Lyra The Undying

Chapters

Chapter 1: From Bookkeeper to Commander.
Chapter 2: Risen and Thirsty.
Chapter 3: The First Day On The Job.

Chapter 1: From Bookkeeper to Commander.

Long ago in the land of Equestria, a land of peace and harmony, the death of Discord, spirit of chaos, warped reality and created temporary dimensional rifts. Portals to different realities opened all over the land, filling the world with both kind creatures and terrible monsters. To keep a sense of order between the new factions and the ponies with their allies, Princess Celestia created an organization known as the Everfree Legion.

The Everfree Legion worked to keep peace between the factions of creatures new to Equestria as well deal with dangerous monsters both old and new, while searching for the missing Princess Luna who disappeared after Discord’s death.

There was one mare who would affect the Legion and Equestria...even in death. Her name was Lyra—one of the original ponies from before Discord’s Death warped reality. As of today her name—her nickname, really—is “Lyra the Undying”. But it’s only a nickname. She can die. She has been killed forty-nine times, and forty-nine times she has risen from the grave—not as a zombie but as a beaten up pony. Although, after her reputation spread, ponies stopped bothering to bury her.

They just throw her corpse in a corner and wait for her to rise again. And she always does. But every death takes a little bit away from her, puts another scar on her body. And Lyra has learned the hard way that there were worse things than dying.

There is dying over and over again…

After her friends died of old age, Lyra didn’t have much interest in living, but she did her best to avoid dying again. Not until she could do it right. Not until she knew with absolute certainty that she would stay dead. Lyra joined the Everfree Legion to protect the descendents of her friends and Equestria from harm. However she found herself a position in the bookkeeping department of the Legion. It wasn't much. Just counting bits and it didn't pay well, but it was relatively safe. As safe as it ever was when your supervisor had a strict policy of devouring any pony whose books were out of balance more than five times a month.

Water Demons, commonly known as Giant Frogs, never stopped growing. Buul, The water demon overseeing the main library and Lyra’s supervisor, was well over two hundred years old and a giant beast. Buul rarely spoke. He had cold black eyes focused with an unblinking , predatory stare. They often made Lyra worried about becoming lunch; she wasn’t interested in coming back from the dead after a trip through any ponies digestive system.

Buul looked over Lyra at her perfect bookkeeping.

“Very good, Lyria. Impeccable as always.”

“Thank you, sir” Lyra adjusted her glasses. She didn't need them, and in fact they had no glass in them, but they made her look bookish, which was a look she very much wanted to cultivate.

Buul handed back her ledger while keeping his unblinking frog eyes locked on Lyra.

”For a pony, you make an extraordinary bookkeeper.” Buul said.

“Thank you, sir.”

“When you were first assigned to me, I assumed you would be my dinner within a week. Instead, you’ve become one of the most interesting members of my staff.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Pity I have to lose you.”

Lyra stopped and looked at her giant frog boss with concern.

“I’ve just gotten the news today. You’re being transferred.”

“Transferred?”

“I tried to talk her out of it, but this comes from Princess Celestia herself.” He rummaged through some paperwork and pulled out a scroll. Lyra took the scroll and read it.

“I’m being promoted?!”

“Congratulations...You’ve earned it.” Lyra moped, hanging her head low, her tail dropping as she gathered her things, slowly dragging her steps, and left the building. She looked around at the city for what seemed like the last time, Canterlot was lovely this time of year. Lyra arrived at the train station when a piano fell on her from the sky. Nopony was sure where it came from but they knew Lyra would be up and about in no time, so the train employees took her corpse and tossed it in a wooden box, and shipped it to her destination.

. . . .

The training camp of the Everfree Legion’s Muck Company, where most violate, pathetic, or mad legionnaires go to complete their training and join the fight against monsters plaguing Equestria. To make sure Muck Company didn’t cause any collateral damage, the camp was in a desert oasis just between the town of Appaloosa and The Emerald Farmlands. Three creatures were having a conversation about political dissidents while getting drunk as Tartarus outside the training camps bar. They were Bob the Goblin, Agina the Red Dragon, and Grit the Grey Diamond Dog. The trio were about to get another round of Legion Brew when Bob received a scroll about the new transfer.

“So who’s the new meat?” asked Agina as she sighed a breath of annoying.

