Necropolis Now
From his bar where he hung the current Head Mortician, Shadow Mark, opened his eyes to see the moon arise. He turned to the clock on the wall, a clock with two faces, one upright, the other upside-down, or the other way around in his case. Ten o’clock ‘Punctual as ever.’ He unfurled himself and pushed his front hooves out. Letting his tail slide off the bar, he landed and then walked to the wardrobe.
He took off his nightshirt, or more truthfully, his day-shirt, and put it into the washing basket before donning his regular clothes. Faded and slightly tattered they may look, but it is a reminder of their work.
After Shadow Mark finished putting his jacket on a knock came from the door.
“Come in Façade.”
The door opened and Day Secretary walked in with a tray made of slate with breakfast on it, breakfast consisted of night blooming flowers, various insects, cooked mushrooms, fruit slices from the Shades, a few stalks of rhubarb, and a glass of fresh apple juice, “Good Night Sir.”, the Unicorn gave a small tried smile, one he naturally gained after several years in service.
“Good Night to you Master Façade. Has there been any news on the Night Mail?”
“It is running on time sir.” Master Façade said putting the tray down on the desk sitting next to the window.
“Good, good.” Shadow Mark said taking his seat “Has anything happened here I should be concerned about?”
“Not over day sir, however the other staff will keep you informed should anything arise.”
“Naturally. Carry on.”
“Sir.” And Master Façade left the room.
With his breakfast finished Shadow Mark left the tray by the door and beside the wash basket for another member of staff to clear them away.
Now, he poured over the outstanding documentation. As Head Mortician, he handled to applications of either powerful individuals wishing the services of the Necropolitan Morticians, and would approve or deny the requests made by the poorer individuals wishing to be embalmed and interred in the Necropolis.
He approved a few and denied others when a knock came from the door “Come in.”
Master Façade entered with letters in his hoof “Your night’s post sir. And the day’s paperwork, I’ve filled out what I can sir.”
“Thank you.” He gathered up the completed papers and handed them to Master Façade as well as took the letter “Have these papers sent down. Unless I ring I don’t believe I require your services for the rest of the night.”
“Very good sir. But I will wait for the moment.”
Shadow Mark nodded before filed through the envelops before finding the one he wanted. The opened it and read through it ‘Very good. Very good.’
He turned on his seat and looked at the chessboard on the windowsill, he moved a white piece into position, before studying the board. He opened a draw and pulled out a long parchment. Holding it in his wing and taking a quill he crossed out several possible moves at this stage in the game before looking at the option open to him thanks to the move made. He then filed through the previous moves made and considered the options ‘Most likely the third option is his strategy. I must block his offense.’ He circled an option, put the quill down, moved a black piece into the way of the most recently moved white piece.
After a few minutes studying the board he took the quill and began writing the option open for his opponent. Once the ink dried he rolled up the parchment put it back in the draw and wrote a letter with his move on it. Put it in an envelope, wrote the address, sealed it and gave it the Master Façade “You know what to do.”
“Yes sir. Good Night.” And the secretary left.
Shadow Mark, ignored the disguised glare from behind him, he knew Façade could get cranky without sleep, and the other staff said he seemed to be up at dawn these past few weeks. Probably due to organising this new guild he’d been planning, and yet to come up with a name for it.
The Head Mortician sighed and began looking through the other letters. The first one seemed hastily written but trying to look like fine calligraphy ‘Probably another empty purse trying to impress me. And failing.’ Still it was his duty to give whoever wrote to him a chance. And Shadow Mark never shirked his duty. What he did, he did for the good of the city.
A tap came from the window. Shadow Mark’s eyes glanced sideways to it.
An owl hooved at the window while several more flew passed, along with several ravens. Shadow Mark narrowed his eyes ‘Strange.’ Neither the Necropolis owls or corvids came down from the high peaks, mostly because they didn’t need to. Entire species of beetles and small mammals evolved up there and thrived, much to the delight of the birds of prey, a tough bunch, the bird of prey of the Foal Mountains, to have them fly so low with expressions of worry meant trouble.
Shadow Mark did his quill and wrote a memo ‘Be careful. Danger predicted.’
As Head Mortican he made it his duty to keep the city running, he didn’t care about have a beautiful or renowned city, though the Necropolis did have certain have levels of both. No Shadow Mark wished for a city which worked. And any threat would stop it working.
He picked up another letter and recognised the writing and smiled “Moonlight.” He opened it and read it, his youngest son would be visiting with a mare he meets at the Grand Galloping Gala, a Miss Rarity, Shadow Mark knew the name, the Element of Generosity, member of Princess Twilight’s Council of Friendship, and renowned Fashionista.
Mark raised an eyebrow. Having read letter after letter for several years, before as Head Mortician and the secretary to the previous one, his mother, Mark learned how to read between the line. With both this and the omens, the coming days would be, interesting.
He then sighed, just because something would be interesting, it didn’t mean it would be good. Too bad the omen of the bird of prey didn’t come sooner, he could have sent a message to Princess Luna. One of the few ponies, aside from his opponent in long-distance chess, who he trusted with information outside of the Necropolis.
