Undead Equestria

“Eggs, eggs. The tasty treat that I love~.” I was waiting for Sombra in the guards combat room, singing tunelessly at my newly discovered love of eggs. I took off my armor since Sombra said we were just going to focus on magic and physical workouts for today. I’m so excited, this is the closest to a school activity I’ve ever done!

The sound of opening doors rang and I saw Sombra walk in, only something was off. His sleeve in his mask for a horn looked like a horn was in it. “What did you do?”

“I made an artificial horn for this body. Now I can properly spellcast. I just can’t do too much at once. The magic in the stone I made the horn out of needs to recharge every so often, too much stress and it will break. Now then, what do you want to learn first, magic or how far your body can be pushed?”

“Magic!”

Sombra chuckled. ”Figured. You take after your aunt Twilight. Now, what I’m going to teach you is first how magic works. Now how much do you know about magic? Don’t look at me like that, of course I know, but just play along.”

I rolled my eyes. “From what mom and dad told me, magic is controlled through a unicorn's horn and mental throught. We channel magic through our minds and into reality with our horns. A unicorn body naturally attracts mana like a magnet from the environment, we then use that magic to cast spells. When casting, the spell determines the amount of mental focus needed. Simple spells like levitation can be used without thinking much or at all and are second nature to every modern unicorn. More advanced spells require more focus, but with regular use, and practice, even advanced spells can become second nature with little effort.”

”Yes, but to properly use your magic, even if it is mostly sealed away, you need practice. You should still be able to use basic combat and defence spells. Defence spells should be really easy for you given your father.” I smiled proudly. ”Still, with your true capability locked away, I’m not sure how strong your spells are going to be. To test this, you’ll make a shield appear around yourself, and to test how long you can hold it, and how much damage it can take, I will be trying to break it with a basic combat spell, fire. Now, to forge a shield spell, you need to expel the mana within you outwards, then will it to stay in a solid form. It’s strength depends on both how much magic is expelled, and how well you hold it together. To expel mana from yourself, you have to force it out by literally using your telekinesis to rip it out of your body. Yes it will hurt, but only for the first few times."

“Question.” I said.

”What is it?”

“What’s telekinesis?”

Sombra face hoofed hard enough to make a small echo in the room. “It’s the same thing as what you use to levitate an object. Telekinesis is the most simple spell a unicorn can use, but it is also the bases for every spell. Without a unicorns advanced, inborn, telekinesis it would be very difficult to perform magic and spells.”

“Oh. But how does being able to lift things with magic help cast other spells?”

”Magic isn’t pulling something out of thin air, you need a resource like anything else. You use Molecules, atoms, the small building blocks of the universe. Unicorn telekinesis doesn’t actually grab or lift an object, it manipulates atoms and molecules within the object. To cast spells, you reshape or forge these building blocks into what you need. Mana is what we call the resource of life, it flows through everything. Good and evil, dead or alive. By itself, it doesn’t do much, but it is an endless, powerful resource that let's use use telekinesis. No pony knows how unicorns became able to absorb vast amounts of mana or how we learned how manipulate it to rework existence. To put it short, we know little about how magic actually works, and using it just takes a strong will, and to know what you want it to do.”

I was awe struck. Sombra knows so much, and he just summarized all I really need to know in just a simple sentence. I closed my eyes to help concentrate. Alright, to make a shield I rip the mana out of me, then hold it in place.

”Excellent Flurry!”

“Say what?” I opened my eyes and I was inside a pink bubble. “Wait, I did this? I didn’t even feel anything.”

”Looks like you take after your father. Now, just hold that while I throw fire spells at you.”

Through the pink color filtering of the shield, I saw Sombra’s make-shift horn glow and then balls of fire appeared next to him. One flew right at me. I flinched a little, but stood my ground as it made contact with my shield and the fireball blew up in smoke. I was surprised it held honestly. Several more fireballs were thrown and they all exploded into smoke upon impact. “This is holding up very well.”

