Black Star pulled up halfway across the bridge and looked back. "Come on! Am I going off to ring this bell by myself?"
The rest looked at each other briefly. "Well, I suppose we can't just sit here forever, can we?" Tsubaki pointed out. "Coming, Black Star!" she shouted back, jogging off. Patty ran off after Tsubaki, causing a chain reaction of Kid chasing after her, followed by Liz. Maka looked at Soul.
"Well, we can't let them take all the credit, can we?" Soul drawled. "Wouldn't be very cool for us to sit here and let them do everything, right?"
Maka looked around again. So quiet. She shook her head. "Of course. Come on." Her attention was briefly caught by Solaire, still rooted to the spot, looking up at the sun. "Uh, Solaire?"
He snapped back to reality, his helm clinking slightly. "Of course, my dear Maka! I just lost myself in the incandescent sun! You are quite correct, let us get back to the matter at hand!" He began a trot of his own out on the bridge.
"What a weird guy," Soul muttered. He shook his head slowly. The two trotted out to join their companions.
"It's 'bout time you stopped being so lazy!" Black Star admonished Maka and Soul.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Soul rolled his eyes. With a bit more reserve, the group made it to the other end of the bridge and arrived at the gatehouse with no problems. Tsubaki looked back at the bridge as they entered the gatehouse.
"I still could have sworn something bad was going to happen while going across that bridge," she said quietly. Maka nodded in agreement. "Are we getting paranoid?" She asked Maka, looking oddly fearful.
"Oh, come on, Tsubaki, nothing's wrong with some healthy caution!" Maka reassured her friend. "I mean, hasn't this place justified it?" Tsubaki's face darkened and she didn't reply, moving up to join Black Star and Solaire at the front.
"You're an idiot sometimes, you know that, Bookworm?" Soul told her.
"What, what did I-" Maka cut herself off at the revelation of how obvious her statement to Tsubaki had been. "Ugh…" she groaned. "I need to go apologize-" Soul cut her off with an arm in front of her.
"Just give it a bit, Bookworm." Maka sighed. He was probably right. This whole situation was just so bizarre.
"Comrades!" Solaire's loud whisper reached them. He was peering around the corner of the castle corridor. "The Church is just ahead! We'll just have to clear the path of hollows, and the first bell is at hand!"
"Yahoo! Come on, Tsubaki! This won't take more than a second, guys!" He gave the rest the thumbs up as Tsubaki transformed to her chain scythe. With vigor typical of himself, Black Star took off around the corner. The path opened up into a large, stone courtyard in front of a large, traditional looking, granite church. There were a number of hollows, most armed with rusted swords and spears, as well as a few perched upon a balcony with crossbows.
"Liz, Patty, just in case," Kid commanded. The twins followed Tsubaki's suit.
"Well, Bookworm, we going to join in this?" Soul grinned at her. Maka smiled. It was nice that Soul wasn't coddling her.
"Of course, come on." Soul wasted no time transforming, and they followed Solaire into the courtyard. Black Star had already ascended the balcony and was wasting no time cutting down the crossbowmen, while the rest were rushing down to Kid's position futilely, being cut down wholesale by Liz and Patty. Maka leaped to the front with Solaire, slicing downward as the few remaining hollows charged through Kid's suppressive fi re. In the end, it was barely a warm up as she and Solaire each cut down only two of the madmen.
"Well, that was boring," Soul complained, still in scythe form. "Hey Kid, leave us a few next time."
"Sorry, Soul, but they were too easy of targets," Kid said, letting a rare smile cross his face. "A mass of targets? Impossible to miss."
"Hah, we still got more than you did, Kid!" Black Star bellowed as he jumped down from one of the balconies.
The joviality was short-lived as the great wooden doors to the church began to audibly creak, opening.
"On your guard, companions," Solaire warned, readying himself behind his iron shield. The doors opened, revealing two massive humanoid figures, at least twice the height of a normal person, clad in smoky, black steel armor. Their helmets were decorated with what looked like tapered horns. They each had a similarly dark, iron kite shield in their left hands.
"Impossible…" Solaire muttered. The rest looked at him, confused.
"Solaire, what's going on?" Kid asked.
