//------------------------------//
// Chapter 18 
// Story: The Necro Walk 
// by WorldWalker128 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 18


The town was understandably excited to learn of the (by strict definition) success of our mission, but by the fourth day since mine and Applejack's return the original story had been retold and embellished so many times that some of the more gullible Ponies (most of them impressionable children) now believed that the king had been a huge, muscle-bound demon that had escaped from Tarturus centuries ago with blood-red eyes and goat-like horns, and that I'd shape-shifted into a Dragon elder and swallowed him whole to win. This was not the strangest, nor the most ridiculous of the stories, but I certainly got tired of being asked to demonstrate this ability.
For close to two weeks, almost nothing out of the ordinary (if even being stuck in an alternate universe could be called 'ordinary') happened, and I quickly grew bored from the almost complete lack of anything to do besides mundane labor, and with nothing to do, sorrow over yet another friend being dead sunk in. I did the best I could to distract myself, but it wasn't easy; soldiers came and went for some brief R and R or to heal an injury or two, or to visit family that had decided (quite foolishly, in my opinion) that Ponyville was safer than their own towns or villages. The amount of Humans allowed into town had nearly tripled once word got around, though both they, and myself were often greeted with distrust if not hostility by the more recent additions to the town's population, though at the mayor's insistence no outright violence between the two races was allowed, and the local children still got along with them rather well.
At first I tried walking to the Apple-family farm to see if they needed any help, but with the influx of Ponies of all breeds there wasn't really any need in any capacity for a Human's help, though Apple Juice offered to let me help her repair her mother's old club house for some of the new children to play in. I agreed, but it took less than a day as Apple Bloom had kept it in fairly good condition for sentimental reasons. By the time the sun had begun to set me and Apple Juice had not only repaired it, but also made a few benches to sit on and had smoothed them with sandpaper to prevent splinters.
“Ah've got tah admit,” Apple Juice said as we walked down three stories on the ramp (one of the things we replaced due to the tree's growth) to the ground. “yer hands sure are more useful for handling tools than these hoofs!” She raised one for emphasis. I quirked an eyebrow as I looked at it.
“You know, even after all the time I've been around your race, I never did understand how you Ponies could pick something up without gripping it in your teeth.”
“Ah've asked mom about that too.” Juice shrugged. “She just sez 'magic' and leaves it at that.” She set her hoof back down on the rotting leaves and twigs that were the forest floor. “Ah don't think she knows either!”
“Well, I suppose it doesn't really matter so long as it does work. I bet it'd cause a lot of headaches if you had to swing a hammer with your head all the time.” Apple Juice nodded as we started moving the scrap wood left over from our project to the base of the tree where it would be out of the way, but easy to find should the foals in town wish to do something with them.
Once we were completely finished we stowed the tools away in their tool shed, and locked it . With nothing else for me to do I bade Apple Juice farewell I returned to the town and Twilight's library (her door was unlocked), where I began cleaning and sorting the dusty bookshelves (and dusty books) to kill time. 
With Spike being absent from the library on a daily basis and busy sending mail all day I figured that Twilight would not mind a little volunteered work. Twilight herself was not home, but to my surprise Rarity was there browsing through the romance novels. Well, some of them,anyway. She only seemed to be interested in one particular section, and given that the books all had spines that were  the same shade of red, I took them to be a series.
It took several minutes of me pulling the books from the shelves and piling them before Rarity noticed that she was not alone. Her first reaction at something not standing on four legs was to recoil a little and look nervous, but when I met her eyes and she recognized my face she calmed.
“Oh, it's only you. I am sorry about that.”
“Oh, it's no problem.” I replied, lifting the feather duster I'd acquired from an abandoned stepping stool to begin sweeping the thicker dust from the shelving. I'd need to get a slightly-damp cloth to wipe the books down later, but for now I would be just focusing on the shelves. “I'm fairly used to it by now. At least you're not glaring at me just for being in the same town as you.” I sneezed on the cloud of dust floating in the air and took a few steps back and waited for it to settle a little. Perhaps I should have used a cloth for the shelves as well...
Rarity had been about to walk closer, but promptly stopped when she saw the spreading dust storm I'd caused and gave it a look of disdain.
“Um, perhaps you should let Spike do that.” She said it like a hopeful question rather than a statement. I shook my head.
“Rarity, you might not have heard about this yet, but Trixie is dead. Worse, she died saving my life, and I watched her die and was unable to help. I don't want to dwell on that any longer than I have to.”
“Yes, Applejack told me the same story earlier. If I'd not heard it from her, I'd have not believed it. Trixie Lulamoon had always been a bit of a self-important one whenever we'd encountered one another.”
The dust cloud had settled, and I picked up the duster again to continue where I'd left off, then looked at it, then the shelves, and shook my head and put it back down again. I looked at Rarity.
“Any chance you know where Twilight keeps her dish cloths? I think a damp rag would be better for cleaning these shelves off than the duster.”
“I heartily agree with you, darling! Sadly, no I do not, not for certain. though if it's a dish-rag you want, would it not be in the kitchen near the sink?” I felt stupid, and nodded before walking across the all-wood (with exception to a few strategically-placed metal candle sconces) room and into the all-too-familiar kitchen. There were a few differences, of course, such as a few cupboards either not existing and the floor being tiled in alternating blue and green squares rather than simple wood of the tree we stood in like much of the rest of the house. The water pump sink was still the same, and the enchanted cooler was still in the same place with several small black and white pictures on it of Twilight's friends, a few family members and- one of them in particular caught my eye.
What is this? I thought, taking one of them in my right hand and pulling it out from behind the magnet that held it in place. That can't be right... My eyes became wider, but my eyebrows pressed down. I knew this picture!
The picture itself was of Twilight and Pinkie Pie wearing big grins standing with one foreleg over what would have been one another's shoulders had they been Human as they stood up on their hind legs. Behind them stood a huge waterfall and a black guard rail (which they were leaning against to prevent tourists from falling into the river below. The two appeared to be waving at whoever was holding the camera. This is not possible.
I knew this picture because I knew the waterfall, and I knew who had taken the photograph. The waterfall was Niagara Falls; the picture had been taken by me thirty five years ago when Twilight decided she wanted to go globe-trotting (no equine-pun intended) on Earth and see all its major landmarks. Pinkie had wanted to come too, and had taken a leave of absence from work that lasted for almost two months. It had been a fun time, and we brought home a good many souvenirs, memories, and pictures from it. Just seeing it brought back the din of the water rushing endlessly over the submerged cliff and the thunder of it plunging into the river below, and the feeling of the spray of the smaller falls on my face and neck at the Cave of Winds (which had, though it was still ironically named such, had collapsed a few decades before we'd visited) where a few smaller waterfalls cascaded down the dark rocks of a shorter cliff in front of us and occasionally splashed on the boardwalk that had been built for tourists to walk on. 
At one point Pinky Pie had pulled a surfboard out from behind a tree we'd passed on our way back for one last look at the larger falls and we'd needed to tackle her to keep her from trying to surf her way down the the much larger Niagara Falls. Just seeing the photo brought brought both an upturn of the corners of my mouth, and a dull ache in my chest.
The sound of hoof steps behind me as well as Rarity's voice speaking to me drew my attention away from the photo.
“Are you feeling alright, Mr Lighthand? You seemed to have zoned out a bit, there.” I looked back at the picture to discover that its appearance had changed from Twilight and Pinkie to one of Twilight and her brother in the aftermath of a cake-fight at what seemed to be a birthday party when they were younger. Both of them wore embarrassed grins, and were smeared all over with icing and chunks of ruined cake. A single small candle stuck out from one blot of icing just below Shining's nose. I blinked a few times and shook my head, frowning slightly.
Careful, Jake, you're starting to see things that aren't there, now!
“Lighthand?” Rarity repeated, her tone now puzzled rather than curious. I returned the picture to the refrigerator and cleared my throat. 
“I'm fine. Just remembering the past, is all.”