”Yes, this is good. Despite your true abilities locked away, you still can call upon large amounts of mana. I’m going to use a stronger attack Flurry, are you ready?”

“I guess.” I heard a loud wind suddenly start screeching. It grew louder and louder. I looked up, and fell flat on my flank. Sombra had a tornado spinning on top of my shield. And it’s on fire! “The fuck is that!?”

”A master level pyro spell. It burns anything it touches, including mana. Yet your shield still holds. Flurry, not even your father's shields can hold against this spell. You surpassed him without even trying AND you have a magic handicap.”

I looked at my shield, the flaming tornado of death that was slowly turning to smoke, and my horn. HOW MUCH POWER DO I ACTUALLY HAVE!? When the tornado was gone, I dropped my shield. “That. Was. AMAZING!”

”I figured it would hold. The second your shield came up I felt a spike of magic I’ve only felt a few times before. Well done.”

“I wonder if I can out magic aunt Twilight?”

”If we find her we should find out. Come on, that’s all the magic for today. Now we’re going to see how far your body can push.”

Sombra walked me outside the courtyard, just behind the barrier of the castle. The sun was rising, for the fourth time this morning. “What are we doing here.”

”So far you have yet to kill an Undead. You need to learn how to deal with the ones that try to hurt you. You said it yourself, “kill all Undead not like Kitty.” Meaning kill all… ‘angeries’ as she puts it.”

“Oh… right. I mean. I read Sunburst’s notes. I get that they aren’t ponies any more. I just can’t get passed how they look.”

”... You know. Back when I had a body, when Hope and I were searching for princess Amore’s fragments. We came across a wanderer, very young yet oldy wise for his age. He helped us deal with some rather nasty monsters that had attacked. Turned out, a mad unicorn was controlling them. He nearly killed Hope and I, then that wanderer used his magic and snapped the unicorn's neck.”

“Oh stars!”

”Hope said the same thing. The wanderer was burning that unicorns body when Hope asked him if he was alright. He said, “I’m fine. Not the first monster I’ve killed.” Hope realized that he meant that the unicorn wasn’t the first pony he killed. She was shaken, but asked why he referred the unicorn as a monster, instead of a pony. He told her, “Ponies don’t kill ponies. Monsters kill ponies and ponies kill monsters.” I knew all too well what he meant.”

“What did he mean?”

“A pony, or any intelligent being, that takes the life of something with no justifiable reason, or no reason whatsoever, they are no different than the monsters in Tartarus. He was able to live with the blood on his hooves because he doesn’t see those that do great evil as pony. And it’s true in a sense, they throw away that right the second they commit such acts. These Undead are no different, their monsters in a pony's skin. If there is anything left of the pony they once were in them, it must be a hell for them.”

“So killing them is a mercy?”

”It’s a better alternative than letting them run around like this.”

I looked at the barrier. An Undead was bumping into it, It doesn’t get that it can’t come in. It was a stallion, dirty blue mane and tail with bright yellow coat, partly stained in dry blood. It’s cutie mark is a doorknob. Was he a locksmith before? “Alright. You’re right. I need to learn to fight on my own, I can’t always rely on you.” I levitated the pistol aunt Twilight made for me out of my saddle bags. I haven’t shot it yet. I haven’t shot any of the weapons my family made for me, yet, Sombra’s shot two of them, the ones my mother and father made for me. I aimed the pistol between the Undead’s eyes, it’s white, empty eyes. I stood there with my pistol to its head for what felt like eternity. “Rest in peace.” I pulled the trigger. To my shock the Undead’s body twitched unnaturally after the bullet went through it’s head. It did that for bit before finally falling over. Dead. “I feel weird.”

”I think you were born for this.” Sombra said.

