//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Fyrlon // Story: Flame of Disparity // by Cinders of War //------------------------------// Sunset Shimmer shielded her eyes from the orange rays of the warm sun as she emerged from the rocky cave behind Rainbow Dash. After going so long through the night and darkness, the sunlight stung her eyes as she fought to keep up with her blue-skinned friend who had skipped along much too quickly for Sunset’s liking. Rainbow Dash had helped patch up her leg with some bandages, along with some kind of drink she made Sunset down. It almost tasted like orange, but it had more of a sharper tinge to it. Sunset had asked what it was, but all Rainbow said was, “Estus,” which didn’t tell Sunset anything. Surprisingly, her leg felt completely fine after she finished the bottle’s contents; it was as though she had never been cut to begin with. “Come on, Sunset!” she turned around and called. “We’re almost to Fyrlon! You'll love it! There won't be any monsters chasing after you there.” “Fyrlon?” Sunset repeated. Was that the name of the next place she was headed to? The one that was supposedly safe from the many dangers of this world. Sunset could only shrug and follow on. She hoped that whatever she was going to find in the next area was as the others had said. She really wanted a break; time to just lie back and have a good rest. For once, just let it be a place I can relax and catch my breath… Sunset repeated in her head. It was indeed a dream, perhaps she could wish for it if she concentrated hard enough. “Wait up!” the fiery haired girl called after her faster friend. Rainbow turned around and slowed down enough for Sunset to keep up, picking up speed again when she was beside her. Sunset couldn’t help but ask again. After a whole night of running for her life, she almost couldn’t believe there was a peaceful place here. “So this place… Fyrlon. No bad guys? No monsters? No fighting?” Rainbow guffawed and swatted a hand in the air in front of her face. “‘Course not! Fyrlon’s as safe as a bank!” “That’s not a very good comparison…” Sunset grumbled. Rainbow smirked and kept moving ahead. “Trust me. I’m still alive aren’t I?” “I guess so…” The next area was a wondrous new sight; something Sunset never expected to see in this nightmare. The grass ahead was as green as most fields back in Equestria. Jagged rocks lined the left side of the field, while the right dropped off a cliff to a sea below; Sunset could almost see the sea floor underneath the clear waters. A castle sat across the ocean in the far distance. Sunset thought it looked a little like Canterlot's castle, but it looked old and dilapidated. “Wow…” she breathed as she took in her new environment. “This place is amazing.” “Right?” Rainbow stopped beside her to look over to the rising sun on the other side of the sea. “You have nothing to worry about here. It’s safe.” Sunset almost wanted to just stop here and lie back against the soft grass under her feet and listen to the waves of the water below her, crashing against the rocky cliffs, but she if the safe zone was as safe as her friend said, then perhaps it was a better idea to get there first. “So how did you end up here, Rainbow Dash?” It was a question bugging Sunset since her arrival here. How did she get here? How did anyone get here? The other girl widened her eyes and simply shrugged. “Nobody quite knows. You wake up, and here you are. For all we know, this place is a figment of our imagination.” “But we’re all here together,” Sunset reminded. “What, we can’t all dream the same dream together?” Sunset decided to leave that point alone. If that was the answer she was getting, she had no choice but to leave it at that. Her final conclusion: nobody knew the real answer. Another question stuck to Sunset, which was definitely more important. “Do you… Do you know any way out of this place?” “Not exactly… But…” Rainbow motioned a hand forward. “I know someone who does. I think. Just... No one's dared to try it.” Better than nothing… Sunset followed along, finally getting a good answer after all this time. Rainbow Dash skipped a step and pointed ahead. “There. You see it? Welcome to Fyrlon.” Sunset looked down the grassy slope, framed with a few stone steps, leading to a wooden archway serving as the entrance to the safe zone. Fyrlon was a small town, populated by small wooden and stone buildings, along with a ring of boulders right in the middle of town. One thing that struck Sunset was that there were barely any people walking about; it was almost like a ghost town. “So… You like it?” Rainbow asked, leaning against the archway as they entered the new place. “Is there… No one else here?” Sunset panned her head, not noticing a single soul. “There are a few,” Rainbow told her as they proceeded to the center where the ring of boulders stood. “Not much, but, yeah. Some like me actually wander around, looking for answers or some rare stuff.” As soon as they crossed the first boulder, Sunset noticed someone standing against it, looking out to the ocean. Someone familiar. “Twilight?” Sunset asked, astounded and glad to meet another friend. The girl turned around, her face unsurprised nor excited. Her long purple hair was hidden under a blue cloak,which covered the rest of her lavender body. Black gloves and boots stuck out from underneath. “Welcome, Young Flame. I am Firekeeper Twilight Sparkle. It is a pleasure to meet you.” “Twilight, it’s me. Sunset Shimmer.” Sunset had