Author's Note

Not proof read it but enjoy, also please bare with me shit is about to get strange and even I have no idea what the fuck is going on!

An Ancient's Awakening

I silently walked through the Canterlot Gardens, noticing that the night was still young as the rising moon hung low in the sky. The statue garden was massive, and I wondered—not for the first time—just how many of the statues here contained trapped souls that had wronged Equestria or the Princesses. Queen Umbra…ugh! Just the thought of me freeing her still unnerved me, despite my new strength. My memories of how close she had come to killing me still sent shivers up my spine.

Although thoughts of the daughter made me shiver in fright, thoughts the mother made me shiver for a different reason entirely. Memories of last night began to occupy my thoughts. Unpleasant thoughts of pain and death were pushed aside by thoughts of the throws of passion and filthy, perverted sex with the undead queen. Platinum and I had been at it for hours. The two of us exchanged new techniques and pushed each other to our respective limits several times. Though she had not been lying in regards to her skill, she had failed to mention she had a talented tongue. And damn, did she ever know how to use it!

In the end, once I was able to think straight, I informed the queen that she did not need to join my harem. Instead, I would be satisfied with just being allowed access to her knowledge. The queen smiled and told me that she could not acknowledge my request; it seems that the situation was far more complicated than I realized. Stupid politics! As it turns out, unless both sides explicitly state that they are not courting before they have sex, than it will be treated as otherwise. How it worked was if one offers sex to the other—for whatever reason—and that other agrees, then the two may begin courtship. From there, the two will copulate several times until, eventually, they must make a decision; they must choose whether to end their relationship, or proceed to the next step and become a mated pair. However, if one of the two beings happens to be a queen, then the rules are slightly different. To clarify, if a queen offers herself as a mate to someone, then both sides are forced to uphold that offer, regardless of what either party wants. If the queen tries to back out of her agreement, then—while there are no physical repercussions—she will lose face with her subjects. The courted party, on the other hand, can be banished or, in some extreme cases, executed for denying the advances of royalty.

So, to make a long story short, I'm apparently mated to an undead mare whom I have only known for about 13 hours.
"Woo-fucking-hoo," I joylessly muttered. I wondered how the others would react to the latest addition to the herd. Most likely, they would want to inspect her to see if she stood up to there standards. They might even assert there dominance within the herd. Aside from that, I don't think I have much to worry about. Despite how intimidating they could be, they are actually good with others, socially.

Over the past two months, I had been thinking about those mares for quite a while. In truth, I was still pissed off with them, but I was going to contact them tomorrow and see if they would be willing to talk.

I gave a triumphant smirk as I looked up at the statue of Queen Umbra. I stuck my hand out and gently placed my palm against the smooth stone. The process took a few minutes to complete, but eventually, I saw small cracks spindling up the side of the stone mare. Small beams of light exploded from within as the statue disintegrated. Standing on the pedestal stood a very pissed and very tired mare. She collapsed before either of us could say a word.

Grunting, I hoisted the mare into my arms. The exhausted mare squirmed slightly as I carried her over my shoulder. Given her size, it made moving her awkward as I heard panicked shouts from behind. Guards streamed into the courtyard, pausing as they caught sight of me. Unfortunately, they weren't alone.

"Lachlan?" Nightmare Moon questioned, looking at me with a mix of horror and shock as I vanished into thin air.

"HAHAHAHAHA…heh, heh…"

"It is not funny, I could have hurt you or, more importantly, her!" Platinum seethed, gently stroking her daughter's face while the younger mare slumbered. I had teleported to the queen's bedroom while she had been writing out reports. She had jumped in alarm as I had dumped the unconscious mare onto the bed. Watching Platinum nearly jump out of her skin was hilarious, but I knew that I was just trying to keep my mind off of my troubles. Seeing Nightmare Moon had rattled me, especially since she caught me freeing one of Equestria's most dangerous enemies. The look of shock and hurt on her face was still fresh in my mind.

"To think that after seven hundred years I have a mate again," Queen Platinum prattled on in the background. I grimaced; I had almost forgotten about that. I turned to the undead mare, preparing to tell her that I did not plan to rob her of a future mate, but she held up a hand to stop me.

"It has been too long since I have taken a mate, and you have already done enough to win you that honor. Also, as I have said, we are both bound to each other due to our, ah, activities last night. As per our agreement, I will train you in the art of Necromancy, as well as assign you six of our finest guards and soldiers. And whilst it is not much, you are more than free to call this place your home. You really must stop being such a hero all the time, by the way. I mean, would it kill you to think of yourself for once," she laughed. I blushed as she gently kissed me on the cheek.

