Ashes to Ashes

"What do you mean what your people went through?" Twilight asked with sympathy in her tone. A few seconds ago she had a callous gait and tone with Alex, she thought that he was a threat. From the intense amount of magic...or whatever he called it, he was very powerful. And she means VERY very powerful. She had never sensed something quite like it before. Sure she felt great power with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, but his felt infinite. It was strange.

Then there was his cutie mark. It filled her with a sense of unease. She as well never saw anything like it, Alexandros certainly had more with him than could be understood. Twilight watched as Alex shifted his position to something more comfortable. Alex responded, "Those ghouls were not just simple and mindless corpses. Those were raised by a powerful wielder of dark magic. Magic that can raise ponies from the dead. My people just saw it as simple disease, simply the sickness usually around. But...we let it grow. And our cities were razed from it. It got so bad that we lost our capital. I can't imagine somepony who could possibly do this. I hate to say this but it isn't over."

Twilight raised an eyebrow in surprise and said, "You're saying that there might be somepony behind this?"

"No," Alex's expression went dark, "I know that there is somepony behind this. I have to say that you need to limit your food supply. And keep most of the ponies in town. All those that exhibit strange coloring of their coats or they look as though they are a dead pony walking. Dead pale. Green. Or just dead. Kill them."

Twilight let is sink in. She had no idea if she had it in her to kill something, let alone another pony. She felt sick to her stomach just thinking about it. She could not allow this to happen. Twilight lifted a stone gaze to Alex and said, "No."

"Twilight, this is not your usual situation. You can't fix this with friendship. You can't bring them back from undeath through generosity, magic, or kindness. These will show no mercy, they have no mercy left to give so why should we give them any." Alex stood up. Twilight followed the motion and stood coldly into his eyes. She was not about to let some stranger tell her the right course of action. If it is brought down to conflict, there is always another way.

Twilight growled, "You aren't on Azeroth anymore Alex. You can't treat this as the same situation. This is a different land with different laws. And before I let you start slaughtering innocent ponies I need to give this information to Princess Celestia. She will likely know the right course of action."

Alex got in real close to Twilight. She stepped back a bit and Alex said in a near whisper, "Did Big Mac show any restraint a few minutes ago? Did he look as though he had a shred of mercy in his eyes, even a shred?"

Twilight thought back to seeing the pale red Big Mac try to break through her spell cage and try to hurt Rarity and Rainbow Dash. He was not rushing to leave. He was aching. He wanted to hurt Rarity and Rainbow Dash. She remembered his animalistic eyes, he looked as though all sentient wiring inside of him was gone. Thrown away and the sweet and noble hearted Big Mac was gone. Replaced by a bloodthirsty maniac. Twilight looked back over at Alex and slowly shook her head. He continued, "Look. I know that these ponies are very close to you. And I know that you would do anything to save them. Trust me I understand. But there is nothing that I haven't already tried. There is no turning them back. The only thing you can do is bury them properly and hope they stay that way."

Rarity stepped next to Twilight and offered in a sympathetic tone, "Darling, I'm afraid that this is the only way."

Twilight comprehended all she could and offered a sigh and responded, "I suppose...that you are correct. But I still must inform Princess Celestia about this. She needs to know what is happening. What should we do in the mean time?"

Twilight normally was not about asking strangers their input on a conflict with her home. But this was not an occasion that was usual in Equestria and from the looks and information that Alex gave, he had been through something like this before. And it became clear to her that it affected him a great deal. She looked back to Alex who thought for a few seconds. In that time frame she found a healthy relationship between her and Alex. Some of her ways of thinking conflicted with his, this offered room for both of them to grow and prosper as friends. She smirked at this fact.

Alex mused, "We should wait on the decision of Princess Celestia. Like you said Twilight, I am a visitor in your land it is not my place to solve problems my way. Unless it is absolutely necessary."

Twilight nodded, "I'm glad we could find common ground for once."

Alex looked to Twilight and said, "This does not mean that the enemy will not move until we move. They will attack again. And it is because of that, we need to prepare."

