She could remember the moment she lit the flames, her last memory really. She had defeated Gwyn, the Lord of Cinder, after many deaths from trying to defeat the hollowed god. The battles had been harsh, searing flames and heavy sword strikes had battered her body as she parried, blocked, then slashed at him. Many times a parry attempt had been a moment too late, and before she could recover from the strike Gwyn would pummel her into oblivion. Even so she fought on, her quest so unbearably close to its end. With every battle she fared better, and every death served only to fuel her determination.
After the god lay dead, his brilliant soul held in the hands of the Chosen Undead, there was an expectant quiet. The warrior rested for a moment, taking in the victory. Then she got up and walked toward the bonfire, which looked small and pitiful. The embers of the first flame rested at the base of the bonfire, waiting for the undead warrior to kindle the flames. Setting her weapon and shield on her back, she stood over the bonfire and put a gloved hand over it, her soul reaching out to to light the First Flame.
The fire, as predicted, blazed to life. The Chosen Undead was surprised, however, when the extended limb caught fire. She saw the fire crawl up her arm without burning her or her armor. She batted at the flames in a futile attempt to put it out, but to no avail. She could only watch as the flames soon engulfed her entire body. Then the pain started, the agonizing, unbearable pain. She screamed and fell to her knees as the fire covering her intensified. The undead felt as if she was being ripped apart, the flames feeding off her very soul as it consumed it's new fuel source. Her very sense of self was being burned away in the first flame, and she could do nothing but scream in agony.
There was a massive explosion of power from the first flame, repelling the dark and buying the Age of Fire more time. The hollowed were granted peace, and the undead suffering the curse became cured of the Darksign. Meanwhile, in the Klin of the first flame stood the last hollow. Amidst the raging fire the shell of the Chosen Undead stood, fuel for the flame until her soul could no longer sustain the fire of the gods.
~ ~ ~ ~
Trixie was on hard times. After being corrupted by the alicorn amulet and enslaving Ponyville, she felt that she needed to go to the outer reaches of Equestria and even beyond to rebuild her reputation. She had attempted to do a few shows on her way east, but she didn't attract many crowds. She was relieved that nopony had known about her, but also upset at the blow to her Ego. She wan't popular enough to be visited except in the smallest of towns, only Ponyille seemed to remember.
This is all that Twilight Sparkle's fault. She thought angrily as she pulled her wagon behind her. She unfortunately had to sell her old, magic powered wagon to get the bits to get food and travel to the dreaded Pie Rock Farm. If she hadn't shown me up I'd still be-no, stop. The magician let out a sigh. "This is your own fault, Trixie..." She said to herself. "She just did what she had to. If not for her your tall tales could have ended up in the destruction of a small town and innocent lives."
She fell quiet and simply kept pulling, focusing on her plans. She had just left Manehatten and was traveling along the stretch of land that connected the Griffon Kingdom and Equestria. It was a long stretch with only a small village between them to restock on necessities and take a rest, as well as find some traveling companions to give one safety in numbers. Trixie had been warned by a passing Griffon trader about the bandits that attacked along the road, so she made sure to practice her stunning spells before going. The griffon suggested she wait, but her experience traveling Equestria and impatience made her feel safe to push on alone.
So there she was, pulling her wagon along the grassy path when she heard a rumbling around her. Before she could react figures exploded out of the ground around her. She froze as she looked at the new arrivals. In front of her were three diamond dogs, sounds behind the wagon letting her know that there were more. The ones she did see looked different than some of the dogs she had seen in some of the mining towns she passed on her way. They seemed less groomed for one, their coats matted and teeth missing from their crooked smiles. They wore armor and held weapons in a way that gave Trixie a feeling that they have had plenty of practice using them. She definitely didn't think that they bought the mishmash of armors that they wore on their bodies.
Trixie struggled to stay as calm as possible as the one directly in front of her, a large wall of armor and muscle, began walking forward with its unsettling grin. They were bandits, and she was surrounded with no way out.
~ ~ ~ ~
"Ugh...." The Chosen Undead groaned. She had just recalled her fight with Lord Gwyn and was waking up. How, she didn't know. All she knew was that she was alive, but severely weakened. Even without moving she could feel her powers drained, only slightly stronger than when she left the Undead Asylum. She struggled to get up and remove the now extremely heavy armor stripping down to bare modesty, taking notice of her retained human look, before storing it in the bottomless box she used to store all her equipment.
Upon doing so she observed her situation and discovered that she was in a sort of plains area, only tall grass around her. The area around her was flattened grass, making it a bit uncomfortable with her bare skin resting on it. She also didn't see a bonfire nearby, though if she had died and been reborn from the flames she'd look hollow. She had even woken up as if she had slept wrong, something she hadn't felt since she became an undead.
Whatever was going on, she needed to be well equipped. Reaching into the bottomless box, the undead searched for some of the more basic equipment. She pulled out the light but sturdy wanderer set, perfect for traveling. She then retrieved a red shield and set it on her back before reaching into the box again, pulling out a worn looking longsword. It was a fine weapon, more powerful than it looked, as well as a reminder of a jolly knight gone mad in a quest for purpose. After giving a few test swings to get a sense of her weakened abilities, she sheathed the sword and tied it to her side.
