Cinder 1: Escape
The Undead Asylum is the most secure of prisons, filled to the brim with those bearing the Darksign, situated at the top of the highest peak in the Badlands, and guarded by demons, of all things.
And it was here, in this Goddesses-forsaken place, that I was imprisoned.
It had been easy for the elders; all they had to was sit back and tell me that 'it was for the greater good,' and, 'everypony will be safer this way.' They weren't forcefully escorted through the harshest desert in Equestria. They weren't thrown in the farthest cell in the back. They weren't denied food or water! They weren't made to spend years trapped in a grey room with nothing but a useless sword and some dusty rags to keep them company! They weren't-
*Thud*
At the sudden noise, my body suddenly decided to give flying a try, only to realize that it didn't have wings. Soon I hit the ground with a thud as well, and was instantly thankful that nopony was around to see that. Regaining my bearings after my brief departure from the floor, I looked around my cell. I instantaneously realized that my cell was not usually decorated with the corpse of a hollow. As I moved to inspect it, I heard a mare's voice.
"He has the key. The choice is yours."
At the sudden noise, I once more temporarily became a pegasus, and once more I was swiftly reunited with the ground. Looking up, I saw the source of the noise, and was even more startled (I didn't jump this time, I swear) to find that there were not one, but two non-hollow ponies looking down at me through a hole in the ceiling. A hole which, to my knowledge, had been covered by a grate until very recently. One of the ponies was crouched with their head looking straight down through the new hole, while the other stood a bit behind them. Both were unicorns, and both were fully armored.
The knight at the ledge turned to face their companion.
"Do you really have to be so cryptic all the time?" From his voice, it was clear that ledge-knight was a stallion. Which means...
"I'm sorry, Shield. Would you like me to say that again with a long-winded explanation on all the mechanics of how keys work? Or would you rather I leave that task to you? It is your special talent, after all." Yes, this was most definitely the mare who spoke earlier. Her voice held an air of wisdom... and sass.
"How many times do I have to tell you," Began Shield. "It's storytelling, not long-winded speeches! Besides, what if she didn't understand who the 'he' you're talking about is, or what the 'choice' is?"
"Oh come now, Shield. A foal could figure that out." Well, my mom did always say I was a slow learner... but first thing's first.
"Who... who are you?" My voice was rough in my throat, as though each word were a mouthful of sand. This might have been because I hadn't had food or water in a while; this might also have to do with the insomnia I had suffered while incarcerated. More than likely, however, it was due to the fact that my body had already began undergoing the process of hollowing. That is, physically deteriorating until I looked like some sort of zombie pony. Not to be confused with going hollow, the process of slowly going bat-shit insane.
Shield and his companion turned to me with somewhat shocked expressions. It was the mare who spoke.
"You're still here? Shouldn't you be escaping?" At that, Shield let out a small chuckle, and turned to look at the mare.
"I told you she might not understand." Turning back to me, he continued, "So, in answer to your question, we are, or perhaps were, knights of Baltimare. We're also undead, like you." I might have rolled my eyes or brought my hoof to my face had he said anything more obvious. I think I cleared my throat a bit before reiterating my question, but it was hard to tell because of how dry it felt.
"Undead in the Undead Asylum? Shocker. Now really, who are you? As in, what are your names?" The knight scratched his head at that, or at least attempted to. Armor and whatnot.
"Oh, our names? Of course that's what you meant... Well, I'm-" He was cut off by his partner jabbing him sharply in the side with her hoof. Despite his armor, he still seemed to recoil a bit.
"Shield, we discussed this."
"What? Oh, right. Sorry, miss, but we can't tell you our names quite yet. All you need to know is that we're here to help." The mare nodded at Shield's words.
"Right. As he says. That dead hollow in the center of your cell? We tossed him down there. As I said, he has he key. Do what you want with it." As she finished, she turned to the stallion.
"Time to go, Shield." He nodded slightly, and they got up and walked away.
