To Keep the Fire Burning

by DannyJ

Chapter 6: The Legend Never Dies

When I awoke on the rising day after my encounter with the Darkwraiths, I was not expecting anything too eventful to occur. The previous day's adventure had already been quite enough for me, and I was looking forward to some quiet relaxation, spending time with Sunset, and getting in some practice with that fiery sword that Anvil had promised me.

Instead, I woke up to a cacophony. The crusaders had arrived, and the cellar where the Apple Family had housed me was already filling up. Several dozen pony Cleric-Knights were settling in and claiming the other beds around the room. Though their weapons, shields and heraldry were often different, they all had the same style of loose-fitting armour with enormous shoulder pads, just like Sir Penance had worn.

I blinked, still half-asleep, and glanced to the bed next to me. Sunset was already gone, same as yesterday. I thought about going to search for her, but I didn't trust all these strange soldiers with my property. Despite the risk of losing my bed, I tiredly put my armour on (minus my helmet, which I was just able to fit into one of my saddlebags), and left the cellar in full gear.

I wasn't prepared for the scale of the encampment above. Up on the surface, the Acres were so densely packed that I could scarcely believe it. Overnight, the Church had set up white and gold tents everywhere, from the formerly open ground around the bonfire, all the way into the orchard, and right over to the barrel house too. Some of them were tiny camping tents, while others were massive, big enough to host a party inside, and sounded as if they were being used for exactly that. Rising plumes of smoke dotted the encampment, coming from the many campfires that small gatherings of crusaders had started.

All around, the crusaders milled about. The majority were Cleric-Knights, either off duty or in full gear. They were mostly equines and griffons, with the occasional changeling. Some held themselves with a dignified, haughty countenance, but others were broken, wounded, and demoralised. I'd heard tales about soldiers who found themselves unable to cope with the realities of war, but some of these people looked haunted. I walked by one who just sat alone on a bench, coat matted with dried blood, staring vacantly at a helmet in his hooves. I could only imagine what he'd been through in that forest.

Then there were the Chaos Paladins.

To say that they were a bizarre bunch would be understating it. My previous experience with Great Victory and Small Nicety had not begun to prepare me for these people. Every single one of them was their own variety of strange, and I saw plenty of them as I walked around the Acres.

One minotaur bull rolled around in a mud puddle, rubbing his nipples while reciting White holy scripture from memory. Another casually leaned against a tent, looking all cool and serious, except for the fact that he had two sticks of celery stuck up his nose. Around one corner, I ran into a black-and-white-striped pony balancing upright on a wooden crate, preaching the evils of shrubbery gardens and how they all needed to be destroyed, especially King Aspen's garden in Thicket.

Every new sight was weirder than the last. One of the Chaos Paladins was a huge, horned, bovine-looking creature who had dyed himself pink, shaved his back, and tattooed a cactus on himself. Another was an axe-wielding earth stallion who was covered from head to hoof in live snakes. He lumbered about aimlessly, shouting something about "the Great Ones," and when I made direct eye contact with him, he hissed and fled.

These people made themselves obvious, to say the least.

Besides the crowdedness and the Chaos Paladins being weird, the thing that struck me the most about the encampment were the smells. Everywhere I went, something was cooking, either over a campfire or over a barbecue. The Chaos Paladins were roasting everything from marshmallows to cardboard, and one particular group were even cooking a screaming live chicken; I had to cover my ears and run away from that last one before it made me retch. The pony Cleric-Knights, on the other hoof, generally preferred stews and soups, cooked in pots over the campfires. The air was full of their aromas, of the smells of vegetables, spices, and sometimes cooked meats.

I stopped by one campfire where four minotaurs were frying eggs, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Compared to everything else around, this seemed more like a real breakfast, and I was tempted to sit down and join them. But were all the crusaders here sharing their food freely? Or was each campfire host to a specific social group cooking only for themselves? I didn't want to commit a faux pas by presuming entitlement to their food.

Then one of the minotaurs cracked an egg on his forehead and began smearing the yolk over his face, and I realised that these individuals probably didn't even understand what manners were.

I grabbed a plate from a nearby pile, sat down on a tiny wooden chair, and served myself some eggs. None of the host even questioned my presence at first, though one of them looked at me with a raised eyebrow for a second before returning to his food.

As I ate, a fifth minotaur came to join the group, sitting down next to me. He wore two eyepatches, one of which had a hole in it that he could stare at me through. I ignored him at first. But seconds stretched into minutes, and he didn't stop staring, expressionless the whole time. Finally, I put my plate aside and turned to him, meeting his gaze but saying nothing.

"You look like a big pile of ashes," said the double-eyepatch minotaur.

I was taken aback by that, and I think it showed on my face, but still I kept quiet. One of the other minotaurs, the one who'd given me the raised eyebrow earlier, sat up suddenly.

"That's what you reminded me of!" he said, pointing a finger at me. "Yes! Ashes! A big old pile of grey crud, all burnt out! Look at you! You're positively hideous!"

By this point, I realised what they were doing. It was the same as what Victory and Nicety had done. They were attempting to shock a reaction out of me by being random. I wasn't even sure if they really meant the insult or not. It certainly didn't make much sense as an insult. My mane was black and my coat was orange. I looked nothing like ash.

At least I thought so, until looked down at my own hooves and realised how dull my coat was. It was like my colour was bleeding away. Before, my coat had been fiery and alive. Now it looked washed out. The orange was still there, but it was definitely going grey. It reminded me of Carrot Cake. He still had a hint of his original colour, but he was barely holding onto it. And then there were the hollows of Ponyville, who were nothing but grey. I hadn't even realised I looked this bad. Was that how close I was to hollowing?

I screamed internally as I stared at my hooves, but I was determined not to show it to the Chaos Paladins. I slowly looked up, to the bull with the eyepatches. He grinned at me.

Oh, look at me. I'm a Chaos Paladin. I'm so unpredictable. I can say any random combination of words and watch you flounder trying to make sense of me. Aren't I amazing?

Well, two could play at that game.

I kept my face steady and forced myself to appear outwardly calm, just as he had done; it wouldn't do to let him know how much he'd actually gotten to me. Then I leaned over and grabbed the minotaur by the mouth. Now it was his turn to be weirded out, as I wrenched it open to inspect his teeth.

"Why are you not a dentist?" I asked, saying whatever came to mind. "Don't you ever feel like you went wrong in life? Like you should have been crusading against tooth decay, but crusaded against deer instead, and everything spiralled out of control from there?"

The minotaur blinked.

"W-Wha?" he said, not resisting me.

"No, really. Think of how clean your teeth could be. And instead, you're letting the plaque win. Why?"

His single visible eye widened, and he stared at me for a second, agape. I let go of him, dropped back onto all fours, and stepped away. He looked at me like I'd grown a second head. I would've smiled if it wouldn't have ruined the effect.

See? I can be an annoying idiot too.

"It can't be..." he whispered.

He stood up and bolted away, running off into the maze of tents.

"The promised time has come!" he screamed. "He is awoken! He is awoken!"

That was weird, but at least he was gone now. I nonchalantly returned to my breakfast, while the other four minotaurs looked at me curiously. The one with egg on his face gave me an approving nod. The other one who had insulted me produced a feathered pillow from somewhere and held it over his own face while he screamed into it. For no apparent reason, the other two each drew nine-tailed whips and began flogging each other bloody. I just ate my eggs and tried to ignore them.

Get on my level, Chaos Paladins.

---

Chapter 6:
The Legend Never Dies

---

The bonfire seemed as good a place as any to finally start looking for Sunset, so I navigated the mess of tents as best I could and moved in the general direction of the barn.

Along the way, I passed through numerous other campsites, where there were plenty more strange sights. My favourite was the minotaur skeleton. I found him alone by one campfire, sitting on a rock. He had a spiked wagon wheel lodged in his ribcage, with one arm and one leg on either side of the wheel. When I stopped to look at him, his skull snapped sideways, and his empty sockets glared back at me.

A masculine voice echoed from his skull, even as his jaw remained still.

"What are you looking at, walker?"

"I, um..." I stammered, backing away.

The skeleton rose to his full height. "You came to wrong camp if you didn't want a spooking! Now stand still and let me eat your skin!"

Needless to say, I ran away. He didn't give chase, but he screamed after me as I fled.

"You can't escape your fate forever, you rotting sack of meat! We're all skeletons underneath! The Age of the Skeleton Wheel will come!"

At least the encounter had succinctly answered my question about whether skeletal undead could retain consciousness.

When I finally emerged from the tent maze, there were at least two dozen changelings sitting around the bonfire, as well as changelings in pony form. A few were naked, but most were in Cleric-Knight armour. No sign of Crestfallen's chainmail, though. One of the Cleric-Knight changelings had a guitar, and was playing along as he led the others in a jaunty little song.

"Oh, I'm burn-ing!
Oh, I'm bright!
I am the fi-re!
Shining through the night!
Oh, I'm glow-ing!
Yes, that's right!
I am the fi-re!
I am the light!"

I knew this one. My grandmother also used to sing it. Never liked it much myself. Too corny.

I spotted Apple Bloom's red robes easily in the crowd. She wasn't singing along with them, but she was fairly into it, bobbing her head in time with the music and smiling widely. I waved to her as I approached, and she waved back and rose from her seat. The changelings shifted to make way for her as she came over to me.

"Mornin', Firelink," she said.

"Good morning. This place seems busy today."

"Yeah. The second wave arrived last night as the first returned. They brought all this with them. Ah think they're gonna set up a permanent encampment here now for the duration."

"That'll be... interesting."

"Sure will. By the way, Sunset wanted me to pass along a message if Ah saw ya. She's leaving later today, and she wanted to see ya again before she went."

Leaving?

The news struck a blow, but I knew it shouldn't have. Obviously she had her own goals to pursue. Even before I found out that she was the legendary Phoenix Knight, I'd known that she was on her own quest. And I was still trying to make my own way back home. It was inevitable that we would part eventually, but I just hadn't been expecting it so soon.

