THIS CHAPTER MAY CONTAIN GORE, You have been warned.

I stand outside a small wooden cabin built on the palace grounds. It is one of three buildings like it in Canterlot. They normally function as lodging for visiting dignitaries or overworked staff who can’t afford to leave the city. And now, this particular cabin will serve as Umbra and myself’s home.

“I assume it is to your liking, madam?” asks the unicorn butler Celestia ordered to escort us.

“Hmm” I mutter. “Do you like this place Umbra?” I ask.

The filly looks around and nods vigorously “Yep! Can I go back outside mommy?”

“Of course Umbra.” I watch her run out the door. “Well it’s better than I had hoped for and it has Umbra’s approval, so yes I like it quite well. “ I say to the butler.

“Very good, ma’am. When would you and the young miss like to eat lunch?” he asks.

I never got the chance to answer, for when I opened my mouth the ceiling caved in. I vaguely heard someone shouting “Monster” from outside. I looked about the rubble from where I fell, looking for the butler whom I hoped had survived.

When I spotted him I attempted to move toward him, only to feel something tear. I coughed once, blood spouting from my mouth. “Thats not good.” I mumbled to myself. Ooh fun, I get to bleed out again. Is that my stomach bleeding… yep its my stomach. Dammit. Pain flooded my senses as I tried to think of a way to get out of this without myself or the butler dieing, if he is alive.

“Hurry! Move the rubble, we have ponies trapped under here!” I heard someone shout. Bet its a guard. I thought, trying to ignore the pain.

I glanced at the butlers form, noticing blood seemingly pouring off of him. I need to do something, or he is going to die. I thought. I grit my teeth desperately trying to do something, anything that could save him. The idea popped into my head, so simple yet effective: I’ll give him my energy, it should be enough to save him.. hopefuly.

Somehow I managed to point my skeletal hand toward him. “You’re not going to die on me, not now, not here, never again.” I cough up more blood as I begin channeling my own life energy into the stallion.

My vision started to fade, first it went blurry then it started to darken. On the brink of unconsciousness I heard a shout “MOMMY!” followed by a near deafening explosion. I didn’t think about it, nor acknowledge it before I embraced death once more.

I hovered halfway inside my corpse as I leaned my spectral form toward the butler. He was breathing, but just barely. I hoped they would reach him in time. After a few moments I noticed the screaming.

“What the hay is that thing!” someone shouted.

“Mommy!” Umbra sobed

“Si...ster” said a gravelly voice I had not heard in a very long time.

I floated out of the rubble and looked in the direction of the voices. What I saw made my eyes go wide: Half a dozen armored guards staring in fear at the small black maned filly with tears filling her blue eyes as her tears soak her dark purple coat. Beside her was a large white half hound half pony with long brown mane and cold pale eyes.

The beast moved toward the rubble as Umbra continued to sob. It mumbled “ Sis…. ter” once more as it began to move the rubble.

For the first time in an exceedingly long time I heard something that nearly convinced me the guards weren’t completely idiots. “Help it! Move the rubble and get those ponies out of there!” Shouted a silver armored guard, the same one that I heard shouting when I was buried.

The guards scrambled to obey, moving the rubble out of the way alongside the monster. I watched in almost awe as they moved quickly towards where the butler and my body was buried.

Within ten minutes of them moving the rubble from over top the butler he was flown out to Canterlot general, my body however was still here, having been declared dead when they found me. No surprise since I’m floating over their heads as a ghost.

“Mommy!” Umbra cried out as the guards tried to keep her away, only for one of them (thankfully a pegasus) to rocketed into the sky by her magic. As the others tried to stop the monster moved to block them.

“Mommy?” she whispered as she poked me with her hoof. Tears swelled in her eyes again. Then as suddenly as they started they stop. “Mommy get up!” she shouts. When my body does not stir, she grips it in her magic and pulls. A sickening tearing and cracking sound is heard as she accidently rips my body in half.

I instinctually slam my forehead into my palm “That is going to hurt for weeks. WEEKS!” I shout.

Umbra merely giggles as she drags the top half of my body out of the ruins and lays it on the grass. “Silly mommy, you need to get up! Its time to play!” She playfully shouted as she bounced around my body.

After the third or fourth lap around my body, she turned back towards the rubble and bounded toward it. A minute later she dragged my lower half out of the rubble and over to my torso. She giggled again “Wakey wakey mommy!” She danced around again, smiling happily.

I watched one of the guards throw up as the rest just looked on in horror. “And this is supposed to be the Elite Guard of Canterlot. Celestia and I will have to talk about this.” I look at the scene again. “We are going to have so much to talk about.” My forehead hits my hand again. I’m not looking forward to this.

“A ruined building, a near dead butler, a monster of war, a blood stained dead yard and guards who are in desperate need of education concerning death and undead.” I pause for a moment. “And an aching back, the likes of which I haven’t felt since I thought jumping off the top of the crystal palace was a good idea.” I shiver. “Definitely going to be an eventful next couple of days”

I look at the scene below once more “Oh, and I need to get the name of whoever destroyed the house, the things they will experience.” I grin to myself, thinking of the fun I was going to get to have when this is all over.

Author's Note

Is the gore warning warranted? I think so, do you?

The chapter is unedited again, however some of the previous chapters are done being edited and just need posted.

I apologize for the lack of updates recently, however I will tell you there was a good reason. At first at least.

My father had his hip replaced on the 7th, stress and worry prevented an update. I'm not sorry about that. (He is ok, so no worries people)

After that... I was just lazy and didn't want to write. But hey I finally did!

Also: Umbra finally has a description, and it only took 12 chapters. That's right people TWELVE. This story has made it to 12 chapters and I'm bloody happy about it.

On a further note: I have found a bit of direction at least, for a chapter or 2. After that who knows
(hint: Maybe a stray thought will cross my mind)
(hint:hint: COMMENT, the things you say my give me fiendish ideas)

Oh and can anyone name the 'monster' in this chapter? If you do, congrats, don't hit me.