It was a dark night in Canterlot. The stars shone strangely dimly, and the moon could barely penetrate the bleak cover over the castle town. The darkness pervaded especially deeply into Family Well Orphanage. Every hall was deep and dark, every room was silent and dank, every space seemed malicious and apathetic. In each room lay a still breathing filly or colt. Except for one. His room was empty, deathly so. Anyone who entered would have stricken with a horrific sense of doom. The colt in question sat on a desk in the library. He was bent over some old tome that nopony had seen for to open for awhile now, as he always seemed at be.
Wanderlost sighed. He was a yellow colt with blue mane and a short dark-blue tail. He seemed almost lonely, but he would never tell you so. He would say that he didn't know the meaning of lonely. In fact, he wouldn't say he knew the meaning of hate. Or ire. Or fear. But the truth was he frequently felt those things. He frequently wished for the perfect mare friend. He was frequently afraid of bullies, of the colts who picked on him and stole his things, made fun if his (admittedly) strange name, and went out of their way to see him punished and humiliated. He was frequently afraid of the headmaster, Miss Famblie.
Wanderlost carefully replaced the tome in exactly the same place, in exactly the same position, in exactly the same way that he had found it. After he did so, he scribbled something down on the piece of parchment that was on the table. The tome he had just finished putting back was a rich history of Equestria, but this particular colt was looking of mentions of the the life of Blunt Bleak the fog-fiend, the only alicorn to master (or even attempt to master) necromancy, the dark and twisted art of controlling, speaking to, harnessing, and using the dead. Wanderlost had a difficult time tracking down mentions of the stallion, because there was no definitive version of his life. Many books contradicted others, at least from what he could find. He needed more information if he was to follow in the alicorn's footsteps, which was a lifelong dream of Wanderlost. Of course, that assumed that the alicorn was even real at all.
Wanderlost only knew for sure that his next chance to find out about Blunt Bleak was on the longest day of a thousand years: tomorrow's summer sun celebration.
Wanderlost knew in his heart that he was destined to be a necromancer. Even though he was a simple earth pony, he would earn his horn, and wings. He would be the alicorn of life and death, because only Wanderlost deserved to trifle with the big questions. And then, Wanderlost smiled to himself, he would help the dead. Whenever somepony died, he who didn't want to die or didn't need to die, he would help them. Death, after all, was the most awful event of a pony's life. It took lovers away from each other, parents from kids, kids from parents, hero's from their nations, and even those deserving of life seemed to all too frequently die. All in the name if being fair.
Wanderlost once had the strangest dream. He dreamed the alicorn necromancer himself had come to his room to teach him how to make deals with the dead, but was taken aback when he saw that the future champion of death had no horn! A simple earth pony! "No!" The pitch black alicorn had said. "Death is not of your realm. Don't interfere."
Screaming, Wanderlost had said "I will never stop searching for the answers that I crave!"
Rain then started to fall from his ceiling. "Listen," said the alicorn, his voice dripping with malice, "Death is all there is. What is life without death? Death is perfectly fair. It comes the old, the young, the rich, the poor, the hero, the villain, the loved and the loveless." As he vanished, and Wanderlost had started to wake up, he couldn't tell if the words were in his head or coming the darkness in his room. "Traffic the dead." Finished the alicorn. Wanderlost knew the truth. The rich and mighty didn't fear death, so why should he? Blunt Bleak was into the right thing, if shortsighted towards the end of his life. Besides, if no one else could, or would, take his place Wanderlost was more than happy to do so.
Wanderlost realized had been lost in his own thoughts again. He slowly rose from his place at the table and headed off to his room. It was nothing special, really. It was just a bed, desk and a bookcase. He had always had a suspicion that beds deter the growth of horns, so he slept on the floor like he always did. In what seemed like a second later, there was a knock on the door, and Headmaster Famblie strode into his room, an irritated look on her face.
"What?" Mumbled Wanderlost.
Her scowl increased in intensity as she said "you've done it," she paused for emphasis, "again! Wonderlost, I am disgusted with you!"
