Hello everyone! My name is The Ashen Lord and this is my first ever fan fiction story. I decided to write about a crossover between RWBY and Dark Souls (two of my favorite things in the world). This idea had been on my mind for a long time and I would have written it sooner, but since I am new to this site I was nervous about uploading it. Now that I have gotten over my nervousness I can finally write this story. I will continue the author's note at the end of the chapter. Now on to the story!

Rise of the Dark Lord: Part I

"Magnificent. You have followed my teachings faithfully. You are the true lord of men… the Dark Lord. Now go forth and rid us of that enfeebled Gwyn. I Kaathe shall await you here. When you return I shall serve you in the immanent age of Dark." said the Darkstalker.

The chosen undead nodded his head to the Darkstalker to thank him for pointing the chosen undead in the right direction. Turning towards the Lordvessel the chosen undead walked up to it and kneeled before it, and proceeded to empty the Lord souls of the four great ones into the Lordvessel.

All of a sudden a large flame had erupted from the Lordvessel forcing the chosen to take a step back from the burning flame.

Then a creaking noise fell upon the chosen's ears as the doors leading to the Kiln opened slowly revealing a bright white light causing the chosen to shield his eyes to not go blind himself. Before departing for the Kiln the chosen turned to face the Primordial Serphant once more to thank him.

Walking past the Lordvessel the chosen looked down upon a large set of stairs that lead straight down to the Kiln of the First Flame. With walls made of pure white light surrounding either side of the stairway caused the chosen to take a moment to look at this strange phenomenon. Just as he was about to make his way down the stairs he saw something appearing out of the white light.

The being was as tall as the Silver Knights of Anor Londo, and the armor looked almost the exact same, but something was different. This being's armor was much more demonic looking than those of Anor Londo.

The wings that normally adored the head piece were instead demon like horns that ended in sharp points. Around the being's collar were two spikes on either side that produced from the armor itself. Also, the being had lacked the cape that most Silver Knights had. The chosen only knew of this for his time spent within the ranks of the Silver Knights themselves before being branded by the curse.

Since the being was transparent the chosen didn't recognize it at first, but after some time to observe it the chosen had identified it as one of the most dangerous enemies he had encountered multiple times, the Black Knight. Walking further down the steps the chosen had noticed more of the transparent Black Knights walking out of the light.

Each one carried both sword and shield. The chosen noticed that the sword each carried was none other than the powerful Black Knight sword that the chosen had made the unpleasant acquaintance with a few times on his journey.

None of the Black Knights paid any attention to the chosen as he passed by them. They had carried themselves like the ones that the chosen had met along his journey. The chosen clenched his teeth in anger at the thought of Gwyn sacrificing his own knights to the fire due to his own paranoia and fear.

"I will avenge all that you have sacrificed Gwyn and save the lost souls of this land." The chosen pledged to himself as he made his final steps and arrived at the Kiln of the First Flame.

The chosen stood there for a moment to gaze upon the Kiln and Gwyn's prison off in the distance. The chosen had to admit that they Kiln did look beautiful in a way. The way the Kiln had its own sky this deep underground the chosen would never know, but decided to think about it another time later.

The chosen forged on towards Gwyn's prison to end this once and for all. Soon memories of his past comrades that he had met throughout his journey flowed into his mind.

The first was Siegmeyer of Caterina, or those who had little respect for the knight knew him as the "Onion Knight." The chosen remembered his first time meeting the rather large knight. He was sitting just outside the gate leading into Sen's Fortress.

"Mmm…mmm… Mm! Oh-hoh!Forgive me… I was absorbed in thought.I am Siegmeyer of Catarina. Quite honestly, I have run flat up against a wall.Or, a gate, I should say. The thing just won't budge.No matter how long I wait. And, oh, have I waited!" said Siegmeyer.

The chosen chuckled at the fond memory of his large but gentle friend. Soon the fond memory faded away and was replaced with another where he helped the knight in Blighttown. He remembered how he caught him sleeping and right in the middle of that poison pool of a town! Only Siegmeyer could pull something like that off.

"Mm! Oh-hoh!Excuse me. I was so absorbed in thought, I just drifted away.You see, I'm actually in a bit of a fix.I've made it this far, but I'm short on antidote moss for the trip back.…By my knighthood, I am ashamed to ask…But can you spare a few scraps of moss?" Siegmeyer asked.

The chosen was more than happy to help his fellow knight, and found it amusing that someone such as Siegmeyer was almost trumped by not having moss on him. Then suddenly one of the darker thoughts crossed the chosen's mind at the last time he would see his friend alive…

"… Friend, I have an idea. A good one, really. I will ruse those dire fiends, and you can slip away in the confusion. Please, friend, I owe you much more than this. By the honor of the knights of Catarina, allow me to assist you. And now, I go! Don't be slow! Hrgrraaaaggh! Hiyaaaaaah! C'mon! Over here, you fiends! Perish, foul creatures! I am Siegmeyer of Catarina, and you shall feel my wrath!"