I reached toward the opening they had been at with my hoof, as though I could somehow reach them, and get them to come back. Quickly realizing how silly this was, I set my sights on the corpse that now shared a cell with me. After a quick search, I found that there was indeed a key. And after a few steps and a quick twist of the key in the lock, I found that the key was, in fact, the key to my cell.
A quick glance outside revealed that a few hollowed ponies were roaming the halls. While it looked like they were all wrapped up in their own personal despair, I drew my sword with my magic, just to be safe. My incredibly dull, and horribly worn-out sword. The sword that I had been allowed to keep only because it had been deemed to be in such a state of disrepair that it could never possibly help me escape.
Really, the most interesting thing about the hunk of metal was the ruby set in its hilt. That, and the fact that it was all that stood between me and whatever horrible monsters might be guarding this prison. Which, as I neared the end of the hallway, turned out to be more hollows who didn't seem to notice I even existed. Which was a bit of a let-down, as I was expecting demons.
At the end of the hall stood a ladder, which I quickly climbed to the top of. This led to a small courtyard, containing a small pile of bones with an immovable sword sticking out the top. A bonfire, from what I understand. Nopony seems to know much about them, but they serve as a place for weary undead to rest, a temporary home, so to speak.
I trotted up to the bonfire and held out my hoof, at which point it promptly lit itself. As I was a little tired from exerting myself after having not used any of my muscles for at least several months, I decided to take a breather, and sat down in front of the flame. As I sat there, I began to drift off to sleep. And sleep I did.
I was awakened by a large crashing sound and a scream. Normally I wouldn't question it, as the Asylum was, while sturdy, a very old building, and the undead imprisoned here weren't exactly given the VIP treatment. But considering how close it was, it seemed like as a good a signal as any to get moving. As I got up and stretched, I realized that I hadn't felt so rested in a long while, yet I couldn't have been asleep for more than a few minutes, as it was still bright out.
Deciding that there was no use in pondering this mystery any further for now, I readjusted my equipment, making sure I was fully prepared for anything that might come at me. I was still wearing the tattered remains of my robes, and I still had my blunt instrument of a sword. With that settled, I took a quick trot around the courtyard to get a handle on my surroundings - which, come to think of it, should've been the first thing I did - and found that, besides the one I came in through, there were two doors leading elsewhere.
On the far side of the courtyard was a small barred steel door, not unlike the door to the cell I had inhabited up until around several minutes ago. After thoroughly checking this door, I determined that it was completely unopenable from this side. After acknowledging that there was no further use in examining it, I turned my attention to the other door, or doors, as the case may be.
They were a giant pair of thick wooden double doors. These doors were three times as wide and five times as tall as the most heavy-set pony I'd ever seen, and had a short flight of steps leading up to them. Honestly, the only reason I didn't check them first was because they were overly intimidating for what they were.
Realizing just how silly it was to stand around being scared of a pair of doors, I cantered up to them and gave them an experimental push. To my relief, they opened, revealing... another courtyard.
To be fair, this one was quite a bit larger, and somehow more ominous. Perhaps it was the pillars lining each side, or perhaps it was the other set of giant double doors on the opposite side of the courtyard. Ever so slowly, I trotted towards the center of the courtyard, unable to shake the feeling that something was about to go wrong...
Which was entirely justified, given that not five seconds later, a huge hideous beast landed in front of me. The abomination resembled a pony in that it was a quadruped, and that was about as far as the similarities went. It's head was a mess of horns and fangs, it covered in scales, and it had two tiny wings, which were likely almost useless due to how horribly bloated the creature was.
On top of all that, it had a giant club that looked more like a tree trunk carved into a weapon then a weapon made from wood. I may as well have been a fly this thing was preparing to swat for how big that club was.
I was not prepared at all when it came at me.