She then went into a rant, as she often did when he was involved. She babbled about wandering around at night and how she was going to have to start locking his door again. He would be lucky this time if she left him go to Ponyville's summer sun celebration. When she was finished, she stomped out of his room, locking it behind her. As she did so, he toom extreme care to replace the tome exactly as it was. "What gives?" He mumbled out loud. Why would she instantly assume that he was the one who was up past lights out? Had somebody been following him or something?
As he pondered his predicament, Wanderlost slowly went back to sleep for the duration of his day-long punishment. He lay there on the cool, stone floor. He wondered if he would help the headmaster when it came for her time. He knew for sure that he send all bullies to eternal torment, but the headmaster? He wasn't sure as of yet. Perhaps she had a good reason for being mean and gullible.
He didn't know how long he was locked up in there, but soon enough, his door cracked open an inch and a Famblie proclaimed "you can come out now!"
Slowly, Wanderlost rubbed his eyes and stretched his back. It always hurt his back to sleep on the floor for longer than a night, but he did it anyways when he was being punished. The tears streaming down his face stopped. He always cried out of sheer rage (and against his better judgment) when they saw fit to lock him away from the world. He was ashamed of himself for crying again, but this time he had a mission. The restless dead were waiting for him.
Once he had composed himself, he walked out of his room to see the headmaster and a small group of other orphans. "He cried again!" Shouted one of them, but she was quickly silenced by a sharp glare from the Headmaster.
"I hope this time managed to teach you something." She said with clear disdain. "Wanderlost, since you missed our meeting, I'll sum it up. Were taking the train to Ponyville, where we will participate in the summer sun celebration. You are to stay with the group at all times. Now, come. We have a long journey before us."
"How come he gets special treatment?" Everypony ignored the voice.
Wanderlost smiled when she said the word journey. He loved the idea of adventures and glory. He especially enjoyed fantasies of the mares that he hoped he would be given as a reward for his valor. Wanderlost joined the group, and was immediately confronted by a large earth pony, Carry Boon.
"What did you do this time?"
Wanderlost hesitated. "I stay'd up too late, I guess." Then he smiled. "But who can tell with Miss Bramble?"
Boon gave a soft laugh. Nopony knew where the name Miss Bramble came from, but everypony called Famblie that behind her back. Once, she became so enraged that a colt called Dante was locked in his room with no food for days. When he came out, he was practically flesh and bones. They still that say he had forced himself to eat a rock, a stick, and part of his bed. Disturbingly, some said that he had a half dead animal in his room with him, and that he ate parts of it. Wanderlost didn't believe that.
As they moved along, finally exiting the orphanage, Wanderlost had a strange feeling rise inside himself. Anxiety? Fear? He couldn't tell. He should be feeling excited, bemused, even.
As they all met at the train station and the headmaster did a final head count, Wanderlost identified his inner termoil. He was feeling doubt. As he took his seat on the far overused section of the train, he realized for the first time that he really wasn't much one for emotions. Daring Do wasn't one for emotions. He had heard rumors of Twilight Sparkle, the personal student of Princess Celestia. Was she one for emotions? Somehow, Wanderlost doubted that as well.
To attract the interest of royalty and the powerful people, a pony needed to be strong on their own right, as well as fearless, doubtless, and held back by no emotion. At this realization, he felt a surge of pride. He was all those things! He smiled out the window as he thought about all his many other points of pride, as Ponyville slowly came into view.
As soon as it did, the other orphans and Wanderlost himself started to bounce up and down, rambling about the beautiful Princess and the lovely decorations and the games they would all soon be playing.
"She's cooler than the sun!" Said one.
"Don't be silly, the sun is hot!" Said another.
Wanderlost started to tune out the back and forth, before Famblie managed to silence the fillies and colts. He barely noticed when the train came to a stop, until the colt in the seat next to him, Carry Boon, spoke up.
"Wanderlost..."
"Mmmph." Wanderlost groaned at his friend poked him in the side.
"Lost, it's time to get going!"
"RIght!" Wanderlost instantly perked up and started to bounce up and down again as the group exited the train. He chatted happily with a small group of other colts. Wanderlost only paid a little attention to his guide as the looked around at the city he had never been too. He saw pretty pink decorations, ponies playing music and dancing, ponies in the sky, he even thought he saw a glimpse of the Wondercolts. He started to think about what this trip must have meant to the orphanage. They had never gone to any sort of party or celebration that was out of Canterlot, simply because of a lack of funds. This year, however, things were different. All they had to do this time was afford the train ticket (Wanderlost wondered how they even managed to do that) and it was a back and forth to Ponyville that gave them a huge celebration.
