Only Embers Remain

by Gapeagle

Chapter 8: Chaotic Perspective

The warrior sat down on a fallen tree. She had been walking for an hour or two since leaving the Firekeeper's company. More and more dry land began to pop up, but it was still surrounded by an endless swamp. She twirled her sword's sharp tip in the mid, making a little round hole.

"I hope I'm not walking in circles," she said to herself and then paused. "I can't be. It all looks similar but not exact. I should mark the trees from now on."

With a grunt, she took her helmet off. It still rung with the eerie presence of memories. There was something she knew deep inside and all she needed to do was bring it up to the surface of her mind. She had still been wondering about why the helmet called to her so deeply ever since she found it in the cave. Not even the fight with the manticore could make her forget this tormenting feeling that all her answers were staring right at her, just begging to be noticed.

"What are you telling me?" she asked the helmet.

"Isn't it a peaceful night? It almost seems that we've been at peace this whole time. Not a single fight in the world right now. I want this feeling to last forever, you know? Hm, it won't last. If the world became that peaceful, we'd be out of a job."

"Oh! Not this again!" the warrior huffed. "I'm going more and more insane by the second!"

She threw the helmet on the ground, staining its gold finish with mud. The warrior instantly regretted her actions and got up from the fallen tree to retrieve the precious piece of armor. She picked it up and looked at herself in its reflection once more. She wanted to believe that the voice she kept hearing was a figment of her imagination, but she knew without a doubt that the voice was straight from her suppressed memories.

The warrior was about to put the helmet back on when she felt a large presence of souls fly by her. No sound was made, but the tingling was so strong that she dropped the helmet. Her eyes darted around. The terrible noises of the swamp were now silenced. She immediately wished the sounds to return as the sound of her own decaying breath brought shivers to her spine.

"Show yourself!" she barked, creating an echo that had no reply.

The souls remained around her. It was a presence she had never felt before. The souls felt like they were a part of the air itself, constantly moving and gliding through the trees and bushes. There was no order to them, no bodily arrangement. Could they be loose souls? She had never heard of such a thing, but with how they felt to her, she would believe it.

"I have fought a centaur and a great manticore! You are no match for me!" she yelled again.

This time, there was a reply. A slow, sarcastic clap rung through the air. There seemed to be no direction, no origin of the sound. The warrior felt sweat on her brow and pulled her sword up and front in defense. She had no corner to back into, so she kept turning in place.

"Bravo, you little warrior, you," said a mocking voice.

"Face me!" the warrior shouted.

"As you wish."

A rock in front of the warrior turned into a replica of her face. The warrior stood stunned by the action. It was simply her face on the surface of a mossy stone. She was confused by this, but held her ground.

"Is this a joke?" she asked.

"Well, I thought it was funny!" the voice said.

"Enough games! I am on a quest and you sir, are wasting my time."

"A quest? Well, why didn't you say so!"

The warrior's sword disappeared in a white flash and was replaced by a horrific snake-like monster. She screamed and let go of the sword creature, who fell to the ground. The creature stood up, showing itself to be much, much bigger than her. It was a mixture of many animal parts, but the main things were a goat-like head, a lion paw, a griffin claw, and brown furry body, a lizard foot, a goat's hoof, and a dragon's tail.

"Ah!" the warrior screamed. "Back! Get back!" she cried while flailing her legs.

"Oh come on! You've seen worse than me!" the monster rolled his eyes.

"Get back! Ge-"

"Be quiet, my dear," he shushed her. "I mean no direct harm. I am Discord, the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. I love to visit these swamps once in a while."

"Give me my sword back!" the warrior snarled.

"It's very, very hard to find a pony that I can talk to," he sighed, "and the first one I meet in such a long time only cares about a crummy piece of metal. Give me a break. It's obvious you're not hollow, so act like it, hm?"

"Fine?" the warrior sat in an upright position and remained silent.

"Well now!" he slithered closer to her. "You mentioned that you are on a quest. How exciting! A pony that is willing to actually get up and do something? It's deliciously preposterous! What, pray tell, leads you through the Hayseed Swamps?"

"I am trying to rekindle the First Flame," she stated with uncertainty as she found her sword inside a tree trunk and pulled it out.

"Really?" he guffawed. "You can't be serious!"

She frowned at him. "What makes you doubt me?"

