Author's Note
Hello, Thank you for clicking on, and trying my book! I hope any issues don't scare you off and we can go along this adventure together, you getting a decent book and me learning more about writing. Being my first book I hope you will help and point out things that make no sense or are Grammatically incorrect. Thank you and have a nice read!
The Age of Fire
Yes, indeed….
It is called Lothric, where the transitory lands of the Lords of Cinder converge….
In venturing north, the pilgrims discover the truth of the old words…..
The Fire Fades….. And the lord’s go without thrones….
When the link of fire is threatened, the bell tolls…
Unearthing the Lords of Cinder from their graves….
Aldrich, Saint of the Deeis land of cinder and ash.
Farron’s Undead Legion, the Abyss Watchers
And the reclusive lord of the Profaned Capital…. Yhorm the Giant
Only, in truth; will the lord’s abandon their thrones, and the Unkindled will rise.
An accursed undead, one that this world will not even call its own.
A special breed from another world that will travel this land
Because it shall learn….. That ash seeketh embers….
Dark souls 3/MLP:FIM Crossover
OpenPage Presents.....
Of Cinder and Ash
Golden Oaks Library - 2 Years after the return of Luna
The day started like any other did for Twilight Sparkle, with a mug of coffee and a morning book. The purple unicorn sat snuggled into her favorite blanket reading a textbook on runes and their functions. “Spike, Can you bring me Canterlot’s Clear Coat Color Encyclopedia?” Twilight called out down the stairs while sipping at her coffee. Flipping through her book in pursuit of a specific runic matrix, She hoped to turn up the correct color that would have the rune she had in mind for a summoning spell together.
Minutes turned to half an hour and Spike still hadn’t turned up with the book she had wanted. Twilight began to worry where he was. She Set her book down and opened the door with her telekinesis, believing she would not have to get out of bed, she cried out for her friend. She flicked an ear towards the door listening for a reply so she would not have to make her way down the stairs. Not hearing Spike respond, she huffed and rose out of bed and hurried through the door, down the stairs in search of her number one assistant.
About halfway down she could look into the living room, what she saw caused her to grind to a standstill, practically tumbling down the stairs. In the midst of the Library was a modest fire glowing with a fire of amber, atop a bed of bones and ash. There was a coiled blade sunk deep into the middle of the bed and fire. The fire transfixed Twilight, it looked to be almost entrancing as the sun.
Slowly Twilight made her way closer forgetting about why she moved downstairs in the first place. All of time seemed as if it had ceased as the flames drew her closer. She walked at a crawl until the fire licked at her hooves. Once Twilight reached the sword and the ash she reached a hoof towards the sword. Flames shot towards her, no emotion showing on her face as they wrapped around her, the flames licking up along her sides, lighting her to ash in seconds.
10 MINUTES LATER
A small purple dragon entered the Library with a pouch of confectioneries in tow. Fresh pastries and sweets from Sugarcube Corner, produced by their closest and craziest friend, Pinkie Pie.
“Twilight, I picked up those cookies from Pinkie, Let’s eat!” Spike Called out to his friend. “I also ran into Rarity on the way to her boutique, sorry for making you wait!”
Turning to the kitchen to set up the table for a meal, he spotted an ash pile no larger than an apple sitting in the middle of the floor. Studying it and discovering nothing of importance he cleaned it up and made his way into the kitchen to make their lunch.
Cemetery of Ash
The bell tolls three times, and a body stirs in its grave, beckoned by the ringing of the bell. An equine clad in armor climbed out of the grave that it had not been in earlier. The only sound it could hear was its own breathing and the wind.
Twilight looked around with a less than normal field of view. Dark bars cut off her vision, making her feel like she was looking through window shutters. Looking around, Hoping to see the comfort of her Bookshelves and walls, Twilight only saw tombstones and open caskets all around her. Panic starting to envelop her from the unfamiliar surroundings. Trying to calm herself from the sudden panic, she sat down and started her breathing exercises.
“Just breath like cadence taught you” Twilight repeated to herself over and over again, following her breathing, until eventually, her panic stabilized.
Feeling around her face she found that she was wearing a helmet. Twilight could feel her ears poking out of the top. Trying to ignore the helmet for the moment, she flipped up the faceplate to see better as she looked around. Twilight immediately noticed a sloped pathway that seemed to be almost sculpted from the overgrowth and tombs.
Deciding to check herself to see what other additions have been put on her before following the path, She sat down on her haunches and inspected her hooves. Gauntlets on both hooves, one of which that had a small red gem inlaid in a small slot, and a small bag that seemed to hold very few items was strapped to her side. Finally reaching for her back to check the weight that was bothering her, she found a longsword slung from her withers and a crest shield strapped onto her back. Pulling them out she examined them to see if she could make out the smithing style used to forge these tools.
“Hmm this style doesn’t seem to be from any modern equestrian smithing books,” she thought “I wonder who gave me these weapons?” inspecting them, before nodding satisfied that she got all she could know and putting them back into place along with her wither and back.
