Twilight confused, stared into the eyes of Harald. Her mind reeled from the information she had just been told, somehow their enemies had managed to seemingly perfect necromancy, but had also captured windigos, forced them into the dead bodies and managed to bend them to their will. Closing her eyes, she began searching through the memories of equestria with her newly expanded alicorn magic, but came up with nothing. "I've never heard of a draugr before.", she said with a defeated sigh.
"You most likely wouldn't have.", Harald replied, "They rarely travel outside of frozen bogs and marshes. But when one is spotted, it's usually a strong sign of a powerful necromancer or an evil shaman who sold their soul to the darkness."
Necromancer, the word hung in Twilight's mind for a moment as she recalled a powerful necromancer who was defeated by Gusty the Great. "There is only one powerful necromancer in the whole of Equestria's history, but he was defeated over three thousand years ago. Unless...some pony or creature has been able to retrieve the bewitching bell, there's no way he could have returned."
"Uh, Twi? You ain't talkin' 'bout who I think ya are, are ya?", AJ asked with a quirked eyebrow, "Ain't he like s'posed tuh be nuthin' more'n an old mare's tale tuh scare foals intuh listenin' tuh their mommas and daddies?"
"No AJ, Grogar was very real.", Twilight said in a soft tone, "He commanded the nightmare forces and before the winter of the windigo, he terrorized the ponies of pre-unification Equestria. True there's not many surviving documents from that time, but what few do survive gave the mention of an ally that he served. A creature known as the nameless one."
"The nameless one?!", Rainbow exclaimed, "That sounds like the rejected name of a really bad Nightmare Night book."
"Whether or not the creature has a name or not, that doesn't change what Harald and I encountered months ago.", Fluttershy said with a visible shiver, "The body of a dead pony, all its fur, mane and tail had long fallen out, it's flesh black and covered in frost. No love or peace in those eyes, frost spreading across the ground from each hoofstep. The only way to stop it was to chop it to pieces and destroy the remains with fire. A windigo sprang from the flames and fled to the north."
The other ponies and dragon all shuddered at the description.
Spike clenched his fist tightly. "If we need fire to beat these things, we can get hold of Ember and see if she'll send some dragons to help us."
"We c'n prob'ly get the kirin tuh help us out too.", Applejack chimed in, "Ah know Ah'd be as thrilled as a green worm in a fresh apple tuh see Autumn Blaze again an' they might be pretty good when they turn intuh niriks against these...wadda ya call 'em Harry...draggers?"
"That's a good idea Spike, maybe Ember will help us out against these undead creatures.", Twilight spoke up, "As far as the kirin helping us, they've been an isolationist country for centuries, they only opened their borders to us to trade about twenty years ago...", she pointed her hoof to Applejack and Fluttershy, "...after the map sent you two to them. Besides, last year after Sombra had used Blueblood II to try and assassinate Harald, Celestia, Luna, Cadance and myself went through a session to prepare Equestria for the war and Celestia said unless there was a representative from the Emerald Empire or The Kingdom of Chin, they'd stay out of the fighting unless they were attacked."
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The pegasus chariot holding Sweetie Drops, Lyra Heartstrings, Daring Do, Asahina Hunsunohana and Han Xiangzi began slowly slowly drifting towards Mount Canter in a lazy right loop. Several pegasus guard patrols changed their flight patterns to intercept the chariot, shouting challenges and Sweetie Drops calling out the return code indicating they were friendlies. As the royal palace came into view, the pegasus-drawn chariot began descending in a tight turning pattern. Soon a large rectangular-shaped area of paved stones came into the view and the two pegasi pulling the chariot began slowly dipping towards it. A unicorn guard began directing them down with a paid of brightly colored flags towards an empty area of the paved rectangle, a few moments later the chariot with a thump, a few bounces and the clatter of hooves on the pavement.