“Lyra the Undying.” Bob looked over the scroll twice just to be sure.

“I thought she was just a story.” Grit said.

“Nope. She’s as real as my butt boil.” Bob chuckled as Agina and Grit growled at him.

“We didn’t need the visual picture, Bob.” Grit said as he drank down his ale.

“I know. Anywho, let's discuss how to get rid of her.” Bob said with a skimming grin.

Unbeknown to anyone in the legion, these three officers of Muck Company had a deal that meant doom for anyone foolish enough to transfer to the Company at a higher rank than them.

“She can die.” Agina grabbed another mug of Legion Brew.

“Are you certain?” Grit asked. “I mean, it’s right there in the name...The Undying.”

“She is a pony—a Unicorn!” Agina spat out the words. “Unicorns are snobs and weaklings.”

“Racist…” Grit says to the dragon who quickly thought of a come back.

“I’m not racist, I just don't like Unicorns. I get along with earth ponies and pegasi as well as anyone here.” Agina looked away from Grit who rolled his eyes.

“Anywho… the ‘new Commander’ arrives in a few minutes by train. Her trusted first officer should be there to greet her.” All three shared a chuckle as Bob left the table.

. . . .

The Everfree Legion train pulled to the Muck Company training ground at high noon. Bob waited as the train came to a stop and the passengers came off the train, Bob got a train employee’s attention.

“Any news of the commander?” Bob asked the Train Employee.

“Yes..sign here.” Bob took a mail form and signed it, ignoring his bewilderment at being handed a form instead of greeting his commander. Then the employees took a box out of the passenger cart and placed it before Bob. The goblin opened the crate to find the body of Lyra the Undying and a foul odor of death coming of her.

“Damn, what a mess…” Bob muttered.

“Yep Miss Lyra always looks like that, except for her broken neck.” the train employee said.

“Lady....Lady are you ok?” Bob poked the body with a stick.

“Maybe she finally got lucky and had a final death...oh well.” The train employee walked backed on the train as it was about to go to it’s next destination.

“Guess they’ll have to change her name to Lyra The Corpse.” Bob frowned...then he smiled as he looked at the dead pony and resealed the wooden crate. It was nice when a problem solves itself.

End of Chapter 1

Chapter 2: Risen and Thirsty.

The training camp of the Everfree Legion’s Muck Company didn’t have a proper graveyard. Two earth ponies, Star Ward and Road Strip, were the official gravediggers. The position kept them away from battles and added a few bits to their wages. They could’ve done a poor job of it, and none but the dead would've cared, but Star Ward took pride in his work, and that rubbed off a little on Road Strip.

They were your typical earth ponies: strong muscular builds, brown coats with silver mane and tails. They were also twin brothers, distinguished by their cutie marks. Star Ward’s was a shovel pointed up, and Road Strip’s was a shovel pointed down.

Road Strip scooped out a shovel of dirt and glanced at the setting sun.

“It’s getting dark. That hole is deep enough for her,” Road Strip said as they dug the grave for Lyra Heartstrings.

Star Ward shrugged. “I don’t know about that. Doesn’t seem as deep as the last commander.”

“That’s because I liked the last one.” Road Strip says.

“You would have liked this one,” Star Ward retorted as they pulled the box with the dead pony inside off the cart and busted the crate open to throw Lyra in the grave.

Road looked at Lyra’s dead body. “We’ll never know now.”

Dark clouds spread overhead, a few heavy drops of rain fell as Star Ward placed a simple small tombstone.

“That’s nice,” Road Strip said, complimenting his brother's handywork. “When did you make the tombstone?”

“Soon as I heard the new commander was arriving. Didn’t think I’d have to use it so soon,” Star Ward said.

In an unadorned makeshift cemetery, eleven graves stretched beside Lyra’s. Each stone bore the name of a dead commander of Muck Company. As their last duty they marked the stone that read ‘Lyra The Undying’ with a league X over the words ‘The Undying’. A clap of thunder ended the uneventful ceremony as the two earth ponies packed up their tools and traveled to the training grounds bar to escape the threatening rain.

After a few minutes the heavy rain stopped and the clouds parted to reveal the beautiful moon in the heavens. Out of nowhere a cloaked pony stood at Lyra’s grave. She was larger than most ponies and wore a magical aura of moonlight. She moved her cloak just slightly to reveal a dark blue horn that gathered the magic necessary to raise the dead.

