Nebula Star presents:
Not Dead Yet
Prologue: Why is their skin falling off?
***
“Prin... Celestia! We came as soon as we heard!” Princess Twilight Sparkle called out as she and her friends... and Spike, charged into the throne room.
Celestia sighed in relief. “Twilight! I didn't send for you, but all the same, I'm glad you're here. I take it you've heard of the attacks on villages north of the Everfree?”
“Yes, they say that Trottingham was completely wiped out!” Twilight exclaimed. “And nopony knows who did it!”
“Indeed. Though some pegasi have reported seeing a large group moving along the edges of the forest...”
The throne room doors slammed open, interrupting the princess, and one of the lieutenants on duty charged in. “Princess Celestia! A large force of strange ponies is attacking the city!”
Celestia's eyes widened. “What do you mean, strange ponies?”
“Is it changelings!?” Twilight asked. She truly hoped the guard would recognize a changeling if he saw one, but some of her more recent experience with the royal guard left her in doubt of their competence.
He shook his head. “They're just strange looking ponies. They're attacking everypony in sight and... biting them...”
Twilight raised a brow at that. “Just biting?”
“I didn't watch after that...”
“So what? You just turned and ran? With ponies being attacked!?” Twilight demanded.
“Of course! I had to warn Princess Celestia!” He said defensively.
Twilight sighed, shaking her head.
“Well since you're here, Lieutenant, rally the guard!” Celestia ordered him.
He nodded. “Of course, princess!” With a salute he turned to go, then paused and looked back seeming confused. “To do what, exactly?”
“To defend the ponies of the city!” Celestia exclaimed.
His eyes widened. “You want us to go out there and fight those weird ponies!?”
“Yes!” Celestia exclaimed. “You're the royal guard! Why do you think you wear armor? Why do you think you train with weapons!?”
He took a step back nervously. “I... I thought the armor was just for appearance, and the training just to keep us in shape for our duties!”
Celestia clapped a hoof to her forehead. “Of course the training is to keep you in shape for your duties! Particularly your duty to defend the ponies of Equestria! Just what duties did you think you were training for!?”
He hesitated then reluctantly answered. “Well, to keep watch and warn yourself or the other princesses of any danger...”
“Yes, and?” Celestia coaxed.
“...And servicing your highness and the other princesses whenever you should desire.”
“WHAT!?” Twilight exclaimed, her eyes wide. She looked sharply at Celestia who was suddenly very red in the face. “Celestia! Have you been using the guard as your own... I don't even know what to call it! Some kind of male harem!?”
“I'm as pony as the next mare...” Celestia answered softly.
“The entire guard!?” Twilight exclaimed, eyes wide.
“It does promote loyalty... and improves moral...”
It was Twilight's turn to clap a hoof to her forehead as she saw her mentor and role model in a whole new, and very disturbing, light. Then a thought occurred to her and she was almost afraid to ask. “Tia... please tell me you never had my brother...” She trailed of, unable to say it.
Celestia's blush darkened. “Umm...”
Twilight groaned.
“He is quite the stallion...” Celestia said quietly.
Twilight took a moment to rub her forehead with her hoof in a vain attempt to hold back the coming head-ache brought on by the disturbing images, involving both her brother and Princess Celestia in very compromising positions, that were forcing their way into her mind. “Does Cadence know?”
“Well of course she does,” Celestia answered. “Why do you think she agreed to marry him? It wasn't for his personality, I can tell you that!”
“I meant does Cadence know about you and Shining!?” Twilight almost growled.
“Yes... well, she probably assumed as much anyway. I mean, she has the same right to request the guard's... services, and has often taken advantage of it. You have the same right as well for that matter, if you ever want to take advantage of it.”
Twilight blushed at the idea.
“Heh! You should totally take advantage of that, Twi!” Rainbow told her with a grin. “It's great for muscle tone!” Behind her, Twilight could hear Applejack snickering at her discomfort.
“As deliciously juicy as these tidbits of gossip are, shouldn't we be focusing on the unknown force attacking the city?” Rarity interrupted, thankfully cutting off Twilight's rather vivid imagination that had begun running scenarios through her head involving some of the more attractive guard-ponies she'd met 'servicing' her, her brother mounting Princess Celestia, or both at once...