As well as trust, other reasons existed for the Necropolis isolation to the rest of Equestria. First the time difference, second the general Bat Ponies population’s preference for solitude, and lastly, the topic of death is something most ponies in Equestria wish to sweep under the carpet, it just seems to be an absolute taboo to discuss death in general conversation.
Looking out the window again he could just see from the horizon a group of thick dark cloud approaching. The weather ponies of the Hollow Shades must be working on a storm, and it would be pelting down upon the forest village in the early daylight hours of tomorrow. He started writing a letter to the builders, or the Hermetic Order of the Golden Rivet.
After finishing the letter, he put the envelope on the out box to be taken away. Then he took the first piece of paper from the top of the new pile and frowned ‘Façade, your hoof-writing needs serious improvements.’
The Necropolis on the outside looks like a mountain, but what is inside is what counts. Built deep within the mountain it is a fortress city like no other in the world. Once the home of kings and nobles, now a place of very different, and in many ways, unappreciated propose.
In the shadow of the Foal Mountains, and built deep within a dark forest stood the town of the Hollow Shades. So, named because the first occupants, the Bat Ponies, who handled the weather of the area built their homes by hollowing out trees. Later other creatures, mainly Earth and the occasional Unicorn also came to live there, mainly to escape the perceived macabre of the Necropolis. And the still almost instinctual fear at seeing a large colony of Bat Ponies.
The reason why they came to the Necropolis was a simple system. For someone, be they pony, griffin, minotaur or indeed any sentient creature, who could not afford the services would offer a child, usually the youngest to become an apprentice and be trained as an Undertaker to their respective cultures.
The Everfree Forest is not the only forest to have an unsavoury reputation. The Shades, as the forest of the Foal Mountains is called, is not as fearsome and many fruits almost as exotic as Zap Apples grow in it, Mangoes and Lychee for example. Thankfully to the population of the Hollow Shades, the wood the Shades do not have as much monstrous flora and fauna.
However, the night came to an end, and to keep these creatures away, the rain came.
In the rising light from Celestia’s sun, a figure of pony size dressed in black, complete with hood, and something on his back, covered by the cape of his cloak, splashed into town having come from the Necropolis. He turned into an alleyway and stopped at a door. He looked at it and shivered, no door got so grim without effort. He knocked a complex code on the door and a tiny barred hatch opened in the middle of the door.
“Yes?” a voice said inside.
“The quantum matrix is full of electrical impulses.” The cloaked figure said as he reared up to wring out the rainwater of his garment.
“Freedom is a constant. To embark on the story is to become one with it.”
“It is time to take hope to the next level.”
“Hidden meaning transforms unparalleled abstract beauty.”
“Wrong.” The voice said. The figure jammed his hoof in the gap “What do you mean wrong?”
“That’s not what you’re supposed to say next.”
“What? Did the Black Knights of the Royal Mysteries change the codewords since we last met?”
“Black Knight?” the voice questioned then “Oh, I see, sorry you’ve come to wrong door, your order is three doors down.”
“I always get the confused, the hoof-writing is terrible to read you know. Then who are you?”
“The Corps of the Chrysanthemum.”
“I thought you met in Station Road, you always do the flowers?”
“It’s the Hermetic Order of the Golden Rivet booked the hall tonight so we can’t use it.”
“Oh? Well, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” The window closed. The cloaked figure hurried to the doorway as directed.
This one looked very like the first. Only difference the pair of oak door were covered faded paint, one white, the other black. The figure knocked on one in the same manner he did before. A window opened on said door and the cloaked figure and the new doorkeeper exchanged the nonsensical codes again.
“Hidden meaning transforms unparalleled abstract beauty.”
“The infinite is calling to us via superpositions of possibility.”
“Perceptual reality transcends subtle truth. And right now, reality is trying to drown me, let me in, I’ve got the book.”
The doors jerked and jammed, the voice of the doorkeeper spoke “Could you give it a push, they stick in damp weather.”, the cloaked figure side and rammed his shoulder into the pair of door. They burst open. The figure flew in and crashed onto cold cobblestone floor. The doorkeeper, another figure cloaked in black nodded “Thank you.” And he shut the doors.
More cloaked figures stood around, at the far end of the Inner Sanctum, tall and proud, a coved pony smiled “Ah, Brother Right Hoof, you have arrived.”
Brother Right Hoof said nothing, he focused on wringing out his cloak.
The tallest of them banged a sceptre on the ground and they gathered made a, sort of circle. The sceptre holding pony projected him voice “I call this gathering of the Black Knights of the Royal Mysteries to order.” He looked to the doorkeeper "Is the Dreaded Archway of Secrets secured from intrusion Brother Lock?”
“Jammed shut.” The Brother Lock said, “It’s the rain you know. Going to be a challenge to get it open.”
“Good. We of this order understand we are all equal correct.”
“Yes, Grand Master.” They all said
“Then what I shall tell you may come as a shock. I have found the true heir to the throne of the Necropolis.”
