Greetings Readers: Some of you are coming here from Twin Humanities. If that's the case, I'm elated that you enjoyed that project enough to come back for the sequel (and conclusion, unless DS4 gets announced soon). However, some of you are coming here having never read that before. I will be referencing Twin Humanities, and the events therein...this is not a standalone project.

Here are the 'rules', if you will, of this world.

Healing spells cast by Resa can alternatively affect Flynn at her choice - DS3 already adds AoE healing spells, but I still wish for the cleric to be able to heal the tank.

Phantom summoning is going to be less constrained than in Twin Humanities. I haven't worked out all the details yet, but expect it to happen sometime during the story.

Any covenant that relies on PvP/Coop will instead be using a plot-based progression, as we won't be seeing the duo partake in these activities.

Like in Twin Humanities, I'll be showing the character's base stats at the beginning of each chapter. I like holding myself accountable to equipment, and I'm constantly verifying whether or not the characters can actually wield/wear the equipment I've given them. I've actually done 2 full playthroughs of DS3, one for each character, so this shouldn't be much of a problem this time around.

Flynn - Starting Class: Knight

SL9 - 12 VGR - 10 ATT - 11 END - 15 VIT - 13 STR - 12 DEX - 9 INT - 9 FTH - 7 LCK

Resa - Starting Class: Herald

SL9 - 12 VGR - 10 ATT - 9 END - 12 VIT - 12 STR - 11 DEX - 8 INT - 13 FTH - 11 LCK

Also, this is being written for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) 2017. The goal is 50,000 words on a new story by the end of November. This is my 3rd year doing this now, and I always look forward to it. Writing is fun.

All characters and locations besides Flynn and Resa are property of From Software and Bandai Namco. They can't have Flynn and Resa, however...they're mine.

Resa

Time became...meaningless. I don't know if I was alive, or if I'd died. I was simply in this middle state, floating through life, surrounded by this endless void around me. I'd linked the First Flame, with my brother Flynn...we'd finished a hard-fought battle with Gwyn in order to even do so. At least...I thought that was what happened. My memories of what happened before the Flame were now a vague semblance of what actually happened, time wearing away the details of anything but that blissful moment of linking the Fire. After that, however...endless nothingness.

Until...the bell. I'd never seen it before, nor did I even know of its existence. However, its toll rocked me to my very core, revitalizing senses that had long since dulled, sending my soul roaring to life once again. At first, I wasn't even aware of it...in the midst of an endless slumber, something so foreign, so alive and powerful, didn't make sense to me. I didn't know how to process such an event. However, I very quickly did, finding my long-abandoned bones stirring once more, though I had no clue as to where I was...or when I was. Time had never made sense in Lordran, a notion that was now infinitely compounded due to my predicament.

As the bell tolled again, I felt life surge through me once more, bringing me to reality. I was still encased in darkness on all sides...it was a different darkness than the existential void I had been floating through, however. I felt something firm beneath me, a stillness in the space around me, both sensations that were completely new. I was alive once more.

I felt the space around me, hoping to make sense of my situation. I pushed my hands up and to the sides, meeting cool stone all around me. I pushed again, harder this time, feeling the stone budge against my weight. Thin streams of light poured in around me for the brief moment I was able to hold the stone slab open, proof enough that I was, indeed, alive. However, the stone was far heavier than I had expected, crashing down only a moment after I was able to push it up. I tried again, however, this time putting my entire weight behind it...to no avail.

"Resa?"

That was my brother...I knew Flynn's voice without any need to see his face, not that I ever saw his face.

"Flynn? Are you there?" I pushed against the stone once more, still finding it unbearably difficult to cast aside given the compromising position on my back. Flynn was much stronger than I was...I was lean and nimble, but Flynn could move a mountain if he put his mind to it.

"I'm here. I'm trapped in some...thing. I'm trying to get out, but it just won't...there." Just as he stopped talking, I heard a thud from outside as Flynn presumably got free from his prison, the stone slab falling to the floor. I heard a groan as he exited his prison.

"Where...what is this place?"

I kicked against the stone slab. "I don't know, but would it be too much trouble for you to let me see?"

"Sorry, coming...which one are you? There's dozens of coffins around here."

