Undead Princess Twilight Sparkle: Monster Slayer

by Lord Destrustor

Yearning

It has been years.

I have not slept, eaten or bathed in all that time.

Nor do I need to.

I have read every book in my vast library.

At least six times each.

I wrote seven new books; two textbooks on magic and four works of fiction, plus an autobiography.

I have researched new spells, new magic theories, and brought forth a greater understanding of magic for all Equestrians.

Yet with all that, what I did to myself is still an infuriating mystery holding me back from knowing peace.

...I am incredibly bored.

Standing on the tallest peak of my castle, among the towering clouds of morning fog slowly scattering above the Everfree Forest, I nudge the mask at my hooves.

Two nights ago, a young colt got himself lost in the forest. From the depths of my castle I heard the screams, and the roars of the manticore who was about to eat him.

I did not let it. I intervened, saved the child, and gave the beast the flight of a lifetime. For the first time in my unlife, that made me realize just how lost to me such things as fear and pain are.

And that gave me an idea.

The mask at my hooves, a marvel of clockwork engineering and new materials, is made to look like a pony’s face. A lifelike, mobile, perfect replica of the flesh that used to cover my skull. A simple spell to bind it to my face lets me move it as if it was my very skin returned. I try to smile.

The mask’s lips curl upward. The smile becomes genuine.

Oh Spike, your craftsmanship becomes better with each passing month.

I pick the mask up in my magic, turning it around so I can insert the clamps into my eye sockets. With a click, it snaps into place, tightly latched onto my skull. I shake my head around a few times to test the fit; it doesn’t slip in the slightest.

Perfect.

My skeletal wings extend and I jump down to the nearest window; my study. The spacious room housing my desk, my telescope, and all manner of apparatuses I often use for my research now holds a new attraction.

The ponyquin stands silently, everything but its face covered; a large cloak with sleeves, a wig, a fake tail.

I put them all on, using my magic to tighten the hidden, internal straps to my bones. Hoof-like boots are stitched to the end of every sleeve, providing a snug fit for the bony ends of my legs.

I turn to face the tall, ornate mirror standing in the corner, an antique I fished out of the depths of the castle years ago.

I look alive again. I look like I used to, back when my heart still existed, back when my brain was as full of the magic of friendship as it was with knowledge. My old self, perhaps a bit over-dressed, but still. The mask’s lenses even hide the glow of my ‘eyes’.

I can’t help but smile again.

My horn glows, and my cape flares up in the magical gust I just summoned. Among the papers scattering around, swept up from my desk, I see the bright pink star of my cutie mark flapping above my head on the brown fabric.

I wonder if the mask can endure how much I’m smiling. It thankfully seems to hold up while I make my way towards the stairs.

As I walk back to the ground level of my castle, I keep smiling. I will be bored no more. It is high time I began using my condition to its fullest.

The stairs and stairs lead into the grand foyer, where I quickly enter the west hallway where, in turn, I take another stairway down.

The forge sits sleeping, unused, in the massive room it occupies. The great chimney above runs in the center of the castle’s main tower, keeping the rooms warm when the Everfree’s wild winters assault the walls. At least, when the flames burn bright enough; today the embers are only warm enough to cast light on the room’s sleeping occupant.

“Spike,” I say quietly, and he stirs.

A single eye cracks open sleepily, and he mumbles “Hi Twilight,” while rolling around to turn his back to me. I count the seconds patiently. One, two, three…

“Woah, Twilight!” He stands straight up, wide-eyed and mouth open. “You look great!”

I step closer to the light, letting him examine my disguise in the orange glow. “That mask is absolutely perfect, Spike. You did a very good job.”

“Thanks,” he says, rubbing the back of his head, “but Rarity’s the one who made it look like you, you know.”

“And I’m very thankful to both of you for your incredible work.”

I gently pull him into a hug that he returns eagerly. It does next to nothing for me; just a numb sensation sent into my mind by the magic animating me, but I know he enjoys it at least. And it’s nice to know he still cares.

“I should have let you move in here sooner. I missed you.”

The hug tightens in response. I rub his back. A few seconds pass in silence as I look at the wall over his head.

“You’re getting taller, Spike. I just noticed that. You’ll soon pass me, big boy. Seeing you grow into the tall, handsome dragon you’ll become is definitely one thing I’m thankful to still be here for.”

“I love you, Twilight.” He lets go, stepping back to look in my new glass eyes. I see his are glistening. “Do you really have to do this?”

“I don’t have to, no. But I want to. I’m getting too bored in here; I have to go out there and do something. Think of all the insanely dangerous things I could do instead of letting ponies risk their lives! Think of how useful it could be to have an un-killable, fearless pony who literally can’t feel pain to help out where needed!”

