//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7: Spirits Among the Swamps 
// Story: Only Embers Remain 
// by Gapeagle 
//------------------------------//

The area south of the mountains was a large swamp. It was the liveliest place the warrior had seen thus far as it was even inhabited by insects and other vermin. She had to constantly swipe her short tail and wave her hooves to keep the bugs off her. The rats, muskrats, and other creatures appeared just as undead as she did. Their rotten hides scrambled away from her whenever she approached them. She was happy that at least one thing was not trying to kill her.

It did not take long for her to find another ember of the First Flame. With all the tingling souls in the swamp, it was a bit difficult to decipher which one of them was a fire and which one was a frog or bird. However, she did single one out and followed a small trail to the small flame that was located at an intersection of three other trails. With how there were wooden benches and the bushes were cleared in a circle. It was obvious this was some resting place for travelers on the weary road.

She touched the flame and it grew like always. It made her smile and she sat down next to it. The sounds of the wetlands were loud and distracting, but she could not be upset at it. The cave was dark, lonely, and silent; the very opposite of this boisterous bog. She welcomed the noise now.

Since the sky refused to change, she could not tell what time it was or how long she had been sitting there. One half bright with the sun, the other half dark with the silver moon. She knew this was not normal for Equestria, despite not remembering how it was before she pulled herself out of the ash. 

She pulled her helmet off and looked at it. Once again, it forced her to try to remember her past. This helmet meant something to her. It was of unspeakable value, but she could not remember why this was the case. All she could do was stare into the helmet and see her own hideous reflection. 

"Chosen Undead, are you well?" a familiar voice asked.

"What? Who's there?" the warrior looked about.

"Look at the fire."

The warrior did so and saw the Firekeeper's face be formed by the small flames. She blinked in confusion at first, but then stood up and raised a brow. 

"How are you doing that?" she asked.

"It is an ability we Firekeepers know. Um, are there any enemies about?" she gently asked and her head turned in every direction.

"No, the swamp tingles with souls, but nothing hostile."

The Firekeeper smiled. "Good, I'll be right there."

The warrior was about to ask what she meant, but she immediately found out. The Firekeeper's head was becoming solid and soon legs and her robes were being created by the flames. Like pulling oneself out of mud, the Firekeeper pulled her body out of the flames. At first, the warrior thought she was an illusion of some sort, but it was apparent that she was absolutely real. She watched Sunset's full body and clothes come forth from the flame and soon the Firekeeper was standing in front of her as if she had been there the whole time.

The warrior was flabbergasted. "But how?"

The Firekeeper giggled. "Oh it's nothing. The embers are connected to each other as they all came from the same source. They are connected through Hope and Harmony. With that, one can teleport from one ember to another, though only if the flame is doing well. It takes plenty of energy for a teleport, that's why the fire is not as tall as before. One cannot do it over and over again unless she can feed it well. You can do it as well. Well, you can't do the face thing I did. Only Firekeepers can do that."

"Then why are you here? There must be more reason than just to say hello," the warrior frowned.

"Oh, cheer up," the Firekeeper nudged her. "You should be glad I visit you. Oh alright, here's why I'm here. I was at the Hollow Shades like usual and I felt your soul go through immense pain. I knew you were in trouble. I felt this many times in previous undead heroes. Their soul grows and grows in its final moments before being consumed by another being. It's like adrenaline. Well, I felt this in you and I thought you had died. However, your soul was never snuffed out, so I knew you succeeded. I wanted to make sure you were doing well. You ignited this fire and I took the opportunity to check on you."

"Well, that's considerate of you. I fought with a manticore. A large one that guarded the end of the cavern like a watchdog."

"I know the manticore well," the Firekeeper nodded. "He was tamed by the Fluttershy, the Bearer of Kindness."

"'Tamed?' There were mass graves before I met the beast. He had eaten all those poor ponies, I know it."

"Most likely yes," the Firekeeper sat down on one of the benches. "The Bearers are not like they were before. This curse has turned them into creatures much worse than hollow ponies. I actually knew Fluttershy...in a way. She was shy and gentle. She always needed someone to help her up otherwise she would be too scared to do it herself, heh. Yeah, she's nothing like that now. I would not be surprised if she made her manticore devour Celestia's soldiers."

"There was another thing in there. It was moving mass of corpses. Something as grotesque as imaginable. I couldn't kill it and had to run past it."

"Never heard of such a thing. This land is twisted. The undead curse does much more than make ponies undead. It can do some disgusting things and it's just..." she didn't finish and instead shuttered. "The curse needs to be lifted. You need to rekindle the flames and start a new era. It's the only way."

The warrior looked at the fire again. "Your friend, Octavia doesn't think so. At least, not from how she spoke."

