Chapters Chapter 2 True Love Never Dies
Solar Salute starred through the clear and clean window of his former house. His love Flower Garden was walking back and forth tending to cleaning. The night was dark, he had used that to his advantage.
It had been years since his eyes had seen his love. His heart was full of warmth for seeing her again, but he was hesitant to make a move. He was different now and was not sure how she was going to explain to her how and what had happened. He breathed in slowly and exhaled all his stress out still gazing at her. She was still as beautiful as the day he met her. He on the other hand looked like he had been through hell. His once shiny golden armor was rusty and dirty. His body was no different, full of dirt, dried blood, and scars from the battle in Canterlot. On the brighter side of things, there were many ponies in worse shape than he was.
He dent down and picked one of her flowers that was still in bloom outside her house with his mouth. This was going to be hard and he only wished that she did not run away screaming. Was it possible she even still loved him? Perhaps he should just take the flower as a memento and never come back. The thoughts ravaged his mind. Never had he been afraid to come home to his wife. He was a soldier of the royal guard. Bravery came first to him. It was the first time his courage had fallen to second place and cowardice had been promoted. But this was something he never had trained for or thought would ever happen.
Solar Salute looked back in the window to see his wife. Flower Garden was a green earth pony with red hair, which was in a ponytail. He would never get tired of looking into her brown eyes or her flower cutie mark. Indeed she was a flower in a garden. With another deep breath he exhaled pacefully. It took all his strength to move his legs from the window to the door. This was going to be the hardest engagement he had ever had in his life. He knocked on the door with his hoof.
His stomach turned. His arms became limp. He gulped and held himself at attention the best he could. It wasn’t long before Flower Garden opened the door.
“Hello.” She said opening the door.
Solar Salute didn’t have to say anything. The expression of a gasp and fear was on her face, surprised beyond any form of belief. Flower Garden knew who was standing at her doorstep and that was impossible.
Solar Salute stepped forward and said, “Flower, love, it’s me. I’m home.”
Solar Salute could not figure out if she was paralyzed with shock and terror or was just trying to take it all in. He didn’t blame her. The impossible had happened.
“I can explain everything, my love.” Solar Salute said stepping forward. “Please give me a chance.” He said putting his hoof out to touch her face.
Flower Garden didn’t budge while he held her cheek in his hoof. He put the flower in her mane.
It felt like forever.
“Come in my love.” Flower Garden had forced out of her chest, surprised and confused.
Solar Solute came in and she closed the door locking it behind her. She looked over his entire body before coming around to the front of him and she looked into his eyes.
“Is it really you, Solar Salute?” She asked.
“Yes, it is.” Solar Salute stated.
“But how?” She asked. “You’re…..” Her voice rolled into nothing.
“I’ll explain everything. Just have a seat and we can talk about it.” Solar stated.
Solar walked over to the couch and sat on it.
“Do you need anything to drink or eat?” Flower asked with a concerned look on her face.
She had walked next to the couch, not entirely sure if she should sit down. Was it possible this was just a really bad hoax? She couldn’t think of anypony who would ever even attempt such a cruel joke if it was.
“I’m fine for now. I just want to be with you.” Solar said.
Solar Salute could tell she was uneasy. A faint scream in the background meant that another pony had not received as warm of a welcome back home as he had.
Flower jerked her head to the window and exclaimed, “What was that?”
“Someone brought us back. He saved us from the beyond. He asked me to be part of his inner circle.” Solar said.
Flower looked back at him and came over to the front of the couch. For 30 seconds she contemplated what to do. But in the end took a seat next to her committed love.
Solar informed, “The unicorn said that it would be hard for us to come back home. That we could face rejection or rejoice. But that we needed to in order for our lives to continue as they were before the incidents.”
Flower Garden put her hoof on the big reddish hole in his chest covered with dry blood.
“I don’t understand.” Flower stated, “But I’ve missed you so much.”
She quickly wrapped her front legs around his shoulders and couldn’t hold back the tears that began to pour.
“Every day I wanted you in my arms. I visited you every chance I could.” Flower sobbingly admitted. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m happy you’re here with me.”
Solar Salute put his forelegs around her and embraced her with his chest like he had many times before, her head resting on his masculine muscles and his head rested on top of hers. But this was the first time in at least a year or more since he had been able to do so. Dark magic had been used to bring him and all the others back to their homes. But he didn’t care. He was home again with his wife. He couldn’t have been happier.
The night was upon us. My plans in full swing. The reunification of the dead ponies with their loved ones now in the process of transpiring. There was no doubt in my mind that the alicorns of Equestria would try and stop me. But I had something they did not. An almost unlimited supply of soldiers. Tonight one hundred strong. Tomorrow night double or more. Soon all of the dead in Equestria would be alive and with a purpose. Friendship will last forever, beyond death itself.
I had recruited five of those hundred to serve as my inner circle. They were strong individuals and they would help me if and when the alicorns attacked. These five in particular lost very important loved ones and would be able to understand the most as to what I was trying to accomplish. There would be rejection by some, but others would understand and accept their loved ones back no matter how they looked.
Now was the time for me to make my move. Soon The Princess of Friendship would find out about the zombie ponies in Ponyville and there was no point in hiding who I was or what I had done. Being in secret would not help the cause. The zombies now looked up to me for leadership in helping getting their family and friends to understand and embrace them. If I could get the Ponyville princess to comprehend and even extend a hoof of help, it might make it easier on the zombies. But if the alicorns wanted to fight, I had become more powerful than ever, and had an entire zombie support crew. Interestingly, I might gain from this new spell.
I ran towards Ponyville but slowed to a walk when I met Main Street and saw the princesses’ castle.
Princess Twilight was in her throne room at her round crystal table with all her close pony friends having a late dinner. All of them were there Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. It was just a social dinner before the Nightmare Night celebration set to happen tomorrow. She expected a visit from the dark princess just before the celebration to make sure everything was set. And it sure was. She had checked her lists for the event thrice and everything was set for tomorrow evening.
Spike rushed into the room, the door slamming.
Spike shouted, huffing and puffing, “Twilight! They’re everywhere!”
Spiked tripped and fell hard on the unforgiving floor.
“Whoh! Slow down, Spike.” Applejack stated.
“Yeah, don’t worry. There’s plenty of food for everyone.” Rainbow Dash added.
“Zombie ponies! They’re all over Ponyville!” Spike blurted out standing up with a horrified look in his face.
Twilight chuckled and added, “Spike, we’ve already had this conversation. There is no such thing as zombie ponies.
Rarity added, “Spike, darling, ponies do not come back from the dead.”
“Are you sure they know that?” Spike said brushing himself off. Spike added, “Two ponies just came to me saying their dead family members returned home. They’ve been spotted everywhere. They’re returning home. They’re in various stages of decomposition. I just saw them. How do you explain that?”
“Like this?” Pinkie Pie announced inches away from Spike’s face with fragments of food on her face resembling a dead person face mask.