Unfortunately, as soon as Wanderlost looked up, his group was nowhere to be found. He looked briefly left, and he quickly looked to the right, and smiled. "My give up." He said to himself. He wandered up and down streets and alleys and blocks, taking in all the sights. He got a few concerned looks from mares and stallions, but with a quick smile and fleet hooves, he managed to escape any questions. There were plenty of other fillies and colts running around, what was so interesting about him?
Eventually, he made his way to the stadium where the main event was taking place... and promptly became extremely confused. What was going on? The biggest., darkest mare he had ever seen was laughing at the audience as somepony said something he couldn't hear. Then the black mare turned into a black cloud which flew off in the direction of the Everfree Forest. Of course, then a purple mare rushed past him and he started off into the distance.
Then he grinned from ear to ear! This was it, his destiny awaited! something, between the purple mare (nah, she couldn't be anything but ordinary), the festival, and the evil looking mare, he had been given the hints to begin the study of necromancy. Of course, their was still the problem of him being an earth pony, but he would never let that stop him. He was shaken from his when a frantic Carry Boon shock him violently.
"Lost, everything is gonna be destroyed! Nightmare Moon is gonna shroud the world in eternal darkness and Princess Celestia is..."
Once again back in his thoughts, Wanderlost took in the hint. The princess of the sun, gone? Nightmare Moon... It seemed familiar, but he couldn't place it. Anyway, he had important things to be doing. He gave Boon a stern look in the eye, silencing him, and then ran off in a random direction, hoping to lose the frantic colt. Wanderlost dodged through streets and alleys, running for the purpose of it. However, he did eventually have to stop. His brain just didn't work unless he was sitting still and thinking. Where else would he have stopped except for Ponyville graveyard? and jmust as the sun was starting to set.
There was not a soul in eye sight of the graveyard. Wanderlost kicked meaninglessly at the dirt, hopin for answers.. If what Boon had said was true, then things were about to get a lot easier for him. If it was always night, wouldn't that make dark magic all the easier to perform?
His thoughts were interrupted as he felt a tap on the shoulder. Suddenly angry, he turned around to see Carry Boon staring at him with wet eyes, huffing and puffing. Wanderlost gave him a surprised look as he started to speak.
"Wanderlost, what are we doing here? We should really go back to the group before we get into-"
He chocked on his last words. Wanderlost tried as hard as he could to turn Boon into a zombie, and he felt something. Somepony deep within answered the call of darkness, and the reward to make Boon squirm. Wanderlost smiled with glee but remained completely silent as Boon collapsed to the ground and started to squirm and thrash uncontrollably. Then he got back up.
Wanderlost tried again as Boon burst out laughing.
"You shoulda seen your face! I knew how you are always reading about that Bleak-Blank guy so it seemed so easy too..."
Wanderlost ignored him completely, instead watching as six mares run towards the Everfree Forest. Without any hesitation, Wanderlost ran towards them. He didn't want to lose out on his chance, what could be his only chance to gain the power he so desperately needed!
"Help the dead..." He murmured to himself.
"Wait!" Somepony shouted behind him.
Wanderlost heard other voices behind him as well. Mares and stallions shouted after the colts that had just entered the Everfree Forest, trying to stop them, trying to catch up... but they were too late. After all, no pony wanted to go into the forest.
Somepony swore just as soon as the colts were out of earshot.
In the forest, Boon and Wanderlost had slowly from an all-out gallop to a trot. Wanderlost was starting to get fed up with being followed by Boon all the time.
"Hey buddy? Where are we?"
Silence.
"Um... are you planning on answering me?"
More silence.
"Common Wanderlost! I'm being a real good friend here, but you've got to give me something!"
Suddenly, Wanderlost whirled around, a stern loom on his face.
"Or what?! Lets get something straight here, buddy, I don't want, need, or appreciate your help or friendship or whatever! We are doing this because it is an adventure and we will never have more important things to do with our lives than we do right now! Don't you get it?"
Wanderlost turned around and started to walk forward again.