Lyra had been raised so many times that it was absurdly simple. Every time Lyra died this cloaked pony would raise her from death’s grasp.

“Lyra...Lyra…” whispered the cloaked pony to the grave. After a minute of no response the pony looked around to make sure no one was around, then she used her Royal Canterlot Voice.

“I COMMAND THEE TO RISE, LYRA HEARTSTRINGS!”

“Celestia damn it! Give me a few minutes! Okay, Luna?” Lyra yelled thru the dirt to the disguised Princess of the night. After a few minutes Lyra used her strength to crawl out of her own grave to see the Princess staring at her with a bit of worry.

Lyra rubbed her neck and popped it back in place. Lyra looked at Luna as the princess walked into the shadows.

“Why me?” Lyra muttered to Luna who stopped in her tracks.

“You know we have been through this before, Lyra. I had to think on my hooves and there was no other option.” Luna said.

“So you say. It’s been a few years since I’ve seen you, Princess, and I hope you’ve finally found a way to free me from this torment you put on me.” Lyra dropped her head.

“I am sorry. I have searched for decades and found nothing in Equestria that can free you and keep the realm from being destroyed.” Luna frowned.

“I figured as much. Well, I guess I’ll see you next time I die.” Lyra looked up from the ground to see that Luna was gone.

Lyra couldn't say whether Luna walked away or vanished into a puff of magic. Lyra looked around to notice her belongings, a black vest with a dagger and her bit pouch attached, were missing. They didn’t seem like much but the vest was a gift from long ago by her old friend Bon Bon, the dagger was from her time in the Legion Army. Lyra lingered on her missing items, However the odor of berries and cream reminded her how thirsty she was. Returning from the dead always gave her an dry throat. The Training Ground’s Tavern was a dim beacon in the dark night and Lyra headed for it, using her magic to light the way as she thought about Princess Luna and the past.

. . . .

A long time ago, Lyra was just a normal pony living in Ponyville. She could remember it as clear as day.

It was a peaceful afternoon in Ponyville. The idle chatter of the town’s ponies and the clacking of hooves on the cobbled stones of the little town's streets were the only sounds that permeated the air. All around where little houses with thatched roofs, brick and stucco walls, and happy ponies in the doorways. Vendors called to ponies from behind their stalls and in front of their carts. The smell of baked foods and fresh produce wafted from every corner. Within the center of the town was the Castle of Friendship, the home of Princess Twilight Sparkle where Lyra had gone to meet her best friend Bon Bon at a party.

It was a nice little party, full of ponies both old and new to Lyra. Most of Ponyville was in the castle, including Princess Luna and Discord. Out of nowhere, Discord started to glow a dark purple color. The castle and the ground quaked violently, and the sky darkened. The last thing Lyra could remember were the screams of the Spirit of Chaos as he died in a terrible burst of magic that would forever change Equestria.

. . . .

Lyra quickly shook off the memory as she made it to the camping ground near the tavern, quickly looking over her surroundings. She was now the new commander of these misfits, so she had better know what was what. The front entrance to the tavern was wide open, and the sentries were asleep at their posts. Soldiers slept in their ents, under the oasis’s few trees, and some even on the ground. Lyra had heard that Muck Company was undisciplined, but this was ridiculous.

Lyra entered the pub, a poorly lit, musty and crowded cesspit. She managed to avoid the pubs goers attention and reached the barkeep. Lyra got the bartender's attention, and revealed that once you’ve died enough times, your taste in alcohol becomes very open minded.

“Barkeep...give me a glass of cider, some doom mushrooms, and the oldest lemon you got,” Lyra demanded.

“Aren't those the ingredients for a Rusty Horn Brew? That drink usually gives folks a crushing headache and a bloody nose. ” The barkeep, an old Diamond Dog, raised an eyebrow at the commander.

“I don’t care…” Lyra gave a cold look to the barkeep, who quickly made the drink for her. After a few minutes the barkeep set a mug of thick, black liquid before Lyra.

Lyra lifted the drink and gulped it down as everyone in the Pub looked at her. Rusty Horn Brew was not a normal drink. you had to chew it a bit to get it down the throat, but swallowing it was a feat of willpower. Lyra’s gut burned a bit, her tongue made a sizzling sound, and her throat constricted tightly. However after all that a cool pleasantness filled her head.