I placed the last book of the last shelf in its place and dusted off my hands, though there was likely little to none on them, feeling proud of myself. It had taken the remainder of the day's sunlight, and a good portion of the night as well, but it felt nice to be able to do a mundane task again.
Neither Twilight, nor Spike had yet come back from whatever it was they had been out doing, but given that I'd not asked permission to be in her home (even though it doubled as a  public library and pretty much anypony was allowed inside at any given time of day) I did not particularly mind. Rarity had gone home shortly after I'd finished reorganizing the first bookshelf, taking two of the books she'd been looking through from the same series. Before leaving she'd asked how the clothing she'd made for me had held up under constant use. I replied that they had remained comfortable while I'd used them, but I sadly had been forced to leave them behind on Gaea during our hasty escape. She sighed at her wasted effort, but replied that she was happy I enjoyed them. Shortly after, she left.
My efforts concluded, I returned the cloth to the sink and one last time thoroughly rinsed and squeezed the water out of it, this time placing it in a small laundry basket that contained several other small cloths and a few large (for Ponies, anyway) towels that presumably had been used after a bath.
As I came back out into the library-proper I was greeted by a pleasantly surprised Twilight Sparkle. Her head turned at the sound of my footsteps and she asked me if I had done this. I nodded, and she thanked me.
“I'd have done it myself or had Spike do it, but we've just been so busy lately that we just haven't had the time!” I smiled and absently scratched at my beard. “I haven't been able to write up a new monthly schedule in almost five months! It's driving me crazy!”
“And with me helping to turn part of your nation's war on its ear things have only gotten stranger, right?”
“You have no idea! Not that I'm not grateful that you did, but with all the letters being sent out from Ponyville's new residents both the town's mail Pegasi and poor Spike are getting almost no breaks! He's already started complaining about a sore throat from constant fire-breathing, and several of the mail Pegasi have threatened to quit if they don't get a week-long vacation, or at least higher pay soon.”
“Is that why he isn't here with you now?” Twilight shook her head as she trotter to her couch and flopped face-down on it.
“Nah. Rarity asked for his help as we were coming home and, of course, he gladly followed. I think he's making a mistake by not getting a little extra sleep, but then, there have been times where I've stayed up much later than I should have, too.” Twilight rolled over onto her back and stretched, and then leaned her head forward to look at me. “Come to think of it, do you actually have a place to stay in town?” I shook my head.
“No. The last time I slept on an actual bed besides when I first arrived here was when we were on Gaea. The mattress was nice enough, but it was always sticky from humidity.” Twilight made a face.
“To be perfectly honest I still feel a little edgy around you, but if you'd like you can use the bed in the basement. It's a little dusty, but it's dry, at least.”
“I would like that, thank you.” I said with a nod.