Putting the magic box into a satchel attached to her belt, the undead began walking in a random direction. She waded through the tall grass, which came to her waist, looking for any landmarks. The grass thinned eventually and she was able to see a dirt road. She paused, however, when she saw a peculiar sight. On the road was a wagon. It was rather small for a wagon, and around it were creatures she'd never seen before. They seemed to be short monsters that had a vaguely similar structure to herself, seeming doglike. One of them stood around the back of the wagon, where there was some rustling inside, presumably another one was causing the commotion. She crouched down and moved a bit closer.
Three of them surrounded what looked like an oddly colored, light blue horse, cowering against the wagon's side. The dog in the middle seemed to be both larger and better armored than the others, the heavy-looking maul on his back and his larger size suggested that he was the leader of the group. The undead was surprised when they spoke.
"She is magic pony, she can hammer weapons," Said one of the dogs to the leader's side. "Make armor, fix armor! Last one died, we need to fix armor birds break!"
"No, we have pony mine gems! We trade gems for better armor and weapons, eat rest for food! No need smith, need gems!" Said the dog on the opposite side. They began bickering, but the undead stopped paying attention, she was too distracted by the knowledge of the creatures talking. Now, she wasn't completely alien to talking creatures. Many times she met creatures during her travels that could talk intelligibly. Such as Snuggly the Crow, Alvina, and Kingseeker Frampt. It was always surprising, however, when she met another with the power of speech.
The shock was soon replaced with anger as she realized that she was watching bandits ransacking a poor traveler and seemed to plan on taking the horse, or "magic pony" as she was called, as a slave and the undead couldn't stand for that. She may not have been in Lordran anymore, and she may not be sure of what she needed to do anymore, but she wouldn't let any injustice occur while she could do something about it.
Taking a moment to retrieve a simple Sorcerer's Catalyst from her box, the undead stood up and held it above her head before firing a Soul Arrow.
~ ~ ~ ~
Trixie had been cowering in fear, surrounded by three Diamond dogs when there was an odd sound. Before any could react a bright object cut through the air and caused a diamond dog out of her sight to howl in pain. The dogs in front of her turned around, and while she couldn't see the source she heard the sound again. A moment later the same light shot out, hitting it's mark, causing the affected diamond dog to howl again.
"Fang, Razor, kill it." The dark furred dog in front of her growled with a gravely voice. The two dogs on the sides charged the danger with a spear, giving her a look of an odd and tall creature, running on all four paws before jumping in the air and slamming their spears at it. Their attack was met with failure when it rolled back at the last moment before drawing a sword and shield, slashing at the dogs. The dogs backed away and growled, pointing their spears at the dark brown and green-clad creature, in response it held up it's shield and the three began circling. One of the dogs stopped and moved to flank it, making it pause and lower the shield while keeping a tense, crouched pose.
The dogs were now on opposite sides of it, the circling having stopped. After a few moments of heavy silence, the dogs let out roars as they lunged at the creature, but it rolled towards one of the dogs, dodging both spears as it got up behind him. As it was getting up it spun in place, its blade gleaming in the light of the overhead sun as the sword was driven through the back of the dog with a sickening sound. The dog didn't make a sound as he collapsed, the creature stepping on him and pulling the blade out, dripping with blood.
The creature stood up and walked towards its other foe, sword at the side. The surviving dog growled but kept his distance as he looked past it for a moment. The being looked as well, and Trixie realized that two other dogs were approaching from behind. One was the leader, and the other was armed with a short, crude sword. She knew there was one more dog, but she had a feeling that he was the one making the pained howls earlier.
Seeing the creature momentarily distracted, the spear-wielding dog lunged forward to take advantage of it's distraction. This proved to be a mistake, as the being lifted its shield to deflect the spear, the shield pushing the weapon's tip high in the air. With the dog off balance, it rushed forward and plunged it's sword through the chest of him. He collapsed to his knees, and the being used its foot to again free its blade. With one more foe down, it turned to face its two new opponents.
The other combatants sized each other up as silence fell, the only sounds being the wind blowing through the grass and the whimpers of the wounded dog. Then the creature slowly started walking forward, sword and shield at the side. The dogs lowered into a more guarded stance, waiting for it to make the first move. Seeing that it was going to need to go on the offensive, the being slashed forward toward the smaller diamond dog, making him jump back. It then had to dodge itself as the leader swung it's hammer overhead, slamming it into the ground where the creature had been mere moments ago, spraying dirt around the impact site. It circled around the two dogs, trying to find an advantage. Moving a distance away, it began to search around a bag tied to its side. Seeing it distracted, the smaller, sword-wielding dog sheathed his blade and began tunneling into the dirt.
By the time the creature had taken out a brown ball and prepared to throw the dog was gone, a small dirt mound the only indication of what the smaller dog had done. It looked around after realizing one of it's opponents had disappeared and quickly placed the ball back in the bag before settling into a more defensive stance.