Hoods turned to each other. A hoof bounced up and with a snort “Sorry, dropped off, have we started.”
The Grand Master sighed “Brother Snoop, do you have to keep falling asleep during the gatherings?”
“Sorry Grand Master, it’s passed my bedtime. The wife’s getting a little bit testy with how late in the day I go to sleep.”
“She won’t be so, testy, as you so eloquently put it, when we are the advisors to the new Queen of the Necropolis. Restarting the golden age that his part of the land once had, instead of being ruled be a tyrannical hypocrite obsessed with the macabre. Yes?”
One of the other raised a hoof “But what about Princess Luna?”
“Princess Luna, Brother Guardian,” the Grand Master, with some gnashing of teeth “is to the Necropolis and to that extent the Hollow Shades, a long-distance figurehead. No, the true monarch of the Necropolis lives elsewhere. And we gathered shall restore her to her rightful throne.”
Brother Snoop inhaled unsurely “I’m not sure the Head Mortician is going to appreciate this. The second highest authority of all Bat Ponies get knocked down. Anyway, how are you sure she is the heir? I thought they all got killed when the Great Monster, He-whose-name-we-do-not-speak-in-fear-of-summoning-it, came and stole all the treasures of the mountain, the old royal family and all the nobles.”
“By scrutiny of the ancient scrolls. The Royal Mysteries. I have discovered a branch of the old royal family, as you call it, to give its proper name, the House of Bazaar Robin. This branch has one living member with a special birthmark and a sword.”
“Oh,” Brother Guardian said “you’ve found a Scion. I’ve read about those. They go lurking around in the distant wildernesses for ages, handing down the secret sword and birthmark and so forth from generation to generation. Then just when the old kingdom needs them, they turn up and turf out any usurpers that happen to be around. And then there's general rejoicing.”
The Grand Master clapped his hooves “Exactly…”, before he could speak further another of the gathered, this one a mare and the smallest of them spoke up “We want to get rid of the Head Mortician?”
“Sister, Lord Mark,” the Grand Master said before spitting on the floor “and the position of Head Mortician is nothing more than a tyrant. The past five Head Morticians have been members of the same family, and the last three in a prefect succession from parent to child.”
The Sister titled her head “Aren’t they elected?”
“Their supposed to be. The trouble is the Broad of Directors take the recommandations of the Head Mortician as law.” The Grand Master then looked around at the gathered “I ask you, what has any Head Mortician, and by extent any Bat Pony of the Necropolis,” he glanced at Brother Snoop “present company excluded,” he returned to the others “done for us?”
“Some of the failed apprentices founded the town.”
The Grand Master nodded “Oh, yeah, they did that, years ago though.”
The gathered start making other suggestions, after a while the Grand Master angry banged his sceptre onto the floor and growled “Okay, aside from founding the town and organising its maintenance, and getting the railway here, and medicine and education and irrigation and public health and roads and a freshwater system and public order and registering the Guilds, what have the Bat Ponies of the Necropolis done for us?”
The room remained silent. The Grand Master looked for a way to recover his plan “A monarch could easily do this as much as the Head Mortician.”
Brother Snoop held up his hoof “My earlier point still stands, how can we put this Queen on the throne with the Head Mortician’s in charge of the Necropolis.”
The Sister nodded “And Queens haven’t had such a good reputation in recent eyes, the first Queen to come into my head is Chrysalis.”, the other murmured in agreement.
Brother Guardian tapped his hoof on his concealed chin “Well, you could argue she's an Evil Queen. If this possible Bat Pony Queen is a Good Queen we won’t have a problem.”
The Grand Master smiled “Exactly, and we will sure she is a Good Queen, we will advise her on what to do, tell her the best course of action, and in gratitude she of course will make us top members of her court.”
The Sister raised her hoof again “But will the ponies just accepted her, as Brother Guardian said, the old kingdom has to be in danger, there’s nothing that can really put the Necropolis in danger, not unless another Great Monster appears.”
Again, the Grand Master smiled “Yes.” He said drawn-out “Brother Right Hoof, the book.”
Brother Right Hoof took from his cloak a large and thick tome with an ancient inscription on the front and seemingly unaffected by the rain. He walked up and gave it to the Grand Master and stepped back “Could make heads or tail of it.”
“That Brother Right Hoof, is because it is written in Ancient Unicorn. This grimoire dates to the days of the Unicorn Monarchy.”
“Wait,” Brother Snoop said “It’s a spell book? But, how many of us can do magic?”
“We all can. Some the Ancient Master who trained me taught me this, you don’t need to be a unicorn to perform magic. Earth, Pegasi and Bat Ponies all have their own magics, Lord Tirek showed that.”, the gather shuddered at the mention of the centaur. “This book will allow us to create a little chaos in the Necropolis, the Scion will come, with our help she will manifest her destiny and everything will be right in the world.”
The Sister muttered “I hope no-pony will get hurt.”
