To Tread Amongst the Living

by RobertPooner

Chapter 12

Not far from the necromancer’s cabin, six ponies were trudging carefully down a path through the Everfree forest. Leading them is Twilight, Applejack behind her; behind them walks Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and bouncing along at the end of the pack is Pinkie Pie.

“Are….are we almost there Twilight? It’s getting….*eep*….really dark” stammers Fluttershy

“Yeah Twilight, this is taking foreverrr” says Rainbow, dragging her hooves down her face to accentuate her impatience.

“Calm down girls, we’re almost there” says Twilight.

“We have been walking for quite a while Twilight, all of this…bleh…nature will take several spa treatments to get off of my coat, not to mention my poor hooves”

“Quit yer belly-aching Rarity, Twilight said we’ll be there soon so worry about yer bein prissy some other time.” Says Applejack back to her friend.

At the rear of the pack, Pinkie Pie was uncharacteristically quiet as she bounced with her usual boundless energy. Tied to her tail were a bunch of balloons of assorted colors; on her face rested a pair of Groucho Marx glasses, accentuated by a fake “arrow-through-head” prop.

“Uhh Pinkie, why did you need all of that stuff?” asks rainbow Dash.

“Well Dashy my Pinkie senses were tingling; I had a twitchy tail, floppy ear, and itchy hoof super-duper combo and you know what that means!”
“Oh yeah, of course…he he, but I don’t think Fluttershy does…” answers Rainbow Dash awkwardly as she rubs the back of her head.

Bouncing up to Fluttershy, “Well Ms. Forgetty-forgetty pants that means that there’s a really sad pony somewhere and that he needs a really good super-duper ultra-fantastic cheering up!”

“Where, out here of all places, would a pony need cheering up Pinkie?” asks Rarity.

“I don’t know yet silly, my Pinkie sense hasn’t... Wohhhhh!!!” says Pinkie as she begins to vibrate up and down as if she was in the middle of an earthquake. “Pinkie sense says that way!” says Pinkie as she gallops off into a thicket of bushes along the side of the dirt path.

“Pinkie wait!” yells out Twilight as her friend disappears into the forest. Turning back to the rest of her friends, “We better follow her.” The girls than carefully follow the path that Pinkie had taken.

After a few short seconds of walking, the girls come upon an open field with a small cabin situated in the center.

“Looks like we’ve the place girls.” Says Twilight.

“Excuse me for one moment Twilight but are you sure that this umm…quaint…house belongs to Nox? It doesn’t seem to fit a stallion of his stature.”

“I’m sure Rarity.”

“Well perhaps the inside has a tad more flair to it.”

“We’re wastin our time out here. Let’s find him.” Says Applejack impatiently to her friends.

The five friends move towards the front door of the cabin where their pink friend was sitting on her haunches, mouth opened wide in awe.

“Pinkie… are you ok?” asks Fluttershy.

Reaching a hoof out Pinkie presses it to the surface of a previously invisible dome of sparkling green magic.

“Sparkly….” Says Pinkie with awestruck wonderment in her eyes.

“What is it Twilight?” asks Applejack

“I don’t know. It looks like some kind of shield. The only pony that I’ve ever seen use a spell like this is my brother. I need to study it.” Says Twilight with a determined look upon her face.

Walking up to then shield Twilight lightly touches her horn to it. A wave of her purple magic courses over the shield, leaving her dumbfounded.

“This is one of the most advanced shielding spell I have ever seen! The ramifications of the propagation of this could change our understanding of magic entirely!”

As Twilight continues to ramble on, Rainbow hovers over to the rest of her friends. “Well, looks like we’ve lost her. Anypony have any ideas?”

All of her friends shrug their shoulders on by one until she reaches Pinkie Pie. “Oh Oh Rainbow pick me I have an idea!”

“*Sigh…what is it Pinkie?”

“We could just ring the doorbell silly filly.” Says Pinkie as she again places her hoof on the shield. This time though, a pegasus opens the door to the darkened cabin.

“Can I help you?” asks the pegasus.

