Green fields flowed forever on in front of me. A stunning beauty only thought possible in dreams and fairytales. Yet they wouldn't let me closer. There was a divide, a line of pure white light. Between it and myself, the land was barren, cold. The great river of souls flowed behind me, carrying all who were not ready. I stepped forward, trying to enter the fields. I knew this place before me had but one name.

Elysium.

Again and again the the line drove me back. Further and further back. I continued on, desperate to enter, to see my beloved once more. To embrace her again, and wait that long faithful wait for our daughter to emerge.....Data.....no...no she was in danger. What ended me, it would have....

I sank to my haunches. Realization can be as cold and unforgiving as Death itself. I knew now She would be here, already allowed entrance. So why wasn't I?

Pity the fool for remarking on Death, for the dread lord will appear before you. As it happened with me. A bony figured cloaked in black, his scythe sharpened for the reaping. He looked upon me, his expression hidden, all that was showing were his eyes, glowing, staring at my very essence. His voice, a whisper, yet as loud as a boom of thunder.

"You do not belong here."

I looked back at him, jaw dropping slightly. How could he say such a thing? Have I not been faithful? Have I sinned in some way I do not understand? Why am I denied paradise, when I have suffered. My thoughts projected, and he heard them, I had begged for entrance, but he merely cocked his head.

"Your time hasn't come, young mortal. It will come, but not this day." Before I could even ask what he means, his scythe lifted, and struck me, flat side. He flung me back into the river of souls, and darkness filled my mind once again. The last thing I heard was "Mulligan".

***

All that was heard in the small area in front of the school was an unearthly moan, a haunting cry of the dead. Yet just as quickly as it started it stopped, and only as consciousness fully returned to me did I realize I was the one who moaned.

My eyes scanned about, seeing almost an unyielding sea of pink. The cloud still persisted. But it felt like a friend now, a sense of comfort. Like I had been a part of it always, and it, a part of me. Yet shapes about me told it's true intention. A death dealer of epic proportions. Bodies littered the ground, many misshapen and unrecognizable as the living creatures they surely once were.

I struggle once more to stand when It becomes apparent I'm also one of those blobs. My stomach, looking mostly intact, has practically grown into the ground, and around my shirt. Every tug brings pain, as the flesh refuses to yield. Did I survive this only to be a living statue? My gaze fell on the rest of me, and what it had truly become.

The flesh had rotted and stretched out, finding every orifice it could and growing into it, leaving the black fur to take on a rotted, pinkish hue. My breathing became heavy once more, yet the burning feeling it brought before I fell did not return. Again the cloud seemed to greet me instead, acting as if I've breathed it all my life. The thought alone was enough to frighten, but the fact it warped my body all the same, merely compounded my thoughts. What is this cloud? Why did I survive?..........what have I become?

A soft sound reaches my ears. Sobbing, possibly from inside. I see several windows open from where I lay. Somepony who survived this as well? Just the thought of another soul alive was enough to get me moving. I try standing once more. It results only in pain again. I fall back to the ground, wondering what I'm going to do. My hoof blade's gone, possibly taken from me as I lay. I have no means to free myself. I sigh, holding out my hoof, willing for a blade that will never show.

A sharp shot of pain, and it does appear, coated in a black ichor, and sticking out where I'd expect, only it's otherwise completely covered by flesh. The blade itself seemed to survive the ordeal. It's just taken an unnatural pink hue. Regardless, it's just what I need. I'm not staying here.....even if this is going to hurt.

With a quick motion I bring the blade to my stomach, cutting through the flesh as quickly as I can. The pain, it could only be described as torture. Inch by inch skin was severed, ichor dripping from the ghastly wound. I couldn't stop, not when I'm already halfway. With one final jerk of the blade it cuts through, jabbing and slicing open my back leg in the process. I didn't care, I was free.