Spike jumped in terror.
“Spike, I’m sure it’s just a prank on the eve on Nightmare Night. You know how crazy ponies get this holiday.” Twilight informed.
Fluttershy terrifyingly muttered, “Twilight, you might want to look at this.”
Unheard or possibly avoiding her comment, Rainbow Dash said, “Come on, Spike. I’m one of the biggest pranksters around besides Pinkie Pie. It’s something we’ve done before. It’s all in good fun.”
Rarity commented, “Yes, Spike. It’s nothing, darling. Now take a seat and enjoy some of these wonderful autumn delicacies.”
Fluttershy panicky with her bottom jaw shaking making a clattering noise and her body trembling, tugged on Twilight’s mane and with her hoof near her mouth too terrified to speak said softly, “Look out the window!” just before she hid under the table with a shriek.
Twilight walked over to the window and looked at downtown Ponyville. A pony in the background screamed as if in a horror movie.
“Eghad!” Twilight exclaimed. She turned away from the window and with horror cursing through her body she admitted, “There are zombie ponies out there!”
The sight she beheld no pony should ever have had to bear witness to. Walking down the main street of Ponyville were ponies of all types, earth, pegasus, and unicorns some badly decomposed, skin and flesh torn or removed, others organs hanging out or missing, some with muscles, ligaments and tendons exposed, bones clearly visible on some, and few were more skeleton than anything else. There were a few normal ponies running around on the street, screaming and crying.
“I told you!” Spike stated chewing on his claws.
“What? That’s impossible.” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. She went to the window and after flying outside of it screamed, “Ahhh!” When she came back inside she added, “What in Ponyville?”
Soon all the mane six had looked out the window and had come to the same conclusion.
Applejack said, “What are we gonna do about it?”
Twilight gathered herself and concluded, “Let’s not jump to conclusions. Maybe everypony dressed as a zombie this Nightmare Night and accidentally came out a night early.”
“Please, Twilight, there half decomposed ponies out there.” Rainbow Dash shouted.
Pinkie Pie stated, “Hey, I know some of those ponies. They used to live here. I was the party planner for their parties. Yep…they’re definitely deceased. We should throw them a welcome back from the dead party! Whohoo!”
“I highly doubt they came back to life for a party dear, even a Pinkie Pie Party. How could this have happened?” Rarity, ignoring Pinkie Pie, asked.
Applejack asked, “Could magic have done this?”
“I don’t know.” Twilight admitted. “I didn’t even know this was possible. There’s no spell in Equestria that could do this either that I’m aware of!”
“Don’t zombie ponies devour other ponies?” Pinkie Pie stated.
The whole room erupted with concern.
Twilight collected herself, “We’re gonna have to go out there and try to find out what’s going on. It’s the only way.”
Nervously they all agreed but were scared.
Like friends at a sleepover creeping down stairs in single file line to investigate an awkward noise in the middle of the night after a ghost story, Twilight led the main six to the doors of her castle, unknown what would happen next.
With a gulp and shaky hooves twilight nudged the door open. The night was still somewhat stormy, the aftermath of a gloomy weather evening. Buy now some of the zombie ponies had made it around her castle lawn.
They carefully approached the nearest zombie.
Twilight, managed her courage, she had fought many trials before and got a boost of confidence.
“Hello. May I help you?” Twilight said with princess like authority.
The zombie pony turned to her and uttered, “Ugggggh.”
Twilights friends shrieked, but she stood her ground.
Pinkie Pie standing next to the zombie muttered, “Euggghhhhd.” With a droopy face resembling the zombie. She giggled and informed, “Zombie speaking contest go!”
“Hi. Fluttershy! Long time no see!” A zombiefied pony crept up from behind on the group unexpectedly.
Fluttershy, the caboose of the single file line, screamed as a zombie pony touched her shoulder. She tried to hide under Applejack who was right in front of her.
“Sorry, Fluttershy, I didn’t mean to scare you.” The grotesque figure loomed over them. “I’m just so happy to see you.”
Fluttershy recognized the figure as Pizza Party. Pinkie Pie knew who he was too. All the party ponies knew who each other were.
“I hope I can say the same.” Fluttershy whispered out.
“Anyone have any food, I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.” Pizza Party said.
The main six screamed except Pinkie Pie who laughed while rolling around on the ground.
“I get it cause he’s a zombie pony and we’re horses.” Pinkie Pie, rolling around on the ground, informed.
“Please don’t eat me.” Fluttershy begged.
Pizza Party let out a sly laugh and stated getting down to Fluttershy’s level, “Sorry, I couldn’t resist with me being a zombie pony and all.” Looking at Applejack, Pizza Party continued, “Actually I could go for some apple fritters. You wouldn’t happen to have any Applejack would you?”
“Sorry, Pizza Party, I left them all at home” Applejack nervously replied.
“Awww….” Pizza Party disappointingly related.
Twilight, sensing the unhostile and friendly nature of the pony she had also once talked to in Ponyville asked, “What’s going on? I don’t mean to be rude but… Shouldn’t you be, well in a grave?”
“Yeah, about that.” Pizza Party said. ”Oh, he can probably tell you more about that than I can.” Pizza Party informed.
“Who?” Rainbow Dash asked charged with energy.
“Him.” Pizza Party said pointing just to the edge of the lawn where it meet the main street of Ponyville. There was a black cloaked pony who was dashing up the road towards them.
I stood before them wearing my cloak. They had lined up in formation. I removed my hood to reveal my head. No doubt the fact I had two horns startled and confused them. I could tell from their faces they were startled by both of my horns.
Pinkie Pie exclaimed, “Rainbow Heart! Is that you?”
“You know this pony?” Applejack asked.
“Yeah, I think. He looks different then when I last saw him. He has two horns now. Where does one pony get a second horn at?” Pinkie pie informed.
Rainbow Dash added, “A unicorn with two horns, there’s no such thing.”
“Yes, it is I, Rainbow Heart.” I said. “I am the one who has reunited the dead with the living.”
Twilight barked, “I don’t know how you did this, Rainbow Heart, but you need to stop this. It isn’t right.”
“Twilight you’re the one who’s responsible for the loss of friendship!” I chided.
Rainbow dash in defense said, “Twilight’s the princess of friendship. How can she be responsible for the loss of friendship?”
I exclaimed, “Ever since you came to Ponyville all of Equestria has had doomsday after doomsday after doomsday. Many ponies all across Equestria have lost their lives due to those events. Their bodies were buried at the Stones of Tears. I have righted your wrongs. I have made friendship eternal!” With a crash of thunder and a flash of lightning, “The magic of friendship will never die! Isn’t it glorious! We will be friends forever!” I said laughing maniacally.
Pinkie Pie said, “You can’t blame Twilight for those deaths. She saved ponies lives.”