"Octavia is as stubborn as a mule. Don't believe everything she tells you. Needless to say, she's been through a lot and is not willing to accept anything positive these days."

The warrior looked at the ground thoughtfully. "I guess so."

"Oh, and I brought more of that drink," the Firekeeper said and with her magic, pulled out a little jar of the sour drink.

"Thank goodness," the warrior grinned and took the jar quickly.

She did not hesitate to start drinking it. One gulp after the other. Lots of the liquid seeped through the rotten holes in her cheeks, sliding down onto her armor. This made the Firekeeper visibly gag at how disgusting the display was. The liquid was soon finished and the warrior sadly gazed upon the now empty jar.

"Any more?" the warrior asked but knew what the answer would be.

"No," the Firekeeper shook her head. "There are only a few jars and bottles left in Hollow Shades. The only way I can get more if you find me some zebras."

"Do you know where they are?"

"Of course not. I've never left Equestria to visit the other nations. I don't know if they are north, south, east, or west. Though there was one living in Ponyville, which is far west of here under the shadow of Canterlot."

"Canterlot...that's where I need to go, isn't it?"

"The First Flame lies within the top of Canterlot's mountain. It's one of the highest peaks in Equestria. If you are to rekindle the First Flame, you will need to climb to that very peak. Don't worry; I have faith in you, Chosen Undead."

"Then it shall be done," the warrior stood up and threw the empty bottle away in a bush. 

"Before you head out, I think I need to tell you this. This is Hayseed Swamp, a massive bog that used to be well south of here. As you see, it's gotten much bigger. Um, Fluttershy made this place into a refuge way back and it housed plenty of ponies and animals. She made a church called the Church of Kindness and it is along this trail here. I believe she is still in this church."

"Is this a warning?" the warrior raised a brow.

"Yes, it very much is a warning. Be safe, Chosen Undead. I wish you well and I'll return to Hollow Shades. Be free to visit me through the teleportation."

The warrior only nodded without a sound. The Firekeeper took the silence as her time to leave. She walked over to the small embers and placed her hoof on the sword that marked the fire. Starting with her outstretched leg, her body began to peel off into ash. It kept going until her whole body was consumed and nothing was left but the ash and sparks that now flew into the air. The warrior watched curiously at the painful looking form of transportation. The Firekeeper uttered nothing and was gone in an almost graceful exit.

With the Firekeeper gone, the warrior adjusted her armor and began to walk down the path to go even deeper into the swamps. Each soggy step brought her closer to the green and black waters that went on in every direction. As she went on, she only now felt like she was too rough with the Firekeeper. Sunset Shimmer only meant well for her, right? 

The warrior stopped and looked back, but the ember was out of sight by now. "She leads me on only in words though. She's a unicorn no? She has the abilities to use fire to display her image but she refuses to go along side me in this vague quest. Hm. I have to make sure I'm not some pawn of hers..."


~~~


The swamp, much like the cave, appeared to have no end. The trees in the murky waters grew taller and taller and the deepness of the swamp's pits grew deeper and deeper. There was no doubt she was heading towards the heart of the enormous bog. The birds in the branches sung loud songs to her. The frogs yelled at her when she passed them. Nothing but animals was around. 

That was until she stopped to listen to the congested air. The groans of hollows could be heard ahead. This made her put her mouth on her sword's handle before going forward. She brushed aside a bush to see the hollows that were interrupting the more natural sounds of the swamp. The four ponies were in the same red robes as the ones she found in the cavern. 

With no hesitation, she approached them. Unlike the cavern hollows, they did not turn to look at her. They all stared down the path and swayed their rotten heads back and forth as if listening to some melodic song. The warrior paused to try and listen to what they were hearing, but she heard nothing. 

Even when she was directly behind a hollow, they did nothing but stay sitting and remain staring. The warrior brought her blade and shoved through a hollow's back, making it stick out of the chest. The hollow gave a pathetic groan before dying. She was expecting this to snap the other hollows out of their trance, but still they did not budge. 

"What are you doing?" she harshly addressed the three remaining hollows.

When they did not respond, she looked down at the dead hollow. The warrior instantly noticed a large necklace on the hollow. She bent down and inspected it by lifting it in her hoof. It was a pink gem in the shape of a butterfly. The warrior snapped the necklace off the dead hollow and sat down, looking intently at it. Just like the Royal Guard's helmet, she knew what this necklace symbolized. 

"Kindness...this means kindness," she rubbed her temple. "I must be nearing the church."

"Kindness...!" the three hollows whispered into the air upon hearing her utter that precious word.

The warrior heeded their words. They were refugees that fled to the Church of Kindness. Well, at one time they were. The warrior slid the necklace into her armor to keep. Maybe it could bring luck. 

"If Sunset's warning is true, I'll need all the luck in this world."


~~~