Taking the burlap bag off with her magic she pulled the twine and peered inside to find a dull green flask, with a glowing liquid that reminded her of the fire she found in her library. An obsidian black crystal lay next to the flask, pulsing with a gentle light. Tying the bag up and strapping it to her side once more, she inspected her flank to find that the armor covered her entirely. Twilight gasped as she saw the rune, an oval with a small letter C in the middle, she was looking at in her book engraved into the flank of the armor.
Colored in an ashen gray, the rune gave off a soft glow that made it almost feel alive. Gently running a hoof along it she could feel magic energy pour off of the symbol. Twilight could feel the items in the bag strapped to her sway as she got to her hooves. Patting herself down to get the dust that settled on her new armor, she got ready to set off. Needing answers and a way home, she decided to find someone who would know what happened and give whoever did this a stern lecture on why to not take ponies from there dimensional plane of existence. Twilight felt a wave of uneasiness, almost foreboding, not realizing yet how this would not be as easy as she thought. So Twilight set off on what would become the biggest adventure of her Unkindled life.
Chapter 2
Twilight started her short trek down the sloping trail weaving through the tombstones and open caskets. The path curved down until it came to a shallow body of water at the bottom. Taking in the long pond along the bottom of the path, she prodded the water to check its depth and was surprised to see it was only a half a hoof deep. Twilight placed her hooves in the water and started her long trudge through the waters towards wherever the path would lead.
Twilight immediately noticed what seemed to be a bipedal figure in a cloak standing off a short distance away in a slightly deeper part of the water. The bipedal figure was facing away so she couldn’t make out its features.
She called out to the figure and hoped it would have some answers. “Hello, can you help me? I don’t know wher...” her words died in her throat as the figure turned around, showing itself to be a skeleton holding a longsword with hollow sockets for eyes.
Stumbling backwards, not understanding the monstrosity she was seeing; It walked towards her making loud gurgles and screeches, swinging its sword whenever it got even remotely within striking distance. Just the sight of Twilight seemed to have enraged it. Twilight screamed as she tried to back away but hit a stone wall. The Skeleton stood atop of her and brought his sword down, the armor withstood the blade but the power behind the swing bruised her ribs. Flipping over and trying to scramble away, the skeleton got a deep slice across her back. Blood came oozing out of the wound, causing twilight to cry out in agony, feebly trying to push it away with her magic all she could do was scream as it cut off her back right hoof. She watched in horror as it tumbled into the water.
The Corpse looked down at her; realizing its prey was going to die on its own, it began to wander back towards its original position, staring blankly at the wall. Twilight could feel her lifeforce draining quickly, she was groggy and confused from blood loss she tried to reach for her hoof. Leaning forward she fell into the blood soaked water. The world began to lose color and twilight started to feel the numbing effects of blood loss as the world started to go dark. Twilight duly notes her hoof bobbing in the water next to her, the lavender a stark contrast from the murky water.
“I miss spike,’”she thought as the last breath of life left her, and then she was standing next to the grave that she had originally dug herself out of.
Scrambling around looking herself over she saw her hoof was back and the gaping cut through her back armor was repaired. “I-i’m alive?!” she called out, only realizing a moment later that anything that hears her might not be as nice as she thought. Flicking up the faceplate and cautiously walking down to the water to see her face, the familiar sight helping her calm down from the fight.
After a few moments, Twilight decided that this problem wasn’t going to stop her. Twilight stood up and put her faceplate back into position and set off toward the skeleton, determined to deal with this new challenge.
Twilight clumsily drawing her sword and holding it out in front of her, she rounded the corner to see the skeleton exactly where it was standing before, looking away like before. Seeing the skeleton again made her squirm from the remembrance of not even five minutes ago dying, But she pushed forwards towards the threat.
She Crawled through the water as slowly as possible to not draw its attention. Getting as close as possible without it turning around she got ready to try and stab it in the back. The sword wavered in the air as she stabbed forward and missed over its shoulder the first strike. The skeleton turned around with its sword at bear, towering over twilight. Taking a quick slice in its general direction, twilight saw the monstrosity’s arm not holding the sword fall to the ground.
The Skeleton, taking a swipe at Twilight, was able to cut her along the left hoof. Trembling from the pain, Twilight stabbed at the skeleton’s stomach and managed to pierce it straight through the abdomen. It howled, and cut twilight directly across the face. The pain driving her to finish it off quickly cut it directly in half at the hip. Letting out a sigh she checked over her wounds quickly to see if she was bleeding badly. Twilight was surprised to find her wounds open but no blood coming from them. Dropping back to the ground as the thought of the crime she just committed, she reminded herself that it was an act of desperation at the moment.Pulling herself off the ground, She bowed slightly at where the body disappeared wishing it best wherever it may go. Raising her head she looked around in hopes of finding out which direction she would need to go.
