Undead Equestria

The armory is one of the many places I don’t know where they are in the castle. Even though I’m older, this place is still so big. Thankfully, Sombra seems to know this place like the back of his hoof, or is it our hoof since we’re technically the same pony? Reincarnation is confusing when your soul can actually talk to you but isn’t you.

Take a left down this hall. Sombra said.

“This is the fourth left turn we’ve taken! We just made a square!” Keyword earlier was seems.

I spent most of my years both as the dictator of this place, and during my banishment with the empire customizing this castle to what was my liking was back then, and kinda still is. I know where I’m going!

“We still made a square.”

The point of the confusing pathway was to keep invading forces from discovering the armory! If they found it they could either use our own weapons against us or destroy them.

“Wouldn’t a big lock or better yet, an illusion spell to hide it have been more effective?” Sombra did not reply. “Seriously?”

Like you even know how to cast an illusion spell that powerful.

“Full potential is locked away, remember?”

Excuses.

“You did not just say that! I was locked in an isolation chamber all of my life, you know this!”

And it never occurred to you to ask for books on basic magic because?

“... Shut up.”

Look, we are literally stuck with each other, closer than most would like to be. We can’t start arguing like this. I promise you just one more turn and the armory is right there.

“Fine. But since you brought it up do you think you can teach me some magic other than just levitation?”

Easy as pie.

At the mention of food my stomach growled. “Guess I still haven’t eaten yet.” I say sheepishly.

We’ll get food after we get some proper armor and weapons for you. I promise the kitchen is much easier to find than the armory.

Sombra was true to his word. One last left turn (which made no architectural sense) and a large metal door greeted me. It was rusted, and as far as I could tell, one of the few things in this castle not made of crystal. It wasn’t even locked as I used my magic to open the door, and was met with darkness.

Light switch is on the left. Feeling the wall and once I found the, surprisingly small, light switch and with a flash of light, I saw just how enormous the armory was.

Guns, swords, armor, something labeled C4, all boxed up with only a few crates open. That was just what I saw loose and out of the boxes. Thousands of crates, wood and metal, sat on large metal racks that just went on… Forever!

“How big is this room?”

I wanted the Empire well equipped for worst case scenario, this is only the first floor, second should have ammunition stacked all the way to the ceiling, and the third floor should have the good stuff.

“Numbers please.” I beg. My brain isn’t fully comprehending the size of this one room, let alone three. I took after aunt Twilight in that numbers and logic help me deal with a situation.

This floor is eight kilometres by six kilometres and is twelve meters high. Floor two is six kilometres by four kilometres and is twenty meters high. The third floor ten kilometres by ten kilometres and is a full kilometre high.

“How are rooms this big in the castle!?” Those numbers did not help!

Magic. Duh. Sombra deadpanned.

“Now I got to learn some of these spells!”

Later, for now ignore this floor and go right to the third.

“How am I gonna navigate my way around a room that big?”

Do you remember the library, Shining and Cadence would read to you there a lot back before the chamber.

“Sorta.” I say. Fuzzy memories of book shelves with hundreds of books lined up in rows faintly reappear.

The third floor is organized like that, only difference is instead books it’s creates full of ammo, armor, and weapons. Among other things.

“What other things?”

Best you see for yourself. Sombra’s tone of voice was something close to a foal in a candy store. I smiled at that and made my way through the first armory.

Luckily there was an elevator I could take. Sombra said there used to be stairs but my mom and dad installed this after they got sick of all the stairs. “What is with you and stairs anyway?”

I invented psychological warfare. As an orphan, we often did community service when we got older. I hated cleaning all the stairs in the palace, so ontop of building long, seemingly endless stairs, I made spells that exhaust the climber with each step. In modern day equestria, before the outbreak, ponies were very lazy.

“Fair enough.” I press the third button and the elevator began moving. It was quiet, I always figured elevators were kinda loud. After a few minutes the doors opened. And I fell flat on my flank.

The third floor room was the definition of stupidly huge. Armor stands with many suits of armor, some I recognized, others were unknown to me. Display cases held massive guns, are they even guns? Most of these cases have the ammo to go with the gun and it’s bigger than my hoof!

