-New Londo-

There were Hollows everywhere, but not a single one could be bothered with Seiko. She spotted one stretched out near the edge of a cliff, so she approached that one and found stairs near it. As she headed down she could see the stairs had crumbled away before long, and didn't lead anywhere. She turned to go back, but someone called out to her.

"Hey, you there! You're no Hollow, are you?"

Seiko turned to the young man's voice, spotting him through a barred window in the wall next to her.

"No. I'm Seiko, a Pyromancer. I'm looking for the Four Kings."

"Well… Not Hollow, but certainly crazy… I'm Rickert, of Vinheim. If you're after them, I hope you've figured out how to traverse the Abyss without dying, otherwise you'll be smacking your head on the wall in no time, just like the others around here."

Seiko didn't look amused.

"I appreciate the confidence…" she said, disappointedly sarcastic. "Can you help me?"

"Hmm… Well, I can do a few things. One, I can tell you that there's an old sealer further in who would know more. Two, I can smith a bit if it's got to do with magic. And three, you'll need a way to fight the ghosts down here if you intend to move on, and I know a spell that can help you do that, for a price. No offense, it's just hard to make a living down here. Can't go offering services for free in my state."

"Is the sealer a powerful mage? Or are you?"

"I… I was the best smith in Vinheim. My magic is strictly for forging and modifying weapons. If that's what you mean, then, indeed, I am powerful. But somehow I doubt that's what you mean. No one would have heard of me to tell you of me. Not here… If someone told you about a powerful mage in New Londo, then surely they meant the sealer."

"I see. I need to meet with him, for more reasons than I originally thought. I have the souls to trade for your spell, if you don't mind. I was warned about the spirits here before, and now by you. I suppose I'll need it."

"Of course. I'll help you out, then. Do be careful when you go. Don't end up another loon, either."

They traded souls and Rickert cast his spell. A greenish white light formed a film around Seiko's body before fading.

"There. It will only last a few hours, though, so you'd better hurry if you want it to last round-trip. Without it you won't be able to do a thing to the ghosts. No Pyromancy or weapon of yours will touch them."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks again."

Her make-shift torch faded back up the stairs once more, leaving Rickert in the near darkness she'd found him in.

-The Painted World of Ariamis-

Jinta, out of Humanity, crouched in the snow over his find. A dead human, clothed in black, with a spellbook in one hand and an odd rapier in the other. He lifted the spellbook and found most of it in a language he couldn't understand, but there was a chapter at the end that contained something he could. The tale of a dark Miracle, which the book called Vow of Silence. It seemed like it might be useful one day, despite the tale disturbing Jinta slightly, so he put the small book in a pouch on his belt. He rose and looked around, deciding to continue on his way.

Later still, Jinta came across the body of someone who had invaded him not long before. The Pyromancer carried a tome of his findings, which Jinta also took. He looked around a bit more before making his way back out to the courtyard. He dodged thrown spears from the enemies in the center, hiding behind large stone cages that littered the yard, dashing for the door he'd come from into another courtyard. He crossed the second yard and stepped out onto a ruined bridge. He saw a Hollow further down nock an arrow, so he braced himself to dodge, waited, sidestepped the shot, and sprinted forward. He easily cleaved through the frail archer, but heard many more climb over the side of the bridge to surround him.

Jinta stood tensed, waiting. One of the Hollows stumbled forward, flailing its broken sword. A flick of Estoc to deflect the attack and a slash with Falchion and there was one less Hollow. A step and a stab with Estoc and another fell. Jinta spun, no longer surrounded, hopped back to avoid a Hollow jumping at him, stepped in, stabbed his attacker deeply, and spun while keeping his target close. The spin dislodged the Hollow from Estoc as he slashed another Hollow, leaving just one. The last Hollow seemed like it was having trouble deciding if it was standing on the floor or the wall, its head tilted completely horizontal. Its foot shifted forward, not even lifting, and Jinta had stepped in and run past it. It never even turned around to follow.

Further ahead, a man in steel armor sat on the bridge just before a crumbled spot that narrowed the bridge so barely one person could cross. He saw Jinta approaching, so he stood, taking up his sword and tower shield. He rushed forward, chopping overhead at Jinta. Jinta dodged to the side, just barely, and stabbed past the knight's arm into his armpit. He cringed, giving Jinta the opening to jump up onto the bridge's guardrail and jump down behind the knight. The knight spun to face him and found him missing. The moment of confusion was punctuated by Estoc ramming through his chest from behind.

