Survival

Waves of unmatched agony washed through me with every step. The adrenaline rush and magical surge from the fight, hadn't quite left me, yet. I could feel my body rapidly draining my energy reserves, trying to save my dying body. I was so weak that I had scarcely managed to teleport three corridors away from the throne room. My destroyed left leg was slowing me down considerably hindering my escape. My numerous wounds left a heavy trail of blood upon the ground, leaving a distinct trail that would lead the insane mares to me.

Once again I paused in my escape attempt as the overwhelming urge to throw up overcame me. I decorated the hallway with blood and vomit, the strong taste of iron mixed with the acrid taste of bile in my mouth, making me even more nauseous than before. It was a feat that I didn't think was at all possible. My right arm sent sickening pulses of pain throughout my body whenever I tried to move it. Tears continued to fall from my eyes and mat my face as I staggered violently, forcing myself to keep moving forward.

I knew I had made a foolish mistake by keeping my condition a secret from my herd, but for them to have seriously tried to kill me? There was no way I was going back with them, not after that. If their unsealed state—I think that is what it's called—could do this much damage, then I could not risk them losing control of themselves again and potentially harming my friends, or more importantly, my foals. How I had survived was beyond me their was no way I could be that strong. I mean when I had been human I had only managed to form a few fire balls and kill that beasts that tried to eat Aurora and Isaac.

Cursing, I collapsed beside a small table. My right leg—which had been supporting most of my weight this whole time—had nearly been destroyed by the combined attack of the alicorns, and could no longer withstand the strain I place on it. My other leg was even worse having taken the worse of the attack. With my back against one of the table's legs, I gingerly allowed my working hand to brush over the spot where Molestia had taken a bite out of me.

My entire body was in immense pain, making standing impossible and forcing a pathetic whimper from my lips.

I could feel my body slowly pulling itself together, bringing me back from the brink of death. My body trembled as I coughed violently into my hands, both now coated in blood. I gagged at the horrible smell and even worse taste. But I couldn't dwell on that. I knew that if I stayed here, then the girls would find me; and given what I had seen of their unsealed forms, I feared they would kill me! More flashes of pain shot through me as my bones creaked and cracked sickeningly. I bet if I were to look into a mirror right now I would look similar to a pin cushion, except my bones would take the place of the pins. How I was even able to drag myself to my feet was beyond me. My head spun and my eyes blurred. Mere seconds from passing out, I tried with all my might to keep myself awake. Despite the pain and continuous magical drain, I could feel my magic healing me. My bones slid back inside my body as my broken form knitted itself.

Limping with a purpose, I weakly followed the faint spark of magic coming from the mirror. I assumed this was a fail-safe worked into the mirror's enchantment, so anyone who came through would not get lost in a new and/or potentially hostile world. 'Almost there' I thought. As the door came into view, my legs were wobbling violently and my body was sweating profusely from all the exertion; my form was literally coated in sweat. I groaned at the damp state of my clothes, though I didn't give it too much thought. I had more pressing matters to deal with, after all. I had maybe thirty seconds, at least, before those mares found me, and I needed to make every second count.

Muffled cries and pounding of feet gave me a grim reminder that sometimes my calculations were wrong. Hobbling faster, I pushed past the door and saw the mirror in plain view. I was mere feet away from it, and by extension, my salvation.

"LACHLAN, STOP! PLEASE!!!" the distressed cry of Nightmare Moon gave me pause. I looked over my shoulder and gave the winded mare, whom had returned to her normal form, a hard glare. "Please, we aren't going to hurt you. We…we didn't know. We are sorry…Lachlan, I swear we didn't know it was you. We would never…you know we would never," she gasped. Her sentences were butchered as she tried to catch her breath, her body shaking with exhaustion all the while. I glanced behind her and noticed the rest of my herd, as well as my friends, were standing with her and staring at me, pleading desperately with their eyes. I looked between them and the portal. "We don't blame you for attacking us. You were scared and hurt, and we were being aggressive. You were cornered, so none of us here blame you for how you reacted. Baby please, just wait. Please?!" she begged. My eyes softened at the sight of her whimpering, but that wasn't enough to appease my anger.