Coffins...were we in a cemetery? If so, why? Truthfully, why was I even alive? I'd linked the Flame, sacrificed my body to the fire...by all accounts, I should be dead. And yet, I wasn't. Flynn was here, I was here, and we were both very clearly alive. I pushed against the coffin lid one last time, lifting it up, even managing to slide it to the side a miniscule amount. Flynn took over quickly, however, pushing the slab to the side as easily as I'd expected him to. However, Flynn looked different...or rather, his armor did. My memory was hazy, but I remembered my brother being in pitch-black armor, a trophy from an enemy I'd long since forgotten. However, the man before me was clad in fairly standard steel armor...I know for a fact it was different than what I'd last seen him in.

As the light poured down on me, I noticed I was in the same boat. Unlike my brother, I wore much lighter armor, something that gave me the maneuverability I needed while also protecting me for the inevitable blows that came. When fighting Gwyn, I remembered wearing golden armor, once again a relic of a slain foe that I couldn't quite remember. However, like my brother, I was now clad in fairly plain steel armor. Beyond that, however, I'd been stripped of my weapons. I had a few, some of which I couldn't quite remember, but the spear and shield that I saw in the coffin next to me were clearly foreign. Flynn had also lost his massive weapons as well, now reduced to little more than a longsword and shield.

I stepped out of the coffin and out into the world around us. This clearly wasn't the Kiln of the First Flame...in comparison, this was nowhere. Like Flynn had said, coffins were piled several high around us, ours thankfully on the bottom and not covered. A majority of them were empty, their lids already cast aside, but there were still a few that remained closed.

"I take it you heard the bell?"

I turned to my brother, nodding. "I did. Somehow, I think it woke us up from wherever we were prior to this...but I don't know how, or why. This couldn't have happened for no reason. We...we did our job, right? We linked the Fire?"

Flynn shook his head. "I thought so...but if that was indeed the case, then I've got no reason to be standing here right now. Let's find Andrea, or Anastacia, or - "

"Who? And who?" These names...they sounded familiar. I knew that, in the past, I could put faces to them. Now, however, they were but a name.

"Andre? He was the blacksmith, he...he did...and Anastacia! She was the Firekeeper. We rescued her from...someone. I have so many feelings for her...so why can't I remember anything about her?" Flynn stamped his foot against the ground, frustrated. "I can barely remember anything. I take it you can't either?"

I shook my head, taking a free hand and grasping my helmet. I remembered one thing...I hated helmets. They were stuffy, and I could never breath in them. I cast it aside, setting it back in the coffin I'd just came from as my blonde hair fell free. That...that was better. "No, I don't remember anything besides fighting Gwyn, and linking the Fire. No people, no places...nothing."

Flynn nodded, the two of us looking onwards. There was a single entity before us, a figure with ghostly white skin wearing a cloak. I approached it cautiously, letting Flynn take the lead. He held up his shield, the being turning around. It was undead...or at least, I assumed it was given the gaunt and wrinkled features. It was carrying little more than the hilt of a sword, and even then it was rusted beyond usability. It lunged towards Flynn, my brother holding up his shield to easily block the attack, countering with his own. He plunged the longsword into its shoulder, wrenching it out along with a thick gout of blood. Before the undead could act again, Flynn crouched down, sweeping it off of its feet and onto its back, plunging his sword into its chest.

It did something unusual, however. I remembered fallen enemies fading away, turning into souls...this was not the case. I felt the familiar rush of souls into my body, but the undead's corpse simply remained limp on the ground. Flynn seemed to pick up on this as well, pausing for a second before wrenching his sword out of our fallen foe's midsection. "This isn't right. None of this is right. We need to find someone, anyone...I need answers."

We continued forward, coming across another undead positioned in front of a sort of basin. We were able to take it down just as easily as the last one, Flynn taking it down with a series of surgical strikes. It seemed like the time in the coffins hadn't dulled our combat reflexes...even though I wasn't the one attacking, I was still able to think of exactly where to strike, when to strike, and how to avoid being struck. Compared to everything else, that was the only part of my mind that still felt fresh.

