It had been two days. Two whole days that Sunset had spent training at what the armored woman had called Firelink Shrine. It was quite the eye opener in terms of fighting, planning, strategy and weapons, but after a while it just became a little boring for Applejack and Twilight wanted to spend time investigating the closed portal back at the school.
During the two days that Twilight used to study the portal, and unfortunately finding nothing new, she also spent time getting to know the human version of her friends. She quickly found great differences among them. Fluttershy – for example – was way less shy than her equestrian double and even though quiet, she could joke and could function normally in the open.
Pinkie Pie was the one that surprised Twilight the most. Though the random hyperactive side of the girl was just like her Pinkie, she also showed signs of maturity, reminding Rainbow of the Homework they still had to do or making calls to see if a student was having problems after the Spring Fling. Pinkie seemed deeply rooted in the real world, in the day to day things, unlike her Pinkie, who acted way more like a little kid, usually seemingly more worried about fun and parties.
Maybe what surprised her the most was how welcomed and comfortable she had felt in the human world. The Apples were as nice and caring as the ones she had met in Equestria, but with them not working on a farm and maintaining a normal schedule through the day allowed her more time to spend with them.
Winston and Anne seemed like a weird pair, but it was clear how much they loved each other. Winston was a very nice human that made Twilight feel welcomed. His gentlemanly manners made her feel at ease and the combination of his unruly blonde hair and gold rimmed eyeglasses gave him an air of academia, though hearing him with his accent that reminded Twilight of ponies from Trottingham alongside Applejack’s thick southern one was hilarious.
Twilight did miss her own world, but with Spike at her side and her group of friends and their families, she felt content for the first time in a long while. She knew that back in Equestria her original set of friends and the princesses were waiting for her to take a mantle. One that she didn’t feel ready for. Not after what happened with Sunset.
For now, the only thing Twilight could do was finally be able to live in the present without the usual pressure of wondering if she was working hard enough for the Princess. In its own way, it was liberating, and Twilight found herself with enough time to enjoy the wonders of her new home. Technology was a miracle in itself, and even though humanity seemed much more bloodthirsty than ponies, even she had to be amazed to how far humankind seemed in comparison with her own species.
Twilight’s desire to knowledge led her to books and later on to the Internet. With some help from the Apple sisters, she quickly understood how to use the search engine to search for online books and it was love at first reading. Now with more things to read than she could imagine, Twilight was almost always found in a computer while other members of the house kept an eye on Sunset’s training. Spike took today’s turn and was very entertained by Madeleine’s training.
Spear clashed with Axe. Shield against shield. Two warriors circling against each other, testing one another’s defense in an endless dance. Of course it was entertaining to Spike who found great pleasure in the mock combat of both women. Ponyville was not exactly the most entertaining of places to live for a young drake. Yeah they sometimes had the odd monster from the Everfree Forest, but they usually got taken care of by the Elements of Harmony. This whole debacle with Sunset seemed taken from a novel of Bloody Pen and his series ‘A Pony of Ice and Fire.’ Twilight would have had a conniption if she knew that Spike was a fan. Considering the amount of death and betrayal that happened in the pages, Spike could understand, but the way the books seemed real and not just another fairytale type of story pulled Spike’s imagination into them. What Sunset was living made him feel as if this Lordran was as real and dark as those books.
Sunset for her part may have not enjoyed the training sessions, but could readily admit that it was for the better. Madeleine was an annoying opponent and so far the undead girl had been incapable of landing a solid hit on her. Always moving with a tight defense, Madeleine was a fighter that could have ended her several times and forced her to revive at the bonfire. Using the shield to block any axe strike, while stepping outside of Sunset’s range, allowed Madeleine control of the battlefield. The redhead had to carefully think every one of her moves and how to approach the battle, which showed how effective the training had been.
With one last kick to her shield Sunset was pushed backwards, but she maintained her defensive stance, much to Madeleine’s joy. In two days, the undead girl had understood the value of a shield, how to wait for a strike, how to move and how to counter attack. While the girl was still green, she could admit that she had great potential.
Lowering her shield and placing her spear on the ground made Sunset understand that practice was over and she could take a break. Undead or not, that didn’t mean she couldn’t get tired, and she would be the first one to confess how gruesome the training had been. Basically having to learn something that took years for others in a couple of days was more than anyone could handle.
“Got to say, you are a surprisingly fast learner,” Madeleine said, while Sunset smiled at the praise.
“What can I say? Having a purpose is a powerful motivator,” Sunset said, making Madeleine laugh. The undead girl was showing how much the older woman’s words meant for her with regards to turning into a Hollow. Both of them stood in silence simply enjoying the quietness of the Shrine before both of them heard heavy footsteps. Someone was getting closer.
What appeared in front of them was a knight wearing very heavy armor and the most ridiculous bowl shaped haircut Sunset had ever seen. The man didn’t even pay attention to them as he walked into another corner of Firelink Shrine.
“A cleric, well, isn’t that interesting?”
“Someone you know?”
“No, but I have an idea of what that man is doing here. I would still prefer to corroborate my suspicions. What do you say Sunset? Want to investigate a little bit?”
“As if I had anything else to do in here,” the undead girl said to her teacher as they both walked in the direction of the cleric. They both found him in a corner full of large vases, as if waiting for someone.
“Hello there. I wasn’t expecting people to be on this place. I am Petrus of Thorolund. Have you any business with me?” the man said with an almost condescending voice that made alarms go in Sunset’s head.
“Thorolund you say? Well, I see that the Way of White sent another cleric in search of the Rite of Kindling.”
“Oh no, I’m not the one who was sent. I’m just waiting for my companions,” the man said and he then stopped talking, acting as if the two women weren’t there at all. Sunset caught the message just like Madeleine and they both left the man to his own musings.
“Well, talk about being unfriendly.”
“Would you be in a good mood if others sent you to your death?”
“Wait, what?”
“The Way of White is a covenant that you should be very wary of. Their mission is to hunt undead and destroy them.”
“So he would try to kill me if he knew what I was?” Sunset asked understanding now why she felt like that standing so close to the cleric.
“Yes, but want to know what is truly weird?”
“Let me guess, what happens to a member when it becomes undead?” Sunset asked with a grin on her face while Madeleine looked pleased.
“Clever girl, but yes, no matter how pious or full of faith a man is, no one is safe of the Darksign and many members become undead. When that happens, they are sent to Lordran in search of something called the Rite of Kindling”
“Well, that doesn’t sound ominous in the slightest.”
“Trust me, it is a good thing, or at least as far as I know. Apparently it’s something that allows a bonfire to grow stronger, but for what purpose, well, only the leaders of the covenant know probably. Either way, that is not the interesting part. The man said he was not the one with the mission.”
“So he was sent in advance to guard someone else from the covenant, but whom?”
“Either a very powerful member of the Way of White or someone who doesn’t know how to defend themself. Worst case scenario? Those two things at the same time.”
“Great. Would it affect what I have planning?”
“Ring the Bell of Awakening? They don’t even care about those things, they only hunt undead. They’re not searching for a cure, which makes your own pilgrimage much more important that whatever they’re doing. So what do you plan to do now Sunset Shimmer?”
Sunset took several seconds to think about an answer. She knew there were two Bells that she had to ring before she could finish her promise to Oscar, and she knew where to start.