I think I have issues... Twilight thought to herself.
“Right. Yes,” Celestia agreed, glad for the change in subject. “Lieutenant! Rally the guard to defend the city. I don't care what you think your duties are, first and foremost the guard is to defend the ponies of Equestria!”
At that moment a loud racket erupted from the entrance hall. Eyes wide, they all looked up at the throne room doors that had swung shut again after the guard had entered. Had the attacking ponies already gotten into the castle?
The doors creaked as they began to open, slowly. They heard shouts from the hall beyond, then a loud crash as a figure stepped through the doors.
“Auntie Celestia, I must protest about the unruly rabble that has gathered for day court.” Prince Blueblood said, tossing his mane arrogantly.
Everypony breathed a sigh of relief. “It's just you, Blueblood...” Celestia said, completely disregarding his complaint.
“For a second I thought the strange ponies attacking Canterlot had already reached the castle,” Twilight admitted with a relieved smile.
Several ponies leaped onto Blueblood, tackling him to the ground.
“Unhoof me you lowly... Ah, Aaah, AAAAAHHH!” They watched in horror as the ponies attacking Blueblood began biting, gnawing and quite literally devouring him right before their eyes. It wasn't what they were doing to Blueblood that horrified them, though. In fact, most of them were quite pleased, including Celestia herself. It was the appearance of the attacking ponies that horrified them. Most of them seemed to be losing their coats, their fur falling out. Several had severe wounds, broken bones, deep gashes, even missing limbs, but they didn't seem to notice and none of the wounds bled.
“Z-Z-Z-ZOMBIE PONIES!” Spike screamed and for once nopony could deny it as he began to panic. “We're all gonna to die! We're all gonna to die!”
“Everypony remain calm!” Twilight shouted, but Spike wasn't listening; one of the zombies was limping toward him. He suddenly breathed out a jet of flame and a regulation size baseball bat fell into his claws. Without hesitation he swung it down hard on the zombie pony's head again and again, brutally bashing its brains in.
“AAAAAHHHH!”
Twilight and the others watched with jaws dropped as Spike proceeded to the next Zombie pony approaching and again smashed the bat down on the undead pony's skull again and again, hard enough that he was lifted off the floor by the swings, screaming the whole time. In no time all the zombies that had attacked Blueblood – and Blueblood himself, just to be safe – had been bashed to a bloody pulp and Spike stood there spattered with coagulated blood, holding the stained red bat in his claws, breathing quick shallow breaths, with a manic look in his eyes.
“Wow; it wasn't Twi that cracked first...” Rainbow commented finally.
“And just what is that supposed to mean?” Twilight shouted rounding on her.
Rainbow raised a brow. “Want it, need it.”
“...Shuttup.”
Celestia snickered at Twilight's expense, but then they all froze as Spike walked back over, carrying his bloodied bat. “Hey girls! Did ya see those zombie ponies?” His eyes wide, one twitching repeatedly. “That's crazy, huh!”
“Uh... yeah...” Twilight agreed eying him nervously. “Spike... why don't you put the bat down...”
“What bat?” He asked still holding the bloodied blunt weapon over his shoulder.
“Right...”
The doors creaked open further behind him drawing all their eyes as hundreds of zombie ponies began entering the hall, many of them wearing royal guard armor.
“ZOMBIE PONIES!” Spike screamed raising his bat once more. Twilight quickly picked him up in her magic before he could run off.
“Damn, they got Hard Knocks! He was one of my favorites...” Celestia exclaimed.
Twilight chose to ignore the implications of her mentor's comment. “Fluttershy!” She called turning to the shy pegasus. “What should we do!?”
Fluttershy blinked. “What? Why are you asking me!?”
“Because, based on everything I've read, you're the most likely one to survive in these kinds of situations! So if we want to all make it through this then we have to follow your lead!” Twilight explained.
“Oh, okay, if you say so...”
“So what do we do?”
At that moment another wave of zombies poured into the throne room and they all heard screams echoing from elsewhere in the castle.
“Um... run?” Fluttershy suggested, eyes wide as the zombies shambled toward them at varying speeds.
“Retreat and regroup to assess the situation; good idea!” Twilight said nodding in approval. “You heard her, everypony, let's go!”