He paused and his face was directly in front of hers. "Well, for starters, you don't seem to be so selfless. I watched you stab that Follower of Kindness like he was nothing. I've been watching you ever since you left that fire on the trail. Oh yes, I saw you with dear little Sunset Shimmer, that cute but naive Firekeeper. You don't actually believe her, do you? She upholds you like you are the savior of Equestria, but all you want to do is kill and eat."

The warrior became annoyed with the draconequus. "What of it? She can be right. I will satisfy my hunger and I'll save this world. I do not want to live in this pit!"

He smiled. "You also don't want to be living in that rotten state, do you? You want to be a fully-fleshed pony again. From your determined look, of which on a normal pony would look absolutely adorable, I'd say that I'm right and that you know full well how to regain Harmony."

"I am heading to the Church of Kindness to kill the Bearer Fluttershy. Her Harmony will restore me."

Discord's smile disappeared. In a flash he appeared on a red couch that was floating above the swampy earth. With a scowl, he laid himself across the couch.

"You want to do what?" he said lowly.

The warrior stood up and began to walk away. "This has nothing to do with you. You are wasting my time!"

"I wouldn't go to the church if I were you," he said after her.

"Enough with the warnings. I've fought beasts and centaurs! What is one pony?"

"Bwahaha!" Discord began to laugh hysterically. "Oh, this is going to be priceless! You know what? Go on! Go after my dear Fluttershy. You don't stand a chance against her. You'll die again and again to her. You'll go hollow like the rest of ponykind and I'll laugh! I'll laugh at you!" Hahaha! Go on, brave warrior!" His laughing slowed down and a devious grin was on his lips. "Go on and get your Harmony."

She looked back at him, but he was gone. The warrior glanced about just to make sure he was not hovering above her. All the noise of the swamps was gone as if it never existed. It was an ominous silence that now covered the bog, making the warrior extremely uneasy.

"Discord?" she called out nervously. Nothing answered like she expected.

She put her helmet back on before heading off once more. Her mind stayed on the draconequus and his mocking words. Maybe this pony was more than she realized.

---

"The Church of Kindness..."

The warrior stopped to see the grand cathedral that towered over the swamp. It was built on a steep hill that one could argue was a small mountain. On the slopes of this hill were stone houses and at the base of the hill was a short, but thick, wall. One flight of steep steps led from the gates of the small town all the way to the front entrance of the church. The warrior stood there for some moments in pure awe.

With dry ground leading to the gates, the warrior had an easy time reaching the town. More and more hollows in their red robes appeared, but like the others, they remained docile to the intruder in their midst. Instead of stabbing them for their pathetic souls, she ignored them and climbed the steps.

It was a long and uneasy climb. The steps were so steep that it almost seemed a vertical climb. She evened her breathing and pushed onward. She had to climb the steps. She had to get her Harmony back and restore her body to its former glory. Every time she saw her rotten hooves, it gave her reason to keep going up.

She panted and leaned on the grand door of the church. The door had a massive stone engraving of three butterflies, the symbol of Kindness. The butterflies shouted for joy and peace in a land that knew neither. The Church of Kindness was a refuge forgotten and unable to help anypony.

The warrior placed her hooves on the door. The low humming of a beautiful song could be heard echoing inside. It was a loving, heartfelt tune. The warrior almost stopped as to not interrupt the whimsical humming, but her yearning for Harmony was too great. Her quest could not end here, she thought. So she pushed with her legs and opened the door. The screeching of the stone doors silenced the music and boldly announced her arrival.

It was time to confront the Bearer of Kindness.

~~~~~

Comments

[Gapeagle]

7531186 I know. There was some huge influx of Dark Souls fics (including mine). Hopefully we are plenty unique and each one can take a different spin on the same subject.

[badninja]

Yea I agree with Discord here our hero is not ready for Fluttershy. Hopefully she looses this cavalier attitude quick in this battle our she will be in for one tough fight.

[Not so New Brony]

we'd be out of__job

unless that line was spoken in a stereotypical russian accent, I do believe you're missing a word.

Huh, so Discord is still around and not undead(?) Wonder if he still visits Fluttershy or does he simply stay in the background, watching the events unfold as a not so silent observer.

[Gapeagle]

7531517 it is time to play Drunk Souls: Prepare to Vodka Edition.

7531269 there is always that point where the player is like "I got this" when he really, really, really doesn't.