As several guards helped the two pegasi guards unhitch from the chariot. Sweetie Drops, Han Xiangzi and Asahina Hunsunohana stepped off the back of the chariot. An earth pony mare wearing a simple black vest and white cravat, a clipboard balanced on her back, walked over and gave a slight bow, "Greetings honored guests. On behalf of the princesses, I welcome you to Equestria. My name is Ink Blot." She took the the clipboard off her back, propped against a forelimb and said around the quill gripped in her teeth, "What are your namesh and Chikles?"
Hunsunohana gave a stiff bow, her arms held tightly at her sides, removing the face mask from her helmet, she said, "Asahina Hunsunohana, Lady of Kuren Prefecture, heir of Asahina Sokko, Jade Champion of the Emperor Edo Yunikon."
Xiangzi gave an elaborate bow and pressed his palms together firmly together. "Han Xiangzi, disciple of the great kinin sifu Ningjing, master of the eight-form fist, keeper of the Tao of the sun and the moon."
Ink Blot finished writing down the names before placing the quill in the inkwell and returning the clipboard to her back. "Come along, you must be tired from your journey.", she said with a kind gesture of her hoof, "I'm sure you two would like a place to rest and freshen up before meeting the princesses." She guided the two uprights to a pair of rooms and kindly gestured for them to enter. "You'll find the accommodations to be quite comfortable and if you want, I'll have some refreshments brought up."
Hunsunohana gave a slight smile as she watched her companion enter the adjoining room and gave a curt nod of her head, then closed the door. Reaching to her waist, she removed the katana, wakazashi and tanto from the silk obi, placing each on the nearby desk with gentle ceremony filled with reverence. She untied that leather and flaxen knots holding the armor on, placing each piece reverently on the mattress. Undoing the elaborately braided knots that served on her silk and flaxen suit, she reached in and pulled out a linen roll that served as travel bundle. Reaching down, she undid the leather straps on her tabi, kicking them off before sliding off her silk and flaxen suit, revealing the simple linen wraps covering her chest and hips.
Unrolling the travel bundle, Hunsunohana revealed a deep blue kimono with elaborate green and golden patterns, tins of various makeup, a pair of brilliant white flax socks, a small bar of soap, a jade comb, washcloths, a pair of wooden sandals, a vial of jasmine perfume and a pair of jade-embossed ivory chopsticks. Picking up the bar of soap and washcloths, she walked over to the tub, began filling it with hot water. Once the tub as full, she unwrapped the linen wraps from around her chest and hips, then lowered herself into the steaming water to bathe.
"Come in.", Hunsunohana said in a calm and pleasant tone as she exited the bathroom, in response to the soft knock on the door, tucking the last end of the linen wrap in around her chest. She smiled gently as a unicorn butler walked in, levitating a covered silver tray in his magic.
"The kitchens were unsure what you preferred to eat, so I have brought you some scones, marmalade and clotted cream, along with a pot of tea.", the butler said in a measured and stiff tone as he placed the tray down and uncovered it.
"Thank you for you hospitality, that will suffice for now, good sir.", Hunsunohana said with a slight bow. As the unicorn butler nodded and silently walked out of the room, she came walked over to the platter and began to pour herself some tea in the small cup while picking up a scone. Though she was unaccustomed to the medium-brown tea and the sweetness of the scones, she silently consumed them as to do otherwise would offend her hosts, or so her decades of training in social etiquette had told her.
Once Hunsunohana had finished eating and drinking, she picked up then tins of make up. Gently prying the lid off the first tin, revealing a paste-like white cream, she dipped the tips of her fingers into the substance, gently applying it to her face and neck until they were white. Returning the lid to the tin, she opened the second tin revealing a purpleish-blue powder and began gently applying it around her eyes. Opening the third tin after returning the lid to the previous one revealed a black paste along with a fine-tipped brush, she dipped it in the paste then began painting thin lines where her eyebrows were and outlining her lips. Opening the fourth tin, she began applying a thin layer of rose-colored powder to her cheek bones. Opening the last tin, she dipped a fingertip into a red waxy substance and gently applied it to the center of her lips. Putting away the tins of makeup, she uncorked the vial of perfume and applied the jasmine-scented substance to her body.