Once Twilight got to her hooves, she noticed two paths, one to the right, into a small crevice, and another to the left, where another skeleton was standing around a fountain. She decided she wasn’t in the right mindset to deal with that moral crisis, so Twilight set off down the right path first. Trotting along the right trail, which seemed to lead through a tiny ravine leading into a basin like area at the end; Twilight thought about whether she should have killed it or tried talking to the skeleton again. Rationalizing that the skeleton would have killed her again and that what she did was for the best. Angry that she was put into a predicament where she was forced to kill and reason with herself why it was ok to do, she pressed forward towards the end of the tiny ravine.
Turning left into the basin, she stopped dead in her tracks as she saw a body lying against a rough, bumpy rock wall. The body, a scraggly man with a short blonde beard; wasn’t what made her stop though, it was the orb of white light hovering over it. Edging her way closer to the body she wondered why this corpse stayed but the Skeleton turned to ash. Her contemplation ended when she got close enough to touch the light.
Sticking a hoof out she hesitantly poked the orb and it flashed and disappeared leaving a small white blob with a weird face no bigger than a grapefruit floated in front of her. It let out a small moan and flew into Twilight. Twilight could feel a little strength come back to her; Feeling more like her usual self she looked around to inspect the rock walls and vines hanging about. Twilight was surprised to find the walls were made of limestone, yet she couldn’t identify the fauna the roots came from. Satisfied with her inspection of the area and finding nothing else of interest she started her trek back to the fountain. The fountain coming into view, with the skeleton sitting towards the fountain in front of it as well.
Pulling out her sword and shield this time, she started towards the corpse. “Ok, it’s just a skeleton, you can do this’” Twilight thought as she got into a shaky stance, holding her shield out to protect her.
The undead groaned as it turned around and got the first strike in, taking a quick swipe that hit her shield and was deflected. Twilight lowered her shield and attacked with a counterstrike, taking a swing at the Skeletons abdomen, her sword missing and cutting across the right femur of the Monster. The corpse howled out and went straight in for a cut ignoring the damage, catching twilight across her back that cut that would deep enough to bleed. Twilight staggered from the laceration, recovering quickly and lunging in for a stab.Twilight caught the skeleton in the upper chest and it fell over with a screech and disappeared into ash.
“I’ll have to look into where these bodies are disappearing to.” muttering to herself trying to not go into science mode.
Sheathing the sword and slinging the shield onto her back she winced and limped around looking for any of the small white orbs. Twilight spotted one hovering over another body leaning against the stone fountain. The body seemed to be just skin stretched over bone, Hollow and thin. Cantering over quickly she poked the orb and it dropped a small pouch onto the ground in front of her. Twilight Picked the bag up in her magic and opened it, to notice another of the green flasks, this one had blue flames swirling inside. Next to the flask was a note, picking it out of the bag she began to read it, hoping to get a glimpse of information of this world.
Tild, I will need my ashen flask back soon, magic is my only defense and it takes to long to recharge without a recharge. I’m still worried about you forgetting your estus flask, you WILL need to heal in those mad charges of your’s. If I don’t hear from you in three days, I will wait for you in the firelink shrine. Give the firekeeper the ashen flask if I am not there.
Your Friend,
Lugeus
Taking in this new information, She opened her small brown bag. Hoping someone would tell her if one of her friends passed away; she decided to keep the note. Twilight stuffed the note in her bag hoping to let this Lugeus know of his friend’s demise. Not knowing where or what this firelink shrine was or who this firekeeper is, she questioned if it was even possible to find this pony or place.
Hesitantly she pulled out the flask with the orange flame, now knowing it was called an estus flask. Worrying that the fire might be dangerous, even fatal to drink, she reminded herself that she most likely would just appear back at the grave. Twilight put it to her lips and took a quick swig of the fire expecting it to burn as it went down. Twilight’s eyes went wide as it went down smooth and her back felt instant relief, as if it wasn’t injured at all. The fire tasting of orange juice, which Twilight found odd; She put the flask back in her bag and tied both bags to her side. Getting ready to continue forward she saw a skeleton up some stairs guarding another small ravine passage. Behind the skeleton though was open air it seemed so that’s the way twilight decided to head next.
Trotting through dilapidated ruins and pillars towards the stairs and skeleton, Twilight kept her trot steady. Once she got close enough she noticed it didn’t have the cloak and sword, but old looking armor and a crossbow. The thought crossed her mind a second too late as a a crossbow bolt went by and lodged itself into her shoulder. Letting out a scream, she pushed forward pulling her shield close and in front of her. About ten meters from the undead she felt a thump against her shield, realizing the skeleton was still firing with little chance to hit her.
“These skeletons are persistent’” she thought as she felt another thump hit her shield.
Getting close enough to see its feet she slashed at its head and caught it in the neck. The skeleton fell with little sound and disappeared leaving nothing behind. Feeling more confident with her sword, she trotted through the small ravine and came to the edge of a cliff with a path leading upwards to her left. Twilight didn’t notice the path till minutes later because she came across a sight that would never leave her.
Snow-capped mountains sprawled along the horizon with the setting sun off in the distance glimmering off the peaks. Fog cutting off the ground from sight as the tips of the mountain looked to be shining from the setting sun reflecting on the snow. Standing in awe for a few minutes to take in the sight, Twilight shook herself out of her stare and started left up the path, being cautious of the ledge. Peeking to her right every few seconds as she climbed higher to look out at the mountains. Reaching the plateau at the end of the upward slope, Twilight immediately noticed a bonfire similar to the one in her house sitting near the rock wall away from the cliff.