Rising shakily to my hooves, the blade retracted back. My thoughts trying to focus, but that familiar numbing sensation washed over me, the same as before, when I thought I breathed my last. All I could do was merely gaze at the length of rotted flesh that had covered my stomach, now a permanent piece of road. I look down at the slowly growing pool of black ooze falling from me to the ground again. The sight made me realize, that ooze was my blood, it had been blood. It wasn't blood anymore. Vein, Artery, whatever the doctors would call it, it just flowed slowly. Again I'm distracting myself, so I turn to the school and take one step forward. It was enough to drain me, and I fell once more. Darkness washed over my gaze again. Once more my eyes shut for what I thought would be the last time.

It wasn't long before my body let out that horrible moan again. I felt myself rise back to my hooves, a feeling of things knitting crossing over me. When full control returned to me, I almost couldn't look. Curiosity won out again as my eyes gazed down at what I expected to be......horribly mutilated skin and muscles?

The wound was sealed, like it never happened. Like I hadn't just woken up with the skin there melted into the ground mere minutes before. Or was it longer? How long did I stay in the embrace of Death this time? The cloud yielded no answers. It merely swirled about me, as if scrutinizing it's creation. If it wouldn't answer me, what purpose did it have in staying?

The sobbing inside reached my ears once more, quiet, distant, but now reachable. With my newfound freedom from the ground's hold on me, I rushed in. My own worries on this matter had to be put aside. I was alive, and still had my duties as royal guard......Even if I abandoned them for my own daughter....

The front doors came open easily enough. What greeted me was more death and decay. More bodies strewn about, their remains littered and twisted all along the entryway floor. The only fact it hadn't bothered me outside, I had a focus. The sobbing I heard. That was muted now. Lost in the halls with no direct line to me. I looked over several of those fallen, seeing two other guards. The fact I did not recognize them left me no comfort. They were my brothers in service after all.

A low moan, much like the unnatural one I had given out, came from behind me. A young colt, laying on the ground. Surprisingly, not really trapped, as he stood up and looked about. The effect was immediate as he fell to his haunches, shaking at a body near him.

"Mom....Mom, please get up. What's going on...Mom...." He seemed to be shaking more and more as the body before him yielded to his pushing, but made no move to get up. He didn't even seem to notice me, or the fact his mother wasn't getting up. I took one step towards him, and he shot his head around to look at me. Immediately his eyes went wide and he huddled back against her body. "N-no.....m-m-monster!"

My hoof off the ground came back down. His voice had sounded odd, so I didn't realize it at first, but seeing his face, even mangled as it was by this cloud, I could recognize Rapid Fire's son Trigger Discipline anywhere. I sighed, sitting down. "Trigger, it's just me, Eclipse....your dad's friend. There's nothing to be afraid of right now."

"E-Eclipse. I...I remember you." He turned back to the mare's body, shaking her more. "Why won't mom get up Eclipse....Why?"

I stepped over, putting a hoof to her body. She felt cold. I hung my head. "She's gone Trigger. I'm sorry."

"No...no she's just sleeping. She'll wake up. She just needs her rest. Right?" He stayed close to her, not wanting to leave. "She'll get up...."

"I'm sorry Trigger. She's not getting up. We can come back and give her a proper burial later, but right now, we need to go." I motioned to pick him up with a shadow, merely to place him on my back, but he merely shook himself free and clung to her body adamantly.

"NO! I can't leave her! What if she wakes up while we're gone? She's gonna wonder where I am then she'll be sad! I have to stay here!" He refused to move. I sighed, looking about, something to reassure him. I'd spoken to his mother several times before, so she'd know me....yeah. And idea formed in my head. So I moved to a nearby room, looking for anything of use. With luck I found a synthetic quill and ink. Paper, on the other hoof, crumbled. I looked about for anything to write on. It took me two minutes to realize this is Frost Mirriam's classroom. Buck she did still have those bits of melted metal on the floor. All these years and they weren't cleaned up.