One minute, I was taking in the sheer horror of what lay before me; the next, I was prancing around like an idiot trying to dodge its swings and parry its attacks. I soon learned that parrying its attacks was a bad idea, as I was now belly up, with the creature making to deliver its finishing blow. As I tossed my head back in acceptance, I realized I was a colossal moron. Right there, to the left of where I entered, was another door. And it was completely open. As I attempted to scramble to my hooves so I could reach it, the beast's club slammed down upon me.
First I heard my ribs cracking.
Next I felt them as they dug into my innards.
Then my vision turned red.
Then black.
And I died.
Cinder 2: Rosette
Death is an... odd experience for an undead. When most ponies die, they're just dead, and that's the end of it. But when an undead dies, it's a bit more... involved.
At the very least, that's the way it felt when I woke up at the bonfire with my body almost completely intact. I rose to my hooves and instinctively stretched. I felt well rested... which was odd, as I remembered with great clarity that I had just died quite horribly. Looking down, I saw that I was indeed completely intact, aside from the fact that I now looked a little more like a zombie-pony than I was comfortable with. Looking up from my tattered frame, I noticed something else peculiar. It seemed as though almost no time had passed between when I had died and now.
Deciding to file away these new mysteries for later, I turned to face the now ajar double doors and climbed the steps until I stood before them. I could see that demon in there at the other end of the courtyard, looking all smug. At least, I think he looked smug. And I think it was a he. It's kind of hard to tell with demons. I pushed the doors farther apart, and then prepped myself. After a few seconds of stretching, I began galloping. I made a mad dash for the door on the left, weaving between pillars, dodging swings of the demon's club, and smashing through several precariously placed pots.
While it was probably only a few seconds, it felt like eons had passed before I reached the doorway. I quickly dove through it, and a gate slammed shut behind me, locking me out of the courtyard. It was just as well, as I didn't particularly feel like trying my hoof at demon slaying again any time soon. I trotted down the stairs before me, and soon came to a room inhabited by another apathetic hollow and, to my great relief, another bonfire.
Not only did I feel terribly drained from my tactical retreat, but if my previous experience with death was real, then I'd need to rest here to prevent myself from having to deal with tall dark and ugly again. And after spending a few minutes doing just that, I felt refreshed enough to move forward again. Seeing as the only other path open to me looked to lead into another hallway, I started walking.
I had barely walked two feet forward when I was hit square in the shoulder by an arrow. I quickly dove for cover in an alcove to my left, and then peeked around the corner. Squinting, I could just make out the figure of a hollow aiming at my position with a shortbow. I quickly pulled my head back in as an arrow whizzed right past it. As I sat there, mulling over what to do next, I took a glance at the alcove I had decided to dodge into. If the grey walls and the emptiness were anything to go by, I was in another cell. That explained why that archer hadn't come after me; I was pinned, and all he had to do was bide his time until I came out again.
As I took in the dullness of the cell, I noticed a subtle bit of contrast. This contrast came in the form of a corpse with several arrows sticking out of it. After a quick examination of the corpse, it was clear that I wasn't the first victim of the hollow archer outside.
The corpse was unidentifiable. A combination of hollowing and time had seen to that. Even the tattered remains it wore could barely be recognized as armor. The one thing that remained in usable condition was the leather shield it had carried. Ignoring the pain still flaring in my shoulder, I took the shield up in my magic, and resolved to take out the archer. I may not have been his first victim, but I could make sure I was the last.
With shield held aloft, I strode out into the hallway, and pressed onward even as the archer resumed his volley. As I neared his end of the hallway, I noticed something glinting in the shadows. Continuing my advance, I only stopped when the archer turned to retreat. As he did so, I took the sword up in my magic and launched it at his back. Satisfied with the squelch of the sword impaling its target and the accompanying thunk, I went to confirm my kill, giving a sidelong glance at the corner as I did so. There, nestled in the shadows, was the body of what must have been yet another of the archer's victims. As I took his scabbard and put it on, I hoped that he knew his sacrifice wasn't in vain, and gave a silent prayer to the Allmother that his soul had found peace.