Most of these firearms were built by either the Griffons or Minotaurs. They don’t have magic, but they were blessed by the Stars with amazing engineering abilities. That talent probably didn’t save them from the Undead, but it at least gave them an edge in the world.

“I take it these huge beans are from the Minotaur kingdoms.” I say, trying to comprehend the need for such a weapon.

They’re called bullets, and yes. Minotaurs are twice to three times the size of a pony, so these bullets were made for the toughest of their military.

“No pony could hold this unless their a unicorn. Right?”

Yes, and they would need a strong levitation field to keep from it breaking free after firing. Guns have a recoil, the bigger the bullet, the harder the recoil.

“So no guns bigger than my hoof.”

What I figure you’d want is a little further ahead.

Walking further ahead, we eventually came across a armor stand that had a thin pink and black metal suit that has straps and pockets that looked like they were meant to hold bean- Bullets, and three guns. Standing near it I could feel powerful spells and magic radiating from it. Sleeves were on the back meant for wings to slide in, they were designed to look like a huge pair of bat wings with blades on them. Is that to cut while flying? Next to the stand with the armor was a display case with three guns that looked to perfectly fit the straps and pockets the suit had.

One gun was as long as the display case, painted white and blue pattern with what looked like a small telescope mounted onto it. It also had what looked like a lever on the side just behind the scope on the right side. The second gun was less than half of the first one and was painted a pink, yellow and purple pattern with a smaller foggy white glass scope on it. The last gun was only slightly bigger than the one I had, what surprised me was that it had my coat and mane colors. My colors… I looked back at the first two guns and realized they had my parents colors on them. “Sombra, who was this for?”

You. Your parents knew that one day a cure would be found. But not everypony could be saved when that happened. Your father thought it best that once the cure was developed, he would train you and once you were ready, give you this as a birthday gift. You’d lead the survivors of this and slay every Undead that was unsavable.

“This is… for me?” I felt hurt, sad, and happy. And I didn’t know why. “Happy birthday to me then. Guess it’s true what they say, ‘Be careful what you wish for.’”

Your parents and aunt Twilight spend six years on this suit and those guns. Blood, sweat, tears, and powerful magic went into them all to keep you safe once the day came. This suit will let you fly faster, hit harder, and run for double what you normally would before needing a break. Despite how it looks it does weigh only a few pounds, rather than the thirty it did when it was just standard issue combat armor. That huge gun, that rifle, can pierce through tanks by itself, when Shining Armor was done with it, it could pierce through ten in one shot. That second gun, the assault rifle, your mother actually worked on that one. The gun and that scope are connected. She took a standard issue thermal scope and made able to see through ten inch steel, it can only hurt the Undead since it was discovered the Undead have "slow" heartbeats. That last gun, it’s called a pistol, Twilight worked on that one. She enchanted it so it would never need cleaning, could fire underwater if needed, and each bullet fired, no matter what type, sends a good two hundred volts of magical electricity through whatever it hits.

“I… They built these for me? For when this was all over?”

You may not have been able to see them as often as you’d have liked, but they loved you Flurry. Every night once you fell asleep and I was able to roam free, I’d see them working to build these for you, crying for a chance to hug you. Shining even made a list a kilometre long of things you were all gonna do as a family once this was over.

I broke. Tears came flooding out as I sat in front of this suit and weapons. For a brief moment it felt like I could feel them here. With me, and not outside frozen like statues. Time was nonexistent to me at this moment. It felt like every lonely night in that Isolation chamber was pouring out of me, my muzzle was stuffed with snot and my eyes burned from all the tears, yet I didn’t stop. Sombra had gone quiet, this must be hard on him, being able to feel my emotions and all. It wasn’t until I was finally able to open my eyes that I saw the puddle of tears I had created. What I saw in the reflection however shocked me.

Sombra was there, and he was hugging me. His coat was grey and his mane was dark black. His horn wasn’t red and curved like the stories said it was, but his eyes, his eyes had tears pouring out like mine. He’s been crying this whole time? “Sorry if I’m making you cry.” I finally said, breaking the ice.