I exclaimed, “Twilight couldn’t stop the villains without there being pony deaths, I have taken the next step in helping all of the ponies in Equestria by resurrecting those poor ponies you couldn’t save. I have brought their friendships back to those who were robbed of it.”
“You make them go back to the graveyard where they belong.” Applejack yelled.
Rarity added, “I agree make all these disgusting ponies go back to their coffins.”
“And have them be robbed of the friendships you caused them to lose. Never!” I informed.
“Enough of this! Let’s take him out!” Rainbow Dash egged on.
Realizing I had a fight on my hands I knew I’d have to go through her friends before I could get to Twilight to convince her of my doings.
Rainbow Dash swooped down to attack me. I used the power of my dual horns to use a spell and clog her wings with glue. She came crashing down to the ground. Not wanting anypony to get hurt, I used my magic to make a small above ground pool appear. She splash landed into it unharmed. That would ground her for a while. I used a new special magic technique I learned to have her restrained by tentacles that came out of the water.
Applejack was charging towards me. Using magic, I made a large pile of apples appear above her and fall on top of her, covering her in a pile of apples ceasing her forward progress. That would safely stop her. To ensure her defeat, I made tentacles come out of the ground and secure her.
I looked at Pinkie Pie and made her fall through a portal and made a hundred more appear. She flew from one through another in a maze like set up. That would keep her busy and at the end of the sling shot portals was a web of tentacles waiting to hoofcuff her.
“Whee! This is fun!” She stated.
Rarity stepped forward. I splashed her with muddy water desecrating her flawless appearance. It was cruel, but she ran away crying. I made tentacles come out of her hair and restrain her movement. It made her cry even harder.
Fluttershy was cowering on the ground. I stepped up behind her and poked her with my hoof shouting, “BOO!”
She screamed and ran away hiding nearby. To her surprise tentacles were waiting there to grab her and hold her down.
Now it was only me and Twilight. I could tell she wasn’t interested in hearing me out anymore. She just wanted me to stop this, which would not happen. I figured I would try one last time to reason with her my point of view.
“The zombie ponies have been reunited with their loved ones. Their friendships have been forged again. If you disagree with that then we are at a crossroads. Your move Twilight.” I shouted.
Twilight used her horn and discharged a magical beam that struck my tentacles imprisoning her friends making them retreat from wherever they came from.
After this, I shot a magic beam at her and she countered with her own beam at me. Back and forth the energy blasts fought against each other. Twilight overpowered me and her blast struck me and sent me flying backwards, landing hard in a puddle of muddy water.
“Now make them go back!” Twilight barked.
I stood up in pain and faced her, “Oh, I have the power to.” Taking a step forward I barked, “But you see, they don’t want to go back.” I shouted, “Mares and stallions of the undead, show these friendship destroyers you won’t take it from them anymore.”
The zombie ponies surrounded the main six. Ditzy Doo had arrived and was standing among them.
Applejack said to Twilight, “We can’t take on all these ponies by ourselves.”
Twilight stated, “No, but we can defeat Rainbow Heart and force him to make the zombies go back to the cemetery.”
Fluttershy said softly, “Maybe we’re not taking the zombie ponies’ feelings into account. Maybe we should let them stay.”
I stated to the main 6, “You may have beaten me Twilight but it will change nothing.” I addressed the zombie ponies before I fled into the night, “Leave them alone but watch them. They will try to break the spell that has reunited you with your family and your friends. They will come around and accept you, but it will take time.”
I had more important other things to attend to.
The cave dripped water from the ceiling. The pegasus in the room dripped blood. Shadows danced on the walls as the flame from the candles lit the rocky walls. It was my temporary home. It wasn’t much but it would suffice for now. It had my sleeping bag for bed, a rug on the floor, and a small table. The special rug had a yin and yang symbol in the center of it with other magical ornamental designs on it, a gift from my significant other. There was a pegasus I had hunted and secured in the cave. His wings were wrapped tightly with barbed wire dug deeply into his flesh. Any moment now the pegasus would wake up and he would face judgement. The cave opening was behind the pegasus only adding a slight amount of moonlight.
The pegasus woke up from my sleep spell to find himself in a peculiar situation. When he realized his blood was on the cave floor, he tried to move but was restrained with pain shooting though his body. The pegasus’ his head jerked up and saw me.
“Help me!” He begged. “Get me out of here.”
His name was Drop Zone. He was a blue male pegasus with brown mane and tail with brown eyes. His cutie mark was a brown package. This pony was guilty of many things and did not deserve help. This pathetic excuse for a pony only looked innocent.
Drop Zone shouted, “I didn’t do that. I swear. It wasn’t me.”
I interjected, “Don’t lie to me. I told you I know everything. I call this Karma, you call it revenge, and society calls it justice. This is payback for all the evil you have done.”
I took a saw and walked behind the pegasus who begged and pleaded. With one hoof I grabbed his left wing and with the right gently rubbed the blade against where the wing connected to his body.
“Okay, I did it. I admit it. I’m sorry. Please don’t take my wing.” Drop Zone finally admitted realizing what was about to happen.
I held the rip saw in place for a whole two seconds before I thrust the saw back and forth violently digging into flesh. Drop Zone shouted with shooting pain through his body as his wing was ravaged. I didn’t stop sawing vigorously until the wing came clean off. Blood was pouring everywhere. Drop Zone fell to the ground exhausted.
“Now, if you want out of this cave you have to sever the other one. Maybe now you will learn not to hurt other ponies and to use your skills and special abilities for good.” I said dropping the blade in front of his snout.
After Drop Zone shakily stood back up, he looked at the blade and looked at me. I could see Drop Zone’s anger rise within him. His head with jerky motions managed to get the handle of the blade in his mouth. He looked at me and looked back at his remaining right wing.
With rage building inside him, Drop Zone knew what he had to do. This unicorn knew secrets. Once he got out of this entanglement he was going to silence this unicorn so no one would know what he did. Anger built up inside him knowing he would never fly again since one of his wings had been amputated. The remaining wing was now worthless anyways.
Drop Zone began the painful process by slowly rubbing the jagged blade against his wing. Then began sawing it off with excruciating pain. With a sickening thud the wing fell to the cave floor lifeless.
Drop Zone, covered with his own blood, took a deep breath. Looked back at me and snorted, “I’m going to kill you for this!”
Drop Zone charged forward at full speed with the rip saw in his mouth ready to attack me.
A brief moment of surprise came across Drop Zone’s rage filled face, as he fell and disappeared out of sight. A scream came from the hole in the ground. I walked over to the pit that had been hidden by the rug that Drop Zone had rushed over. I could see him look up at me before he became motionless and died. The pit was full of various knives and sharp objects including a machete, sword, and a spear, but also had sharped stalagmites. Drop Zone had been impaled on these objects in a horrific death. Drop Zone got what he deserved and I could now move on.
My work here was complete. I needed to get my belongs and move on. There were other things I needed to do.
Chapter 5 Even The Best Well Laid Plans….