"On guard!" Solaire bellowed as the two soldiers withdrew swords black as night from sheaths at their side. Blood was visibly caked onto the blades. They immediately took at a run to the group's position, blades held to their side. Kid immediately laid down fire. The knights staggered in surprise for a moment as the shots connected with their center mass, but shrugged it off and powered through the suppressive fire. The knight on the left swung down in an arc at Maka, who swung Soul up to block it, hooking the blade at the intersection of blade and haft. The knight still struck with such force that she was pushed back as she swung across her body to deflect the blow. The second knight made a beeline for Solaire, who deflected the strike with his shield and countered with a strike of his own. His sword merely scratched at the darkened armor.
Wasting no time, Black Star jumped over the combatants, landing behind the knights. The knight assaulting Maka wheeled around to face him, but she tried to snare him Soul, reaching the blade around the soldier. He Turned back and made a downward strike which she nimbly dodged to the left. Black Star threw Tsubaki forward, and she snaked her chain around the knight's ankles before returning to her Meister. Black Star yanked with as much force as he could as Maka swung Soul in a downward arc. The knight was toppled into its face as Soul's blade struck down into its exposed shoulder. Maka raised Soul up for one more finishing strike. The knight immediately rolled over and deflected the blow with a flash of its shield. It turned its attention downward and raised its sword to the chains binding its feet, and made a clean swipe. Tsubaki transformed at the last second out to her shuriken form to avoid the blow, swinging back to Black Star. Maka struck down again, but the knight recovered itself and held the blow away with a sword deflection. The knight took to its feet, though favoring the shoulder wound ever so slightly.
The two knights stood surrounded, shields raised; now looking to be at a stalemate. Kid and Solaire were staring down the second knight, having made no progress themselves. The knights were shifting position, shields raised, and swords ready to strike.
"Tsubaki, demon blade," Black Star commanded. She immediately complied, causing the characteristic black stripes to creep across Black Star's face.
"Soul," Maka didn't need to say any more. She immediately began to feed her soul wavelength to him, allowing him to resonate it back to her. She felt the surge of power as her soul expanded around the two of them, creating a massive pale blue aura to those who could see it.
"Witch hunter!" Maka screamed out as she swung Soul down with all her might. On cue, his characteristic scythe blade became the giant, glowing crescent blade. The knight on the left hopped back from the strike just in time, her blow cleaving a line in the pavement. Black Star was immediately on it, behind the knight in a flash, Tsubaki raised down to strike it down. However, the second knight covered its companion, hacking the demon blade away.
Solaire immediately appeared behind it, however, and rammed the vulnerable knight straight through the back with a piercing sword strike through its chest. It staggered, but kept its feet. It twisted, ignoring the blade in its lower back. It angled its sword back to strike at Solaire.
"Not so fast." Kid blinked in to its side, both pistols aimed straight up knight's helmet. Simultaneous blasts rang out as Kid fired point blank up the knight's skull. It promptly fell to its knees and began to collapse forward. Solaire withdrew his sword as the other knight attempted to strike him down and rolled backwards out of the way with agility that betrayed the armor he wore.
Without hesitation, Maka swung Soul down again in another crushing blow, which the last knight, which raised its shield to block the blow. The iron shield, however, was not made to withstand the power of witch hunt, and it shattered apart, the blow slicing through and hacking the knight's arm apart. Black Star wasted no time, appearing behind the staggered knight in an instant, and sliced through the knight's waste in a single, clean cut. The enchanted sword had no trouble slicing through the armor, and the knight collapsed beside its comrade. It still struggled to raise itself, planting the blood-stained sword in the ground and managing to raise itself to a knee. The group watched warily, until Solaire interrupted it by walking calmly up to the wounded soldier. He raised his sword in a reverse grip, and rammed it through the knight's chest. Finally, it fell to the ground completely next to the other knight.
"Solaire!" Tsubaki re-emerged next to Black Star. She looked shocked. Kid and Maka hid their surprise better at their comrade slaying a defenseless opponent, but only by a small margin. Black Star looked oblivious to the issue. "He was defenseless!"
"He was not, Miss Tsubaki," Solaire answered gravely. "And if he was not, I would have done the same regardless."
"We could have gotten information from him," Kid pointed out. "There may be more of them inside the church."
"One does not interrogate a Knight of Gwyn," Solaire dismissed. "Come, we must find the bell."
"Wait, you mean the same Gwyn guy you mentioned?" Soul transformed back next to Maka. "They worked for him? Why were they attacking us?" Solaire sighed.