Galloping over, she stuck her hoof at the sword and felt relief that she was finally going home. Seconds turned to a minute and dread started to overtake Twilight, repeatedly jabbing her hoof at the sword in a panic; Twilight let out a wail as her recently found hope turned to ash. Falling to a laying position to wallow, a sound of fire erupting rang out. Not caring about anything, she let her sadness out in tears. Looking up when her tears dried she felt her shoulder wound closing and the arrow disappear. Twilight realized that sitting here and moping wouldn’t get her anywhere
Building up the courage and remembering her goal, Twilight pulled out her sword and shield to move on as she stood up, and turned to continue along the path. As she was about to set off she remembered the estus flask with fire in it. Thinking that maybe she should try and fill the flask with the fire’s flames, as ridiculous as that sounded. Pulling out the flask and running it through the fire, she was satisfied and perplexed to see when she pulled it back that the flames licked at the lip of the flask, never overflowing. Turning the flask over she found the fire seemed to defy gravity and stay inside. Storing it in her bag she took a look around to see where the path was going to lead.
Off in the distance she could see a small coliseum and past that an ancient looking ruin that towered over the surrounding landscape. Looking back at the path, she noticed the path leads down and left around a large rock and through a dusty, rocky trail. At the end twilight could see a skeleton standing, staring daggers at her but not moving. Getting into a fighting position twilight started her short crawl towards the undead.
Once twilight got close enough for the undead to start moving towards her, she got into her fighting stance and held her ground. The undead stumbled towards her and took a swipe with his broadsword. Twilight using her magic tried a teleportation spell behind the skeleton. Feeling her magic pull into her horn she cast the spell to feel it fizzle out as it left her. Making a snap decision Twilight jumped left out of the way with no time to bring her shield up. With the skeletons sword splitting hairs on her coat she jabbed her sword forward, killing the skeleton
“Why won’t my teleport work?” Twilight groaned “Now i have to deal with skeletons and no magic, other than telekinesis.”
. Putting her sword back on her back; she trotted past the falling body towards where the skeleton came from. She came across a ledge, above a crevice with a closed casket inside it. Seeing another white orb on top of the casket she got into position to hop on top of it.
“Ok, It’s just a hop, a skip, and a jump” she said to herself hyping herself up for the jump.
Getting a running start, Twilight jumped when she reached the edge. Forgetting about the weight of her armour, Twilight clumsily fell, Not use to moving in her heavy and unusual gear to land properly. Slamming into the coffin, she felt the air leave her lungs from the heavy impact. Twilight laid there for a moment to let herself steady. Feeling better she brought herself to her hooves, Looking over to the orb she leaned towards it and touched it, dropping a small piece of metal onto the casket in front of her. Picking it up and looking it over, and finding nothing of interest, she dropped it in her pouch for later. Hopping off the casket she followed the path and found a small drop that seemed to lead directly above a skeleton. Seeing that the skeleton hadn’t noticed her yet she decided to hop on top of it and stab it on her way down.
She got into position and jumped down onto the unsuspecting skeleton, Catching it in the skull, and killing it without making a sound. Twilight was already trekking past the body turning to ash when she saw she was coming up on the coliseum she saw from the bonfire, guarded by an undead archer. Keeping her shield up, she pushed towards the archer, hoping to get close enough to cut it before it shoots more than once. Feeling the shield push against her magic, she knew an arrow hit its mark. Feeling her shield hit a solid, she pulled her shield back and swung missing the skeleton when it dodged right out of the swipe. Leaning down and putting an arrow in her chest the archer went to reload his crossbow. Twilight, in pain and annoyed for missing her window, stabbed the skeleton in the chest, watching it fall to ash.
Twilight pulled the arrow out, took out her estus flask and took a drink, and watched as the wound healed in front her. “Stupid skeletons sure are agile for being only bone, somehow moving without muscles. Maybe this place has stronger magic than I initially thought” she muttered to herself while entering the coliseum.
Entering the circular room, she immediately took notice of the crushing, dark atmosphere. Stairs covered in candles throwing an eerie light into the area with the setting sun. The stairs led down into a middle platform with a large bipedal set of armor held up by what seemed to be its halberd jammed into the ground for support. Edging herself forward in case it decided to attack, she got closer and noticed a spear jammed into its upper right chest. When she was only twenty feet from the armor she noticed the rippling darkness emanating from its back, flowing in what seemed to be an almost fluid like movement.
After taking a better look and realizing it was a pole like blade in the armor, she took pause. “Should I pull the sword out?” twilight mused, thinking that the sword might make a better weapon against the skeletons than her current one.
Grabbing the hilt of the sword in her magic, she yanked out the blade, as she did so the wound in the chest closed in front of her and the armor stood for the first time in centuries. Letting out a groan, the towering armor stood tall, the pus of man squirming along it’s back.