Solar Salute walked into the house being used as Rainbow Heart’s command center. In the room were the others of his inner circle. Rainbow Heart was looking at a chess board trying to become inspired to some real life conclusion. He was apparently attempting to take every possible course of action into consideration and then make the best move based after what he thought Twilight would do. Twilight was apparently not taking the release of the zombies as well as they had hoped that she would. By now the stench of death had filled all of Ponyville.
It was now morning. Tonight was Nightmare Night. Solar had ease dropped on a conversation of two ponies while heading to Rainbow Heart’s secret lair that Twilight had cancelled Nightmare Night in Ponyville until the zombie ponies had been dealt with. Rainbow Heart’s hidden base was actually just the home of a pony named Open House who had agreed to let them set up their headquarters there. She was a zombie supporter, even though none of the zombies were family members or direct friends of hers. For now it would suffice. They weren’t attempting to conquer Equestria, just coexist with every other pony. So secrecy wasn’t entirely necessary. It didn’t really matter if Twilight had spies eyeballing the place. They had nothing to hide.
Solar Salute had spent the night with his long lost love Flower Garden. They snuggled in bed, rubbing each other, embracing each other, kissing each other, and starred into each other’s eyes when she wasn’t clutching him tightly with her head on his chest.
Solar had first met Flower Garden years ago, about two years into his career of service to the Solar Royal Guard. He had met her on an assignment near Ponyville. He had never second guessed his decision to fall in love with her. He just let it happen.
He also remembered when he was a colt, he was watching a parade in Canterlot. That’s when he first saw Princess Celestia with his own eyes. But more importantly, he was inspired by the ponies with the golden shiny armor. They marched with pride and fearlessness, willing to die to protect the innocent and the royalty. With a stern look on his young colt’s face he saluted them as they walked in sync past him. It was then fate had forged his destiny with a flash on his rump. His Cutie Mark appeared. It was crossed golden hoof gauntlets. A sign of his destiny to serve the ponies of Equestria with discipline. Solar knew that he might have died saving Equestria, but he’d been more than willing to do so to protect ponies. And so it happened and he did die.
Solar looked around the room at Rainbow Heart’s makeshift inner circle. There was himself, Solar Salute who was a masculine orange male earth pony with a blue mane and tail. His cutie mark was two golden hoof gauntlets forming an X and he had blue eyes. Then there was Bubblegum. She was a pink female pegasus with a purple mane and tail. Her cutie mark was a round clear bubble like a bubble gum that had been blown into a bubble. She was always chewing gum and could do miraculous things with it. She had purple eyes. Who could forget Pizza Party? He was a tan, borderline light brown like pizza crust male unicorn with red tail and a yellow mane. His cutie mark was a round pizza. He had red eyes. A lesser known pony, but just as crucial was Arcadia. Arcadia was a black male unicorn with blue mane and tail. His cutie mark was a planet with four moons circling it at four corners. He had blue eyes. Next to Arcadia was a good friend of Arcadia’s, her name was Cirrus. She was a gray female pegasus with yellow mane and tail with light blue lines throughout her body. Her cutie mark was a constellation in white. Her eyes were yellow. Lastly, was our leader and our savior, Rainbow Heart. He was a black unicorn with white snout and hoofs with rainbow colored mane and tail. His cutie mark was a rainbow colored heart and he had orange eyes. Oddly, he had two unicorn horns. The horn in its usual spot was black like his body and was clearly his. The other horn, slightly longer and above his black horn was rainbow in color and clearly was not a horn he was born with. Rainbow Heart was their savior. He had given them a second chance at life. He gave them the opportunity to be with their family, friends, and loved ones again. He would defend him no matter what.
Rainbow Heart stated, “Besides raising the deceased ponies at the Stones of Tears, I will resurrect all the dead ponies of Equestria. I’ve got it! In my quest to save all the dead ponies from their prisons, Canterlot will be next. By raising the dead there, it will resurrect royalty and rich upper class ponies. No doubt they will be more than likely to support and fund our cause.”
Solar Salute asked, “Are you sure that’s a good idea with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna? We hoped that Princess Twilight would be more susceptible and willing to reason.”
“If we don’t go to them, the sisters will come to us. We have no choice. The wealthy ponies are our only hope to get the financial aid we need. We may have to fight our way to freedom if it comes to that. We march on Canterlot tonight.”
I left the house. I had things I needed to do.
Chapter 6 The Background Check
A dedicated investigator pony of Princess Twilight’s Royal Guard dispatch team, named Background Check was searching for clues about the zombie incident last night. His armor glistened in the sunlight and accented his check mark cutie mark as he headed for a cottage just beyond the edge of Ponyville a few miles deep into the Everfree Forest. Perhaps he might find some answers here.
Background Check knocked on the door. He knew that she was a night dweller and would be asleep right now, but this was a Ponyville emergency. The sound of fumbling and hooves on wood came from inside the cabin. The pony opened the door and said with a tired look on her face, “How can I help you royal guard?”
“May I come in and ask you some questions. There was an incident last night in Ponyville.” Background Check asked.
“Sure, come in.” The pony said with an inviting gesture. “Make yourself comfortable.” She added.
Background Check walked in and got comfortable before pulling out a notepad and pen with his magical horn. He looked at Night Wish. She was a pegasus, an apprentice of Princess Luna, and was in Ponyville researching dark creatures and bizarre occurrences in the Everfree Forest by will of the Lunar Princess. Most importantly, as to why he was here, she was a friend to Rainbow Heart the primary suspect in the necromancy that had occurred. Night Wish was a black and blue pegasus. Her body was black, her mane and tail were black and blue, she had blue tribal tattoo-like accents on her forehead, cheeks, neck, and on her legs. Her cutie mark was a crescent moon with a star attached at the end. She had blue eyes.
“So what’s this all about?” The mare asked.
“Do you know a unicorn by the name of Rainbow Heart?” Background Check inquired already knowing the answer to the question.
Night Wish stated, “Why yes. He’s a good friend of mine in Ponyville.”
“When was the last time you saw him?” Background Check continued.
“It was a few weeks ago.” Night Wish responded.
“Could you tell me what happened on the day you met up with him?” Background Check asked.
Night Wish informed, “He stopped by my cabin looking for books on magic. I don’t have a lot of books on the subject but I gave him what I had.”
“Do you have those books here with you or do you at least know the names of them?” Background Check asked.
“Hmmm. Yeah they’re around here somewhere. He mailed them back to me. Hold on a second.” Night Wish stated before she began looking through her cluttered desk and table looking for the material. “Here they are!” She exclaimed. She brought them over to Background check and read off the tittles, “Intermediate Magical Arts of Equestria, Magical Attacks and Defenses, Practical Home Uses of Magic, and Magic Beyond The Cutie Mark.”
Background took the books and asked, “You don’t mind if I take these with me do you?”
“Of course not.” Night Wish replied.