I grab an axe in my magic, taking it down from its place on a wall stand. “Think of the evil I can fight when there’s nothing anyone can do to hurt me.”

“But twilight, what if they can hurt you? What if they… you know, for good?”

“Spike, I’m already dead. I’m already supposed to be gone. If something out there does find a way to truly kill me… well, everything will be back in its rightful place.”

He takes a step forward. “Twilight! Don’t say things like that!”

“And why not, Spike? Did Celestia pass a law that says undead abominations can’t be against the idea of undead abominations while I wasn’t looking?”

He opens his mouth to say something, but slowly looks away with a frown.

“I’ve accepted my death, Spike. You should too. It makes no sense that I’d be here forever when I’m already gone.”

I make my way back to the door, and I open it just in time to almost miss hearing him mumble “You’re not an abomination.”

I pause, the door still grasped in my magic, watching his faint shadow quietly undulate on the wall next to me. He’s standing as still as me, waiting for a reaction on my part. I choose not to answer.

“Come on,” I say instead, “let’s get you back to Ponyville. I don’t want to leave you here alone without myself to scare the forest’s creatures away.”

With that, I begin climbing the stairs, the sound of his feet scurrying after me soon heard from below.

He catches up to me, and we exit the castle. I cast a ward on the door, locking it behind us.

As we walk back towards Ponyville, I’m already planning my next steps; it would be insultingly amateurish to pick up a new hobby without proper preparation after all.

Look out, forces of evil; Equestria’s dead princess has entered the scene at last.

Comments

[Nyronus]

Als Erstes!

But, no, seriously: I honestly wish this was longer. I want Twilight's character fleshed out more here. I like the angle you have sort of going, that she's suicidal, but I kind of want that explored more. What would Celestia say if she heard Twilight talk so casually about her own destruction? What would her friends feel if, after years of living in exile, the first thing she does when she can walk among ponies freely is go find something to fight instead of seeing them? And why hasn't Spike written to Celestia about all of this?

The whole thing's a little off kilter because of that. Twilight's decision to hunt monsters sort of makes sense, but at the same time doesn't. It needs more development. I sort of feel like I'm only seeing part of a much larger story here.

[thedarkitty]

Pretty good, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[djthomp]

This is just the thing that I didn't know I needed.

[AliCentaur Br0ny]

I loved the original story and am glad to see that the story is not over yet.

[bobbananaville]

I like the way Spike thinks. The optimist to Twilight's suicidal pessimist. He hasn't put it to words, but he genuinely believes that things can be alright. He's being active about it, too, getting help from Rarity, even staying in Twilight's home.
That said, I agree with Twilight as well; she's immortal, and doing nothing is selfish in addition to boring. That said, maybe instead of going out and stopping ponies from getting killed, she could study (or better yet, be studied - a third party is the best party to have in a sciency thing) such that she can create an elixir of immortality, and stop all death altogether!
Probably not, though; she evidently hates her undead status, and wouldn't wish it on anypony despite it being essentially a cure to death.

[FinalFan]

5630167

I want Twilight's character fleshed out more here.

haw haw

[the frank]

Is it bad that instead of Twilight's "normal" voice, I hear Raven speak?

[RealityCheck]

instead of a costume, why not cast a magical illusion around herself?

Observed: they can cast illusions of sight, sound, touch, scent and taste, which self-evidently directly affect the mind without actually acting on the intermediary senses.

Observed: she can see without eyes, and hear without ears. Her mind is also fully functional, and she presumably retains the body-memory of her other senses.

Observed: per Shining Armor's shield, they can make magical "solids" of varying shape and rigidity.

Suggestion: Cast a flexible force field over herself as a sort of full-body "sleeve," giving her a tangible malleable epidermis, cover the outside with an illusion of her original appearance... and the inside with tactile, olfactory and oral illusions tied to the exterior, so that she can smell, taste, and "feel". Use a permanent artifact, such as brooch, necklace, or peytral, to contain the spell.

[Snow]

5693125
All of which presumably require a constant investment or concentration. So while it's doable, she's certainly no changeling.

I suppose she could hunt down chrysalis and drag the secrets out of her, but overall there's no reason a disguise can't work.

[Bones_]

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! I can't believe I missed this story's release! It's probably because I never check blogs, let alone look for sequels, I have nearly 100 unread fave chaps and 11 read laters!

[Poducken2]

I was putting off reading this story because Deadlight already did the whole Undead Twilight thing, then I found out that this is actually Deadlight's SEQUEL, so now I'm on board.

[Daffodilia]

Oh my god this is good *mouthful of popcorn* Let the story begin!

~MiTM

[DiscordFan]

Nevermind my comment in Dead/Light. This sequel seems promising.

[Son of Sun]

This is a pun.

[Red Neck]

Oh boy bad guys you are about to go up against a undead alicorn princess you do not stand a chance