I’ve seen your whole life Flurry, I’m probably the only pony who knows how much you needed that, and how much I needed it.

“What?” I say, looking at him in the reflection.

Orphen, remember. Being reborn as you, I got to have the parents I never had. Even though it was all for you I felt their love for you. And even though you’re a filly and an alicorn, and before all this Undead business started, I laughed. What isn’t different between you and I Sombra? Those few years before this all started were the foalhood years I never had.

“You thought of them as parents then?”

Honestly? ...Yes.

We sat there, or I sat there, whatever or however I should say it. We were there in silence for some time. I kept looking between the suits and the guns. My family spend years on these, carefully crafting them so I could be safe. “Help me get this stuff on Sombra. I wanna make sure my parents and us get to cross everything off that list.”

Us?

“You’re stuck with me so you’re a part of this family.”

Sombra chuckled. Thank you.

At first, the suit fit kinda loose, but once the last strap was tightened on it, it shrunk to my exact size. If aunt Twilight is alive I need to thank her for this. The sleeves for my wings felt odd, but I guess I’ll have to get used to it. I’m probably only gonna take this off when I’m in the castle. The rifle fit into on a strap that went across my back. Sombra told me that I could move it so it goes on my side instead and that’s what I did. It won’t be easy to walk or fly with this thing but that’s just another thing I’m gonna have to get used to. The assault rifle went on the other side, fitting perfectly into the holster, as Sombra told me it was called. The pistol actually went in a holster just below my neck but not under my barrel. The metal strips, or magazines, as they were apparently called, were placed onto a built in saddlebag the suit had.

I had ten pistol mags, seven assault rifle mags, and five rifle mags. All full of bullets. I took a moment to count how many bullets the magazines could hold. The pistol held eight, since there are ten mags I have eighty shots. The assault rifle mags held twentyfour bullets, seven times twenty four gives me over a hundred and sixty shots with this one gun. The big rifle mags only held seven bullets, but they were the size of the large needles those ponies would draw blood from me with. Thirtyfive shots, shouldn't waste them needlessly.

Armed to the teeth and sporting what is the physical embodiment of my family’s love and care, I headed out. Passed the main entrance and the frozen war that now sits still in time. I eventually find my way outside the castle perimeter, and in the city. It was worse than the castle. Ponies and Undead stood still in place, frozen, some already dead, some running away, most being devoured.

I saw a baby carriage, a frozen blood pool sat where the foal would be rested. I felt sick, my late breakfast I had before leaving the castle threatening to shoot itself out. “Which way Sombra? I don’t know how long I can stand around here.” I say as another gag comes out as I spot a mare dead, belly torn open and shredded with her intestines being slerped out by several Undead, the scene frozen like an image from a horror movie.

Sunburst lives a few kilometres ahead, if you fly we can make it there in just a few minutes.

I open my wings, which feels weird with the suits weaponized sleeves they’re in, and fly up. Surprisingly, flying still feels normal, I can actually feel the wind on my feathers. Fabric must be there then. “What’s his house look like?”

The roof looks like an orange wizard's hat, it’s impossible not to spot.

Sombra was right, I spotted the roof within several seconds. It was very different than how all the other houses looked. It was smaller, goofy even. I opened the door and, “AAAAHHHHH!” I screamed. I saw an orange unicorn that I’m assuming is Sunburst, his frozen, fear filled stare met me as I entered. He was frozen mid gallop, a saddle bag full of books and papers was on him. On the floor was a pistol, I assumed. I didn’t recognise the design. It had a fat tube in the middle between the chamber and grip. Thank you Sombra for the quick lessons.

That’s a revolver, Sombra said. The design is old, but still reliable and unlike your guns you can have the bullets loose to reload it. Have to put them in one at a time though if you don’t have the proper tools.

“You think he was trying to get to the castle when the Undead finally entered the city?”

Possibly, from what I know he was researching them. Finally got a chance to put that brain of his to use. I think his research is in his saddle bags, but look around for the notes on the spell he put on you, it should be in a journal or something.