Lyra turned around to look at the astonished faces of the crowd that watched her drink what was almost considered poison. Lyra scanned the pub and her gaze fell across two earth ponies who couldn't look her in the eyes. On their table was her black vest and dagger. Lyra stomped across the room as the Bar fell quiet.

“Did you two bury me?” Lyra calmly asked the two brothers.

Star Ward nods “Yes, Mam.”

“You’re not supposed to bury me.” Lyra snapped. Her muscles tightened as the gravediggers gulped.

The Rusty Horn Brew bolstered Lyra’s anger. She had been in so many battles before her old job as a bookkeeper that she could easily fight any pony. In truth, Lyra had no real fear of death, just a general dislike for it.

“My bits, my vest, and my dagger.” Lyra held out a hoof to the brothers.

Road Strip placed the items in her hoof. “We didn’t think you’d be needing them anymore, Ma’am.”

Lyra belched loudly and stood tall as the brothers tried not to smell her foul breath. Lyra put on her black vest, checked to see that all her bits were accounted for, and then smacked both brothers in the face with one hoof. Lyra was still dazed from the Rusty Horn Brew, and didn’t notice that she knocked both earth ponies from their chairs onto the bar floor.

The Bar patrons cheered the new commander. Every Muck Company soldier appreciated a good, solid beat down as an art form. Lyra stood over the brothers and gave them a lesson.

“Here is an order even you dumb flanks can understand. Don’t ever bury me again!” Lyra felt they learned their lesson and walked back to the barkeep. Lyra ordered another drink as the midnight hour came to pass.

End of Chapter 2

Chapter 3: The First Day On The Job.

Princess Luna watched from afar as Lyra Heartstrings drank herself into a stupor at the Training Grounds Pub. Luna, like all the times in the past she’d raised Lyra from the dead, felt a mixture of regret and sadness at her choice that had forever changed Equestria.

It was long ago at a party in Ponyville to celebrate Twilight Sparkle’s birthday. Everypony in town and many from far away were there, but Celestia was busy with some diplomatic duties so Luna attended in her place. It was so long ago that Luna didn’t remember all the details. One moment at that party left a scar on her mind and soul.

Discord, the spirit of chaos, was at the party enjoying the company of the friends he’d made for the last time. In a violent burst of Chaos Magic, Discord lost control of his reality warping abilities and tore a hole in space that collapsed and caused a cascade, killing him instantly, and then continuing to eradicate a massive area. Luna was able to throw up a shield around herself at the last moment, but it only succeeded in letting her watch everypony die around her. Twilight’s Castle, the town of Ponyville, and even the Everfree Forest. Dead, twisted, and corrupted by untamed chaos magic.

Luna found herself alone, surrounded by death and madness, until she saw that out of sheer luck, one pony's body had absorbed a large amount of Discord’s magic. Lyra Heartstrings became something different that night. Her dead body could not contain chaos magic of that level, causing massive rifts in space and time around her. Luna had to think fast or the unbound chaos would destroy Equestria.

She called on all her powers to use a forbidden dark magic spell that brought Lyra back to life, stopping the chaos magic from pouring out of her body. It was only a temporary fix, and if Lyra was dead for longer then three days the Chaos Magic would erupt from her again. Luna ran that night, only appearing when Lyra died so that she could raise her up again and again. Thus Lyra The Undying was born, and Luna’s quest to free Lyra from the Chaos Magic began.

Luna looked away from the Training Grounds and walked back into the shadows of the night, feeling as if her search would never end.

. . . .

In the early morning, consciousness hit Lyra like a thundering blast. Given a choice, she would have stayed asleep forever. It was the next best thing to being actually dead. But she didn’t have a choice. She had things to do, and waking up was one of them.

Lyra managed to drag herself out of the bed she’d found last night after all that drinking. At that moment somepony knocked on the door. Lyra grunted an approximation of ‘come in’. Bob the goblin entered and saluted.

“First officer reporting for duty, Ma’am.” Bob tried to act professional for the new commander.

“Yes?” Lyra walked to the dresser next to her bed.

“Sorry to bother you, Ma’am, but I was wondering when you would like to do your first inspection.” Bob waited a minute for Lyra to think about it.

“We’ll do it later.” Lyra rubbed her aching skull.

“Ok. And the address, Mam?” Bob asked.

