The knight saw Herwig and advanced on him. Twilight took a few cautious steps back. "Watch out! Those know how to fight."

"So do I." He moved forward to match it. "Fear is your first enemy." As the first strike came in, he rolled past it nimbly and came up with his blade, scoring a savage slash across the unfeeling flesh of the hollow knight. "Stay close, keep moving."

"You're doing... quite well..." Twilight took a cautious half-step forward before retreating the distance, watching Herwig battle.

The undead gave a sudden shove of his shield, forcing Herwig back and knocking him off balance a precious moment. He was about to bring down his sword into Herwig when arcane might slammed into his midsection. The moment of distraction was enough to allow Herwig to recover and plunge his blade into the flesh of his opponent. Energy rushed into the both as they slid to the ground, defeated. "Thank you for the assistance."

Twilight firmly nodded as she stepped in from outside. She could smell the faint wafts of what once might have been great. It had become little more than slowly descending rot. "This entire world is crumbling..."

"We are its potential salvation." Herwig returned to the front of the room and pointed to the right. "There are a few hollows, nothing complicated. I'll mow them down." He advanced without pause, apparently happy to handle it himself.

Twilight considered following him when a flash of light caught her attention. Along the wall burst a sudden symbol. It was Celestia's cutie mark, glowing with brilliant golden hues as it spread wide. A familiar voice echoed from it, "Twilight, are you there?"

She flared her wings as she turned to face the symbol directly. "Celestia?! Oh, Celestia, I'm so happy to see you!"

"I don't think either of us are 'seeing' each other right now, but it is good to hear your voice, Twilight. Are you safe?"

Herwig's battle echoed through the area with the sound of steel on steel and broken flesh.

"Are you fighting?"

"I found a friend. He's fighting at the moment."

"How terrible. Do you wish to assist him? I can wait a moment."

"N-no! I mean... can you talk to me any time? Can you get me home!?"

"Now that I've found you, I should be able to. Twilight, please tell me what's happened. This mirror was to never be activated under any circumstances."

Twilight shrank as if accused. "I was cleaning them, honest. I didn't do anything more than that."

"Calm down. I believe you." Celestia's voice was gentle and supportive. She was a queen, gently assessing the situation. "Are you in immediate danger?"

Herwig returned, his blade strapped to his back. "I do not recall this." He waved at the huge symbol of the sun. "I had no idea the sun knights had a presence here. I have met a few in my time, good people."

"Hello," greeted Celestia. "May I know who I'm speaking to?"

"I am Herwig, unkindled seeker of the lords' cinders." He clasped a hand over his chest in a salute. "I am assisting Twilight Sparkle, hollowed seeker of the lords' cinders. And you? Are you... the sun? I did not know the sun had a voice... or was female..."

"A pleasure to meet you, Herwig. I am Celestia."

"A fine name for the sun." Herwig glanced aside at Twilight before meeting the sun icon with his eyes. "I apologize that I am no sun worshipper."

"I have enough of those," assured Celestia. "Raise your head if you have bowed it. You are doing me a tremendous favor keeping Twilight safe."

Twilight's wings folded back into a resting position. "So, about getting back to Equestria?"

"That is easier said than done, my dear Twilight. There is a reason I never wished to see this portal opened. The world you find yourself in is very insular, and loathes to allow things free of itself. When last I--"

"You were here?!" shrieked Twilight in a hysterical squeak. "Wait, if you were here, that means you got out. How?"

"There are several ways I am aware of... The first and most obvious, guide this world to its next cycle. During the shift from one cycle to the next, the barriers weaken and you can make your escape."

Herwig put a hand on Twilight's head. "That we are working on."

Twilight shrank away from the hand, giving her ally a brief glare. "What are the other options, just to know?"

"If you have not felt the cycles of this world, I may directly recover you."

Twilight perked an ear. "Define 'felt'?"

"Have you died, Twilight?"

Twilight cringed, shrinking. "Maybe once or twice?"

"Dying has lingering effects, as should not come to any great surprise." There was a pause. "If it helps, I have felt that bite..."

Twilight sat up at that. "You... You? How?"

"I'm not a god, Twilight. A well placed length of steel will hurt me as well as any other pony."

"Pony?" Herwig glanced between the symbol and Twilight. "Wait. You are her sun?" He waved towards Twilight. "A pony sun?"

"That is the truth of it. Twilight, compose yourself. The second way requires some finesse and luck."

Twilight's ears lifted up curiously. "That sounds interesting, go on?"

"Lay down your sign of calling. Keep doing so and answering the calls until one appears here, in Equestria."

Twilight made a bit of a face. "And... our chances?"

"Small. I gave up before that worked. Relatedly, you could use the red orbs to invade worlds. With enough luck, you will be thrown into Equestria. Again, the odds are not in your favor."

Twilight sagged, her wings going limp. "Those hardly sound like solutions."

Herwig rolled his shoulders. "It sounds like your best answer is to walk this path we share. Link the first flame and return the world to vibrance."