"You chose the tyrants over the Liche. The latter's only crime was defending himself from your attack; meanwhile, the former kidnapped me, insulted me, and tried to blackmail me with threats of murdering our foals," I stated. I paused to gently wipe blood from my brow, giving the mares to gasp in horror at this new revelation. "Yet you still took there side over mine. You all spent months plotting how to capture and kill the Liche when his only victims were monsters. How can I trust any of you when your ignorance and bigoted views could have gotten me killed? How can I live here when I will never be an equal in this herd? I'm nothing but a toy for you to love and play with. I am sorry, but no. I will not be subjected to this anymore. Prove to me that you can change and I will reconsider, but until then, consider our relationship over," I finished, my voice as cold as ice. Nightmare Moon collapsed while Molestia and Chrysalis looked at me in horror with tears trickling down their cheeks. Eris looked on with hurt feelings as her father gave me a neutral stare. Celestia looked heart broken and Luna looked ready to kill. I slowly retreated towards the mirror.

"WAIT! We can change Lachlan, I promise! Please don't leave us! We can even kill those two bitches for threatening to hurt our foals!" Molestia cried. The panic in her eyes nearly stopped me, but I remained firm in my resolve. I loved the with all my heart, including the foals, but they had to learn I would no longer tolerate this kind of bullshit. This had been a massive problem even before my death. The possessiveness, the lack of regard for my feelings, it was all there since the very beginning. They only ever took an interest in me for what I could do for them. I could get them pregnant and revive the alicorn race. When they were horny, I could please in ways no other stallion could. I was who they went to when they had a frustrating day and needed someone to complain to. It was always about them, but never about me.

"Goodbye, girls. I love you, all of you." With a sad smile, I stepped through the portal. The mares cried out in protest, but it was too late. My body, already in agony, felt very little pain as the flames tore at my body. My skin began smoldering as blisters appeared on my arms and legs.

With a sharp crack, I landed on the floor. I shakily got to my feet, relieved at the chance to catch my breath. The mirror, from what I could tell, had a 12 hour cool down period. This would give me plenty of time to escape my pursuers and possibly retreat to the Bloody Hooves's fortress. My second visit had seen that most of the stragglers had been weeded out and eliminated. I could use it to rest and think about what to do next.

Two months later…

Life had changed drastically for me in last two months. The abandoned Bloody Hooves's fortress had provided a wealth of knowledge and research materials on Necromancy and dark magic. I had dabbled with both very briefly, but as my magic and health had improved, so too had my desire to push myself.

Currently, I had spent the last four hours working out and exhaustion was finally catching up with me. Sweat ran down my body as I went through my tenth and final set. Each set was made up of a list of eight random exercises, each lasting between 40 and 120 seconds, that were performed from start to finish three separate times. For this last one, I was doing burpees, followed by flying push-ups, and ending with one-handed planks. I had run through the exercises twice already and had only 20 seconds left to go on the third. I gave a tired groan as I mentally pushed through the strain on my body. As they say, 'no pain, no gain.' With a small beep I collapsed the hellish ordeal over as I lay panting on the floor.

After my strenuous work out, I went to go take a quick shower. Passing by a group of work ponies, I smirked as a few of them shot me flirtatious looks. One even bothered to wolf whistle at me before she was smacked upside the head by her boss.

For the past two months, I had been working on rebuilding this castle. The first thing I did was use some potent cleaning spells to get rid of the blood and gore I had left behind when I had arrived. While I cleaned, I realized that restoring the castle was too big a job for a single person to accomplish, even with magic. once I was done cleaning, I managed to convince quite a number of ponies from the Everfree Village to help me rebuild the place. The worn, grime-covered rugs and banners were replaced by newer designs in beautiful royal blue and chartreuse yellow colors. Ancient, moss-covered furniture were exchanged with modern, hand-crafted tables and chairs.