"What is with you ponies?" I asked. "I mean, why is it that you all are more than happy to just fuck and give yourself to the first guy kthat does something for you? I don't understand! I mean, I ended up in a harem with four princesses, two changeling queens, and a draconequus, all because I either knocked them up or they kidnapped me. And now, now I can add an undead queen to the list because I rescued her daughter from being a permanent lawn ornament. Seriously, what the fuck?!" Queen Platinum paused, a smile worming its way onto her face as she chuckled.

"Oh my dear, you are so naive. Do you honestly think we just give ourselves to the first nice stallion we come across? Did it never occur to you that we tap into the mind of our prospective mates to see what lies within? Alicorns, as well as other beings of strong magic, can look into the window of a pony's soul and see what makes them tick: strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, even their personality traits. When I looked into your soul, I saw your kindness, your gentleness, and your ability to forgive those that have wronged you. I saw how loving you are, and the fact that you would happily sacrifice yourself to protect your mates and foals. Each and every facet that makes up who you are was examined and processed. Only then was I able to tell if you were a suitable candidate to be my mate." Pausing the mare turned away looking out the window at the sun slowly dropping.

"But why me, I am not much to look at." I questioned unsure of the mares intent as she looked back her eyes meeting mine as she gave a small smirk.

"Look, when we immortals choose a mate, we have to be sure that he, or she, is a suitable companion; otherwise, both sides would end up being miserable. You already know that when royalty takes on a mate, neither the royal nor the chosen mate can refuse without suffering the consequences, right?" I nodded. "Well, therein lies the problem. To clarify, one would be stuck with the other until death whilst the other would live on. We might live forever—or an exceedingly long time—but that doesn't mean we immortals are willing to spend a century or two with somepony who we fancy for only a few hours. Now that doesn't mean I haven't taken your feelings into account. I could tell that you are still slightly,uncomfortable about having a harem since you come from a society where the majority practices monogamy. I understand that you have problems dealing with suddenly being thrust into a society where polygamy is not only tolerated, but widely practiced and encouraged. However, I also know that given your nature, you would accept these changes and willingly go out of your way to make your relationships work. This, Lachlan, is why I and the seven other mares in your herd chose you. Not because of what you can do, or have done, for us, but because you are you!" she finished. She gave me a small pat on the shoulder as I quietly thought about all she had said to me.

"Though I feel I must apologize. I may have overstepped my bounds. We have rules that forbid ponies from viewing memories of other private aspects of another's being. I only did so out of desperation for my daughter and a hope that I could honestly offer myself to you as a mate," she said with a weak smile. I waved her off.

"As I understand it, the reason you decided to court me was because you looked into my sould and saw the would make a good pair? Fair enough. I am at that stage now where I don't question this sorta shit anymore. Look, how about we try dating each other for a while? If we are going to be stuck with each other, then the least we could do is find a legitimate reason for being together. I like you, but that is an opinion based solely on lust and is unfair to both of us. You may know me, but I still need to know more about you for this to work. Is that okay?" I questioned.

Queen Platinum didn't respond. The room fell eerily quiet as she stared deeply into my eyes, a surprised look upon her face. After a couple of minutes, the quiet was starting to unnerve me. Just as I was about to suggest we forget my proposal, Queen Platinum snorted, then gave a curt nod of assent.

"I have never experienced a date before, given that our society still runs heavily on the ways of old. Though with my daughter needing to be reformed, and your mares—once they find you—trying to woo you back, I doubt either of us will be free for quite a few months. But I am sure we can arrange something," she said with a wink. "Though I am saddened that you were forced to liven in the forest all this time. And I would have never known you were in my swamp if I had not heard the royal canterlot voice," she chuckled.
I had planned to keep all mention of this castle to myself. There was no need to frighten anypony by confirming the rumors about a castle filled with the undead. Plus, Queen Platinum hadn't done anything to warrant bringing the wrath of the Princesses down on her head. Granted, I still had my doubts about her; and given who her daughter is, I felt that I should keep my guard up for a little while longer. But if it turned out the she was genuinely sincere about both her intentions and her feelings, then maybe I would be more willing to share information.

"Now, please give me some privacy. My daughter is ill. The knife that you stabbed her with left a wound that was never healed, so it has been allowed to fester all this time. It is not lethal, but I will be occupied for the next few days healing it. I suggest you rest up, and maybe go down to the mess hall for something to eat. If you prefer privacy, then you can dine with me in a few hours." Nodding, I exited the room, leaving the queen to tend to her daughter.

Walking down a corridor, I paused as I caught sight of a wall sticking out as if it was a door. I curiously approached it. Pushing the door open further, I cautiously stepped over an upturned table into another corridor. This new corridor looked ancient, far older than anything else I'd seen in the castle. On the opposite side of the corridor, there appeared to be a large painting of a centaur on the wall. My interest peaked, I moved closer to examine it. *SLAM!* I jumped out of my skin when the wall suddenly slammed shut behind me. As I awkwardly navigated my way through the near pitch-black corridor, the dim light that forced its way through the cracks in the wall acted as a meager source of light. The sharp creak and groans of rotten wood gave me pause, my foot hovering in the air as I testily lowered it to the ground. As I tried to put as little pressure on the wood as possible, it never occurred to me to simply take flight instead.