I peered inside the basin...Estus flasks. I recognized the shape and the warm orange glow that emanated from them, and reached in to take one for each of us. Beneath them, however, I could see more...something very different from the rest. I reached deeper into the basin, grasping for what I'd seen and pulling them free. Unlike the others I'd just found, these glowed an icy blue and felt cool to the touch, nearly a perfect opposite from the familiar flask that I held in my other hand. "Ideas?"
Flynn shook his head as I handed him one. "I've never seen anything like it. Still, it couldn't hurt to keep one with us just in case it helps us later. This world is clearly different from the Lordran we knew...this might be a staple now." He took one of each flask, putting them on his belt pouch as I did the same.

Just as he did so, an arrow plunged into his shoulder, the two of us immediately ducking for cover behind the basin. While he pulled out the arrow, I searched for something I hope had been left with me, and I was glad to see that it was...my talisman. I could cast a large variety of miracles...but there was exactly one that would help us right now. I held the talisman in my hand and formed a clenched fist. As I stood up, I threw my arm forward...nothing. I saw our assailant now, another one of the pale undead. I ducked down as the arrow just grazed my shoulder, trying the miracle again. Lightning spears were my main form of combat...I couldn't even begin to count how many of them I'd thrown while trying get to Gwyn. Without them...I didn't want to think about that.

I rose up from behind the basin once again, trying to throw a lightning spear, and failing just like before. I know I hadn't forgotten how to cast them...the movements I was making were instinctual. "Flynn...can you cast any pyromancies? My miracles don't seem to be working?"

He nodded, dropping his shield and holding out his hand. "I can try." He curled his fingers into a claw, evident strain as he focused his entire attention on the palm of his hand. Just like me...nothing. He shook his head, frustrated. "I guess not. Something's wrong. I don't like anything about this. For now, however, we're going to have to take care of things without our abilities."

"In that case I'll take the left, and you take the right. That archer wasn't alone."

He nodded. "Let's go."

I darted around the basin, running towards the stairway passage to the left. Behind it was another undead, quite similar to the ones we'd seen previously. I held up my shield to block its strike, the weapon hilt barely even noticeable. I retaliated with my spear, plunging it straight into the undead's shoulder and again in the chest as it dropped. I continued forward, wrapping around the far side to see the archer with its back to me. In the distance, I could hear the sound of sword slashing against flesh as Flynn was busy taking care of the enemies on the other side...now was my time to strike.

I rushed forwards, taking the archer by surprise as I plunged my spear into its back twice in quick succession. While I easily took care of it, I hadn't accounted for the other undead that was right behind it, which rushed towards me before I ever had a chance to prepare. The sword hilt slashed down my arm, plunging into the armor and cutting just barely into my skin. It wasn't enough to cause any serious injuries, but it was still more than enough to hurt.

I bashed it with my shield, knocking the undead backwards long enough for me to remove my spear from the archer's corpse...why couldnt the body just fade away? Now poised for a counterattack I rushed forward, plunging my weapon into its chest just as a somewhat familiar sword pushed through its stomach towards me.

"How many did you get?"

I chuckled...some things never changed. "Three, if you count this one. Seeing as it decided to attack me, I'm saying it was my target to kill."

Flynn laughed, the two of us removing our weapons as the corpse dropped to the ground. "Three as well...if you count this one. Seeing as it died when I stabbed it, I think I'm allowed to count it as well."

"Fine...but only this once."

Flynn turned around, pointing towards where he'd come from. "I saw an offshoot over that way...but there's also one here. Suggestions?"

"We can check out the one you found. We don't know where we are. I'd rather not leave possible answers unexplored."

I followed Flynn, the two of us moving down some stairs and past one of the undead he slew. Beyond it was a pool of blocking the offshoot, just enough to be a struggle to walk through. Beyond that, though, the ground meandered onwards, jaggedly bending to the right and out of sight. I continued behind Flynn, the two of us eventually making it to a clearing.

Up ahead were crystals...they looked familiar, but I couldn't place where I'd seen them before. Each one was gleaming white...I couldn't place the memory, but my instinct was to fear them. Then again, that was because there was a creature nestled within them...some sort of reptile, having lived there long enough for the crystals to have grown all along its back, its arms and legs...it nearly blended in.

"Flynn, let's turn back...I don't want to fight that."