“The what?” Lyra looked at Bob.

“The introductory address, Mam...To introduce you to the troops and trainees.” Bob said.

“Later.” Lyra yawned. “Much Later.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Bob coughed softly to fill the silence while he gathered his thoughts. “Might I ask you a question, Ma’am?”

Lyra sighed and turned to Bob. “Yes, I was dead yesterday. Yes, I came back from the grave—literally. And yes, It hurts every time…”

“It’s true what the stories say, then. You can’t die,” Bob said as he thought of how to get rid of Lyra in his mind.

“Actually, I die very well—in fact, I like to think that I am the grand master of the art of perishing. It’s the staying dead part that I am not very good at,” Lyra explained as Bob coughed again.

Lyra gave Bob permission to leave and the goblin slammed the door shut. Lyra’s hangover did not agree with the noise, and she groaned loud enough to hear through the walls. Outside the commanders building, Bob meet with Agina the Dragon, and Grit the Diamond Dog to discuss their new boss.

“Well?” Grit asked.

“Is it really her and not some other pony?” Agina asked.

Bob nodded.

“I thought you said she was dead in a box,” Grit said to Bob.

“She was dead, but now she isn’t,” Bob replied.

“How in Celestia’s name is it possible?” asked the Diamond Dog.

“Clearly, it’s some kind of magic spell. She is a unicorn after all.” said Agina.

“I looked up this stuff in a spell book before she arrived. only Alicorns know the spells like that and have the power to actually use them.” Bob sighed.

The three thought about it until a lower ranking officer came up to them and told one of them to get the commander some water and raw fish juice for her hangover. The three played ‘rock, paper, scissors’ to decided who would take the drink to the commander, to which Agina lost.

Bob decided to go to his office and work on some ideas.

”I wouldn't suggest killing Lyra unless you can be sure she stays dead,” Grit said to Agina “Maybe fire would work. You are a dragon after all.”

Grit’s idea improved Agina’s mood—she could always say it was an accident. So the dragon walked her way across the Training Grounds to the Tavern, Everyone knew well enough to stay out of a dragon’s way. Agina got the hangover drink and brought it to the commander’s barracks. Pausing outside Lyra’s bedroom door, Agina got to thinking that if she couldn't kill her, she might be able to show this snobby unicorn a lesson in respect. However she also thought about how Muck Company was her last place in the Everfree Legion, if she messed up and got caught she would blow her career she worked hard on.

Agina was not only a dragon but a warrior, thus she believed she was superior to any Unicorn. Her dislike of unicorns goes back to her first Legion job in Canterlot, protecting unicorn nobles who treated her like a walking wall.

Agina pushed open the door without knocking. “Your drink, Ma’am.” Lyra was obscured beneath a blanket on her bed.

Lyra used her magic to lift the mug to her face while still under the blanket, gulped the hangover cure down, and groaned. “Thanks. That is much better.”

“Anything else, Mam.” Agina asked.

“What? Speak up.” Lyra said.

Agina thought on her fire breath but decided not to try and burn Lyra. “Is there anything else I can do for you, Ma’am?”

Lyra removed the blanket, exposing her body to Agina. The dragon expected the Unicorn to be a snob but Lyra was acting like a regular solder. However what mesmerized Agina was Lyra’s body. Lyra had large cuts, scars, slash marks, and scabs covering her body. Agina stared at Lyra, studying the battle history of the lacerated skin of this unicorn.

Lyra noticed Agina was smiling and staring at her without realizing it.

“Yes?” Lyra asked.

“Oh, Sorry, M’aam.” Agina saluted, turned, and left the room. In the hallway, Agina stopped, feeling suddenly short of breath. She leaned against the wall as her legs were inexplicably shaky. The red dragon closed her eyes, thinking about Lyra’s perfect battle scarred body. Lyra had a sword wound on her back, a dagger mark on her belly, purple welts that came from some kind of crushing blows all over her legs, Claws of a beast raked across her shoulders, there were so many marks Agina couldn't keep track. At that moment Agina thought Lyra was the most beautiful mare she had ever seen.

Agina had never felt this way before, and she felt confused by these feelings. She thought about frying Lyra with fire to remove these feelings, but Lyra was Undying, so she couldn't kill her.

Agina realized that maybe she didn’t want to…

End of Chapter 3