Equestrian Souls

'Okay... Freak out later. I can find a way to cure this. There's got to be somepony outside this place who can fix this curse. I rationalize my situation until I feel my initial terror subside.

I silently list everything I know about the Darksign: nothing. I know absolutely nothing about the Darksign. I swear under my breath as I realize this.

"All right. We'll shelf that for now. If that wasn't a dream, then there's a very stubborn pegasus who will kill me on the other side of those doors. I have one way to go and have no real weapon or armor." I'm pacing in front of the bonfire now, talking to myself as I break down my situation. "I could try charging him. Maybe catch him off guard? No, that's stupid." I sit down and huff in frustration. I could be free, but there's that damn pegasus in the way.

"Wait! There's that other door! I could go that way!" I stand and begin prancing in place in excitement.

I quickly gather my cloak and broken sword and head back into the grand hall. The pegasus is waiting for me this time.

"Did I not just kill you a few hours ago?" He questions. The first time he's said something different, I note. I also note that my return to unlife may be a result of my Darksign.

"No..." I say after a long silence. "That was somepony who... looked like me." I say lamely.

"Be that as it may, none may-"

"Yeah, yeah. 'None may leave this place.' Look, I'm not trying to leave, I just want to go that way." I point a hoof at the door to the left of me.

The pegasus doesn't answer. I take it as acceptance and take a step towards the door. When he doesn't try to kill me, I move at a quicker pace, making sure to keep an eye on the pegasus. He doesn't move from his spot in front of the door.

I pass through the door and close it behind me. If he follows, I want to know there's at least some form of barricade slowing down the dedicated guardpony. The doorway leads to another staircase, this one going up. I hug the wall as I proceed. Falling off a staircase seems like a bad way to die. Not that the fall would kill me. It would be the sudden stop at the bottom.

The staircase leads to another cell block. The walls here have that same slightly-less-faded-with-age look as some of the walls from before. As I wonder what kind of building would require so many add-ons to be converted into an undead prison, I am pulled from my line of thinking by an arrow embedding itself into my shoulder.

I cry out in pain and duck into an open cell just in time for another arrow to whiz by me. Somepony is not my friend it would seem. I yank the arrow from my shoulder with my teeth before poking my head out to peer down the hallway. There's another hollow pony down at the other end. A unicorn, levitating a bow and firing arrows at me every time I come into view. I'm forced to take cover again as another arrow buries itself into the wall next to my head.

There's really only one choice in this situation. I let out a battle cry and gallop full speed down the hall towards my foe. Another arrow whistles past, nicking my cheek as I blindly charge. I'm slowed by the hollow as I slam my horn into it's chest. The only thing that fully stops my momentum is a wall behind it. I take no time to finish the hollow pony off with my broken sword, plunging the blade into it's soft head. The hollow pony crumples to the ground, leaving a black ichor on my weapon and horn.

For the first time since I arrived, I feel a sudden warmth flow into me. Not much, mind, but enough to draw out a small smile. Souls. I feel a strange fullness settle in my chest. I feel slightly more whole than I did before.

I check the bow that the hollow pony had been using. The string has snapped. I toss it aside and continue forward.

For a prison, I find a startlingly low amount of ponies in the cells or even wandering about. Yes there is the occasional hollow pony, but most of them seem too empty to even bother moving from wherever they lay. The only reason I know there's anypony home at all is because I see their lifeless eyes follow me as I walk past. I can't help but pity these ponies.

I trot along for some time, following the twists and turns of the halls I walk. A few times a random hollow tries to attack me, but none of them are armed. Each time I'm rewarded with that same strange fullness as I absorb what few souls these ponies have.

The monotonous progress I've been making is interrupted by a wet coughing from somewhere up ahead. I quicken my pace to find the source of the sound.

It doesn't take long to find who the sound is coming from. I find the pony from before; the one who gave me my freedom. He's shut himself into a cell and leaning against a wall. I can see a crimson trail leading from the spot he sits towards the direction I'm headed.

I push open the cell door with a creak, causing the pony to look up at me. I stare back in silence, uncertain of what to do.

"You're no hollow, are you?" The unicorn, a stallion, states more than asks.

"No." I reply, not sure what else to say. The stallion lets out a weak chuckle.

"I don't suppose you've got a minute? I'm can feel myself slipping towards going hollow here, and don't want to die alone."

I nod and step forward, sitting just out of hoofs reach.

"You're the one from earlier, aren't you? The one who gave me the key to my cell." I ask, fairly certain of the answer already.

"Yeah, that was me. I didn't mean to do it though. I was just trying to make my way through the castle." The stallion pauses for another wet cough. When he brings his hoof from his muzzle, there's crimson staining the white fur. "The name's Shining Armor."