"Resa, we killed Gwyn...this is nothing." My brother crept forward, clearly cautious but not nearly as cautious as I would have been.

"We killed Gwyn with a lot better equipment than a sword and a spear...whatever, you're not listening." Flynn was still inching forward, one step after the other towards our soon-to-be foe. Right as he was about halfway from the entrance of the clearing to the reptile, it roared with life. Crystals shattered deafeningly as it turned towards us, eyes glaring towards Flynn. It tucked into a ball, its long tail wrapping around its body, and rolled straight for him.

I didn't see want to see the aftermath...I knew it was going to be gruesome. I turned away right as I heard metal violently punctured by crystals, followed by my brother's cry of pain.


I was back at the coffin again...this was a bit of a surprise, I suppose. Usually, there were bonfires for this, an anchor for us to return to when we perished. However, the last bonfire we rested at could potentially be buried, or even destroyed...I suppose this coffin would serve as our anchor for the time being.

To my right, Flynn pulled himself out of his own coffin. "Alright, that one is my fault."

I nodded, not wanting to dwell on it. "We're not as powerful as we once were. Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves...our armor isn't particularly great and our weapons are weak. What's that stuff you use to always like...that made the weapons better?"

"Titanite?"

I nodded. "Titanite, that's it. These things aren't infused with titanite...they aren't going to cut like something that is."

"Noted, sister. Now, let's avoid that thing...I don't think that passage led anywhere."

I followed after him, the two of us navigating the same path again. I wasn't surprised to see the undead ahead of us again, which was swiftly taken down, along with the next one. Whenever we died, everything we'd fought seemed to come back to life...well, almost everything. I could recall times when certain, powerful foes would remain defeated...I just wish I could remember more than that.

We pressed forward, eventually rounding our way over and taking out the archer once more. This time, however, we pressed forward, out into an opening beyond. The path curved its way up and around, leading towards a very welcome sight...a bonfire. I moved towards it, instinctually holding out my hand to light the flame as it sprung to life beneath my fingers. "I know we haven't been going that long...but I feel like a quick break is in order?"

Flynn nodded, already going to take a seat by the fire. "Doesn't take much to convince me...but not too long. I still want to find anyone, but preferably someone that knows what's happened."

I took a seat beside him, leaning my back against the rock face surrounding us. "Yeah. This isn't right...it doesn't feel like Lordran. At least, not the Lordran we knew. How long has it been, do you think?"

Flynn shook his head. "I wish I could even guess, but I don't know. We're still undead, I assume...still cursed with an endless life. At least that much is the same. Beyond that, I don't know. We've got these weird flasks, it's pretty clear graverobbers took our equipment and left us with their old equipment, you can't use your miracles and I don't even have a pyromancy flame...nothing makes sense. I hate it."

"We'll get answers. We have to." I closed my eyes, letting the warmth of the fire wash over me. It was just as calming as I remembered it, as if washing my worries away. "Someone has to know. We can't be the only ones here."

We sat around the bonfire for a bit longer to regain our strength, eventually deciding it was time to move on. We pressed forward, finding several more of the undead that we were quickly able to put to rest. These at least carried with them real weapons, some of them armed with swords a bit smaller than Flynn's, others with daggers...some even had rudimentary wood planks tied together to act as a shield. Still, we were able to cut through them easily...though we didn't have the weapons we had when we fought Gwyn, we still had the knowledge.

Eventually, after taking out an archer, we found our way to a sort of gladiatorial arena, or at least what passed for one. All around us were even more coffins, nearly all of which were upturned various directions with the lids in an equal state of disarray. To the far end was a large stone door, currently closed. In the center, however, was the most peculiar part of the entire scene...a statue. It was of a knelt over man clad in heavy armor that was made of a very-realistic stone plating. Plunged into the left side of his chest was a weapon I couldn't make out the details of right now. In his right hand was a very massive, very intimidating halberd.

Cautiously, I approached the statue, marvelling at just how...lifelike it seemed. That reality shattered instantly however once I got too close and noticed something odd...black, writhing tendrils of ichor sprouting from where the weapon connected with the statue, if it even was that. I had my doubts now...the lifelike armor and weapons, and now clear signs of some form of life.

