The skies above the Everfree sat still and quiet, deep in the throes of night; many of the denizens asleep awaiting for the coming day. High above the canopy though, a platoon of royal guards headed by Princess Celestia tore through the dark clouds.
“Princess, we are approaching the area that Miss Sparkle described.” Shouted a gold adorned pegasi guard.
“Very good captain.” Responds Celestia as she comes to a stop. Hovering in place she turns back to the pegasus.
“Captain Air Raid, take your pegasi and assume an over watch over the area, I will lead the remaining guards on foot myself.”
“Are you sure that’s wise Princess? I am sure that captain Quake would be more than capable to…”
Turning to Air Raid and casting a glare that could turn anypony to stone, “You have your orders captain, now follow them.”
Visibly shaken Air Raid responds “Yyyyess mam.”
Turning back to the assembled guards, “You heard her troops. Pegasi, form up and assume over watch; the rest of you form up with the princess. Remember this is the Everfree, so stay alert!
The assembled guards reply in unison, “Yes Sir!”
As Celestia and her contingent of guards move through the forest, her mind wanders back to the one that she is hunting. Recalling stories told to her when she was just a filly, of the days when her father and mother reigned over the kingdom, of when the necromancers roamed free throughout not only Equestria but the entire world. Until this day she had chocked them up to simple bedtime stories or cautionary tales told to her by her father or at most, solitary unicorns that had made deals with demons in Tartarus like Sombra did. Now though, those stories that she had been told had made sense. From what Twilight Sparkle had told her he effortlessly diverted a magic blast, not just blocking it, but absorbing it. No small feat considering that her student was the most gifted unicorn that she had seen since Starswirl the Bearded. Not only that, but if what she said was true, this stallion had even reversed death itself, breathing life back into her student.
A thought flashed within the princess’ mind, “He saved Twilight, what if those stories I have heard are wrong?”
Just as fast though, the picture from discords tome moved to the forethought of her mind. That stallion standing with that abomination, a smile plastered on his face proud of his vile creation of misshapen flesh and bone. This dispelled any notion of second thoughts for this Albus Noctis.
Appearing in the darkness in front of the group, a small cabin began to take shape.
“This must be the place Princess; there is not another dwelling for miles with the exception of the zebra shaman.”
“Very good. Captain Quake, take the earth squad and surround the cabin. Unicorns with me.” Orders the Princess.
As the earth pony guards encircle the cabin, Celestia and her line of unicorn guards approached the door to the cabin, only to walk face first into a shimmering green dome protecting the cabin. Flaring up her magic, Celestia’s horn begins to grow her distinctive gold color. Unleashing her spell, the barrier shimmers, ripples, and remains in place.
“Lieutenant Cantrip front and center.” shouts the Princess. From her left a unicorn wearing silver armor with gold accents hurries to her side.
“Yes Princess!” responds the lieutenant.
“Analyze this magical barrier.”
Cantrip closes his eyes while his horn glows an orange hue as he touches it to the green dome. An orange wave emanates outward from the tip of his horn across the surface of the shield, presumably scanning the shield for the type of spell used in its creation and what can be used to dispel it. Opening his eyes, the lieutenant turns toward the princess.
“Princess, the type of magic used in this is unlike anything I have ever seen before. The encoding is multilayered and more sophisticated than anything I have even read about never the less even seen.”
Visibly irritated at the answer that the lieutenant provided, Celestia glares daggers at Cantrip, “How do we dispel it Lieutenant...”
“Umm…the pattern seems to rewrite itself as a spell is cast upon it making any counter spells useless. No matter what dispelling method we use, the spell will adapt itself before any antimagic spell takes effect.”
“Back up guards.” Says Celestia as she takes to the air and begins to charge her horn.
“But Princess...” calls Cantrip to no avail.
Seeing what their princess is about to do, all of the assembled guards scramble away from the cabin. With a blinding flash of gold, a powerful beam of pure energy shoots from Celestia’s horn and impacts the shield. The two magic’s battling for supremacy, the gold from Celestia and the emerald green of the necromancer. At the point where Celestias magical beam continues to assault the barrier, a gathering sphere of silver begins to grow and grow as the princess continues to pour more and more magic into her attack. In a flash of silver, the gathered magic’s exploded in a large expulsion of magical overload throwing the gathered guards several yards into the dark of the forest and forcing the princess to hastily erect her most powerful shield as she too was sent tumbling several feet into the sky.
Returning to the clearing, the guards stare slack jawed at the sight before them. As the dust settles they can clearly see the effect that their princess’ spell had. The entire area around the cabin was now a three foot deep circular crater, the dirt and rocks blasted to nothing by the power of their princess’ spell. What further awed them was that the cabin and shield were still standing unscathed by the attack.
With a look that could send any demon back to Tartarus with its tail between its legs Celestia lands and trots back up to the edge of the shield.
“Princess, there is one more thing.” Says Cantrip as he rejoins Celestia by the shield. “The magic seems to have been cast from outside the shield.”
“Meaning what lieutenant.” Says Celestia, the same glare descending on the guard.
“Well Princess, it means that whoever cast the spell was outside the barrier, and most likely still is.”
With a sense of haste, Celestia calls out, “Guards quickly, form up. We must return to Ponyville with haste. The necromancer must be there!”