The chosen now had regretted helping his companion for he had failed to see Siegmeyer's true purpose of "assisting" him. It was Siegmeyer's purpose to have an adventure that would test his strength and skill in Lordran. That purpose had kept him from hollowing and the chosen had taken it away from him. He then finished the memory of Siegmeyer's final words to him.

"(Breathing heavily) But, you! Didn't you get away?Well, you've saved me, once again…Thank goodness… I'm exhausted…I think I'll have a rest.Don't you worry, the ground below me is my pillow.I'll recover shortly…"

After that the chosen had decided to head back to Firelink Shrine to gather up some supplies when he had met Siegmeyer's daughter, Sieglinde. She had asked the chosen if he had seen her father and the chosen answered that he had. The chosen had heard of a place called Ash Lake and decided to pillage the items there for his journey.

What came next had put a dark weight on his heart. There he saw Sieglinde standing over a dead Caterina knight. As the chosen had drawn closer he observed the Zweihander in the knight's hand. He took note that Sieglinde was crying and put two and two together…

"My father…all Hollow now…has been subdued. He will cause no more trouble.It's finally over…I will return to Catarina.You assisted us both greatly. I can hardly return the favor,but please accept this. It's of no use to me now.
Oh, father…dear father… (Soft sobs and crying)"

The chosen could never forgive himself for the pain that he had caused not only to his fellow knight, but his daughter as well.

Off in the distance the chosen could see another Black Knight standing guard with another legendary weapon, the Black Knight Ultra greatsword. He quickly charged the hollowed warrior and managed to side step to his right as the Black Knight brought his greatsword down in an arc swing. Realizing that he had a few seconds to attack the chosen had pulled out his own Black Knight weapon, the Black Knight halberd.

As the Black Knight started to stand up the chosen had plunged the mighty halberd into its back. Then pulling it free the chosen then waited a second for the Black Knight to stand and proceeded to hold his halberd in two hands. Just as the Black Knight was at his full height the chosen dashed forward and then jumped into the air while bringing his halberd up high.

As he landed he brought the halberd down with enough force to cut a large gash through the Black Knight's chest. Just like the others this one screamed in agony and dissolved into white particles and then finally disappeared. The chosen moved onward.

Coming up to a much thinner walkway that connected Gwyn's prison to the rest of the Kiln the chosen walked along different paths until he came across another of the Black Knights. This one wielding the same Black Knight sword as the phantoms of the Black Knights that came from the white light.

It noticed the chosen and immediately came at him. It reared its sword back, ready to stab the chosen and force him off the narrow pathway, but the chosen had been ready for this. With the Black Knight shield in his left had the chosen waited for a moment and then proceeded to parry the oncoming attack. It paid off as the Black Knight's thrusting attack was pushed to the side allowing the chosen to riposte. Instead, the chosen simply kicked the Black Knight off the edge of the walkway and sent it down far below to its death.

As he did this the chosen had another memory of one of his comrades. This time it was about Oscar, the Knight of Astora. Although Oscar did not make it past the asylum, the chosen would never have made it out of the there if Oscar had not dropped him the… body with the key on it.

For freeing him and helping the chosen begin his long journey the chosen would always consider Oscar as a true comrade. Soon after the chosen had made it to his fellow knight, but sadly Oscar was on the verge of death and would soon hollow. The chosen remembered what the knight of Astora had told the chosen that led the chosen on his journey in the first place.

"…Regrettably, I have failed in my mission…But perhaps you can keep the torch lit…There is an old saying in my family…Thou who art Undead, art chosen…In thine exodus from the Undead Asylum, maketh pilgrimage to the land of Ancient Lords…When thou ringeth the Bell of Awakening, the fate of the Undead thou shalt know…Well, now you know… And I can die with hope in my heart…"

Oscar had told the chosen of his mission and now passed it along to him. The chosen was forever in Oscar's dept for Oscar had even given him his own Estus flask…

"Oh, one more thing…Here, take this. An Estus Flask, an Undead favorite.Now I must bid farewell…I would hate to harm you after death…So, go now…And thank you…"

Guilt had yet again filled the chosen's heart as he later realized in his journey that he could of saved Oscar if he had just given him some of his own Estus flask, but back in the asylum the chosen was new to the world of the Undead and didn't even know the flasks function at the time. For his own incompetence to know how to literally drink from the Estus flask the chosen had let a comrade die and he only had himself to blame.

Pushing the thought aside the chosen continued his venture into the Kiln. After crossing the narrow path the chosen had reached Gwyn's prison. Upon closer inspection the entire structure looked to be made out of both stone and…ash? The chosen wondered how it was not all breaking apart due to the weakened architecture and how the ash was keeping all of it together.

The multiple cracks in the stone should of caused it all to of fallen long ago, but yet here it still was. The chosen was going to be happy to finally slay the once mighty Lord Gwyn and avenge his fellow undead brothers and sisters. Walking a little further the chosen came across another stairway, this one curving downwards, that lead further down and finally stopped at the fog gate that would lead the chosen to Gwyn himself.