“What makes you say that?” I ask, looking at him. He pointed at my flank and when I looked my jaw hit the floor. It was a cutie mark… my cutie mark. A tombstone, shaped like a shield, with a sword and a pistol crossed. “I really am the alicorn of war, aren’t I?”

”That doesn’t make you bad.”

“I know. I just kinda wish my parents could see this. The Princess of Love gave birth to the Alicorn of War, oh the irony in that.”

”Hmmm. You know, that cutie mark doesn’t look like the one of somepony who’s destiny is war. The tombstone is shaped like a shield, and a gun and a sword are crossed. Maybe the Alicorn of Death? Or something like that?”

“Is there a difference between the two?”

”Well. Death fights and kills alone. War fights with an army. They work well together though. In war, Death spares few, and War brings death.”

“That literally did not help at all.”

”Wasn’t supposed too. Come on, this is gonna count as physical exercise.” Sombra walked out of the safety of the barrier.

“Wait, what!?”

”I know you took a look at Sunburst’s notes, we’re gonna go back and get whatever else we can. Your saddle bags are empty, right?”

“They just got an MRE and some mags for my pistol, but-”

”Perfect, a survival/gym lesson. Come on Flurry, odds are we are going to have to leave the castles safety more than we’d like, so it’s best I give you the rundown of scavenging for supplies… while we run from Undead.” Sombra headed a little further out and I quickly caught up. ”Glad you followed.”

“Well… you said we can’t get too far from each other when you’re in that body, and I guess I do need to learn this.”

”Great, first order of business, try not to use your pistol while we’re out here.”

“What! Why?”

”The Undead rely on hearing, remember? Few things are louder than gunshot so they’ll come like moths to a flame. First order of business, we need to find you a silent weapon, something that will cut their heads off or bash them in.”

“You’re going to enjoy this, aren’t you?”

”A little.”

“Can’t I at least go get my armor, I’m defenceless.”

”You're immune. Besides, most ponies surviving this are probably lucky to find a gun, armor is out of the question for them.”

“Alright. But why do you get to wear armor?”

”Would it matter if I didn’t? This body isn’t alive, it’s cheap, lightweight plastic with movable joints for effect.”

“You have a counter for everything, don’t you?”

”Yes I do. Now then, where should we go first?”

“You don’t know where we should go?”

”You don’t learn anything from following. Trial and error are the best teachers. Just have a look around, think about possible reward vs. possible negatives.”

“Alright?”

Sombra had walked us out quite a distance from the castle. Flying back won’t be a problem though. Now then, where to go. I think we’re in the shopping district. I mean, why else would every building here be a store? Now then, which would be best?

Three stores I see on the left, “Crystal Greens” A grocery store maybe? The second, “Quills and Sofas, Crystal Empire Location” what kinda store only sells two things? The third was “Diagon Alley Spellbook Store” So spellbooks, could be useful.

On the right side were four stores. “D.J Records Store” music most likely. The next was “The Soda Bar”, what’s a bar? What’s soda? The third was “Techmo’s Gadgets” so technology… could also be useful. The last was “Sports Center” a place full of sports equipment?

Alright then, Quills and Sofas, D.J Record Store and Diagon Alley Spellbook Store are out right off the bat. The freeze probably froze all the food in Crystal Greens. I don’t think a T.V. is useful at the moment, so Techmo’s Gadgets are out. I’d really like to know what a bar is, and what soda is, but it’s got no windows, Angries might be in there.

Sports Center s the only place that seems alright, mostly glass building, stuff I could use. Dad always told me that sporting stores sold things called ‘energy bars’ and other quick pick-me-ups. He even said some sell guns. Probably none like what is stored in the castle, but still.

“That last store on the right, Sports Center.”

”And why there?”

“It will have pick-me-up food and possible weapons. Plus, it’s mostly glass, so no ‘Angeries’ should be in there.”

”Good choice, Safe, has fast acting snack food, and likely to have weapons. Good thinking Flurry.”