My domestic project was funded with the massive collection of wealth that I had unofficially claimed when I killed off the castle's previous inhabitants. I had distributed the numerous gems, bits, and rare artifacts to most of the flutter ponies with instructions to buy the necessary materials to turn the fortress ruin into a gleaming castle. Many of the halls already looked as glamorous as those of Canterlot Castle. I gave a happy sigh as I watched the sun stream in from the newly fitted windows.

In exchange for gold and rare materials, the Everfree villagers kept the operation to themselves. At the moment, the castle was two-thirds of the way done. Nearly all of the rooms had been refurbished with modern comforts. Thanks to a couple dozen earth ponies, the courtyard, which had once been a mesh of blood and charred soil, was flourishing with plant life. Tree saplings were slowly growing in random places, slowly washing away the scent of death, with the fragrant scent of budding life.

Many of the giant trees surrounding the fortress had been removed with my help. And for the first time in what I assumed was well over a thousand years, sunlight was able to stream though the castle. The once black and moss-covered structure—now that its walls were mostly rebuilt—was now a light grey testament to expertise of stone masonry's. In addition to restoring the castle, I had included plans for a little side project of mine. I had expanded the castle's exterior walls so that in the future, a village, or possibly a city, could be built within.

"Sir. We have finished the throne room," an earth pony mare—who I recognized as the foremare—spoke up, her shaggy brown coat matted in paint. I nodded, then followed her to the throne room to see the finished product for myself.

Walking in, I marveled at the beautiful job that the woodworkers and painters had done. I looked around in wonder at the massive room lined with huge banners and silk curtains, some of which were blocking the large windows. In the back, there stood two banners with the royal sisters' cutie marks upon them along with a beautifully polished white throne. Above the throne, and set in the stone wall between the two banners, was a giant stained-glass window showing the Elements of Harmony inside a half moon and sun. The stained glass was quite difficult to acquire as few ponies still practiced the craft; as a result, I was forced to have the window specially made and delivered from the Minotaur lands. Leading up to the throne was a Persian red carpet that beautifully complimented the pristine white floor tiles. Besides the throne sat several others of similar make on lower levels; I had these made for my herdmates for if and when they got their act together. Furthermore, I had gotten the ponies to build a court and council room should future polical and legal matters need to be resolved.

"The castle's interior is mostly done, though most of the guest rooms are still bare save for the basics: beds, showers, sinks, chairs, and desks. We are still fiddling with the plumbing as there have been some minor reports of leakage, but we are confident that once it has been sorted you and your guests will have heating and hot water. As you requested, we are fitting the crystal chandelier into the dining hall and should have it done within the next ten minutes. The three kitchens have been merged into one, not including the barracks' kitchen. The placement of the windows in corridors 22 and 52 are nearly finished. The armory and forge are still under construction, but the latter should be ready for usage soon. Overall, we are confident that we will have this place fully repaired and furnished in about three weeks," the foremare finished, bowing slightly. I gave her the warmest smile I could manage.

"Thank you Miss Trades, I appreciate all the hard work that you and the others have done. Once this is over, all of you will be greatly rewarded," I said with a smile. The foremare grinned and gave me a pat on the back.

"Hey, you saved our asses from those heartless beasts; we would have done this for free if you had asked," she stated with a matter-of-fact tone. I chuckled as I watched her saunter off with a grin on her face.
The place really was shaping up. Personally, my most favorite part of the castle was the library. I had instructed that none of the books be thrown away and that any that appeared damaged would be sent to a specialist for restoration. I had also asked the ponies to replace the rotten bookcases and build a massive library that would rival Canterlot's. In term of size, the room was gigantic, easily dwarfing the throne room as the shelves seemed to go on and on. A couple of unicorns from the Griffon Kingdom were placing numerous tomes, scrolls, and books on the thousands of towering bookcases. These two had been hired outside of Equestria as to minimize the chance of this place being discovered.

It's a shame I would not get to oversee the construction of the swimming pool, but there had been increased sightings of the Bloody Hooves's scouts near Queen Razor Wing's hive. Needless to say, that piece of news was making me uneasy.