“Could you describe his demeanor or attitude that day?” Background Check inquired.
“He seemed fine to me. Just his usual quirky self.” Night Wish responded.
“When you last saw him did he have one horn or two?” Background Check asked.
Almost chuckling, Nigh Wish stated, “Are you serious? You being a unicorn ought to know unicorns only have one horn.”
“Just answer the question please, Night Wish.” Background Check stated.
Night Wish looked at him awkwardly and said bluntly, “One, he had one horn.” Night Wish inquired, “Can I ask you what this is about? I know Rainbow Heart. He’s a good pony.”
Background Check stated, “Last night Rainbow Heart using magic apparently raised the dead ponies of the Stones of Tears. There are zombie ponies all over Ponyville. They not attacking anypony, but it’s by order of Princess Twilight that the dead need to go back where they belong.”
Night Wish busted out laughing, “If you’ve seen zombie ponies in Ponyville you’ve been out in the sun too long. There’s no such thing. Not even in the dark arts of magic. I may not be a unicorn, but even I know that. You can’t be serious.”
Background Check, unfazed by the laughing, said, “I am most serious. If you don’t believe me, check it out for yourself.”
Night Wish gave Background Check another odd look.
“I need you to tell me everything about his past that you are aware of.” Background Check informed.
Night Wish said, “Well, let’s see. He used to work as a spa pony. No pony who is a close friend of him calls him by Rainbow Heart, they use his nickname. What all do you want to know?”
Background Check said, “Everything.”
Background Check had returned to Ponyville and had a plethora of information to relate to Princess Twilight. He had just finished giving her his lengthy report. Turns out Princess Twilight was familiar with those books and had read them. Twilight had stated to her friends that none of those books contained a magical zombie spell. Twilight had informed them that the closest spell in one of those books was a planet revive spell designed to bring dead plants back to life. Additionally, there was no spell for a unicorn to grow a second horn, or for that matter any other type of pony to grow a horn. So the questions remained, where did he learn all the crazy magic he had used the night prior.
Chapter 7 What Goes Around Comes Around
On the edge of Ponyville lay an empty construction site for a garbage and waste processing plant. It was going to be a state-of-the-art facility. It was the perfect place for my next trap. The perfect grave for an evil pony. There were no workers due to Nightmare Night and obviously no ponies were gonna go to work with the events that had transpired lately either. I was there in a large room. The electricity was working and I had the lights on. I, of course, left the outside lights and the lights near the outer perimeter of the building off to not attract any attention. There before me was another guest of mine, a unicorn named Cookie Dough. I was going to secretly enjoy this one. The unicorn’s genitals were wrapped with barbed wire, the whole package. His hooves were also bound by barb wire, so they couldn’t move while his appendage was still attached. The barbed wire was strung all over the place in an intricate pattern designed for such. The pony was vertical looking like a bug caught in a spider trap. The door to the room was behind the unicorn not far away. The only item of mine in the room was my fabulous rug.
It wasn’t long before my sleep spell evaporated and the unicorn awoke in pain and slightly dizzy. The unicorn looked around himself and saw the situation he was in.
“What the fuck?” He muttered bleeding. Looking at me he shouted angrily, “What the hell did you do to me? Get me out of here. Now!”
His name was Cookie Dough. He was a brown male unicorn with a black mane and tail, and brown eyes. His cutie mark was a splatter of chocolate chip cookie dough.
I said, “I know the past, the present, and the future. I know your deepest darkest secrets Cookie Dough. I know that since you were a colt you watched mares who didn’t know you where there undress getting thrilled. You began working as a cookie maker at a local bakery. You found the most beautiful mare walk into the store one afternoon and you would stop at nothing to violate her. The first time you forced yourself on a mare, that mare, you panicked and only used your horn. But when you got away with it you were never hesitant to use your manliness in every orifice they have. You even violated stallions when the opportunity arose. You would beat, drug, and do other things to make them susceptible to your stimulation insatiability. I know everything that you have done.”
“Get me out of this now or I will kill you.” Cookie Dough shouted.
“I highly doubt you will succeed in that endeavor.” The unicorn said. The unicorn added, “The only way to get free from that spider web of barbed wired is to remove the things that have caused so much pain to other ponies. Maybe then you will learn to not take what you have and use it for evil. Since your hooves are bound you’ll have to use your magic, but be warned I already cast a limitation spell on your horn. You’ll only be able to levitate that knife in front of you. If you attempt to attack me with it, I’ll overpower you and do the deed for you.”
“Get me out of here you sick, twisted pony!” Cookie Dough shouted.
“You don’t get it do you. Here let me demonstrate.” The unicorn said.
The unicorn grabbed the knife with his hoof and slowly rubbed the blade against the bound pony’s spear seeing the ponies tremble in fear. And then he savagely cut and severed it from the pony with brisk strokes.
Cookie Dough screamed in terror and excruciating pain during the act and blood splatted all over. The unicorn dropped the knife and walked away to the other side of the rug.
With rage, Cookie Dough picked the knife using magic and realizing that his package was damaged beyond use and could not be repaired and the fact that there was only one way out of this trap, he was going to have to remove the rest of himself, the sack. Cookie Dough quickly and with incredible pain resistance but shouting uncontrollably cut the rest off. The barb wire slack allowed him to move his hooves and get his legs free. Once he tried to get off the barb wire web, he noticed he was stuck. He used his massive strength and pulled himself off, which tore most of the buttock flesh off on both sides.
“You will die!” Cookie Dough neighed.
In a blinding rage he crawled forward towards me across the rug and his upper body shrunk into the floor, activating a pressure plate jerry rigged by me. With an electric hum the walls started to close in. I walked around the vengeful, slowly crawling unicorn with ease and walked out the door which was automatically slowly closing behind me. I turned around and watched the pony struggle to attempt to bite my ankles or whatever he thought he was going to do.
With the door almost closed, Cookie Dough was next to it. He laid his head against the cold floor and shoved his horn under the door to stop it from closing. Shouting with muscle strain, he attempting to pry it open using his horn and succeeded for a moment doing it with his horn buckling. His horn cracked and broke. The upper portion lay on the outside of the door. The compactor crushed Cookie Dough into a mass of indistinguishable pony.
My work here was done. Once the compactor retracted, I would get my rug and venture forth. I had other things that I needed to do.
I had arrived at the gates of Canterlot with my 100 zombie ponies. It wouldn’t be long before we reached the graveyard. Upon arriving, the tombstones appeared to be brighter in the dark night, possibly due to the full moon that was out tonight. It had been a while since I had been in Canterlot. There were nothing but bad memories here for me. It was here on that day everything fell apart. My eyes began to tear up but I forced them back and wiped the surviving drops away from my eyes with my hoof.
It was now Nightmare Night evening.
“Stop right there!” a voice came from behind the zombie crowd.
It was Princess Twilight. I knew she would try to stop me. Regardless, not even her and her friends who were standing next to her could take on 100 zombies.