“Thanks. Come on, let's go.” Thankfully the sun was still holding up, so the whole store was lit up. Walking in, there were a few frozen ponies and two frozen Undead. One pony, an employee I think, had a baseball bat in his mouth, frozen in mid swing at an Undead’s head. Up front I spotted the snack foods Sombra mentioned. Bags of chips, energy drinks, jerky… what’s jerky? “Sombra, what’s jerky?”

Sombra ran over and took the bag I was looking at in his magic. ”These aren’t typically sold in Equestria. It’s meat that’s been cooked by heating it till all the water is evaporated out.”

“Ewww. What’s it doing here?”

”The infection hit the griffon kingdom hard, many died and many seeked safety. The Crystal Empire offered and many came with whatever they could bring. They were all relocated to the Dragon Kingdom ten years ago since, well, meat and ponies doesn't mix well.”

“Guess they were just trying to get rid of it, ten bags for five bits.” I read off the bag.

I tossed it back onto the shelf and kept looking around. I saw some cool looking one pony camping tents. And one, two pony camping tent that made me blush red and made Sombra laugh. The royal lovers camping tent, recommended by the Princess of Love herself… Just why mom? Why?

I eventually found where they kept sports equipment… and guns! Ammos and guns filled sealed glass display cases for three isles. Sharp sword looking weapons hung in sheaths on the fourth. “Should we take any?”

”Yes, part of the rewards of scavenging is taking what you want, but we don’t have a key, and gunshot will attract Angeries when the moon comes up. Grab one of the machetes over there, the swords looking things, I wanna try and break the lock off.”

I lifted one of the, machetes, as Sombra called them, in magic and he took it in his. He unsheathed it, revealing a curved blade. Dad always told me about swords and spears, even showed me a few, but this was way different than any sword.. It was smaller, for one, and thin.

Whack. Whack. Whack. Clink. Three hits and Sombra broke the lock off of one of the display cases, one of the ones filled with rifle looking guns. “Cool.”

Grabbing a rifle, Sombra actually took it from me with his magic. ’This is a shotgun. A VERY deadly gun. Even ponies in armor fear what it can do. Unlike a rifle, you can’t shoot a target from far away, they have to be up close for best damage. Like any gun, ammunition types are plenty, best way to use a shotgun is to use what are called ‘slug’ rounds. It fires a thick, solid chunk of lead that can blow a hole through this body I’m using, so think about what that can do to a pony.”

I took the shotgun and looked at it. “Is the recoil bad?”

”Shotguns are well known for their recoil, This one however is a 20 gage, very common, and the recoil is not too strong as far as shotguns go. You can shoot this with ease.”

I smiled as Sombra helped me attach a strap onto it that keep it on the side of my body, barrel pointed forward. I could just shoot it without worrying about getting hurt with how out forward the barrel was. I also picked up a machete for myself, since Sombra said no guns. We also took a bunch of snack foods and energy bars. We began to leave when the sun started going down.

”So, where are we going to spend the “night” Flurry?” Sombra asked, catching me off guard.

“Uhhh, there was this building called “Soda Bar.” It doesn’t have windows and the door looks fortifiable.”

”True, alright, but there might be… Angeries… in there. We really need to think of a new name for them. Also we can use guns, but only once we’re inside. I’ve been in there when I was alive and the place is completely soundproof.”

Cool! Two good spots in one day, I get to test out my new shotgun, and I get to learn what a bar and soda is! Sombra quietly walked up to the door, slowly opening it and I followed. Surprisingly, it was lit up with Sunstones. “Think it’s clear?” I asked.

”One way to find out for sure.” Sombra lifted out the revolver I took from Sunbursts house, I didn’t know he had that, and fired.

BANG!

“What the-!” A voice sounded, not like Kitty’s, it was a pony's voice! “Friendly fire! Friendly fire!” It yelled from behind and under the large table that was mounted on the floor near the wall, and surrounded by bottles and faucets.

