Chapter 11: Truths and Promises

Moonless Night had finally grasped what was going on. Detective Hard Facts had explained the situation this afternoon, and his mind was still reeling with the implications. Somehow, he got his special Talent forced upon him, making him a suspect of murder along the way. He truly did not remember what had happened in that alley after he got cornered by Sky Scraper and his friends, but he was left with a nagging feeling something utterly wrong had happened there.

He had been taken from his cell by some guardsponies and brought to the same room he was interrogated in. He was silently going over the facts again when there was a knock on the door. Moonless Night looked up and after a second the door opened, revealing detective Hard Facts followed by a grey unicorn with a blonde mane.

"Moonless Night, this is Dawn Flash. He is an expert on necromancy and helping in the investigation, and he would like to have a word with you."

Dawn Flash nodded and smiled at Moonless Night, who couldn't help but notice that his eyes were filled with both curiosity and pity.

"Good evening my friend, I gather you have no real clue about what's happened to you. Luckily for you, I am here to rectify that."

Moonless Night narrowed his eyes, not sure he liked the smug tone of the pony in front of him.

"Maybe I do have a clue, and simply had no desire to share my thoughts with you."

Dawn Flash smiled, eyes sparkling.

"Oh really? Then, could you tell me how you manifested that charnel touch? Or maybe show me what kind of necromancy spells you have mastered? Clearly, you've had ample time to study an old and dangerous school of magic after you recognized your Talent. Please, enlighten us oh master of the dark arts."

Moonless Night blinked, he did not expect to be mocked. Reprimanded maybe, but mocked? Especially not by somepony working for the Guard. Dawn Flash seemed to realize this as well, chuckling darkly.

"Perhaps you should lay off on the smart remarks kid, that is my job here."

He raised a hoof before Moonless Night could get a word in, silencing him.

"Now, while I'd love to verbally spar with you all evening I think it's better if I did what I came here to do."

Dawn Flash trotted over to the table and sat opposite of Moonless Night, his face suddenly serious.

"I heard that you have no memory of what happened to you after the bullies cornered you, is that right?"

Moonless Night nodded and Dawn flash looked thoughtful.

"I think you do know what happened, but you repressed the memories somehow. This is to be expected, considering the traumatic experience it probably was. You see, I recognize this situation. You are a loner, talented in magic and a strange fascination with darker things, am I right?"

Moonless Night's eyes widened, surprised that this stallion read him so easily. This reaction was not missed on Dawn Flash, and he nodded to himself.

"It seems I am right. I think you have a natural connection to negative energy, the energy that fuels most if not all necromancy. This connection is usually small, and most peopl- I mean ponies don't ever discover that they have this connection. Some become spellcasters and discover that they have a natural affinity for such magic, or they do something else but can't help but feel drawn to dark and morbid things. A select few recognize this connection and manage to reinforce it, opening a conduit to that power within their souls. These individuals are called dread necromancers, and you have become one."

"But, how? I have never even seen necromancy in my life, let alone use it."

Dawn Flash's face became grim, Moonless Night thought he almost seemed reluctant to continue.

"There is one other way for someone to become a dread necromancer, one dreadfully cruel way. Someone has filled you with negative energy and forcibly opened your connection, making you achieve your potential powers. This individual is definitely a necromancer, probably a dread necromancer, and has recognized your potential and decided to 'help' you realize it. This pony is the one that killed your classmates, and we need your help in finding him. Or her, for that matter."

"But I don't remember anything! How can I help you if I don't know who did this to me?"

Dawn Flash's eyes seemed to sparkle with amusement, and he smiled at Moonless Night.

"That is exactly the question! You might not be able to help us directly, but I have an idea."

Dawn Flash stood up and trotted over to detective Hard Facts. He whispered something to her, winked at Moonless Night and left the room. Moonless Night blinked, then turned to the detective.

"Did he just-"

"Walk away without explaining anything, leaving you completely at loss and more than a bit irritated?"

Moonless Night nodded at the detective, who sighed.

"He might be a pain in the flank, but he knows what he is doing. Now, I'm happy to tell you that we cannot hold you here any longer, so you'll be released soon. I'm sorry that we had to keep you locked up like this, but we had to make sure that you weren't the murderer."

Moonless Night perked up, a smile beginning to form on his muzzle.

"I can go home?"

Herd Facts nodded.

"Know that we will keep you under Guard supervision for the time being, the murderer might decide to finish his work and come after you again. I already cleared this with your parents, but I wanted to tell you myself."

"I understand detective. I have one question, though. What will become of me after all of this is over? Necromancy isn't really something that's widely understood, much less tolerated. What will I do with my life?"