“You all go on ahead,” Celestia told them solemnly. “I'll stay here and hold them off while you escape. Go through the residence wing and find Luna, then make your way to Ponyville, hopefully it hasn't been overrun yet. I'll find you there.”
Twilight nodded. “Okay, good luck princess. Let's go everypony. Princess Celestia's going to hold them off! This way!”
Levitating Spike – who was swinging his bat repeatedly in the direction of the zombies – Twilight led them through the back way out of the throne room that led to the resident wing. They headed strait for Luna's tower, hoping that the zombie ponies hadn't made it that far yet.
“Twilight Sparkle!” Princess Luna called from the hall ahead. “I heard sounds of battle! Smoke rises from the city! What is going on?”
“Princess Luna, thank goodness you're alright!” Twilight exclaimed. “Zombie ponies are attacking! They've already gotten into the castle and are killing and turning everypony they come across!”
“Zombie ponies? Truly?”
“Sure looks that way!” Rainbow told her.
“And they are already within the castle?”
Twilight nodded.
“Then we must warn my sister and retreat until we know more!”
“Celestia's holding them off while we escape! She said she'll meet us in Ponyville,” Twilight told her quickly.
Luna's eyes widened. “Celestia is fighting them? ALONE?”
Twilight blinked not understanding why Luna would be so upset by that. “Yeah, why?”
“You left Celestia behind to fight them alone!?” Luna demanded again.
“What!? It's just a bunch of zombie ponies! I'm sure Celestia can handle it!” Twilight replied defensively.
“You foal! Don't you know about Celestia's curse!?” Luna exclaimed.
“Curse!? But, curses aren't real!”
Luna's eyes widened even further. “Oh for the love of...! OF COURSE CURSES ARE REAL! They're just another type of spell! And Celestia is cursed so that she can never win a fight so long as she has somepony else she can have fight in her place!”
“But... curses...”
“Why do you think she lost against the changeling queen!? Why do you think she always sends you to deal with serious threats instead of fighting herself!? Why do you think she and I always worked together in the past! She can't win a fight on her own!”
Twilight worked her jaw soundlessly for a few moments. “But, she won when she fought you! When you were Nightmare Moon!”
“Only because she had nopony else to fight for her! When I returned I beat her easily because she had you to do her fighting!”
“That actually kind of makes sense.” Applejack said thoughtfully and Twilight's eyes widened as she realized her mentor and friend may be in grave danger.
“Watch Spike.” She said quickly, setting him down with the rest of her friends, then she and Luna both galloped toward the Throne room hoping they weren't too late.
“...for I am the unconquerable princess of the sun!” They heard Celestia declaring loudly as they drew close. “Avatar of the day, defender of Equestria, of harmony! You shall not... OH MOTHER OF ME!”
They burst through the door just in time to see Celestia dragged to the ground by dozens of zombie ponies.
“TIA!” Luna cried holding one hoof out toward her.
Twilight stared in horror as her mentor disappeared beneath the hordes of undead, entrails flying and blood spraying everywhere.
Then Luna sighed. “We were too late... oh well, let's go.” She said with a shrug.
Twilight looked up at her shocked. “But, maybe she can still be saved!”
Luna eyed the growing pool of blood spreading across the floor from under the zombie pony's hooves. “I doubt it.”
“But...! She's your sister!” Twilight exclaimed, appalled by how little she seemed to care.
Luna shrugged. “She'll just be reborn in a few years. Then it will be my turn to be the big sister again...”
Twilight blinked. “What?”
“That's how it works, whenever Celestia or I get killed we're reborn a few years later.”
Twilight blinked again. “Really?”
“Yes.”
“How long before she's reborn?” Twilight asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
Luna shrugged. “Hard to say,” she said then glanced at Twilight. “So... you have any coltfriends? A special somepony perhaps?”
Twilight blinked. “What? No, not right now! Don't change the subject! How long until Celestia is reborn?”
She shrugged again. “It may be a few years.”
“Oh princesses! I don't mean to interrupt,” Rarity called in a singsong manner from the hall behind them. “But I couldn't help but notice you seem to have forgotten the little matter of... WE'RE RUNNING FOR OUR LIVES!”
Twilight glanced at the zombies and saw many of them had already lost interest in their white alicorn meal and were ready for darker meat. “Right... RUN!”