CRACK

The ancient floor beneath me gave way under my weight. I cried out in fear as I fell into pitch blackness, my body feeling weightless all the while. The last thing I saw before being consumed by the darkness was the floor I fell through resealing itself. I was horrified as I realized the truth…I had literally fallen into a trap.

With a solid thud, I landed on my back. Groaning, I dizzily got to my knees. Growling, I conjured a flame into hand, illuminating the narrow corridor in order to look for the source of the trap. Rats scurried in all directions, frightened off by the sudden illumination. Once my eyes adjusted to the light, I got a good look at my new surroundings. What I discovered left me frozen in fear. Thousands of skeletons littered the floors and walls. Some looked like they were placed here after death, their skeletal bodies resting with swords and shields in their bony hands or lying atop their still forms. Others looked like they actually died here. As I surveyed the gruesome scene, there was a few skeletons that stood out from the rest. Up against the far wall lay a pair of adult-sized skeletons with a tiny skeletal form between them. As my eyes lingered on the unfortunate trio, I felt a lone tear trickle down my cheek. After closely examining some of the skeletal remains, I realized that the worst part of it all was that many of them had not died of natural causes. Some had blades sticking out of them while others looked to have been eaten alive, the bones showing clear bite marks.

My exploration of the corridor was suddenly brought to an end when a guttural moan came from behind me, causing me to flinch. I turned around slowly as the additional sounds of chains and something being dragged along the floor put me on edge. I worriedly looked at my hands when the flames started to flicker. I desperately tried to keep the flames going as they began to quickly diminish. My efforts proved meaningless as the shrinking flames were finally extinguished. I tried to reignite the flames and was rewarded with a weak flare of light that sparkled for a few seconds before snuffing out. My shaky breaths echoed across the now silent and dark room as a sudden realization set in. I was trapped in a catacomb, and I wasn't alone! Once more I ignited my hand, and once again I only received a brief few seconds of light. In those brief few seconds, I noticed a pair of milky white eyes looking down at me.

Then my magic gave out and the room went black. Panicking, I threw myself backwards, my hand diving into my pocket and extracting my I-Pod. The screen lit up as I bolted in the other direction; tears of terror ran down my face as the dim light barely lit the way in front of me. Behind me, the groan of the beast echoed around the narrow corridors. Soon, the beastly noise was accompanied by others, subjecting my ears to a chorus of monstrous howls. I realized that there were more than one of those things as I threw myself down another random corridor.

The stench of decay and rot made me sick to my stomach as bones cracked and clattered under my feet. When another of the beasts appeared ahead, I was forced to dart in a random direction once again. Though I couldn't see through the foreboding darkness, I could hear the beast sluggishly turning to follow me. I felt my heart slamming against my chest as adrenaline and fear kept me moving. My magic had completely failed me—not even able to conjure those sparkling flares—indicating that I was fucked. A numb feeling chilled me to the bone, making it hard for me to even think, as I realized that the beasts were somehow blocking my magic.

Heavy breathing alerted me to the presence of another one of the beasts up ahead. I turned down a narrow corridor, my heart dropping as I came to a dead end. The small smacks of skin meeting floor had my heart jump in my mouth; a deathly silence hung over the corridor, emphasizing every foot step. Shakily, I jutted my I-pod forward, illuminating the tight corridor with its pale light. Suddenly, I saw a pure white hand with splotches of red and purple grip the side of the wall. I held my breath as the hand was soon followed by a large head, attached to a freakishly long neck, peering in. Its body was a mesh of fat and bone. The creature had large, metallic poles coming out of its back, forming an arc. I assumed that it wasn't natural, not that there was anything natural about this thing! Its legs were much like a kangaroo's, bent backwards at the knees.

I silently sighed in relief when it seemed that the beast could not fit its head through the gap. My body tightly hugged both the walls as the beast struggled fruitlessly to enter the corridor. I was a miracle that I had even fit in the cramped space. I breathed out another sigh of relief as I watched the monster look around a few times before slowly moving on, its footsteps slowly fading into the background. I waited for my nerves to calm down. I tried to find my courage as I prepared to make my next move.

Grunting in discomfort, I slowly pulled my way out, being careful to avoid hitting anything as I crept along the corridor. I sighed in relief as I saw the silhouette of one of the beasts vanishing around a corridor. This place was ancient. It was far older than Canterlot, maybe even older than the royal sisters. Several ruins adorned the sides of the walls. Wiping my eyes, I grimaced as my grime-matted hands only seemed to make my swollen eyes worse.