I woke up during the night shivering  in the dark and sweating. During the night I'd dreamed of Trixie's death in vivid detail, only, as the Gateway door swung closed I heard an accusing voice ask why I had abandoned her. My brain told me, as had Applejack, that there really was nothing that I could have done, but a knife of guilt still twisted in my gut.
Twilight's basement had no windows, so it would be dark regardless so long as none of her machinery was running or there were no lit candles. Because of this, very soon after rising from the dusty mattress to head upstairs for a  drink I tripped over what I'd later learn was a box of printer parchment and fell to the floor after exclaiming loudly, scattering the contents around the box. I groaned and pushed myself up and slid my knees beneath me, and then as I prepared to rise once more to my feet a little voice in my head pointed out that crawling would probably be safer. This turned out to be the best decision, and after nearly bashing my fingers against the first of the steps leading up to the ground-level floor I made my way to the door and opened it to an equally dark room save for the light of stars twinkling on the other side of the window.
Glad to see that even with all the violence and dark events going on that Luna can still find the time to make a work of art from the canvas that is the night sky. I smiled a little, but then recalled that staring at the sky would not quench thirst unless you were staring up at a rainstorm with your mouth gaping open and once more crawled across the floor in the direction of what I hoped was the kitchen. It was, and after in but a few moments my thirst was sated and I returned to bed.


