AN: This is it folks! I hope you enjoyed this short story!

Conclusion

The Ashen One had returned to the Kiln of the First Flame. He returned invigorated, the ember the Fire Keeper had bestowed upon him played a part in that, but it was the kiss he received with it that truly rekindled his resolve. His body felt light, his mind clear, and his determination soaring. Defeat was no longer an option, he would succeed here and now. He would defeat the Soul of Cinder and extinguish the First Flame for good.

He withdrew Lothric's Holy Sword from its sheath, flourishing it a few times to loosen up his joints and melt away any weariness between the teleportation. Lothric's essence meanwhile enveloped him in warmth, readying for the battle that would soon come in moments. The Ashen One drew in a calming breath as he began to move up the incline. As he did he spared a glance to his weapon. At first, he regretted abandoning his curved sword, but that feeling had passed by now. The last battle with the Lord of Cinder gave him reassurance that Lothric's Holy Sword was the right choice for this battle. It was a strong weapon and Lothric's essence within would assist him, their bond continued to grow and they sunk deeper and deeper into sync. Now that they had cleared the air, overcame the first awkward engagements, and come to middle ground on how to operate as a unit he had grown to trust him more and more.

"Are you ready for this, Lothric?" He asked, watching as the blade flashed with a dazzling white light. He'd take that as a yes. His lips curled into a faint grin as he arrived to the crest of the hill overlooking the graveyard of weapons and bones. In the center his foe sat by the First Flame, awaiting him. Step after step brought the Ashen One closer as he steeled his grit. "Let us bring an end to this dying age." Though he didn't think it possible, the warmth Lothric's essence radiated doubled, he could feel his shared desire.

As if on cue, the Soul of Cinder arose from its spot near the First Flame and summoned its flaming great sword from the mound of dying embers. With that, it charged him as the Ashen One braced himself. The fight had begun, and this time he would not leave defeated. He would stand, and he would fight. He would break this cycle and usher in the age of dark. He would clear the path that he and the Fire Keeper would walk.

The Soul of Cinder swung its blade in a wide horizontal arc, one that the Ashen One had little trouble evading. Leading with his right shoulder he tucked it in and rolled, passing right by his foe's legs. It began to turn and slash at him once more but the Ashen One was quicker- he arose in a flash and swung his sword in an upward motion as he did. It caught the Soul of Cinder along the back of its leg, though it did little to stop it from continuing its assault.

As it turned though, the Soul of Cinder's angle for its sweeping attack was limited significantly. The Ashen One, instead of retreating pressed forward to further cut down its angle and make it harder for his enemy to land a hit. He jabbed Lothric's straight sword forward, watching as light illuminated the weapon while he stabbed into the upper leg of the Soul of Cinder. With the Ashen One being so close the Soul of Cinder had no way to react in time to strike him.

As expected, the Soul of Cinder was less than happy by this. It violently kicked out its leg, sending the Ashen One flying. He had no chance to evade unless he wanted to abandon his sword, so he soared through the air and fought to control his body. With a thud, he landed on his rear near a pile of discarded weapons. He was up in a moment. He had learned the pattern of how the Soul of Cinder worked. At least vaguely enough to know that once there was a distance between them then magic became a threat to watch out for.

Just as expected, a crystal soul spear was sent careening his way. He nimbly side-stepped it as he began a careful jog forward, not wanting to go too fast and lose his ability to maneuver. The spears kept coming as the Soul of Cinder stepped back farther and farther. The Ashen One could feel Lothric's essence drain the warmth from his body on one side, telling him which way to weave. After a few deft movements and a roll or two, he was back in front of the Soul of Cinder who returned to slashing at him.

The Ashen One ducked under the first sweeping swing and with confidence moved to strike again, slicing right along his foe's abdomen. However, his confidence was a bit too high. Lothric had no way to warn him in time as the Soul of Cinder didn't end his attack with one slash, but followed up and continued to release a flurry of attacks. He barely evaded the second, but the third, a downwards diagonal swing, went through his defense and struck him.

It sent him reeling as he rapidly back stepped away, holding up his sword for a guard as he felt the wound burn deep within him. It had landed down the right side of his torso. He gritted his teeth and shifted his left hand; if he wanted to win he'd have to go try a different method.