Jinta stepped over the knight after he fell and proceeded forward slowly, toward a tall female figure with an enormous scythe who definitely knew he was coming…

-New Londo-

Green mist blasted into the air before Seiko's fist when it came in contact with the first ghost. They looked feminine, clothed in flowing robes, and were almost completely transparent, but they were hardly a threat if they vanished after a simple punch. Or so Seiko thought until the second one extended its arms, stabbed her in the sides of her neck and tore its blades out the front of her rib cage. Seiko landed facedown on the platform she was on, barely above the floodwaters in the chamber, blood streaming into the water. She reached down for her Estus, weakly drinking it. The honey-thick and warm fluid immediately healed her wounds, though the pain wasn't soon forgotten. Seiko stood up, new respect for her opponents, and watched the ghost before making any moves.

The ghost once again extended its arms, so Seiko dodged aside and ran in while its arms were too far away to counter and punched the ghost. Just like the first, it vanished instantly. Seiko looked around, her eyes drawn to a staircase lit with blue-flame torches, probably enchanted to stay lit. She went up the stairs, encountering a few more ghosts on the way, making her way further through New Londo's ruins. With all the water and no telling how deep it was or what was in it, or even if she could survive falling in it if it was to seal the Abyss, Seiko had few options for choosing a route. She soon found herself on a bridge leading to a church that was built into the side of the massive cavern. She could see someone standing on the roof, so she hoped it was the sealer and continued toward it.

Once inside, Seiko wandered the side hallways of the church for a few minutes before finding her way to the main room. Though, upon finding it, she was skeptical about entering. Human bones covered the floor, more full and undamaged ones near the walls, and a rough, damp bone powder everywhere else. The smell was odd enough on its own without the crunching of the powder under Seiko's boots. To top it off, just one ghost hovered in the center of the room. Seiko passed the room up, opting to look around for another way up to the roof.

A few more ghosts and not much else later, Seiko returned to the room. Still, the lone ghost floated in the center of the room. With no way to know how much longer Rickert's spell would last, Seiko quickly decided she'd better just go in and get it over with. She readied her Pyromancy for the first time outside a simple light source, blue flames swirling dimly in her hands, and stepped in. The ghost in the center of the room immediately opened glowing red eyes and wailed so loud Seiko thought her head would burst. She stumbled back, flames going out, her hands over her ears, unable to even keep her eyes open after the sensory overload.

Ghosts started coming out of the floors, the walls, the ceiling, and from every direction, even behind her. They all had the same curved daggers in each hand, all in flowing robes. Only the banshee that had screamed was different, hair floating out in all directions like a bloated corpse in the water, sparks of lightning tracing her form. Seiko swept a hand across the room, Fire Surge to keep the ghosts back. It repulsed a few, but several more took their place, floating steadily toward Seiko to get close enough to attack. Seiko felt a hot stinger in her ribs and lurched forward, glancing back to see her blood on the dagger of a ghost behind her.

With so many foes, Seiko decided to throw her caution aside and use Firestorm. She thrust her palm onto the wet, bone-ridden floor and released her flames. Pillars of blue fire erupted from the floor and walls nearby, obscuring everything from view for a few moments. Seiko sagged from the excursion, but felt noticeably better than the last time she'd tried the technique. It was definitely possible to use it more than once without being crippled now. The problem arose when the air cleared and not a single ghost had been harmed. Rickert's spell had worn off.

Seiko looked up, shocked but not exactly surprised. She glanced back again to see the previous room full of ghosts.

If I can't hit them, can I just run through th-

The ghosts all began stabbing and slashing at her. Before she could even move or think anything else, Seiko was a bloody heap on the floor. Not that that stopped the ghosts from stabbing at her until her form blew away in ashes.

"BytheLords-! Oh…"

Rickert recoiled from his window when Seiko appeared in it without warning, Hollow face shrouded by her hood.

"Well. Took too long, I see. And now you've gone and lost your souls too."

Seiko reached a hand through the bars and opened it. A twin Humanity sprite wiggled out of her palm, her offering in place of souls.

"Please… I have to go back in…"

Rickert looked from the Humanity to her, sighing.

"I can't say it's not something I could sell… Fine. But just this once. Give it here."