"Oh... Thank you. Do you... know where I could find her?"

"She went to find the command tent on the other side of the camp. Wanted to talk with the Church bigwigs. But she'll be back at the house again later."

I raised an eyebrow. "What does she want with the crusade leaders?"

"That Ah don't know, but she's gotten herself an audience with Sir Daybright, at least."

So, that was Sir Daybright representing the Cleric-Knights, and Father Honest Heart for the Pardoners of Luna. There were allegedly Blades of the Darkmoon along on the crusade as well, who were subservient to the Pardoners, though I hadn't actually seen any yet. That was already three of the Church's holy sections present. And of course, Sir Loving Heart and Sister Pilgrimage were also around, so the Embraced Knights of Cadance and the Sisters of Solace were technically present too. Between all of them and the Chaos Paladins, the crusaders were a diverse bunch.

Not for the first time, I wondered what exactly the deer had done to warrant the anger of so many people.

"Well... I'll be sure to see her at first opportunity, then."

Apple Bloom nodded.

"By the way, Anvil also wanted me to say, he's already started work on the blade, an' you can pick it up whenever he's done. Should be short work, he says. In fact, Ah think he may be done already; this was several hours ago."

"Oh good. I'll go see him now. Thanks again."

Because it was impossible to go five steps without running into a Chaos Paladin doing something bizarre, I was of course stopped before I got to Anvil's forge. The barn doors were closed anyway, but a group of minotaurs, cattle, and ponies in various states of bizarre dress had set up an art class immediately in front of them. A stallion with a bag over his face was demonstrating clay sculpting to his students.

My eyes locked onto the teacher's sculpture, and I gave a light gasp when I realised that I knew its subject. It was the chimera from the Shrine of Sunlight's murals, the one that Celestia and Luna were striking down.

Discord, I realised. The Devil who destroyed Paradise.

The art teacher noticed my gawping and waved.

"Hello there!" he said in a cheerful tone. "Come and join us, pilgrim! Learn artistic expression with us, for creativity is the purest form of chaos! We are sculpting the image of the Father of Demons, but you may realise any vision you wish!"

If the name "Father of Demons" implied what I thought it did about Discord, then I had no idea why anybody would want to worship him as the Chaos Paladins did. Every new thing I learned about Discord just made him sound more evil, and more thoroughly convinced me that his followers were all insane.

"Uh... no thank you. I was just passing through."

The art teacher shrugged. "Okay. Walk in chaos, brother!"

If Anvil was inside his forge, then he was trapped in there until the art class left. That in mind, my best hope for finding him was to go knock on the farmhouse door, so I did so. Unlike in my dreams, somepony answered. The door opened a crack, and Granny Smith peeked out.

"Sir Firelink?" she said. "Y'here for Anvil, right?"

"Um, yes, but I'm not a kni—"

"Wait here."

The door slammed shut again, and I was left waiting. A minotaur came over, uninvited, and started rubbing my shoulders, but I shooed him away before Granny Smith returned. Anvil was with her this time, carrying the bastard sword I'd picked out yesterday in its scabbard. Granny Smith shut the door on him as soon as he stepped outside.

"What's her deal today?" I asked.

Anvil sighed. "The Chaos Paladins ain't the most well-behaved, as you may have noticed. Granny don't like to leave the doors unlocked when they're around; they get up to all sorts of mischief."

"Really? I wouldn't have guessed."

"Heh." He held out the scabbard before me. "Well, here it is. As promised."

"You're a fast worker."

"A cutie mark is a wonderous thing."

I gripped it with my magic, and lifted it into the air. Anvil stepped back. Grabbing the sword by the hilt, I slowly removed it from the scabbard, and the blade was instantly set ablaze. It roared to life, red and yellow and orange, as the flames danced along its length. After the initial flare, they died down again, crackling away quietly. But the fire remained bright, and warmth radiated from it.

"It's beautiful..." I said, mesmerised.

The fire reflected in Anvil's eyes as he looked at me.

"This here... Ah won't pretend it's my best, but it's dependable. You take care of that sword, and it'll carry you far. The nice thing about weapons is that they never betray you."

I sheathed my new sword, and hung its scabbard on my right side as I removed my old one. Trixie's broadsword wasn't anything special, but as I held it before me, I considered Anvil's words. After thinking on it, I put the broadsword on my left side. I didn't expect I'd ever fight with two swords at once like that Darkwraith had done, but it was good to have a backup, and the sword was light enough compared to my armour that the extra weight was negligible.

"The best weapons all have names, you know," said Anvil. "Some say it's presumptive to name a weapon that hasn't yet drawn blood, but... I prefer to think of it as lucky."

I drew the bastard sword again, and gave it a swish, feeling how its weight parted the air. It was a good sword. It seemed deserving of a name.

"...Brightflame," I said, tasting the name on my tongue.

Anvil nodded his approval as I sheathed it once more.

"Thank you, Anvil. I'll treasure it always."

"All Ah ask is that ya use it well, friend. Wherever you go once you move on from here, whatever may come, you stay safe. Ya hear me? Neither of us wants to see you go hollow."

I cleared my throat. "I... I don't know what to say."

"Nothing more to say, is there?"

I smiled, and he smiled back.

"Well... thanks again, Anvil. For everything. I'll see you later, alright?"

"Eeyup. Take care, Firelink."

After we parted ways, I soon realised that I didn't really have anything else to do. Short of finding Sunset at the command tent, which was easier said than done in a camp this unorganised, there was nothing else for it but to wander about and see what was going on.

Let's see what new adventures await me, then.

---

"You sound a fool!" said a minotaur with a goat on his shoulders, laughing. "Sir Daybright. Ha! The Legend could wipe the floor with your Sir Daybright! Do you have any idea how difficult it is to levitate objects with chaos magic? And he uses it to fight with a greatsword!"

The goat bleated in agreement.

"It's not about magical power," said a smiling Cleric-Knight stallion. "If it were, they'd call the Lady of Dusk the greatest warrior of our age. Swordwork is what matters, magical or otherwise. True, Sir Daybright is no great mage like your Legend, but he has discipline, skill, and the strength to go with it. It's not just any knight that can wield Grant and Sanctus. Sir Daybright is a top-tier fighter."

I'd joined another campfire group after a little more wandering. This one in particular had caught my interest because of its rare display of camaraderie between Chaos Paladins and Cleric-Knights. The White followers at this fire were much less dour than the others, and freely shared food, drink, and conversation with a trio of minotaurs. They were all very cheery, joking and laughing and having pointless arguments like this one.

"Look, I'm proud of our glorious leader too, but let's not exaggerate," said a Cleric-Knight mare. "I mean, he's good, but he's no Warrior of Sunlight or anything."

"He's still definitely better than the Legend."

The minotaur with the goat on his shoulders gave a derisive snort. "The Legend once killed four Darkwraiths by himself. Can Sir Daybright claim the same?"

The smiling stallion rolled his eyes. "Likely story."

"It's true," said another of the minotaurs, a musclebound one with red fur. "It's one of his most famous feats."

"Uh-huh. And how, exactly, did he defeat multiple Darkwraiths alone? Do you even know what a Darkwraith is? They're super strong, super fast, and super durable. They are, in fact, the sole reason why the Equestrian midlands are so depopulated. All the great heroes and all the military might of old Equestria couldn't stop them. Only the holy bonfires work. So how, pray tell, does some masked maniac with a greatsword succeed where the kingdom of the gods failed?"

Well, that was definitely an exaggeration. Killing Darkwraiths couldn't be that difficult if I could do it.

The minotaurs smirked.

"You buy too much into their mystique," said the one with the goat. "Darkwraiths may fool you into thinking otherwise, but they are mortal. Stab them, and they die. They're just people who have more power than we do. Same as the Warriors of Sunlight. Same as your Sir Daybright. Same as the Legend. In fact, there are factions of the Chaos Paladins who believe that there are no gods, not even Discord himself. Only power and those who would wield it."

"I'm sure the gods would disagree quite strongly about that."

"Then let them voice it! But even you would not argue that the Darkwraiths are gods. Impervious, Sir Red Rose, the Knightslayer, these are all names we fear, but Darkwraiths bleed just as we do. I've seen it. And trust me, there are names the Dark fears, too."

I wondered to myself if Sir Black Iron was among those names.

More than that, though, I wondered about just how powerful the Darkwraiths were. To hear the Cleric-Knights speak of them, they were monsters of legend, ancient evils, so much more powerful than regular ponies that the very idea of one guy killing four of them was immediately dismissed. And Sunset was one of the greatest heroes to ever live, and she'd only been doing moderately well against one of them, albeit at a disadvantage with her lack of either a shield or a second sword.

And yet, I saw more truth in what the Chaos Paladins were saying. Yes, the mute had come off like a menacing ancient evil, but the vandal had just seemed like an idiot with a big mouth. And Sunset may have been a great hero famed for her skills, but Sir Loving Heart was just some creepy guy we came across by chance, and he'd held his own too, even with a terrible choice of weapons for taking on armoured opponents. So had I, for that matter, though mostly because my equipment was better and neither Darkwraith had really cared about me.

It could happen again, I knew. One day, maybe I'd find myself alone against a Darkwraith. What would I do then? Was it true what the Chaos Paladins said, that anyone could rise to the challenge and face superequine threats alone with only their own skill and wits? And even if it was, could I ever be capable of such a feat? Or would I be better off just running?

...Actually, why was I questioning this? Of course it was better to run.

I broke away from the group and continued through the tent maze. Across the encampment, the big marquee tents were the tallest and easiest to see, and I was sure that one of them had to house the crusade's high command. Which one, I wasn't sure, but I went over to the closest one anyway to see if that was it.

