark depths. From deep below, a heavy shuffling noise just barely reached your ears…

You take a second to remember Knight Artorias, who fell to the dark after he traversed The Abyss. Was such a fate to befall you? Would you become corrupted? Would you survive this encounter?

“It’s far too late to ask now.” You whisper. You steel yourself, taking a deep breath… Before throwing yourself into the depths below, and resigning yourself to your fate.

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