"It is-" He was cut off when there was the rumble of a landslide.
Boon instantly rushed off to the source of the sound, which was not too much farther down the path they were on.
Wanderlost mumbled to himself. "You'll make a great servant."
Wanderlost kept up a slow pace until he arrived at the scene. Boon was looking over the side of a cliff that they hung over. Wanderlost ignored him, looking around at the trees and the cliffs above them, trying to identify the source of the landslide.
"Boon." Wanderlost said softly. Boon looked over at him, concern plastered all over his face.
"Lost, someone could be hurt!"
Wanderlost smiled. "I know."
Boon eyed him up and down. "Whats the plan?"
Wanderlost sighed. Did he really have time to be slowed down?
"Its called left-hand path." Wanderlost explained with patience.
Boon just looked at him, prompting him to go on.
"When the world pushes back, you don't just stop, you don't go back, and you defiantly don't go right. You go left."
With that, Wanderlost turned from his friend and went exactly left, leaving Boon with a befuddled look on his face. Boon suddenly went after Wanderlost.
"What does that mean?"
Wanderlost looked back at him.
"It means, be quiet and we will see. Left hand path has never let me down before."
In silence, the two colts wandered through the darkness, doing their best to keep going straight. Eventually the path started to bend slightly, as Wanderlost followed it without hesitation, much the clear anxiety of his companion. Nonetheless, Boon kept up. The bugs started to chirp and wolves began to howl a startlingly close distance to them, but Wanderlost kept right on up. Finally, the trees broke away and before them both was a canyon. Wanderlost gave his friend a hearty smile as he stepped out onto the first cracked surface. Somewhere below them, a manticore roared.
"Do you yet see, Boon?" Said Wanderlost smugly. "Once again, left hand path prevails."
Boon said nothing, prompting Wanderlost to look at him. Boon returned his stare but said nothing. Satisfied, Wanderlost turned away and began to follow the path over the canyon. They walked on for a few minuets. At first, the ground seemed to rise before them, before it started to fall again. Something flew overhead. Wanderlost quickly looked up, only to see nothing. He looked back down again, then quickly looked back up, cracking his neck as he did so. Before him, flying on bone wings, was a completely skeletal pegasus-pony. It was covered with rotten bits of flesh. It smelled worse than day-old garbage. It eyes were two black orbs. Steam came from its mouth. As he stared on in horror, it spoke. Its voice was a perfect replica of a normal pony's voice.
"Weve been waiting for you, master."
Boon ducked behind Wanderlost, but he barely noticed. The pegasus seemed to look past him with those black orbs into nothing.
"The area has been cleared, just as you ordered. Now, drop the meat snack and lets get out of here. Are you ready?"
Seemingly without waiting for an answer, the pegasus dived straight for Wanderlost, who only stared intently.
Right as soon as he was within the creature's grasp, Wanderlost shouted "Stop!"
The creature froze.
Wanderlost looked at Boon out of the corner of his eye. "Lackeys." He said. "After long enough, they follow any old orders. Hmph. Just like any old lackeys, if you ask me. Now come on," He said. "We don't know how much farther we have to go.
Wanderlost turned and started to walk forward again. "And you!" Wanderlost said without even looking at the creature. "Follow us from above. Ill call if I need you." With a nod, the creature started to beat his wings hard, and ascended until he was above the clouds.
Boon stuck close to Wanderlost, but said nothing.
They came once again to the edge of a heavily wooded area. It was dim within, but not unbearably so. At least, not for Wanderlost. Fortunately, even Boon seemed to have shut up. Wanderlost entered the woods, and as soon as he did, it got a little brighter. Strange colored lights started to emanate from the trees, some of them almost seemed to have faces. On second thought... They did have faces! Wanderlost, without a second thought, charged into a full-on panic induced gallop, sprinting around and through trees. Of course, he had to stop as his feet grew heavy and his breath grew ragged.
"Is that it?" came the voice of Boon, just behind him.
As soon as Wanderlost realized that the trees weren't going to reach out and tear at him, he stood up. He even poked at one tree in front of him with a hoof.
"I don't get it..." said Wanderlost.
"What?" asked Boon.
"Im not sure i see what face trees have to do with earning the right to do necromancy," said Wanderlost.