The tent I walked into turned out to be a small marketplace instead. Tables and stalls were set out in the middle of the tent and around the edges. Some were stocked with weapons and armour made for a number of species. Many more were serving food and drink. There was a makeshift bar, a table full of vegetables, a butcher's stall filled with skinned animals for the more carnivorous crusaders, and at a few tables, some Chaos Paladins were even gambling on cards, or offering to tell the future through a crystal ball.

I was stopped at one stall by a bearded diamond dog merchant. His face was entirely covered by an odd, bell-shaped helmet, which instead of a visor had five vertical slits that formed a seashell shape.

"Pony!" he said in a deep, powerful voice. "You want deal? Gravel give many deal. With Gravel, you wheel? You deal."

"No thank you. I'm just passing through."

The dog called Gravel reached below and pulled out a sack of gold coins, which spilled slightly on the table as he threw it down in front of me.

"Gravel sell money."

He's a Chaos Paladin. Don't fall for it. He wants you to take the bait.

But I couldn't help myself.

"Sell... money? You mean you buy things?"

He nodded. "Gravel wheel, Gravel deal."

"Okay... I don't have anything to sell, though."

He nodded again, slower this time, and took back the sack of coins.

"That okay. You, go home. When ready for deal, Gravel give deal."

I nodded amiably and turned to leave, only to run straight into the skeletal minotaur with the wagon wheel from earlier.

"What the hell do you want?" he shouted in that echoey voice, giving me that same eyeless glare from before.

"Nothing!" I said, backing off.

"Vamos!" cried Gravel. "Old friend! Haha! Vamos have wheel? Gravel have deal!"

The skeleton hefted a burlap sack and emptied a pile of swords onto the table.

"The best I could do on short notice," said Vamos. "I'm not too good away from my home forge, but I made do. Would be better if I could've gotten a smithstone."

"Haha! Many deal! Many thanks!"

Gravel pulled out the sack of money again, and began counting coins. I stared at the both of them, and Vamos turned to me again.

"Fleshy, if you keep staring at me, I am going shred your skin off. I have a need for speed and you are looking a lot like a dirt road right now."

"Y-Yeah?" I said, trying to call up the same bravado I'd used with Sunset in the orchard. "I'd like to see you try, rattlewheel!"

He pointed a bony finger at me. "Oh, you did it this time. It's on now. Meet me at the arena outside in ten minutes. You're getting taken to the bone zone, son."

There's an arena? ...Wait, I'm actually going to have to fight him?

I should've expected as much, but I was counting on his threats being a bluff. Every other Chaos Paladin just seemed to want to get a reaction out of me, but Vamos was actually being serious. I guess I deserved this for thinking that chaos was predictable.

Nevertheless, I put on a brave face for my opponent. "Fine. Just point me to it."

Taking Vamos's direction, I went over to the far side of the marquee tent, and came outside through a different entrance than the one I'd come in through. As promised, I emerged not into another cluster of tents and campfires, but instead into an open area where a crowd of Chaos Paladins and Cleric-Knights had gathered in a circle. The sounds of clanging metal and cheering filled the air, but I couldn't see into the middle of the ring because of how tall some of the spectators were. The minotaurs and the huge hairy bovines in particular blocked any view I might've had.

I wriggled my way through the crowd, trying to get close, and stopped near enough to the front row that I could see over some other ponies' shoulders.

The crowd cheered as a burly minotaur in the centre of the arena smashed a griffon's face in with a hammer. He raised it above him and slammed it down, mulching his head and splattering red all over the audience. They went wild. I stared in disbelief as a piece of brain matter slid down the victor's cheek.

"We have a winner!" shouted a pegasus, waving a white flag. "The duel goes to Bloodskull the Mighty!"

The minotaur roared. "Bloodskull's mother was saint! Never insult! Or Bloodskull smash and destroy!"

The announcer chuckled and patted his shoulder with a wing.

"Okay there, big guy! Thanks for playing!"

Bloodskull stomped off, the crowd parting to let him through. I looked at the arena itself for the first time, which was really just an open space ringed by a painted white line, and marvelled at the amount of blood stains on the floor, both dry and fresh. Another minotaur came in from the side of the arena to drag away the griffon's corpse, the crowd again parting to let him through.

"Ooh, he'll feel that when he revives, won't he, folks?" said the announcer, getting a round of laughs out of the crowd.

Oh. He's undead. I guess that makes this slightly... no. No, it's still messed up.

There was also another figure by the side of the arena with the clean-up guy. It was a Blade of the Darkmoon, garbed in the signature black robes of his order, a mask covering all but his eyes. I could only assume that the Darkmoons were here to police the other crusaders and make sure that things didn't get too out of hoof between the Cleric-Knights and the Chaos Paladins. But they had allowed this arena to spring up, and that griffon had just gotten his head smashed in, so clearly they weren't doing a very good job.

"So, who else? Hmm? Any other undead got some grievances to air? Come oooooooon! Put on a show for the rest of us!"

There was a shuffling in the crowd behind me, and noises of disturbance. I whipped around as Vamos came up behind and shoved me out into the arena. I landed face-first in the dirt.

"I've got some!" he declared. "This stallion here is a miserable waste of skin, and I want to take it off him and wear it as a suit!"

I climbed to my hooves and spat on the ground, glaring back at the skeleton.

"Ooooh!" said the announcer. "Now this is a good one! Vamos the Wheelmaker is stepping into the ring, folks!"

The pegasus fluttered over to my side, and put a wing around me.

"And what's your name, friend?"

I kept eye contact with my opponent.

"Firelink. The Wheelbreaker."

The crowd ooohed, and Vamos looked around at them, as if silently promising that they'd be next.

"Weh-h-hell! What a serendipitous meeting! You hear that, my fellow crusaders? This right here? This was destiny! Come on, folks. Let's step back for another duel, and see those sparks fly!"

Vamos cracked his knuckles and his neck. I removed my helmet from my bag and put it on. As we stared each other down, Vamos reluctantly bowed, so I did the same.

The announcer backed off to the side of the arena.

"Three! Two! One! Go!"

I drew Brightflame for its first battle, and my shield too. The crowd's cheers became more fervent the instant the blade ignited.

Vamos backed away for half a second, but then lunged forward at me. He dived to the ground, curling up his limbs into the wagon wheel, and rolled along on it at an alarming speed. I dodged to the side, just barely missing the razor-sharp spikes, and again the crowd went wild. Vamos reached the edge of the arena, coming dangerously close to hitting the spectators, some of whom cringed away. But his legs popped out in time and dug into the ground, causing him to skid to a halt before any harm was done. He immediately pivoted about and spun towards me again.

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered.

The side-step was cutting it too close, so this time I leapt aside and rolled out of his way, just as I'd done in my fight in Ponyville when I'd lost my armour. Surprisingly, the weight didn't hamper my ability to roll as much as I thought it would, though it was still slower and heavier than was ideal.

Vamos turned around again. This time he ran towards me on two legs and threw a bony punch, but I ducked under it and rolled away once more. Then he raised a foot and kicked me in the front. The impact staggered me, and forced out a grunt of pain, but I raised my bastard sword and prepared for a counterattack. He saw it coming and tried to catch it in his hands, but I swung low and cleaved right through his shinbone. Vamos collapsed, to the joy of the crowd.

"Oof!" he cried.

I smiled under my helmet, and circled the fallen skeleton.

"Those bones of yours are pretty brittle, mister! Better up your calcium intake!"

The crowd laughed. In response, Vamos leapt up onto his good leg, twirled around midair, and kicked me in the head with his broken one. I went down, and then they laughed again.

At least they don't discriminate.

I got up as quick as I could, but by then, Vamos was already rolling towards me on his wheel again. This time, I didn't have time to dodge. Instead, I maneuvered my shield in front of me to block him.

Vamos didn't stop. The shield halted his forward progress, but he kept on rolling into it, the spikes on his wheel grinding away at my shield and kicking up dust beneath us. Sparks literally did start flying after a few seconds. My eyes widened, and I stepped aside and removed the shield from his path, letting Vamos speed past. He reached out with an arm as I let him go by, and smacked me in the head again.

"Argh!"

He reached the far side of the arena, and turned to face me.

"When I kill you, I'm going to take that sword of yours and burn all your flesh off with it! And once I'm done with that, we're taking you to get fitted for a wheel."

This is the most surreal experience of my life.

I floated Brightflame over to me.

"And when I kill you, I'm going to make you into a spooky lawn decoration!"

He rolled forward. I readied my bastard sword. As the wheel of spikes advanced on me, I pulled back and then swung forward, simultaneously dodging to the side. Brightflame embedded in the wood of the wagon wheel, and Vamos dragged it away along with him as he rolled past. I lost my magical grip on the sword, but I wasn't too worried. Vamos had no magic. I could easily get it back.

The wagon wheel caught fire, charring the wood and blackening the metal spikes. It spread much quicker than I expected. At first, I thought this was good. Unfortunately, I failed to account for the fact that a being with no skin didn't fear burning to death.

"Ohoho! You've done it now, fleshy!"

Vamos grabbed the fiery sword in hand, and spun towards me again. This time, I had to avoid a flaming spiky wheel of death, and Vamos also swung at me with Brightflame as he passed by. I grabbed it out of his hand with my magic, of course, but I only narrowly escaped. Already, I was getting breathless. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to be dodge-rolling all over the place in a full suit of armour.

He went for another pass. I couldn't let this go on for any longer. I had to end this.

What flames had caught on his wheel were already dying down from the rapid motion, and I didn't want to fan them any further. After another quick dodge, I hastily sheathed Brightflame, and drew Trixie's broadsword from my other scabbard instead.

Here we go.

Vamos rolled again. This time, I stood my ground. I floated my shield in front of me, blocking his advance just as before. But this time, I struck Vamos from the side with the broadsword, throwing all my strength into the swing. The blade crashed through his wheel, cleaving apart the charred wooden spokes in the middle. Vamos fell out of his wheel as it came loose from his ribcage.