Asahina Hunsunohana slid the white socks over her feet and rolled them up to her knees, tucking some of the cloth between the first toes on her feet, she stepped into the wooden sandals. Picking up the kimono, she slipped it on, cinching tight about her lither yet muscular form, she smoothed out the wrinkles and made sure it clung to her form properly. She began meticulously placing her hair into a topknot before securing it with the chopsticks. Lastly she tied the obi around her waist, then slid the swords and knife into it. She observed herself in the mirror, smoothing out any imperfections in her makeup and flattening any errant wrinkles in her kimono, now she looked a proper lady of Asahina, ready to come before royalty in any land.
Xiangzi hummed a tune as he slipped out of his robes and slid into the tub of water to bathe. "Come in my good pony!", he called out from the rub in a happy tone.
A unicorn butler opened the door and walked in. Looking around, he heard the upright humming a tune from the bathroom. "Excuse me sir, I have brought you some scones with marmalade and clotted cream, along with a pot of tea.", he called out n a calm voice, "Though if this is an inopportune time, I can bring it back later."
"Nonsense my good sir!", Xiangzi called out from the tub, "I am feeling a bit hungry, just leave it on the table, once I finish with my bath, I'll partake. Oh and thank you for your hospitality!"
The unicorn butler nodded his head, placed the tray on the table and quietly left the room.
Han Xiangzi rose from the tub after he finished his bath and shook the water from his body. Slipping the saffron robes back on his body, he cinched the belt around his waist and walked into the next room. Pouring the tea into a small cup as he picked up a scone, sipping the light brown liquid while munching on the sweet pastry, it was not something he had eaten before or was accustomed to, a smile graced his lips as he recalled the words of his sifu, "Never hesitate to take joy in all things, especially in the new and unfamiliar."
Taps on the doors by Ink Blot alerted the two uprights that the princesses were ready for them. As the two of them were escorted by a small contingent of guards to the large double doors outside the throne room, Xiangzi made small talk and cracked jokes with them, while Hunsunohana walked on in silence facing forward like what was expected of a proper lady of Kuren Prefecture and samurai of proper station.
The guards peeled away as they reached the massive double doors. Golden and deep blue magical fields surrounded the doors before they opened. Asahina Hunsunohana immediately immediately assumed a slightly bent stance and moved forward with a shuffling gait. She stopped t the first group of guards and removed her katana, laying it on the floor at their hooves, she shuffled forward to the next group of guards, removing the wakzashi from he obi, laying it on the floor. Reaching the last group of guards, removed the tanto and laid it on the floor. Reaching the base of the dais, she lowered herself to her knees and bent forward, placing her forehead on the floor. "Empress Amaterasu. Empress Susanoo."
"Rise lady Asahina.", Celestia said in a gentle tone, "Call me Celestia or Princess Celestia if you prefer." She gestured to Luna, "This is my sister, Princess Luna."
As Hunsunohana rose to her feet slowly, keeping her posture slightly bowed, Han Xiangzi propped his weapon by the door and slowly approached the dais with a bowed posture. Pressing his palms together, he bowed low before the princesses. Oh divine rulers of this land, my companion and I answer your call, fulfilling the promises the champions of our lands made so long ago."
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As the caravan prepared to leave in the morning from the town of Somnambula, Dhahabi Eazm helped load up the last of the crates on a wagon before climbing aboard. As they began to pull off, he raised his head to the sky and began singing a traditional traveling song in a loud baritone voice.
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Imbali Enhle and Zecora wriggled out of their bedrolls as the sun came up, then rolled them up. As they stowed their bedrolls, the upright tossed a leaf-wrapped bundle of dried grains, fruits and tubers to the zebra. As the two hastily pushed the food into their mouths, the held a lengthy conversation with several clicks of the tongues.
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As Trixie, Starlight and Orodes began to leave Our Town as the sun peaked over the top of the mountain peaks, he climbed on top of Trixie's wagon, held his hands up to his mouth and gave shouts to each of the cardinal directions.