As it happened in Lordran, the Darksign would not be cheated. Orion was about to realize the worst was almost upon them.

"Now, where do we begin?" Celestia asked as they were sitting on cushions, chatting as Spike was preparing tea.

"The monster, we will start there." Orion took his turn to speak.

Quelagg, guardian of the Blighttown Bell of Awakening. She was indeed, a powerful being, but she could fall and be defeated as long as an undead held the will.

"Yes, who or what was that beast?" Rarity asked, shivering as she remembered the fire spider.

"That used to be Quelagg. Her soul tells me of her story." Orion spoke and dug through his pouch, pulling out her soul,"She was a daughter of the Witch Izalith. She fused herself with a terrible spider demon to survive and protect her sister, Quelanna."

"How could such a huge varmint have all that?" Applejack asked, curious as can be.

"We, the Undead and Hollows, used to have a life. We had our parents, our spouses, our family, our friends, our hobbies, and our duties. All of that was ripped away from us when we were branded..." Orion spoke.

"The darksign, how horrible." Fluttershy spoke.

"I do not expect any of thee to truly grasp the despair we go through as we try to link the fires and cast away the Darksign. For all of thee, picture that all of thine things are lost...and thou can't even remember who thy friends are, if thou even had any, where thy homeland is, who thou parents are...I lost a lot of my memories, I can only recall one of my many trainers, but his name evades me." Orion spoke.

"We believe we've been over this." Luna spoke up.

"Of course, but with a white light gate, an invader, and a few hollows, that can only mean one scenario is happening..." A fog of despair thickened around the group as Spike walked in and served tea.

"Little dragon, head to thy room, your ears shant be allowed to hear this." The knight spoke, gulping down tea.

"It's probably something I don't wanna hear anyways..." Spike commented and headed upstairs with a small sigh. He did have respect for Orion after showing his strength and respect to the dragon, not to mention the saving of Rarity.

"The Darksign...don't tell me it is coming." Twilight dreaded.

Orion nodded his head, checking thriugh his pouch before pulling out a small black sprite.

"Yes, I hope that this humanity will not find any envy or desire from any of thee. Let me know if thou have a deep desire for it." He instructed and set the humanity on the table.

The ponies each grabbed for it, holding it one by one. Faces of confusion were on almost all of them...almost all.

"I want it..." Applejack spoke as she passed it to Luna. The orange pony farmer hung her head down.

"Do not lose hope. Thou will join me on the journey." Orion tried to lighten the mood as he dug through his pouches again.

"No...I hunger for it as well...it feels like there's an empty spot for something in me." Twilight stated and hung her head as well.

Orion pulled out many items from his pouch, many too large to fit.

"How does thy pouch holdest all of thy instruments?" Luna asked, bewildered like the others that weren't depressed by the news.

"I really have no idea, I've pondered it and wised to the gods holding them." Orion spoke as he revealed many items away from the main pile.

"Twilight, Applejack, lift thy heads and see thine new armory." The knight called, passing a long metal catalyst towards Twilight along with many scrolls. Orion passed a lot of weaponry towards Applejack, giving her his old tower shield, a silver colored shield with the design of grass on it, a simple broadsword and a long pike.

Both ponies lifted their heads, tears welled up in their eyes.

"Look upon thy new friends, these pieces of fine craftmanship will protect thou will thou will need help." Orion spoke.

Twilight brightened up, looking at the scrolls, reading their names and comprehending each one. She picked them up and studied them with the utmost enthusiasm.

Applejack picked up each of the weapons and shields, carefully handling them. She couldn't figure out how to hold them.

"This is amazing! What kind of magic is this?" Twilight shouted as she walked about with a blue glow around her feet, not making a sound.

"Soul sorcery, from Lordran. Those spells are very powerful. Do not take the responsibility lightly." Orion said, an emotion of wonder under his helm, he wondered just how she learned them so fast.

"How do ah hold this confounded thing?" Applejack asked, fumbling with the broadsword.

"I failed to remember thou didn't have fingers."

"I can give you fake fingers, it'll take a while to get used to them, but I can." Twilight said as she held the catalyst in her magic levitational field. Orion slid a dagger over to her before packing his equipment away.