Not important. I could see she wasn't here, so she's either one of those in the hall or the entryway. The lack of bodies in the rooms only gave me minor solace. Perhaps they got away. Or maybe just fled to a higher floor. Didn't matter for the time being. I just went about disassembling one of the desks. Doubtful it'd get much use otherwise. Quickly I scribbled out a message on it.

Dear Grapevine
Found Trigger by you, you weren't awake yet. Seemed safe. We waited for you to wake up, couldn't wait longer. Went on ahead. If we're not here when you wake up, I'm taking Trigger to find Rapid Fire.

Eclipse Flare

The message seemed clear enough. I doubt she'd even see it, but if it gave Trigger some solace, that's good enough for me. Taking the plaque out to the entryway once more, I set it in view of Grapevine's body, so she'd find it easily enough if I was wrong. I doubted it, but given what I've seen, and what's happened so far. I didn't want to let the little guy have that kind of hope. It'd be shattering, too shattering. Trigger looked at it for a minute.

"But, what if she doesn't see it?"

"She'll see it if she wakes. We need to try to find your friend Data right now." He nodded slowly, and then hopped up on my back. Our search of the school began for others. I passed by Frost Mirriam's room. There already was nothing there. The next room had plenty of bodies. It made me sick, not to my stomach, but at the thought those damn zebras could do this to children. There were seven in here, along with two baby dragons. All of them melted in some way. Each door passed yielded more and more of the same. More death, more sorrow, more weight of the crimes inflicted.

No, don't blame them all. It's the ones that pulled the trigger, they're the ones responsible. If they're alive, they must pay. I open one more door, and both of us are blasted by more of the cloud. Seems it pooled in this room. Trigger's left sputtering. I was too, but just from suddenly getting a full face of it. Again, the cloud yields no more pain, not just for myself, but it seems for the little colt as well. I don't think he even realized he'd been changed.

"Mr. Eclipse, why did the cloud hurt before, but not now."

So much for that hope. "I....I honestly don't know Trigger. Something about this stuff seems familiar, but....." The view into the room clears as the cloud disperses elsewhere for the moment. Somepony was dead of course, but there's a book opened up near them. Why this catches my eye I'm not certain, but for whatever reason it's still intact. With a thought, a shadow snaps it up and pulls it to me. Methods of Warfare: A List of Tactics and Weapons Through the Ages and How to Combat them What were they teaching in this class? A quick check of the doorway again revealed it to be history. Ok, where's the principal? I'm not so sure Data should be- Right, that wasn't important, finding Data was.

As I turn to leave, my leg with the pipbuck on, well, in it catches on the doorway. Wait, of course, I forgot to turn the darn thing on. Luckily for me, the buttons were still visible. A press of a button and it powers up, though it's giving me several warnings. Pulling the screen up to my vision, I check the status updates. It's been a day since my vitals hit zero. Huh, funny, must be the cloud messing with it. The rest were just a bunch of alarms, notably 'pick up Data' for four o'clock yesterday, and a few more from today. Don't think I'll make those.

Setting my hoof back down, the basic functions come up, including all the EFS abilities and other visual messages. Even in a situation like this, it's comforting to know this tech works. I'd hate to have it there and not be able to use it. Thinking on that, can I even take it off? Or my shirt, or hoof blade for that matter? At least I like this shirt.....

"Mr. Eclipse, are you ok?"

I nod. I'll muse on my own situation later. One colt's looking to me right now, and I hope to everything a filly will be joining that. I close the door, turning away. Again that haunting moan, coming from the history classroom, and a blip on my EFS tells me something's moving there now. Another survivor, good. We can work together, find any others, and work our way outwards. I open the door once more.

The movement catches their attention, and they turn to me. Right then the blip turns from green to red. Before I can even utter a word they lunge at me. It's enough to send Trigger flying off to the side and pin me to the wall, my back to it. My first good look at their eyes tells me they aren't willing to talk. The snarl kinda points to that as well. Without thinking I flick out my hoof blade and start laying into them as I can, moving what I can to avoid their jaws. Buck he really was trying to bite me. It's only after I've stabbed them in the gut about seven times before they slump over. I'm left there, leaning against the wall, panting, their blood all over me and my blade. An oily black, leaving me trembling. So was this the culmination of the cloud?