With practiced form, the guards quickly gather and set out back to Ponyville.
“Hold on my little ponies, I am coming.”
“Ma…ma parents?” stammered Applejack
“Yes fair Applejack.” Responds Nox. Turning toward the crowd, “A show of hooves, which among you fair fillies and gentlecolts know what a necromancer is?”
The crowd began to murmur, each talking quietly to the pony next to them. As Nox watched and waited for a few seconds. Not one among them coming to a conclusion, some remembering old fairy tales and others having no idea whatsoever.
The little white filly Sweetiebelle that he had met earlier raises a hoof.
“Yes Sweetiebelle?” says Nox as he points a hoof to the filly.
“A necromancer is a pony with powers relating to death. Most prominently are divining the future or knowing of hidden knowledge, and….*gulp*… control of spirits and the undead.”
“You were right Applebloom, she is a dictionary.” Says Scootaloo looking over to her red-maned friend.
“Umm….Applebloom?”
Applebloom remained silent as if she didn’t hear her friend talking to her. Only two words escaping her mouth as she stared up towards Nox.
"Ma parents..."
“Close Sweetiebelle, that is the most known definition, but I am a little different. I simply ask those who have passed if they would like to come back. If they refuse, which most do, than they may rest. Some though have a desire to come back for a short time, and tonight is the only night that they can return without certain restrictions or requirements; at least for a short while.”
Snapping out of her stupor, Applejack says in a hushed voice, “You mean…I can see them?”
“More than that young mare, you can talk to them if you wish. It is up to you.”
“Please Mr. Nox,” says Applejack with a crackle in her voice trying to keep her tears from welling up. “Please, I miss them so much, we miss them so much.” Says Applejack turning to look at Applebloom whose tears silently fell from her watering eyes.
“As you wish, and you may join your sister on stage little Applebloom.” Says Nox as he silently levitates Applebloom onto the stage, the filly trying her best and failing to keep her tears stifled.
“Now girls please stand outside this circle, and fillies and gentlecolts of the audience; I require complete silence if you please."
Both the Apple sisters and the assembled crowd complied at once, their attention fully directed toward the hooded stallion.
Moving to the back of the circle, Nox begins to draw invisible characters in the air above the yellow liquid. Nox then begins to recite words in a strange language while gathering his distinct green magic around his body,
“In Jux Mani Xen… In Agle Corp Ylem… Rel Xen Um… Uus Corp… Uus Corp… In Jux Mani Xen.”
After saying the last phrase, Nox concentrates his gathered magic into his right hood forming a small glowing green blade. Moving the magical knife to his left foreleg he made a small cut, causing a small amount of what the ponies assumed was blood to drip onto the circle.
At first nothing seemed to happen as Nox continued to that there with his eyes closed, unmoving. Soon though, small wisps of glowing white light began to come from all directions moving into the circle. As more and more came, they moved together. At first, just a mass of many small lights, they soon split into two formless shaped, and then into two distinct shaped of ponies; one a stallion with a Stetson hat, the other a mare with her mane tied up in bun.
Applejack and Applebloom stood mouths tight, eyes wide with tears brimming on their edges.
Holding her little sister close, Applejack spoke softly…”Ma…Pa..?
Opening their eyes, the spectral stallion and mare looked and smiled; their eyes too filled with what appeared to be tears the color of moonlight. The mare was the first to speak in an echoing but calmingly soft voice.
“My daughters…”
From high above, a beam of magical light shot down towards Nox, missing him barely but still knocking him back several feet. Close behind shouted a voice that bellowed like a thunderstorm.
“Away from my ponies you monstrosity!” shouted Celestia as she tore through the sky flanked by her contingent of guards toward the downed necromancer.
The magical circle began to dim and the two forms within started to rapidly fade away. Applejack began to shout at the two fading specters, “No MA! PA! Come back, Come back!”
With a sniffle and a voice of pain, the fading stallion softly spoke out, “We’re sorry Applejack….Applebloom….we love you.”
With that, the two forms faded into nothingness just as Celestia landed in the same spot that they had just occupied.
Striding towards the downed necromancer, Celestia began to speak with venom evident in her voice.
“Foul denizen of Tartarus, you shall not desecrate the dead of my little ponies, you will pay for this.” Celestia then begins to charge her horn and finish off the stunned necromancer.
From out of the crowed, a grey pegasus in a zombie costume flew with haste toward the stage and into Celestia's side knocking her several feel away onto the floor of the stage. With an exasperated voice she yells to Nox, “Quickly master, we need to get out of here.”
Regaining his senses, Nox stands up as the guards rush the stage. In a flash of unfocused magical energy, Nox and the pegasus disappear.
When the spell subsides, Nox finds himself not where he intended to be. Shaking his head he surveys the surroundings. His spell should have transported himself and Lilith back home; instead he has found himself on the outskirts of Ponyville near the same cabin that he and Twilight had passed earlier on her exit from the Everfree forest.
Still in a daze, Nox had to collect himself. Between the cabin and the tree line there laid a small lake. Sensing no pursuit from the princess; who to his knowledge was still a few miles toward the other end of town, Nox removed his cloak and dunked his head into the water attempting to clear his head but to no avail. Using so much magic after a complicated summoning ritual had drained him.
His last thoughts before passing out were of his ever faithful companion Lilith.
“I hope she’s safe…”