"When the chaos flame enveloped the land and the curse of undeath spread, Gwynn's knights followed him to the great Kiln. Or, they were supposed to have. I do not know what his knights were doing here, but a true knight of Gwynn would not have attacked us without cause. Whatever they were then, they are not now. Death was a kind sentence. Now, again, come, we must ring the bell."
"Liz, Patty, please stay in gun form," Kid requested. "I don't trust this church," he added, staring at the now open doorway.
"Of course, Kid."
"No problem!"
The group, with Solaire once again at the front, walked into the doorway, and found the church resembled a traditional church, with wooden pews lining the front area. The only thing out of place was the altar at the back. The chapel area as a whole reeked of neglect, with debris littering the floor and chipped paint visible on the walls. Solaire walked up to the altar and placed a hand on it, looking down. Kid suddenly whipped around and looked up behind them. The rest quickly followed suit. Up, on a balcony overlooking the chapel area was a man dressed in a heavy, black leather garb, with a strange, six-eyed mask. He was standing looking down at the group, a bronze trident in his hand.
"Huh-huh-huh," the strange man laughed in a deep, muffled voice.
"Who are you?" Kid demanded.
The man shook his head, and raised the trident with both hands up high. And then...
He danced. He kicked a leg up, hopping on the other, and began to alternate, all while holding the trident aloft. Eventually, he began to spin on the spot, still alternating leg kicks.
Maka couldn't help but giggle at the silliness of the affair.
"What… the hell is he doing?" Black Star asked, scratching his head.
"I admit, this is foreign to me," Solaire said. "As far to my knowledge, dancing was not a part of the worship of Fina."
"Should we… stop him?" Tsubaki asked, looking at her friends. "I mean, he didn't answer Kid, he might still be hostile… maybe?"
As if to answer her question, a faint shockwave suddenly blasted from the bizarre man on the balcony. He settled down, and planted the trident's base on the ground, looking down at the group.
"Huh-huh-huh."
Suddenly, Maka's soul perception lit up. She looked at Kid, who likewise looked alarmed. It was as though fifty or so people suddenly came into existence up in the balcony area. She looked around, and saw a staircase on the far wall that looked to head up to the second level.
"Kid, we should head them off at the stairs," she said. Kid nodded.
"Wait, what's going on?" Tsubaki asked, looking concerned at the alarm on her friend's faces.
"Get ready for another fight, we may just have one," Kid answered. "Everyone, the stairs. We can block them off there."
Not needed any more provocation, Soul and Tsubaki transformed back into weapon form, Tsubaki into her chain scythe. They hit the staircase just in time to hear a loud hissing from the second floor. A hollowed soldier stumbled around the top of the stairs, looking down at the group with an empty glare. A second, third, and fourth collided with him from behind.
"I will take front," Solaire said simply. He raised his shield and readied his sword. Kid fired off a barrage as the initial group rushed down the stairs, only to be replaced by more. Fortunately, the staircase was only wide enough for two to stand comfortably, and as more hollows piled into the stairway, they simply crashed impotently onto Solaire's shield, before being cut down by Maka slicing past Solaire's left flank with Soul's reach, while Black Star covered Solaire's right flank with quick, darting slices as hollows closed in. Eventually, the sheer mass of bodies began to obstruct the hollows from descending, rendering them easy pickings for Kid's accurate shots. Finally, the last hollowed soldier fell to a clean headshot and collapsed into the pile of bodies that had accumulated on the steps.
Black Star jumped up on the pile. "Come on, let's find that dancing idiot!" He boasted.
"No need," Kid said calmly. "He's coming to us."
Sure enough, the trident wielding man appeared at the top of the steps.
"Huh-huh-huh."
"Quit laughing!" Black Star raged at him. The man raised the trident with one hand. Without warning, a blue missile streaked out from it, straight at Black Star, who was caught off guard. The missile impacted and knocked him off the pile, landing him next to his friends.
"Black Star!" Tsubaki cried out as he tumbled down the last couple steps.
"Asshole!" Black Star grumbled out as he struggled back to his feet. Kid raised the twins up in his trademark style, ready to unleash a barrage. In a flash, however, Black Star was up and streaking at the man. The man's reaction speeds were slow even by normal human standards, and Black Star was behind him in an instant. He stabbed Tsubaki's point into his back, going right through the thick, but soft leather. With as much force as he could muster, Black Star rammed the blade forward, smashing the man face first into the floor. Black Star withdrew Tsubaki, and rammed the point back down again, straight into the back of the mask, causing a spurt of blood to hit him in the face. Black Star was breathing heavily, still looking furious. Tsubaki transformed back, landing next to him, and she put her arms around his shoulder and nestling her face into his neck.