"Don't let me down, Karla." He whispered as he recalled upon his teachings. He withdrew Caitha's Chime from its holster at his side. He hadn't had to use it in a long while, there was a good possibility that he'd be rusty. Regardless, he pointed it forward with his left hand, casting gnaw. He felt the energy drain from his body as he cast it, tightening his jaw through the pain that ensued. He watched as the swarm of bugs struck the Soul of Cinder, though as usual, it simply seemed to continue on without flinching. He continued to cast gnaw, using all the energy he had to drain away the Soul of Cinder's strength. As the Ashen One began to grow low on energy to cast, the Soul of Cinder countered with sorcery of its own. This time in the form of fireballs.

Fireballs were considerably harder to evade, sidestepping them was not so easy. Instead he'd have to throw himself to the side in a roll to evade. He made marginal progress forward, getting burned here and there in the process and being forced to drink from his estus flask. Ultimately, he was left waiting until the Soul of Cinder rushed him once more and gave up the barrage of heat.

This time the Ashen One didn't go in after the first swing, he stayed back and tried to get behind the Soul of Cinder. He managed to get in a few strikes here and there as he moved to keep behind his opponent. However, the Soul of Cinder refused to allow such a thing to continue and quickly moved away only to turn and swing for him yet again. The Ashen One would not back down or try to evade.

"Go down already!" The Ashen One howled in frustration as he swung his sword in return, their blades clashing. They met in a flash of crimson fire and white light, and to the Ashen One's surprise, it was an even match. Lothric's Holy Sword held firm as he leaned into the deadlock, feeling the energy culminate between the two blades until it erupted. The result being that both the Ashen One and Soul of Cinder were sent staggering back a bit. The Ashen One's wish was granted as the Soul of Cinder went down to one knee for a moment. He'd managed to stagger it! Despite having been staggered himself by the eruption of energy, he sloppily surged forward to seize the opportunity, releasing a flurry of arcing swings as Lothric's Holy Sword grew a bright white with every one. Over and over he struck until it happened.

Its second phase begun.

The Soul of Cinder rose through the onslaught of strikes, forever stoic and revealing no pain. It simply rose its sword before the Ashen One and stabbed it into the ground. Lothric drained him of warmth, his way of warning him to pull back. The Ashen One tried to backpedal away but he was not quick enough, he had gotten carried away. An explosion of flames erupted from the ground and he got caught by the edge of it. It had managed to scorch him mildly, as well as sending him gliding backwards into a pile of weaponry.

The Ashen One bit back a growl of pain as he slowly forced himself up, using a spear embedded into the ground as a medium to pull himself upright. His body ached from the burn and he felt his vitality draining. Due to this pain, his attention had slipped from the fight and he had no time to react as warmth faded from the right side of his body and a sunlight spear struck him in his right shoulder, piercing him cleanly through his armor and sending him flying even farther back. There was no holding back the scream of pain the came from his lips as his body slammed against the rock wall of the kiln. Pieces of the wall loosened and fell off around him.

The sunlight spear dissipated as he made contact, allowing the blood to freely flow out of his shoulder. He slumped against the wall, left hand rising to cover his shoulder as crimson seeped through his fingers. He knew he didn't have much left before he was slain and sent back to the bonfire. He quickly removed his hand from his shoulder and downed a significant portion of the estus flask. It immediately staunched the bleeding from his shoulder and numbed the burning pain from the explosion. However, he could still feel the dull pain panging through his being, reminding him that his wounds could only heal so much. He glanced down towards his flask, seeing that he had very little left to work with, and it was only the start of the second phase.

He barely finished his drink from the flask as another sunlight spear came for him again. This time he had enough sense to follow Lothric's warning and dodged left. He pocketed the flask once more as he crouched low, tightening his grip on his weapon.

"This isn't good. I'm running low on being able to heal myself. We need to end this quickly if we are going to end this at all...I have an idea, but it won't be easy. Do you trust me, Lothric?" The Ashen One asked, looking towards the blade as there was a brief pause of uncertainty that passed between them. However, a moment later he could feel Lothric's essence brush against him through the bond reassuringly, comforting him. He gave a grin as his gaze shifted to the incoming Soul of Cinder, a greater sword in tow that looked like it would hurt if it landed.

