IX:
Welcome home

The Great Master East Wind was looking reluctantly at the mirror that would take them to the other side. As she was enchanting the mirror she revived the events from six years ago. The student demonstrations, the undeads’ massacres, and finally the last battle. Since she arrived to the human world East Wind avoided thinking about the other side, it was too painful for her. Back on the day everypony opposed to her plan to sacrifice herself but in the end she knew she had to sacrifice herself. She knew she would never come back if the plan worked for her.

Or that was she thought until the new undead appeared.

“Are you okay?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“It’s been six years Sunset. How much have the world changed in my absence? What would my Knights say when they see me? Most of them think I’m dead.”

Sunset Shimmer simply put her hand on East’s shoulder. “You left a clue behind, right? They know you’re alive, right? And I’m sure they’ll be happy to see you. But it’s a shame that you have to see them under these circumstances.”

East Wind gave her a sad smile before she started to cross through the mirror. “Sunset, if it wasn’t for the circumstances, I wouldn’t be seeing them at all.”

Sunset followed East Wind as she saw her worriedly. This was very different that the East Wind that Sunset knew. All cheery and dynamic. What have happened six years ago? Were the Undead Knights that dangerous? She wished her friends goodbye before crossing completely.

When Sunset appeared at the other side, she looked around to know her surroundings. It was a humble house in a small town. Lovely.

She began to practice how to walk in four legs, as she used her horn as a flashlight channeling her magic on it instead of her hands. Now that she trained Shadow magic with he Knights she was perfectly capable to see in darkness but it felt nice to do magic as a pony again.

Then she looked at East Wind. She was not expecting an alicorn.

“Unbelievable, you were a Princess all this time, East Wind? Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Because I’m not. You complain that we are playing a dangerous game breaking into universities and steal all the information we can to make it public. That is nothing compared with what I did back on the day. In the human world they don’t know about magic and can’t do anything to stop magic users. But here I had to work my way through the most powerful defensive spells.”

“You really are crazy don’t you?”

“I was dedicated to my cause.”

“Damn it, no wonder why the Undead Knights considered you a threat.”

East Wind sighed. “You don’t say! But in the end, they helped the Knights to be recognized by the Crown. We joined against an enemy in common.”

“East, you may have done some good to Equestria but it seems like you haven’t learn anything. You ended up paying the ultimate price, and you still do the exact same thing in our world.”

East Wind nodded sadly. “Is my passion, and I achieved more than any other Great Master in the history of the Order.”

Sunset preferred to change the subject. Arguing with East Wind always put her in a bad mood.

“Where are we, anyway?”

“In the Great Master’s home. The one-true Great Master” said East Wind looking at a chair in a corner as she touched it with the tip of her wings. “I remember this chair! This where I sat when the Old Master taught me magic for the first time. I made lots of memories on this chair.”

She then continued to look around lost in her memories.

“Oh and look at this window! This is the window that I broke back when I met him. All kids were afraid of him but when we spoke for the first time I realized how amazing he was!”

Sunset knew she was having fun, but she had to pop her bubble.

“I understand that you are having fun but we don’t have time to waste. Why didn’t we appear right in Canterlot?”

“I am supposed to be dead for over six years. If I show up like this in the city, there’s a huge chance that the ponies panic or try to crown me the newest Princess of Equestria. I’ve caused enough problems already, I don’t want to make things worse. Besides we’re not that far from Canterlot.”

Sunset nodded and the two of them went to the door. East wanted to stay a bit longer but she knew they didn’t have time to waste.

“Goodbye Great Master. My good old Great Master.”

“Old?” asked a voice in the shadows.

The two mares turned, to see a pair of red eyes glowing in the dark.

“What the hell?” asked Sunset.

Fleshy Smile came to light. Sunset shivered when she saw the red eyes and the fangs on a familiar face, even if it was in pony form. She smiled widely.

“He was not an ‘old griffon’ as you think. He looked like he was eighty, but he was barely forty-two. It haven’t affected you yet, right East Wind? I bet that turning into an alicorn bought you some time.”

Fleshy Smile jumped over the Great Master who barely created a barrier to keep her away.

“HOW?!”

Fleshy Smile cracked her neck.

“It’s been six years since you escaped. So, this is where you’ve been all these years? On the other side?”

East Wind touched the scar on her neck, it was Fleshy Smile who did it to her.

“How did you know I was going to show up here?”

Fleshy Smile laughed. “I didn’t. I was just investigating the Old Great Masters’ belongings when you just showed up here.”

She relished her fangs in anticipation. “You escaped last time. Today you won’t be that lucky.”

The undead creature over the Great Master with her mouth open exposing her fangs. Knowing what was coming, East rolled away avoiding the creatures’ attack and she sent a magic beam from her hoof. The attack was so precise that it went through the undead’s heart.

Fleshy Smile lied on the ground, and she did not move again.

“Is it over?” asked Sunset Shimmer pale as a ghost.

“You wish!”

Sunset cried in pain, as a diamond pierced her right flank, and another on her left one.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” said Gothic coming to the light. “Your blood is practically turning that diamond into a ruby. Do you want to model my new gem collection?”

Gothic started to throw diamond after diamond to Sunset cutting her all over her body but making sure she did not touch any vital point. Sunset cried in pain as she tried to protect herself from the attack. Gothic laughed exposing her fangs.