Trixie wanted to warn the creature who was saving her of the dog that was underground, but she was in fear and shock. She knew things died, and she knew it was dangerous on the road, but in Equestria the worst thing she had to worry about was getting enough to eat. Even then, should she get desperate she could always swallow her pride and go back to the rock farm. Trixie was completely unprepared for this, and she now regretted not listening to the griffon with every fiber of her being. Now she had to rely on the new creature to save her and not kill her after the diamond dogs. She feared that her savior would soon be overwhelmed, however. Diamond dogs were known for their ability to dig, and there were tunnels likely located all around the area, being an ambush spot. The dog could jump out from any direction with little to no warning, and once the leader started attacking the creature would have no chance to dodge.
The large dog slowly stepped towards the stranger, causing it to tense up further. It knew that it was going to be ambushed, but it could do nothing but prepare as the armored mammoth stepped towards it. From this angle, Trixie was able to see that they were the similar in height. While the other dogs were at level with its shoulders, the leader seemed to be just as tall as it, if not taller. It didn't help her fear that the dog was also much more muscled, the only advantage her savior had was speed.
This advantage was used to its fullest however, as the being rolled around the leader, occasionally making a slash or two and usually staying within striking distance. There were a few close shots, and the many gouges in the ground from where the hammer hit made the battlefield uneven, but her assumed savior had yet to take a blow. Despite the slowing attacks of the brutish diamond dog, its luck couldn't last forever. After a particularly good slash at the muscled beast, he let out a howl and swung once more towards it. Before it could roll away, however, one of its feet seemed to catch on one of the gouges in the floor. Turning the trip into a roll, it quickly recovered. Unfortunately its trip gave her opponent the chance he needed to land a powerful blow. Swinging from the side and stepping forward, the dog brought himself into range and landed a heavy hit straight on its back.
With a feminine sounding shout of pain, the only sound the being made other than a few grunts of effort during the combat, Trixie's savior was sent flying forward a few meters before tumbling to a stop. Trixie's heart beat even faster than it already was and silently prayed for it to get up. As she watched the prone figure struggle to get to its feet, a part of her mind told her to run. Whatever it was, it had the attention of the big dog. If she galloped forward on the road as fast as she could, she'd be able to escape. The dogs would be more focused on the stranger and the only other dog that could catch her was likely going to take advantage of the being's current state any second now. She could leave, but she didn't have much time before they finished up and came after her.
As she struggled to overcome the fear pounding in her chest, she looked once more and saw the burly canine walking forward towards the downed warrior. A paw held one of the deeper cuts as he made his way over, growling in rage. Hammer dragging behind, it was obvious that he had used much of his strength in his attempts to hit Trixie's savior. Had it not been hit, the dog would have been beaten. Behind it trailed the smaller dog who had vanished earlier. A hole among the gouges in the earth where the battle had been taking place told her how the nimble warrior had tripped so badly. With how things were the being who was risking it's life to help a stranger would be killed and nothing could save it.
Except Trixie.
The magician was a coward, she knew. She avoided trouble at all costs and would run than deal with conflict. Only when she was sure she wouldn't be beaten did she fight back. She was selfish, a liar, and a villain. She knew this, and she wanted to change. She wanted to be looked up to like Twilight Sparkle, she wanted friends, and she wanted her work to be recognized and appreciated. Yet when put in a situation where she could try to save a life or flee, she had an overwhelming desire to run.
At the same time, something inside the magician kept her there. Something that pushed away the all encompassing fear, a warmth that kept her from freezing in place. What should I do? She found herself asking. She looked upon the scene in front of her and recalled her words with Twilight Sparkle right before she left Ponyville. Trixie shall leave for now, to rebuild her reputation. However Trixie swears to Celestia that when she returns, Trixie shall be a much better pony, deserving of your forgiveness. Twilight had just given her a smile at that.
I believe you will, Trixie, and I can't wait for your return so that we can be friends. She said.
Remembering that, Trixie decided her course of action. Gathering her courage, she got up and began charging her horn with the most powerful spell she knew. Despite her shaky legs she began to run towards the dogs. They were over the being now, the larger dog getting ready to finish it off. The smaller dog heard her running and turned to see her charging, but before he could prepare for the attack she was already upon him. With a yell she shut her eyes tight and fired her powerful, adrenaline-fueled concussive spell at point-blank range.
Author's Note
Map I'm using is here with some additions. http://orig05.deviantart.net/19ac/f/2012/217/d/e/map_of_equestria__tolkien_ified__by_fimoman-d59vxrj.jpg
I decided to write this to sate my urges to add explosions or combat in An Unexpected Twilight. The next chapter for that story is halfway done, and I've been playing a lot of Dark Souls so why not? It was hard to write the dogs, but I hope it works. Tell me what you think, I always listen!
Gore tag for violence and death stuff. This story will be updated on a whim, and is second to An Unexpected Twilight.
Also thanks to link4 and ChiefKitsune for being my editors/pre-readers!