Looking down upon twilight, the armor exclaimed in a booming voice “Young unkindled, are you the one who has challenged me?”
“Uh, if you mean did I pull the sword out, then yes that was me.” twilight said nervously bringing up her weapon, just in case.
“Hmm, you don’t look strong small one” the armor snorted through it’s helmet “times have changed.”
Looking around rapidly, Twilight could see it stalking closer, pulling up the bardiche in what looked like it’s fighting stance. Not seeing another way to stall while she came up with a plan, she yelled out the first thing that came to mind.
Twilight yelled “Wait, before we fight can you tell me what that stuff on your back is? And who are you?” Hoping to buy some time to build a plan.
“Ah, I am Iudex Gundyr, and this is the pus of man, a corrosive and dark substance that eats at your very souls itself, but it has given me power”
“If its that bad, then why have it?”
“Because I now have the power to test if new unkindled are truly strong enough to save the age of fire, I missed my time, so I am ok with giving my soul as the price to save this flame,” Gundyr exclaimed “now stop stalling, it is time to fight!”
Gundyr charged at twilight full force, at a speed twilight could almost not follow. Dodging left she barely missed getting sliced in two by the bardiche or getting knocked over by the blast of wind.
“Hm you managed to dodge my first attack,” Iudex said turning to face twilight “be proud young equine, not many unkindled can say that” Straight back on the attack, he jumped at twilight almost impaling her; twilight knocked away the halberd with her shield at the last moment. Slicing twice at Gundyr twilight saw that she was cutting through the armor and making small cuts along the barely seen skin below. As this thought crossed her mind a shadow fell over her and she felt herself get crushed to the ground.
“Hm, that was too quick equine” Gundyr pushed down onto Twilight “When you come back through we will need to work on that survivability”
“Be strong, because if you truly wish to help this world,” The armor said pushing down on Twilights barrel “you will die fighting your enemies more then you will fighting me”
”I just want to go home!”Twilight sobbed out as the crushing weight of his foot cracked her ribs.
“You will need to survive this world to get back to yours young one,” Gundyr said pushing down on twilight more and more. Twilight’s body cracking and bleeding, flattening as blood flowed from her ears.
“I will end you!” twilight screeched as her body gave out and she was flattened. Next thing she knew she was standing back at the bonfire overlooking the mountain. “He wants me to kill him, fine I’ll kill him” twilight snarled, too angry to think about the consequences of this thought process.
3rd Attempt
“AGGGHH”
15 DEATHS LATER
“Ok I think I found out his fighting style, I can do this!”
27 DEATHS LATER
“How did I fall off a cliff?!”
34th boss fight Attempt
Entering the arena for what seemed to be the millionth time twilight yelled out “I’m back Gundyr! Lets finish this!” Looking around for the hulking armor and not finding an trace of it. Hearing a creak from above she looked up and saw Gundyr perched in the large tree overlooking the arena.
“You going to come down and fight me?” twilight said to the armor hoping to catch him as he jumped down. Sneaking her sword up into an attack position she got ready for the first attack.
Gundyr jumped down from the tree he was perched on, a blast of wind shooting out from the landing and blowing out candles and knocking Twilight back, ruining her first attack. “Ah equine, you look stronger, do you think you can finally beat me?”
Standing back up, she pulled out her sword and her shield, and got into a fighting stance ready to finally beat him. “Dying is really wearing thin on me, so just fight already.”
Twilight charged, aiming to stab at him, until she had to deflect his halber with her strike instead. She then used the new opening to cut up his legs and knees, to hinder his movement as much as she could. Turning and running to get out of the range of the bardiche, she felt herself get picked up by her tail and tossed at the entrance.
“Running will not save you.” Gundyr snorted as he jumped at twilight, Smashing his bardiche into where twilight was not a moment ago.
Twilight rolled right and stabbed Gundyr in the chest from below, she ran out from below through the gap between his legs as he grabbed at the wound and grunted. He turned swiftly and swiped at her, hitting twilight in her side and tossing her. She skidded along the water and ground till she came to a stop in the middle of the arena. Grunting and standing up, she turned towards Iudex and readied her sword and shield for combat again.
Looking at Iudex she could see that the pus was flowing out of the chest wound, darkening parts of his armor. Charging while he was in a stagger she sliced at him, getting three hits along his back and getting a deep cut on his right arm. The pus oozed out of the cuts and twilight wailed on him. Finally he was consumed by the black ooze, making armor out of the pus as it sent out a blast wave that threw twilight into the back wall.
“NO MORE GAMES EQUINE, YOU WILL NOT PASS!” Gundyr yelled as the new armor came into place around him as his bardiche grew and turned into a longer glaive.
Throwing himself at twilight, he dug his new glaive deep into her gut and slammed her into the ground. Backing up to let the ooze resettle from the attack he got into his fighting stance ready for another attack. Coughing up blood into her helmet, she weakly flipped up the visor and fumbled with the estus flask and took a swig of the fire to heal her wounds. Her side and organs reforming quickly and the pain disappearing she grunted and pulled herself up. Ducking underneath a wide slice that she saw at the side of her vision, she dove into range, cutting at his stomach. Jumping back and to the right, she barely missed getting her head ripped off by the pole of the glaive.