Boon stepped forward. "Flesh is wood. Wood grows up from the material that is around it. We eat, and we take in, but how do we release? Some would say that this release comes in the form of having children, but i disagree. Magic is the release. Magic...is freedom. So the hard, bright wood that we see before us is the result of flesh magic. Petrified. Take care that you too do not become as the faces we see before us." He paused. "Perhaps all that use magic end up as nothing, lost in the wood of time?"
Wanderlost stared. "Wow, Boon. That was... awesome."
Boon relaxed. "Yea."
Wanderlost sighed, then immediatly perked up. "Do you hear... laughter?"
As soon as he did, there was a flash of light. Trees in the vicinity lost their luster as the light and faces faded. Wanderlost looked in the direction of the laughter and almost took a step, but Boon held out a hoof and blocked his way.
"They chose their path." He said. "We chose ours."
Wanderlost looked down. "Right you are, Boon." There was a moment of silence between them. "We should hurry."
The two turned and... paused again. "Which way is straight?" Asked Wanderlost. He looked at Boon, then sighed. "It seemes our paths have indeed crossed."
Boon said nothing.
Wanderlost headed in the direction of the laughter, followed closely by Carry Boon. They traveled for another while, until they broke through the treeline and saw before them a calm stream.
"Running water!" Shouted Wanderlost. He quickly searched his memories for quotes from the alicorn about running water.
"Water is pure." Boon said. "It runs and no one knows where it is going. Perhaps the ends of the world? Perhaps it starts from the center of Equestria and flows to the edge. Maybe its completely random, changing flow with the tide of the world. The elements, perhaps? BUt if water is an element, what else is? Fire? the Earth beneath us? The wind above? No. I refuse to accept that life-"
"Life?" Interrupted Wanderlost.
Boon's eyes went open wide. "I mean, the water." Then he just stopped talking.
Wanderlost shifted his gaze from the stream to Boon. "Are you going to finish?"
"No," said Boon.
Wanderlost looked up. "I know how to get around it." He continued to stare at the clouds above them. "It's funny, isn't it? There is a presence above us, one that's just waiting for the call to swoop down and get us. Who knows what happens after that?"
"I do," said Boon as he jumped onto the skeleton pegasus' back. Wanderlost grabbed onto on of the creature's ribs as it struggled to gain altitude. Wanderlost held tight to the underside of the creature as it brought them across the stream, and then deposited them on the other side. Wanderlost got off the creature, then stared at it, as it looked back at him, its face and eyes expressionless. Boon remained on the pegasus' back.
"Boon, get down from there. Its unbecoming of a simpleton like you. You have to earn the right to ride a flesh construct."
Boon jerked slightly, then jumped off the creature, landing on four hooves perfectly. Wanderlost nodded to him, then returned his attention to the bone creature. "Your name is Bone Drop, and you will now follow me."
"Yes, master Wanderlost." Wanderlost smiled and nodded again. He turned and started to walk. "That's more like it! I could get used to this!"
"Indeed," mumbled Boon.
Wanderlost gave Boon a glance, but said nothing. He instead chose to focus on the rope bridge that led to a glowing castle before them. Dancing lights could be seen and faint voices could be heard through the castle windows.
"Wow," he said simply. "where is the mare of darkness bringing us?"
Boon gave a malicious look. "I can feel it, Wanderlost. Forces are converging on-"
Wanderlost scrunched up his face. "There are always forces converging."
Boon took a step back. "What?"
"Its pretty simple. The forces around us are always swirling and waiting for the moment to attack. Hmph. Only a few ever take advantage of them."
"Wanderlost, that's ridiculous. You have to wait for the right moment to-"
"Left hand path."
Boon stared at Wanderlost. "An interesting point, but-"
Wanderlost started to walk over the bridge. "We're running out of time, if all that light is any sign. Come, Bone Drop." The creature slowly followed Wanderlost over the bridge, but as soon as he did so, the bridge split right down the center and both ponies fell.
Carry Boon gently placed a hoof to his forehead.
Wanderlost screamed as the wind whirled through his mane and the fog gave way below him. "Bone Drop!" He shouted over the roar. "I really need you to catch me!" Suddenly, there was no more sounds as he fell. Even though Wanderlost could see the top of the cliff growing smaller, the fog was quickly obscuring it from view. "Whats going on?!" He screamed.
