Author's Note

So after I got my fire back I decided to do a little... story where a friend of mine kinda kicked off the idea and it kept rolling like a snowball before it became this!

Man, this was so different than what I'm used to doing for a first chapter!

I just wanna say that I really hope you guys enjoy this!

I do apologize in advance if I mistaken the MTG black/dark/swamp/undead type, I was told it's all the same.

Sorry, for the shorten-ish of this chapter, I wanted to try a different part 1/intro chapter than what I'm used to but still have something familiar about it.

Please comment below on what you think of this style of intro and if I should do it more often or not.

Btw I was listening to this when writing this chapter for some reason:

I guess it's since with all the undead and you know... guess this would contest for the theme if this story was greek mythos based story which it's not.

Part 1

"Oh hello!"

"Like my wares?"

"Yeah, you can say that,"

"Ahhhhh a classic. Feeling nostalgic?"

"Yeah I played Yugioh as a kid but this... this is a challenge,"

"I wasn't saying it was. I even used to play a game with Heisenberg a few times,"

"Who- Oh right my bad. But how much for the set?"

"Oh, that old thing? Let me think,"

"Ninety US, sound fair?"

"How about... Seventy-five?"

"Hmmm... Eighty-eight?"

"You drive a hard bargain dear sir but I'm not 'Ethan'... Seventy-nine?"

"Of course but still too low how about... Eighty-Five?"

"Ehhhhhhhhh... some of these are pretty cheap to get how about... how about a solid Eighty?"

"Oh hmmm,"

<"Eighty-two?">

"That is a fair piece we can agree on right?"

"Yeah, I do agree,"

"Then it's a deal. If Mr. Winters had your bargaining skill,"

"Hey, I'm a money guy... plus I played a lot of video games,"

"You strike me as a Fallout person,"

"Vegas. But I played all of them besides you know,"

"Seventy-six?"

"No, brotherhood,"

"Ahhhh a true buyer with good taste,"

"Here you go... thanks I can't let you know how much I appreciate this,"

"Don't worry have fun,"

"Not a problem-"

White as bleached bone...

Black as rotten flesh...

Red as dried blood...

You are to rise again!

The everfree forest...

Hidden under the vast green untamed trees, sat a dark corner sat a swamp.

The hollowed bark of trees long dead littered the barely lit swamp with water mudded and unsafe to drink.

Bones of all kinds were spread across the swamp, some bones could have been old as the swamp itself.

One of these bones rested in the clutches of tangled dead vines, the skull of a canine.

Large as a Diamond dog skull yet this one was longer and slimmer than any diamond dog skull.

But this skull wasn't lifeless like dead vines holding it, pushing forward the skull easily broke free of it's wooden prison as a body followed suit dressed in black robes that belonged to a mage. Standing up from the vines the creature's dark eye sockets lit for a moment like a spark, where two glowing pupils floated in the darkness of the eye sockets.

The creature looked at it's surroundings before looking down at it's hand before the glowing 'eyes' grew more as even the skull seem to change it's expression. It's black fur ears twitched before the creature held it's face feeling the exposed skull it had for a face before it gave an almost howl-like scream.

But soon the scream turns into laughter...

The laughter that belongs to a madman.

"I finally lost it..." Came a male voice from the creature's 'mouth' yet without lips the creature still had a tongue and spoke as if he both.

Laughing the undead-like creature held his skull face.

"This... can't be fake... this feels too real... or is my brain tricking me?" Moving his hands from his 'face' he noticed something glimmer in a small ray of sunlight breaking from the tree canopy over his head.

Reaching for it he pulled a leather strap off the top of whatever it was and pulled it from his belt before bringing it to his face. He didn't recognize the material the book's cover was made from, but it was some kind of silver like metal and black leather.

On the cover rested something he did recognize.

A skull...

A skull that belonged to a card game he enjoys.

The symbol for black mana.

Staring at the book for a moment before looking up at the swamp again, the 'skull dog' looked at the book again before pulling the buckle that held the book's cover together. A rush of air passed by him before he opened the book to look at the writing, it wasn't in any language that could have existed back home but he knew what it was.

Black speech.

That wasn't what he expected from a book with a symbol from the card game.

Yet he read it as if it was his first language...

From explaining how to summon lesser undead to perform rituals that could summon undead titans.

Closing the book with one hand, the skull dog looked to the swamp once again finally putting two-and-two together.

"Thanks, Duke," His sharp teeth on his skull moved into a smile.

Holding her arm out for Philomena, Celestia the princess of Equestria, the Eldest of two sisters, and master of the sun smiled while feeding her immortal companion.

Gently brushing her finger across the blazing orange feathers of the phoenix which the bird enjoyed before the door to her room was knocked causing her to turn from her avian familiar.

"Enter,"

As she said this a solar guard in golden armor stepped forward entering her room, bowing his head before using his free hand that wasn't holding his spear over his chest.

"Princess there is something happening within the mirror room,"

Looking at the guard she moved her letting Philomena fly over to his favorite spot before she walked over to the guard.

"What seems to be the matter?" She asked.

The guard looked up before moving his free hand to his side.

"You have to see for yourself, your highness,"

With a nod the two walked down the halls of the Cantorlot castle before not too long after making it to the 'Mirror room' two guards repeated the same salute as the first did before opening the double doors for her.

Upon entering, Celestia blinked in surprise at the mirror.

The usually reflective surface the mirror held was now a dark vanta black dripping with a black liquid down it's steps.

Keeping their distance from the liquid the guards all stood in a full circle around the mirror with their spears at the ready and even had their large shields held up. Passing by the guards to the mirror and to the strange liquid, never once has she seen the mirror ever do this or heard about it doing this before she found it.

This was new...

Looking at the liquid her horn glowed before a small spell bubble appeared in the liquid but before she could extract a sample to get a better look the bubble popped.

Baffled at the sight of what had happened she held her chin before looking at the guard from before.

"How long has it been like this?" Celestia asked.

"About 15 minutes my lady," The guard answered.

Holding her chin, she nodded her head before turning to leave the mirror.

"I need to send a letter to both Twilight and Starswirl... send for Sun Burst we need all brains on board for this,"

The guard placed his free hand over his chest plate before nodding.

"It will be done, princess,"

Going to follow his order, Celestia turned back to the mirror.

'Mother... I wish I was the one asleep right now and not Luna'

Walking away from the mirror to send those letters a small part of the liquid shifted unnoticed.