Shudderbones: The Necromancer of Flame Geyser Swamp

by SkelePone

Apology Unaccepted

Later that evening, Shudderbones lay curled up in his bed, with the fairy tale book open in his hooves.

"Starswirl and the Necromancer.

Once upon a time, long ago, in the grand city of Canterlot was a powerful wizard, the great unicorn Starswirl the Bearded. He was beloved across the land, because his magic was that of Light, and it represented all that is natural and in order.
Another wizard, the goat-demon Grogar, was Starswirl's rival. He was a necromancer, and he was incredibly powerful. He used the bells around his neck to raise the dead and to enslave the living. He had enslaved a giant part of Equestria he called Tambelon.
One day, Grogar kidnapped the young Princess Celestia. She had been put to sleep and carried away into the night. Starswirl ventured forth to rescue the Princess. When he reached Tambelon, he called upon Grogar, and challenged the goat to a duel. Grogar accepted, confident of his abilities.
When the two-"

There was knocking at the door. Shudderbones tossed the book to the side. He hadn't been eager to re-read what happened to the necromancer anyways. It felt too much like a foreboding look into his own future. He went down to answer the door, shaking the eerie thoughts from his head. Numbskull approached him on his way down, but he wove off the skeleton mare with his hoof. He didn't have time for her follies.

Thrusting open the great oaken doors, Shudderbones was shocked to see a purple Alicorn and a little purple and green dragon at his doorstep. He recognized Spike, the rude dragon from before. And Princess Twilight Sparkle.

He bowed low. Mostly because tradition told him to do so, not out of genuine respect. He remembered how she had freaked out, causing all of Ponyville to form a mob. They had almost strung him up from a tree before Applejack and Big Mac had intervened.

"Princess, I invite you into the humble abode of the Necromancer of Flame Geyser Swamp. Make yourself at home."

"Thanks," she replied, "but I only came here to apologize for my overreaction when I learned who you were... It was wrong of me to judge you so harshly just because of your... special talent" -she glanced quickly at the ankh on his flank- "and I feel that I should extend the hoof of Friendship to anypony, even to practitioners of... questionable magic." She smiled sheepishly as Spike rolled his eyes and glared at Shudderbones with great distrust. Shudderbones remembered the events of the morning. Vividly. He scowled at the Princess and the dragon. He felt like she wasn't really sorry.

"Yeah. Because I needed reminding of THAT." He snapped. Shudderbones turned away from the two, shaking with anger.

"Listen... I'm sorry... if I had known you were Applejack's coltfriend, I wouldn't have-"

"I'M NOT HER COLTFRIEND!" Shudderbones shouted, his eyes glowing with their purple light, wisps of magic literally smoking out of the edges. The Princess turned pale and shrunk back, yelping. "She... doesn't feel that way towards me. And besides, we've known each other but for the manner of days."
He blinked, and the darkness that had been engulfing his eyes vanished. He continued to glower at the two. It began to thunder outside, occasionally a lightning strike blasted by the window, illuminating the room and casting the Princess and the dragon in his looming shadow. Twilight visibly let out a shiver. The air had suddenly gotten much colder.

"Now," Shudderbones boomed, his masculine voice suddenly deepened and magnified by Twilight's fear, "get out." Lightning flashed behind him, casting her once more in his terrifying shadow.

He didn't have to ask twice.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Applejack and Big Macintosh continued to show up the next few days, making repairs to the Bones Manor. He kept trying to pay them in bits, but they kept shaking their heads, cramming apples and apple pastries into his hooves instead.

He did appreciate the food. Magically materialized hay got old after so many years. He always welcomed them into his home. They often chatted as they worked, but Shudderbones always avoided talking about his visit from Twilight Sparkle. The last thing he wanted was the beautiful mare and the brotherly stallion to think he was a villain... again.

"Ah the vase I smashed when I was a young colt," Shudderbones chuckled, "I got quite the scolding, and as punishment they left it there, so every time I looked at it, I felt guilty. Eventually we just accepted the fact the vase was ugly anyways." He gathered up all the pieces, fondly cradling them in a levitation spell. From that point onward, the Apples made sure to drag out any item they hoped would invoke more happy memories. They were, for the most part, successful.

Beaming at the two, Shudderbones and his skeletons and ghosts (odd blue specters of ponies, griffons, and more that hung about the Manor) waved goodbye to them. Before they had left, Big MacIntosh had scooped him up in a very tight and very unexpected hug. Applejack had given him a quick kiss on the cheek, one he had been careful to return. He wished for a moment that he had the ability to read minds rather than to raise the dead. Numbskull fell from her perch on the upstairs balcony, crashing painlessly into the shrubbery below. Shudderbones chuckled, suddenly glad he was a necromancer.

He wouldn't have his skeletal friends if he wasn't.

That night, Shudderbones considered actually asking Applejack out to dinner. Then he remembered the Grand Galloping Gala. He could obtain a pair of tickets, and ask her to that! The perfect plan made, Shudderbones curled up in his bed, eager for the next day. Then he saw the book.

His smile shattered as he looked at the book lying next to him in his bed. He levitated it over to him, opening it up to the Necromancer story. He began to read where he had left off, almost two weeks ago.

"When the two engaged in battle, the necromancer Grogar suddenly stated his intentions.
"He was in love with the Princess, and wanted her to love him back. When she had refused, he kidnapped her in rage. Starswirl used Grogar's love as his weakness, and struck the goat-demon a fatal blow. He magically summoned a bell, and when Starswirl rung it, both Grogar and the kingdom of Tambelon were banished to Tartarus, never to see the light of Celestia's sun again.
"The Princess saved, and with the evil necromancer defeated, Starswirl the Bearded returned to Canterlot, and was hailed a hero.
"And they all lived happily ever after.
"THE END."

They had all lived happily ever after. Except for the necromancer. Shudderbones let the book fall from his grasp as he pulled the sheets back around him.

He was suddenly less eager for the next day.

Comments

[Raziel Lupercal]

That's depressing and this story is well written and intriguing I merrily await it's growth.