As I rounded the corner, the adrenaline from being immersed in battle wore off, and the pain throbbing in my shoulder increased dramatically, reminding me that it had an arrow lodged in it. Doing my best to ignore it, I walked to the body of the archer, and was pleased to see that the villainous marksman lay limp on the stone floor. As I retrieved and sheathed my new sword, I momentarily saw what looked like a silver light flickering out of the corpse. As soon as it subsided, I began to feel more powerful somehow, almost as if I had drawn some sort of energy from taking the hollow's life.
Seeing as there was no way to solve this mystery, I just added it to the pile of things to look into once I escaped, and continued down the hall. At the end of it was another set of stairs.
I climbed the stairs, and came to a balcony overlooking the bonfire courtyard. There were two paths away from the balcony, one going left, and one going right. Naturally, I decided to take the left path, because everypony knows that you escape mazes by continuously going left.
Unfortunately, it was a dead end. There were stairs, but they were far too broken to climb. As I turned to leave the seemingly pointless left hallway, something caught my eye. There was something shining at the top of the broken stairs, next to what appeared to be a locked door. Looking closely, I could see it was another corpse. Though its features were hard to make out, I could see that it was a unicorn, and the glint was coming off its horn. Using my magic, I carefully removed the shining thing and brought it to me.
It was a ring, old and rusted, and there was something resembling a sigil carved into the rust. As I was certain that the dead unicorn must have been wearing it for a reason, I put it on, and I silently thanked the Allmother that I was a unicorn and not an earth pony. Really, how silly would it be if I had to go all the way around the prison to unlock a door just for a ring?
Leaving the dead end, I returned to the crossroads I had come to previously and went right. This brought me to another crossroads; two sets of stairs, with one on the left going up, and the other on the right going down. Seeing as left had worked before, I went up...
And was almost immediately launched backwards by the giant steel ball that rolled down the stairs. After being launched through the wall behind me along with the ball, I could barely move. On top of all the bones the ball had likely shattered into fine powder, it had pushed the arrow in my shoulder deeper in and broken the shaft. It was almost painful to breathe, and I probably wasn't moving anytime soon.
So it came as an immense relief when a figure clad in familiar armor entered my vision. She wasn't wearing her helmet, so it was easy to distinguish which of the knights she was. But as my vision grew foggier, it became hard to focus, so I couldn't make out any details about her face.
"Open your mouth," commanded the mare. Too addled by my wounds to argue, I complied, and was rewarded with a flask being pressed to my muzzle. I greedily gulped down the liquid that poured from the flask, and as I did so, I felt my insides rearranging themselves, all pushing themselves back into their proper places. It was a strange feeling, both sickening and comforting at the same time. Sickening because I could feel everything shifting back into place, and because I could feel anything that didn't belong in my body pushing itself out. Comforting because I felt as good as new when it was done. It reminded me heavily of the feeling I had after resting at a bonfire for a few minutes.
Soon I found that I was able to move unhindered, and took the opportunity to stand and get a better look at the mare who had saved me yet again. She had a white coat, and flowing pink mane that couldn't possibly all fit into her helmet. Her blue eyes were giving me a piercing glare, but it was an act. Even as I watched her, she was wiping at the remnants of tears with her hoof. Not wanting to sit in silence, I spoke first.
"So, that's twice you've saved me now. I'd like to return the favor somehow, but all I can give is my thanks." The mare nodded sullenly, and then we just sat in silence for a while. After several minutes of this, the mare responded.
"Well, what about your name?" She asked. "Surely you can tell me whom it is that I've saved?"
"I can, just so long as you don't call me Shirley." That got a faint chuckle out of her. Satisfied to have brightened her mood a bit, I continued, "I'm Fleeting Ember of the Hayseed Swamps. A pleasure to meet you. Now, if you'd be so kind as to return the favor?"
"Fair enough," Responded the mare. "It's not as if there's much point hiding my name anymore. I'm Rosette of Baltimare. And if you don't mind, Miss Ember, I'd like to come with you."
