//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: The Firekeeper  
// Story: Only Embers Remain 
// by Gapeagle 
//------------------------------//

"Death shall not take you this day..."

Those words repeated themselves in the mind of the warrior. In the whiteness of her conscious, color began to form in the center of her sight. Her body started to tingle at the ends of her hooves and her muzzle. The colors were mostly dark and plain black. She could see the split sky which did not allow much real sunlight through the tops of whatever was above her. She had no will to move, so her eyes remained focus on the sky.

After a bit longer, she could sense the souls around her. To her left, she felt a soothing flame and to her right, an even more soothing sensation. Her helmet was not on her head, so she could see to her side, but whatever was there, it was too far away for her to see clearly. With some strength, she opened her mouth to speak.

"Anyone there?" she asked.

"I see you've come to," was the answering voice.

The warrior caught the movement of a pony. The silver cloak and yellow-orange fur indicated that it was the pony she saw right before she lost consciousness. This unicorn pony walked over to her and sat on her haunches. She had what looked like a silver crown shielding her eyes.  It was odd to even think she could see at all if it wasn't for the tiny slits in the crown's elaborate engravings. She also had a silver hood that connected to the matching cloak. Red and yellow curls escaped the hood. This mare was not rotten nor even appeared dead, but quite lively. She smiled warmly at the warrior, who only responded with a skeptical glare.

"Where am I?" the warrior asked and tried to get up.

"Please rest," the mare told her. "You are weak and need to rest. I almost lost you when I dragged you to here."

"I asked you a question, mare."

"This is the Hollow Shades. It used to be a village of mainly earth ponies like yourself. Now it is ruins with hollows wandering about."

The warrior looked about to see ancient homes covered in moss and vines around her. The two of them were in what appeared to be the village's center as all the houses faced them in a circle. She also noticed that the soothing flame was right nest to her, but its flame was the smallest she had ever seen. It appeared as if it would snuff out at any given second.

The mare continued. "After you defeated the Centaur of Tartarus-"

"That's what he was? A centaur?" the warrior interrupted.

"Yes. He used to be a lord that was extremely powerful. He would suck the magic from ponies that would make him bigger and stronger. The undead curse ruined him because he could not replenish his powers with the magic-less hollows.  He shrunk for years and years until he was in the state that you found him. Ever since he came to this part of Equestria, you are the first to defeat him."

The warrior sat up. "I was lucky. He tossed me around and I simply got him where I needed to."

The mare levitated a glass of some shiny liquid and brushed up close against the warrior, giving the supposed drink to her. "Perhaps," she said as she gave the warrior the drink, "or you are a warrior meant for great things. The centaur was three times your size at least and just as strong. I've seen countless undead come from the ash hills to meet their end at his claws. Finally, one actually beats him. You're already the most powerful warrior I've witnessed."

The warrior sipped the drink. It was rather sour and she frowned upon drinking it. "What is this?"

"Oh, something the zebras cook up. It's something to feed the undead as you do not eat like the living."

"It's refreshing," the warrior shrugged. "May I have more?"

"It's enough for you. I do not have much of it. Maybe later," the mare said and took the drink away.

The glass levitated away into one of the abandoned homes. The mysterious mare remained close, as if she was afraid to take a step away. The warrior was perplexed by her behavior. Was this a custom of ponies long ago? Not even in her faintest of memories could she recall such actions. The mare seemed to know what she was doing and gestured at the small fire that was barely visible. 

"You may be wondering what I am. I am a Firekeeper. I, well, tend to the flames. I'm certain you've already discovered these small flames before."

"Yes," the warrior said as she got to her hooves. "They are soothing and they...they are wonderful."

"They are small embers left from the First Flame," the Firekeeper explained. "They are Hope and Harmony in corporeal form. They...used to be more common and much more intense. Without care, they fade out of existence, so that is why I must try to keep them lit. Without me, this bonfire would have been lost long ago."

The warrior reached out to the dying flame, making it dance up in delight. The Firekeeper smiled as the warrior brought some needed life to the ember. The soothing intensity from the flames made the warrior relax, giving her the opportunity to release a held-in breath. The two of them then stared at the rising flame with pleasant thoughts.