A few days later, I was wading through nearby swampland. A light shielding was the only thing preventing my clothes from being covered in slime and gunk. As I stopped to take a sip of water from my canteen, I groaned in discomfort. My left leg had never healed properly from the fight. As a result, I was left with a small limp that caused me slight frustration at times; in this case, it was driving me up the wall. I was hesitant to fly as doing so would make me a large target for anyone or anything lurking in the shadows below. The ponies from Everfree Village had heard stories from changeling and gryphon passersby of a small castle that housed undead. With the location of the undead being a few miles away from one of my mate's hives, I couldn't run the risk of the beasts attacking her. Even though Razor Wing had not been involved with the attack, I had not made any attempts to contact her. I was afraid that if I told her where I currently lived, then she would attempt to come visit and would most likely lead her cunning niece and the others straight to me. She wasn't one to be very discreet, bless her heart. Once, she even admitted that she attributed the success of her kidnapping me to luck more than anything else.

I was snapped out of my musing by the sound of sharp growls coming directly behind me. Jumping slightly from the sudden noise, I turned around only to be confronted by toxic green ponies adorned in old, rusty armor. I defensively brought my arms up, bracing myself for their attack. I snarled as they slowly approached me, moaning and hungrily eying my body all the while. Did they think this some joke? That I would run like a scared, ignorant villager?

With a simple flick of my wrists, great torrents of flame engulfed my arms. As my eyes glowed menacingly, the ponies eyes grew wide with fear from witnessing a mere fraction of my power.

"SPEAK NOW BEASTS AND GIVE ME REASON NOT TO SLAUGHTER YOU LIKE THE REST OF YOUR DISGUSTING KIND!!!" I roared. The royal canterlot voice shook the very earth as the group quivered before me. I snarled as some shakily pulled swords and spears out, foolishly pointing them. The leader whimpered before me. Her eyes were pinpricks as her horn weakly flared defensively; I sneered at the pathetic display of power.

"Uh, um, we were just having a bit of fun. Please don't hurt us. We were told that a strange being was trespassing on Queen Platinum's land. We thought that you were just a changeling or a pony, so we were sent to scare you off," the mare squeaked, her teeth chattering as I snorted. Now that I had a chance to take them in, I realized that they were just teenagers. They barely reached six foot five. I relaxed slightly now that I knew there magic, even if combined, wouldn't have so much as singed my t-shirt, never mind inflict any actual harm.

"Then explain this to me. How it is that you undead do not attack like rapid dogs like the rest I have encountered?" I questioned. The sharpness of my tone caused them to flinch. *Sigh* I powered down, allowing them to relax, albeit only slightly.

"We are called Hémithanés, surely you have heard of us. Those that are born with only half life; to put it simply, we're like zombies, only more alive and more intelligent. We are one of many undead species, though ours is the only one capable of reproducing, and we don't rot which is a good thing," she chuckled weakly. A smile crept upon my face. "What are you? I have never seen something like you before," she noted. She hesitantly stepped closer to me, her muzzle scrunching up as she sniffed me. "You smell nice," she complimented. She shakily tried to re-sheathe her sword, but she missed the sheathe entirely and her blade hit the ground with a solid thud. I chuckled as I took in the amateurs before me. They were not Bloody Hooves, that was for sure; but, they might be a potential, albeit inexperienced, ally.

"What are you creature, and who are you to laugh at the Black Tide Army?" a guard from the back hissed. I smirked at her cute attempt to sound tough in order to hide her embarrassment. My body morphed before them, skeletal wings exploding from my back. My armor and robes materialised on my form as my eyes turned an icy blue. I looked down at the cowering ponies as claws grew from my fingers and fire and ice formed in my hands.

"I am a Liche, able to go toe-to-toe with alicorns, draconequus, and changeling queens alike! I have butchered entire armies of Bloody Hooves, and I've even killed one of the Faceless Ones! At the moment, I only have access to 5% of my full power, yet I could still slaughter all of you and your queen if I so chose!" I bellowed. My eyes glowed pure white as the sky above me turned stormy. The sky darkened, thunder clapped, and lightning flashed across the sky.