"Why would you want to come with me?" I asked.
"Well, I've never traveled alone, and I don't plan on starting now."
"But what about that stallion you were with earlier? Shield, right? What about him?"
She turned her head towards the corner, a pained expression going across her face. "Shield is... indisposed."
"Indisposed? Where is he that he can't come with us?"
"Over there," She said, motioning to the far corner of the room.
I gave her a questioning look before turning and trotting over to him. He didn't have his helmet on either, and so I could see his blue coat and silver mane. He appeared to be sleeping. As I looked him over, I still had to wonder, what was wrong with him that he couldn't...
Oh.
Oh no.
No wonder Rosette was crying. Shield was dead. It was evident from the blood leaking from his mouth, the dents in his armor, and the general stillness of his body. And I felt like such an idiot for not catching on to it sooner.
As I sat there, looking at the body of one of my liberators, I asked the other one what had to be the hardest thing I could have asked her.
"How did this happen?"
She didn't respond right away, and when she did, her voice wavered ever so slightly. "We were on the roof, making for the exit, and a demon appeared. It came at us from out of nowhere. It tried to crush me with its club. Shield pushed me out of the way, and he got smashed through the roof." She turned to me, her eyes glistening with what may have been tears. "But it doesn't matter now. He would want us to keep moving... to escape."
I nodded in response while I thought on what I had just heard. I had been piecing it together as she spoke; the crashing, the scream, the demon falling from above. It all made sense. Certain of the connections, I voiced my... plan, for lack of a better word.
"Well then, we'll do just that. But first, it might give you some solace to know that we'll have to get past that demon to do so, Meaning that no matter what, you'll get to avenge Shield."
Her expression seemed to change at the words, though the change was so slight I couldn't tell how. She herself couldn't seem to tell, as it took her a minute to respond. "That's good to hear. But what of Shield? We can't just leave him here. He deserves more than that."
Remembering the balcony from earlier and the stairs leading down that I hadn't taken, a hunch formed in my head. "Don't worry," I said, "We won't."
My hunch had been correct; the stairs that lead down came to a stop at the locked door I had seen in the bonfire courtyard, and it unlocked from the side we were on. After unlocking the door, we had taken Shield's body down and buried it in a shaded corner of the courtyard. Rosette even made a marker for his grave, carved with his full name, 'Glass Shield'. After we paid our respects, it seemed that night had finally encroached upon us, and so we decided to rest by the bonfire for the night.
As we were getting settled, we started to talk. As we talked, the conversation eventually came to her asking about my old sword. "Whatever happened to that sword you had on you? You know, the one with the gem in it?"
"Oh, that?" I replied, giving a chuckles as I did so. "The steel ball that hit me is sharper than that sword. It's completely useless."
"Them why do you carry it around with you?" Rosette asked.
"Because it has sentimental value. My father gave it to me, and he got it from his father. Allmother knows where he got it from..."
"So... it's completely useless?"
"I'd have an easier time stabbing my enemies with Bread."
"Well don't I feel silly... wait, bread?"
"Yes, Bread. I've done it before. It works. Now, why do you feel silly?"
"Well," She began, "That sword is one of the main reasons we rescued you. We figured that if you could defend yourself, it would make it easier on us, since we could escape separately."
"Well that seems reasonable. Now, you said 'one of'. What were the other reasons?"
"Let's see... unlike most of the other prisoners, you were wearing more than just rags. Your cell was also one of the easiest to get open from outside... and... well, you were the only one left that hadn't gone hollow."
"So... all the other prisoners... they're all...?"
"Mhmm. Nobody else. We looked very hard to make sure we didn't miss anyone."
"Well," I stated, "that explains why this place is so empty, at least."
There was silence for a while. Eventually, I got tired of the silence, and decided to ask a question of my own.
"So, what was that stuff you made me drink earlier? I've never heard of anything like it, and I've certainly never drank anything like it."