He'd just have to make sure it didn't come to that.

He rushed ahead to meet the Soul of Cinder, sliding under the initial strike and right between the taller foes legs. He usually didn't go for such unconventional methods of battle, but it was obvious that conventional methods would not win this fight.

He rose from his sliding position and didn't give a moment's pause before he relentlessly assaulted the back of the Soul of Cinder. He landed a few blows before his foe whirled on him and summoned forth another sunlight spear. The gleaming spear rose into the air and the Ashen One watched as it came thundering towards the ground. It would be another explosion, one he had no way of evading. And he would not be able to get away with only getting hit by the edge of it like last time. Lothric didn't bother to warn him, assuming there was no way around this incoming attack.

There was no thinking behind his movements, he relied on his instincts as he moved closer to the Soul of Cinder instead of away. With all the strength in his legs he leaped, pulling his arm back despite the pain in his shoulder and forcing his straight sword into the chest of the Soul of Cinder. It dug in deep and he used both hands to grip the handle as his feet braced against its body. He hung there from his weapon as the explosion erupted across most of the ground, all except for the epicenter. Right where the Soul of Cinder was- which was exactly where he hung.

The Soul of Cinder glanced down towards the Ashen One, ever stoic. The Ashen One met its gaze as neither moved for a few brief moments. However, it would be the Ashen One who moved first, lips curling into a feral snarl as one hand moved from the sword handle and reached up to grip the shoulder of his opponent. His other arm yanked the blade out, and with a single deft movement he heaved himself up higher and thrust his gleaming sword right into the gap of the Soul of Cinder's helmet.

That ended its reign of silence as a cry of agony erupted from its lips and its body began to suddenly flail. The Ashen One wisely ripped his blade out and let go, landing a safe distance away as flames exploded from its body. He knew he'd done damage to the Soul of Cinder, but he'd also pissed it off. Extremely. And he couldn't tell if that was better or worse than the stoicism.

He quickly learned the answer. The Soul of Cinder rushed him now, slashing wildly at the Ashen One who was left to desperately evade. He tried to stagger him, swinging once more as their blades crashed. Crimson and white met again in a deadlock. He had hoped that the result would be the same as the last time their weapons clashed. It was not.

The Soul of Cinder's greatsword was much larger since reaching his second form, and it overpowered him in an instant. He was vulnerable as he lost the deadlock and that's when he felt his body rise into the air.

One hit. Two hits. Three hits. Four hits. Five hits.

And after the fifth he was abruptly smacked away by the flat end of its blade. He was correct; the lengthened greatsword really did hurt. He was sent crashing through two fields of bones and weapons until skidding to a halt across the ground. His body felt a level of pain he had never experienced, each wound burned with intense heat that almost made it unbearable. Blood poured from each individual wound, watering the flowers he laid on.

He wondered how he wasn't already dead, at this point his body would have been utterly defeated and he'd be back at a bonfire. It wasn't until the fog of pain cleared a bit that he realized he was doing something he hadn't done before. He was desperately holding onto his life. He was subconsciously forcing his body to not drift away, to not submit to the pain and accept death. He wasn't ready to quit yet, he still had fight in him. As small as it may be.

He had landed with his back to the Soul of Cinder and could hear its footsteps slowly encroaching upon his position. He bit back a hiss of pain as he moved his arm to grab his flask. He didn't hesitate as he poured the little of it that was left into his mouth. It only provided him with mild relief, but it helped take the edge off so that he could actually begin to move.

His fingers dug into the ashen ground as he began to pull himself up. Out of the peripheral of his vision he could see the Soul of Cinder growing ever closer. He could feel Lothric's essence tugging at him, imploring him to rise once more and not remain as a prone target. He managed to get himself onto all fours before the Soul of Cinder was upon him, reeling back his blade to deliver the final blow in a single overhead strike.

The Ashen One could feel Lothric's imploring amplify, practically begging for him to move. The Ashen One gazed up, watching as the greatsword came rushing down to divide his body in half.

"I believe in thee, Ashen One."