Again that unequine moan comes from the one in front of me, the wounds I had inflicted glowing an unnatural pink, and sealing up. Within seconds he was up again, staring at me.

"Oh buck me." My blade came up again, but he was already making his move, which a deep exhale, he lashed out with a concentrated blast of cloud. It made me shake it away, but nothing else. So he could still feel confusion, if his cocked head was anything to go by.

Another snarl and he slammed into me again, his jaws going into my shoulder. Immediately I moved to get my blade under his head, to slice him in the base of the neck. He jerked back , tearing a chunk out of m, and only got his throat slit. It had no real effect, except to give me enough time to get up and face him proper. He was, oh by Elysium, he was chewing the piece he bit out of me! That was it.

"Well, come on motherbucker, dinner's here, come and get it." I raised my blade up to my face, keeping it between him and me. No doubt this'd stir more up. Didn't matter, current threat now, new threat later.

Instead of charging, he lifted his head to sniff. It was only now I realized that Trigger had been sent back down the hall. I could see him getting up, with that thing between me and him. It turned, facing Trigger, and let out another snarl, darting off.

"Oh no you bucking don't!" My horn flared The aura swirling as the energy I built up culminated at the tip, and I let loose a fireball. This thing was fast, but my blast was faster. It hit square in the back, engulfing them in flames. The cloud itself seemed to reel at the fire, as if afraid. Perhaps a trick of the light, or merely the cloud burning up in it. I don't know, or care. "Trigger, over here, now!" Thankfully he listened, and even more so the sprinkler system was still working, as they blared on in full, quickly snuffing my flame. Trigger made it over quick enough, and we turned to leave.

Again that moan. No way, nothing could stand that kind of blast. But as I turned, again, it was getting up, the wounds glowing pink once more. It stared at me intently for a few moments.

"Trigger, stay behind me. I'm not letting it get you." He moved quickly behind me, shivering. It must have sensed his fear, because it charged again. Oh but this time I was truly ready. My blade retracted, and I held that foreleg close to me. When it was a mere two meters from me, my horn glowed again, forming a shadow underneath my hooves and launching me in the air. As I came down, it came up to me, and I slammed my foreleg down into it, sending the blade out at the same time. The crazed pony went down from the blow, and the blade, hitting right in the top of the head. I pulled my blade out and retracted it. "And stay down!"

I saw that glow once again, but the wound seemed to refuse to seal. Neither did it give off that moan anymore. I was panting, sure, but I won. It wasn't so tough. Trigger moved forward to look at the thing.

"That's the janitor."

Ok, so I just brutally murdered a janitor. He was trying to kill me first! Still, it was just a janitor, maybe I should be worried about that. Sighing, I turn to check the other rooms, but Trigger puts a hoof on my back leg.

"Mr. Eclipse, wait, what about your shoulder?"

Huh, I wasn't really even feeling it. Maybe it was just the adrenal-ohdearsweetCelestiathathurts! I crumple down, clutching it. It's oozing blood, but not as much as I'd expect from a wound like this. Beyond that, again, my blood was as oily black as the janitor's. I shake my head, trying to focus. "Trigger, do you know where the nurse's station is?"

"Yes, do you want me to go get some bandages?" He moved over a bit, probably that way he was inching.

"Yes-no! Not alone. Too dangerous alone. Just, give me a second. We'll head together." I stagger back up, looking about for something to work for now. My eyes fall on the janitor once more. Looks like some of his clothes aren't completely sticking to him. My lucky day, somewhat. I let my blade out again, keeping weight as much as possible off that shoulder, and cut as much as I can away. It's enough to stick over the wound for now, but nowhere near enough to wrap it.