“Sister,” the Grand Master said, “in this case, the ends justify the means.” He opened the tome and began reading it “To summon and bind a monster, we require chalk, a half-pint of lemon juice, four candle,”
“Well,” the Sister “that doesn’t seem so hard.”
“And, the blood of a virgin. Although it recommends two for added potency.”, a few of the gathered backed up, the Grand Master shook his head “You don’t need to worry my friends, I won’t sacrifice any of you,” ‘Yet.’ “No, we must find a virgin from elsewhere. Preferably one from out of town.”
Moonlight stroked Opal, the cat purred happily ignoring the bustle of activity from her, owner.
Rarity paced up and down her workroom, a half-finished dress and sketch beside her.
The Bat Pony spoke “Rarity, I think you are overthinking your dress. We’re only visit my Dad.”
“But Moonlight darling, your father is the Head Mortician, I must wear something to impress him, and from what you’ve told me about him, well, I think he has our,” she giggled “friendship worked out, so I want to leave a good impression.”
“Dad already knows about your role within Equestria, and we Bat Ponies of the Necropolis don’t focus on appearance, I mean we dress in the clothes of the deceased and we have to work on the decomposing bodies of our clients. All we ask from in appearance in something respectable and presentably, nothing complex or flash unless requested, and neither me nor Dad request you go overboard in your appearance.”
Rarity paused and turned back “I guess you’re right, tell me, what presentable to the Necropolitans?”
“Neatness is top of the list. And at least one item of clothing must be black. Generally, this means a black armband.”
Rarity hummed “That’s not much to go on. Is there a general style?”
“Not really, we just wear what we like, or what we’re given. One must do with what one has. As knowledgeable about fashion history as I am, I don’t really strive to be fashionable, we Bat Ponies have more important things to care about, not to say fashion can’t be important. Can you not simply wear your Gala dress with say a black hat.”
She inhaled sharply in horror “I just couldn’t! I designed that dress to be as prefect for the Gala, I couldn’t possibly use it in such a place as the Necropolis, and wearing a black hat would absolutely ruin it.” She blinked and tapped her hoof on his chin “But perhaps the black hat would work as a starting point, is that a requirement?”
“Until recently it was tradition for mares to wear a hat inside the Necropolis. I must add, whatever you design it shouldn’t be overly casual, festive, or revealing, and should have sleeves.”
She nodded and went to her desk. She looked at Moonlight and examined his attire. She kept herself from admiring his body in the tight fight and focused more on the style. It looked style wise old-fashioned, but it probably be because it got made several decades, if not centuries ago. So, she decided on an older looked too.
She took a pencil in her magic and started modifying her initial design “I must say Moonlight I’m surprised, Opal’s usually so, usually I would say shy, but maybe the more appropriate word is, unpleasant.” Even to herself admittedly, the only pony Opal so far didn’t mind happened to be, unsurprisingly, Fluttershy.
“I just have this affinity for them, just like Mom. Dad, you’d expect some-pony like him to a cat, but he used to have a little wire hair fox terrier.”
“Oh, it must have been absolutely adorable.”
“I don’t remember much, he was old dog when I knew him.”
She nodded and continued her work.
A few hours later, the door to Carousel Boutique opened and first walked out Moonlight, with Opal rubbed the back of his robe. He brushed some of the snow off his ankle guards.
Rarity came out next in her most recent creation. a dapper pinstripe suit, with tails and a high shawl collar, the sleeves having puffs at the shoulder and taper to the elbows then tight around the rest of her foreleg and ending at her fetlock. White shirt and black cravat tied with soft bow. To complete the look, a large and floppy brimmed black hat. Over her new suit, she put put on her winter coat.
She put the closed sign on the door and locked her shop up “Now then, to Fluttershy’s, she’s agreed to look after Opal.”
He nodded “Then off to the station and then onto the Hollow Shades.”
She raised an eyebrow “You’re not wearing anything extra?”
“I grew up deep within cave. I’m used to the cold.”, she nodded and the pair walked through the snow ploughed and gritted streets to Fluttershy’s cottage.
The Post Master looked at the letter Master Façade gave him “Express delivery?”
“Yes, a problem?”
“No, it just we don’t usually get letters from Day Ponies being sent express to a Bat Pony.”
“She’s a friend of mine Mr, I haven’t seen her for a while and only recently do I have the time to give her a tour of the Necropolis.”
“Alright, but it won’t be going until the Night Mail arrives.”
“Don’t worry, as long as she’s here before Heath's Warming.”
“Oh, you’ll be sure of that. Hey, did you hear, there was a robbery at the Archives in the small hours of the morning.”
“No!”
“Oh, yes, dangerous magic from what I heard.”
“We’ll, I’ll be sure to inform the Head Mortician when I can.”
On the train, Moonlight carried the lighter of their luggage, when he told Rarity to pack for a few days he didn’t expect her to come ready with enough items to look as if she planned to move to a new house. It took the combined effort of both himself and Spike to get it from the Boutique to the station and with Mr Perks help to get it on the luggage van. He did receive a small but stern word from Spike about treating Rarity properly.