He held out his hand and accepted the sprite. He picked up his staff from the floor to cast his curse again.

"Don't waste it this time… Be careful…"

The way forward was much easier the second time, since Seiko knew where to go. Some new ghosts had wandered into her path, but with proper caution, Seiko dispatched them easily. When she reached the room with the banshee, recovering her lost souls, Seiko threw a Chaos Fireball without hesitation. The banshee tried to scream, but faded out as the sound had barely begun to rise from her mouth. Seiko ran to the center of the room and cast Firestorm, just as the ghosts that had killed her emerged from their hiding places. The room filled with fire and mist, the air swirling and rising, blowing the silvery-blue mixture out of fireplace chimney in the room. Seiko rose, breathing heavily, and kept her head on a swivel, looking for more threats as she looked around the room. She found a ladder in the fireplace and climbed it, hoping it went up high enough to lead to the roof.

As soon as she reached the top, Seiko saw she was right, but she was also met with the silver tip of a staff in her face. A figure in red robes and an iron mask was at the other end. Something sent a chill down Seiko's spine, the perception of immense power. She put out her flames and put up her hands in surrender.

"Are you the sealer I've heard about?"

"I am," said the voice of an old man. The figure lowered the staff. "And you're no Hollow, despite looking the part. Have you no Humanity left?"

"I have Humanity, but I didn't want to waste a second getting to you in case you left and I couldn't find you again."

The old man chuckled. "Oh, no, I'm not going anywhere. Someone needs to keep watch over the seal, otherwise who knows what might happen to Lordran. If the Abyss should ever escape…"

"I have so many questions for you… I'm sorry if I seem rude or insistent, but I've come a long way to see you, both for my own reasons and to help someone else."

"Well, I've nowhere to go and nothing to do. Simply take your time and I'll do my best to answer."

Where to begin…?

"Well… I was told to come to New Londo and take the shard of Lord Gwyn's soul back from the Four Kings. Where are they?"

"I'm afraid that will be nearly impossible. The Kings are what is believed to have anchored the Abyss to this place to begin with. They, like the howling dark, are sealed away beneath the water. Even if I broke the seal, you could never survive the Abyss. Only Sir Artorias has ever been known to do such a thing."

"Wasn't he a Knight of Gwyn? I've heard his name before."

"To put it simply, yes, he was a Knight of Gwyn. He became known as the Abysswalker for his victory, long ago, in Oolacile over the Abyss. He and his great wolf, Sif, stemmed the flow of Abyss from Oolacile by striking at its heart, venturing in and returning alive unlike anyone before him."

"How did he do it?"

"No one truly knows."

Seiko looked troubled. "Princess Gwynevere told me I had to do this to help the Chosen Undead, Jinta. She said figuring this out was important to me somehow. Are you sure there's no way it can be done? Maybe Artorias taught someone else?"

"Artorias left nothing but his legacy, as far as I'm aware. He dueled with Ornstein many times, but it was the clashing of warriors who needed to trust each other in battle, I'm sure. If Ornstein knew how to fight the Abyss, I can't see him not using his knowledge forthwith."

"Where are he and Sif now?"

"Artorias died long ago."

Seiko sighed in disappointment, trying to decide where to continue her questions from.

"Who are you," said the sealer, "to have been sent to me by the Sun Princess on such a mission?"

"I'm Seiko, a Pyromancer."

"Oh, come now, there must be more than that. Your flames came blasting out of the church below. Even I know that's not average Pyromancy."

"I was taught by Quelaana. She was a Witch of Izalith, wasn't she? A daughter of the original Pyromancer?"

"There we are. Trained by Quelaana herself, you say? I haven't known her to take a pupil since Master Salaman. I take it you took your name for the blue flames, then?"

"She named me too, actually…" said Seiko, slightly ashamed. "I'd forgotten my name… Nearly gone Hollow…"

The sealer's expression was hidden under his mask, but he hummed in pity.

"I see… Blue Child. An Easterner's name. Quite common among those who've nearly lost their way, I think. They're quite easy to cobble together with just an idea, after all. I am Ingward, the last sealer of New Londo."

"I've wanted to meet you for a long time…"

"So you said. I trust, then, that there's another matter you wished to inquire about besides what Gwynevere sent you here for?"

"Yes. Quelaana said a powerful mage would be able to recover my memories if I submitted to them."

