//------------------------------// // Horse Jesus // Story: Shudderbones: The Necromancer of Flame Geyser Swamp // by SkelePone //------------------------------// She ran. Shudderbones was lost to the world, slung unceremoniously across her back. She had Shudderbones, unconscious but safe. She had saved him. Now Applejack just had to run. Run and never look back. Behind her, the umbrum that called itself Oscurdia cackled. The castle was becoming more corrupted by the second, its many halls twisting and curving about. Almost like they were alive. She continually dodged creaking skeletons and ghouls. She had no time to fight. She had to get Shudderbones to safety. Over her shoulder, he mumbled into her ear in his sleep. "Applejack..." She kept running, his muttering energizing her. With a single bound, she leapt over a forming crevasse, not even looking back or acknowledging it. "I love you..." A skeletal stallion stepped before her. It raised a hoof, ready to stop her. Applejack whirled around and bucked the skeleton in the rib-cage. The entire skeleton collapsed, and she continued as the skeleton started to reassemble itself behind her. "Marry me..." Applejack flushed. Then she remembered he was delirious and unconscious. He was probably just dreaming. Finally, she entered the main hall, where many hours earlier they had been enjoying themselves, sipping cider in the moonlight. A horde of blue ghosts moan and screamed above her, floating along the ceiling. At least they hadn't attacked her. She didn't stop running. Her hooves crunched as she stepped on broken shards of the hall mirror. Then she trotted out the open door. For some reason everypony waiting outside let out a cheer. She looked incredulous. The other Elements, her five friends, and Luna were looking at her in worry. They weren't cheering. Applejack suddenly realized they thought she had defeated Shudderbones. They thought Shudderbones was the evil one. "No! Everypony, Shudders here wasn' the bad guy! He was bein' possessed! I swear!" They ignored her, but Twilight and the others approached her and the crumpled necromancer lying beside her. "We believe you, Applejack." Luna suddenly spoke up. "Who or what was he being possessed by?" "It was one a them shadow pony things. Like Sombra! But it laughed when I called 'im that. Called itself 'Oscurdia'." Shudderbones groaned from his position on the ground. His mane and coat had turned back to their normal colors or light grey, black, and royal purple. His cutie mark had turned back to the ankh. Applejack found she preferred the looped cross to the chilling skull that was there before. He opened his eyes, thankfully turned back to their warm purple. Applejack breathed a sigh of relief and helped him up onto his hooves. He was still wobbly, and had to lean against her lightly to stay standing. Applejack didn't mind, though. She was just glad he was okay. "Where am I?" He mumbled. His eyes didn't shine like they usually did. They were dulled, like a light inside them had been extinguished. It reminded Applejack of a lantern that had run out of fuel. "You're safe," she replied sweetly, "an' that's all that matters." = = = = = = = = = = = The others helped her in getting the unstable unicorn down the steps. Luna explained to the Canterlot citizens that Shudderbones was not the evil monster they had seen. He had been possessed, she said, by a demon named Oscurdia. Meanwhile, the Royal Guard had reassembled, and they prepared to storm the castle with the reactivated Princess Luna. Applejack watched the action from her position at Shudderbones' bedside in the makeshift hospital just outside the Corrupted Castle's gates. Shudderbones had been placed beside Princess Celestia and Discord, a symbol of respect that Applejack appreciated. Shudderbones had promised to work on a counter-curse to the two Greats' afflictions. He had only needed sleep, at least for a while. He had made Applejack promise to stay by him until he awoke, to which she had happily obliged. Canterlot was in ruins. Portals had torn apart houses and shops, opening up gateways to the realms of the Afterlife. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had gone for a quick flight to gather the citizens of Cloudsdale to help. Twilight had joined Luna, wanted to help face the umbrum. Pinkie Pie and Rarity were running about, helping those in need. "Hello, Applejack." She turned. Shudderbones was awake. His eyes were once more luminous. Applejack grinned at him. Shudderbones smiled back weakly as he climbed out of the bed. He limped slightly as he walked, favoring his right hind leg. But he didn't complain. She knew he wouldn't. He turned into her general direction, from his position between the princess and the draconequus. He was already working on a cure, as promised. His look of confidence and concentration threw Applejack off. "Now, I think the curse may just be a-" He was cut off as Applejack suddenly leapt towards him, mashing her lips into his. The kiss lasted for seconds, but it still shook Shudderbones to the core. Eyes wide, and blushing, he started to blubber. "I-I-I... I was s-s-s-saying..." She giggled and blushed, honestly the most feminine thing Shudderbones had seen her do. "Alright lover-boy. Ah'll leave ya to getiin' them two back in order. Ah'll talk to ya later." And with that, she skipped into a trot, winking at him he left. Shudderbones gulped. What had just happened? He asked himself. = = = = = = = = = = Shudderbones stood over the two sleeping great, still occasionally bursting into fits of terror. They had obviously been cursed with some form of forced nightmare. Possibly one that the umbrum that had possessed him controlled directly. Like a partial possession. He knew what he needed to do. He needed to exorcise the Good Princess and the Master of Chaos. He had been given a ready supply of tools and some medical instruments. Of course, there were a few herbs. Digging around in a medical bag, Shudderbones found some incense. He placed it on the pavement, lighting it. Instantly the air filled with it's burning scent, purifying it. He began to chant, his eyes glowing brightly. His horn crackled with purple and green light, washing over the two. They had been firmly tied down. Discord had be be tied down to two beds. Shudderbones prepared himself for a hell of a ride. They had already began to writhe, the nightmares trapping them resisting his pull. He chanted louder. Shudderbones felt them fighting him, trying to remain in the minds of the two. They started to thrash, threatening to flip their respective beds. He felt the umbrum's grip on them weaken. Finally, with a shout that he couldn't explain, Shudderbones bellowed to the shaking duo. "THE POWER OF HORSE JESUS COMPELS YOU!" He had no idea where that had come from. He didn't even know who 'Horse Jesus' was. But it worked, all the same. They both gasped, eyes flying open. Exhausted once more, Shudderbones did a quick spell and Celestia and Discord sprung from their bindings. Both Princess Celestia and the draconequus glared at the necromancer, and prepared to lunge for him together when a sharp country voice stopped them in their tracks. "NOW DON'T Y'ALL DARE TOUCH MY COLTFRIEND!" Applejack hollered. Celestia and Discord, shocked, halted mid-leap, and crashed onto the floor. "Y'all gotta be jokin', he saved yer sorry skins from dem nightmares, an' you repay 'im by attackin' 'im?" Celestia, Discord, and Shudderbones were all shocked by her scolding. The Alicorn and serpentine creature looked from Applejack to Shudderbones, shocked. Shudderbones squee'd, grinning sheepishly as he waved a hoof at the incredulous two. "Hello." He said, unsure of how else to greet them. They had just about attacked him, of course. Surprisingly, she rounded on him, too. "AND YOU! Yer mah coltfriend. Case closed. Ah'll be back ta helpin' Twilight now. Later, hon." Once again, she trotted from the room. As she passed Shudderbones, she flicked her tail, running along the bottom of his jaw. Flushing, he turned to the two. Their jaws had dropped. Shudderbones scowled. "Close your mouths. It's rude. And I guess I have to fill you in on whats happening. You've been out for as long as I have been, but I've had a head start, as you can tell."