Twilight studied Alex close. It was clear that he was not stranger to being placed in a position of leadership. She was not sure whether or not it was his strange magic, but she felt him radiate the aura of leadership now. Something awakened inside of him, something crucial. She could not put her hoof on it but his destiny was now intertwined with theirs. He was no element of harmony, but he was something else. He carried residual bright energy beneath him, she would compare the feeling to Princess Celestia. But he seemed much more pure and protective. The usual Alex she knew for a few weeks now is not the one she saw now. Perhaps that is a good thing or a bad thing. Alex rubbed his chin contemplatively, finally he mused after a few minutes of thinking, "Perhaps I should tell you all..."

Rarity added with a shrug and a concerned look on her face, "Tell us what?"

Alex sighed, "I have told you of the Scourge. The undead monsters that razed my home. Well I was one that hunted these monsters and killed them. Much like their leader carried an ancient and powerful weapon, so did I. It responded to the undead, turned them into ash as it cut into them. I named it the Ashbringer. If we want to have even a slight chance at defending this place, we'll need it."

Twilight crossed her hooves, "You did not bring this with you?"

Alex moved a hoof willingly to his scar on his chest, showing that it was related somehow. Twilight saw as his face grew brooding, "It was separated from me."

There was a pause between his next words until he continued, "We will need more than merely words to protect us. Like I said, these beasts might look mindless, but they are more organized than one might think. We will need weapons and armor."

"Who will make them?" Rarity asked with a shrug. Alex thought for another minute formulating a plan, Twilight felt slightly out of place. Normally, she would be making the decisions. Telling ponies what they should do, seeing to it that they get done. A sense of leadership, something she never truly liked to grasp.

Alex mused, "Steel Flash will likely help in supply of weapons and armor. Rarity, you work with clothes perhaps you could assist with him and ask your brother if he could help with the Smithy. Tell him for now we need seven weapons and a suit of armor. Twilight and I will look into this more."

Rarity nodded her head at his command, "I shall leave immediately. Please find out everything you can about this Alex, and be careful both of you."

Rarity ushered herself out and shut the door behind her. Alex leaned over to Twilight and said in a quieter tone, "Are there any books that say anything about events similar to this one?"

Twilight thought long and hard as she moved through the various memorized tomes in her mind. All of them expansive and hard to navigate for a regular unicorn. But not for Twilight. It was like second nature to her. After a few seconds of her going through various tomes in her mind she replied with a shake of her head, "No...at least not directly related. There was a pony named Nightwhisper that was said to be the father of dark magic. It is recorded that he rose the dead after battles and made them his eternal guardians. He became known as Mad King Nightmare. Other than that, I suppose there is nothing else."

"If I was a betting stallion, I would guess that whoever is leading these undead will likely go to this burial first. To raise forth the first of new Death Knights. Monstrous soulless creations made to combat Paladins such as myself-"

"The drums of war beat, Alexandros. Perhaps it is time you listen to their beat." Alex and Twilight turned and saw a purely cloaked individual. He stood tall and hidden behind a hood. Twilight felt great power oozing off of this strange pony, it seemed like familiar magic though. She looked to Alex who bore a shocked expression, as if he was staring down a shadow from his past.

Alex stood in a defensive stance ready to attack, "How are you here right now?"

As if sensing his thoughts and motivations the vestige crossed the room with it's forehooves tucked behind his back and stated, "Your glibness does you credit Alexandros, but is not necessary. Need I remind you of what pain that has caused you in the past? Besides, I am here using much of my magic so I must make this quick. I am here to offer a warning for you, Alexandros."

His tone serious and Alex dropped his stance slightly as he continued, "The enemy you face might be a familiar one, but it is just a shadow of what you have fought. He seeks us Alexandros, to seal his pact. For we lie in the valley that splits two nations, yet binds them together. In it you will find a cave where no light can pierce through, only the light of hope can guide you. In the deepest chamber you will find the blade. But what you will find is shadows of your past to protect it."

Once he was done with his cryptic message he faded away into thin mist and rose through the air and dissipated. Twilight found the encounter strange and out of place. But Alex had a sense of longing as he stared at the floor. Twilight asked, "Who was that? And he knew your actual name."

Alex answered with a dark expression, "That was me. A shard of me anyways. A part of me closer to the Ashbringer. We were just told the location of the blade. I suggest we head out immediately. But we will need means to defend ourselves."

They split up rather well. Twilight sent her letter to the princess of Ponyville's problem, Alex still felt slightly uncomfortable letting him just sit there and lie and wait for another attack. Only this time there will be more and they will be hungrier. They warded off the town and Twilight summoned the strongest shield spell she knew to enclose the town. She did not need to keep the spell maintained but she had to refresh the spell strength every few hours. Alex was impressed at the level of magic Twilight could cast. Sure Alex had fought with many mages by his side, one occasion being Antonidas. Yet none rivaled in Twilight's power, it was surreal to Alex.