As I walked around Sunburst’s house I came to the conclusion that this stallion was a bigger social outcast than I am, and I was locked up in an Isolation Chamber. Many of the books and scrolls here seemed to be about magic, some were fiction, others were travel, there was a lot here about magic anomalies and body modification. His kitchen was surprisingly full, boxes of canned foods and bags of something called “MRE” scattered around. “What’s MRE mean?”

Meal ready to eat. I had some back when I was alive. Not that bad but some, or most of them actually, tasted so bad they earned the name “Meal rejected by enemy.”

I chuckled. “That bad?”

If you’re gonna eat one stick to the Peas and Apple Cabbage Soup, and the Three Cheese Mac and Cheese. Those were the best tasting in my opinion.

“Noted.” I reply, grabbing a MRE labeled Peas and Apple Cabbage Soup. “Honestly anything will taste better than that gloop they fed me in the chamber. That WAS a meal rejected by enemy.”

The only other room in the whole house was Sunburst’s bedroom. It was small, two other doors were here, one let to a closet filled with, not surprisingly, more books and scrolls. The other led the the bathroom. There were no bed side tables. No desk either. How did he work without something similar to an office? His bedsheets were a mess, and nothing was under his pillows.

Try under his mattress. Sombra offered.

Lifting the heavy thing with my magic I found a small, semi squashed box. Bingo! Taking it out and dropping the mattress I threw the lid off and what I saw inside, confused me. It was a purple, rubbery tube with some kinda hole that was filled with a weird material. It felt almost like skin, only crazy soft and squishy. It had the name Starlight Glimmer, written in marker on it.

DROP THAT RIGHT NOW! Sombra’s sudden yell shocked me, making me drop the odd item. His yell also gave me a small headache.

“What was that for!?” I say while rubbing my temples.

Just… Pretend you never saw that. He said, sounding flustered.

“Why? What is it?”

When you’re older, Shining would bring me back to life just to kill me for this.

“What?” Now I’m really confused.

Never speak of this again and I promise to teach you any spell you want to know. Sombra pleaded.

“Okay, fine. But only if you teach me how to create and manipulate crystals like you could.”

Deal.

I gave a look under the bed, and there was another box. Hopefully whatever’s in here doesn't make Sombra scream. Pulling it out and opening it, I saw pictures, lots of pictures. Some old, some new. Most had were of Sunburst, and almost all of those had him with some light purple unicorn. Is this Starlight Glimmer? At the bottom of the box I found an old notebook, the cover was worn and had a large gash through it. I took it out and opened it.

March 26, 2016

The Prince and Princess have finally announced their child to the kingdom, but they won't tell anything else other than that it’s a filly. I hope nothing’s wrong with the new Princess.

Rumor also has it that Shining Armor is gonna meet up with his sister, Princess Twilight, at the train station so she can see the newborn foal. I guess they want to show family and friends before anypony else, I can understand that, just wish they didn’t keep it all so secret. I may not be a very social pony but I still keep up with the news and get mad, angry, and sad like anypony else. It’s not everyday a new member of the royal family is born.

I couldn’t help but laugh at this. I remember mommy and daddy telling me the story of my Crystalling. And how much of a magical menace I was before I had my powers suppressed.

I flipped ahead and found something interesting. It was about the spell!

March 26, 2016: Entry ten.

This has been the best day of my whole freaking life! I’ve made up with my old foalhood friend Starlight, I helped save the Empire, the Prince and Princess appointed me head of royal research and development, and I figured out a spell to suppress the powers of an alicorn! A motherbucking alicorn! I may not be good at using magic, but I can make a pretty damn good spell, pardon my Prench.

I’ve managed to link Flurry Heart’s powers to both the Crystal Heart and the Crystal Empire coronation ceremony. Once Flurry Heart has been crowned a Princess before the Crystal Heart by another royal, her powers will unlock. Shining Armor and Cadence will probably wait til she’s a mature adult before that happens though. Still, Today marks the rest of my new life! Not so bad for a magic school dropout.

I put the journal down, and began to feel nervous. A Royal has to coordinate me for my powers to return. “Do you think the spell means any royal or royal like my parents or my aunts?”

Even in my time a royal was anyone with a title of Knight or higher, or their family members by extension or blood. Even those Canterlot snobs would count as royal.