Those words rang in his head. Words that he'd taken to heart and that meant the world to him. He wasn't just fighting for himself. This was no longer just about his journey. He was fighting for someone else now too, he was fighting for a future with the Fire Keeper. It was her that had motivated him and given the strength he needed. And it was now that she gave him the motivation to lurch ahead and roll out of the way of the blade at the last possible moment.

His body screamed in pain but he rose, albeit staggered, as he stumbled forward. He dropped the flask in his hand and began to dig through his pocket as he stumbled through an array of abandoned weapons on the landscape. His fingers brushed against the cool metal and he didn't hesitate to pull out the ring he'd been given by the Shrine Handmaiden. Even in the faint light cast by the partially obscured sun the silver shone bright and the ruby in its center sparkled like a reinvigorated ember. He didn't hesitate to slide the ring onto his ring finger. The ring that would soon be his wedding ring.

This was the ring he'd give to the Fire Keeper after he'd won. This was the ring that held a promise for a better future. A future with the Fire Keeper. He turned slowly to the Soul of Cinder who had recovered from the missed attack and was approaching him now with a greater stride, intent to finish the job. The Ashen One rose a hand and wiped away the blood that trickled from the corner of his lips, panting ragged breaths.

"I am going to cut you down," He promised, both hands reached down to clasp the handle of the straight sword as he began to jog towards the Soul of Cinder. "Be with me Lothric, we end this now. Give me all you have, we will overcome this." He expected some resistance but instead light illuminated the blade once more. He could feel Lothric's energy pulsing beneath his hands as he pulled his blade back, intending to clash blades with the Soul of Cinder once more. This time, he would not lose.

The Soul of Cinder must have felt just as confident because it reeled back its greatsword to meet him. In a flash, they clashed against one another. The great golden and crimson blaze roared against the incandescent light of Lothric's blade. This time the Soul of Cinder was unable to immediately push him back. Instead, the Ashen One held firm in their deadlock and gave everything he had. He opened his mouth and roared in rage as he threw his very being into the deadlock.

Moments passed, and despite all the energy pulsing through Lothric's blade it began to be overwhelmed by the great flame. The Ashen One felt himself losing ground inch by inch as he was forced to step back. He didn't dare surrender, it ended here one way or another. He pushed his entire frame forward into the deadlock, howling a louder war cry as he pushed and pushed. He would not give up now.

"Together, we will illuminate the darkness."

A vision of himself and the Fire Keeper appeared in his mind as her words echoed. A vision of him and her standing as the darkness came, arm in arm and facing it. Ready to create their future. To be the sparks of light within the darkness and create a new world. They would illuminate the darkness. He could not end here. He had an obligation to see this through and conquer the Soul of Cinder. To clear the path for them to walk.

It was then something happened, the tides shifted. The ring adorning his ring finger began to glow, specifically the ruby at its center. It had changed from glimmering like an invigorated ember to shining like a well-fed flame. Then to gleaming like an inferno, growing brighter and brighter by the moment. As it did a scarlet aura seemed to emanate from the ruby. It moved slowly up his hand and then around the straight sword. It merged with Lothric's shining white energy. White and scarlet battled crimson and gold. The balance began to shift, the greatsword began to be pushed back. The Soul of Cinder was now losing ground faster and faster as more aura poured from the ring. The Ashen One, while confused by this turn of events, seized on the opportunity instantly and forced ahead in the deadlock.

"The cycle is broken," The Ashen One declared, feeling the energy pulsing through him. The aura had cast itself over his body and enveloped him. His wounds were beginning to close and the pain had nearly disappeared completely. The aura was amplifying his strength, carrying his will and merging it with Lothric's. Together, they would not be denied. With one final push, the Soul of Cinder was sent staggering and fell to his knees. The Ashen One stood before its crouched form and rose his blade, wasting no time in ceremony. He brought down the blade, gleaming with scarlet and white.

It pierced through the skull of the Soul of Cinder, there was no cry of anguish from this blow. Instead the Soul of Cinder began to fade away, evaporating into nothingness as the scarlet aura began to recede back to the ring. Soon, both the aura and the Soul of Cinder were completely gone. The Ashen One slowly lowered Lothric's Holy Sword, staring down to where his foe was moments ago. He then looked to his ring, surprised by the scarlet aura it seemed to manifest.