"No!" he screamed. "Nooooo!"

I grabbed the wheel and tossed it aside. Then I brought the sword down on his ribcage, breaking every bone I struck. I literally shattered him to pieces with one swing. Vamos let out a long, agonised scream, making me wince. I wasn't even sure how he felt pain without nerves. Somehow, I also decapitated him. His skull separated from the rest of his body, intact, and rolled away across the dirt.

This, it turned out, did not kill Vamos, whose skull just kept groaning in pain. In hindsight, I realised that it was smashing the skull that had allowed me to finish off the black knight as well. I wondered, since regular undead didn't heal unless killed, would he just remain a disembodied skull forever if I didn't finish him?

I briefly entertained the bizarre thought of stuffing Vamos into my bag and carrying him around with me, like a pet, only one who would constantly threaten to eat my skin. I don't know where the thought came from, but it made me laugh out loud. I may have looked psychotic to the audience, but I think they liked that anyway, because they all erupted into the loudest round of cheers yet.

I removed my helmet, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Woah!" said the announcer. "Did you just see what I saw, folks? I think that match just went to the Wheelbreaker! Let's hear it for Firelink!"

I smirked at that, and slowly turned in place to soak in the crowd. I wasn't sure if I'd gone mad or if I was just having an adrenaline high, but I was enjoying the moment. To really punctuate my victory, I floated the wagon wheel over and laid a hoof on it. I'd really gotten into the spirit of things since the start of the day. Maybe this was why people followed Discord.

"The Age of Wheels is over!" I said dramatically, drawing Trixie's broadsword and raising it above me. "Now begins the Age of Walking!"

I swung down and shattered the wagon wheel into pieces, just as I'd done to Vamos himself. The crowd went absolutely insane. Vamos just groaned again.

I would've been a great Chaos Paladin, I thought as I basked in their adoration.

Then a voice cut through the crowd.

"It's him!"

A minotaur pushed everyone aside and ran out into the arena. It took me a second to realise where I knew him from. It was the guy with the double eyepatches who'd ran off while I was eating breakfast. The crowd's enthusiasm died down a bit as he ran over and threw himself at my hooves. I balked as he wrapped his arms around me and began crying.

"It's you, isn't it?" he said. "You're him, aren't you? Tell me! I must know for sure!"

"Uh... am I... who?"

The minotaur gasped. "He is ignorant to his identity! Just as the legends foretold!"

"What?"

I yelped, as the stranger suddenly grabbed me by the forehooves and threw me into the air. I landed atop his shoulders when I came down again, startled by the action.

"He is come!" my captor proclaimed. "Pony, is pony of prophecy!"

The crowd cheered again.

"Wait, what?" I said, dazed.

The fight announcer flew over to me next, grabbing one of my forehooves and lifting it skyward.

"He is come!" he agreed. "The end of wheels confirms it! All hail Firelink, the Lord of Cinder!"

"Firelink! Firelink! Firelink!" the crowd chanted.

This was getting out of control. I ripped my hoof out of the announcer's hold and bellowed to the crowd.

"Okay, as your new lord, I command you all to stop!"

The crowd did stop chanting, but they didn't go quiet. Instead, they all started mumbling amongst themselves. I briefly looked to the side of the arena, at the Blade of the Darkmoon, who was giving me a wide-eyed look and rapidly shaking his head. I instantly knew that I had screwed up.

A minotaur burst out from the crowd and into the arena.

"Command?" he said, pointing an accusing finger at me. "That sounds like an order!"

"He is unworthy!" cried someone else from within the crowd.

"Eat his skin!" said Vamos.

"Revolución!"

Double Eyepatches threw me on the ground behind him and picked up a hammer.

"Paladins!" he roared. "Defend your lord! Crush them!"

The Blade of the Darkmoon and the fight announcer came to my defence as well. Weapons were drawn, warcries were made, and the Chaos Paladins began massacring one another as the Cleric-Knights fled.

From my place directly in the middle of this orgy of violence, I had no idea what was even going on. I was sure that half of the rioters didn't even know which side they were on, and just started fighting whoever was closest. Most of them had axes and swords, but one Chaos Paladin near me was being strangled from behind by a rope of colourful handkerchiefs, and a minotaur in the middle of the battle was breaking pots over people's heads.

I shrieked as a severed arm went flying past me, and ran for the edge of the crowd. I weaved around a changeling with elongated legs as he spat venom over his opponents, and narrowly dodged an axe strike from a minotaur dressed as a clown. Two identical twin stallions rolled past me, biting and kicking and punching at each other while screaming about this being their final battle. A tiny pegasus with gossamer wings, literally the size of an insect, landed on my shoulder and pricked me in the neck with a needle-sized sword.

"For Alfheim!" he shouted in a squeaky voice.

I swatted him without even thinking, and kept darting through the riot. I dodged and weaved around the ones going for me, and crawled beneath the notice of the larger combatants, until eventually I was able to slip away and escape the crowd.

Once I was away from the battle, I looked back, and stood in shock as I watched them all kill each other over nothing. I decided then and there that I wanted nothing more to do with the Chaos Paladins. For a moment there, I had come dangerously close to understanding these people, but I knew now that that was the path to madness. This was exactly what I should have expected from literal Devil-worshippers, and I had no idea why I had even stayed with them for this long. Celestia only knew why the Way of White of all people tolerated this.

After stopping briefly to make sure that I still had my bags and weapons, which I did, I fled through the maze of tents as fast I could. The more distance I put between myself and this, the better.

---

The traumatising experience of the arena left me wanting to go back to my bed in the cellar, so that I could crawl up into it and sleep until the crusade was over, or at least until Anvil and his crew fixed the train. But I was no safer there than I was anywhere else, so I pressed on instead. One of these big tents, I was sure, housed the crusade high command. It had to. That's what kings and lords and high-ranking churchfolk did – surround themselves with luxury.

More than a few of them were just more marketplaces, which I quickly left before I ran into any more Chaos Paladins than I wanted to. But eventually, I found what I was looking for. It was actually a relatively small tent, but I could tell that it was important by the fact that it was guarded by two Darkmoon knights.

I wasn't sure how I was going to get past them. My armour wasn't regulation for any of the Church's holy knight orders, and even if they mistook me for a Chaos Paladin, I doubted that would get me past. If anything, I was sure that impersonating a Chaos Paladin would make them less likely to admit me. Still, Sunset had supposedly gained audience. Maybe I just had to talk them into it.

I strolled up to the two guards, puffing up my chest and looking as professional and respectable as I possibly could.

"Excuse me, sirs, is this the high command?"

The Darkmoons looked at each other.

"It is," said one.

"I'm looking for Sir Lady Sunset Shimmer. I was told she came here. Has she left already?"

"No, Sir Knight. She is still inside."

I didn't correct him about my knightliness. If they thought I was a knight, then all the better for my credibility.

"Ah, good. May I please enter? I have a message for her."

"Concerning what?" said the other Darkmoon.

"It is a private matter."

"Could we take a name, at least?" asked the first.

"...Sir Firelink Soul," I said.

The first Darkmoon disappeared without a word, leaving me with the other guard. I waited silently for two minutes, tapping my hoof towards the end, until he eventually came back.

"You may enter."

I bowed. "Thank you, sirs."

The inside of the tent was about what I expected. A round table occupied the middle of the room, with a map of what I could only assume was the Everfree Forest laid out in the middle of it. Wine casks and crates were piled in one corner, and around the others were book cases, feather beds, and an assortment of weapon racks and armour stands. Unlit oil lanterns hung from the tent's supports, and plastic sheets covered the ground beneath my hooves. There were seven other ponies in the tent. Sunset was one of them, dressed in her usual gear and flashing me an uneasy smile. The rest were all churchfolk, each from a different holy order.

Honest Heart was there from the Pardoners of Luna, with another Darkmoon guarding him. From the Cleric-Knights was a smiling stallion with a golden coat and white mane, who wasn't in armour right now, but who couldn't have been anypony other than Sir Daybright. There was also a nun of the Sisters of Solace, who unfortunately was not Sister Pilgrimage, and a scholar of the reclusive Twilight Acolytes, wielding a trident and clad in purple robes with a strange, six-eyed great helm.

The final pony was the most important. His white robes and his necklace bearing symbols of all four goddesses marked him as a White Bishop, one of the Church's regional heads, which probably meant that he was the one in charge here. He was also enormously fat, with a bloated gut, thick legs, and pudgy cheeks that made his bald head look like a ball of dough. This stallion wasn't just overweight. He was morbidly obese. The fact that he could even stand was surely nothing short of a miracle.

My incredulous gaze lingered on the fat bishop for perhaps a second longer than was polite, before I tore it away and refocused my attention.

"Sunset," I said. "I looked for you."

"I was here. What is it? They said you had a message?"

I cleared my throat. I realised then that I didn't really have any reason to be there. I'd just been trying to catch up with her to speak before the day was out and she had to leave, but instead I'd walked in on all these important people, and for what? Was I really this hopeless?

"...More like replying to your message, but, more than that... Apple Bloom said that you were meeting with the high command... Is this... about Sir Loving Heart?"

I'd only just made the connection myself while trying to improvise a reason for being here, but now that I'd thought of it, I was genuinely curious. And it seemed my intuition was right.

"About the murderer," said Honest Heart, teeth clenched. "The one who you two let go, and who your friend here now wants to protect."

Sunset rolled her eyes. "I'm just here to make sure that the stallion gets an unbiased investigation and a fair trial."

Honest Heart huffed.

"So you keep saying, only that seems to translate into making vile and unwarranted aspersions on my character. My grandmother bears you love, Sir Lady Shimmer, and I cannot fathom why, but for her honour, I promise you amnesty for this, and forgiveness in the eyes of the gods, if only you cease this folly and return to your journey. Sir Loving Heart is as guilty as sin itself. Of this, I am certain beyond all doubt."

