//------------------------------//
// Not so alone in the woods of Everfree 
// Story: A not so dark art. 
// by Voltsthevoltvolts 
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Skullworthy hovered just by the door. He couldn't open the door due to a magical seal Dead Quiet had put on the door preventing anything except her from opening it. However that didn't stop the group that was outside from pounding the door. After a brief moment of thinking Skullworthy was able to formulate a plan. He gently spoke out to those outside. "Ah hello! Who is there?"

"Wait, who is this?" A familiar voice called out. After some thought he decided that it was Twilight.

"Do you remember that floating skull that was by my Mistress?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Well my Mistress was studying a scroll and she must have found one that enabled me to talk."

"I see, and where would she be now?"

"Ah well, you see the back blast from casting the spell knocked her out cold. And she is now resting." 

"Is there anything you can do?"

"Besides ask you to polity to leave, no."

Skullworthy received no response instead he heard quiet murmurs and hushed whispers. "May we ask your name?"

"You may call me Skullworthy. And before you ask it has always been my name."

"Okay then Skullworthy. Could we ask you why she needs the Alicorn amulet?"

"If by 'she' you mean mistress, she has already told you."

"Right, we got that she was collecting a old robe set or something or other. But why?"

"Well you see from what Mistress has told me, she wasn't always so pacified around the living. Once there was a time where she would openly attack living on sight. She was more of your stereotype evil necromancer. One time she raided a library and found it to be full of necromatic scrolls and documents to do with the griffon/pony war."

"The griffon wars was years ago, thousands of years ago! How old is she?"

"It in not polite to ask a lady her age. Back to the story, she raided the entire library and stole of the documents and scrolls. She has been studying them ever since."

"Right, so how does this relate to the Alicorn amulet?"

"Well one of the documents contained the plans for a ceremonial war robe that could bolster and pony to an ungodly strong level of magical mastery. It was comprised of a hat, necklace and robe."

"So she found the hat and robe?"

"No she merely spent over two-hundred years making it. How long she took gathering the materials is beyond me."

"Why?"

"She already had most of the materials when she made me. I was originally just going to be a servant to help organised its making."

"What happened?"

"She changed... So to speak, at first she would go on about how she would use the robes to crush her foes. But at some point she realized that... Well I don't know what happened. She just stopped going on about concurring Equestria."

A shuffling could be heard from one of the rooms followed by a long pained groaning. "Oh my head! It feels like its in a vice!" It became apparent to everything in the nearby area that Dead was awake.

"Hey Skullworthy, if she is suffering from magical backlash I can help. Could you get her to open the door?"

"I will see what I can do. No promises."





Dead was lying in her bed. Her eyes were tightly shut and she would occasionally gave and ecstatic jerk. The dragon skull hovered over to her side. "Madam, are you alright?" She gave a long groan. "We have visitors, the group from yesterday. Twilight requested that you go see her, something to do with the backlash."

"This hurts so much! I just want it to end! Oh this should be a happy day.. You can talk!"

"If I might suggest, maybe you could go see Twilight, she said she would help."

"Alright. But shes not getting the amulet." Dead rolled out of her bed and stood up shakily. She stumbled out of the door and into the front door. She crashed into the door with a loud thump. "Ohhh its getting worse!" She groaned loudly as she undid the various locks on the door. The door slowly creaked open reviling the small ground that were patiently waiting. "Heh, what do you want?" she said grumpily 

"Just hold still, I'm going to knock your rude attitude off as being caused by pain." Twilight said ecstatically and full of enthusiasm. She channeled a small spell and cast it towards Dead. The bolt hit Dead on her horn and its was enough to make her legs buckle to the floor. A strange warm sensation washed over as she stood up and she found that the pain had gone.

"Thank you, but that doesn't change anything. You are not getting the amulet."

"I never expected to. But that is besides the point."

"Okay then, why did you come down today then? If not for the amulet." 

"Ummmmmm, Rarity help me out?"

"Well you see... We are here because... We want to know.... Why you live out here? Yes that's it! We want to know why you don't live closer to Ponyville? Seeing as that's the nearest village." Neither side saw that question coming however with a few nods from her friends Rarity had be reassured that she had done well.

"Well you see Rarity, I am a necromancer. I am in exile and not aloud near any other ponies. And yes that should mean you and your friends."

"I see, well why don't you..."

"Out of the picture. Now if you don't have any more question please get your flanks off my property."

Spike shuffled in front of Twilight and Rarity, despite looks of disapproval from them he spoke up. "Do you collect anything else? I mean you have been making that ceremonial war robe so do you collect anything else?"

"How do you know about that? I haven't mentioned it." She shot cold daggers and the small group hoping for one of them to answer, however she received none. "You know what, I don't really care. I collect various trinkets and magic artifacts I won't go into to detail, seeing as it will just make you stay longer. If you don't mind could you please leave. Its getting late."

"Alright fine. But we will be back tomorrow!" Twilight said promptly as they left. 

"Skullworthy. I give up on the living..."