After much searching, as well as no small amount of bloodshed and battles, I finally found a bonfire. It was in the midst of a small church, lined with ragged silk tapestries, all depicting the various Gods. As soon as I had finished resting at the bonfire and taken in it's more than welcome warmth, I stood up and began to examine the tapestries.

I gazed at their design, the stitching, and more, all quite well made. It was as I was admiring the tapestries that I found two in particular that piqued my interest. They were of two alicorns, both female, but one had the moon above her head whilst the other had the sun, and their arms were outstretched in a welcoming gesture. My mind lit ablaze with recognition as a memory invaded.

"Knight-Scholar! Knight-Scholar!" came the voices of two young fillies. I looked up from my book on the sciences of alchemy to see two young alicorns, the princesses of this land. One was the midnight blue Luna, and the other the pearl white Celestia.

"Yes? What is it, little ones?" I queried, putting my book away for the moment.

"Willst thou play with us?" asked Celestia, her long pink mane somewhat tussled as her amethyst eyes gleamed with hope.

"Please say thou will!" Luna pleaded, her large cerulean eyes likewise gleaming. I sighed.

"Well, I'd much rather continue reading..." I began, watching them pout with a playful smile as I let that statement hang in the air for a few more seconds. "...Though I suppose I can spare some time for the two most adorable alicorns I know." I finished, standing up and brushing myself off as the two sisters cheered. "Now, what shall we play?"

"Tag! Tag!" Luna chimed. I chuckled.

"Very well!" I replied. We played in the gardens for a good while, and I couldn't help but smile the whole time as I watched the two adorable Royal Pony Sisters run around, trying to catch the other, squealing and giggling and laughing.

They really are my lights in the dark.

Celestia and Luna... That was their names. I gazed at the two tapestries in a new light. These tapestries were of the Royal Pony Sisters. My lights in the dark.

What became of them? Were they even still alive? I frowned at the thought. I suppose that's one more thing I shall have to discover. Though I dread to think of what could have befallen them. I shook my head clear of those thoughts.

I have to forge onwards anyway. I can't afford to pause in my quest for too long. Empowered by this thought, I made to exit the church and continue on my way through the city.

Although the sight of a mare in platinum barding decorated with golden scales and a fluted helm with a silver and gold plume standing in the doorway stopped me in my tracks.

"Hail, fair knight! Do you happen to know where I can find a bonfire?" the mare asked, her voice sounding much like that of a Saddle Arabian. I stared dumbly at her for a few seconds, surprised to find another soul still alive in this forsaken land, before shaking off my shock and pointing to the bonfire behind me. "Aha! Thank you, good sir!" she said gratefully as she strode over to it and sat down with a content sigh.

Naturally, I was quite surprised to find another soul here, and a glance at the bloodied and gilded zweihander upon her back told me she had just been through her own share of Hollows and beasts.

I'll admit, I was quite curious, and to be quite honest I could use an ally, or at least a bit of the normalcy that those untouched by the Curse enjoyed.

So, with that notion in my mind, I decided to sit down beside her. She glanced at me as I rested beside her, and I had the feeling she was smiling.

"Nice of you to join me. Might I ask your name, good sir knight?" she asked. I croaked and coughed as I tried to speak, but she waited patiently.

"Oc..." I coughed and pounded my chest. "Octavius."

"Nice to meet you, Sir Octavius. I'm Aminia Quest. I'm just a wanderer, nothing special," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "What about you?"

"Kn...Kni-" I hacked another cough, trying to get used to speaking again after so long. "Knight... Scholar Of... Royal Pony Sisters."

"Really? That's rare. Thought that order had died out ages ago," She mused, humming in thought to herself. She shook her head. "Well, it's none of my business!" She stood up and placed her hands on her hips proudly. "What is my business is finding that serpent and taking the loot from it's corpse!" I tilted my head in question.

"Serpent?" I queried, my voice finally returning.

"Oh yes! Zderonja is it's name, and it has taken the lives of many an adventurer," Aminia explained. "I heard it had come here to nest, so, here I am."

"You mean to... slay it?" I asked. She nodded. I hummed in thought. If this beast was here, I would likely encounter it soon enough. And I did not fancy my chances in this forsaken city alone... "Would you be willing to have me tag along?"

"A kind knight such as yourself? Certainly! I could always use another friend!" she laughed heartily before pointing towards the doorway. "Now, forwards to treasure! Mughamara!"

And with that, she marched out. I quickly stood up and followed after her, to find her already beheading a Hollow up the street. I smiled.

Seems I had found a friend in this wasteland.

We had been fighting our way through this city for what felt like hours, from the Zebra High Warriors to the Hollowed Zebra civilians and infantry. By the end of it, we had left quite a trail of bodies.

And all the while Aminia was still charging forwards with a fire in her heart. I have to admit, she was quite the warrior. Though I suppose she would have to be to survive so long out here.

Regardless, we had made it to a temple, of which Aminia told me was the nesting ground of Zderonja. I found it an odd place for a serpent to nest, but did not question it further.

The temple had tapestries and statues of some Zebra mare, carrying a spear in one hand and what looked to be a flask in the other, and was covered in hooded robes. It seemed familiar, though I could not place why. I turned back to the wall of fog that stood between us and our quarry.

"Well, shall we?" Aminia said, gesturing for me to go first. I nodded and placed my hand against the fog, a little surprised when I found it to be solid, before pushing through and into the temple's grand chamber.