“Can’t you do it?”

A dictator is not the same as royalty. Quite the opposite infact.

“So we have to somehow find a royal and get them to coronate me. I thought the Crystalling was a coronation of sorts?”

The Crystalling signifies that you are a born royal and a citizen of the Crystal Empire, it’s not a coronation.

“How are we gonna find a royal then? Everypony here is frozen!”

I could here Sombra hum in thought. Maybe we can try and communicate to survivors with long wave Radios. If the Empire’s military stockpiled well, which they did, we should be able to find a long range radio, but that’s only if the ones already installed aren’t working. Between the battle with the Undead and the Freeze… We should get back to the castle, we have work to do.

“Fair enough.” I say, closing Starburst’s journal and placing it in my saddle bags. I went back to Starburst himself, still frozen, I’ll make sure to change this. I looked through his saddle bags and grabbed a few books and loose notes. Might come in handy. I stepped outside, feeling a cold rush of wind as the sun hung low in the sky… wait, it’s nearly mid-day. Why does the sun look like it’s setting? “Sombra?”

I’m as confused as you are. The only thing I can think of is that something happened to Celestia and Luna. We need to get back to the castle now!

Don’t need to tell me twice. I few up, catching a fast gust of wind taking me straight to the castle. It was steady flying. Then, I couldn’t see. “What the!?” I yell in shock. Darkness all around me. “No! It can’t be night alre-”

ROOOAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My heart dropped to my stomach at that ear bleeding screech. My mind went blank. Total fear crept over me and I haven’t even seen what made that yell.

Look out! Sombra yelled. I snapped out of my trance and flew up quick. I heard a swoosh, like something just flew passed me. Assault Rifle! The scope! I stuttered as I picked up the Assault Rifle with my magic. I looked through the scope. Everything was a shade of blueish purple. One thing however was a faint orange. It was a silhouette in the scope, but I almost dropped my gun when I saw it.

It was easily twice my size, Some kinda curved claws were at the end of each leg, and at the tips of its six wings! Its body was muscular, and I couldn’t see its head. “S… Sombra?”

My horn hurt. I saw the faint glow of my magic turn blue and suddenly, then, I saw it.

In that first bang/flash the gun made in the dark when Sombra was firing it, I saw what it looked like. Its head was horribly shrunken, its eyes literally dangling from their sockets. Its skin was a sickly grey and misshapen, as if it was forcibly expanded and stretched. As for its claws, they were the bones of what once were pony legs, curved and sharpened, riddled with teeth marks. It bit its own legs into weapons!?

Click.Click. SHIT! Flurry, Fly! I flew. I flew straight for the castle while I heard more gunfire behind me.

ROOAAAGGGGHHH!!!! The monster screamed again. “Are those bullets even doing anything to it!?” I say without turning around.

Nothing that I can see, this is the second clip too! Sombra replies I feel the largest rifle slip out of its strap, a faint glow of a blue aura illuminating behind me. Is Sombra gonna use that!? Bite this!

Bang.

“GAAGGH!” I yell as something hits my back hard, knocking all the wind out of me. My vision blurred as I lost sight of what was happening. Everything just keeps spinning. I felt a strong wind hitting my face, but I barely understood what was happening. I suddenly felt very light as I saw a blue light cover me, then, I was on the ground. I immediately began coughing. My body trying to regain its lost air. “Are we alive?”

So far. Sombra replies. Shining really went overboard on that rifle, that recoil is far stronger than it should be from my understanding. Damn thing broke out of my field and hit you in the back.

I look up and around, luckily we’re just outside the castle. “What *cough* about the Undead?”

I know I hit it but- THUD. A loud crash sounded directly behind me, followed by a sudden wet feeling, like having water dumped on you. I felt the mystery liquid flow down my neck, onto my body, and make contact with the skin below my coat. There it is.

I turn around, and the Undead is nothing more than a pile of muscle and blood, a large splatter of blood paints the floor, with the exception of where I’m standing. “Eee…. eeee…. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!” I scream as the realization that I’m soaked in blood sinks in. I can feel it under my armor, in areas that it shouldn’t be. “GROSEGROSEGROSEGROSEGROSEGROSEGROSE-”

You might want to- Plop. Sheek. Nevermind.

