And So It Is That Ash Seekth Embers
Twilight step from her coffin and hid behind a bush that was near by. As the coffin opened, a figure slumped out of the hole. He was wearing what looked to be very unorthodox armor, gold plated and with the head of a lion. On one hand he held a spear that had very wide blade and a royal purple gemstone on the end piece of his spear. He looked around and stretched his arms out in the air. The armored being stepped out of his grave, and began walking down. Twilight at this point, came out of the bush rustling the branches and leaves that were on it. The sound made the warrior flinch and turn around at the sound to point his spear at her.
After looking her over though, he took a step back and bent his knee to her, paying her respects, almost. He took off his helmet and looked at her with a smile. "Twilight!" He set it down picked the pony up with a hug that would've crushed a small dog. She squawked at the action, and tried to fly away. "Oh... I've been wanting to meet you, but not here. Come on, follow me. You know the way to Firelink right?" He said with the same smile on his face.
"Um..." She stumbled a bit, "Where?" She was as confused as she could ever be. This being seemed to know her, became her friend even! She knows all her friends, they were... Were... "W-who are you?" She finally asked.
His shoulders slumped considerately. He blinked out the confusion. "Hmm? Who am I? Twilight, you know who I am? I'm Alden you know that? Right...?" He said, with a small desperate plea. His brow furrowed with worry as she struggled to remember an inkling, anything about him.
"All I remember is.... Fire. A big, bright, burning fire. I heard a voice, then I heard a bell and then i woke up in a coffin." She said looking up at him. He had his face in his hands and looked down at Twilight again. He reached in the coffin and pulled out a bag, a normal looking satchel, but from it he pulled out a long rapier with crystals coming off the ends. Her eyes widened at the impossibility of that, and in fascination of the weapon in front of her.
He presented it to her. "How about now?" Her magic gripped the handle and she gave it a thrust toward the bush. Her mind was drifting away, seeing images of herself with the sword. She did amazing attacks and showed effortless skill, and while fighting an armored enemy, decorated in a red clothe showing a royal seal she held it up and made magical copies. They swathed around the armored man and when they stopped, they flew into him at once. A large blast of red came out of the helmet before it fell and she felt the power of the creature leave it and flow into her. She even show it to the sorcerer in the shrine, and he was amazed by her magical skill.
She flinched when the blade hit the stone and it chinked of the stone. "What... was that. I saw... me doing all these things, I think I..." She saw him with a smile on his face, albeit smaller than before. She stepped back and held the rapier defensively towards him. "I believe you have yet to answer my question? Where am I?" She said stepping closer. He responded by holding his spear, equal to her weapon, and simply clicking the weapons together.
"Welcome to Lothric young Princess. Now come, the Judge waits for us." he turned around and stopped just short of the rapier falling in front of him, just scratching his nose. "Really? Are you going to behave like a spoiled brat? Fine, I'll let you fight the Judge on your own." He said continuing to walk. As he reached a clearing, there were no hollowed grave keepers. Like they all disappeared. He kept his spear up in case he would be ambushed. Once he reached the cliff face, he realized there were no more hollows in the Graves. He looked beyond and caught a glimpse of Gundyr, still in prone position. He carefully walked over to the main gate when he heard a small "ahem" on his side.
"You really know how to be reckless in the face of danger." Twilight said, carrying all the hollows that tried to lunge at him, stab him, or just plain kill him. She huffed at his absent expression and threw them all off the cliff side. Both human and pony walked into the main courtyard where Gundyr slept. Alden walked up to the static body and pulled the coiled sword from his chest. Gundyr looked as though a great weight had been taken off of him, and he looked up to see Alden and Twilight standing with their weapons at the ready. Gundyr, however did not pick up his weapon and instead walked towards the gate and opened it. He walked back into the center and gave the coiled sword to Twilight.
Behind his helm, tired old eyes looked back at her. "Free us from the cycle..." He said as took his halberd and thrust it into his chest, and ripped it out of his side. He fell down on his knees, and became motionless. His body dissipated into ash and only his weapon remained, serving as the coiled sword for the bonfire. Alden looked down at the bonfire and carefully took the sword from Twilight.
"What just happened?" She asked. To which he could only shake his head and walk towards Firelink. He rammed his spear into some eager hollow's chest and tossed him aside before heading inside. There, he lit the fire inside the shrine and sat down. Ludleth, ever so rarely to be mobile, walked down to the bonfire and sat next to Alden. He looked up to Ludleth, for he had been old mentor way back when.
"Ludleth of Courland. What is happening? This did not happen the first cycle, or the second." He said eyes wide with fear. "What is going on?"
Ludleth looked to Twilight, and the back towards Alden. "Alden of Drangleic," He said with rather fond memories, "Something different is happening. The pony that thy had as a companion, she seems to alter the state of the world, getting stronger with each cycle. With each link, it seems that her influence on the world grows stronger every time." He said, sagely. Alden didn't understand. "Think of it like this," he said drawing two lines. "This one, is the first link with thine companion. This," he said pointing at the thicker, second line. "Is the second linking with thine companion." He then took his whole hand and made trail. "This would thine third linking with thine companion. Her influence is strong enough to alter the way things are meant to be in this land. Do not let that deter you for one moment though. One could use this as an advantage, making so that the Lords with come back as body, rather than cinder?" He said with a small smile. Ludleth picked himself up and returned to his throne, sitting in his stone seat.
"Perhaps, methinks thou should try to... spread her influence upon thine fellow Lords, noble Lord Seeker?" He said as a last remark before falling into a slumber that rivaled that of Siegward.
Alden looked back the princess, who was talking to the Fire Keeper and the old handmaid. He walked back to the bonfire and sat down, recalling how Twilight first came here, how she went from Princess of Friendship to a killing machine. He put away his spear in the bottomless box, and pulled out his Dragonslayer Greataxe and the Dragonslayer Axe. He still donned Ornstein's armor and he quickly decided that he should bring the great shield too, just in case. She can fly sure, but not for long. And her magic can lift most things up, even himself. Perhaps now he can finally kill the wyvern properly instead of shooting arrows at it...
