I awake when I feel a hoof kick into where my ribs should be. My empty eyes open, and I can instantly see a white alicorn standing over me, dressed in golden armor, with a sword against my neck. She sneers down at me, “Any last words, Necromancer?”
I think back to something Luna told me in the dream, “Within my rights as a pony, I demand parlay as my basic fundamental right, as seen in the Second Tenant of the Equestrian Constitution!”
Her eyes slightly widen, before she moves her sword away from my neck, “Then parley we shall have.”
I rise from the floor, stretching as I smile towards Celestia, “Good thing you said yes. If not, well, I don’t believe you would live to see the next day.”
She makes sure I can see her blade, “You wouldn’t get the chance. By the time you could get off a single spell, your head would be rolling on the floor. Even you can not survive the sting of the Sun Singer.”
I look at her blade, “You wanna test that? Cause if you attack me, you’re going to have a bad time.”
She doesn’t let me annoy her, “The only reason you still stand is because I wish you to. Speak, before I become bored and annoyed.”
I’m about to retort back when I’m interrupted by a young voice, “Princess Celestia?”
She turns to see Apple Bloom blearily looking at her, with the other Crusaders stirring around her. She turns to look at them, “Do not worry, my little ponies. This doesn’t concern you.”
I but in, “Actually, I’m pretty sure it does. Us being Crusaders and all, you know. Crusaders stick together, and all that?”
She turns back to me, “Excuse me? Did you just say you’re a Crusader?”
I nod, “Yep, pretty sure that’s what I said. Might be a few millennia older than them, but I still feel pride. Nothing wrong with that.”
She growls at me, “You would go so low as to manipulate foals into your bidding?”
Scootaloo responded for me, “No offense Princess, but he hasn’t manipulated us at all. Fact is, he just seemed cool and nice. He even protected us from Diamond Tiara yesterday.”
She look between me and them, “Of corse, it all makes sense. You went after the sisters of the Elements in order to get closer to them. So you could manipulate them to shroud this world in your darkness.” She holds her sword where I can see it once again, “I will not tolerate this parley any longer. You’ve tried my patience with skillful lies and bluffs. You don’t think I can see through you, that you even insult me by saying you could defeat me. Your dark magic pushed back the vengeful Spirit of the Everfree yesterday, but you cannot push me back.”
Sweetie looks between us with worry, “Princess?”
Celestia continues on, “I am Celestia, Godess of the Sun, and Fire. You have invaded my lands with your dark magic for too long. Prepare your final words, and I will send you to your afterlife.”
My eyes widen, “No, I do not want my afterlife. Do not swing that sword, Celestia!”
She calmly raises it, and starts to bring it down. She is only stopped when three foals jump in front of me, in between me and the blade. Apple Bloom shouts out, “Princess, stop! Ravens our friend, and we can’t allow you to harm him! Please, just stop.”
Celestia’s mask seems to break for an instant as she looks at the foals. Her mask quickly reforges itself, and she glares at me, “You would put foals in front of a blade to save your own life? How low can one sink.”
I look at the Crusaders, “Look, I appreciate it, but move. Seriously, this is not your fight, you are foals. You have no place im front of a God’s blade this early in life.”
They hold strong, “We aren’t going to allow you two to fight!”
Celestia sighs, and lights up her horn. Her blade raises itself once again, “It is our duty to put an end to the Necromancer. Three foals is but a small sacrifice. For the greater good. For all of our little ponies, and the world itself. If you shall not move, then we shall have to cleave through you.”
She brings down her blade a lot quicker this time. I quickly jump ahead of the Crusaders, and raise a skeletal fist from the ground, “No!”
Our attacks collide, her sword stopping dead on my skeletal fist. The world ripples and explodes from the force of our two attacks. It sends the Crusaders flying into the walls of the clubhouse, and sends me and Celestia sliding across the floor.
I regain my footing on the rough wood, glareing at Celestia, “You do not kill them.”
She swings her blade around once again, facing it towards me, “I cannot allow you to continue.”
I breathe out once, seeing the green smoke from my magic flow out with the breath. My entire body glows green as my magic shows itself, and gets rid of any excess. I can both feel and see the excess go to the nearest points of life it can be used by.
I create a blade of bone, and diluted mana. I face her once more, “Then it is time for me to kill you.”
We both charge towards each other. I grab my blade in fingers of bone, and jump into the air. I twist around my body, and slam my blade into her’s once more. The ripple this time sends us both flying into the walls of the clubhouse, and can be seen knocking trees over and apples down into their baskets.
We both flip into a recovery, and almost fly at each other once more. That is, until a blue sphere appears in between us, shouting out, “Stay your blades!”
I quickly listen to Luna, and deconstruct my blade. I take a deep breath in, taking back in all my bleeding magic, and forcing it to lay dormant once more.
Celestia, however, doesn’t. She continues to face me, “Sister, help us defeat this Necromancer!”
Luna simply meets eyes with Celestia. They share their eyes for a moment, before looking back at me.
I can see Celestia’s mask break once more, leaving her very confused, “So what should we do?”
Luna smiles, “If you really need him to prove himself more, then a mission might be in order.”
Celestia sheathes her blade, and looks at me with confusion, “Okay then. Ravens Breath, Necromancer, expect a chariot later today. I will have a job for you.”
I slowly nod, “Alright.”
She walks out to the balcony, and looks back at me, “But remember, you are only alive because I allow you to be.” With that, she spreads her wings, and takes off.
Luna looks at me, “You owe me one.” Before she takes off as well.
That leaves me in a clubhouse with very damaged walls, and a bunch of knocked-out Crusaders. I take a glance at them, before backing up in suprise.
Their mana signature is familiar, too familiar. I could regonize my own signature anywhere. My excess magic must have gone to them! But, that means...
I just turned a bunch of mayham causing foals. Into Necromancers.