Hard Facts stopped, not sure how to answer that question. Right when she was about to answer the door opened, revealing Dawn Flash carrying two cups of coffee and a soda with his telekinesis.

"I think I can answer that question. Drinks, anyone?"

Hard Facts and Moonless Night just stared at him. Dawn Flash shrugged and put the soda and the second coffee on the table, then took a sip of his own coffee.

"Suit yourselves. Well, you wanted to know what to do with your life as a necromancer, right?"

Before Moonless Night could answer Hard Facts stepped forward and glared at Dawn Flash.

"What do you think you're doing? You tell us you have a plan, then walk out on us? Now you come back with drinks and continue our conversation like nothing has happened? What is wrong with you?"

Dawn Flash endured the rant without batting an eyebrow, taking a casual sip of his coffee. He set down his coffee as soon as Hard Facts stopped.

"Feel better?"

Hard Facts blinked, then reluctantly nodded. Dawn Flash smiled and offered her coffee again, she took it.

"I apologize for my behavior, I understand that I can be an incredible jerk sometimes. Anyway, I believe that the pony that killed those colts and give Moonless Night his powers is still around somewhere. If I forcibly made somepony a dread necromancer, I would stick around to see what happened with him. Perhaps even approach him and steer him onto the dark path."

"You're saying that our killer will be watching Moonless Night?"

Dawn Flash nodded.

"Exactly! Therefore, we need some extra supervision for him as soon as he is free again. Speaking of which, when will he be released?"

Moonless Night, who was following the conversation with an impassive expression, grinned at Dawn Flash.

"I will be released today! Or that's what the detective told me."

She nodded.

"Yes, and concerning your plan, we always keep victims in such cases under supervision. That's standard Guard procedure."

Dawn Flash looked surprised.

"Really? Well, that's a new thing for me, actual competent guard in charge of an investigation. Makes things a lot easier for people like me."

Hard Facts looked a bit offended, while Moonless Night looked curious.

"What do you mean? The Guard is everywhere in Equestria, right?"

Dawn Flash nodded.

"Yep, but I'm not from around here. Where I'm from, you can consider yourselves lucky if the guard investigates stuff like this at all. Unless it's about a rich pers-, erm, pony, then it is to be expected. Anyway, you wanted to know what to do now that you're a dread necromancer, right?"

Moonless Night saw Hard Facts give Dawn Flash a sideways glance, but he decided that the current topic was more important.

"Yeah, I mean, necromancy isn't really something that gets you employed easily, right? I have never heard more than horror stories about it."

Dawn Flash nodded and offered Moonless Night the can of soda, which he took.

"I can Imagine that, but you'll have to know that there's more to necromancy then you might think. Of course, most necromancy is dark and nasty stuff, but some of it is useful. For example, there is a modification on the curse spell that makes it only active when the target violates a certain rule. It's used by holy paladins to give criminals a second chance. Other spells can numb pain, or even heal the caster under certain circumstances. And there is the multitude of ways one can protect himself from the undead, intelligent or otherwise. There are even spells that protect others from necromantic killing spells."

Both Hard Facts and Moonless Night seemed impressed by this.

"But why doesn't anypony use those spells then? Even if they are necromancy spells, they sound very beneficial."

Dawn Flash gave a wry smile.

"Because for every beneficial necromancy spell, there are dozens of terrible ones. For example, I know of a spell that invigorates and strengthens the caster by finishing off a dying person, or a spell that suppresses someone's life force, which can be lethal. There are far more terrible necromancy spells, but I do not know them, nor am I powerful enough to cast them. Necromancy is, above all, mastery over the edge between life and death. This is what scares most people about it, even though it can also be used to protect someone against a necromancer. There lies the greatest irony, necromancers of even strength can do very little against each other. They can both take over each other's minions and nullify almost all of their killing spells, rendering them almost impotent."

Dawn Flash sighed and took another sip of coffee. Moonless Night was processing the information with rapid speed, feeling a bit more hopeful about his future.

"So I can also use my necromantic powers to help protect ponies from necromancers?"

Dawn Flash nodded, a slight smile evident on his features.

"Basically, yes. But you need to be able to control your powers first, else you can still accidentally kill somepony."

That statement hit hard, and Moonless Night lost most of his earlier enthusiasm.

"Kill? How, I am just talented in necromancy, right?"

Dawn Flash shook his head, his smile becoming wry again.

"Remember what I told you? You are a dread necromancer, not just a regular necromancer. You have a well of power in your soul, and it will spill over if you can't control it. You get some natural abilities that regular spellcasters do not get, like the charnel touch."

Dawn Flash walked back a bit and concentrated. His upturned hoof got wreathed in a black haze, not unlike the flames on his Talent Mark. He turned back and the haze disappeared.