"Never seen an undead kindle it so," the Firekeeper commented. "There's something special about you, I can feel it."

"Me? Special?" the warrior huffed. "I have no knowledge of this place. I have no knowledge of my purpose."

"You soon will," the Firekeeper sounded hopeful. "As long as you have hope and do not turn hollow, then nothing can defeat you. Hope starts with a name and a memory. A good memory. My name is Sunset Shimmer and I keep memories of my days with Princess Twilight and Princess Celestia long before the curse ever happened. See? So, what is your name?"

The warrior simply shook her head. "I do not know."

The Firekeeper seemed a bit annoyed by the straight answer, but composed herself. "Any memories? A fond one?"

"My memories seem to be there, but I could never describe them. Like a dream that you awoke from but can never fully remember. You simply know it was interesting."

"Well, at least you remember how to dream," the mare smiled. "Keep onto that. That could help. I'm sure you'll begin to remember your past when you become less....undead."

"Less undead? Ha!" the warrior looked down.

"There are ways, trust me. I've seen some undead look even more alive than myself."

"I'm guessing you do not know how otherwise you would tell me."

"Yeah..."

"Then I shall have to get used to this deformed corpse," the warrior said as she looked down at her hooves.

The Firekeeper stood up and walked towards one of the abandoned homes. The warrior raised a brow before standing up as well. The sounds of the Firekeeper's long silver cloak sliding over the grass was by far the loudest noise in the forgotten village. The warrior watched as her own hooves made soggy sounds in the moist earth. As she followed the Firekeeper, she looked around. It was clear the village was never a large one, but it was well-decorated at one time. Statues of rearing ponies surrounded the center of the village and some of the streets were paved with cobblestone. Some of the trees themselves seemed to have had houses built on their massive branches. Some trees were carved from the inside to be actual abodes. 

"The Hollow Shades, huh?" the warrior spoke. "Did you live here?"

"No, never," the Firekeeper answered. "I actually lived in Canterlot and then...elsewhere. I only tend to the fires around here because Equestria is a dangerous land. These woods are rather peaceful compared to them. The centaur was the only threat to me, but he never came after me."

The both of them went inside a house. It was damp and the floor was as mossy as the outside. The door was long gone, so they simply walked through the opening. A half-rotten table was in the middle of the room with a pony skeleton sitting on one of the table's chairs. The Firekeeper did not hesitate and sat at one of the the vacant seats next to the skeleton. She leaned over the table with one of her legs propped up to support her head. The warrior did not take the other seats but instead wandered around to look at the various objects in the home.

Like everything else in the village, there was a vague familiarity to the house. The warrior thought it logical that she once lived in a place much like this, but she found no evidence of it. She paused at seeing a pot. Her hoof picked it up and rotated it. Every time she inspected some common object, she could recall just about everything about it except her personal memories. It was a pot, she knew this, and she understood that it was meant for cooking over a fire, but did she ever cook with one? She could not guess.

"Is this your home, Firekeeper?" the warrior asked after she put the pot back on the counter it was resting on.

"Well, yes. I spend time here when it rains. Most of the time I  spend wandering the nearby areas. Sometimes it's hard to keep myself entertained."

The Firekeeper looked at the skeleton with a slight grin. The pony was an earth pony and the snout was much larger than a mare's skull. A giant crack went down the left side, right through the massive eye hole. The warrior also looked at the skeleton but without the amusement the mare obviously had.

"I named him Fred," the mare chuckled. "He was like this when I arrived here. I named all the skeletons in this place," she frowned and sighed. "It's been lonely."

The warrior took a seat on the other side of the skeleton. "If you can name these bones, cannot you name me? I would like a name."

The Firekeeper hesitated. "That's different. You're not dead. Fred is as dead as they get. He won't even come back hollow. He's a pile of worthless bones, you're still breathing and walking. You have a name and you can remember it. You will remember it. I think you should keep trying to remember it instead of me simply giving you one that isn't really yours."