”Wait, I know that voice. Thorax?! Is that you!?”

“Sombra? That’s impossible! You can’t leave Flurry Heart in daylight! Sun’s still going down, not night yet! I knew it, I’ve lost my mind.” Up from behind the table, a… I can only describe it as looking like a large bug pony, appeared. “Oh crap I can see… wait who’s the mare?”

”Thorax, this is Flurry Heart, you remember her.”

Upon hearing my name, the bug pony flew up to me. His wings making a buzz noise the whole time. “Holy hell! Flurry, wait!” The bug pony looked at Sombra. “How?”

”Long story. Here’s the short version. I can feed on Flurry’s fear like you feed on love, that makes me stronger, which  I rather don’t like. I can now possess objects to use as bodies, but Flurry and I can’t get too far from each other.

“So… that body isn’t alive?”

”Nope.”

“Oh.”

“Uh, excuse me.” I say, getting Sombra and, Thorax’s attention. “Mind explaining some things to me. Like how do you two know about each other, and how this… Thorax, know’s about Sombra and I’s… connection?”

”Flurry, Thorax is a Changeling. A… rather looked down upon race. They can transform into anything and anyone. Rather than food they feed on love, and Thorax is the only one that has ever come up and proved a Changeling can be nice.”

“I was an outcast among my own kind anyway. I met Sombra cause one night I felt an odd surge of mixed love when the bar was closed. It was love for one's homeland, and love of a lost lover. No pony was in the bar so it was strange I felt that. Changelings aren’t good at magic, but Twilight did manage to teach me a fun thermal vision spell since I went out to the frozen planes often. It was incase a pony was missing and it really came in handy when this whole Undead business started. I nearly shit myself when the thermal image spell showed me a ghost.”

”I guess when I’m free roaming I count as a ghost.” Sombra commented.

“Anyway, Sombra noticed my freak out and got surprised. Flew through the radio and he was able to talk through it.”

Sombra pulled off his mask, showing me a small speaker glued where a mouth would be on his mannequin body. ”Pulled it out of a broken walkie talkie. I supply sound and power.” He covered his ‘face’ back up.

“We just sorta talked after that and I did some research on the subject and helped him learn how to do simple things in ghost form. Had some sleepless nights, not from research, from fear. Probably should have stuck to books rather than adding horror movies to my research…”

I gave a chuckle. “Well it’s nice to meet you Thorax. How did you survive The Freeze?”

“Oh, I wasn’t in the Empire at the time, I was returning home, the changeling hive I was born in. I came back because it was empty when I got there. Was really creepy, like everyone just up and left. Dropped what they were doing and vanished. There was one thing though!” Thorax ran back behind the table and came back levitating a weird looking rock. Wait… that’s not a rock. “One egg was left behind. It’s still alive, so I’ve been carrying it with me this whole time. When I got back to the Empire, everything was covered in frost and everyone, Undead included, were frozen over.”

”Yeah, that’s my bad. They’re still alive though! We just need a way to get Flurry Heart here crowned a royal so her powers will unlock and she can hopefully unfreeze everyone.”

“Oh, that makes sense… I think? Anyway, is that why I couldn't’ get into the castle when I came here?”

“Yes actually. Can I say it here?” I ask Sombra.

”Yes it will work as long as you are within the Empire's borders.”

“Thorax, Welcome to the Empire.”

“Phrase based lock/entrance barrier?” Thorax questioned.

”Yes. Rather effective in my opinion. Only Flurry Heart can say that phrase and have it work.” Sombra replied.

“I have one question though?” I asked. Getting Sombra and Thorax’s attention. “What’s a bar and what’s soda?”

Sombra and Thorax laughed loudly. “A bar is just a place that sells foodstuffs that require a licence to hold, sell, and make, if needed. And soda is a beverage that is the best thing you’ll ever taste. Fizzy water mixed well with a special flavored syrup, of which there are many flavors, create the best tasting drink ever! It’s not alcoholic, but the ingredients fails Equestria’s public health requirements for mass production, so private companies make it and bars, like mine, sell it for ponies to enjoy.”