"It's called Estus. I'm not quite sure what it actually is, but it's more or less concentrated healing magic."
"If it's concentrated healing magic, how did you get it in a flask?" I asked.
"I don't know that either. The flasks just sort of fill themselves whenever I visit a bonfire. Here, I'll give you some." She levitated a few of the flasks of orange liquid over to me from her saddlebags as she continued speaking. "You're going to need it if we're really going to fight that demon tomorrow."
As I stowed the flasks into my bags, another question popped into my head, which I immediately blurted out without any thought into whether it would be a good idea to ask. "If Estus is concentrated healing magic, why didn't you give Shield some?"
A morose look crossed Rosette's face, and she answered, "You can't fix dead, Ember."
"Well, why didn't he revive at a bonfire then?"
With a sigh, Rosette looked towards the flickering flames. "Because as much as it pains me to say it, I think he had already accepted his death. I think he decided he was done, and that was that. I wish I knew what he was thinking..."
Seeing as Rosette was getting all mopey again, I decided to change the subject. "He was a storyteller, right?"
With a hint of mirth returning to her face, she responded, "Yes, yes he was. And a very good one, at that. I suppose you're asking because you want me to tell you one of his stories?"
I nodded, and she gave a soft chuckle before continuing.
"Alright, then. This one was one of his favorites. There was a young pony, trapped in a prison, much like the one we're in right now. Now, this pony didn't understand why she was in this prison, so of course, she tried to escape. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find a way out. But then, one day, she made a friend. When her and her new friend worked together to escape, they made it out in no time. Nopony knows where they are now, but it's said that they went to the land of the princesses, and that they live there happily to this day."
I tried very hard not too, but I couldn't contain myself, and let out a snicker at the story.
"What?" She asked, "You didn't like the story?"
"No," I replied, still snickering. "It's not that. It's just... it's so cheesy!"
"Well I liked it. But... I guess Shield told it better than I do."
"Yeah, maybe. But's it's only your first time telling it, right? You'll get better."
"I suppose so."
After we finished our chat, we both laid down on either side of the bonfire and attempted to get some sleep. Before we could get any, however, Rosette spoke up once more.
"Say, Ember?"
"Yeah?"
"Promise me you me you won't die tomorrow, okay?"
"Don't worry, I won't."
"I said promise."
"Okay. I promise I won't die tomorrow."
After that short exchange, we went back to trying to drift off to sleep, and eventually we did. And it was then that I had the first dream.
Cinder 3: Gloaming~
I stood in front of an ornate gateway that led into a large, brightly lit chamber. The gateway stood as large golden arch set into gleaming copper walls, all sloping gently inward as they went up. It seemed likely that this place was built to house whatever was in that chamber, and almost as if by instinct, I walked inwards, towards the light.
I couldn't really say what I expected, but it hadn't been what I found. There was a fire pit in the center of the chamber, larger and more ornate than any I'd seen. I could just barely make out something that looked not unlike a bonfire within the depths of the flames. But it wasn't this overly large yet somehow contained flame that truly drew my attention; no, that honor went to the being standing next to it.
She was taller than any pony I'd seen, though she almost certainly was a pony. She held a regal air about her, and it came from more than just the fact she had both wings and a horn, which was remarkable enough by itself. This pony had a crown and an immense blade, and both seemed to serve as a symbol of her station more than anything else. I doubted she would need either if she wanted to do me harm.
It was quite clear that this was an Alicorn, and a Princess at that. It was difficult to tell which Princess, seeing as the bright orange of the flame threw everything into steep contrast, making it impossible to tell what color her coat or mane were, but it was certainly a princess.
But as unexpected as she was to me, her expression told me that she had been even less prepared for me. It seemed we had just stood there staring at each other for several minutes before either of us spoke, and when the silence was finally broken, it was by the Princess before me.