Moonlight argued she didn’t need so much, but she said you never knew when, Moonlight thought it would be more of an if, you needed it. Admitted he did find himself without a few items here and there on his journeys, and he would often buy those items, then on return to the Necropolis gifted it to the charity bin for any-pony to use.
He explained to Rarity, then he stopped and looked inside a carriage compartment through the window “This one’s empty.” He opened the door with his wing and then flew up to put the luggage on the rack.
Rarity entered grandly “I must say, this is the first time I’ve ever travelled First Class, Twilight humbly uses the Economy Class like every-pony else.” She looked up and smiled as she watched him. The beat of those esoteric limbs spread across his body and the ripples showed against his clothes. He took off his cloak and neatly folded it up next to his case.
Her eyes narrowed at the birthmark on this neck, a double-headed bat, she did catch glimpses of it once or twice, but she never asked about it until now “Moonlight?”
“Yes?” He landed and turned to her.
“I don’t wish to pry into something personal, or something you don’t really want to talk about, but, your birthmark.”
He sighed with a knowing smile “Had to be asked eventually, I inherited it from Mom, me, Night, and my elder sister…”
“Elder sister?”
“Violet Glow. Since Night’s in the Royal Guard, she’ll inherit the lion’s share of the family fortune, including the sword Mom carried for some reason, and given she’s had quite a successful apprenticeship, and is a rising star of the Mortuary she’ll probably be given the position of Head Mortician after Dad by the Board of Directors. You know that’s actually like the succession of the old Bat Pony Royal Family?”
“Really?”
“Oh yes, sit down and I’ll explain.”
The Necropolis started as a mining colony. It grew wealth with precious gems and metals and become the de facto capital of Bat Pony culture. The first king, Bazaar Robin seeing the succession problems of the Unicorn Monarchs and how the Pegasi overthrew their Emperor and established a republic, although it seemed more a mix of a monarchy, democracy and an aristocratic oligarchy, decided on a mix of the two systems, with one elected King, or Queen, ruling for life.
The House of Bazaar Robin’s status as a dynasty is rendered problematic by the official elective system, which implied members of the same family, including illegitimate offspring, could be chosen to rule by a council of nobles, often these nobles got, persuaded to vote for one candidate by bribes or bigger army diplomacy, or both. This often resulted in Kings and Queens being swapped after only a few years, like the House of Bazaar Robin were playing a game with the throne. In the end only one small branch remained, and Moonlight did check the records it did exist, only no-pony could work out where.
Rarity nodded “Your old royal family sounded absolutely barbaric.”
Moonlight sighed and held the bridge his nose with his hoof “I hate that word. Barbarian was original coined by early Pegasi to describe any-pony not speaking Pony Latin, because it all sounded gibberish to them. So, by strict definition it means we’re all barbarian.” His eyes met hers “But also, by saying that you imply we’re inferior because of our customs.”
“Oh, my stars! I didn’t mean that darling.”
“Well, when we arrive, please try and remove any preconceptions.” Moonlight looked at her and sighed “There’s a very bad dogma over the Necropolis and the Hollow Shades. Think of some kingdom characterised by qoute, unquote, backwards customs and forest full of deadly wolves. Only the black forests are even blacker than you expected, and even more full of wolves. Some of which seem to be walking on their hind legs.
“When you finally get to the little town you were aiming for, the vaguely ethnic and again quote, unquote, primitive locals are huddling fearfully in the tavern, refusing to talk to you except to give vaguely-worded and heavily-accented warnings. So, you go up to the castle in the hope of finding some civilization. Bad move.
“Congratulations. You are now in the Shades. Hope you survive, and enjoy your visit.”
“Is there a castle in the Foal Mountains.”
“The Necropolis is technically that, but if you’re talking about a place where Mad Scientists or Vampire Bat Ponies live, then no.”
“There are other Vampire Bat Ponies?”
“Others?”
Rarity bit her lip and explained.
Moonlight leaned back into his upholster seat “Just goes to show that magic can cause just as many problems as it fixes.”
The Grand Master read the grimoire. He need to be certain. His master, and wizard, gaunt and edge and full of guile taught the need for certainty in the use of magic, if you were uncertain you must be wrong, anything uncertain could kill you.
He needed to know which of the monsters it talked about could be used, without the fear it of escaping and causing more havoc than required.
Legends told of the Great Monster how appeared within the Necropolis a thousand years ago and unleased it’s ire on the Royal Family. Like he said to the gathered, a branch of the House of Bazaar Robin existed, he just didn’t know where. His candidate for Queen happened to be a friend who could follow orders well and flourish a sword in just the right way. Any-pony could wield a sword, but only a few could flourish it in a way to catch the light and make ponies admire their skill and say, “There is one I could call Queen.”
He needed to find which monster best fit the common consensus and avoid anything on a similar power level to it as best as possible. The Bat Ponies called also called the Great Monster, He-whose-name-we-do-not-speak-in-fear-of-summoning-it, but after several centuries of calling it that, no ponies knew the original name of the Great Monster.