“Too late Twilight! The dead will rise!” I chided with both my horns glowing.
Out of the ground hooves began to force out of the dirt as the dead ponies awoke from their slumber and were making their way out of their filthy tombs. Their moans began to vibrate throughout the cemetery.
My inner five gathered around me for protection. It was clear we were going to be doing battle next.
Princess Twilight and her friends lined up opposite of me and my protectors.
“This is your last chance, Rainbow Heart. Return the zombie to their graves or else.” Princess Twilight said forcefully.
“Never!” I barked. “Zombie Elite attack!”
I removed my cloak.
Arcadia charged forward and tried to hurt Rainbow Dash using magic. She evaded the attack and counter struck with a dive bomb. When she got close Arcadia tried to buck her using his rear legs. Rainbow Dash dodged it and they continued to fight.
Solar Salute defended an attack from a charging Applejack aimed at Rainbow Heart. They continued to scuffle using hoof-to-hoof combat.
Bubblegum faced Rarity, completely unfazed by Rarity’s dainty and elegant attempt of a fight stance. She blew a large bubble with her gum and detonated it in front of Rarity’s face, covering Rarity’s body with the gum.
Rarity shriek in disguised and enraged said, “You are so dead!”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” Bubblegum said sticking a new stick of gum in her mouth.
Rarity threw a hoof at Bubblegum’s face who blew a bubble with the gum and made a shield to block the hoof strike. Their blows went back and forth.
Pizza Party and Pinkie Pie stared each other down, slowly moving towards each other. They stopped a distance away still looking at each other face-to-face. Pizza Party threw a pizza at Pinkie Pie who dodged it. Pinkie Pie returned by chucking a cake at Pizza Party. They continued with their food fight sometimes being struck by the other’s flying sustenance.
Cirrus angrily marched up to the trembling Fluttershy.
Cirrus stated, “I do not believe in violence.”
Fluttershy, easing up happily said, “You do?”
Cirrus confirmed, “Yes, so you need to submit to me, so I may be victorious.”
Fluttershy said, “Oh, I don’t want to. My friends are counting on me. But I will if it will make you happy.”
Cirrus, like a snobbish upper class pony, nodded and stated, “I accept your defeat. Now move along.”
That left only me and Twilight. As the others fought, we stood each other down on each side of the chaos. I winked and teleported behind Twilight jumping on her back, trying to get my front legs around her neck. She spread her wings and flew away before I could get a hold of her. I used a reverse gravity spell and landed underneath a balcony near where she was flying. I grabbed her and undid the spell while using a teleportation spell to ground her. Twilight countered with her own teleportation spell. She disappeared from underneath me to a safe distance. She discharged energy blasts from her horn at me. I dodge the first two, but had to use a magic barrier around me to deflect the other three incoming magic bullets. I summoned tentacles to grab and wrap her up capturing her. With a discharge of magic from her horn it hurt the tentacles and they receded. Twilight flew forward and discharged more horn blasts. I summoned more tentacles that whipped her and knocked her off course. I used water from the nearby fountain to make a ball of water and threw it at her. She regained her composure and stopped the water ball with a fire wall, the water evaporated when it hit the wall of flames. Twilight countered with a lightning strike from her horn. I hastily used my tentacles to form a barrier in front of me, almost getting struck by the natural disaster. When the tentacles were struck they immediately were in pain and collapsed. Twilight used levitation to use a tombstone and strike me from behind. Twilight teleported close to me. I bucked and kicked her in the chest. She fell back startled and numb for a moment. I jumped on top of her, knocking her on her back. It was a flawed mistake. It allowed her to fire a direct blast from her horn directly to my exposed forehead. It made me fly backwards off of her. I was hurt.
The others ceased fighting.
I had fallen. Princess Twilight lowered her head and connected her horn to my rainbow horn. She learned a magic trick from Princess Celestia, how to duplicate an unknown spell. By touching another’s horn with her’s and by casting a spell she could learn a spell from an unwilling pony. This gave her the information she needed to cast a counter spell. Twilight’s eyes glowed as her horn discharged the counter spell. The Canterlot zombie ponies were the first to return to their graves. Many of them had not even got out of the ground yet. Then the Ponyville zombie ponies had a long, exhausting, and mournful walk back to the Stones of Tears. None of them wanted to go back into their dirt boxes. Many of them cried as they marched back to their tombstones. Others pouted in anger.
Solar Salute had gotten in the empty hole in the ground with an open empty coffin. His name was etched into the tombstone, a helmet he really did not want to wear.
Flower Garden came rushing though the graveyard shouting, “Solar! No!”
She slammed on the breaks at last minute at the edge of the hole. Flower Garden with fear in her eyes clutched Solar Salute from the elevated position, while he stood up against the hole using his back legs.
She cried, “I have to lose you all over again. Why do I have to keep losing you?”
She teared up and looked into his eyes.
With love and compassion in his eyes, he said “It’ll be ok.”
A brief moment of time and space could not tear them apart. A divine embrace of true love. He gently pushed her embrace away against her resistance. They gazed into each other’s eyes.
Solar said, “I’ll be here waiting for you. There’s an empty grave next mine. I’ll be here waiting for you with my hoof outstretched. Then when the moment is right both of us will be together forever. I will always wait for you my love, even after death.”
Like rushing water over a cliff her tears struck the ground. Solar gave her one last kiss on the lips which she returned and the fallen forest leaves seemed to circle around them encouraging them to be forever in love. After the kiss, she mournfully accepted his pull back. He put his hoof on her cheek like he always loved to do. He pulled back and laid back in the coffin. He stretched his front leg closest to the undug grave next to his. The ground pulled back over his coffin like a blanket from the bottom up to the top of the coffin. Lifeless, Flower Garden collapsed on the dirt and cried.
“I love you.” She exclaimed.
Through the dirt and worms she heard him reply, “I love you too.” She laid there caressing the ground, her tears sprouting flowers on the fertile soil. Her special ability had always been making flowers grow. But now these tears meant more than making flowers grow.
Chapter 9 You Get What You Deserve
Ponyville was mostly vacant with most of the ponies having barred themselves inside or had ventured to Canterlot with the zombie herd in support or opposition to it. A fog had rolled over Ponyville, obscuring the town below except for the topmost parts of the tallest structures. The ticking of a clock and the grinding of gears in motion filled the clock tower. It was dimly lit. It was an ideal spot for my next round of judgement. Before me bound with bard wire to a spinning horizontal gear going around in circles like a merry-go-round was another disgrace for a pony. His front hooves were, specifically, was what was bound and keeping him imprisoned in place. I stood on another gear next to his in the center of it. The only possession of mine in the room was my special rug. This would be interesting. This earth pony would be awake soon from my sleep spell. Behind the spinning pony was an elevator that would lead to the clock tower’s entrance on the ground floor.