"A phantom? How? How are you doing that? Never mind that, who are you?" Her questions seemed odd to me; what was this phantom nonsense she was going on about? I didn't feel like a spook. I felt just like I normally did. Raising a hoof to my face to make certain it didn't pass right through me, I noticed I had a ghastly white glow surrounding my body, somehow drowning out my own colors without radiating light. It didn't end at my body; my armor as well seemed to be enveloped in the strange light. It was almost as if...
Oh, right. I'm still dreaming. Silly me.
Further confused by my self examination, the Alicorn who I was now certain to be a figment of my imagination reiterated her question in a somewhat more authoritative tone. "I ask again, who are you? I would know the name of you who so boldly appears before her Princess as an apparition. Fail to answer, and I shall see to it my knights make you do so, using however much force they please."
A bit shaken by the idea of royal guards interrogating me with 'however much force they please', I momentarily forgot that she was likely a figment of my mind and gave her an answer straight away, standing up as straight as I could while doing so. "Fleeting Ember, Your Highness."
"And tell me, Miss Ember," she continued, "What is your purpose here? Why is it that you appear before me in such a strange state?"
Still vaguely scared of what her guards might do, I responded as honestly as I could. "I'm not sure, Your Highness. I don't even know where I am, or who you are."
The Princess looked taken aback by my response, but regained her composure quite quickly. "You don't know either the name of your Princess or of the place in which you stand, hmm? Interesting... well then, allow me to give you time to ponder it. Perhaps you'll have an answer if you somehow manage to come back."
Before I could say anything, her horn was surrounded by the glow of her magic, and everything went dark.
~
The first thing I heard thing I heard upon awakening was the sound of combat coming from the larger courtyard. After a small yawn and a bit of stretching, I took a quick look around to find that Rosette was already awake, and was peering around the great doors that separated the courtyards. I was about to ask why, when I heard it; the sound of combat, echoing through the empty courtyards.
My own curiosity piqued, I moved to the other door as quickly and quietly as I could manage, and took a peek around the edge.
I wasn't as prepared for what I saw as I thought I'd be. I'd thought that the demon would be fighting against a few hollows, and though it was unlikely, I had held onto some hope that maybe, just maybe, Rosette had been wrong about the number of sane prisoners left. And regardless of which it was, I knew that that the demon would have to be winning against them.
So when I saw a pair of knights in twisted black armor not only holding their own against the demon, but actually winning, I was at once relieved and terrified. I'd figured Rosette and I could probably take down the demon with some difficulty, but the knights seemed almost unfazed by the beast. Each blow from its club bounced uselessly off their shields, and each swing of their swords left a visible scar on its hide. With an almost inequine level of skill and grace, the knights had managed to do to the demon what it had done to me. As they struck the final blow, the thing let out an otherworldly screech, and for a moment, I could have sworn the floor shook beneath us.
As the massive corpse hit the ground, I once again saw light at the edges of my vision, though this was somewhat brighter than the light I had seen upon defeating the archer, and the invigoration it gave was more pronounced. There was also a strange tinge of darkness to it, though that somehow only made it shine brighter.
Apparently I wasn't the only one to see it, as both Rosette and the knights almost immediately turned towards me.
"Ember," Rosette began, "What did you do?"
"I... I don't know." I was just as confused as she was, though likely for different reasons. Was that light show not normal? As I started pondering some of the mysteries that had accumulated around me, one of the knights in black started trotting towards us.
As they did so, an ever so slightly panicked expression crossed Rosette's face. "We should really move, Ember."
"That's silly. I'm sure they're perfectly nice ponies. Here, watch." I turned away from Rosette and walked towards the approaching knight. We both stopped as we came near. After a brief silence, I realized that I'd probably have to speak first if I was going to get anywhere with this pony.
"Hello. It's nice to meet you," I paused to let the knight speak. After what seemed like a few minutes of no response, I continued. "My name is Fleeting Ember. What's yours?"
Another pause. "Um... okay. Well-" At that moment, I was quite literally cut short as the knight lopped my head off. After a brief glimpse of my own headless body, I died. Again.