Page after page he turn. Most of the grimoire is in truth a very large thick Bestiary of known and semi-mythical animals, together with lists of demons, monstrosities, flukes, and ill-tempered things derived from most of the world’s major mythologies and several fictional ones. You don’t know, it could exist somewhere in such a wide universe.
He turned to the next paged and stopped. The Great Monster, the text described its abilities and the image met as most of the rumours. The image show what a deer would look like if it evolved underwater. Not those quaint little sea animals you would occasional find on a coat of arms, not what could be called a sea-stag, no something far more realistic and horrifying.
The Grand Master glanced up at the name, and found it crossed out and inked over. He didn’t know if he felt annoyed or relieved. Next, he looked at the abilities and the power levels. Among the most powerful and some powerful it would affect reality by its mere presence. Probably explained why no-pony found anymore gems and precious metals in the Foal Mountains after it's appearance.
He decided on one of the smaller members of this pantheon, whatever it called itself.
One sub-group looked like it could do, the Grand Master choose to call, a Demon.
One demon took his interest, one of several names, Demiurge, the Fool and Samael, or the Blindness of God. The images showed a lion faced serpent. From the sounds of it a foolish and blind demon would be one easy to control.
The train journey from Ponyville the Hollow Shades equated almost to the same amount of time taken to get to the Crystal Empire, not because of the length of continent between the two stops because comparing the two would be futile exercise, but because the train stopped in Canterlot for a few hours. Primarily for a crew change and to give the passengers time to stretch their legs.
It gave Rarity a chance to check up with Sassy Saddles, the manageress of her Canterlot Boutique. For Moonlight to visit his brother Night Rain. And for the two of them to have lunch together.
The pair walked down the streets and Moonlight narrowed his eyes, not just from the reflection of the light on the snow and white marble, but also out of mild disgust “There’s something about Canterlot I just don’t like.”
“Darling!” Rarity said surprised “I’ve always wanted to live in Canterlot, how can you say something like that?”
“Because I’m a Bat Pony of the Necropolis. I admit it’s a basis cultural difference, but I’m simply being a patriot to my roots. I look at the actions of the elite here in Canterlot and I think, what a waste.”
“A waste?”
“They prefer to let their unwanted be taken away. Their very good at not seeing things they, qoute, unquote, know, are not there.”
As Rarity worked through this double negative quote she considered the words of Prince Blueblood back during their talk at the Gala, and she did agree, certain elite preferred to send their problem away to be some-pony else’s. “Why do you hate waste?”
“Because anything should be put to good use, or at least attempted to be used. Throwing something away without a single thought of the effort put into making it. That gives it a form of life in my opinion, and a life should not be wasted.”
“Then what do you do?”
“We reuse waste materials. We at the Necropolis get stuff for all over Equestria where we reuse them. Bit of wood, depending on the quality can be turned into many things, the truely unusable is burned to generate power. We reforge metal. Use waste cloth to patch and stitch our clothing. Old glass buttons we use in walls and floor for a type of insulations.”
Rarity curled up slightly and asked, “And organic waste?”
“Our cut manes and cropped tails are sent to weavers to turn into hardwearing fabric, mainly for railway carriage seats.”
Rarity blinked "I'll have to check the seat on the carriage then. But what about, sewage?"
Moonlight continued “True the Weather Guild, or the Fundamental Students of the Falling Clouds as they called themselves, supplies you’re stranded levels of rain, but in the Necropolis, it can take years for the water to ran through the rocks. We have underground rivers and lakes true, but we still feel we shouldn’t make something so necessary a contaminated material right from the source.
“We use the water of cisterns run it through filters, take a shower in it, then it runs into atriums and greenhouses where the plants filter the grey water and clean it up, not clean to drink mind you, and we use that in the lavatories. The toilet water goes into a conversational septic system, but instead of going into a drain field or a sewer, goes to outside plants used for landscaping. So, no sewage ever leaves within a quarter of a mile of the Necropolis.”
Rarity nodded amazed “Very well thought out. So, what made your whole culture so focused on recycling?”
“A few things I think. First after the attack of the Great Monsters, our natural resources disappeared, so we could only afford waste material on what little money we could spare from the Undertaking Business, but we made do with what we had and embraced it. I’ve been talking to Princess Celestia about the possibility of exporting our reusable methods, like energy generation and water recycling.”
“Well, darling, I hope you succeed at changing minds.”
“So, do I.”, his stomach growled and turned her “Are you hungry Rarity?”
“As a matter of fact, I do feel the need for sustenance. It is lunchtime after all.”
“I don’t know about you, but I could murder a curry.”
Rarity stopped and the unusual request floated in her head before her eyes lit up “I know just the place darling!”, she gracefully took his hoof and they travelled down into a small side alley of Restaurant Row.
Moonlight blinked at the flashy and friendly opening, and a sign with an elephant. “The Tasty Treat?”, then the scent caught his nose and he hummed in delight. Rarity giggled “Myself and Pinkie came here to sort a friendship problem between the father and daughter who own and run this fine establishment, and we also stood up to Zesty Gourmand.”