“You could just let me pass Gundyr,” Twilight yelled to the armor, dodging his attacks as much as possible. “This doesn’t have to end with you dying!”
Letting out a grunt as he hit the ground from an attack “Oh but this is absolutely necessary.” He exclaimed cryptically as he sliced at Twilight’s last location. “One of us must die for this to end young one!”
“Ugh, Why are you so stubborn!” Twilight screamed as she jumped over a glaive slice and stabbed Gundyr in the head. Seeing him stumble from the attack she pressed forward slicing and cutting at him till he fell to the ground. The Pus flowing off him and slithering off the nearby cliff, Twilight paid it no thought however as she walked over to see his chest rising and falling slowly, his wounds looking more severe than at first glance.
“Please Gundyr, I don’t want to kill you” twilight choked out tears forming in her eyes at the thought of killing something that talked, had feelings, and was technically as alive as her.
Iudex turned his head towards her “You must for the door to open…. Twilight, you must continue on to get home,” he let out a weak breath and continued “Go.. And find out why you are here, I wish you luck small one.”
Twilight, with tears in her eyes, Pulled up her sword and stabbed Gundyr through the head. His body shimmered and disappeared into ash and blew away, a small fire came into existence in front of her, looking like a mix of the blob with the face and the bonfire. Picking it up, she pulled it close, thinking of the armor that had just wanted to make sure his world would be safe without him.
Twilight felt her entire body lighten as she saw fire burst from the cracks in her armor. Freaking out she tugged at the armor trying to get it off before she burned to death. After a minute of trying to yank off her armor, Twilight realized that the fire wasn’t hurting her. On the contrary, she felt better than she ever had before, stronger and more alert. Taking a couple hops, she felt ALIVE; like nothing in the world could stop her. She took a couple laps around the arena quickly to burn off some energy. After 20 laps she found that she wasn’t losing this feeling of power. Determined to continue on she got ready to set off.
Twilight put the fire in her second bag and walked to the middle of the arena noticing a bonfire that wasn’t there for the fight. Sticking her hoof near the sword the fire sprang from the ash and she sat down to relax and heal with the fire. Taking a few minutes to compose herself and fill up her flask. Getting to her hooves she made for the door that was the exit to the coliseum.
Twilight made it to the door and looked over the wooden door, a mixture of steel reinforcements for a mahogany door. Standing on her back hooves she put her front hooves on the door and gave it a hearty shove. The door creaked open slowly, showing more graves and a rocky path leading right, Twilight walking forward turned her head to follow the path which seemed to lead to the ruins which she guessed was her destination. Taking a quick look back she lowered her head and gave a final goodbye to her first true fallen enemy. Following the path she kept her shield and sword up, nervous that she would get attacked any moment from a monster popping up from behind one of the tombstones. Getting to the stairs that lead to entrance she was surprised to not get attacked once.
Entering the large arch entrance, she was surprised to feel the atmosphere change. It felt calmer, like she could relax her guard. Putting up her shield and sword she found the edge that descended into a main foyer with a bonfire without a sword in it. Another bipedal, this one without armor but instead wearing a flowing gray robe, stood near the bonfire staring absently up at twilight. Twilight deciding to observe her surroundings before heading down to the woman.
She saw the five large empty stone thrones adorning the back side of the room. They seemed to be empty for a long period of time, shown by the dust and cobwebs layered around and on the thrones. Seeing stairs leading upwards, she decided she would head up there once she was done talking to the person by the bonfire. Slowly descending the stairs, Twilight reached the bottom and cautiously approached the woman.
“Ah, Ashen One, you have arrived” The Firekeeper said to twilight “I am the Firekeeper, I take care of the shrine while it awaits a new unkindled. You seem different from the rest, but that is no matter. The lords of cinders have left their thrones and need to be returned. Sadly i have already sent a different unkindled on the quest, but you may go along if you wish and help collect the lord’s ashes.”
Twilight gave the firekeeper a look “I would like some answers before I just go running off on a quest for you” Giving the woman a look “Like what are you? And why was i brought to your world, especially if you already have someone doing what you supposedly summoned me for?”
The Firekeeper looked down at twilight “All will be explained in time, but for now you have been called” Putting a finger to twilight’s forehead, it glowed and Twilight’s vision faded to black as she fell into a blissful sleep.
Chapter 2 - The Fire is Reborn
Consciousness rushed back as her eyes flew open. The rock underneath her felt brittle as she got up onto her hooves. “Where am I?” Twilight cocked her head and ears, looking for any sign of the Firelink Shrine. She was standing in the middle of a large floating rock. She combed the island in search of a clue of where she was.
The island, scoured, but Twilight found nothing of significance. With a sigh, she couldn’t see anywhere to go. Finding her way to the edge, she stared into the darkness. The void moved and pooled in odd ways, but she couldn’t find the energy to study it. As she looked out a slow and gentle wave of heat and light came from behind her. Whirling around, she went for her sword to realize her weapons and armor had vanished. Gasping and dropping to the ground, Twilight awaited death.
