As usual, the chirping of birds was heard, on top of that laughter from the filly playing tag with a helmet-less Solaire and Sprocket with Applebloom and Ratchet chatting away. Yawning he lost track of how long he had sat motionless, staring at the bustle when he should be catching up on well deserved rest. Either way he felt relaxed so Kurai had little to complain about, until he noticed something in the corner of his eye. A small group of soldiers, having noticed the group too Solaire drew his sword as Kurai slowly rose to his feet and unsheathing his blade. Upon noticing the two humans approaching the group stopped dead in there tracks and faced each other, after a small argument they played a game of straws and sent out the unlucky pony who drew the shortest. Walking forward the pony looked back to his group, swallowing a lump in his throat before turning around and bumping into Kurai, tapping the large sword over his shoulder. Quivering the soldier held out the scroll, too terrified for words while under the gaze of what would be his last interaction in this mortal coil. Taking the scroll from the shaking hoof Kurai opened it, with the sun warrior gazing at the writing over his shoulder. As this occurred the soldier sped back to his squad like a chicken that discovered wheels. “Huh. Looks like I’m about to see what a real castle looks like, hehe. Solaire, call over Applebloom and your wife. I’m sure you and her have a lot of words for Celestia.”
Nodding Solaire went to fetch the two, hoping that Sprocket would take care of Sweet Talk while they were away for a while. Turning to the cowering group Kurai gave the nod that he would come, to which they eased up but kept their distance. Noticing they have no form of transport to get to Canterlot to which if he remembered right, was on a mountain. He began to approach the group, his sword sheathed. “Guys…he’s coming over. We’re so dead, oh my Celestia we are so dead…!” One whispered to his comrades. “He’s probably going to eat us! Or use out skin as a coat!” The rest was incomprehensible as the rest breathlessly pointed behind him, trying to warn him that Kurai was standing right behind him arms folded.
“You done?” He asked patiently as the soldier finished up his ramble.
“Y-yes…” Was all he could stammer out.
“Good,” Kurai began. “It has come to my attention you have no form of transport, do you not have a carriage or something of the sort? And no, I don’t plan on killing you,” He knelt forward threateningly. “Unless you all want to try and kill ME.” Grinning under this helmet at the unison of shaking heads in response.
“The scroll…h-has a transportation spell embedded, j-just read out the names of who you want to go with you then read out the phrase.” One brave unicorn of the group spoke up, her voice feigning confidence.
Taking a second look at the scroll he gazed over the spell in fine print, he had to admit this was much more useful than the lordvessel which was fixed to certain locations when this little piece of paper would send any name read out to an area that could be any area set by the user. Hoping for the best he read out his name, Solaires, Appleblooms and Ratchets then the phrase. Almost immediately he and the names mentioned were gone with a flash of light.
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“So are you sure they will be here?” Rarity asked while Pinkie prepared her usual party gear to welcome Kurai and possibly more than two ponies or people. “They appear to be rather late.”
“They will be here soon,” Celestia reassured the fashionista. Rainbow Dash was nowhere to be found, unbeknownst to all in the room she was catching up with Gilda. “You don’t need to prepare such a banquet Pinkie.” She chuckled. “I’ll be back, I forgot to brush.” The vanilla coated alicorn left the room, not before being halted by Pinkie for a moment.
“But if they don’t feel welcome then I wouldn’t feel good about myself, and if I don’t feel good about myself I won’t be funny. And if Im not funny then ponies everywhere would suffer in an eternal sadness and boredom without my parties!” The bouncy pink pony blabbered out in her usual Pinkie Pie manner, taste testing a cake she made by devouring the top section of the three section cake whole. “Mmm! Not bad!”
A flash of light emanated midair right in front of the two thrones, emerging was a falling Kurai who slam me dingo the ground with a grunt and cracking the ground like it was tin foil. Groaning in pain he attempted to drag himself up only to have Solaire land flatly on his back, followed by Applebloom and finally Ratchet. Mumbling angrily Kurai was promptly being crushed by the collected weight. “Sorry!” Solaire apologised as he hauled himself from the stone and iron clad knights back, taking in the surroundings while Applebloom helped Kurai up. “So this is Canterlot? Cleaner than I imagined.”
“Applejack!” Called out the golden coated hybrid to her older sister who was staring idly at her body.
“Applebloom!” She called out as well, both embracing each other. “Don’t you ever run away again!” Tears in her eyes. “ I would have never forgiven myself if somethin’ were to happen to you, has he been treaitn’ you right? Are you ok?”
“Yes, yes. He has been nice, but. I have something to say…” She whispered something in Applejacks ear to which caused her eye to twitch with he previous smile awkwardly frozen on her face. “Please don’t kill him… I take the blame.”
Holding up a hoof to shut apple bloom up, the orange cowpony approached Kurai with her face obscured by her hat. Once in front of him she took a deep breath, raising her head to look him in the eye. “Thank you for keepin’ her safe, right now I should be beating you to high tartarus. But I made my brash decisions as a teenager too, so I would just be. Uh… Whaddya call it…”
“Hypocritical.” Twilight helped.
“Yeah! That, it would be hypocritical to shut you out. Just promise you would keep her safe when I ain’t around.”
Stunned he stood there speechless. Before she was up at his neck with pure hatred now she seems more easygoing, something he was not used to seeing in others save for Solaire who was enjoying the various pastries much to Pinkie Pies enjoyment. A nudge from Applebloom snapped him out of it. “Oh! Ye-Yes I promise.” He stammered.
“Good.”