"You should press on, Twilight. Know that I am aware of your state and will try to find an answer from this side. If nothing else, perhaps I could send you assistance."

The idea of familiar faces buoyed Twilight, but darkness returned swiftly. "I wouldn't want another pony subjected to this."

"Nor would I, but you are aware your friends would not turn away the chance to rescue you from this dismal world. What was that about linking fires? You mus--"

Herwig brought a firm boot up against the symbol. It shuddered before vanishing away to darkness. "You have your mission."

Twilight gaped a moment. "What did you do that for?!"

"Your pony sun knows little of the true nature of things. We should keep our minds clear for the task ahead of ourselves. Turning the great wheel is how you achieve what you are here to do, so let's do that." He turned away and began to stalk forward. "You are this world's only hope, remember that."

Twilight looked at the wall where Celestia's mark once burned so brightly a moment before she trailed after Herwig. She didn't know how to get Celestia back. "She'll call again." It was her only hope. If Celestia could reach once, she could reach again.

"Did you plunder the room?"

"Mm?" Twilight craned her head around, but saw nothing obvious. "Plunder what now?"

"The room I cleared when you received your message." He pointed back, sending Twilight scurrying to get what had been dropped, a titanite shard, a soul, and a strange rounded object. "An undead hunter's charm. Hurl it at the mimics--"

"Mimics?"

"The living chests."

Twilight cringed at the memory of the last. "How does it help with them?"

"It knocks them unconscious. You can claim what they hold, or simply begin your attack safely." He drew his blade. "The fighting resumes. Get everything quickly, meet me there." He pointed with his sword down a walkway that he was already advancing along.

Twilight rushed ahead, trotting along as the room came into view. There were living things below. Unliving, perhaps, but moving. She saw two dogs down there, just as decrepit and mouldering as the once-humans that served as their masters. She quickly claimed a great sword and a bundle of herbs before fire washed out just behind her. One of the soldiers below had hurled a bomb at her. She ducked low and scampered ahead and came across a chest. Was it a mimic?

She wasn't sure how to know. She reached out hesitantly and tapped on it. Nothing happened. Had she proved it one way or the other? It wasn't breathing so far as she could tell. Did she trust it? "Ah, right!" She dug out one of her hunter charms and threw it at the chest with a great arcane heave. It exploded like a cloud of chalk. Nothing else happened. "Huh, must be clear." She popped open the lid and pulled free a new shield. "Mmm." It didn't feel like the right time to consider it, so she tucked it away and hurried to rejoin Herwig.

Herwig spotted her coming and rolled right through a stack of barrels. They exploded in a spray of brittle splinters, proving little hindrance as he dropped down. The sounds of battle rose up. "Get what you can!"

Twilight stepped forward and peeked over the side. She could see a platform below and jumped down to the sounds of Herwig doing battle with the dogs and a new undead with a great pole that approached. "You alright down there?"

"Get the sword," barked out Herwig as he jumped out of the way of a dog's lunge and cut the beast down.

Twilight found the sword he was referring to, a straight length of metal. It didn't seem all that special at a glance, but if Harwig had suggested it... "I have it." She wielded it in her magic and jumped down to join him. As she plummeted, she saw the polearm-wielding undead was not far off. She spread her wings and lift up for just a precious instant, allowing herself to come down directly on the hollow, driving her new weapon down into its surprised face. It sunk in with a meaty thunk as she landed on it, driving it to the ground where it did not try to rise again.

"An excellent strike." Herwig surveyed the room. "Down that ramp--" He pointed the way. "--you will find a key to the rogue's cell."

Twilight peered down into the darkness of the small ramp that led nowhere, but she could see the unclaimed item awaiting her arrival. "If you're talking about who I think you are, I already let him free." She trotted down and took the key regardless. "No harm having it though."

"How... You do not operate entirely within the rules of this world, it becomes more evident by the moment. I suppose, being a horse, this should surprise me less. Did you use your magic or simply beat the cell door down?"

Twilight smiled confidently. "Any lock that has a key can only be as complicated as the key it is built for." She lifted the key to the cell into view. "As you can see, this is not a very complex key. With the proper manipulation, it can be duplicated. With a little subtle thaumakinetic work, I was able to defeat it and free the thief. A good person, I think. Have you... met him? How? He was still held when I reached him."

"Did not the words of your pony sun reach you? This is a world caught in a cycle. Nothing you see is truly new. We walk the same path." He gestured between himself and Twilight. "Why do you think I know where everything is, where everyone in it is, aside from the appearance of your pony sun?"

Twilight, rather than looking confused, or understanding, instead got a look of sublime relief.

Harwig cocked a brow. "Why do you look so suddenly pleased with yourself?"

"Because this cycle is already broken." She rose up tall. "I'm throwing it off track. I'm not following the script. The further I go, the more I will keep doing that, and the ending won't be what everyone's so sure it will be... Speaking of that, what is the ending, if you know?"

"The unkindled finds the first flame and is consumed, like the kindling they are named, to renew it, restoring it to life, for a time."