"Ember Heart. What happened?"

"Flash Sentry happened. I underestimated how dedicated he was to making sure nopony left. He let me in just fine, but when I tried leaving..." Shining Armor gestured to a deep gash in his chest.

"Yeah, he killed me the last time I tried to leave." I say. Shining Armor looks at me with curiosity before it dawns on him.

"You've got the Darksign. I don't envy you." Shining's speech has slowed slightly. I can hear his breath rattling a bit more than it was. "Hey, since I'm not gonna make it, can you do me a favor? Call it a last request." I nod lightly. "Find my wife and daughter. Tell them I didn't make it." I can see tears forming in the stallion's eyes. "Tell them," Another hacking cough, this one worse than the last. "Tell them I loved them."

"I will." I don't know why I'm making this promise. I don't know who this stallion is from one of the hollows. Maybe it's the fact that he's the first pony I've spoken to that hasn't tried or succeeded in killing me. Maybe I feel like I owe him for freeing me. Whatever the reason, I know I'll try my damnedest to carry out his final wishes.

"Thanks. You should leave before I go hollow. I'd hate to hurt you after death." His breathing is a lot more pronounced now. "Here, take these." He slides a cloth bundle to me, along with his sword. "You look like you need a real weapon. In the cloth there is the key to get out of here and an estus flask. The flask is empty though, so you may want-" More coughing. At this point he's not even trying to cover his muzzle as he coughs up more blood. "want to stop by a bonfire."

"Thank you, Shining Armor. I may not have known you long, but you're a good stallion." I scoot forward and place a hoof on his shoulder. I feel nothing as I say these words, but something tells me it is what he should hear.

"Heh. Thanks." Shining Armor's eyes glaze over for a moment before he refocuses on me. "You should go. I'd hate to hurt you after I go hollow."

I nod. Without another word, I stand and walk away. The last sounds I hear from Shining Armor is another coughing fit as I trot away.

~~~

I find myself back at the bonfire. The estus flask responds to the bonfire on it's own, changing color from the dark green it was before to a brilliant orange. It is filled with a liquid of the same hue now. Tentatively, I take a sip.

The effects are instantaneous. My injuries from earlier mend almost instantly. Even the arrow still embedded in my shoulder pushes itself out to make way for my healing body.

I take a deep breath. I know there is no reason to, but the act of doing so releases some of the tension in my muscles. I stride forward, ready to leave this accursed prison far behind. I only have one more obstacle to contend with.

"None may leave this place." Flash Sentry stands in my path, resolute in his duty.

"I'm leaving." I say evenly. Flash Sentry does not approve.

Without another word, he surges forward at that blinding speed. I have prepared for this, though. As he swings his weapon I duck low and bring Shining Armor's sword to bear, slashing from it's hidden spot underneath my cloak. My strike is remarkably effective, cutting a deep gash through my enemy's armor.

Flash Sentry snaps his wings, pulling him away from the attack before I am able to do any real damage. He stumbles slightly as he lands a short distance away.

"I'm surprised. You're the first one to ever land a blow on me." He says with no small measure of impression in his voice. I'm certain I am supposed to feel something here. Pride, perhaps. Instead, I feel nothing.

"Allow me to pass and no further harm will come to you." I warn. He responds by readying his weapon.

He crouches low in a defensive posture. Now that he knows I'm properly armed, Flash Sentry seems to think better of his original strategy. I take the initiative anyway.

I charge forward, holding my sword tightly in my telekinetic grasp. As Flash Sentry swings his polearm I intercept with my own weapon, lessening the impact. It still cuts deeply.

The weaker strike leaves all the opening I need, however. I turn the blade and swing horizontally. Flash Sentry ducks instinctively, but it isn't fast enough. My strike cleaves through bone and sinew, leaving Flash Sentry with only one wing still attached.

He howls in pain, dropping his weapon. My sword comes back for a second strike, plunging deep into the barrel of Flash Sentry. The stallion locks eyes with me and I see a fire in his eyes. A righteous look that can only be seen from somepony who knows they've done their duty well.

Envy. I wish I knew how it felt for that passion to burn within me. Instead, I only know a longing to know how it feels.

Flash Sentry keeps his eyes locked on me, even as his body turns to ash to be blown away by some faint breeze. Even his weapon dissipates into nothingness.

I approach the door that Flash Sentry has been guarding for who knows how long. The key Shining Armor works, and the double doors swing open with a discontented groan.

I step into the frozen lands beyond, uncertain of where to go beyond forward. Somewhere out there is somepony who can cure me of this curse.