He felt a smile spread across his features as he exhaled a breath of relief. Then a fit of laughter followed, caused by the overwhelming joy that he felt. He had done it. He had found a way and defeated the Soul of Cinder, albeit he wasn't sure what caused the aura from his ring to manifest. He would have to find that out sometime later. For now, there was only one thing left to do. He turned his gaze to the first flame and he slowly approached it, his footsteps quickly gaining speed as he moved. He was ready to begin. Once arriving he pulled out what little bit of soapstone he had from his pocket and knelt unto the ground. He couldn't lie, he felt indescribable pride over his conquest. And felt even greater joy over being able to see his beloved in a few moments.

He stepped back from the marking on the ashen ground and within moments she appeared. Her lips were set into a delicate smile, her eyes staring up into his own. He didn't hesitate to drop his straight sword, despite Lothric's protests, and embrace her.

He held her there, tight in his embrace as her arms coiled around her. His breathing was heavy as he buried his face into the crook of her neck, his hands clutching her robes. He was overwhelmed with a tidal wave of emotions he'd never felt before in such a way. He fought back the tears that he knew were welling up inside of him.

"Thou have done it, Ashen One. I always believed in thee," The Fire Keeper said calmly, her hands rubbing small circles into his back. He slowly regained his composure as he leaned back, wiping a hand across his eyes before looking to her lovely face. "No, we have done it," He whispered, leaning in to steal a kiss. He cherished it, knowing that this was the beginning of a new journey. One he would walk with the Fire Keeper.

As their kiss parted, her eyes turned to the dying flame as she let her arms release him. His gaze followed her own as she began to approach it. He hastily grabbed Lothric's straight sword, ignoring how the prince's essence sent sharp prods down the bond for being dropped do haphazardly. The Ashen One hardly noticed as he approached her from behind, the Fire Keeper kneeling before the first flame as he placed a hand onto her shoulder.

Her hands extended out and into the flame, cupping around its base. She held her hands there a few moments before withdrawing them. And floating within her hand was a small ember. The rest of the flame around the coiled blade began to fade away, leaving only that last dying ember as darkness began to quickly rush in to fill the void.

"The First Flame quickly fades. Darkness will shortly settle." His hand squeezed her shoulder tenderly and reassuringly. "One day, tiny flames will dance across the darkness. Like embers linked by lords past."

Silence followed with the darkness. The Fire Keeper knelt there as the flame began to fade away. Her mind wondered of the scenes of betrayal. Would they come? Would he be the ultimate deceiver? Would he strike her down and wrestle the mantle of the first flame for himself?

She felt him touch her again and she jumped slightly as he did. However, it was a reassuring touch; his hand leaning down to cup her own. It was then he deposited something into her hands, landing beside the last vestige of fire. Her gaze went to him and then the item as he knelt beside her.

It was a ring. A beautiful silver ring with a ruby embedded into the top of it.

And the hand that cupped her own wore a matching one, and she felt all words leave her mind as she stared at it. She knew what this signified, the silent question he was asking. Internally, she knew her answer. Externally, she couldn't even form words. They would be one, through all they had gone through their bond was stronger than any material. She would be his and he would be hers. However, she couldn't begin to articulate that feeling. Instead all she could do was turn to him, tears beginning to stream from her eyes as she stared up to him. His jade eyes seemed to sparkle with passion and energy as he pressed his forehead into her own.

"Let us be the tiny flames dancing across the darkness. Let us illuminate the world and create a new reality for ourselves."

It was her turn to kiss him as she slowly slid the ring onto her ring finger, moving her arms to then embrace him once more. Their kiss lasted until neither one of them could breath, forcing them to break away and gasp for air within the darkness. Faint light shone from the fading sun, allowing them to barely make out the details of each other's visage. Both of them were smiling, never letting their eyes peel away.

"Let us," She whispered as they embraced once more, ready to take on the darkness that had come. They would be the new flames. They would create a new world from the ashes of the old. But for now, their arms linked around one another and they simply held each other. Content to enjoy their new-found peace.

EXTRA:

"Ashen One."

"Hmn?"

"Thou art touching my rear."

"Oh- My apologies!"

"I never said it was a bad thing."

AN: Would anyone want an epilogue by chance? If so let me know and I'd be more than happy to conjure one up!