“Can I have some?”

“Sure, it’s just sitting here and it only lasts so long. I’ll get you a mug.”

Thorax flew behind the counter while I took a seat on one of the stools. I looked back over to the door and Sombra hadn't moved. “Sombra?”

In your body. I haven’t had soda since before I died, since I taste what you taste I’m gonna take advantage of this.

I laughed, earning an odd look from Thorax, who also noticed Sombra’s body standing by the doorway still. “He… back in you?”

“Yup, he feels and tastes whatever I do so her want’s to taste the soda.”

Thorax chuckled at that as he put a large cup under a faucet. “Yeah, he told me. Before I took over the bar, after he died, he held the record for the loudest burp, lasted up until about two years ago. Tiny little mare, your size, walks in, asks for a grape soda. Chugged it down in seconds. Next thing I knew the bar practically shook as an earthquake burp came out of her tiny body. Her pictures over there.”

I looked over to where Thorax pointed, only to almost fall off of my seat. It was Kitty! “That’s kitty!”

“Hu?” Thorax said confused. “Wait, she’s alive!?”

“Uhhh.” I replied. How to explain this? “Well, no. She’s an Undead. One of the smart ones. But she’s nice! She eats regular pony food, not meat! She was actually keeping those crazy Undead out of the storage rooms under the castle.”

“Wow. And here I thought all Ringmasters were evil. The fact that Sombra or you haven’t killed her is good enough for me.”

“Ringmasters?”

“Yeah, met some survivors coming back here. Disguised myself as a pony since they would have shot me otherwise. Said they managed to escape three Ringmasters, those smart ones. They call them that since they can command and order the not-so-smart ones like a ringmaster does a lion or manticore at a circus.” Thorax slid the large cup full of a fizzy, dark liquid. I took a sip and was in bliss. The flavor was rich and sweet, the fiz tickled my mouth as I drank. When I swallowed, it was like swallowing fireworks.

Manna from heaven. Sombra said, enjoying the soda as much as I was.

“Mind if I ask Sombra a question?” Thorax asked. “You can answer for him if he doesn’t want to come out yet.”

Tell him sure.

“Sombra say’s yes”

“Is it okay if I strap some soda kegs to his body? I just want to take some to the castle. I’ll come back for the rest, but only after I find a motor carriage. I’ll be able to bring all of it over in one trip if I’m lucky.”

Sure, I can help with the motor chariot actually.

“Sombra says sure, and that he can help with the motor carriage. Whatever that is.”

“Great! And a motor carriage Flurry, is a vehicle that moves using special batteries charged with unicorn magic to power an engine that moved the vehicle. A pony has to operate controls to move it in a certain direction and they can go pretty fast. Most don’t even look like a carriage with how big they can be, but the really large ones are used for long distance cargo delivery.”

“Oh.” I say, drinking more soda. Note to self, get Thorax that motor carriage cause I want this soda.

Agreed. Sombra added. Actually, we’ll need one for passengers. Reaper said they’d be arriving some time tomorrow with luck. We’ll need a passenger carriage to make sure everypony will be safe.

Where can we find one? I ask mentally, not wanting to talk out loud, mostly because I’ll look crazy.

Shining armor had motor carriages of all kinds prepared in case the worst happened. They’re stored in a warehouse near the west border of the Empire.

Think we can get there in time?

If you and Thorax fly, yes. Will have to leave my body but we can return for that later. Can even pick up all his stock while we’re at it.

Slurp. My cup was empty. “Good news thorax.” He looked up from a book he must have pulled out when I wasn’t looking. “We might be able to bring your whole stock her today. Sombra and I have a plan we can hit two birds with one stone with.”

“Great. Let’s hear it.”