The earth pony’s name was Light Hoof. He was a black earth pony with denim blue mane and tail with a large sack as his cutie mark.
Light Hoof woke up, dazed, dizzy, and confused. He noticed his front hooves were bleeding profusely and wrapped tightly in barbed wire. He looked up at me groggily like someone who had just woken up with a hangover.
“What is this?” He muttered. “Who are you?” He asked looked at me.
I said, “This is payback for all the evil you have committed. I know the past, the present, and the future. There is nothing that you haven’t done that I don’t know about. You started stealing as a colt. It was fun taking candy from kiddie stores, but you got what you wanted and were thrilled by thievery. When you started working as a bagger at a store you realized that with a sack you could take more than what you could sneak out with your bare hooves and indeed took more than what you needed to survive. From there you elevated to sophisticated robberies and heists, all for your own pleasure. There is nothing you have done that I don’t know about. I know everything you have done.”
“I don’t deny any of this, but how do you know all of what I’ve done?” Light Hoof inquired.
“When you’re on the other side, everything becomes crystal clear. You know everything about what every pony has done and will do. It’s an ocean of energy, which when properly hacked leads one to all the information they need.” The unicorn said starting a chainsaw.
“Whooh! What are you doing?” Light Hoof shouted in horror.
“Only by losing what has performed the evil acts can you realize the pain you have caused others.” The unicorn stated.
“I’ll make amends. I’ll return the stuff I took. I’ll make things right! Don’t hurt me!” Light Hoof shouted.
“Even if you worked your entire lifetime with hard labor there is no way you could reimburse all the ponies you have hurt. No they require something more. The only way to survive this life changing event it to remove what has caused many ponies to suffer. Your hooves. Here let me show you.” The unicorn informed.
The unicorn using his hooves revved the engine on the device causing a plume of smoke to eject from the exhaust.
“No!” Light Hoof shrieked.
I connected the moving saw blade to one of the bound hooves, blood splattering everywhere. Light Hoof screaming bloody murder in pain and for help. The limp limb collapsed on the moving gear lifeless.
The engine idled and the unicorn dropped it in front of the earth pony.
“I’ve saved you from half of yourself, now you have to free yourself from the other half.” I stated.
After a brief moment of heavy breathing and relaxing, Light Hoof recovering from the incident, he looked at me with droopy eyes. Rage swiped across his face. He picked up the chainsaw and with bloody rage chopped the other hoof off. Blood was squirting everywhere.
“You’re a dead pony!” Light Hoof snarled.
“Join the club.” I chided back.
Using his front leg stumps the best he could and the bottom of his head and neck as a fifth hoof from time to time he shakily walked and crawled forward. Crossing the rug, he activated a tripwire that was unnoticeable and blended in. It activated a lever nearby, which spun the gears even faster almost out of control like a toy spinning top. Light Hoof was stripped off the gear due to the momentum. He bounced off other gears like a ball in a pinball machine where he landed on his back on another horizontal gear banging the back of his head. A vertical interconnecting gear crept upon him. It started with his back legs. With a blood curdling scream, he began to be squashed by gears like a road roller into a pancake, or probably more accurately a waffle. He tried to use his front stumps to stop the mechanized gears only stalling them for a moment and to no avail. He was roadkill within seconds.
Karma was full circle, justice had been served, and revenge now belonged to all ponies. I took my rug and left. There were still many ponies that needed to face judgement.
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Chapter 10 Alicorns Guide You To Life, I Guide You To Death, We Both Know How To Kick Flanks!
Night Wish donning her special lunar guard battle armor flew over the graveyard circling the area. She had arrived to lend her support.
Twilight seeing the zombies return to their grave exhaustfully stated, “It is over.”
A sinister laugh came from behind. She looked back at Rainbow Heart.
“You fool! It’s not their bodies that are restless, it’s their souls! And now you’ve increased their misery to the tenth degree!” Rainbow Heart exclaimed.
His eyes glowed blue, an explosion from his horns directly into the clouds exploded resembling a nuclear explosion. A bright white light lit the sky. Then darkness drowned it out leaving only a glowing Rainbow Heart. At the Stones of Tears balls of souls flew through the air, their spheres yelling, screaming, and shouting with rage and sadness. They surrounded Rainbow Heart like glitter caught in a tornado. White and black swirls like water and oil poured down a funnel infused into him. A blinding flash of light blinded all who gazed upon him. When the power receded there stood a monstrous creature never before witnessed in Equestrian history. It looked like Rainbow Heart but had bone wings, tentacles flailing from his back, a pony skull bone helmet surrounded his head, and his two horns were now encased with one long skeleton like horn along with bone armor protecting his body in some places resembling the lunar guard attire. Rainbow Hearts cutie mark was replaced by a skull and crossbones cutie mark. Some spirits of ponies floated around him like an orbiting satellite around the earth, but most of all the souls infused themselves into his body. A few of the souls would fly into and out of him. The Death Alicorn had appeared.
“What is that?” Twilight stated surprised. “Rainbow Heart?”
Night Wish, landing the fence near Twilight, informed, “I’m not sure that’s Rainbow Heart anymore.”
A booming voice came from behind, “It’s the souls of one hundred suffering ponies.”
Night Wish and Twilight knew who the pony was who said it. They looked and saw it was Princess Luna standing behind them.
Princess Luna announced, “This is Nightmare Night. This is my night. I will not let him ruin it. I’ll take care of him.” Looking at Twilight she added, “Get all the ponies out of Canterlot that you can. Evacuate them to a safe distance.”
Twilight nodded and ran to her friends to get the job done.
Looking at Night Wish, the dark princess commanded, “Night Wish, to the sky!”
Luna and her apprentice flew into the night sky, the Death Alicorn aware that danger was coming prepared for battle taking to the sky with bone clamoring sound of his wings.
Luna and Night Wish circled around the Death Alicorn. Luna struck first with a blast from her horn. It hit the Death Alicorn in the side. The Death Alicorn countered with his own barrage of horn beams.
Luna shouted, “Cover me while I attack it.”
She nodded in approval. Night Wish flew with incredible aerobatics that Luna and her had practiced before to engage an enemy, some of the maneuvers were only known to the Wonderbolts. She flew in the air getting the Death Alicorn’s attention using among other techniques barrel rolls, loopty loops, and zig zags. Luna attacked with horn discharges, punches, and kicks. The Death Alicorn returned the blows with his own, both of them striking each other many times.
One of the spirits, orbiting the Death Alicorn like the moon around Equestria, attacked. It surged forward resembling a skeleton pony wearing a black cloak with a scythe. The spirit struck Luna with the ghostly blade.
The dark princess fell uncontrollably.
Night Wish yelled, “Luna!”