I turned my back to the entity in the center for now, more curious on whether or not we could leave this place. I approached the massive doors at the end of the arena, trying to push them open...it was a laughable idea.

From behind me, I could hear Flynn. "This looks like...Resa, come over here!"

I turned back around, my mind reeling in horror at the sight of Flynn with two hands on the grip of the unknown weapon, which was now considerably further removed from the body than it was a moment ago. "Flynn...why did you do that?"

"It looks like one of the swords that are always in the bonfires...I wonder if that's why we returned to the coffins and not a bonfire."

Sure enough, he was right...the sword looked identical to what we'd seen in every bonfire across Lordran. The coiled blade was a dead giveaway, especially given that we'd just come from a bonfire. Flynn kept pulling it out, the unnerving black ichor still squirming with attention...I didn't like this, but I didn't know how to stop it.

Eventually, the tip dropped to the floor, metal on stone ringing through the whole arena. Flynn quickly secured the sword to his back, looking towards the door. "So, were you able to figure out how to open it?"

I shook my head, cautiously backing away from the 'statue'...right as it started to move. I shook my head and readied my weapons, shield pointing straight towards the entity as it rose up. "Flynn, why did you think it was a good idea to pull out the sword?"

"I assumed it wasn't alive. I guess we're going to have to make it that way."

Headstrong as ever...that was my brother. The...golem, I suppose it could have been, was now on its two legs, the fearsome halberd firmly in its right hand. It lunged towards Flynn with surprising swiftness, the halberd crashing down onto his shield with an equally impressive amount of force. Flynn dropped down to one knee from the sheer impact, righting himself once the golem let off.

Here I was, fighting another fearsome enemy again...except this time, all I had was a spear and a shield. No lightning spears, no awe-inspiring miracles that could take either of us back from the brink of death...just a spear. Seeing Flynn nearly be crushed by one blow from the golem, I doubted my spear would do anything, but I had to try. We would have to fight something sooner or later, and I wouldn't always have the tools I wanted.

I charged towards the golem, wedging my spear in between the segments of its armor. Beneath was something that did not feel anything like flesh...I wasn't sure exactly what it was without seeing it, but I was willing to bet it was similar to the black ichor that was still writhing around its stomach. Something was very, very wrong with this golem.

Flynn drew the golem's attention, slashing his sword against its legs several times, bouncing off of the stony armor. His shieldplay was much better than his swordplay, however, expertly accepting and diverting the golem's heavy swings, each one crashing down onto the rocks beneath us.

Everything was going fine: I was getting strikes in that landed in the golem's weak spots, Flynn was nearly unscathed throughout the ordeal, and the golem was starting to show signs of stress. The entire dynamic shifted, however, when it started incorporating unarmed strikes into its repertoire. Flynn started being knocked off balance by the fists and elbows that now flew at his shield, my strikes stopped landing due to a change in its behavior, and it seemed almost...stronger. Flynn was forced to play entirely on the defensive while I barely was able to attack it. The unending barrage of fists, jabs and elbows, along with sweeping strikes from both the hilt and blade of the halberd, made it nearly impossible. I had to divert the golem's attention once while Flynn took a swig from his Estus Flask, something I could rarely remember him doing...this wasn't looking good.

We kept whittling it down, until it froze, in place, curling into a ball as both arms crossed its chest...and a blood curdling scream pierced the relative silence of the battleground. The two of us immediately backed away as the wail continued, unsure why it was happening...or what it signalled. The answer became immediately apparent, however, as the black tendrils writhed...and grew...right before they exploded outwards. The mass quickly swelled to become several times the golem's size, taking on a vaguely...lifelike shape. Something akin to a claw ripped outwards, three fierce talons scraping across the ground that ripped up stone in their wake. More concerning, however, was the vaguely draconic face that loomed above the husk of the golem, complete with a pair of glowing red 'eyes that made quick work of the landscape.

"Flynn, what did you get us into this time?" I was partly mocking him how I always did, but part of it was true...I was terrified. I could never remember finding a foe that looked so...revolting, so unpure. I could remember vaguely fighting disgusting beasts, but never ones that looked like as much of an abomination as this thing.