__ __ __ __ __

Earlier that day, while the sun was still in the air

Applejack frowned at the note she'd just received from a delivery-Pegasus and reread it.
The note contained her new orders. Given that her original mission was complete and that she had returned from Gaea (that particular mission not being one that had been sanctioned from her commanding officer nor reported, and only Celestia's intervening prevented her from being punished for abandoning her post) there was no further military reason for her to remain in Ponyville, and as a result she was being ordered to Manehatten to assist in the refortifying of the city in the event that it was attacked again. 
As much as she wanted to stay and help protect her family, she was a soldier, and and she could hardly desert, being the bearer of the Element of Honesty. Not that that really matters very much anymore. she thought bitterly, recalling once more her friend's death. With Loyalty no longer having a bearer as of this moment, the abilities of the materiel representations of the Harmony Elements would be greatly weakened, if its powers could be used at all.
Applejack sighed and thanked the Pegasus, giving him a bit for his trouble. He nodded and asked if she wanted to make a reply. Applejack shook her head and the Pegasus turned and rose into the sky.

Applejack had not brought much with her to Ponyville, and so it took very little time for her to be packed and ready to head out of town. She stopped in the market to buy some food for her saddlebags, then trotted next to one of the town's water fountains and filled two canteens, both of which she also placed in her saddlebags. Now ready, she headed for the northern exit of the town (it only had two, now) with the intent to exit it. 
Before she could reach it she ran into Rarity, who was now dressed in what she could only assume was meant to be army fatigues, but given that the 'camouflage' design had been made from crushed gems and made her shine brighter than a lighthouse she looked more like she was live bait for a Dragon. 
“Applejack!” Rarity greeted while Applejack blocked some of the light shining off Rarity shining into her eyes. “Are you going somewhere?”
“Rare, if yer tryin' ta make somethin' to be hidin' yerself in, that gem-suit ain't it!” Applejack remarked, still shielding her eyes. “Unless yer trying to blend in with the contents of the royal treasure vault!” Rarity laughed at first, thinking Applejack was joking, but upon seeing Applejack's lack of a smile or smirk, she stopped.
“Well, it's not as if I'll be doing any real fighting, darling. No doubt the princesses will stop those awful Humans from getting anywhere near us, and if they do, well then, we've got our own little fort to fight them with, don't we?” Rarity's eyes suddenly widened and she threw a look down the street towards a bare flagpole. “Oh! I've forgotten to give our town's flag to the mayor to be raised!” 
Briefly forgetting er conversation with Applejack, she spun and ran toward her home and shop only to recall that abandoning a conversation without saying goodbye was rather rude, and even more so when the person you were speaking to was about to leave town.”My apologies, Applejack.” Applejack nodded. “Do you think you'll be coming back again anytime soon?” To this, Applejack shrugged.
“I hope so, though I don't rightly know. I'm in the army now, Rarity. I can't just go wherever I please without orders, y'know.” Applejack looked in the direction of Everfree forest. “Hopefully when I do come home again it'll be fer a more pleasant reason than a mission fer the war.” She turned her head back so that she could see Rarity again. “Ya take care of yerself, Rare.”
“And you take care of yourself, Applejack.” Rarity trotted back to Applejack and the two hugged. “Have a safe trip, and come see us again soon.. We'll make sure the town stays standing until you do.”
Applejack nodded, and left the town.

Although Applejack felt guilty about not saying goodbye to her other friends, Knowing Twilight, she'd probably have tried to convince AJ to let her write to the Princess about letting her stay, and AJ didn't want the princess to look like she was showing favoritism. Fluttershy was probably busy helping with the caring of the Ponies that were still recovering from injuries dealt to them during the attack on the now-destroyed castle of the Royal Sisters in Everfree, some of whom were still in very bad shape. Even though Fluttershy wouldn't mind taking the time to say goodbye, the injured ones were more important (as far as Applejack was concerned). 
As for Pinkie Pie, she wasn't the Pony she used to be. According to Twilight, Pinkie hadn't thrown one party since Rainbow Dash's death, and even though she still told jokes and worked at the Sugarcube Corner, a smile on her face was a rare sight nowadays. Her hair almost always hung straight lately, and with exception to Lighthand, treated the Humans in town with nothing but hostility. 
Applejack sighed. Can anypony hold it against her, though? If I hadn't had the time to get to know miss Darkfist and Lighthand, I'd probably be the same way. I don't think I'll ever forgive them for killing Rainbow, but just like not everypony is all good or all bad, I've accepted that not all Humans are bad either.
“I hope that filly don't go and do something foalish.” Applejack muttered. “The last thing we need to do is make our neighbors angry when we just made nice!”