“Get up,” A deep booming voice called from in front of her “Cowering doesn’t suit you, knight.”
The unicorn peered over her hooves she saw a flaming mass standing tall. The fire hovered above the ground. She pulled herself back to hooves with a slight quiver in her body. Twilight could feel the heat radiating off the giant blaze.
“A talking fire? What are you?” Twilight asked with awe in her voice
“A good question, I am something unique, a truth to this world.”
The flame shrank to an ember. Fire burst outward expanding to take the small island and beyond. The light blinding twilight, she threw a hoof over her eyes and tumbled to the ground. Looking around her hooves to see what had happened, she saw the small island turned into a sprawling plain, with a town and castle off in the distance.
“I am the fire that keeps this land safe, the ones who sacrifice themselves to make sure it will always return.”
Looking at the fire, Twilight wondered what the fire meant by sacrifice. As she lay there drinking in the sight’s around she realized she had her armor and weapons back. Twilight noticed she didn’t have her helmet when she felt the wind blow across her ears and she relaxed into it. The fire grew till it was almost an inferno, but it produced no extra light. It and howled out in the deepest voice she had ever heard “I AM THE FIRST FLAME AND ALL WHO ARE APART OF IT!”
The scenery ages, The sun flying across the sky, days passing until years went. Only moments passed, and the kingdom fell. Building crumbled, People screamed and ran from horrors that made Twilight feel sick. All were dead and the land in ruins.
“Is this what you wanted to show me?” Twilight asked, “That without you, this will happen again?”
“No, The fire will let this happen! This was because of us and we want you to ignore the Firekeeper.”
Twilight felt like she had been slapped “What?”
“I wish for you too put out the first flame and bring about the age of darkness,” the fire said its voice switching to an older female’s “Put an end to me and let this world heal from the horror it has seen.”
Burnt cracked sand underneath her melted into stone. Walls climbing all around, she realized she was back in the Firelink Shrine. The thrones full and five... Things sat at them. A slug that stretched forever seemed to be sitting and struggling in vain against chains binding it to its throne. A man with no legs, wrinkled and old, sat calmly watching the others. Suit of armor bigger than the throne itself and four armored humans stood in front of the throne on the right side. Shadow’s cast off the body in the main throne. Black brass armor shined in the torchlight, the face hidden in shadow.
“The lords of cinder, five beings meant to fuel me and cast the world into the sun for a time again.” floating around the lords. “Some vile and not worth the flesh they use, and some...” weaving around the older man with no legs.
“Some accepted their fate and were willing to enter the flame.”
They faded from view one by one. First the slug, then the armor, the shadowed body and the multiple armored humans. All that was left was the legless man “Ludleth of Courland, He chose to be a lord with pride! Another ashen one came through and felt he had too much choice.”
A woman in drab, dull metal armor with what looked like a saddle Arabian headwrap. Crouched she had slid behind Ludleth’s throne before Twilight realized she was there. Wrapping an arm around the man before he could shout, she pulled him up onto her back. His arms were pulled around her neck and she hopped off the throne.
“That’s awful! You said he was willing to do what he had to, why would she take him like that?” Twilight asked
The Fire replied, “she was paranoid, she felt ludleth wasn’t safe on his throne and... Took him with her.”
The fire glided along the thrones as they vanished and the void returned. “You must destroy the lords, bring their ash back there thrones, and come to me before SHE does!”
Falling onto her haunches she groaned. Twilight covered her eyes with her hooves and thought about what this meant. ”Why does everyone want me to go on a killing spree? Why not ask me to go make friends! I can do that!”
“What do I have to do then?” Twilight asked hoping for a simple answer to this mess.
“Lie to the Firekeeper when I return you to your body,” a small boys voice came from the fire “Tell her you will hunt down the ashes and relight the flame.”
Before being given a chance to answer the fire spoke in the voice of an older man one final time “I brought you from your world to save ours and I will return you once you have done what I asked, now go!” The fire consumed Twilight as she felt herself return to the waking world.
Groaning as she felt herself laying against the hard ground yet again. “Ugh, this is becoming a nasty habit” Twilight muttered to herself as she climbed to her hooves. Darkness surrounded the area with torchlight illuminating little. Looking around she couldn’t find the Firekeeper anywhere in the area.
She clambered up the stairs away from the pit. Making her way up to ludleths throne, she hopped down. Studying the throne, she could make out the basalt and light coating of ash. Twilight swiped a hoof along the seat and looked at a sooty hoof.
“Hmmm seem’s the other Ashen One came through long enough ago that there has been build up.” Satisfied with her detective work she made to climb back onto the stairs.
Traipsing her way back onto the stairs the rhythmic sound of banging could be heard from the first floor. She trotted down the stairs towards a pathway underneath the stairs she came down originally. Peeking her head around the corner, she saw a stout man with a long white hair and beard. He beat upon an anvil with a hammer, barely noticing the world around him. Twilight edged her way down the hall. As she got close enough to touch him she let out a polite cough
“Hello? Hi im Twilight!”