The Great Master tackled her and destroyed her body with a magic beam.

The undead unicorn regenerated indifferently as she took a chair’s leg and threw it to the Great Master. This was what East Wind thought, but out of sudden the improvised stake turned to Sunset. Luckily for Sunset she was able to create a force field right on time, but she was too weak. She have lost too much blood, and to make things worse Fleshy Smile was throwing everything she could at her.

But she was not giving up. Sunset used her magic to throw back the projectiles to Fleshy Smile who did not bother to avoid them. A couple of sapphires inserted on her eyes and she smiled.

It was a terrifying sight.

“Care to help me, Gothic?”

“Of course, darling! I’ve always used this to torture victims, it is my first time doing it to my friends.”

She took a big ice cream scoop, and much to Sunset’s horror and disgust she removed the two gems along with the eyes.

“It was a great experience!” giggled Fleshy Smile.

Gothic nodded. “Would you mind do it to me as well? I want to try!”

Fleshy Smile happily obliged and removed Gothic’s eyes with her ice cream scoop and replaced it with two giant emeralds.

Sunset Shimmer threw up, this was too much to handle.

But East Wind took the chance and used her magic to heal Sunset calling the two monsters’ attention.

“What are you doing here anyway?” asked East Wind.

Fleshy Smile shrugged. “Oh, you know the usual. We went to the Griffon Empire to find more about your Order of morons. Do you think we would face you again without some sort of preparation? Anyway, we found all the skeletons in the closet of your Order. And we came here to see if we could find more.”

“We were about to leave when we felt the magic power coming from the mirror. It’s a shame the others are busy with their own mission. All of us want to take a piece of the only pony who have escaped from us.”

Sunset Shimmer shivered.

East Wind only looked around not trusting the creatures. She released her aura to feel any hidden threat.

The interlude was over and the two undead disappeared inside the shadows. Sunset was about to do the same when she was stopped by East Wind.

“No! It’s suicidal!”

East Wind used his power to create a blinding light forcing the undeads to materialize. Then East Wind destroyed Gothic with her power as Sunset took care of Fleshy Smile.

“You are getting better. It’s a shame it’s pointless!” laughed Fleshy Smile regenerating.

Sunset used her power to immobilize the undead and threw Gothic over her and then she impaled them with what was left in a chair. East took a bed and squished the two undeads turning them into a disgusting red paste.

Sunset threw up again, this was too much for her. East telling her about the creatures was one thing but fighting them in person was a completely different story. And the worse part was when the paste started to reshape into ponies again.

“Swallow this!!” shouted Sunset incinerating the creatures.

The paste turned into ashes, and the fire started to extend through the house.

East Wind pushed Sunset out of the window, and the tow of them ran as far as possible as the undeads continued to regenerate. The fire continued to extend through the town. Good thing it was abandoned.

“We have to leave!”

“Not so fast! I have to buy us more time!” said East Wind using the sealing spell.

With that the two of them fused with their shadows and they disappeared in the darkness of the night.

They ran as far as possible, but they had to stop at some point since Sunset was too weak after the undeads’ surprise attack.

“Are you okay?” asked the Great Master.

“Yes, thank you. So, these are the creatures that you’re afraid of?”

“A justified fear, don’t you think?” asked East.

Sunset started shacking and tear up. “Oh Lord! And there are six of them? God!”

“Seven. The Bearers of Harmony plus a dragon.”

Sunset shivered. “What I’ve got myself into?”

The two of them heard something in the shadows. After exchanging a look the two of them disappeared into the shadows.

East Wind was worried and thoughtful. What they were looking for at the Great Master’s home? And what did they found on the Griffon Empire? She had a feeling that she would not like the answer.

…

Twilight was busy looking document after document on the Canterlot Archives. If half of what Midnight have told her was true she had to find a way to save Spike. But she was hoping that Midnight were wrong. She had to find the answer, and the best place to find answers was the Canterlot Archives.

Princess Celestia entered to the Archives and after giving Twilight a sad smile, she touched her with her wings calling her attention.

“Princess Celestia?” asked Twilight.

“Twilight, I understand that you are worried and that this is top priority for you, but the Knights of Silence just requested an emergency meeting with us. Reunite your friends, I think we must listen what they have to say.

“On it!” said Twilight. She needed to see Spike and there was a huge chance that he would be at that meeting.

They reunited in the Court Room, where the Knights of the Silence were already waiting for them. Spike and the Great Master Irish Coffee.

“Spike! I’m so glad to see you!” said Twilight hugging him.

Spike hugged her back, but he broke the embrace. “I am happy to see you too Twilight, but we have something very important to discuss.”

Then he and Irish bowed before the door.

“Spike?” asked Twilight.

Then the door opened one more time.

Everypony froze in astonishment. What?!

The Great Master East Wind entered, followed by no other than Sunset Shimmer.-

“You?!” asked Celestia. “But you died! We saw you die six years ago!!”

“Alicorns are more durable than ponies, you should know that. But we don’t have time to discuss the technicalities of my miraculous escape. The pieces have aligned on the board and we have to make our move.”

Author's Note

So this is the Great Master’s great return. A bit of fanservice gore that made the Undead Knights so popular. Anyway I hope you liked it and see you on the next chapter.

Read ya’ later!!