"Hmm… She was correct, but… Not only is that quite a dangerous thing for you to do - submit to a mage and let them into your head - but I find it hard to agree to such a thing without a proper reason."

"I can't say that I have one, really. All I knew before Quelaana was that I was waiting in the Undead Asylum for some reason, because I have a natural strength powerful enough to break down just about anything manmade."

"Interesting… So all you had to go by was your tremendous physical strength? And yet you could not only see Quelaana, but she took you on as a pupil…"

There was a moment of silence.

"Tell me, Blue Child, why do you need those memories? Are you not an individual already, with a name and a purpose?"

"Gwynevere said this task would help me find purpose."

"Ahh, but you had to reach her first. That alone is no simple feat."

"I only made it that far because I had help from two Knights of Catarina."

"You're not doing very much to convince me, despite coming so far. Are you sure you don't already have purpose?"

"What do you mean?"

"Come now. A pupil of Quelaana, helpless as a newborn babe, hiding behind two Knights of Catarina from the Asylum all the way to Anor Londo, through the ringing of the Bells and all? I find a tale like that hard to believe. Did you really not help them at all? Or is that some misplaced humble motion? Or perhaps self-loathing? No matter what it is, it doesn't make much sense after finding you here, before me, having fought through New Londo by yourself."

Seiko could only stare. If she had eyelids, she'd be blinking in confusion.

"You see? You twist your own story. I don't need access to your memories to be able to tell that much from your demeanor, tone, and the inconsistency of your stories. You're making me curious as to what your memories truly are now."

"You said you didn't feel right doing it… It's not something I can force you to do in a fight or anything, and I'm not so good with words… As much as I want to bull forward and insist, you seemed too likely to just turn me away. I can't do anything further without your help, memories or no. Besides, something tells me your magic could overpower me even if I did try to force you."

"Ahh, proper respect and caution. Answer me this, then, if I don't help you, would you seek another mage who would?"

"I would."

"Then I find myself having a change of heart. There are a few members of the Dragon School wandering around Lordran, and I'm hesitant to trust them with a task such as this. They are ravenous for knowledge in a way that would be dangerous to Quelaana if they should learn of her existence. Very well. I will use the spell. However, I need you to agree to a few things first."

Seiko nodded, waiting.

"First, I won't release your memories to you just yet, not without seeing them myself first. Second, you must promise me that, to your knowledge, you were a moral and upstanding person before you lost your way. If I find that you were not, know that I will not release your memories, as the trauma of who you are now meeting who you used to be could drive you mad right then and there. Third, and finally, you must agree to tell no one that I did this. Quelaana should not have told you this was possible, nor should she have sent you to me at all. But she did, and she gambled on us both being as reasonable as we are to make things work. I do this in part for her, in part for you, and in part for my own curiosity. Do you agree?"

"I do. I won't tell anyone, and if you need to protect me from my own memories, I trust you to do that. Quelaana never did anything to hurt me. I have no reason to think her trust in you is misplaced either."

"Very well… Hold still…"

A/N: Quiet Water by Toby Fox

Clashing of swords in a yard, training.

Many visions of a simple house in the forest.

A silvery-blonde woman who's face wouldn't quite piece together.

Playing in the forest.

Loneliness.

The disappearance of the woman.

Deep sadness and solitude.

Visions of a long forest road.

Things speed up. Fights blur past, death seeps in and darkens the memories.

Vast power and speed, inhuman even.

Another long road.

The cell in the Asylum.

Flashes of the recent happenings.

Seiko found herself still standing on the roof, displaced. She felt as if she'd woken slowly from a deep sleep. It was dark, and she couldn't tell right away if she was still standing upright. All at once she regained herself and snapped to attention, looking around.

"Ing-! -ward… What happened?"

She hadn't seen him right away because he was sitting on a large brick, out of breath.

He didn't respond right away, heaving with exhaustion from the use of his magic.

"You… You were…" he gasped. He reached up and pulled off his mask and pointed hat, revealing his long grey hair and full beard and mustache. He paused a moment more, catching his breath.

"You haven't changed much… You were a bright girl at first, but growing up so alone calmed you down."

He took a moment to breathe.

"I can still see the cheerfulness in you, but… It mani… fests in different ways… You seek to help others because… Phew, because you know what fighting alone is like. As for why…"

He sucked a great breath, looking into space with a vacant expression, still sifting through what he'd found.