__ __ __ __ __


Pinkie Pie gave her peppermint spears one final look and rolled her eyes. True enough, most things pointy could kill just as well as a sword, but they were hardly intimidating, and it was more likely that if the Humans decided to wear some heavier armor then her candy weapons would be far more likely to shatter or fragment and break rather than do more than knock whom they hit to the ground. 
How could I have been so ridiculous? Pinkie Pie tossed them into her closet and shut the door.
Her room was as it usually was, which is messy in general, however, there was a mild amount of organization to the mess. Most of her party supplies had been either boxed and stored in her closet, or had been swept into a dustpan and disposed of in a wastebasket (and emptied several times). On her walls where once there were a number of cork-boards with various pictures, lists of invitees for potential future parties, and a new design for her welcome wagon had once hung, now there was instead only four things. 
The first of the four were a small scrapbook's worth of pictures of her and her many friends doing things over the last few years. The second was an enlarged map of Equestria marked with little colored flags of Yellow, Green, and Red where military camps for her nation, the Human invaders, and recently, the Dragons had been rumored to be. Yellow was Equestria, Green were the Dragons (who, in reality, had no camps at all, but at the very least marked the general area that they were supposed to be in at the moment) and Red were the Humans. The last things on her wall were a single blue feather, and Rainbow's old Shadow Bolt Nightmare Night costume. Both of which were tacked securely to the board.
Pinkie pie turned her head to look at this feather and sighed, her eyes brimming with tears, but allowed none of them to fall.
“The Humans in town can pretend and play nice all they like, but I'm not falling for it!” she hissed in a whisper. “I will never forgive them for what they did to you, Dashie!”
Just then, a knock came on her bedroom door, and Pinkie Pie wiped her face on her hoof to clear away any moisture from her eyes. “Come in!” she said, putting on a fake smile.
The door partially swung open to reveal a cautious face. It was Pipsqueak again.
“Miss Pie?” Pinkie let her fake smile fall away. While she still put on a show for the Cake family and for the townsfolk she was less familiar with beyond saying hello to him when they passed one another in town while he was growing up, Pipsqueak had spent enough time working with her for the last month and a half to read her moods, and tell when she was faking.
“Hello, Pips. What do you want?” She asked.
“To see how you're doing, Miss Pie.” He replied, swinging the door the rest of the way open and entering. “Lately you've been...well, you've been distant. That isn't like you.”
“Well, to be fair, Pips, I've never lost my best friend to murderers before, and then had those same murderers come to my home and be welcomed by the mayor.” Pipsqueak broke eye contact with Pinkie Pie and looked at the floorboards. Pinkie Pie sighed and rubbed her face. “I'm sorry, Pips. I shouldn't take my grief out on anypony. Can you forgive me?” Pipsqueak raised his head again and nodded, but didn't smile. He'd lost family to Humans nad their alliance with the Gryphons as well, but he'd had time with his grief. Nearly twelve years of it, in fact. Pinkie Pie's was still raw.
“Of course I can. That's what friends do, right?” Pinkie sniffed, and nodded. Pipsqueak walked a few steps closer and put a leg on Pinkie's back. “You're not alone, Pinkie Pie. I've lost family too. Most of us in this town have, and most would agree that the mayor has made...an unwise choice to trust them on word alone. Even if one of them, or a dozen of them, or even a whole town's worth keep their promises, that doesn't mean that the rest of their people will.”
“Somepony needs to keep an eye on them for when the liars reveal themselves.” Pinkie Pie said, agreeing. “Keep an eye on them, and be ready to act when the time comes.” She turned her head to face Pipsqueak again. “Care to help me do that?” He nodded again.