Spooky Jack watched as ghouls, ghosts, and other assorted monsters filed into the cave, either through the various entrances, or just passing through the walls. They all took their places sitting, or, in some cases, floating, on flattened stalagmites. Jack blew his onyx black hair out of his eyes, walking up ledges that,through erosion and his own tampering, had formed a staircase embedded into the side of the cavern.
Reaching a balcony-like outcrop, he looked down at the assembled monstrosities. Ghosts, ghouls, and various undead spirits sat, as they looked up at him expectantly. As he waited for the few stragglers to settle down, he looked around. He though he’d chosen a good place. The cavern itself was big enough to fit the height of Canterlot Castle, and the area of Ponyville, which meant close to half a million assorted spirits sat below him, waiting on his word. He took a moment to admire the banners he’d hung with his magic. The banners, scattered around the cavern and attached between walls and stalactites alike, were a deep, dark purple, the same color as his coat, and his cutie mark, two blood red wings, the bones of them shown in a brighter shade, was printed on them.Giving one last look to his surroundings, he used his bright green colored magic to lift the conductor’s baton, an old, ash-wood stick, to attention. The ghouls, depending on where they were, reacted differently. Some reached into themselves and pulled out violins. Some reached into thin air and pulled out xylophones. Some summoned pianos, the instrument literally growing out of the rock, while others disappeared in a puff of smoke and reappeared with a drum set, cymbals and all. In the space of a few seconds, each ten score ghoulie held or sat behind various instruments, some of which glowed a sickly yellow or dark red. A few female ghosts stood around the cavern, preparing their voices. When all had settled down, Jack began, closing his eyes to focus on the ritual.The pianos played a constant beat, xylophones adding a melody, and the vocals moaned, finishing the beginning. This continued for a few seconds, before the cymbals rang out, bringing with them the tambourines, setting an eerie theme. A gray mist began forming around the musicians. A sudden change came as flutes took over the melody of the xylophones, the latter going quiet as the piano began striking the notes harder, as strings came into play, picking up the tempo. The timpani's echoed around the cavern as they were struck ever so often. The gray mist was now much for plentiful, and as the music sped up, Jack kept conducting, lost in his self induced trance, controlling the mist as he conducted.As the music got faster, the glowing instruments, which had not played since the beginning, started to add on a gradually faster beat.On the surface, night had just fallen over Equestria, ponies and other creatures alike getting ready to lay their heads down. As the mist made its way, staying close to the surface, towards any dead creature it could find; pony, gryphon, minotaur and dragon bodies jittered slightly as the mist invaded them.As the music reached a peak, Jack cut his movements, the piano playing a riff and the drums putting a beat down in his absence, before he restarted, the glowing instruments taking priority over the others, as sounds never before produced echoed and re-echoed through the cave, the sound turning the gray mist the same color as Jack’s magic.The dead bodies sat up, regardless of how deep they were buried or what stage in composition they were in. Pulling themselves out of dirt, stone, and coffins alike, they marched to the closest living beings they could find. Dozens of glowing, reanimated corpses, ranging from freshly dead to mere skeletons, steadily walked through towns, cities, and camps, heedless of what was in their way. Bright green eyes stared blankly at the most direct route to the first living being they could find. Some panicked and ran, flew, or teleported away. Jack noticed, through the millions of eyes of the dead, that some had audacity to fight what was coming. Pegasi and gryphons rained lightning, turning the dead to ashes. Unicorns provided shields, allowing them to escape with refugees safely. Dragons sprayed fire everywhere, burning away the mist that held the bones of the dead together. Minotaurs went at it with axes and swords. He wasn’t worried, but, just to be sure, Jack changed the music back to instrumental for a second, giving orders, and right back into action.The lime green eyes of the dead dimmed momentarily, and then they began to retaliate as the orders came in. Pegasi and gryphons were brought down by rib bones that ripped holes in their wings. Shields were broken by brute strength, or simply dug under. Minotaurs fell at overwhelming odds, and dragons were caught off guard as the magic from their beaten enemies choked them to unconsciousness. In minutes all but a few had been captured. Sending a growling note through the air, the prisoners were penned together; he sent more of the gray mist to the surface, surrounding the living with it. Suddenly, Jack cut off the music. This caused the gray mist to wrap around each individual creature, invading them through their very pores as they screamed in anguish. Old and young alike cried out as the mist forced itself into their bloodstream, their lungs, and their heads. Picking up the music again; back with the instrumentals, Jack directed the remaining animated dead to head towards the main conquest: Canterlot. The living writhed in unimaginable pain; some hearts would have given out if the mist didn’t keep them going.The music picked up once again, eerie as ever, and Jack, whose plan was succeeding, couldn’t help but laugh, a low laugh, that picked up in volume, made creepier by the echoing of the cavern. He brought his attention back to the music; he could celebrate later, and switched back to the glowing instruments, ready for his grand finale. The living beings that were still conscious from the excruciating pain, shrieked once, before all had their brains torn to shreds by the mist, dying a horrible death.Only to be revived as the mist changed green, taking over as the brain, and giving Jack more ghouls to control. Sending another growling note, the glazed eyes of thousands turned towards Canterlot. Jack hadn’t gone for it as the Princesses could have foiled his plans easily if he had. Now, with a veritable army, he had no chance of losing. As his armies marched forward, Jack started to wrap up. The ghouls were tired, some so much they had dissipated to nothing, but the others dutifully finished the piece. As the snare faded out, Jack opened his eyes again, now back to their green color, and grinned evilly at finding out he still had a connection with the army. That was good. His grin grew wider as he noticed a group of six ponies, one an alicorn, through his mind’s eye, their eyes glazed.Soon, he thought to himself, soon everyone will know Spooky Jack and his Living Dead Orchestra!He chuckled, then spoke in a smooth baritone.“Dead or alive, they will recognize me.”