"I will be the judge of that," a voice challenged from behind. I turned around and paused at the sight before me. Where there was once an empty patch of swampland, there now stood a mare—who I assumed to be the queen—that easily towered over myself and her guards. Her fur was charcoal grey, her eyes a royal purple that seemed to glow much like my own. Her mane and tail glowed white, appearing ethereal. Her bat-like wings flapped lazily as her twisted horn glowed a lavender color. A red bandeau dress adorned her voluptuous body. I had to admit, she was admirably beautiful. I regarded her cautiously as she approached me, peering down at my smaller form with a small smirk upon her lips.

"You possess great power, far more then even I can muster. But, you are inexperienced with your magic and rely too heavily on simply crushing your foes with sheer strength. As you've said, you are still weak, but even with your full strength there exist those that are stronger than you," she paused with a smirk. I growled at her in anger.

"Would you proclaim yourself to be stronger than me?" I spat, my temper rising at her critique. The newcomer shook her head.

"Of course not, but then again, I would never be so foolish as to fight a liche one-on-one. Instead, I would have my mages slowly drain your magic reserves whilst I distracted you. This would quickly tire you as my teasing would only cloud your sense. Then I would drag your exhausted form to my bed chambers and rut you stupid for your arrogance," she purred, eyeing my form. I gave her a hard look in return. "Now, if you are quite done terrifying my guards, I would speak with you," she stated, motioning for me to follow her. She patiently waited as I paused to consider my options.

If her other guards were as inexperienced as the ones I've already met, then they wouldn't pose much of a threat to me. She, on the other hand, was another matter entirely. She may not be as powerful as me, but she wasn't a fool either. For all I know, she could be leading me into a trap. However, if I wanted the Hémithanés to be my allies, I need to learn more about them, especially their leader.

"Lead the way, your majesty" I replied sarcastically. The mare smirked as her tail flicked across my face.

"Queen Platinum is fine," she replied, winking flirtatiously as I followed.

Sitting atop her throne, Queen Platinum silently studied me as I patiently stood before her. For the past few minutes, the two of us had been silently observing one another. The mare was truly beautiful. She knew it. I knew it. But more importantly, she knew that I knew it. While I eyed her form, she regarded me with a smug smile the entire time. Though I couldn't blame her for being so smug; after all, her body possessed all the right curves. She reminded me of Chrysalis, managing to look both regal and incredibly sext at the same time.

"What is your name, liche?" she questioned. Leaning her body forward, she rested her head on her fingers while watching me with a warm smile.

"Lachlan Goudie," I replied. My stance tensed when I saw that warm smile.

"Now I am sure you are wondering why I have brought you here, so let me explain. Over 2,000 years ago, the three pony tribes lived separately from each other. Conflicts, ranging from petty fights to full-scale wars, were not uncommon back then as racism and hatred for each other could be linked to Discord's influence as well as the nobility in charge at the time. We were reaching a state where the Wendigos, Frost Giants, and our own hatred were slowly killing our kingdoms. Back then, I was a unicorn known as Princess Platinum, leader of the unicorn race and monarch of the nation of Unicornia. Our nation was also known as Purus, at least to us unicorns, because we believed that we were the purest, most superior race of the three tribes. We were quite vain back then. Anyways, in a desperate move for survival, I decreed that the people of Purus move to what would later be known as Equestria. Sadly, the other two tribes did the same thing, resulting in a conflict between the three races over the new land. Unfortunately, the Wendigos followed us to Equestria as they were drawn by our hatred and conflict. It was with the Crystal Heart, an ancient heirloom handed down through my family, that we were saved! My adviser and close friend, Clover the Clever, along with two others, were able to form a friendship with each other; as a result, they were able to push back the dreaded beasts. The three tribes put aside their differences and formed three harmonious kingdoms, sharing the land and supporting one another. We were finally at peace. The earth ponies built the city of Canterlot, whilst the pegasi built Cloudsdale. We unicorns, however, did not move from the border of Equestria; instead, we built the Crystal Empire, where the heart had activated." Queen Platinum paused to take a small sip of water.

"So how did you end up here?" I questioned. The mare flashed me a gentle smile—pleased that I had been listening so intently—and motioned for me to sit next to her on the throne to her left.