"That was pure negative energy, straight from the well within my soul. If I touch somepony with this, their bodies would start decaying. Negative energy is the direct opposite of life energy, making it dangerous if it isn't kept under control. This is but one of the aspects of being a dread necromancer, but it's one of the most basic ones. Only if you wish to train more will you get more dangerous powers, and then there is another problem. This well of power will continue to grow as you grow as a necromancer, eventually becoming too much for your soul to bear. If you reach the peak of your abilities, you will have to make a phylactery and become a lich. A nearly indestructible undead spellcaster whose soul resides in an artifact of his own making."

"What?! Why would somepony ever want to become something like that? It sounds terrible."

Dawn Flash actually laughed at this, and Moonless Night felt a little offended.

"What's so funny about this?"

"You are so adorably naïve. Becoming a lich is what drives countless of spellcasters, a lot of them not even being necromancers. You have to understand that the promise of immortality is a nearly irresistible lure to many. Countless mages have died trying to become liches, some were even decent people, interested only in continuing their arcane research without having to care for silly things like death. But I understand that you find it abhorrent, I was also shocked when I discovered this fact about my powers. I just wanted to make sure you knew all of the aspects of being a dread necromancer before my next question."

Moonless Night felt overwhelmed, all of this was happening too fast. Yesterday his greatest concern was staying clear of Sky Scraper and his friends, and now he was told he could become an immortal undead if he kept practicing his Talent. A talent he got forced upon him!

"Why me? Why now? I just want a normal life, is that really out of my grasp? Wait, next question?"

Dawn Flash sat down, his face completely serious.

"I understand that you feel overwhelmed, I really do. But this is who you are now, and you will have to live with it. Don't worry about becoming a living corpse just yet, I do not even possess half of the power required to become a lich, and I have been a dread necromancer for half of my life!"

He chuckled and finished his coffee, then threw it into a waiting thrash can.

"No, what's important right now is that you need to learn to control that well of yours. I gathered that your father is a teacher in magic, right?"

Moonless Night nodded.

"He will be able to help you along the way, but I'm afraid that he won't be able to get you started. That's where I come in, I am willing to instruct you in controlling your powers. Well, after this situation is over, at least. But only if you want me to, I can't force you to do anything."

Silence reigned in the room for almost a minute before Moonless Night finally spoke up.

"T-this is a big thing, you know? I have been a Blank Flank for far too long, and now I have a Talent forced on me. I was a suspect in a freaking murder case, and a stranger now tells me that my Talent is potentially dangerous before offering to help me. The fact that he is not who he seems isn't really helping, either."

Dawn Flash blinked.

"Come again?"

Moonless Night looked him straight in the eye.

"You keep messing up your speech. If you get going, you keeps saying anyone and person instead of anypony and pony. You also admitted yourself that you are not from around here. If you want me to trust you with instructing me, I want you to trust me as well. I know the detective knows your secret, and if it is classified information I can relent. But it's hard to trust somepony that is not who he seems, especially after that Changeling incident two years ago."

Hard Facts and Dawn Flash exchanged glances, and Dawn flash cracked a smile.

"He's a sharp one, isn't he? So, can I tell him?"

Hard Facts nodded.

"It's no state secret, just yours. I can't forbid you to tell him even if I wanted to."

Dawn Flash's smile became wider.

"Well then, I hope your parents are patient ones, because this story will take a while."
~
Abyss sat in his sanctum, thinking. Why did Terminus do this to him? Why? He had given the creature his obedience, his servitude, and was rewarded with only a snippet ofknowledge! A mere scrap of power! He would put up with the thing's antics no longer. Who cared about that colt, anyway? Just a kid with an unusually dark Talent, nothing really special about that. No, Abyss would bow down no longer! It was time for a reckoning!

He trotted towardsanother room and grabbed a phone, punching the number of Silent Whisper.

"This is Silent Whisper, what are your orders, boss?"

Abyss smiled, he had always valued the mare's loyalty and efficiency.

"Cancel all my orders about that colt, it's not relevant anymore. Keep an eye on that necromancer, though, and tell me the whereabouts of the Elements of Harmony. We will proceed with our original plan, now that the pieces are so conveniently placed. Tomorrow, Celestia will fall, and Equestria will be ours for the taking."

Abyss could almost hear the eager grin on his subordinate's face.

"Of course, sir. I will have your 'assets' at sunrise."

The line went dead, and a Abyss went back to his sanctum. He had a ritual to prepare.

Author's Note

Booyah, got me some random crappy internet connection, so here's chapter 11. Hope I can find another unprotected wifi later to see any comments. And upload another chapter if it's finished ofc ;)

Enjoy, my friends.