"Then what shall you call me?"

"A Chosen Undead, Hero. You are special, this is no doubt. Maybe you'll earn a name on your journeys."

"Oh?" the warrior chuckled. "You think that I am going somewhere?"

The Firekeeper frowned in confusion. "Of course. Your work is far from finished. Chosen Undead, there is a world out there that needs to be saved. It needs a sign of Hope. The Fire is fading and it threatens extinction to us all when it finally dies out," her voice lowered. "When the Fire dies, that's when the Darkness takes over. I know little about it, but I know it's not good for Equestria. We need to rekindle the flames."

"All I hear from you is gibberish," the warrior grunted. "Do you actually know what you are talking about?"

The Firekeeper close her mouth before muttering something. "I'm not an expert..."

"That seems clear," the warrior said and stood up from the chair. "The only thing I understand is my thirst for souls."

"And you shall have your fill," the Firekeeper stood up as well. "Listen, across the village from here is a path that runs sharply downhill. If you need a place to start, that's where would I suggest. There is another sane undead along that road as well and she...she is less enthusiastic than me, but she can help you."

The warrior walked out of the house. "I will meet her then. Do you have any of that liquid for me to take on my trip?"

The Firekeeper shook her head. "I would hate to give you more unless you needed it. With the zebras long gone, it's hard to come by. I wish I knew how to make it myself."

The warrior started on her way, but stopped near the small fire in the middle of the village. She was forgetting something. Trying to recall what she was forgetting, she looked down at her hooves. They still possessed the old chain mail and she still had the pauldron on her shoulder. That's it! She did not have her helmet. She turned around to look at the Firekeeper.

"Where did you place my helmet and sword?" she asked.

"The helmet? I threw that piece of garbage away," the mare answered.

"What?" the warrior snarled.

"It was broken after the fight. The visor was detached from the rest of the helmet and it had several cracks in it. It was not going to protect you any longer. As for your sword, it's by the statue of the pegasus. If I were you, I would get a new blade as soon as possible."

"Perhaps..." the warrior muttered to herself before walking over to the statue. The pegasus was flying, but the wings fell off a long time ago. The remains were at the base of the statue sitting in grass and thick moss. The warrior reached over to take hold of the sword in its sheath. The old leather sagged as she wrapped it over her shoulder. 

The Firekeeper stepped out of the house and leaned on a statue of a unicorn. "You be careful out there. Earth ponies don't last long in Equestria these days."

"I think I'm capable."

The Firekeeper breathed through her nose thoughtfully. "I hope so. Just don't let your victory go to your head and please do not go hollow out there. Keep your purpose in mind and keep Hope. If you don't, you'll be just another mindless pony wandering the landscape until eternity's end. It's the only way to not be a hollowed pony."

The warrior raised a brow. "Rather dramatic, wouldn't you say?"

"All my time being here has made me more poetic," the Firekeeper simply shrugged.

The warrior adjusted the straps on her armor and finished her preparations for departure. She turned back to see the Firekeeper sitting on a log next to the fire, kicking her back legs up in the air playfully while whistling a familiar tune. The warrior couldn't help but smile, moving her dying lips into the shape of a grin. 

"Farewell, good Firekeeper," the warrior bowed.

"You can come back at any time," the mare returned with a smile. "I'll be here or by one of the nearby fires. You better stay alive. I want to hear about your upcoming adventures."

"Heh, will do," the warrior chuckled and turned to leave.

It was hard to leave the village as both the Firekeeper and the flame's relaxing aura called to her to stay near. However, there was no hesitation from the warrior as she walked past the last homes and found the path the Firekeeper spoke about. Like she described, the trail did go down a steep hill and into the thick woods. She took her first steps on this unknown path and speedily went down the hill.

The soothing auras faded with distance and she was alone once more. The sounds of the wilderness soon engulfed her. In her mind, she felt ready for any challenge ahead. For could anything be worse than the centaur? Not likely, she thought. So with confidence and energy, she started her trek on a new journey. Where was its end? She did not know. It was her task to find out.


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