"Black Star… are you okay?" She asked. "We should get that looked at, that attack looked bad."
"I don't need any help, alright Tsubaki?!" Black Star barked back. She recoiled slightly, looking almost lost.
"Black Star?"
"I-… I'm sorry," he said, his expression softening. He reached an arm around her waist and pulled her back. "Guy just pissed me off. I'll be fine, Tsubaki. Come on, I'm the next god, right?" he said, putting on a strained grin.
Tsubaki frowned for a moment, before allowing a smile. "Of course, Black Star," she reassured him. "I just… don't want to see you get too reckless. You should be more cautious." She said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Alright. I'll… try," Black Star said.
"You two done?" Soul asked drolly, having climbed over the small mountain of hollows. "We've got a bell to ring, right Solaire?" he added, looking back at the knight, who was climbing over next to Maka.
"Hah! I'm always ready to go!" Black Star boasted. "So where's this bell, anyways?"
Kid floated up next to them with Liz and Patty in tow, both back in human form, having used Beelzebub to avoid the potential of bloodstains ruining perfectly good shoes and pants.
"It's up on the church roof," Solaire, pointing a finger up at the ceiling. "I'm not entirely sure how to reach the top from here, but I know there's a way up."
"Great," Soul said. "Well, guess we get to explore."
Solaire took point once more as the group explored the second level of the church. There were a few pews strewn around this floor, but it seemed many had been smashed or fallen in disrepair. Eventually, they found a staircase which ascended to a third floor. The third floor did not have much actual floor space, instead wrapping around the edge of the church. Eventually, they found a doorway after navigating all the way around. Solaire opened it slowly, peeking through, hoping to avoid any more nasty surprises. However, it was, instead, a remarkably well kept, small room. Another staircase wrapped around the edge.
"Doesn't look like a way out of here," Maka commented, mentally following the staircase. It eventually plateaued on the far wall after curling around a few times.
"Oh? What's this? Someone new?" A smooth, slightly deep voice called out from up top. "Is someone there?"
The group looked at each other quizzically. "Uh, yeah, we're looking for the rooftop. I don't suppose you know how to get up there?"
"Actually… I don't suppose you could help me out up here?" Maka lead the group up the staircase, and found a wrought iron prison door. Inside was a man wearing dull, golden armor, including a helmet with a guard blocking all view of his face. "Ah, how nice. You all look sane. Please, let me out of here, if you would."
"What are you doing in there anyways?" Soul asked. "These maniacs took you prisoner?"
"Indeed, though I don't know for what purpose. Now, if you please, I have an important task I must complete, so, would you let me out?"
"He seems pretty normal to me," Maka pointed out. She looked at the door, which was secured by a rusty chain held together by padlock. "Looks like it needs a k-"
She was interrupted by Solaire, who simply brought his sword down on the chain and smashed the chain in two.
"Or, I suppose that works."
"My thanks," the man offered. "I am Knight Lautrec, servant of Fina. I will compensate you for my rescue, only later."
"Why don't you come with us?" Tsubaki offered. "We can always use more help, right guys?"
"Jolly cooperation indeed!" Solaire boasted offering a hand to Lautrec, who accepted it as he took to his feet.
"I am afraid I must complete my work first," Lautrec responded. "My goddess has given me a task of utmost importance, and I cannot forsake it."
"Well, what is it?" Black Star asked.
Lautrec paused for a moment. "I am tasked to destroy an abomination that has been housed in this blessed church. That is how I was captured. I was not aware that her church had completely fallen to madness. I must cleanse this place."
"We already defeated the hollows and knights," Kid pointed out. "We haven't found anything since we slew the madman with the trident."
"I see… I failed in that task, then," Lautrec responded, his head bowing slightly. "Still, I must cleanse my goddess' church of the abomination housed in it. Once I have finished that, I will aid you, for a time."
"What is this abomination?" Kid asked curiously.
"My goddess did inform me of much, only that it is a monstrous half-breed, whose power and presence defiles the gods." He responded.
"Your goddess," Kid began with a raised eyebrow. "She told you to do this?"
"Naturally, as her most dedicated servant, she has begun contacting me when she has need of my skills. Which reminds me…" Lautrec scanned the plateau, then peered over the edge down the stairs. "Ah, excellent, they kept my tools close at hand." He stepped down the stairs with a smooth, easy kind of purpose. He stopped at a crate, and lifted out a shining, straight dagger, and a long, curved shotel.