to stop herself. If Rainbow didn’t know who she was, Twilight probably wouldn’t either. “I’m afraid I do not know of you, Sunset Shimmer,” the firekeeper confirmed Sunset’s fear. “But I do know what I see. You carry a great flame.” “Great flame?” Sunset tilted her head and repeated. Twilight turned and looked to the huge rocks surrounding them. “Your flame is different. Long ago, four rose from beneath, carrying with them the flame. Before fire, there was darkness. Nothing but darkness. With fire, came disparity. Heat and cold, life and death, and of course… Light and dark.” “So… What makes mine different?” Sunset asked, unsure where this was going. “Patience, Young Flame. The four great ones, have carried the flames of death for centuries, destroying the ancient dragons and bringing about our Age of Fire. They still continue to expand our lands, destroying anything that stands in their way. You, on the other hand. You have a flame of life. You do not wish conquest by death. You wish to prevent it. To save.” Sunset didn’t know if she did, but if anything, she had saved the school once. Though, she had tried to take over before that too. “Your flame brings life,” Twilight continued. “If you are ever defeated in combat, your flame will return you to the closest bonfire. A place for you to rest before journeying on.” “Oh. I… can’t die?” “Man! I wish I had that flame right now!” Rainbow slapped Sunset on the back. “You’re lucky, Sunset. So, Twilight. Why don’t you tell Sunset how to make it out of here?” Sunset’s eyes widened. Finally. Instructions. “It will be no easy task, Young Flame,” Twilight cautioned. “It’s better than doing nothing, Twilight,” Sunset nodded her determination. There was no way she was going to stay here for all eternity. If there was a chance, she was going to take it. The lavender-skinned firekeeper pointed to four of the large boulders positioned around them. “You must acquire the four Flames of Death and return them here.” Sunset sighed. “Let me guess. They’re not going to give their flames up willingly.” “You are right.” Twilight led her around the rocks, placing her hand against a small alcove within each one. “Drawgren, Spear of Fire, who resides within the Keep of Glass, Doland, Light of the Sky, who makes his home at the top of the High Cathedral, Sisha, the Immolating Force, living deep down in the Cataclysm Hollows, and Gravewing, Firedrake of the Depths, who makes his home in the Primordial Grotto. You must return their flames here. Only then, will you open the way home. "Beware. This will be no easy task. Each of them reside far from Fyrlon. The journey is long and there will be many more dangers and creatures out there, each one far worse than the previous one. Also, each holder of the Flames of Death have been alive for nearly two millennia. They have gone mad with power and cannot be reasoned with. Your only hope is to end their suffering and bring their Flames back here." “Sounds like you have it all cut out for you,” Rainbow placed an arm on Sunset’s shoulder. “You sure you wanna go ahead with this?” Sunset took a deep breath. Sure, Twilight didn’t help in making it sound less scary, but if she wanted to go home, she had no choice. “I’ve got to. Besides… I can’t die, remember?” Sunset Shimmer had finally strapped on her new iron gauntlets over her arms, letting out a sigh of relief that she didn’t take all day to figure it out. Her new armor was a lot lighter than she had first anticipated, but at least they were going to increase her chances of survivability. Even if she couldn’t die permanently, Sunset didn’t want to have to experience it. Plus, Twilight had given her some of that estus thing, so that might help prevent death. Hopefully. Her greaves had been easy enough to get in, seeing as they were almost like the boots she wore back home. All she had to do was make sure the leather straps were tightened, so that she wouldn’t lose a boot halfway in combat. That... would be bad. “Looks like you’re all set,” Rainbow Dash said, leaning against the door frame of the house Sunset had been allowed to use. “I hope so...” Sunset sighed, placing a gloved hand on the back of a worn wooden chair. “This is going to be a long journey. You sure you can’t come with me?” The blue-skinned girl shook her head. “Sorry, Sunset, but I’ve still got a quest of my own. However, if I do end up meeting you in my travels, yeah, I can help out.” “Thanks, Dash.” Sunset didn’t know how this Rainbow Dash would say a goodbye, but she opened her arms and gave her a smile. The rainbow haired girl chuckled and walked in to give Sunset a hug. “You take care out there. Don’t get all cocky just because you can’t die.” “Got it,” Sunset laughed. “Don’t be Rainbow Dash.” “Ha, yeah, I am pretty awesome, aren’t I?” Rainbow pointed a thumb to her face, wearing a smug smile. “That you are, Dash.” Sunset left the building and headed along the cliff’s edge, gazing down to the rocky shore below. According to Twilight, there was a slope around her somewhere that would lead her to her first objective: the first Flame of Death. Waving goodbye to Rainbow Dash, Sunset headed to the outskirts of Fyrlon, eventually finding a set of collapsed steps leading down around the cliffside near the rear of the small town. Making sure she had firm ground beneath her feet, Sunset made her way down, heading away from the safety of Fyrlon, back out into the dangerous unknown of this strange world. No turning back, Sunset. No turning back...