“Hay you’re the pegasus that was with Nox aren’t you?”

“That I am, and judging by your choice of hairstyle you must be Rainbow Dash?”

“That’s me, fastest pony in Equestria! I guess you’ve heard of me?”

Responding with a deadpan look, “Not in the slightest, though my master speaks of you six. Is your purple friend ok?”

The five friends turn around to look at Twilight. “Uh yeah, she gets a might obsessive at times.”

Twilight hearing hear friends’ conversation turned to them with a squee of embarrassment and blood red cheeks.

“Hello my name is Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends...”

“I know of you from my master; Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie.” Says the pegasus. “I am Lilith; assistant, confidant, and friend to Albus Noctis. If you would follow me please.” Lilith then turns around and walks inside the cabin.

Twilight, trying to get the pegasus’ attention, “But Lilith, the shield is…”

“Dispelled, Nox is expecting you.”

The six friends looked at each other and then carefully follow Lilith into the dark cabin.

“I assume Nox hasn’t told you who or what I am?” asks Lilith

“What you are? What do you mean?” asks Twilight.

With a sigh, Lilith turns back to the ponies following her. “I suppose the best way would be to show you.”

This causes Fluttershy to curl up against the perpetually happy Pinkie Pie in fear.

Lilith walks over to the fire pit and turns to the ponies so they could see here in the light.

“Yeah so? You’re still in your Nightmare Night costume.” Says Rainbow with a dismissive wave of her hoof.

Face hoofing, “I am a revenant you ignorant foal!” shouts Lilith to Rainbow whom responds with a look of ignorance on her face as she turns to Twilight for an answer to her unspoken question.

“In folklore a revenant is said to be a visible ghost or animated corpse that was believed to return from the grave to terrorize the living.” Says Twilight as she slowly backs away toward the door with the rest of her friends, excluding Pinkie who still stood there smiling through her Groucho glasses.

“Bah…all concoctions dreamt up by the ignorant. A true revenant is simply a pony who is raised with the same soul and body that they had during life.” Correcting her to attempt to ease their fear, unsuccessfully.

Rubbing the bridge of her nose with frustration, “Didn’t Nox have a chat with you about a similar topic Twilight Sparkle? Now follow me, Nox is waiting.”

Lilith walks toward an unnaturally dark corner of the rooms and opens what appears to be a portal of glowing black light. Walking through, followed by a bouncing Pinkie pie, the rest of the girls follow suit.

One by one as the girls entered, their mouths hung open with amazement at what this “room” held.

Twilight became awestruck with the sheer amount of knowledge upon the shelves and even the very walls; thousands upon thousands of tomes holding who knows how much knowledge. The Royal Library of Canterlot had many books holding the knowledge of Equestria and the history of all of Equis, but this; many of the books looked older than Canterlot itself judging by the languages writing on their spines. Ib’xian, Cameluian, and even Cervid books on a vast shelf on their left next to the portal; on the right, countless books in a multitude languages that she could not understand. Below her sat a medical and scientific laboratory straight out of her dreams; beakers, burners, test tubes, as well as piles and piles of papers sat neatly organized on each and every table.

Rarity looked as though she was having a meltdown. High upon the walls above the room’s bookcases were tapestries and paintings the likes of which she had never seen. The colors and symbols on the tapestries were as varied as the fabrics and materials used to make them. Some were made of a deep midnight purple velvet, others were a scarlet red satin with gold woven accents, others were of materials that even the fashion diva could not discern; the symbols upon each were for the most part unknown aside from a scant few representing many sentient creatures of the planet Equis. The paintings closest to her though held even more wonder. Each one was a fine work of art in themselves but all with one common similarity. They collectively seemed to be a mural of some event, whether real or fantasized, of some sort of event. On one piece, there were seven black cloaked ponies practicing magic of some sort or another. On the next appeared to be a vast number of white ponies dressed in some kind of ancient armor charging toward the seven magic ponies. On the third there was a pony similar to one of the ones from the first slide; though he was surrounded by the warrior ponies from the previous picture as well as a golden alicorn. The final panting showed that same hooded pony plummeting into a swirling purple vortex.