Between the lull of his hammer, he looks up to see Twilight standing in front of him. “Ah, Ashen One, good to see thee. I am the Blacksmith Andre, here for any of the few who seek to rekindle the flame!”
“Of course, I’ll come to you if I need to fix my sword.” Playing with her hair she wondered if he would answer some questions she had. But as she was about to speak, Andre started talking over her.
“I will do you one better!” he reached down and pulled out a shard from underneath him
“This is Titanite, with it I can strengthen your weapons, make them more durable, and sharper.”
Twilight sighed, then nodded at the large man and handed him her sword. “I found some Titanite earlier when I had to... Kill some skeletons” pulling out the shard she found.
“Yes lass, that is indeed Titanite, do you wanna reinforce your long sword?” Asking Twilight while holding her sword and the shard. Twilight looking a little nervous nodded at the man, to get a chuckle as he put the blade to the anvil and shard on top of the sword.
The sound of metal hitting metal filled the forge. He beat on the sword for a time as the shard glowed and fuse with the sword. It shimmered and Twilight could see the blade grow an inch as the edge looked just a tad sharper.
Handing the sword back towards her, Twilight took it in her magic and sheathed it on her back. “Thank you, Andre, this will help” giving a polite nod to the dwarf, she walked off to search for the Firekeeper.
Along the way back to the large open area, The shadows coalesced around her. Moving closer, she peered into the darkness. Suddenly a face jumped out of the shadows. Twilight stumbled back and fell onto her haunches. She could make out a wrinkly face poking out from beneath a black hood. Silence penetrated the air, neither talking as they stared at each other.
“Um, hello?” Twilight said nervously inching away from the what she thought was an old woman.
“Hello ash bringer, you look like you need to let loose some of those souls.” The older lady reached forward and put a finger on Twilight’s nose. A stream of white energy flowed up the finger from Twilight.
Shaking her head get the finger away “AH, What did you do!?” Running a hoof along her muzzle.
“I took some souls you have collected so far as payment for the information I will give you. Now sit and listen well Ash Bringer, I will only teach this lesson once.” a breathy chuckle comes from the woman
“Can I ask a Question, why are you calling me Ash Bringer? The others I met call me Ashen one.” Twilight said nervous, twitching, a weird feeling coming from talking to the woman.
“Because I need you for a special Quest. You must bring me ash from peculiar individuals around Lothric.” the woman reached down and pulled out a pile of ash and blew it into Twilight’s face.
Twilight twitched, scrunched her face and sneezed. She rubbed her muzzle and gave a stink eye at the women. Chuckling she continued her speech.
“You must collect the souls of the enemies you kill to make it through Lothric. The Firekeeper will take the souls and empower your body, but I will buy them off you for items I... Collect.”
“I have to do WHAT?!” Twilight scrambled back “I barely get by with what killing I’ve already had to do, and you want me to do more just to buy stuff?”
“Yes Ash Bringer, life is as life is in the land of Lothric, souls for fortune and power.” The women reached up with a hand and waved Twilight away.
“Now go, you have much to do” a cackle escaping her lips as she faded back into the darkness.
Twilight’s ears folded back, and she gave a disturbed look at the shadow.
“Creepy bucking people coming out of the shadows,” Twilight muttered as she made her way back into the main atrium to see the Firekeeper waiting by the bonfire in the middle of the room. Trotting up to her Twilight let out a cough.
“Ah hello again Firekeeper, how have you been since you knocked me out?” The purple unicorn asked with a sarcastic tone. The women looked in Twilight’s direction and smiled but said nothing. Motioning a hand towards the bonfire, she clasped her hands again and stood there waiting for Twilight.
“What? Do you want me to sit at it...?” she trotted around it looking at it with an inquisitive look on her face “The other bonfire I found had a sword in... OH”
The purple unicorn pulled out the sword she got from Gundyr and hovered it over the fire. It looked like the same one in the last bonfire. Twilight stuck her tongue out and hovered the blade close and then away again. She did this three or four times before Impaling the blade into the skulls. With Twilight close enough, the bonfire erupted into flames.
Bright red flames crackled off the skulls. Giving a quick look back at the women behind her, she took a seat. She felt her worries fade and her muscles become less tense. “This is nice, I wonder if I can get one in the library when I get home.” Having a moment to relax did her good as she trotted back to the Firekeeper.
“You have talked to the First Flame, Ashen One?”
Looking down with a somber expression Twilight answered: “I talked to the Flame, he asked me to..” The Idea to just tell the truth came and went “IT asked me to find the ash and return them to it.”
“And will you listen and help a world that might not even need you?”
“Of course, I was asked rather politely by the Flame and it would be rude to say no, especially when it’s holding the way back to my home over my head.”
Twilight sat back at the fire as the voice of the Firekeeper could be heard over the soft roar of the bonfire. “Sit and think of your quest, the flames shall take you where you need to go”
The flames swallowed her and all that stood there was the Firekeeper.