On his way down the chosen had come across a Black Knight wielding a mighty Greataxe. Such a large weapon would normally be two handed by a normal human, but this Black Knight seemed to have no problem wielding it one handed.

The chosen charged the Black Knight and quickly brought up his two handed halberd overhead to slam it into the Black Knight. Unfortunately the Black Knight had back stepped and the halberd came down upon the ash covered stairs and kicked up some of the ash as well. The Black Knight seeing its opportunity bent his knees for a split second and then proceeded to jump into the air at a rather astonishing height.

The chosen just had enough time to bring his halberd up to block the incoming attack, but still had taken a good amount of damage. Not relenting its attack the Black Knight swung his Greataxe left and right as if it were as light as feather. This quickly put the chosen on the defensive and he was taking quite the beating. With the last bit of his stamina he managed to back step away from an axe swing that would likely have cut off his head.

Now equipping his shield in his left hand the chosen waited a moment to recover his stamina. The Black Knight seemed to wait for his opponent to recover as if it wanted to have a good duel. The chosen then proceeded to march towards the Black Knight with his shield raised.

Without a shield of his own the Black Knight decided to two hand his Greataxe and slammed it down into the stairway just as the chosen was about to get into range. Seeing the Black Knight's trick the chosen quickly stepped back and thrust his halberd into to Black Knight's visor before the Black Knight could swing his Greataxe up to cleave the chosen in two.

The Black Knight disappeared into multiple white particles with a howl of pain as he departed. The chosen then proceeded down to the bottom of the stairs only to see one final Black Knight standing between him and the Lord of Cinder. Before charging in the chosen decided to take one Estus flask to recover his wounds from the Greataxe wielder. Now down to four the chosen marched forward towards the last of Gwyn's guard.

The final Black Knight held itself with confidence, challenging anyone to dare try and attack it. The finale Black Knight wielded the same weapon as the chosen was currently using. With the non-bladed end of the weapon plunged into the ground the bladed end stood taller than the knight himself.

Along with the Black Knight shield in its opposite hand the chosen would find it difficult to bypass its defense. As the chosen drew closer to the final guard the Black Knight raised his shield and pulled out his weapon from the ground ready to attack. Then the chosen had a strange idea.

'If I can just get a good running start…'

As the chosen thought of his plan to kill the knight, the Black Knight started to advance towards the chosen at a fast pace. Having to react quickly the chosen leapt backwards a couple of times to get some distance between him and his opponent so he could execute his plan.

With having the advantage of higher ground the chosen quickly made a mad dash towards the Black Knight. Then at the last possible second the chosen leapt into the air just narrowly avoiding the thrust attack from the mighty halberd his opponent wielded. As the chosen fell back onto solid ground he quickly stood up and turned around to an almost a humorous sight.

The Black Knight had lodged its halberd into the stairway between both rock and ash. The knight was trying, but unfortunate for it failing, to extract the weapon from the clutches of the stairs. Knowing that he wouldn't have long until the Black Knight succeeded in pulling out its weapon, the chosen ran forward and quickly backstabbed his own halberd into the knight's back.

After kicking the Black Knight off of his weapon the knight tried to get back, but only managed to roll onto his back before the chosen slammed his foot on top of the knight's chest.

For what was probably only a few seconds felt like hours as the chosen looked into the Black Knight's visor. The chosen shivered a little seeing only a cold, dark, and empty visor star right back at him. The Black Knight had hollowed long ago when Gwyn linked the First Flame to push back the Dark, but the chosen still could not stand that Gwyn would not only sacrifice himself to the flame to defy fate, but his own men as well.

They did not deserve such a fate like hollowing, but instead to return to their families and friends and live peacefully. No. Gwyn had taken everything not only from his own knights, but also his kingdom, the citizens of Lordran, and the chosen himself.

Gwyn had committed a grave sin to resist the course of nature, and for that sin he brought down countless others to suffer with him, and for what? His fear of humans and the dark that we harbor inside of ourselves? No matter the cause the chosen would make Gwyn pay for his sins and become the true lord of men.

The chosen would bring in a new age of mankind to live peacefully with one another. An age of peace, an age of prosperity… an age of dark. Coming back from his thoughts the chosen noticed the Black Knight had tried to reach for his weapon while the chosen was lost in thought. The chosen, not wanting to prolong the once faithful knight's suffering any longer, pointed the bladed end of the weapon down onto the knight's chest.

Then he raised it up once and quickly plunged it into the Black Knight. The sudden scene of white particles rising in front of the chosen's eyes, and the disappearance of the body that he was standing on just a moment ago told the chosen that the deed was done.

"Rest well... all of you. May you all find peace in the afterlife." The chosen spoke as he kneeled down to say the small prayer to those that fell due to Gwyn's sin. Rising up, the chosen moved onward to Gwyn.

Well that was the first chapter of "From Dust to Ashes." I have the next chapter ready, but I am going to wait to see how this one is received before I post it. Criticisms are appreciated, but please keep it light since this is only my first story and I am not the best writer out there. Have you seen some of the works on this website? They are grade-A author material! Well that's enough out of me (for now). I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, and I will talk to you next chapter.