The cracking of bones signaled the approach of another of the creatures . Looking about frantically, I noticed a door to my left; I silently opened the door and darted inside. I winced as the rusty hinges of the door creaked loudly, attracting the beast. I shut the door quickly, latched the rusted lock in place, and silently waited. The door handle shook violently as the beast gave a grunt of frustration. A dry crack sounded as the beast rammed its body against the door; the beast continued the howl in frustration as small splinters showed in the otherwise sturdy door. Retreating from the door, I silently moved across the room, taking caution not to knock anything over. The room suddenly went black as my I-pod went into sleep mode. I turned it on again and waved it around, getting a good look at my new surroundings.

A large corridor adorned with torches gave me a glimmer of hope. Furthermore, I felt the warmth of my magic slowly returning to me. With a grunt, I was able to produce a small flame. Picking up one of the torches, it was quickly lit the worn rags burst into flames. The heat from the fire helped to drive away the chill on my body. I shivered, my eyes squinting as I warily made my way down the corridor.

Gritting my teeth, I pushed another door open. The light of the torch allowed me to take in the large room as I marvelled at the beautiful display of craftsmanship. In the center of the room sat a large metal crate with glowing runes. I stepped closer as the pulsating green letters were strangely entrancing. I crept slowly across the floor, my eyes darting around for any sign of traps as I reached the strange object. I noticed a small panel jutting out of the thing. It was covered in a thick layer of dust, so I swept my hand across it, removing most of the dust in order to get a better look at it. I gave a small gasp as needles exploded from the small tablet, impaling my hand. I gave a sharp cry of pain, but could not pull my hand away. With a sharp click, the needles retracted, leaving me to nurse my bleeding hand. I swore loudly at the thing.

Metallic clicks sounded as the box started to vibrate. With a sharp clang the box retracted, revealing to me a sight that left me speechless. I tried to contemplate what I was seeing. A mare lay kneeling in the center, her wrists, legs, and neck heavily bound in thick chains. Small rings covered her horn, most likely blocking her magic. Her crimson red hair, matted with filth, seemed to glow lightly as I caught sight of her wings.

"An alicorn," I whispered. Suddenly, the chains unclasped, receding into the stone floor. Without the restraints to hold her up, the mare quickly collapsed onto the floor. Moving forward, I gently placed the mares head on my lap and looked down at her with concern. The mare gave a weak groan while I took in the rest of her. Her body showed obvious signs of malnourishment. Her bones were visible through the tiny traces of fat and skin. The meager articles of torn clothing barely managed to hider her breasts and lower area.

I was snapped out of my observation when I felt her wings flutter against me. A pair of cerulean blue eyes fluttered open as she weakly groaned.
"Where am I?" she croaked, trying to lift herself up. I gently pushed her back down.

"Easy, easy. Everything is okay," I whispered. The mare eyes focused on me as I gently ran my hand though her mane.

"A human, after all this time. Who would have thought," she chuckled. I gave her a an inquisitive glance while she broke into a violent cough. Once her coughing fit subsided, she spoke again. "I am assuming from that look that I have been gone longer than I thought. Tell me…was Tirek's minions ever defeated? Are the pony clans still fighting? What became of my daughters?" she demanded, her hand clutching mine. Her face showed slight signs of panic. I gently eased the stressed mare into a sitting position, allowing her head to rest on my chest. She gave a gentle sigh of contentment.

"All of Tirek's minions including Grogar were vanquished thousands of years ago. The ponies have been united for well over 1,000 years. And if by daughters you mean Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, then I can assure you that they are safe. We have some catching up to do," I answered. The mare relaxed as she hummed a soothing tune.

"Princesses…it seems my daughters have done well in my absence. Thank the heavens!" she sighed, gently pushing my hand away as she uneasily got to her feet. It was then that I was able to take in just how big she was. Easily standing at ten-and-a-half feet tall, she clearly dwarfed me. Spreading her wings, they easily spread to about 15 feet long. Her horn producing a crimson light I watched as her eyes turned white, radiating power.

"Who are you?" I asked. The mare paused as she observed me; a flicker of a smile graced her lips. The dull rattle of chains behind us cut me off. I turned around only to find the beasts standing mere meters away from me. My body tensed with a familiar sense of dread.

"Do not worry. They cannot drain you now," she whispered. I turned back around to face the beasts, a wicked smile growing on my face. Fire engulfed my arms effortlessly. My eyes glowed brightly as I looked upon the beasts that had hunted me like dogs. I was going to enjoy this!

"Lachlan," I stated. The mare paused as she grabbed my hand, shaking it lightly.

"I go by many names. But for rescuing me, you may call me Faust!"

A picture of the beast!