Which Dark Souls Fanfiction Best Captures Ornstein And Smough'S Unspoken Devotion?

I stumbled upon a 'Dark Souls' fanfic that redefined how I see Ornstein and Smough’s partnership. The story peeled back their armor to expose a bond built on silent understanding, not just brute force. Instead of playing up their boss fight spectacle, the author dug into the years of shared duty in Anor Londo—how Smough’s cannibalistic tendencies were tolerated because Ornstein saw the loneliness beneath his cruelty, or how Ornstein’s lightning became less a weapon and more a beacon Smough used to orient himself in the cathedral’s labyrinthine halls. The fic’s genius was in the details: Smough polishing Ornstein’s spear during downtime, Ornstein leaving the last of his rations where Smough would "steal" them without shame. Their devotion wasn’t romanticized; it was gritty, born from surviving countless cycles of undead hunters together.

What hooked me was how the fic reimagined their final stand. When the Chosen Undead confronts them, Smough doesn’t crush Ornstein for power—he hoists his dying comrade onto his shoulders, letting Ornstein’s fading lightning charge his hammer for one last strike. The aftermath haunts me: Smough cradling Ornstein’s empty helmet, whispering to it like it could still hear him, before the cathedral’s illusions collapse around them. Other fics paint them as rivals or reluctant allies, but this one made me believe in their twisted symbiosis. The author even wove in lore hints—like Ornstein secretly covering for Smough’s "indiscretions" with Gwyndolin’s silver knights, or Smough memorizing Ornstein’s battle patterns to compensate for his slower reflexes. It’s the only fic I’ve read where their dynamic feels less like a gameplay mechanic and more like a tragedy wrapped in loyalty.

I’ve hunted down every iteration of their story since, but none capture their devotion like this. Some try to humanize them through outsider POVs—a painter observing their sparring rituals, or a firekeeper hearing Smough’s distorted humming after Ornstein leaves on missions. Others go mystical, suggesting their souls are bound by Gwyn’s magic, forcing them to reincarnate together. But the rawest take I’ve found is an AU where they defect from Anor Londo, becoming wandering executioners who only trust each other’s blades. Smough carves a path through villages while Ornstein negotiates their pay, their roles reversed but their reliance unchanged. The fic doesn’t shy from their brutality, but frames it as a language only they understand. After reading it, I can’t face their boss fight without wondering what whispered words pass between them when the music swells.