Twilight Sparkle's Lessons in Azerothian Magic

by Lich-Lord Krosis

Lesson 1: Perseverance Unmatched

Shining Armor snorted violently, his massive hooves crashing down unto the crystalline flooring of the palace. An influx of cold entered the Royal Quarter as the Lich King strode past the stone-faced guards at the entrance. The guards themselves, while trying desperately to ignore the cold, the sheer frigidness of the otherworldly wind seemingly pouring from their monarch caused them to shiver uncontrollably.

Still, they saluted their prince as he stormed past, valiantly attempting to keep their forms from shaking in the cold winds that followed him.

The Lich King paid them little attention, merely snorting once more in acknowledgement of their respectful gesture.

Now, Shining Armor was not mad at his Archmage.

He wasn't mad at the aged wizard's rather... unorthodox methods.

He was mad at himself.

Logically, he knew he shouldn't be. But somewhere in that chilled brain of his, he thought of this incident as a product of his own doing. He was the one who gave the OK for Kel'Thuzad and Twilight to begin their lessons. HE was the one who gave Kel'Thuzad his undivided trust.

HE was the one who wanted Twilight to be happy...

A lot of good it did now...

She was probably scarred for life now!

Not only had she ended the life of another creature, she had ended the life of three of it's future offspring!

The thought brought Shining back to his first... kill...

Not his proudest moment...

.........

He was still just a recruit in the Royal Guard back in Canterlot, on street patrol with a senior officer by the name of Glamor Blade. They were on their last hour of duty when a mare had run up to them, screaming and wailing like a banshee about her coltfriend trying to kill her. A large gash was cut down the side of her muzzle, the skin sickeningly peeling away from her face, exposing the soft flesh beneath. While Glamor Blade consoled the mare and called for a medic, he was ordered to find the coltfriend. He galloped away to the entrance of the building the mare had retreated from, drawing his shortsword as he ran.

As soon as he entered the apartment complex, he followed the blood. All the way up to the third floor. He could smell the sweat of the mare that had ran for her life, and the metallic stink of the blood that smeared the floorboards of the halls...

He was assaulted the second he reached the top of the third flight of stairs, the hot sting of a knife penetrating his left pauldron, digging in a few centimeters.

Without even hesitating, Shining had blindly swung several times with his shortsword, the first time hitting nothing but the plaster of the wall. The second and third time, however, the stallion had hit flesh. He opened his eyes to a horrific scene, straight out of one of the slasher horror films he forced Cadence to watch with him.

Only this was real...

Too real...

A large flap of muscle and flesh hung from the stallion's neck, exposing the filleted remains of the esophagus, and the gushing bottom half of the jugular vein. A second wound ran along the stallion's barrel, the front of his shoulder blades clearly visible through the deep wound. As Shining saw the panicked, crazed look quickly leave the dying stallion's eyes, he realized that he had just killed another pony. For the first time in his life, the young soldier felt the rush of killing, and the blissful sickness that accompanied it...

.........

Shining shook himself back to reality as he turned the corner into the dormitories.

There would be time to feel sorry for himself later. Besides, he had killed plenty since then, and not once did he regret his actions. In combat, it was you, or them.

Nothing personal, just survival.

Anyways, BBBFF duties awaited him.

His eyes darted around the long hallway, their azure-cloaked irises locking on to his wife's dainty form. With a smirk, the king rocketed forwards, using his massive wings a sort of catapult. Before his princess could even register his presence, he was kissing her, expertly using his wings' massive area to slow him, as well. Cadence pushed away, only to be met with the cocky grin of her husband.

"Shiny, not right now. This is serious! Twily is REALLY upset!" Cadence argued, although half of her mind was still stuck on the slightly peppermint taste of her husband's mouth on hers, the prince probably having partaken in a sizable amount of the Hearth's Warming treat recently. Shining's face turned to concern almost immediately, his form twisting to gaze into his archmage's room.

Twilight sat in a corner, the alabaster form of his mother-in-law wrapped around her protectively. Upon further inspection, the stallion saw...

A completely gruesome scene. Blood was all over the small crystal table Kel'Thuzad had used for Twilight's "Project". A neat pile of bones was next to a sickening pile of flesh and muscle, the life-matter still dripping blood. Next to that, a simple pile of skin sat, the white fur adorning it telling him that it was the rabbit's...

That's my little sister...

Never one to leave a project or assignment unfinished...

A gentle smile now adorning his face, he stepped forwards, entering the room.

.........

"No, for the last time, you are NOT allowed to touch me!"

The lich batted the prying stallion's ridiculous looking tools away, the unicorn huffing once, before attempting his examination once more. He was, once again, swiftly repelled by one of the archlich's chains, the metallic snake batting the stallion away. Undaunted, the rather proper looking stallion pleaded once more.