The door opened to reveal Celestia having finished brushing her teeth in a rather huge hurry after hearing just recently they had arrived. Upon seeing her Solaire dropped a cupcake to which Pinkie attended to by laying on her back and catching it with her greedy gullet, growling angrily he placed his helmet back on his head and approached. “YOU…” Celestia stared in surprise at his sudden change of tone. “How DARE you show your face to me after sending a murderer to the town I was sworn to protect!” Two guards instinctively stepped forth with their spears raised, Celestia stepped forward, holding her wings out to keep them from protecting her.
“I’m sure you have a lot of rage inside, Solaire. But I can assure you I have not sent him over.”
“Lier!” He roared and lunged forth, the alicorn stepped aside briskly dodging his blade. “Like Gwyn you will fall, tyrant!!!” Swinging again at her neck, again she dodged by ducking. Refusing to use any magic, not that it would work, she pinned him down at his forearms.
“I understand you have hatred, but please let me explain. Nopony here wants to see a life taken within these castle walls, wether it be mine or yours.”
Grumbling in defeat he conceded by dropping his sword aside, Celestia smiled in relief and stepped off to let him get up. “Then begin explaining. Or would you rather discuss this in private with my wife?”
Confused the vanilla coated alicorn tilted her head until she put two and two together with him and Ratchet, an interspecies marriage. Very rare were those, and if it did happen it was mostly between ponies and mules. “I think a private talk would do best, Luna, you explain the trouble at hand to our friend here.” Gesturing to Kurai, her sister nodded and flew to her throne where the room gathered.
As soon as Celestia and Solaire left the room to talk, Lunas eyes glowed brightly as she displayed the vision to all as she was weary of explaining over and over, that and there was no time to explain. The light bent into a window, showing an army of skeletal ponies marching in unison towards Ponyville and approaching rather fast. Behind the wall of terror stood what looked like a centaur comprised of bones, one human skull resting upon a human body made of pony skeletons. Wielding a giant curved sword also made of bone and emitting a purple gas, a cloak made of pure darkness or humanity wrapped around the beings neck as it fluttered in the madly swirling winds. The clouds must have gathered for the occasion, the swords miasma causing a storm to gather without the pegasi intervening as rain fell like hail. Noticing the horde in the distance was Mayor Mare, ringing the panic alarm like there was no tomorrow. Just then the vision cut off.
“So, the old bone lord wants my head huh?” Kurai joked in a monotone voice, turning to Twilight. “Your library is large enough to hold the towns population right?”
Nodding she knew what he was thinking, but had a better idea, pointing to Discord. “Can you teleport the town to here and send me with evrypony else to town? Oh and send over Solaire and Ratchet when they get back ok?”
Clapping his paw and talon Kurai and the mane six with Applebloom were warped to a rainy Ponyville, with the residents appearing in the throne room. Dazed at the sudden change of location.
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Rain was battering the streets and buildings, wind shaking the large trees and nearly forcing them out the ground. Upon arriving in the library Kurais first idea was to attempt grabbing his sealed sword, nudging Twilight he pointed to the seal. “Just twist the handle,” She replied. “You seem strong enough to do so.” Grunting in agreement he gripped the stone candle twisting it after testing which direction it would turn, after a full twist the seal clicked and burst open. Fumes from his sword flew out, punching his lungs like a stab from a halberd. Coughing heavily at the toxic gas he waved it off like someone simply blew smoke into his face. “Are you ok?!” She cried out.
“Hehehe, you would be surprised what souls could do for your body.” He replied, lifting the sword as if it were his child. “Welcome back into my grasp, old friend. Rainbow, use that katana and your speed to hold off any that get near the library. Applebloom, you come with me. Time to put your skills to the ultimate test, Applejack tried to object but after seeing the stance Applebloom prepared herself with finesse and confidence, she stood forth.
“I’m comin’ too. Gimme a weapon.”
Sighing at how insistent she was he searched through his arsenal, holding out a giant club. She shook her head, again Kurai searched through and this time brought out a dragon tooth club to which she nodded. “Careful, this thing is-“ Applejack held it in her mouth as if it were a feather. “…heavy… huh. Farm work?”
“Yup!”
“Alright, the rest of you. Protect the library, and before we go out. Remember, Nito is mine to kill.”
The ground was slippery, rough but slippery. Terrain was a warriors guide to victory, if the weather and ground was right then victory for the most skilful was guaranteed. This however was the first time that Kurai faced an army, not any army, but the army of one of the great lords. The army of the dead fabled in many fantasies. Standing in the rain, the horde in sight. With Rainbow on his left and Applebloom and Applejack at his right he was ready to fight, if he could beat Nito before alone then this would be easy. The horde split, letting through the mighty first of the dead. If he had a face, he most certainly be smirking at the futileness of their situation. “I̸ ͢ha̕ve d̶r͢e͏am͡ed̀ o͜f́ t͞h́e ̵day I ̡woul͠d̵ ̢kill̸ ͞y̛o̧u̕,̷ t͜r͜a̸i͏tor.” The gravelord seemed to breath through his chattering teeth, stroking his sword in preparation for the battle. A͠fte͞ŕ n̸éarly͟ ͜a ̢c͟entu̕ŗy ̕t҉r͠apped in múc̕k̢ ̧an̢d͡ ̨slud̷gȩ, c̴o̡ll͡e̕ct͢i҉ng̡ ̀my ͟n̢éw ̶bod͘y͡ ͜a̷n̵d͝ a̵r͞my a͏l͞l̶ ҉fǫr t̴h̨e ͘sake̴ ̕o͝f ̡k͞il̴lin͘g ̧y͞o͝u.͘ That͘ ͏d̛r̕e̷a̧m͜ ͞shall be͝c̕ome͘ ̴my ̢rea̶lity͜ an̷d ͠th̡i͡s ̵wo͏r͏l͞d͟ş ̨ņight͜ma̵r͢e!