"Not of what you accused him of." Sunset turned to me. "Firelink, it's good that you're here. Do you have the other red eye orb still?"

I reached into my bags and produced it as she asked.

"There!" said Sunset. "Just as I said, just as shown. If you're wrong about him being a Darkwraith, you can be wrong about the rest. Can't you?"

I cleared my throat.

"Listen, everypony... she's right. From what I've seen of him, I deeply dislike the stallion, but Sunset speaks the truth. I think Sir Loving Heart is innocent of at least some of the accusations."

To be honest, I wasn't as sure as Sunset was about Sir Loving Heart's innocence. I certainly wouldn't have ever independently sought out the crusade's high command to argue on his behalf. But a fair trial was his right. Even if Sir Loving Heart was indeed found guilty and sentenced to death, I wanted it to at least be for the right reasons.

"Mmmmmmmm, a compelling case," said the bishop in an effeminate voice. "It bears considering, at least."

"My lord!" said Honest Heart. "If my honesty on the matter of Sir Loving Heart is in any way in doubt, I would consider it a most grievous offence! On my very honour as a Pardoner, may Luna strike me down in my dreams if I utter anything but the truth to you on this!"

"Hmmmmmmmmmm... Your dedication is noted, Father Honest... Yet, I cannot deny a proper investigation into the matter... We must be fair, to all of the gods' subjects, after all... I'm sure a properly conducted trial will still find Sir Loving Heart guilty, if you are so sure of it... Mmmm..."

"That is all I ask," said Sunset, smiling at the bishop.

"Of course, of course," he said, waving her off. "Let it not be said that I am not generous..."

Sir Daybright smiled. Even his teeth were shiny.

"As if that were ever in doubt, my lord," he said.

"Oho. Quite, quite... Now, unless there was anything else...?"

I briefly considered interjecting. I was in the presence of some very powerful ponies here, and I didn't doubt that they would be able to arrange passage back home for me if they were so inclined. What stopped me wasn't just that they had no reason to go out of their way to help me when they had their own problems, but also that the Way of White's view of undead was muddled at best.

Sure, there were apparently undead Chaos Paladins on the crusade, but I was not a Chaos Paladin, and so was not protected by whatever agreement the two sides had. For all I knew, Sir Daybright or this fat bishop might have ordered my execution on the spot if they'd seen my darksign.

"No, that was all," said Sunset. "Thank you all for granting me audience."

"You were a most welcome sight, Sir Lady," said Sir Daybright. "Do call in again if anything else arises. I'm sure the bishop and I can accommodate."

"Quite," said the fat bishop again, before yawning and turning to the Twilight Acolyte. "Brother Sullen, fetch my ointments please... I feel most lethargic..."

Sunset and I left before we had the privilege of watching the bishop get rubbed down by a Twilightian monk, but the outside of the tent was no less nauseating. The Chaos Paladin riot in the distance was seemingly only getting worse. Even this far away one could hear the sounds of them fighting, and now there was a thick black plume of smoke rising from where the arena once was. Sunset raised a confused eyebrow.

"What in Equestria is going on over there?" she asked.

"Nothing!" I said. "It's nothing! Chaos Paladins are weird. Avoid at all costs."

"I won't argue with that," Sunset muttered. "So, want to head back to the house?"

"After you."

---

The small wing attached to the side of the barn, and the upper floor of the barn itself, were the Apple Family's living areas. It was a fairly dense living space, and a busy one too, even with most of the family out. Anvil had apparently left to go back to his forge, and Apple Bloom and Honest Heart were still out, but most of the other regulars were there. Granny Smith was boiling turnips in the kitchen. Crestfallen was sitting at a table, counting a chest of gold coins and making a tally. Even the Doctor was there, conversing in the living room over a cup of tea with a stallion that I hadn't seen before.

He looked over to us as Sunset and I entered, and broke into a grin.

"Ah! Firelink, Sir Lady Shimmer, good morning! Come sit with us. I'd like you meet Sir Onion Soup. He runs protection for Anvil and myself while we repair the train."

Sir Onion Soup rose to hold out a hoof. He was a plump stallion with a round face, but not nearly so far gone as the bishop. He had a distinguished look about him, bearing a thick but well-groomed moustache, and a monocle over one eye, in the style of Trottingham nobility. His coat was a faded brown, and his mane and facial hair were going white, but it didn't look like a result of age. I put him at around forty or so.

"Pleasure," I said, grasping his hoof.

"No, please, it's all mine," said Sir Onion with a modest smile, before turning to Sunset. "And you, my lady. I most deeply apologise for my failure to come to your aid yesterday."

He even spoke like nobility, all fancy and posh. But it wasn't a Trottingham accent. I couldn't define the quality exactly, but it was very subtly different.

Sunset and I took seats opposite the two.

"Your name is familiar," I said. "I think the Doctor said yesterday that you were waiting to revive?"

"Oho, yes. Quite the embarrassment, that... An unruly Chaos Paladin warband on their way to the crusade came upon us with less than noble intentions. I defeated two of the rapscallions, and bloodied another, but was slain for my troubles. These old bones of mine aren't quite what they were..."

"Oh no," said Sunset, giving a sympathetic frown. "Were you all alright?"

"No fears on our end," said the Doctor. "Sir Onion did his job, and Anvil scared off the rest of them. He's a big fellow."

"And I myself am no worse for wear. 'Tis only my third death. In a twenty-eight year career as a knight, I could have done worse."

Well, that's depressing for me.

"Would you like some tea?" asked the Doctor.

"Please."

We stayed and chatted with the Doctor and Sir Onion a while longer, until Granny Smith finished the turnips and called for lunch. Crestfallen left to fetch the others and take over the bonfire, and shortly after, Apple Bloom and Anvil returned to the house. Honest Heart, notably, did not, and I wasn't sure whether it was because he was mad at Sunset or because he was busy with crusade-related endeavours.

Sir Onion and the Doctor's conversation continued, also drawing in Anvil, so I finally got the chance to speak with Sunset about her leaving.

"So, you're going soon?" I asked, eating a spoonful of mashed turnip.

Sunset's ears flattened against her head.

"I have to. I'm sorry, Firelink, but I was always going to have to move on."

"No, no, I understand. I'll also be moving on sometime soon. Once Anvil and the Doctor get the train up and running, I'll be out of here too. Undead or no, I can't stay here forever."

"Going home, right?"

"Yeah."

She smiled at me. "That's good. I'm glad you've still got that. A safe home, away from all this... Equestria isn't what it used to be."

"I certainly won't miss the Darkwraiths." That made her laugh. "And what about you? Where are you going from here?"

The questioned sobered her.

"...Canterlot," she said.

"Canterlot?"

Sunset shifted and sighed.

"It's... something I need to do. I came back to this land searching for somepony, but Apple Bloom said she's gone. Since I couldn't find her, I'm going to find somepony else next. Somepony who will be in Canterlot."

I thought I understood.

"You're searching for the princesses," I said, keeping my volume low. "You came to Ponyville to find Princess Twilight, and couldn't, so now you're off to Canterlot to find another."

Sunset blinked.

"You... how did you...?"

"Just a guess," I said, grinning. "Am I correct in assuming you're one of Frampt's chosen?"

"One of... who? What?"

"No?"

Hmm. That's odd.

"So why seek the princesses, then?" I asked. "What are you after?"

"...Closure, I guess," said Sunset, shrugging. "I want to know what really happened to them. Not just what the Way of White says happened."

How closely did you know them, Sunset? I wanted to ask, but I knew better.

"...They say Mt. Canterlot is a deathtrap," I said. "Are you prepared for it?"

"As much as I can be. I've heard of the dangers on the mountain. I just have to hope that my magic and my armour will carry me through."

I shook my head.

"I hope you know what you're doing."

"...I do too."

---

After lunch, Sunset said her personal goodbyes to everyone in the house, including Crestfallen when he came back. Her parting with Apple Bloom was the most emotional, complete with tears and hugging. When it was finally time for her to leave, I went out into the Acres with her. I insisted on walking her to the edge of the camp, if only to spend a moment longer with her, so I ended up being the last to say goodbye.

On the dirt road at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres, it was finally quiet again, the din of the encampment behind us becoming a distant background noise. Alone out here, there was only the wind and the rustling of the trees.

"Sunset..." I began. "I... I can't thank you enough, for everything you've done for me. I think I was really at the end of my rope when I met you in Ponyville. But you helped me when I needed it, and you gave me a great gift. That means something to me. I just wanted to say... I hope you know how much I appreciate it all. You're a true knight, and a true friend."

She hugged me.

"Thank you too, Firelink. You came to help me too, even when I said I didn't want it. It means a lot to me that you care. You may be new to this, but I think you'll make a fine knight yourself one day."

My face tinged slightly red.

"Well... heh... Thank you."

"Listen, Firelink..." Sunset stared at the ground. "I should've been honest with you from the start. There are things about myself that I haven't told you..."

"You mean that you're the Phoenix Knight?"

She looked up suddenly, giving me an incredulous look. I smiled back.

"How did you know?"

"Come on, Sunset. I wasn't born yesterday."

That amused her. She slapped her face and laughed to herself.

"Am I really that obvious?"

"Well... you did take on a Darkwraith alone with one sword and nearly win. I don't think all the sun heraldry helps either."

"Heh... I guess I'll have to be more careful in future."

"Or, you know, don't let your other friends spill your secrets to their hard-drinking relatives... "

Sunset gave me a sly smile.

"Anvil?"

"Anvil."

We both had a laugh at that, and Sunset rolled her eyes after.

"If I ever see him again, I'll have to have a word with him."

"Don't be too harsh on the old stallion. He didn't mean any harm."

"I'm surprised, though. You knew, and you weren't curious? The whole reason I don't reveal my identity when I'm travelling alone is because I always get ponies asking me questions. They want to hear me talk about founding the Warriors, or my adventures with the Storm Lord in the Dragon Lands, or how the Pale Hunter and I sealed the Evil-Eyed Beast."