"You see," she continued, "it was there that I was impregnated, by a commoner no less. Back in those days, such a thing was forbidden. In fact, a commoner could have been beheaded for thinking lustful thoughts about the nobility. Our beautiful daughter was born, but the truth of her parentage was kept a secret, even from my most loyal of guards. Though as life is so quick to remind you, nothing in life is free. My lover was caught and hanged in front of me by the nobility. They used him to set an example and send a message that not even the queen was exempt from the law. My daughter, who was only a foal at the time, came to fear me as my rage saw to the total annihilation of the nobility. Foals, stallions, the elderly, nopony was spared from my vengeance. In my grief, I grew cold and cruel over the course of 100 years. Eventually, my evil deeds managed to attract the bastard himself, Discord. Say what you want about him, but even with all the misery and dispair he had inflicted on ponykind, not once as he ever sunk so low as to cause pointless murder; he can't have his fun with ponies if they die, after all. Disgusted with my actions, he cursed me and my royal guards before banishing us to the Everfree Forest. We would later be joined by the Bloody Hooves. But unlike them, we were spared a life of mindless hunger; instead, we were cursed to be stuck between the planes of life and death, hence our name Hémithanés meaning 'half dead.' Any offspring we had were forced to bear the curse of our sins. Meanwhile, my daughter—now just coming into her position as princess—was suddenly thrust into power. I fear that losing both her father and mother drove her into madness." Queen Platinum paused, giving me a pleading look as she grasped my hand.

"Lachlan Goudie, I can offer you very little. All I have to give is my knowledge in Necromancy and my body. But if you have any heart in you, I beg you, please save my daughter from the madness that has taken her," she whispered. My body froze as her next words brought up memories of the past.

"Please reform Queen Umbra!"

Standing, the mare gave me a look of desperation. Her hand dug into my flesh as she tried to barter with me.

"Queen Platinum, your daughter and I have met previously, and I am sad to say that your empire is now run by Princess Celestia's niece, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, who seems to think that the kingdom is hers. If what you say is true, and Umbra was truly the rightful ruler, then I have to ask, how would I redeem her? Also, how do I stop her from trying to reclaim the Crystal Empire? We fought once before, back when I lacked my new found strength, when she attempted to rape and kill me. But more to the point, why should I agree to do anything at all? I am far stronger than you, and I doubt I would have any trouble taking the knowledge I need. As for your body, what could you possibly offer that alicorns could not?" I replied. The queen's eyes narrowed dangerously as she pushed herself up against me.

"I have taken hundreds of mates, consorts, and lovers over my 2,500 years of life. I could bring you to orgasm with a simple flick of my finger you little fool. Alicorns save themselves for a single mate, so they are inexperienced at best, and most likely have no idea how to keep up with a stallion of your calibre," she purred, running her hand down my chest.

I shivered as the mare gently chewed on my ear while her hand slid down my trousers. Grabbing my member roughly, she giggled as her hand slowly stroked me, sending waves of pleasure through me.

"And the knowledge you offer? What is to stop me from taking it?" I hissed. My lips millimetres away from hers. Pulling her closer I grabbed her plump rear groping the turned on mare as she giggled.

"My knowledge on the subject is not found in any book, but rather in my mind. I have had a millennium of practise to form mental shields that could keep even experienced alicorns from breaking through. You will find that even with your immense power, my mind is an impregnable fortress. The only way to get my knowledge is if I give it to you willingly. To sweeten the deal, if you help me save my daughter, I will court you," she cooed, pressing her lips against mine. Her tongue darted out past my lips, deepening the kiss.

"Deal," I growled. The queen smiled as she pushed me down onto her throne. Removing my trousers, she clicked her fingers and her dress vanished, leaving us both to examine the other's naked form. Giggling, the mare positioned herself over me, her tongue resuming its exploration of my mouth as she lowered herself. Wrapping my hands around her waist, I forced her down upon my lap. Platinum shivered as she hilted me. Moaning, the mare rested her chin on my head, gently grinding as I slapped her fleshy rear.

"Save my daughter and I will join your harem," she purred.