The raindrops came down in large clumps and exploded off of the surface of Alex's hooded cloak. His hoof falls kicking up mud as he went on. He traversed the streets of Ponyville well enough alone. The streets becoming ever more familiar in Alex's eyes. Scanning the storm filled eyes for any signs of unneeded movement, making sure there were no shadows waiting to leap out at him. Alex glanced up at the signs of Ponyville, trying to find the right place.

The oak signs with either a picture of what the store sold or golden lettering scrawled on to the aged wood, waving soullessly in the wind of the storm. As Alex looked at the signs his mind shifted to a memory of him back at Lordaeran,

The air was cold and filled with ash, each breath threatening to be your last. Eyes burning from the burning buildings. His heart sinking, his friends, family, and too many innocents to think about all at once. All gone. The streets still stained with freshly spilled blood. Nothing was more horrifying than this scene. I looked to the sky to try to find rest with my eyes from seeing such a sore sight. But the sky was blacked out, embers rising in the sky like lost souls finding their way to the next world. I closed my burning eyes and I uttered, "May the Light guide you to your final resting place."

I felt a slight pluck at the strings in my heart. So many killed for the sake of nothing. Not war. Not accidental. This was pure evil that murdered these people. The maddened swing of a black hearted soul. Arthas was a human no longer, for no human could ever exemplify evil in such a manner. Yes humans are prone to violence, but not on a scale such as this. I kept my head low and my voice almost a whisper as I muttered under my breathe, "Be thankful you were not alive to see this Elena..."

Alex shook his head bringing himself back out of his mind, and just in time as he glanced at a familiar sign. An anvil with a hammer and prongs crossing over it. The shoppe of Steel Flash. The ghost of a smile creeped across Alex's lips. Alex stepped at the centruries old door and pulled down his hood and stepped into the store. Feeling a wall of heat crash against him as he stepped in, wafting the smell of a forge and chilled steel.

The walls were dark brown and the lighting made it appear almost black. Racks upon racks of anything imaginable lined on the wall. Gardening tools, architect tools, carpenter tools, sewing tools. Every tool imaginable was lining the walls and then some. Some leather aprons lined behind the counter in the far right corner near a large glass window, the surface foggy. Almost like the front room of an old store, which it probably was. It felt as if he knew the age of the shoppe. He heard like music the constant rising and falling of a hammer on steel. Alex looked and like a ghost crept to find the source of the noise.

Creeping past the many racks of the shoppe, the room filled with the ominous pitter patter of rain on the glass. Keeping Alex on his hooves and ready to strike anypony that approached him wrong. Alex felt worried for Steel Flash though, he left the front of his store unattended. Even though crime was rare in Ponyville and many other cities, it was not uncommon. He had read that in, 'Statistics of Modern Equestria' it was an interesting yet boring read.

Alex brought himself to a door on the far end of the room, the fresh smell of iron almost suffocating his nose. He cracked the door and peaked inside, he saw machinery of all kinds of blackmith tools. Barrels filled with water, steaming at the brim. Orange tongues of flame filled the room with an ominous glow that compelled Alex to push the door open. He looked and saw a tall standing stallion, built almost like the steel he shaped. His coat a dark onyx, and his mane and tail a combination of an aged leather brown and an iron grey. His eyes fixated on the metal he was shaping with his hooves. Rising his left hoof and the hammer striking down. No restraint in his blows and no mercy in the shaping of his metal. As Alex approached the large stallion he only seemed to grow in size. Standing on his back hooves around eight feet tall, rippling with large tight muscles. The build of a smith no doubt.

Alex stopped a few feet away from the stallion, his back turned and putting the metal in a barrel of water. With no fear Alex coughed, "Excuse me, Steel Flash?"

There was no answer received from the stallion. Alex asked again, "Excuse me?"

The third not registering, "Steel Flash, a moment of your time please."

Steel Flash flinched slightly at the sound of his name and let the metal cool in the barrel, setting down his hammer and his prongs. Steel Flash turned, his face hardened with callouses and his gaze set on Alex alone. His face neutral and his eyes as brightly orange as the fire of his forge. Alex could not tell if he was going to fight the large stallion or get thrown out by the stallion. Steel Flash crossed his hooves over his leather apron, as if to say 'Who the hell are you?'