"Your tools?" Maka asked from behind, raising an eyebrow.
"We all have skills," Lautrec responded, admiring his weapons. "To hone and enhance our skills, we utilize tools. Now, if you excuse me, I must attend to my task." Lautrec began to walk out the door.
"This guy got captured by the knights, and he's going after an abomination?" Soul muttered. "Guy's going to get himself killed." Maka looked disapprovingly at him, but knew he was probably right.
"Wait, Lautrec!"
Lautrec paused, still not turning around. "Let us help!"
"I tend to work best alone," Lautrec responded. "Besides, I am sure you have your own task, do you not?"
Maka looked to Solaire. "Bah, the bell can wait just a little bit longer, if this abomination is indeed, housed in the church. He is correct, as well; affronts to the gods should generally not be permitted to exist."
"Yeah, besides, how'd working alone go for you last time?" Soul pointed out. Lautrec's head twitched slightly.
"Very well, if you insist. I will not count this towards my debt, however. If you wish to help, follow me. The abomination is housed in the basement."
"You sure about helping this guy?" Black Star whispered to the group as they followed Lautrec back into the main chapel area. "He seems weird."
"Black Star!" Tsubaki admonished him. "He's been held prisoner here for who knows how long! Besides, he's the closest thing we've found to a friendly person since Solaire!" Solaire stood at attention as they were going down the last staircase, visibly puffing his chest at the recognition of his friendliness.
"Besides, Black Star, he promised to help us after we get this sorted out," Maka pointed out. "And any help is a good thing at this point."
"Here it is," Lautrec gestured to a wooden door tucked away in the corner of the chapel. He opened the door. It was very poorly lit inside, the only light from scarce torches on the wall.
"Care," he said simply. "Keep to the wall, I believe this circles around."
Maka crept up right behind Soul and grabbed his hand. "Make sure we don't get separated and slip," she said. Soul looked back to her, and he could tell her smile said a bit more. Her smile vanished into irritation when Solaire put an iron grip on her other hand from behind.
"An excellent suggestion, Miss Maka!" He said, practically glowing.
Slowly, the group shuffled safely down the stairwell, until finding solid footing at the bottom. The lighting down here was slightly better. The basement was relatively bare, a large cavernous tomb. The one remarkable feature was at the far end. A massive painting was hung on the wall, depicting a frozen gorge, traversed by an old, wooden bridge.
"You sure there's something here?" Soul asked Lautrec, who was walking slowly around.
"Of course. The goddess has never been wrong." Lautrec responded. "Hmm…"
"Ah, of course," he said, a smirk practically audible in his voice. "If you wish to help me, come." He said, looking back for the first time. "Ah, excellent, you've already begun linking yourselves," He said, observing Maka and Soul. "The rest of you link up, come."
"What the hell's going on?" Soul muttered as he and Maka took lead behind Lautrec. Lautrec seized Soul's other hand.
"A simple illusion," Lautrec boasted. "The abomination lays in wait," he said, gesturing to the painting with his free hand.
"It's… in the painting?" Maka asked.
"Yes. A false world created to hide the abomination from divine judgment. They made a mistake relocating it here," he said confidently. "Now, are you all chained?"
A collection of nodded heads, gave him confirmation. "Very well. I do not know exactly what awaits us. You will wish to hold tight, to prevent us from being separated."
With that, Lautrec walked slowly up and touched a hand to the painting. A ripple appeared across the surface. Suddenly, a number of twitching, grasping arms reached out and grabbed both Lautrec and Soul, who were closest, and yanked them back with tremendous force. Everything became pitch black as they were all pulled into the painted world.
A/N: And you thought I was going to drop a dragon on them. :D Anyways, I felt like the hellkite was a thoroughly optional boss with no real relevance to the plot. I'd personally go so far as to say it felt ill-fitting having it in Dark Souls, given that everyone's supposed to think the dragons are extinct. And this sucker's going to be long enough as is. So yeah, it got cut out, sorry if you were looking forward to it.
Anyways, we're starting to reach a point where I'm altering the dark souls plotline a bit, if you didn't notice. Next chapter will go further with this. It will hopefully be finished within the next week. As always, comments and critiques are welcome. Oh, and I don't own Soul Eater, Dark Souls, or much of anything in general. So please don't sue me, you won't get jack anyways,