"Alrighty then, I'm countin' on ya, Twi."Applejack spoke as she stood in her hind hooves akwardly and barely held the grass crest shield in her left hoof and the broadsword in her right hoof.

"Do all of thee know what this means?" Orion asked.

"Yes..." All of the present ponies spoke in unison.

"But what of Spike?" Twilight asked.

Orion stood and grabbed a longsword he left on the table, he walked to the middle of the room.

"The little dragon has a great duty."

The knight stabbed it into the library floor, placing firewood from a stack in the room around it.

"He will tend to these flames forever, helping those branded with the Darksign along the way, pointing them in the right direction. His journey will end when the flames are linked." Orion held his hand out to the odd fireplace.

"What are you doing, Orion?" Celestia questioned.

The flames ignited, but weren't burning into the library. The knight rested down at it and kindled the flames many many times, the fire now towering over all, barely tickling the roof.

"These bonfires are our homes...our hope..." Orion spoke, "As I was told a long time ago...'That which looks like hope in the distance will only lead to despair...those who seek despair will find many souls'."

"How do we link the fires?" Twilight asked as she walked over to the bonfire.

"First we must get the Lordvessel, which will require us to ring two bells...the Bells of Awakening...I think I may know where lordran is appearing with the undead burg and purgatory." The knight rose from the bonfire,"The first, uphigh will be in an ancient church that stands above a thick forest and near a great stronghold that remains locked."

He looked out the window towards a grey stone structure in the Everfree, where a castle of Equestria once stood.

"The undead church, first stop..." Orion spoke as a form from white soul clumps formed at the bonfire.

The undead sports a shiny medaled cuirass, odd leggings, and a helm of two antlers and a abnormal mask. A huge bag was over his shoulder as he sat, his hands on his knees.

"This wasn't the bonfire....what happened when I died for the forty-second time?" The undead said and looked at the knight,"Oh, Orion. What a pleasure to see you again."

"Domnhall, is that thou?" The knight questioned.

"Indeed, I have much more merchandise for sale, if you have the souls." The undead peddler spoke.

"If thou ever find something that fits these two ponies, then please inform me." Orion said, patting the merchant on the shoulder and handing him a piece of humanity.

"Thank you, kind knight. May the gods bless your journey with riches. I will be on the lookout." Domnhall of Zena said as he used the humanity and reversed his hollowing.

"And who is that?" Rarity asked.

"Domnhall of Zena, he is a peddler of rare items. It was him who pointed me to Black Iron Tarkus' armor."

"Now, where is this...Undead Church?" Luna asked, first to stop staring at Domnhall.

"That forest..." Orion spoke and pointed out the window ,"But, I can wait for all of thee to say thou goodbyes. Celestia, Luna, send some of thy best soldiers here, this place will need it....and never let undead stay in any of the towns." The knight advised and walked outside, being seen from inside the library as he stared at the forest.

"When the Darksign fully breaks out, what will happen to my little ponies?" Celestia asked, concerned for her subjects.

"I will not lie to thee. Thou kingdom will most likely fall into shambles, chaos in the streets. That is why ever undead must make a journey to here, where Spike is. The little dragon will lead them into Lordran, to join us in the quest to link the fires..." The knight headed toward the door, making sure all his gear was in their proper places before opening it.

"Where are you going?" Rariry asked, looking at her savior from the witch.

"To the forest....I'll be waiting for all of thee to join me..." Orion walked out of the library, keeping his estus flask on his belt, ready for use.

The library erupted in crying and whines. The oonies that were holding in their emotions had let them iut when the knight left, even the two princesses had begun to cry.

"Once branded with the Darksign...thou must go on a journey without rest..." Orion spoke quite loud, the ponies in town looking at him oddly.

The knight began trekking his way to the forest, a light jog carrying him to it. He drew out his flaming greatsword and pulled his shield from his back. Orion made his entrance into the forest.

A name came to his mind...this was no longer the Everfree Forest...it was the Darkroot Garden...

Lordran has arrived in all its great despair.

Author's Note

It has begun, the outbreak.

This will turn some things into interesting moments, especially when I incorporate monsters from Equestria and Lordran both.