His eye widened and he smiled “Really? We’ll I’m glad you did, her views on food? I had to make my own sandwiches every time I came to Canterlot.” He groaned and shock his head “And I hate sandwiches.”
Rarity nodded and walked up the steps to the entrance. Inside a few ponies sat eating, some of them waved at both ponies.
The pudgy Unicorn at the counter heard the door open and turn saying “Welcome to the Tasty Treat, please make yourself…” then he saw who stood at the door “Rarity!”
“Mr Cumin it’s so lovely to see you again.”
From the kitchen, a young Unicorn mare trotted out “And it’s wonderful to see you again, tell me who’s your friend.”
Rarity cleared her throat “Coriander Cumin, Saffron Masala, may I introduce Moonlight Spectre of the Necropolis.”, Moonlight bowed “Charmed.” He stood up again “May I see a menu?”
“Of course.” Coriander said and float a menu before him “Please make yourselves comfortable.”, Moonlight nodded and went to the spare sofa “Evidently a South-Eastern Saddle Arabian style restaurant.”
Rarity turned to him “Have you been to a place like this?”
“In my role as a diplomat I’ve travelled all over Equestria and its protectorates. This type of restaurant is the usual eatery of the Rajas and Ranis.”
“Royalty would eat here?” Rarity said amazed, Moonlight nodded “I’ve dined with them, if a Raja ever came to Canterlot they would probably make a b-line for here.”
A smug grin formed on Rarity’s face “And Zesty Gourmand called this a place for uncultured ponies.”, Moonlight nodded “I can understand where she gets her views. The subtle taste as she calls it, but I imagine at some point ponies would no longer register the taste at all.”
“Pinkie certainly didn’t like it. And I myself found it a bit bland. But let us not dwell on that, we have a lunch to order.”, they both looked at the menu and she glanced at him “I presume you have more experience with this type of cuisine.”
He grinned and looked to Saffron “Can we have the Veg Coltpuri?”
She gave him a knowing grin and trotted to the kitchen. She came back with two bowls. And Coriander gave them napkins.
Rarity took a spoonful and paused, swallowed, tears formed in her eyes and she opened her month to breathed. She took her napkin of her lap and made it into a makeshift fan. Moonlight passed her a glass of water with ice cubes. She downed it “Sweet Celestia!”
“Spicy I know.”
“It almost burnt my tongue!”
He chuckled “Well you did ask me to choose. I’ll have yours as well.” He turned to Saffron “Perhaps Rarity would prefer a Korma.”, Saffron giggled and went back in. She returned with a creamy sauce curry with roughly nine different vegetables and an assortment of nuts. Rarity hesitantly took a bit. Then smiled “Much more to my levels thank you.”
Coriander shook his head “Anything for a good friend.”
Moonlight payed. He gave Coriander several older bits, worn and slightly murky with age, Rarity blinked “My stars! How in Equestria did you get those coins?”
“Usually in pairs.” He replied.
They quickly left the Tasty Treat and went to the station and boarded the train.
Moonlight closed the door to their compartment and smiled “I must say that was one of the most enjoyable lunches I’ve had in a long while.” He turned to her as she removed her coat and his smiled grew slightly “Helps to have a friend with you.”
She blushed “Think nothing of it darling.”, Moonlight chuckled, then he fanned his body with his wing “Have they turned the heating up?”
“I believe so.” Rarity said sitting down “You did say it would get colder as we approached the Hollow Shades.”
“True, but I’m frying like an egg in here.” He proceeded to take his top off.
Rarity’s blush deepened and she looked away. A leathery cover touched her and she looked at the bat wing touching her shoulder “You don’t need to be ashamed. You Ponyville residents don’t usually wear clothing.”
“But you do.”
“Only for formal and occupational matters. And since I’m nearly always travelling I’m nearly always dressed. This is not one of those times.” He folded his top and threw it to the luggage rack, then started to take his bottoms off.
Rarity bit her lip, she felt weak in the knees. He didn’t strip in an enticing way, but she couldn’t help but admire it. Truth be told, she did fantasise the moment since she first met him.
All previous romantic thoughts flew away from that night of the Gala. Blueblood, Tenderhoof, heck even the small interest in Thunderlane after he caught her during the fiasco when she and the girls went to check up on Rainbow Dash at the Wonderbolt Academy. All of them just naïve crushes. With Moonlight, something as simple as a meal, a train journey or a mere conversation became some of her most treasured memories of late.
Moonlight resisted the urge to smirk, he could tell he impressed her, and he really hoped he did. Today for him really seemed one of the best days of his life. Usually he would travel from meeting to meeting, but ever since the Gala he really enjoyed going to Ponyville and spending time with Rarity. Somehow being with her he felt at home, and part of him really wanted to move in, in more ways than one.
Then the promise he made to Spike surfaced and he paused.
Rarity noticed this and snapped out of her thoughts “Moonlight?”
“Rarity, can I ask something?”