Rainbow was far from entranced by books or paintings, for there were over a dozen pony manikins standing about in pairs around the top floors that were equipped head to hoof in armor and weapons that she had never seen before. Herself being an avid practitioner of karate, she was always interested in many fighting styles from all around Equis, samurai regalia from the country of Neighpon, Landsknecht sword and uniform from Germaneigh, even tribal warriors from the plains of Zebrica and the Outback of Hosstralia. She was in awe; how could one pony have ever amassed such a collection? Many around here haven’t been used in centuries!

Fluttershy though was distracted by the flora held in planters around the library. Living so close to the Everfree forest as well as having to make many medicines for her animal friends. A few she recognized from the surrounding forest, but many were unknown to her. Flowers and plants of every imaginable shape and color surrounded the perimeter of the large room.

Even though they were controlled by Celestia and Luna, knowing the movements of the sun and moon were still part of every farmer’s life and Applejack is no different. Knowing where the sun would pass over and for how long is all important for where to plant certain crops and when to plant them. The placement of plants and trees so that each receives the proper amount is crucial. The moon was no different as the rays of each night’s moon help to ripen many crops grown at their farm; most prominently the tomato patch in the farm’s eastern fields. Looking up, she could see what appeared to be a glass dome with many etched circles and pathways which Applejack guessed tracks the two heavenly bodies. Something like this on her farm would be invaluable for her family, but as she examined it she noticed that it didn’t seem to line up with the current position of the sun. What would anypony have it if it didn’t even work right?

Pinkie Pie however had other ideas than her friends. Looking over the railing and down to the floor below, Pinkie Pie got a running start and jumped over the railing. Instead of plunging down to the hard marble floor though, she floated down and softly landed thanks to the party balloons still tied to her tail. Galloping as fast as her four hooves would allow, Pinkie lets out a yell pure joy.

“Noxy!!!” she shouts to the hooded pony that stood hard at work over an alembic crafting a potion.

Startled, Nox lost his magical grip on a test tube and dropped it to the floor, shattering it into a million pieces. The fluid inside too splattered in a small gelatinous pile where it fell and began to rapidly eat its way through the floor until it had fallen out of sight. Turning around to see the source of the shouting, Nox sees the outrageously dressed party pony waving as she galloped toward him.

“Wowie Noxy, that green stuff sure was hungry” says Pinkie with a laugh.

Unable to suppress the laughter at seeing the get up that the eccentric pony was wearing, he too gave a chuckle and says, “That it was Ms. Pinkie. I’m glad to see you, as well as your friends.”

Calling up to the first floor, “Lilith, please show our guests the less...direct…way down here please.”

Complying without an answer, Lilith gathered the five ponies still on the top floor and led them down a staircase where Nox and their pink friend were waiting.

“Ladies, welcome to our home. It is both a pleasure and an honor to have you.” Says Nox with a bow.

“Nox, this place is amazing!” shouts Twilight, “Where or for that matter how did you amass such a collection?! The ancient books, this laboratory; it would take a lifetime to collect all of this.”

“Several of them actually Twilight, but we’ll return to that later. I assume you six came to me for a reason in particular? Or multiple ones perhaps?”

Stepping forward with an as of yet unseen amount of bravery from her, Fluttershy speaks up, “Umm well Mr. Nox, I told Twilight and my friends about when I found you and well… we were wondering, if you don’t mind me asking that is…if you’re really just an earth pony.”

“Well I suppose the “cat is out of the bag” as they say.”

Pulling back the hood of his cloak, the ponies could see that he was indeed an earth pony.

“But how!? Only unicorns can use magic. This shouldn’t be scientifically possible! You aren’t scientifically possible!” says Twilight.

“And how pray tell did you come to such an astute conclusion Ms. Twilight? Is it because none have ever seen an earth pony use magic? Was there a consensus reached so as to take a lack of evidence as a fact? I would remind you to notice where the claim of consensus is invoked Twilight. Consensus is invoked only in situations where the science is not solid enough. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence my unicorn friend.”