Well, it'd do for the moment. I hobbled along as best I could, keeping up with Trigger as he led me along. Luckily no other corpses were walking about, and nothing was showing on my EFS except Trigger. The short walk was without incident, until we got near, then I held back Trigger. Something was showing on my EFS, and it seemed to be coming from another room. I moved forward as quietly as I could, and inched the door open a bit before peering through the crack on the opposite side of the handle. Apparently the nurse wasn't it, she was on the floor, no the moving one was, another colt. It turned this way. He had the same vacant stare the janitor. My heart sank. A crazed janitor I could do, but now I'm being asked to put down a colt? I shivered a bit, then thought through my options. The door opened inwards...Yeah I have an Idea, shouldn't make it too hard. I knock on the door. The colt snaps his gaze and snarls, rushing the door, scrabbling at it. I slam it inwards.

The door stops just short of the wall, and I hold it there. The colt was pinned, and I could see it's head sticking out. Re Maneuvering myself to allow me use of both legs, I let my blade out once more, and stab the colt in the head. "I'm so sorry little one. Go to the Elysium Fields in peace...." My blade retracts, and again, the wound glows pink for a moment, with no other reaction as the colt slumps over, no longer moving.

The nurse's office cleared, we begin our raid. There were healing potions, magical bandages, and plenty other things a nurse's office shouldn't have. Another one of those little purple vials for example. Taking one of the potions, I pour a little on my wound. It stings, and seems to work, but only barely. Same with the bandages, though they help more at least to keep it from bleeding everywhere. Trigger pulls out a couple bags from under the sink, and starts shoveling things in. Taking one of the bags, I pocket the little purple vial for now.

Before we can leave, Trigger gasps, and pulls out one of the last things you'd expect in a nurse's office. A revolver. One notched five times, and a single pink butterfly on the handle. So a Ministry of Peace issued weapon? Trigger hoofs it over, letting me look at it closer. No rounds in it, and two lines of text etched in the barrel. "Thou are forgiven, now and forever." was on one side, the other read. "Fear not Death, for with mercy it has no sting."

So the nurse as sanctioned by the Ministry of Peace? A quick glance around reveals no holster, but I know I have one at home. When all's said and done, I can swing by there for it. I pocket the pistol as well, no use without any rounds. The stairs up are next to the office, so we begin our ascent. I listen closely for any sign of the sobbing. Nothing there, but it can't hurt to check. We head along the second floor hallway, keeping an eye out for any sign of life, or unlife. No way those two were truly alive anymore.

Without warning a red blip pops up on my EFS, and out of a room bursts another. Wait, no, he wasn't snarling.....but he wasn't pony either.

"A changeling...what in buck's name is a changeling doing here?"

"That's no matter for you pony! What have you done!? My class has been slaughtered by this gas!" He stomped forward, looking me square in the eye. This close it was clear he was a sufferer of this cloud as well. I pushed him back some.

"You think we'd do this to our own? If so you're more naive than I thought. And what do you mean your class?" Claims like that were a problem, and being the only royal guard around, well, this became my problem. He moved back closer, fury etched wide on his face, or maybe the fangs only made it seem that way.

"My class, Healing basics." He slumped down, and I noticed his blip swapped back to green. "Been here for ages....before the invasion of that harlot queen. Alone, surviving, trying to be the cool teacher, to gain love from the students." He looked back at me, his expression almost pained. "They're all gone now. All I can feel is a little fear from something on the third floor."

Trigger stepped forward and out of hoof's reach before I realized. He looked them over, and the classroom the changeling came from. "Ms. Healbright?"

Never seen a smile on a changeling, but a small one crossed this changeling's face as they put a hoof on the colt's head. "Yes Trigger, it's Ms. Healbright." He drooped his head again. "I guess it's over for me.....Go ahead, take me away. Not that it matters. They're all gone, I'm even more a freak......I can't even feel my own heartbeat....."

Inadvertently I clutched at my chest a bit, almost hoping to feel my own. Nothing. I checked my vitals on the pipbuck again. Deceased. It was true then, we're just monsters aren't we? It wasn't a glitch. So why are we still moving?