I shrugged. "I figured you had a reason to not tell me. I wanted to respect that. I'm interested, don't get me wrong. I have about a million questions right now, but... our time together was already short enough. I'm glad we spent it how we did."

Sunset cleared her throat, and floated something out of her saddlebag, a long shard of glowing white stone, and held it before me.

"I want you to have this," she said as I took it. "It's a calling soapstone. We use them in the Warriors of Sunlight, and give them out to friends. It glows when there's another in range. If you're ever in danger, and need help, squeeze it, and anybody else who has one will come running. Or, you can help them, if your soapstone ever starts pulsing. Just follow the point, like a compass."

I packed it away in my own bags and gave a thoughtful nod.

"Thank you, Sunset."

She leaned over and hugged me.

"I'm going to miss you," she said.

I put a hoof around her and rested my head on her mane.

"I'll miss you too."

Sunset was reluctant to pull away, but she did. With nothing else left to say, she just smiled at me. I smiled back, and then she turned and trotted away towards Ponyville. I didn't leave my spot until she'd entirely disappeared from view.

---

Just when I thought I was out, fate kept pulling me back in. I'd been on my way back to the barn to spend the rest of the day in the company of the Doctor and Sir Onion, hoping that they had some more tea left. Instead, I stopped when I reached the bonfire, as I spied a familiar red visage with a blond bowl-cut mane.

Sir Penance looked quite troubled, constantly turning back and forth, looking in all directions for something or other amidst a crowd of changelings joined in some wordless hymn. He stopped when he spotted me, and gave a joyless wave of his hoof to beckon me over. I held back a spike of anger, remembering how he and the rest of his party had abandoned me after the feral changelings had torn my throat out. But I reminded myself again that I'd known what I was getting in for.

We circled around the changelings and met halfway.

"Firelink," said the Cleric-Knight in his characteristically soft voice. "Good to see you again, and still holding onto yourself. I feared that I'd seen the last of you after you fell in White Tail Woods."

I had to stop myself from gritting my teeth.

"...Likewise. I see you joined up with the crusade after all."

He gave a sigh and hung his head.

"Indeed I did... I couldn't begin to tell you what a trying few days it's been."

"Mmhm. Killing deer not going so well?"

He looked up at me, and I was taken aback to see his eyes watering.

"It was a massacre," he whispered. "The deer, they... they're savages. They had... dark magic, a-and undead soldiers, and... released monsters on us. They tamed the beasts of the forest, and came upon our camps with them! Tore us apart with tooth and claw! They had control of the plants, too. I saw a vine burst out the ground, and grow straight through a stallion's throat... I've never seen so much blood... For every one of them, we must've lost six of our own."

It was then I noticed that he was alone.

"Sir Penance... where are Sister Pilgrimage and the brothers?"

He went back to staring at the ground. He had the same haunted in look in his eyes that I'd seen in the other Cleric-Knight earlier.

"I... I lost them..." he whispered. "I became separated from them after we left Madam Zecora's... Timberwolves came upon us, and I fled for the nearest camp. I have no idea what happened to them... The memory, it shames me deeply..."

I couldn't believe it. He'd actually done it again. To his own companions this time.

"You just... left them to die?"

Sir Penance flinched. "I... I couldn't help myself... I was frightened."

"Oh. Right. You were frightened. Of course. Never mind me then."

"I-It's not like that!" he protested. "You weren't there! If you could've seen it yourself, you'd understand!"

I snorted.

"Yeah. Sure I would've, Penance."

"I did what I could!"

"Just like how you did what you could for me?" I said pointedly, shooting him a look. "You know what? Forget it. I don't want to stand here and listen to your excuses. I've known you for four days, and in that time you've left just as many people to die, including myself. A changeling ripped out my damned throat on your watch."

"Well, I'm sorry!" Sir Penance shouted, the softness gone from his voice. "I'm a failure and a coward! I know! But what do you expect me to do about that?"

I turned away from him. "I have no expectations of you whatsoever."

"I did what I could! Really!" he called as I started walking away. "I came here to search for them! I thought at least that Sister Pilgrimage would be here at the bonfire if she escaped, but..."

I stopped and went momentarily quiet, and then turned around to face Sir Penance again.

"Was Pilgrimage a changeling?" I asked.

My question gave him pause.

"...She was," he said hesitantly. "But she preferred to take pony form. Said it made her feel closer to Celestia."

I blinked and turned back away, sighing and shaking my head.

A lot had happened since I'd come to Equestria. I'd died several painful deaths, and I thought I'd learned from them to not take unnecessary risks. I'd met new friends, and for a moment there, in their company, I thought I'd really been beginning to forget what had happened. But then Sir Penance had to tell me that, and then it all came flooding back. I remembered a decaying asylum, and a frightful demon, and a friend surrounded by horror and danger who'd needed my help, no matter how big a risk it was.

A friend who I'd failed to save. A friend who I'd been afraid to remember for all this time for fear that his memory would make me vulnerable. But what good had fear ever done me? And what was I living on for if not to do the right thing?

"Unbelievable..." I muttered. "I'm right back where I started..."

"...What's unbelievable?" asked Sir Penance.

"Where in the forest is Madam Zecora's, and how do I get there?" I asked, keeping my back to him.

Sir Penance spluttered. "Y-You-You can't go in there! Didn't you hear me earlier? What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking I'm going to do your job for you," I said sharply. "Now, where is it?"

---

This is a bad idea. You don't know Pilgrimage. She's not worth risking your life and sanity for. The Everfree will chew you up and spit you out just like the Changeling Asylum did.

The thought repeated in my head over and over again, with only slight variations each time, but I never once broke my stride. My helmet was on, my sword and shield were at the ready, I'd said brief goodbyes to everyone familiar to me, and now I was marching off to my probable doom. The treeline of the Everfree Forest loomed over me, dark and foreboding, but I held my head high and approached regardless.

This is stupid. You're going to die. You're not nearly ready for this. Don't waste your life on pointless heroic gestures.

I passed the first lot of trees, following a beaten path through the woods. The underbrush had been cut away, and the crusaders had tried to widen the trail. According to Sir Penance, the Way of White and the Chaos Paladins had been trying their damnedest to establish base camps further into the forest, so as to better advance on the deer. These trails were vital to reaching them, and to keeping the camps supplied. Those camps formed the front line of this war.

I trod through mud as I went deeper in. Everything was damp here, from the wood to the earth. Where spotty sunlight had shone through in White Tail Woods, here it couldn't penetrate the treetops, and the forest was shrouded in darkness. The owls were even out, the sounds of their hooting filling the air. I didn't see much wildlife while following the path, but a rustling bush or two sometimes caught me off-guard and made me prematurely draw Brightflame.

Still, as on-edge as I was, I didn't fear the prospect of combat anymore. I'd faced Darkwraiths now, and I'd overcome Vamos in single combat. I was beginning to feel some measure of confidence.

However, the deeper I went into the forest, the more oppressive the darkness became, and the worse things started looking. I began finding evidence of the crusaders and their activities here and there. An arrow in a tree. A helmet lying in the mud. A trail of dried blood. More than once, I even found corpses, mostly Chaos Paladins, who were probably less inclined to carry off their dead for honourable burials. No dead deer, though.

And then I came upon it. The first base camp. It was only small, a little cluster of maybe seven white and gold tents just like the ones that had been set up on Sweet Apple Acres, but it made itself obvious amongst all this green. The camp was situated at the top of a small hill, surrounded by underbrush and dense foliage. A burning beacon lit the side closest to me, and a Cleric-Knight with a crossbow stood guard.

Going around the camp, I found a beaten track leading up to its intended entrance. Another guard stood at attention, but he didn't seem concerned once he noticed me. I supposed that as long as I wasn't a deer, the Cleric-Knights had no reason to fear me.

"White or Paladin?" said the guard as I came over.

"Tourist," I said, lifting my visor.

Looking further into the camp, I noted a crackling campfire set up in the middle of the circle of tents, and several crates, barrels, and weapon racks all around.

"Mind if I ask what a tourist is doing out in this mess?"

I stepped past him and into the camp. "I'm looking for Madam Zecora's."

The guard followed in after me.

"East of here. Back behind us. There's a garrison stationed there, but we haven't heard back from them since yesterday. And dark days, I shouldn't need to tell you, are a hell of an opportunity for the enemy to wreak havoc with our forward operating bases."

I looked around the camp more. There were three Chaos Paladins around that I could see, all minotaurs, but none of them looked like the brothers; one was dressed as a magician, another had a handlebar moustache, and the third was neon pink. I shrugged them off and kept looking.

"I'm searching for some crusaders who went missing in action," I said. "A changeling known as Sister Pilgrimage, and two minotaurs, Paladins Great Victory and Small Nicety. Have they come through here? Fleeing, or wounded?"

"I don't know them," said the guard. "I'm sorry. If they were at Madam Zecora's, I would guess that they're dead. And the only wounded we have here are our own."

"They're not dead until I see a corpse."

One of the tents opened a flap, and a fully dressed diamond dog with a staff and a pointy wizard's hat stepped outside. I reacted without thinking.

"Grim?" I blurted out.

The diamond dog turned my way. However, when I looked more closely, it wasn't him. This one wore a fancy cloak instead of tatty black robes, her staff curled into an S-shape at the top and lacked the blue crystal tip that Grim had, and her wizard hat was much bigger. So much bigger, in fact, that tipping it forward slightly covered the dog's face completely.

"Grim?" she said, chuckling. "I fear you've mistaken me for another."

"That's Witchcraft," said the guard. "She's a tourist like you. Exile from Dimondia."

"I thought I heard discussion of Madam Zecora's?" said Witchcraft. "Did you say you're looking for missing crusaders?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but then a cry went through the camp.