"You, my dear, are the secret child of Sir Artorias and Lord's Blade Ciaran. Not even Artorias knew, it seems… I take back what I said earlier. For you, and you alone, it may be possible to reach the Four Kings. I can't imagine anyone else has the slimmest chance of getting past Sif, much less fighting and defeating the Kings."

"What was my name?"

Ingward looked at her for the first time since casting his spell.

-"My dear, your name is but a label. Even if I told you your name, it would not be the name of she who stands before me.- When you lost your way, you lost much of your previous self. When you began moving forward again, you were given a new name. -Honor your name, and honor yourself. After all, being named by Quelaana, a Sister of Chaos, on top of your heritage, is more than enough to make a legend of you."-

Seiko couldn't decide on anything to say to that. Ingward was right, of course, but curiosity wasn't something to be ignored on the matter. If he didn't tell her, she doubted anyone ever would. Now that she understood what was involved in submitting to a mage, she wasn't very willing to do it again. Anyone not completely trustworthy could use the same magic, she guessed, to erase memories or alter her personality completely, which wasn't a comforting thought in the least.

"If you insist," said Ingward, "I will release your memories to you. I should explain that they are not simply locked away in your brain, just beyond your reach. They are gone forever, forgotten entirely and replaced. Such is the nature of the curse. The magic uses you as an anchor and casts both the subject and the caster's minds back in time. As the subject, I'm sure you saw flashes of what I saw, but the caster… The caster relives every moment as if it were real. It takes a great deal of willpower to perform the technique, something I've only done twice before, and not lose oneself. For that reason, it is a forbidden and lost art. I won't pass it to anyone, and the mages I'm aware can do it will hopefully decide on the same course of action.

But, as I said, if you insist on having them I will pass them to you. You wouldn't change much, but you would need to decide how to refer to yourself and introduce yourself. It is a life-altering choice to make. If you need time, you may take it."

Seiko heaved a sigh, biting the inside of her lip and thinking about what Ingward had said and what she'd seen. She wanted to keep moving toward her goal now that she had a concrete one, but this was an opportunity that wouldn't present itself twice. Would it be better to know those years she'd lost? Her mother and where she'd come from? Quelaana had said a strong will and sense of self would strengthen her Pyromancy, after all. Or would it be better to leave what was forgotten alone? To shape a new self, a new story, and simply let go of the past? She knew more than she could have ever hoped to without Ingward already.

"What do you think?" she asked at length.

Ingward shifted where he sat, joining his hands.

"If I were you, which I can only imagine as I have never experienced Hollowing in an advanced form as you have, I would want my life back. Good or bad wouldn't concern me. I would feel baseless and empty without knowing my early years, my family, and why I was the way I was. I seek an explanation for everything - such is the nature of many mages - and I would always find myself searching for the answers I would never have without a chance like you have."

"I don't want to waste your efforts," said Seiko, "But I also find myself leaning toward leaving it all behind."

"Don't concern yourself with that, K-... Seiko. It will take time for me to recover, but this is a choice you must make for yourself only. Before long we may part ways and never meet again. Forget what I want, young Undead. Make the choice you will be able to live with."

Seiko bowed as properly as she knew how, hands folded in front of her.

"I appreciate that you gave in to my request, but after hearing your advice, I've decided to leave who I used to be in the past. Thank you for your help."

"You are welcome. At the very least, I have a good understanding of Pyromancy now, if I should ever require the use of it. Now… Before you go, take this. It is the key to drain the water and break the seal. Once you use it, and the gates open, cross the bridge and follow the cliff. Straight ahead of the bridge is the Darkroot Forest, where you will find Sif and the grave of Sir Artorias, but you should take the time to visit your teacher, if you can find her. You will need all the help you can get for your fight with the Kings, for they will not simply hand over the shard of Lord Gwyn's soul. You will be weakened by the Abyss as well, unless Artorias' grave holds some secret to negate it entirely. Do not tarry, as the longer the seal is undone, the more likely it is that the Abyss will begin to spread anew."

Seiko took the key from him.

"Thank you for all you've done. I'll return as soon as I can to recover the Lord Soul shard and stop the Abyss from spreading."

A/N: I'm actually in the middle of tapering off the next chapter right now. I almost forgot to post this one, I was so wrapped up in it.