Lyra The Undying

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