"Enemy!"

There was a screaming from one side. Then a clash of steel from the other. Hooves thundered from all directions. A spear flew out of nowhere and impaled the guard I'd been speaking to, who fell face-first into the campfire. I backed away, drawing Brightflame and my shield, and formed up with the other Cleric-Knights and Chaos Paladins in the centre of the camp. Witchcraft joined us, squeezing in beside me.

I could see them through the trees. The deer circled the camp like vultures, flashes of brown and red that darted behind the tents while cutting down the two or three sentries stuck outside. They screamed as they died, and the light died with them as the beacons were extinguished.

Then there were tearing noises from within the tents. More screams. Crying. Crashing. Squelching and squishing. Finally, the blood-soaked deer stepped out of the tents and into the middle of the camp where we were waiting. Those who were still circling around the outside stopped, and walked into the camp to join the rest in surrounding us. There must have been at least twenty of them, forming a ring around our group.

I'd never seen a deer before, but they'd made an impressive entrance. They were all clad in light, red armour that covered only their backs and legs, as well as simple helmets which left most of their faces exposed. I guessed that they weren't concerned much about protection. They were very lithe creatures, and very quick as well. They'd hit hard and fast, and left us no time to react.

Now we were at their mercy, and every single one of them looked furious. They were giving us the most hateful looks I'd ever seen. A few were even directed at me. I stared at the blood dripping from their antlers and hooves, both of which were fitted with sharpened blades.

A much larger deer was the last enter the camp. His antlers were bigger than all the rest, and he stood taller than any of them, but the only thing about his dress that distinguished him from the others was a collar around his neck with some sort of tiny barrel hanging from its front. He sneered at us as he walked in.

"Lower your weapons if you want to live, you mongrels."

I looked around at the others. Witchcraft, the three minotaurs, and the remaining Cleric-Knights all threw their weapons to the floor. Not wanting to cause a forest fire, I simply placed Brightflame back in its sheath, but that just made the deer leader glare at me.

"You will disarm too."

I removed both my scabbards and dropped them, as told.

"I just want to say, I'm not with the Way of White or the Chaos Paladins. I mean you no harm."

The deer leader came over and stood directly over me. He was a head taller than myself, and looked down his nose at me, so I had to tilt my head back to meet his gaze.

"You bring fire into a forest, and you claim you meant no harm?"

Before I could respond, he spat on me. I closed my eyes as it ran down my face, and tried not to react. I just removed my helmet and wiped it off with a hoof.

The commander started walking around the camp.

"Extinguish the fire and dismantle these tents," he ordered. "We'll take the captives back to Thicket. Maybe they'll make good hostages."

No sooner had he given the order than one of the tents collapsed by itself. Everybody in the camp all looked over as it fell down. On the other side, a lone stallion floated a zweihander by his side, just like the one I'd seen in Anvil's workshop. He wore a light set of golden armour with a blue star on the front, and covered his face with a bizarre bronze mask. It depicted an open-mouthed minotaur staring out blankly, with his mane, beard, and sideburns all curling into swirly shapes.

Witchcraft and the Cleric-Knights all looked either nervous or hopeful. But the three minotaurs had broken into gleeful grins.

"It's him," the neon-pink one whispered excitedly.

The deer commander stepped away from his soldiers and stopped a short distance from the stallion, giving him the same contemptuous glare he'd given us.

"The Legend, I presume?" he said, his voice full of loathing. "Do you know who I am?"

The Legend casually strolled forward.

"Some scrub," he answered.

"I am Prince Bramble of Thicket, you impudent—"

Without warning, the Legend swung his zweihander down and cleaved straight through the armour on Prince Bramble's back, cutting halfway into his abdomen and causing the prince to release a blood-curdling scream.

"I said, you're a scrub!" the Legend roared.

He tore out the greatsword, but instead of going for any of the other deer, he brought it down again with thundering speed, this time hacking off a leg. Then a third time, carving through his hindquarters. Then a fourth, his victim still screaming all the way. One of the braver deer rushed in to attack, but the Legend just casually decapitated him in an eyeblink, knocked his severed head back at his companions, and then immediately return to savaging the prince. All of us in the camp flinched with every strike, some of us staring on in open-mouthed shock at the spectacle, and others cringing and covering their eyes.

And the Legend just kept going, ignoring the rest of the deer now cautiously circling him. He continued brutalising Prince Bramble over and over again as many times as he could without killing him. The prince screamed bloody murder, and the Legend cackled manically as he kept hacking him to pieces. There was so much blood that I wouldn't have believed it was all from one person if I wasn't seeing it myself. The deer hung back, fear plain on their faces. One of them gulped.

Eventually, the screams were silenced, and all that was left was the wet squishing of the Legend's sword cutting into flesh. By that point, Prince Bramble's corpse was barely recognisable as a deer. The Legend had left only a red ruin. Then he looked up from the pile of gore at the others circling him. He twirled his zweihander, rearing up on his hind legs.

"Well? Come have a go if you think you're hard enough!"

Nervous or not, they took their chance. Six of them rushed past him at once, the air around them a flurry of blades. The Legend cried out, blood spraying from his wounds, and fell to his knees. The deer turned around and readied themselves to strike again, but before they could make their move, he melted away into smoke.

"What?" said one deer.

"Where did he go?" asked another.

Then one of them shrieked as a bloody hoof exploded out of his chest.

"It's so cosy and warm in here!" said a muffled voice from within.

At this point, the Cleric-Knights and I were screaming too. Soaked in blood, the Legend emerged from inside the deer, tearing the hole open wider so that he could crawl out.

Most of the other deer ran away then and there. They didn't call a retreat. None of them gave any orders. They just turned around and ran as fast as they could. Only maybe four remained after that, and probably only because they were frozen in fear and shock. The Legend stepped near one of them, who panicked and tried to strike him, only for his hoof to explode into jelly on contact. He screamed and stepped back, holding his mutilated foreleg.

Then the Legend stuck his hooves into the bloody remains of his latest victim, picked some of it up, and started smearing it over his mask.

"For you, oh Father of Demons, I bathe in the blood of the orderly!"

That, apparently, was the breaking point. The last of the deer bolted off into the forest as fast as they could. I was amazed that it had taken them this long.

The Legend stopped rubbing himself and lifted his greatsword.

"Running?" he shouted. "But the party's only just started!"

He galloped off after them and disappeared into the green. I was left paralyzed, unable to process what I had just seen. The griffon getting his head smashed in had been bad. The exploding changeling had been bad. That was the most disgusting thing I'd ever seen in my life, and by the looks on their faces, the rest of the Cleric-Knights at the camp agreed with me.

The Chaos Paladins did not.

"That was glorious!" said the magician. "The most violent display of chaos I've ever seen!"

The one with the handlebar moustache grinned enthusiastically. "I wish to gouge my own eyes out, so that what I've just seen will forever be my last sight!"

"By Discord, I am aroused!" added the neon pink one.

I just tore my helmet off and ran to the edge of the camp. I needed to be sick.

---

"Oh, for Juniper's sake. Put some spring into your step!"

---

Author's Note:

This chapter was allegedly edited by Chris, and probably pre-read by Mr. Spiffy and Someother Pony.

Alternative chapter title: "The Wheel Dark Souls Starts Here"

The Chaos Paladins present an interesting narrative problem, in that while they're amusing and fun to write, by their nature, they do mess with the tone of the story. To Keep the Fire Burning is a serious fic with a dark tone and dark themes (most of the time), but the Chaos Paladins and their antics push any scenes that they appear in into outright comedy.

This is a consequence of their narrative role. They represent Discord's presence in the story, and by being like Discord, they do just what Discord does. They come in, act silly and over the top, derail everything, and leave all the serious people flabbergasted and unable to coprehend what just happened. I guess this is a natural result of MLP being half of my crossover, but fortunately, no other chapter calls for such a heavy presence of Chaos Paladins, so I'll be able to better limit their derailing potential from here on.

Don't give up, skeleton!

Comments

[DannyJ]

Obligatory.

Okay, I'm done now. No more memes. For realsies.

[Nuanced]

Was hoping The Legend would be an earth pony but whatever. Though now I wonder what other fan characters will show up. Will there be a vaati pony, an Edward emberpants, a finchy 2?

Also story good etc,etc.

[DannyJ]

7754161

I think the Legend was already pushing it. I'm not overstepping my bounds any more than I already have.

[Nuanced]

7754180 Well it's your decision but I think you've got a lot more room for levity in this fic then you think you do. The world of dark souls is grim but it's also bucking crazy meaning there's a lot of wiggle room for how strange things can get before the reader's suspension of disbelief breaks or the dark atmosphere gets overshadowed. Case in point the skeleton-wheels. A skeleton with a wheel through it's ribcage rolling around at the speed of sound (Got places to go, gotta follow my rainbow.) is absurd but as any souls veteran could attest they are also absolutely terrifying, in fact I could say the same of almost all the enemies in the catacombs. This has become more of a response to your notes on the chaos paladins than to your comment on future cameos but the point still stands. Dark Souls is heavy on the gloom and doom but it also has quite a large portion of madness and insanity to go with it.

In regards to the chaos paladins specifically the best advice I can think of to keep them being chaotic without being funny is to stop making the chaos funny. Take inspiration from how characters like the Joker are written, show how dangerously terrifying it can be to just be near someone completely unpredictable, give their goofy actions seriously harmful consequences and show that being so deliberately insane is not only bad for those around them but bad for the chaos paladins themselves, at least to some extent.

Anyway, whether or not you take my advice I love the story and can hardly wait for more.

[DannyJ]

7754566

A good rule of thumb when parsing Dark Souls lore is to never take the wikis at their word. If they don't have a source for that claim, either from the game or from FromSoft, then it's just another fan theory, no more valid than any other.

[Posh]

The previous day's adventure had already been quite enough for me, and I was looking forward to some quiet relaxation, spending time with Sunset, and getting in some practice with that fiery sword that Anvil had promised me.