"But sir! Surely you can see the scientific gains of studying another creature? Of discovering things about magic that you have not yet seen?" the stallion scowled at the uninterested look upon the lich's face, wanting nothing to do with the stallion and his authoritative ways.

Ugh... This fool doesn't know how to take a hint!

The archlich reclined in his temporary ice throne, looking over the nearly empty throne room, court having mostly dispersed several minutes before, leaving only Lady Emerald Trot, himself, and this lunatic of a doctor, claiming to be from the 'Imperial Mage's Guild' of Canterlot...

Of course, Kel'Thuzad had done his homework on this 'Guild'. Founded several hundred years after the initial banishment of Nightmare Moon, its chief purpose was at first noble, wanting to unite a group of experienced and powerful wizards to advise the Celestia in her day-to-day activities and duties.

But of course, like all politics, the organization quickly went sour.

They began attempting to seize power for their chief race, unicorns, in a an almost racist fashion. They would blackmail and frame their injustices and crimes on Pegasi and Earth Ponies, attempting to siphon money away from the already struggling government. Power lead to corruption, and when Princess Celestia caught wind of it, she was quite unforgiving for the wrongful treatment of her little ponies.

In short, she had the head of the organization executed, and his prime underlings jailed for life.

Oh, and she cut their horns off. Not something that was particularly fun for them, seeing as their entire lives were magic.

Now, nearly seven hundred years later, the organization was watched closely by the Solar Goddess. It was but a shell of it's former self, the majority of the members not even accomplished wizards! Just greedy politicians and businessmen attempting to mask their greed through the gaining of knowledge...

Which is exactly what the stallion before him was trying to do...

Well then. I guess I'll just give him a little lesson, then...

"Now, are you going to comply, or am I going to have to get a Royal Order to examine you?" the snobbish stallion proclaimed, a shit-eating grin plastering his muzzle.

HA! Oh... this should be fun...

"Very well, then..." Kel'Thuzad smirked, bowing low out of his chair.

"Let us begin..."

In an instant, the pitiful excuse for a wizard was suspended before him, valiantly attempting but failing to break free of the chain binding him.

"UNHAND ME THIS INSTANT! GUARDS! GUA..."

With a snap of his fingers, the stallion's muzzle was blocked completely by the clear form of an ice block, two small holes left so that he could breathe.

"Now now, you were the one that said they wanted to learn, right?" Kel'Thuzad grinned evilly, wrenching another chain upwards, pulling his limbs in every direction, imitating a torture scene. Wriggling and squirming, the stallion's muffled screams only got louder, to the point of actually irritating the lich.

"Now, first and only lesson..."

"I'm dead." Kel'Thuzad droned emotionlessly, his scarlet eyes boring into the terrified gaze of the stallion suspended before him. "The law that gives you your 'Royal' power specifically requires the subject to be living, and therefore, doesn't apply to me...

"Which also means..."

Kel'Thuzad unfurled one dagger-like finger from his fist, the tip of which now rested below the stallion's frozen muzzle, threatening to puncture the soft flesh of his throat.

"I can kill you..." Kel'Thuzad dragged the finger downwards, imitating the slicing of his flesh. "And NO ONE can do a thing to stop me when I rip the soul from your husk..."

"Enough information for you, worm?" he smirked, the stallion's terrified eyes wide open, his body shaking from fear. He nodded up and down furiously, attempting to convey his understanding.

"Good. Now hold on."

A look of terror befell the stallion's eyes as he realized he was falling.

With a magical pop, the portal to Canterlot in the floor dissipated, the archlich sighing in relief at the absence of the pest. Without another word, Kel'Thuzad flopped back into his temporary throne.

.........

"These are the things that make me wish I could still enjoy a nice brandy..."

Comments

[EvilEnchantress]

For the alcohol!

[booklover41]

6915594 We can try!!

[Gamigm]

Ah, the problems of legal systems that assume animation and intent require a pulse.

[Vaalintine]

The pony from the mages guild being there brings up a few concerns. Namely that with what is effectively the rulers of the kingdom endorsing necromancy and openly allowing persons to use it, others are likely to follow. Unless at least some information is disseminated, ponies are going to be stumbling blindly into this field of magic. There should be some sort of regulation or guidelines put into place, at least unofficially, to prevent ponies from doing something wildly unethical or dangerous.

[Lich-Lord Krosis]

9803460
Necromancy is outlawed in its entirety in the main story for reasons that should be quite apparent.

It’s practice can only be sanctioned/approved by the Lich King, who just so happens to be Kel’Thuzad’s closest friend and ruler.