I turned around, immediately considering abandoning this fight and returning to the coffins, or even the lizard...anywhere but here. That plan was immediately shut down, however, by the door that now barred our way backwards - it seems that removing the sword from the golem could have caused it to close. In this strange and foreign world, I was willing to accept that as a very real possibility.

Flynn, as expected, shied away from this new foe much less than I did. While he didn't consider running, he approached the golem, if I could even consider it that given its current state, with extreme caution. The ichor acted much more aggressively than the golem had on its own, planting its claw on the ground and throwing itself in the air. Flynn ran out of the way just before it would have crashed down on top of him, scrambling to bring his shield up to block the halberd that nearly cleaved him in two.

If I couldn't run...then I had to fight. I charged towards the ichor, still distracted from Flynn, and plunged my spear into the mass. My earlier suspicion was quickly confirmed...this felt the same as what I struck underneath the armor. The armor...it must have been controlled by this thing, now forced to show its true form in order to survive. That meant, even though it was acting viciously, it was acting out of desperation. We still had a chance.

The golem spun about, swatting at me with its claw, carrying with it enough force to send me sliding across the ground, three new tears forming in my perfectly new armor. I reached for my Estus Flask, drinking enough of it to restore my injuries, and getting back on my feet again. Flynn's shield was locked with the halberd again, his feet buckling under the pressure until the ichor finally let up. I rushed forwards, leaping into the air and plunging the head of my spear into the mass, letting my own weight drag the tip down and form a gash along its back. It let out another wail of pain, the head circling towards me and glaring.

I held up my shield, a pointless defense against something that could easily try to swallow me whole...and it knew that as well. Just as I saw it lunge forward I fell to the ground, the breath knocking out of my lungs as I slammed into the stones below. The head just barely missed me, merely a few inches above my body. I heard Flynn sink his blade into the beast's flesh as well, causing the head to circle back towards him which gave me the opening I needed to get back on my feet.

For the first time, it seemed that we had the upper hand. Flynn slashed at the beast's head while I plunged my spear into its back, the two-pronged assault overwhelming. Flynn seemed to have figured out its attack patterns, the few times it had the window to swipe at my brother with its claw being met by a shield every time.

Eventually, it fell...out overwhelming assault became too much for it. With one final lunge from my spear, the entire mass grew still, dropping to the ground...and dissipating. This was what I remembered, how our fallen enemies use to die. The armor, however, remained, somehow still connected despite the ichor being gone. It was much weaker now, however, stumbling over towards where we'd first seen it, planting its halberd firmly into the ground. The weapon slid between two stones, sliding further and further down until it stopped. At the same moment, both pairs of doors slid open, giving us the freedom to press on...or return.


Flynn

Whatever...that...was, we'd taken care of it. As the doors on either side of us creaked open I moved towards the new exit, and presumably our way forward.

I had so many questions...why could I remember people's names, why could I remember exactly how I felt about them...and yet not even know their name? A third one had come to my mind after straining for it...Quelaan. I knew that I was fiercely loyal to her, and that I'd served under her in the past...and yet I couldn't even remember what her voice sounded like. Quelaan, Andre, and Anastacia. All three of them were names that I wished I could remember, that I desperately wished could have a face, a memory, or anything else. I didn't know if I would, though...if I ever would.

We pressed forward, reaching a long, broken staircase that travelled upwards. Several undead sat hunched over along the sides, not looking nearly as aggressive as the ones we'd just pushed through. Still, I kept my guard up as I travelled past them, keeping an eye behind my shoulder to make sure Resa didn't get jumped by surprise...I was on edge.

At the stop of the staircase was a three-pronged path, the left and right more or less trailing off and curving out of sight. The middle path, however, led to the mouth of a cave with torches lining the walls. Behind me, I could hear Resa. "I think that's the first sign of life we've seen...I'd like to check it out."

I nodded, marching forwards. "And I as well." I marched down the tunnel, quickly being greeted by quite the sight.

The first thing that I noticed were the five thrones sitting in an arc on the other side of the circular room we'd just walked into. One sat directly in front of me, massive in size and unfilled. To the left and right, two more thrones were on either side. Oddly enough, they each seemed to look different from each other, more than just minor differences - they seemed to be from completely separate areas. Only one of them currently had someone upon them, being the first to the left. It was the smallest of the five thrones, and an equally small being sat upon it. He looked to be perhaps half the size of an undead...I couldn't quite tell for sure.