You been drinking enough Estus, Firelink? Because you thirsty, son.

Another was an axe-wielding earth stallion who was covered from head to hoof in live snakes. He lumbered about aimlessly, shouting something about "the Great Ones," and when I made direct eye contact with him, he hissed and fled.

I immediately hate this one. Had a lot of trouble with his ilk in Bloodborne.

At least I thought so, until looked down at my own hooves and realised how dull my coat was. It was like my colour was bleeding away. Before, my coat had been fiery and alive. Now it looked washed out. The orange was still there, but it was definitely going grey.

Must've passed through the color filter that Dark Souls 3 uses.

I don't care for that; I liked the vividness of DS2's colors more.

I spotted Apple Bloom's red robes easily in the crowd. She wasn't singing along with them, but she was fairly into it, bobbing her head in time with the music and smiling widely.

In Soviet Ponyville, Apple bobs for you!

"Sure will. By the way, Sunset wanted me to pass along a message if Ah saw ya. She's leaving later today, and she wanted to see ya again before she went."

"For some reason, she couldn't stop grinning when she talked about how she was never going to see you again."

"Heh." He held out the scabbard before me. "Well, here it is. As promised."

"You're a fast worker."

"A cutie mark is a wonderous thing."

"What does that have to do with anything, Anvil?"

"It's these damn chaos folk; they got me spoutin' non sequiturs with their damn lolrandom antics."

"That's a real bitch of a thing to deal with, Anvil. You have my sympathy."

"I was a North American fall webworm in my past life. Ah, those were the days..."

That was the bloodiest thing I'd seen since that changeling exploded all over me in White Tail Woods.

I'd imagine Firelink would be quite used to changelings exploding all over him.

I briefly entertained the bizarre thought of stuffing Vamos into my bag, and carrying him around with me as a travelling companion. I imagined him as being like a pet, only one who would constantly threaten to eat my skin.

If you don't do this, I'll never forgive you.

The inside of the tent was about what I expected. A round table occupied the middle of the room, with a map of what I could only assume was the Everfree Forest laid out in the middle of it. Wine casks and crates were piled in one corner, and around the others were book cases, feather beds, and an assortment of weapon racks and armour stands. Unlit oil lanterns hung from the tent's supports, and plastic sheets covered the ground beneath my hooves.

And Charles Dance was gutting a stag on a table.

There were seven other ponies in the tent. Sunset was one of them, dressed in her usual gear and flashing me.

:DDD

an uneasy smile

:///

"So, want to head back to the house?"

"After you."

:DDDDDD

He even spoke like nobility, all fancy and posh.

I do speak like the noble sort, don't I?

They want to hear me talk about founding the Warriors with the Lady of Dusk, or my adventures with the Storm Lord in the Dragon Lands,

Oh, those wacky Baratheons. Sunset's probably got a story or two about them.

Or, you can help them, if your soapstone ever starts pulsing. Just follow the point, like a compass.

Sunset makes Firelink's soapstone pulse.

"East of here. Back behind us. There's a garrison stationed there, but we haven't heard back from them since yesterday. And Dark Days, I shouldn't need to tell you, are a hell of an opportunity for the enemy to wreak havoc with our forward operating bases."

Bunch of fucking deer keep slipping in through wormholes and kidnapping their S-rank staff and stealing all their precious metals.

The deer circled the camp like vultures,

Well that's... that's an odd simile right there. The animals were like other animals. I don't get you, Danny.

"For you, oh Father of Demons, I bathe in the blood of the orderly!"

He's murdering hospital staff? That's below the belt, GD.

I was expecting memelord trash, and this was far lighter on the memes than I thought it'd be. That's to your credit. Though it is still trash, and you are trash for writing it.

Now make more.

[DannyJ]

7755521

You amuse me. I shall allow you to live.

I also like how you spotted the similarity to the Lannister war camp.

[Posh]

7755668 It was the plastic sheets on the floor that gave it away.

[Visiden Visidane]

Then there were the Chaos Paladins.
To say that they were a bizarre bunch would be understating it. My previous experience with Great Victory and Small Nicety had not begun to prepare me for these people. Every single one of them was their own variety of strange, and I saw plenty of them as I walked around the Acres.

I don't like these guys.

I don't mean that in an in-story sense as in they hold on to principles I abhor or they're mistreating characters I do like. I mean in a meta sense as in your inclusion of these characters diminishes the quality of the fic. I'm all for a lightening and softening of Dark Souls due to the mixing of MLP lore, and I'm all for brief and sparingly used asides to some Dark Souls silliness, but these guys and their antics are dragging the story into the realms of the farcical and satirical. Ultimately, I'm here to read a serious take on a blending of Dark Souls and MLP, not a parody or a satire or a farce.

I have to be frank, at the risk of sounding like a whiner or a demanding asshole. If all these guys are is an entire order of Pinkie Pies, I'll be content with never reading about them again.

I drew the bastard sword again, and gave it a swish, feeling how its weight parted the air. It was a good sword. It seemed deserving of a name.

Interesting that they would refer to it as a bastard sword. The name comes from the sword being at a size where you can use it one or two-handed. Can't really two-hand with telekinesis can you? I suppose handed creatures named the weapon and the ponies just stuck with it.

No, sir knight. She is still inside.

I'm pretty sure you have to capitalize for terms of address even if it's not a proper noun.

and a scholar of the reclusive Twilight Acolytes, wielding a trident and clad in purple robes with a strange, six-eyed great helm.

Our princess never dies. She just changes forms so she can nerd forever.

Sunset..." I began. "I... I can't thank you enough, for everything you've done for me. I think I was really on the edge of my rope when I met you in Ponyville. But you helped me when I needed it, and you gave me a great gift. That means something to me. I just wanted to say... I hope you know how much I appreciate it all. You're a true knight, and a true friend."
She hugged me.
"Thank you too, Firelink. You came to help me too, even when I said I didn't want it. It means a lot to me that you care. You may be new to this, but I think you'll make a fine knight yourself one day."

This is the best scene in the chapter. It works as a show of camaraderie and affection between friends, and it can work as setup for something else. There's an air of sincerity to it and reminds me of meeting Solaire in Anor Londo where he jokingly suggests that you might have feelings for him.

Well, I'm sorry!" Sir Penance shouted, the softness gone from his voice. "I'm a failure and a coward! I know! But what do you expect me to do about that?"

How about some penance?

The Legend casually strolled forward.
"Some scrub," he answered.
"I am Prince Bramble of Thicket, you impudent—"
Without warning, the Legend swung his zweihander down and cleaved straight through the armour on Prince Bramble's back, cutting halfway into his abdomen and causing the prince to release a blood-curdling scream.
"I said, you're a scrub!" the Legend roared.

I don't think this is silly enough. Maybe OnlyAfro can show up and kick someone off a ledge, then Firelink can glitch into a wall while DSP wonders what you use the souls for.

[DannyJ]

7847161

I did have a feeling you wouldn't like the Chaos Paladins. Actually, until now, I thought the reason you hadn't commented was that you'd quit reading in disgust. Like I said in the author's note, I'm not fond of what they did to the tone of this chapter either, but their existence was kind of unavoidable. Chaos in Dark Souls is just demons and fire. Chaos in MLP is... well, Discord and Pinkie Pie.

Regardless, you'll be happy to know that this is the last time that the Paladins as a whole make a big appearance like this, and while there is another Chaos Paladin character to come who will play a significant role, he's much more subdued in personality and tonally appropriate.

[The Dimension Diver]

All around, the crusaders milled about. The majority were Cleric-Knights, either off duty or in full gear.

Whether rather than either?
Oh gosh, you had way too much fun with this chapter. I really can't wait for the next one, but I know I'll have to like regular folk. Keep it good, yo!

[Anmynous]

Bit out of the blue, but I hope we get to see something like this at some point:

[The Dimension Diver]

Aaaand Mr. Legend needs to cut back on the khorne flakes.

[fractalman]

Get on my level, Chaos Paladins.

That was perfect.

"He is come!" he agreed. "The end of wheels confirms it! All hail Firelink, the Lord of Cinder!"

As Zecora said: You're doomed

"Nothing!" I said. "It's nothing! Chaos Paladins are weird. Avoid at all costs."
"I won't argue with that," Sunset muttered. "So, want to head back to the house?"
"After you."

"It's so cosy and warm in here!" said a muffled voice from within.

Telefrag with a hint of vore fetish.

"By Discord, I am aroused!" added the neon pink one.

Takes after Pinkie Pie with a hint of slaanesh.

[Sour Smiles]

Lol I just googled Giant Dad, LMFAO that was epic. Still wondering if The Doctor is secretly a Time Lord in this canon.
That chaos paladin camp was freaking brilliant especially the skelememe Minotaur. I keep waiting for him to pull out his trumpet and doot some spooks into some fleshies.

[Fylifa]

A friend who I'd failed to save. A friend who I'd been afraid to remember for all this time for fear that his memory would make me vulnerable. But what good had fear ever done me?

"Unbelieveable..." I muttered. "I'm right back where I started..."

"...What's unbelievable?" asked Sir Penance.

"Where in the forest is Madam Zecora's, and how do I get there?" I asked, keeping my back to him.

Sir Penance spluttered. "Y-You-You can't go in there! Didn't you hear me earlier? What are you thinking?"

Firelink flails between wanting to fill Notch's notch to praising the Sun —on Sunset's flanks. He's going off to rescue another changeling, female this time. Now that he's gotten his orientation set right. I hope you have Sister Pilgrimage be this story's Gwynevere... In the sense that the 'sister' part is just part of the cleric shtick and she's more comfortable as Brother Pilgrimage. Thus spinning Firelink's orientation compass yet again.

I kinda lost the thread where he figured out she was a changeling though. Or does he just have really good Changeling-dar to make up his lack of other radars.