Alex nodded his head and answered his unspoken question, "I am Alex. I am relatively new to Ponyville and I am friends with Twilight Sparkle-"

His gaze never moving from Alex, the same sentinel stone like gaze.

"-And we have run into a bit of problems lately."

Alex stopped short to hear Steel's opinion of his chosen friendship, the stallion stared coldly at Alex never lifting or flinching a muscle. Alex found this encounter both strange and intriguing at the same time. Alex shifted uncomfortably as her stood before the titanesque stallion. Alex asked, "Can you hear me?"

Steel Flash kept his gaze stared at Alex as he lifted his large hoof and twisted it telling Alex, 'Sometimes'. This was strange to Alex, a partially deaf smith. Alex asked again, "Are you a mute?"

The hard nod from Steel Flash was answer enough. A partially deaf and mute smith. That was a first for Alex, he glanced back at Steel Flash who kept his back hooves shoulder width apart and his forehooves crossed over his chest. An audible crack sounded from the forge. He seemed unmoved from the name Alex mentioned. Alex decided to use another friend, "Do you know of a mare named Rarity?"

Finally the stare broke as he looked to the ground at Alex's hooves, a warm smile spreading across the hardened stallion's face. As if reliving memories of days long past, heartfelt memories of kindness and generosity. A friendly smile. The mood went from threatening to something less so. More friendly and warmhearted, giving Alex the ability to not hold his breath out of fear of an attack. With a happier look he returned to looking at Alex with a look that said, 'Alright, so what do you need?'

Alex breathed a sigh and answered stepping next to Steel, "We are under attack, from a threat from my nation. And lets just say that it is not the most peaceful of enemies. What I'm trying to say is, we need weapons to defend ourselves."

With a cold nod his face went neutral and his emotions seemed to resemble contemplation. Steel thought for a moment and gave a look that said, 'I'll be right back.'

After a few minutes of waiting Steel Flash returned with a large chest, old and rigid. Wrought iron bindings and chain over the front to keep it from opening. There was a large lock on the chain. Steel Flash slammed it on the ground and pulled a leather chord out of his apron pocket and a golden key laid on the end of the chord. He turned it and Alex heard the audible clicking of the tumblers as the lock sprang free. steel Flash pulled the chain off and lifted the lid, the hinges squeaking of age.

Alex stepped closer to get a better look inside and saw lying in the chest were weapons of various sizes, from daggers to bows and arrows to greatswords. All pristine and sharpened, maintained well and kept in amazing condition. Shining from the orange flames, almost glowing in Alex's eyes. He had not seen weapons this maintained since he visited Ironforge in Dun Morgh. The craftsmanship was spectacular and the blades well sharpened. Alex leaned down and grabbed a bastard sword. The blade was thick towards the hilt and thinned out as it crawled to four and a half feet long. The hilt wide and wrapped in cloth of linen, the pommel and guard easily balanced with the blade and the weight well spread out. It was somewhat lighter than what Alex was used to but nothing he could not get used to.

Alex found the sheath buried at the bottom and it seemed that there was even a staff. A staff of light metal, the wings of an eagle spreading wide as the head of the staff and thin spindels of metal encircled the wings and spiraled down the four foot staff. The spindels and the eagle wings were of polished gold and the shaft a glistening silver. In the middle of the staff was a large amethyst crystal, thick and seemed to have residual magic moving beneath the surface of the crystal.

He grabbed the staff and he looked to Steel but before he could say anything Steel raised a hoof, knowing that Alex was going to offer money. The smile returned to Steel's face and his look told Alex 'Anytime you need a weapon. Come here.'

Alex left the shoppe with a cruel smile on his face, a sword strapped to his back and a staff held firmly in his hoof. He would have to train these ponies to defend themselves and he would protect the innocent once again. His heart and soul was in the right place and he felt the Light bath him in its familiar grace and acceptance. The defense of Ponyville would be well within reach, in time this little town will be able to handle many invaders. Foreign or domestic. Including undead, the staff proved that Steel Flash could craft magical weapons.

Distantly he felt the beckon call of the Ashbringer and the cold shivering voice said in his mind,
The...end...is...soon...
Prepare...for...the...Living Dead...