“Wow Twilight, he’s an even bigger egghead than you are” says Rainbow teasingly to her friend.

“All ponies have the spark of magic within them girls, be it earth pony, or pegasi, or unicorn. Did you not see my dear Lilith perform magic before?”

“Yes, but we figured that it was because or her, well… how would one say…condition.” Answers Rarity

“It is in part, but not fully.” Chimes in Lilith as she moves close to Nox. “When Nox brought me back, it simply unlocked the latent magic within me.”

“What’s it like being a zompony? Do you like it? Does it hurt? Oh oh! It would be so much fun to be a zompony! I’d go around and eat brains and scare all sorts of ponies, but not if it hurts. It wouldn’t be any fun at all if it hurts.” says Pinkie Pie, slightly unnerving her friends.

With a deadpan look toward Pinkie, “You read too many comic books young foal. I for one have never been happier these two hundred years with Nox.” She says as she strokes Nox’s chin with the tip of her wing.

“So it would seem…”says Rarity picking up a vibe from Lilith, though Nox appearing oblivious to it. “Wait...did you say two hundred years?!”

“Yes, seventy three thousand two hundred and sixty one days by my count Ms. Rarity.” Says Nox.

“Just how old are you Nox?” asks Twilight.

“Well now, I suppose based on your Equestrian calendar, I would technically be… eighteen hundred years old or so.”

At hearing that, each of the girls mouths dropped agape with astonishment.

“But enough of that for now, I gather that you have something more specific to ask of me…Ms. Applejack?”

Quiet up until this point Applejack spoke up timidly, “Uhh…Mr. Nox, if ya don’t mind me askin but…ummm…”

“You wish me to…? Come now Applejack, no need to be coy, all you need to do is ask.”

“Could ya bring em back again…please?”

With a newfound smile adorning his face, “I knew that you and your friends would come Applejack and I have begun preparations, but it will be much more difficult.”

‘What do ya mean more difficult?”

“Well fair Applejack, the veil separating our world and theirs has closed again. Last night it was a simple matter of asking them; to do it again, I will need one more day of preparation to tear the veil slightly to allow them to pass over for a time.”

“So what does that mean than Nox?” asks Twilight.

“It means that I will need one more day of preparations. You may either return home and come back again tomorrow, or you six are more than welcome to spend the evening rather than trek through the forest.”

Looking at her friends, with each nodding their approval, Applejack responds, “Thank ya kindly Mr. Nox, we don’t really wanna have ta go walkin through the forest at night.”

“Lilith, please show them to the western wing and before you retire, please feel free to look around but I must ask you to please refrain from the northern wing. Have a good night girls.”

Lilith, followed by the girls, walked back upstairs toward the other side of the room opposite of where they had entered; there another portal much like the first waited. Once they had walked through the swirling vortex, they appeared in a long hallway. One both sides, there are three large oak doors presumably leading to their bedrooms; down the center of the hallway was a long carpet made of an emerald green silk interwoven with a strange electroluminescent threading that slowly pulsed from black to white. Needless to say, Rarity was enthralled by this though the rest of the ponies listen closely to Lilith as she speaks.

“To the right are your rooms for tonight. The closest door to our left is the kitchen, feel free to help yourselves. The middle door is the wash facilities, anything you require in that aspect has been made available by Nox. Behind the final door is a lounge should you desire. I trust you six can manage from here?”

“Yes and thank you Ms. Lilith” answers Twilight with a nod.

“Then I bid you adieu. Remember this though, you are the first people to set hoof here in many years and Nox has given you free range. Do not abuse his trust.” With that, Lilith returns through the portal and trots back down to Nox’s side.

“Are you sure that it is wise to allow those foals to wander Nox?”

“Oh Lilith, do you have so little faith in me? I plan on keeping a watchful eye on them.”

Comments

[-Brutus]

What's in the northern wing?....

[RobertPooner]

3909113 Patience my friend. Patience.

[RobertPooner]

Thanks everypony for the faves. Feel free to comment, I'm open to any constructive criticism or other suggestions. This is my first story after all.