Below the thrones, a series of slight steps led down to a basin in the middle, inside which was little more than ash. Why it was even there, then, was beyond me. Finally, a few more people besides the small man were around the place. First, a man sat hunched over to the right, looking forlornly towards the center. Near him was a woman, clad entirely in black. The only thing out of place on her was a band that she wore around her eyes, a minimalist insignia on the front. The way she wore it, it was clear she couldn't see a thing.

My eyes lingered on the woman, who had now turned to look directly at us...perhaps we made a bit of noise on our way in. There was something about her, something about how she carried herself, something about the trim silvery-blonde hair that she kept tucked behind her. I felt like I knew this person...like I'd seen her before…

It all came back to me, like a dam had opened and the water of knowledge poured into my mind. Anastacia...that was her. I remembered everything about her, how I'd fought my way through Lordran to rescue her from Lordran...the angelic sound of her voice...that I loved her, but she also loved me. My heart ached...how long had I been without her?

I rushed down the stairs, towards her. We were finally reunited, finally one once again, after however long it had been -

"Greetings, Ashen One."

I came to a halt...this wasn't her. The voice wasn't right...I didn't know this voie. And yet, it had to be her. Why else would the memories come flooding back if it was someone else. My mind was deeply conflicted. I had to hope, however...hope that it was her.

"Anastacia?"

The woman in black cocked her head to the side, shaking it. When she responded, it was with clear hesitation. "I...I am not her. There are very few who have called me by that name, all of them from the birthing days of Lordran. I am not the Anastacia you seek. I am but a Fire Keeper without a fire."

I nodded along, blind to the reality being told before me. "That's right. Anastacia, she, she...she was taken from her fire. She was a Fire Keeper." My tone grew solemn, the realisation dawning on me. "Do...do you not remember me?"

She began backing away, shaking her head. "I do not remember you...but I would not remember you. I assure you, Ashen One, I am not the Anastacia that you know. You are not the first to believe me to be her, I assure you."

Resa came up from behind me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. "It's not her, Flynn...I know she meant a lot to you, but it's not her. I...I wish I knew for certain, but someone that important to you wouldn't lie."

I nodded. She was right. I didn't want to accept it, but I knew she was right. This woman in front of me, though she looked strikingly like my dearest Anastacia...she was simply another Fire Keeper. I trudged down the steps, my heart in shambles.

With my back to the Fire Keeper, however, she spoke once more. "That sword...have you bested the guardian of this shrine?"

I pulled the coiled sword from my back, planting it on the ground. "We bested something, yes. This sword was buried in its chest."

The Fire Keeper seemed astonished, ushering us over to the basin in the center of the shrine. "Please, tell me. What is the last thing both of you remember before hearing the bell?"

I looked to Resa...this woman clearly had the answers we needed. "We fought Gwyn within the Kiln of the First Flame. We bested him...and we linked the Fire. After that...nothing."

The Fire Keeper furrowed her brow, shaking her head. She muttered to herself, but clearly audible enough for everyone involved. "No, that doesn't make sense. Those that linked the Fire...they could not have been roused by the toll of the bell...it's impossible."

She turned to us, furiously shaking her head. "What you said is impossible. I - I wish this wasn't the case, but I suspect you failed to link the First Flame. Rather, you simply...burned up in it. Gwyn was an early guardian...a very early guardian...you say you fought him?. I suspect the methods to link the Flame hadn't been properly understood yet"

Resa responded, clearly as confused as I was. "What do you mean, 'the methods'? Of course there weren't methods...nobody had done this before, at least to our knowledge. How long has this cycle been happening?"

The Fire Keeper sighed. "You are the earliest ones to have crossed our borders in...perhaps forever. There is a great deal that you will need to know, and there are several people within the walls of this Shrine that will help you learn. However, I will tell you this. The bell woke you up to give you a chance to link the Fire once again...I suppose properly this time. It will not be an easy task, but I suspect you already accomplished one before your slumber. If you were able to defeat the guardian...you might just be the savior of the undead."

Word Count: 6174