"Why aren't we like them?" I didn't realize it for a moment, but I had said it out loud. Both Trigger and the changeling looked at me. Only Trigger seemed to get what I meant. The changeling only looked somewhat confused. I sighed, explaining the two others we encountered. The changeling looked horrified, before snapping his head up. At that same moment, we heard moans, many moans coming from all about us. Trigger and I backed up. The changeling followed. But what came next.....

Nearly every doorway in the hall opened, and out of them came about three dozen colts and fillies, all with vacant stares. The changeling almost looked relieved, before a small grin crept on his face. He started creeping forward.

"Are you nuts, they'll eat you alive!" I reached out to grab their tail, and missed. I even tried a shadow, his own horn glowed, and smacked it away with a levitation force.

"Children, it's Ms. Healbright. I know I look bad right now, but it's me. Come to me children. Things will be ok." Three dozen heads snapped up to him, and all snarled. The changeling stopped, turned to me, and merely said. "Buck my life, that's hate coming from them." He slumped over, and they descended upon him, tearing him apart. Trigger and I ran, as fast as we could, and when we reached the end of the hall, I slammed the section doors shut, and shoveled whatever I could in the way. Several small bodies crashed into it from the other side, but the impromptu barricade held for now.

We wasted no time, heading up another floor. The changeling had said something about fear coming from up here. I saw three blips of red on this floor nearby. Didn't matter, we didn't stick around. Doors flashed by us as we ran. My wound started acting up again, causing me to wince in pain and stumble. Several snarls behind us announced more of the things. We didn't stand a chance without some kind of barricade.

Advanced Enchanting whizzed by as we ran. Wait, that's where Data would be! I grabbed Trigger and pulled him in, slamming the door shut. Again we built a hasty barricade. I heard a few slams against it, but it held. So we were safe for now.

"Umm, Mr. Eclipse." Trigger was tapping my back. When I turned, there was Internal Charge, only with a vacant look on his face He snarled, and charged. I pushed Trigger aside, taking the brunt of the blow. It sent me into the wall, and left a nasty puncture wound in my stomach from Internal's horn. Coughing up a bit of blood, I stood up again shakily. We stared each other down for what felt an eternity, but was in truth no more than a few seconds. We both charged at the same time, and I sent my blade out, slicing at his neck. My blow struck true, but not before Internal bit my neck. It was enough, and he slumped down, taking me with him. Where his spine had been severed came a short pink glow.

I struggled then, to get his mouth to let go. A few smacks in the face got the jaw dislocated enough to pull it off, but not without doing more damage to myself. I was panting, and to be honest, the pain was enough to make me wanna lie down. Trigger started pulling out more supplies. I sighed, realizing they'd be useless. I was bleeding too much already, and bandages don't fix internal injuries.

"Just, forget me Trigger, get out of here. Wait for a chance, then run." I slumped over. The darkness crept in on me again. I embraced it this time. I failed to find Data, I know, but....I can't go on like this anymore. The world faded, and all was black again.

***

Another moan escaped my lips as life seemed to return to me. My wounds glowing that sickly pink like all those others did when they fell. They sealed up, leaving me laying on the ground, alive, and facing two frightened foals. Trigger, and...

"Data!"

Level 3

Embrace of darkness - your brushes with death have left you stronger as a result. Your skill with shadow magic has increased to adept level.

Author's Note

Ok, chapter two, issues with getting it spell checked again (dang my word program, I need a good one with spell check that isn't hidden so deep you can't find it at least, anyone got a recommendation?) But yeah, much longer than I though it'd be. It's proving easy enough to turn simple lines from my storyboard to full blown parts of the chapter. heck the first part wasn't even part of my storyboard, just a spur of the moment addon. And forgive my corny humor, but considering Fallout does it too, I'm tossing jokes in where I can.

EDIT: Few touch ups and all that, doing the same for chapter one.