I feel something warm and squishy land around my neck while something else lands on my horn and slowly slips down to my face. I was soon met with an eyeball. That Undead’s head is kabobed on my horn! My eyes quickly look down to my neck and I see a long, slimy, bloody, grey strip of flesh wrapped around my neck. “Sombra?”

Yes? Sombra replies, sounding worried.

“Is this an intestine around my neck and a head kabobed on my horn?”

...Yes…

Everything went black.

Ouch… My head hurts. I open my eyes, and it’s dark, but I can tell I’m not outside. Even though it’s dark I can tell I’m in the bathroom in the Chamber. Was that all a dream. Nightmare?

Knock. Knock. Knock. ”Flurry, you up?”

Not a nightmare. “Sombra? Wait, how?” I start to ask, but before I could finish talking, the door opens and the lights turn on. My eyes widen in surprise when I see one of the armor stand mannequins standing at the doorway. “Sombra?”

”Neat, huh? I can’t move too far away from you but this will allow us each privacy when needed.”

“How are you doing that?” I ask while trying to get up, only for Sombra to place a hoof, or false hoof, on me.

”Don’t try and get up. You’re really sore still, felt it before I left your body and even though I’m not in you anymore I can still feel how sore you are.” Sombra was right. I hurt everywhere, specifically, my back and wing joints. ”The rifle's recoil was largely absorbed by your armor, only real damage was that your left wing got dislocated. You were lucky to have been out cold for that.”

“I fainted?”

”Yeah, after the Undead fell several hundred feet, soaking you in blood then it’s head and guts became your new outfit when they fell down.”

Memories of that event came back. I shivered in place, remembering that dangling eye millimeters from my own. “I’m pathetic.” I admit, covering my face with my hooves.

”Flurry, you are a fifteen year old filly who’s never set hoof outside this room till just a few hours ago, and has been thrown into a world of death and kill or be killed, encountered an Undead that looked like it crawled out of Tartarus, and got showered in gore. I think fainting was the best outcome for that situation.”

I look up at Sombra. His voice sounded genuine but the faceless mannequin makes it hard to tell. “You really think that?”

”Yes. Not everypony adjusts to these scenarios at once, everypony takes their own time adjusting. It was a good thing we landed just outside the castle, between the rifle being fired and you're screaming, I saw a bunch of other nasty Undead coming by and four more of those flying ones coming down when you fainted.”

“You took control of my body?”

”Yes, like I said, lucky we landed outside the castle. Once the defence was activated, anything that wasn’t in the castle or out of the Freezes area of effect, would be blocked by a forcefield. The only way for anything alive to enter the castle is if you invite them.”

“Like those old vampire legends?”

”Exactly. All you or I need to say is “Welcome to the Empire” and the barrier around the castle will let them in.”

“So on top of the world's biggest armory at our disposal the castle is the only safe place in the Empire?”

”With all the food one pony could eat, I don’t count since I’m a soul.”

“Thank you mommy, thank you daddy.” I say. I feel tired. “Sombra, how far away can you go from me?”

”If I’m just a shadow I can go as far at the Empire’s border, and that’s a good thousand kilometres. With this body, I felt weak being fifty meters from you. Possessing this thing must take a massive toll on our connection. I can’t use magic in this thing either but I have an idea on how to correct that.”

“Alright. This is gonna be a good thing. Now I won’t feel alone when, and we will, go outside again.”

”I got your back Flurry Heart.”

“Just try not to let that rifle hit it again.”

”Promise. Oh, the sun came back an hour ago.”

“What the heck happened earlier? Wait, an hour? How long have I been out?”

”You've been out for about three. As for what happened… I've never seen anything like that. The only thing I could think of is that something bad happened to Princess Celestia or Luna. If that's the case then day and night will be unpredictable from now on”

“As of the world wasn't tough enough. I hope the rest of my family is okay.”

”If i know anything about them it's that Twilight is too clever too die, and that Dragon Spike is too lucky to die. Plus I doubt any normal Undead could bite through his scales.”

“Thank you, Sombra.”