It was over. He had failed. Son enough, he would emerge from the fog and fall careening to his death. Wanderlost closed his eyes, knowing that his fate was sealed. "Wanderlost..."
Great, now he was hearing voices. Maybe all the dying heard voices just before he died? Well, this was indeed one way to find the answers that-
"Wanderlost!" Boon's voice rang out. When Wanderlost opened his eyes, standing before him was Carry Boon, standing on nothing. Wanderlost was still falling, but the fog around was so thick he couldn't see anything through it. He did, however, notice the flying form of Bone Drop. At least, he hoped that that was the shadow of Bone Drop through the fog.
"Boon! Your the angel of death?" Babbled a surprised Wanderlost. Boon seemed annoyed.
"No, you idiot! Isn't it obvious?"
"What?"
Boon smacked himself in the temple as the fog around them formed the shape of a horn and wings on his head and back. After a moment, the fog turned pitch black, then faded to a gray horn and gray bony wings.
Wanderlost drew in a breath. "I dont understand..."
Boon laughed. "I have such a way with children."
Wanderlost turned over on his back. "When did you posses my friend? Are you going to give him back?"
Blunt Bleak rolled his eyes. "Right as soon as you entered my forest. And no." He smiled with glee. "Your going to turn him and my bone pegasus over there into your flesh apparition, then offer me your soul. Then all of us will merge into one monster and i will drown the world in blood. Sound fun?"
"No!"
Bleak looked sullen. "Wait, the part about my pegasus, your apparition, your soul-"
"None of those things are going to happen! I came here to learn all your secrets, and I intend to do so!"
Bleak shook his head. "You cant get something for nothing."
"Ill resurrect you!"
"Not possible, I'm afraid."
"What?!"
Bleak just stared at the falling pony. "Look, i can only keep you suspended for so long..."
That gave Wanderlost an idea.
"Take me and free my friend!"
Bleak ignored him. "I've been there your whole life. Moving things just a little, so that you grew up the exact way I wanted you too. So, you don't get to say no to me. Offer me your soul!"
"Never!"
Bleak had reached the end of his patience. "Very well then. Fall to your death."
With that, the fog cleared away and Wanderlost could see where he was to fall to. A rocky basin was at the bottom of the cliff, and Wanderlost was headed straight towards it.
Wanderlost wasn't impressed. "I don't believe you!" He shouted to the wind.
The fog reappeared and Bleak was again standing before him, a sour expression on his face. Then he started yelling. "You ungrateful whelp! Everything you are and everything you have done is mine! You belong to me, more than that flying bone monster that you called a companion! Your philosophy is wrong, your actions are wrong, and you are wrong! Now submit to me!"
Wanderlost scowled at the demon in pony's skin. This was a perfect example of one of the alicorn's many flaws. It would not do to give into such a weakling, Wanderlost realized. Wanderlost stared at the necromancer in defiance.
"You leave me no choice. You have done this to yourself!"
White smoke seethed from Boon's body, out of his mouth and nose. The smoke seemed to hesitate before filling Wanderlost with a great flame, as if there was fire inside of him. Then the pain. Pain seared through his body and he started screaming. He started to fall again, and he knew it was for real this time. The ground was rushing towards him and he was out of options. Fog started to form around him and he tried as hard as he could to flap wings that just were not there. A flash of rainbow light appeared before his eyes as he let go of the world around him.
When he came too, there were five faces not a foot from his own. He groaned. It was the six mares he had seen earlier, the ones rushing towards the Everfree Forest in the first place. "What happened?" He groaned.
A lavender unicorn approached him. "We were kinda hoping that you could tell us. Who are you, and how do the Princesses not know you?"
Wanderlost crocked an eyebrow at her. "What are you talking about? I'm just and ordinary earth pony orphan from Canterlot, how would the Princess know me?
A pink mare started to bounce up and down. "Better check your back and head!" She sang.
Wanderlost gasped and stood up. He flapped his wings and scraped the ground with his horn.
"I dont believe this!" He was stunned. What had happened?
Celestia looked on with interest. "Start from the beginning," she said gently.
