The Spectral Knight.

A thousand images flashed before me. My life, My unlife, I watched it all happen at 100 times normal speed. Next thing I know, I'm sitting in a funeral parlor in a black suit. I am alone, facing an open casket. Something draws me to it, something unnatural and irresistible. Like I've taken a backseat and let someone else drive, I stand and approach the casket. At first, I figured it'd be me inside. That's how a lot of these dream sequences go, but no. This one decided to hit me where it really hurts. In the casket was Jake. He was a kid again, his glasses fitting snugly over his freckled, baby-face. His gangly awkward body was also in a suit. Honestly, I'd never really gotten over finding out he was dead. I put on a show for the others, but I never really talked about it with anyone...Most of my friends probably didn't know.

"Hey bro" Jake spoke, opening one green eye and smirking at me "Why the long face?" Dumbfounded and confused I just stood there, frozen in shock.

"Bu-...Wha-...Jake, Fucking explain, now. The weird shit just keeps fucking piling on and I can't fucking take it anymore. First you get drafted into the hero society of a magical fantasy realm. Fucking fine. I dealt with it. I end up as a knight, fighting demons and monsters and shit. Sure, why the hell not. I die and wake up in magic pony land. Fucking awesome. I find out I'm a goddamn hollow. Fucking hooray, praise the fucking sun! Dark souls references etc. But this, No I'm done. " I say, venting at least a decade's worth of frustration on the furniture and walls, smashing chairs and pottery and kicking down doors.

"Chill, B. I'll get to that. Just have a sit down and breathe, okay man?" he said, sitting up, a look of worry on his face as he hopped out of the coffin. "Now,first of all, this is your soul realm. I know it sounds like some cheesy anime thing, but it isn't. It's pretty formless, so whatever you imagine, will become reality here...thus my dumb idea of greeting you in a funeral parlor. Sorry. As for why I'm here, I'm just a fragment of Jake. A sort of warden, holding your own shattered soul together, and keeping the remnants of the dark prince's essence in check. I'm assisted a bit by his last shred of sanity, Charles." Jake nodded to a newcomer. an exceedingly handsome gent with raven hair. His were the looks women write books about. I already hated him. (damn my forgettable averagosity)

"Okaay then...And I'm here rather than the hereafter...Why?" I ask, crossing my arms and staring daggers of pure hate at the remnant of my murderer.

"....I can answer that" spoke a voice that sent cold chills down my spine and set every hair on end. I turned to find an excessively tall elder gent in a tattered black suit and greatcoat. "I, Am your reaper....Call me Jim..." he said, with a far too wide smile adorning his features at my look of horror. "Heh, easy kid. Ain't your time....yet..." he said with a laugh.

"But, I've been killed! Twice!" I blurted, cursing my own stupidity. Jim just laughed.

"Yeah, the fates aren't very nice to ya, eh kid? But ya see, We got ourselves a problem. One that we think you'd be perfect to resolve. See, Old king porkbutt's been fiddling with some very nasty necromamcy. The dark, forbidden shit that even pretty-boy over there was afraid to use. Shit that can kill a reaper. The problem is, we can't interfere with the affairs of mortals directly. Higher ups tried to find a way around that rule, but no luck. The loophole, however, Is the terminology. Now, most reapers can't get this close to their assigned target. just supposed to watch from afar until they are supposed to die. See, unlike popular belief, we don't kill folks. We just separate their souls and send them along. You, are an exception. You're neither dead, nor alive because of all the magic that got pumped into ya. So that means I can get as close as I need ta be, and even talk to ya. Cause I've been approved to offer ya a deal. A second chance at life, and a free ride to Heaven, elysium, whatever you wanna call it, in exchange for hunting down the schweine king and his army of necromancers. 100 black coffins for a hundred bad men, as it were" he said with a grin as some 'music' started It was a hell of a sight to watch an old reaper start rapping, and a band of dead personalities backed him up. Honestly, I thought he'd be more of a metal guy being death and all, but to each their own.

"...Deal. I'll hunt the slaving bastard down. I'll get his cronies too." I said, really glad that I could interrupt the song. It wasn't bad, but a bit grating after the opening.

"There is one caveat though....You gotta get it done in a year. 365 days." he said, an apologetic look on his face

".....Fuck...." I said contemplating just how in the bue blazes I'll get through the regualr army, any abominations the king and his cronies will have made, tack said king and each individual crony over an empire of fanatics, in one year. "Err, do I get any time extensions or special powers to help?" I ask, in a vain hope.

"Nope. You're already a bit cheaty with your undeath. though I'll stop by to point you in the right direction from time to time."

"Double fuck" I say with a facepalm.

"Ah, I've gotta go. Have a 4 o'clock appointment with a smoking hot old lady in The Canterlot ICU. later kid!" Jim said, as he faded away.

"Jake...Finish your explanation while I try to wrap my head around the fact I just had a conversation with death" I say sitting down in the one unbroken chair and rubbing my temples to reduce the oncoming headache.

"Right... Well..I'll keep it short. The necromantic influence of the Prince's essence was killing you and turning you into a monster. So, over the course of the next few decades, I funneled my essence into you, and kept you entombed in moonstone, using it's purification properties to keep you in check until your conscious mind could take control. It's why you don't feel the overwhelming hunger for flesh. That's about it though. Ah, But as you've probably figured out, you can absorb necromantic magic. In small doses Me and charlie can partially purify it and write it into your system, giving you new abilities...but too much can be dangerous. Absorb too much at once, and you'll turn into a flesh hungry, insane monster. If you absorb enough over time however, I think I can make you 'Level up' to another type of undead. it'll be dangerous though, as new powers will come with new weaknesses, so it'll be a tradeoff."

I could only sigh at my brother's explanation. Was it too much to ask for normalcy, now and again? "Thanks Jake....It's a lot to take in...but it's been good seeing you, little bro." I said, giving him a hug, which he returned with little hesitation.

"Yeah, you too, man...Now, you just gotta wake up. they're calling for ya"...