Aminia followed in behind me. Our steps echoed across the chamber, and drew the ire of our enemy, whose form I could not help but gawk at.

It was a serpent, yes, but it was also a mare. A priest, if the headdress was any indication.

She had scales now instead of fur, though it was still striped like a zebra. Her body was bare save for that headdress, which was almost like a crown, but also a chandelier, only with corks instead of candles. Her scales were black and white striped, like a zebra, but she also had a tail like a rattle snake, which worried me that she could have deadly poison like one as well. In her hand was a spear that seemed to continuously drip a greenish-reddish liquid, and the tip appeared to be a golden fang.

A number of rotting bodies and skeletons littered the room, all looking like they had had bites taken out of them. Most appeared to be random Hollows, but a fair few also looked to be priests as well, if their ornate robes were any indication. This did not bode well.

"So the beast is a lamia? What luck!" Aminia said, seeming excited. "Have at thee, wench!" And with that, she charged in, zweihander raised.

I followed her example, charging in as well, shield poised to block any incoming attack.

Zderonja swiped at us with her spear, but we rolled under it, and cut into her scaly hide.

A scream of pain erupted from the lamia's mouth, before she retaliated by knocking us aside with her tail.

I grunted from the force of the blow, but quickly took to my feet again, and charged forwards once more.

Zderonja then spat wads of burning saliva at me and Aminia, and I had to dance between the globs, idly noting the way they ate away the floor.

Aminia charged past me then, bending backwards to avoid one swipe, only to be caught in the side by another and slammed into a wall from the force.

Zderonja made to impale my friend, but in a mad dash I jumped and knocked the spear away before it could make it's fatal blow to Aminia.

Zderonja hissed, and made to rush us, but I held my ground, shield raised as she impacted against it. As it collided with her chest, I shoved her back with all my strength, and then swung upwards with my shield, dazing her as it hit her in the chin.

Aminia quickly recovered and stood up, and as Zderonja withdrew and circled us, she stood ready.

Zderonja launched herself at us again, but instead of aiming for me like I thought she would, she aimed for Aminia.

But Aminia was ready, she took out a shotel I hadn't noticed before on her hip, with a bejeweled hilt and gilded blade, and caught Zderonja in the chest as she came within reach. Then, using the momentum Zderonja had gained, Aminia roared with effort and cut Zderonja's torso clean from her body.

The torso fell to the ground, the spear dropping from her grip, and the rest of the body lying motionless.

"Ha ha ha!" Aminia cheered, pumping a fist. "Now that was a fight!"

"Indeed. It certainly was quite the performance," I agreed, smiling beneath my helm.

I gazed over the now dead form of Zderonja, and watched as Aminia made to start looting the corpse, only for the spot where the torso had been severed on the main body to start to convulge and expand and contract.

Then, in a burst of light green fluid, a new torso emerged from the main body, scaly skin gleaming with the liquid. Aminia quickly backed up as Zderonja quickly picked up it's headdress and spear once more, placing the headdress on and brandishing the spear.

"Still some fight in you, eh? Well, bring it on!" Aminia challenged, charging forward once more, zweihander raised.

The headdress on Zderonja glowed as Aminia drew near, and the lamia hugged herself, before a burst of that light green fluid shot outwards, impacting me and Aminia and burning away at our armor.

Then, as we were just starting to recover, another burst came from the headdress, only instead of more acidic liquid, a number of yellow orbs of crackling lightning came at us.

I managed to bob and weave between most of them, but the screams of Aminia alerted me to her being struck by them.

"Miss Aminia!" I cried, before growling at the lamia and rushing forwards, then leaping onto her and thrusting my blade down her gullet as she opened it to hiss at me.

The lamia gagged and coughed up blood, but I wasn't done. I took my shield and slammed it down on her head, repeatedly. Over, and over, and over again, until it was naught but a bloodz pulp, the headress crumpled. With that, the lamia fell, and I jumped off. I watched for any further revivals, and placed my sword back in it's sheath once a good few minutes had passed of nothing happening.

Then, remembering my friend, I rushed over and checked her. She was on the verge of death, if her pulse was anything to go by, so, desperate, I took out my talisman and uttered a prayer, golden light surrounding us, before she slowly sat up, her wounds gone.

"Ugh... Oh, my head..." she groaned.

"Miss Aminia, are you alright?" I queried. She nodded, much to my relief.

"Yes, I am fine..." she looked at the body of the lamia. "Ah ha! So you felled that wench, well done! You don't mind if I loot the corpse, do you?" I shook my head. "Wonderful!" She rushed over, starting to pick off what she could. Most of what she took was scales, but once she got to the spear, she broke off the tip and offered it to me. "Go on, take it! You deserve it!"

If I could blink, I would have. "Are you certain? I-" she cut me off.

"Just take it, it's fine! We Unkindled have to stick together, so what's the harm in a little sharing, eh?" she said kindly. I smiled, taking the golden fang. "Hmm... It needs a name, though... Ah ha! The Gluttonous tooth!" I looked at her in confusion. "What? Is it not a good name?"

I shook my head. "No no, it's fine, just... strange to name a weapon, is all."

She laughed. "My friend, this whole world is full of strange things. I say, the more the merrier!" I smiled at this.

It seems my life in this ruined and forsaken world might not be so bad after all.

This honestly isn't my proudest work, and the proceeding chapters won't be either. Still, there is much I decided would stay, and they... well, they simply stayed. I won't spoil anything, so, I'll just say thank you all for reading this story of mine.

-Timeless Celestial