She dove in to stop the pursuing Death Alicorn and kicked it in the skull helmet. The Death Alicorn now focused his sole attention on the pegasus pursuing her. The Death Alicorn discharged spinning flying bones at her. Night Wish dodged the bones. Nigh Wish going at maximum speed did a hard turn around a tower. Chasing Night Wish, The Death Alicorn made a beginners mistake and went too fast into the turn like a novice on skates who can’t turn. The Death Alicorn hunkered, rolled, and smashed through a tower wall his armor taking most of the damage. A pony who lived in the tower was showering and she screamed at the event. Large stones blew away from the explosive hole crashing down to the ground below.
Night Wish hid behind a wall exhausted and needing a second to recuperate. Thinking she had fooled the monster. The creature came up from behind and grabbed her with his tentacles.
Squeezing her tightly, Night Wish begged, “Rainbow Heart, if you’re in there. Stop this! Only more innocent ponies are going to get hurt.”
“We will not rest in peace!” The dark creature snapped.
Night Wish gasped for air as the tentacles clutched even tighter.
A massive blast struck the monster, knocking it away and loosening the tentacle grips enough for Night Wish to escape. Luna’s horn blast had struck the bone helmet and turned the left half of it into powder, smoke coming from the cavity revealed an enraged face with one heavily ghost possessed eye showing. Night Wish temporarily retreated to regain her breath.
With a sound like knuckles being cracked with a pop, the Death Alicorns wings pumped heavily and charged at Luna. Even with basic evasive flight patterns the Death Alicorn caught up Luna and rammed her against the same tower wall it had barreled through. Luna was grinded against the wall, her hide ripping and bloody. In a desperate lifesaving attempt she fired a horn blast at point blank range. It knocked Luna through the tower and kicked the monster back free falling for a moment before a swoop to recover from the fall.
The tower crumbled. The pony who was bathing fell screaming. The Death Alicorn heard her cries and broke away from the fight. The monster grabbed her, saving her life, and gently dropped down to the ground releasing the pony.
Twilight helping ponies scurry out of Canterlot witnessed this scene.
After viewing this, Twilight exclaimed, “The ghosts of the zombie ponies. They weren’t bad ponies. There were good ponies who are in pain, suffering, and misery. They needed our help. They needed our friendship, and we scorned them.” With a light bulb turning on above her head, Twilight announced, “That’s it! They need our compassion and understanding.”
Turning to the Canterlot and Ponyville ponies who come along, they were scrambling to get away, she demanded, “Ponies, come with me! I know how to stop this!”
At first none of them listened until she used her magic to stop them and ordered them to come with her.
Luna and Night Wish had regrouped and waited for the innocent pony to get out of the way before they continued the battle.
“Stop!” Twilight shouted.
Luna and Night Wish circled around not engaging. The monster looked at Twilight and the mass of ponies behind her including the main six.
“It’s okay. We’re here for you. We know you’re hurting. We want to help you. We will never forget you. We will always be there for you. You will always be our family and our friends.” Twilight continued.
Some of the spirits began to circle around her. Other ponies came forward, holding them with their hooves, snuggling, cradling, cuddling, hugging, and in case of a significant others kissing them to reassure them that they were loved and would never be forgotten. It worked. More of the spirits broke away from the Death Alicorn to be embraced by ponies who they had known in life and who cared for them. They glowed like fireflies in the night. The soul’s screams of anger and sadness faded to giggles and laughs. Many of the spirits made joyous sounds and some that cried tears of sorrow now wept with tears of happiness. Content and no longer restless, they flew back to their graves and were reunited with their deceased bodies.
With an explosion the Death Alicorn disassembled and Rainbow Heart flew through the air backwards smashing through Canterlot’s outer wall. He had no recollection of what had happened. It was almost as if he were as drunk as a skunk. His brain was a lightning storm, confused and not sure of anything he did the only thing his instincts told him to do, run to the deepest part of the Everfree Forest. A Royal Guard saw him from a balcony and fired an energy shot from his horn. It struck Rainbow Heart, but he dazed did not stop even though half of his flank was numb.
Chapter 1 The Night Begins
Rainbow Heart, “The magic of friendship will never die!”
The wind was chilly in the autumn breeze as the swaying and falling leaves was overpowered by the light drizzle rain and gloomy clouds cloaking the treetops of the forest. A black cloaked horse galloped forward through the pillars of lifeless tress with their jagged branches spiking in all directions. The explosive splash of water from one of his hooves pounding into a water puddle and a faint crash of thunder filled the darkening sky.
On this gray evening, there were no more colors for me to see in this world of rainbows. Even the rainbow colored lining of my cloak was dull and gray. It was all despair. Forward I marched. I would be there soon. Then it would all begin. I came to the edge of the forest to the darkened valley. This place I had been to many times. This time it was different. Hope was in my heart. It was this hope that made me realize the dull colors of the lightning streaming silently in the background and the darkened orange rust on the black spear tipped metal fence. This haunted place was nicknamed the Stones of Tears for a reason. I came to a halt before the edge fencing. In the past when I visited, I was weak, susceptible, and powerless against mourning and addiction, but now, in the present I was strong. My mission now was clearer than ever. On this day before Nightmare Night, the world would never be the same.
I stood before the Stones of Tears, one hundred in all, exactly one hundred causes of anger or depression. Soon all of that would be void. There would be no more reasons for this distress. It would all be over. I will save Equestria.
Chapter 11 Suspicions and Revenge
Twilight and her friends were at the Stones of Tears placing flowers on the graves. It had been one crazy adventure they had been on. She was glad it was over. All that was left was to respect the dead and remind them from time to time that they would never be forgotten and would be cherished.
Pinkie Pie exclaimed, “Hey, Twilight! This grave is still open!”
Twilight’s head jerked to the direction and asked, “What? That’s Impossible! Whose grave is it?”
I walked through the lifeless forest on the chilly windy day. It was in the afternoon, of course. There before me crawling in the dead grass and dirt was the pony I was looking for. The pony appeared to be pretty exhausted, injured, and possibly dehydrated. I walked up to him, my form casting a shadow on his face.
The unicorn sensing my shadow looked up at me with blurry eyes. I could tell the unicorn recognized who I was.
“How…I didn’t awaken you from the Stones of Tears… I didn’t want to disturb your grave. I couldn’t force myself to.” The two horned unicorn stated.
I bent down to him and put my hoof on his cheek.
I stated, “The moment you used the horn to awaken the others you awoke me as well.”
“I’m sorry.” The two horned unicorn muttered.
The unicorn on the ground let out an exhausting breath before his head collapsed back to the ground.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.” I reassured.
I stood up on my hind legs, a thing only a few ponies could do, raising an axe with both of my front hooves high into the sky. Rainbow Heart opened his eyes, looking at me. The axe came swinging down in a chopping motion. The noise created an echo throughout the leafless void of a dark forest.
Who am I, you ask? How do I know all of these things? I know the past, the present, and the future. I will ensure the circle of life and death meet for a battle of conquest. The good will be saved the bad will be punished. I already dealt with three ponies who got what they deserved. There were many more out there to deal with. I will continue my plan.