“Uh,” she wondered what and hoped “Yes?”
“What is your relationship to Spike?”
She blinked and deflated slightly “Well, I. He’s a very helpful friend.” She whispered, “I like that he has a crush on me, but I don't do much to encourage him, I do have a pet name for him, but that because I find him rather cute. And ever since Twilight’s wedding, when she told me and the girls we’re the sisters she never had, I kind of see Spike as the adorable little nephew.”
Moonlight nodded “Should you tell him.”
“Darling, he’s a baby dragon, I don’t want to hurt his feelings.”
“When he finds out we have a relationship that would hurt his feelings.”
Rarity narrowed her eyes “What makes you think we’re in a relationship.”
Moonlight blinked “Sorry, a slip of the tongue, but,” he folded his trousers and put them with his other clothes, he returned to her and looked directly at her “Rarity. I have found myself thinking about you from almost the moment we meet. For months, I’ve kept thinking you’re the only thing that could improve my every moment. It’s partly why I wanted to introduce you to Dad, to see if he approved of us, in theory, but I’m willing to make it real. Rarity,” he got down on his knee “Would you, be my lady?”
She remained still, but her mind work at a million miles an hour. She imagined their future, and a smile appeared on her face. She wrapped her hooves around him “Yes darling, absolutely!”
He nuzzled her “Thank you.”
She then smiled slyly, wrapped her back legs around his waist and dragged him onto the floor of the carriage.
Master Façade walked into the office of Lord Mark and began reading him desk. He noticed a letter and note. The letter he wanted sent out this morning with a stamp saying “Rejected.”, the note beside it said ‘Façade, I would prefer you to give me a profile of any-pony you wish to visit this city. Until you explain what type of character this friend of yours is, then I am afraid I must reject her access to the Necropolis.’
Façade gritted his teeth ‘Oh, so your son can bring in a Day Pony, but when your own secretary wants to have a Bat Pony come here then you go untrusting. I see. Well then, you asked for it, sir.’ He stormed out and slammed the door.
Hanging from his bar Shadow Mark merely twitched.
The Grand Master began to draw a circle and wrote the symbols down in his finest calligraphy.
Only him in the Inner Sanctum. The others, they left, didn’t think a demon would be control able. Well, the book told him otherwise, he understood the book now. Secrets now his to control. They would be the first to go, unfaithful and ungrateful.
His friend would come from another colony, whether legally or not, he’d set the demon loose, he’d give her the royal sword, she’d play fight it, he’d send it away, everyone would rejoice and proclaim her Queen. He would “advise” her, in truth the Necropolis would be his to control. And if he played his cards right, he might just get into bed with her and his son would be King Under the Mountain.
He laughed. All he needed to do, summon it. The material stood in place, and now the virgin blood. Without a young maiden pony at hoof he decided on a loophole, the book didn’t say anything about a male virgin. And admittedly some-pony in his position would never get much opportunity to enjoy pleasures.
With the hood of his cloak down he used his Unicorn magic to place the materials in their allotted places. Taking a deep breath, he mustered his hatred and belief. His hatred of Shadow Mark, of his abandoned followers, of the current state of the world. His belief, well, his belief he could change it for the better. The Grand Master called out “Demons who dwell in slivers of night, Uncloak your shadow to witch’s sight.” He held out his hoof and levitated a knife. Shutting his eyes and felt the knife go in to his flesh. The right eye pecked open. Both eyes went wide.
He couldn’t describe what existed within the circle, but it didn’t look like the Demiurge, it’s eyes looked to the edge of the circle “Rid This.” The esoteric voice said “You Have Written the Symbols Wrong. Thus, Summoned Not Who You Wished.”, The Grand Master twitched. His hoof hit the edge of the circle and the creature disappeared from the inside.
The Grand Master collapsed to the ground and breath heavily. I worked, somewhat. But apparently, the demon didn’t understand his hoof-writing. If a demon could, presumably no creature could. He would need to think of another plan.
He couldn’t get the demon to get his friend to “slay” it, the only way she could become queen would be divine intervention. His eye widened and he grinned. He started to chuckle, the chuckle grew into a laugh and the laugh grew into a glass shattering scream of joy.
The train arrived at the Hollow Shades in the early evening. Moonlight and Rarity leaned into each other as they alighted. He then went to help the Porters and the servants sent from the Necropolis. Rarity blushed at seeing just how much she did travel with. Then she remembered all the times Spike must have carried it all, and that camping trip, poor Sweetie. Rarity looked down and her lip quivered.
“Rarity?”, she looked up into Moonlight’s burnt orange eyes “Are you alright?”
“Yes, it just, I can be really selfish sometimes.”
“No-pony is prefect Rarity. I mean even Princess Celestia has her moments.”
She giggled “Twilight told me. I just, never realised how selfish I could be. I mean I’m meant to the Element of Generosity.”
“Are you going to let it define you? Because surely Twilight would be simply the Princess of Friendship, she wouldn’t have married Sir Flash, and she wouldn’t be carrying.”
She looked up and smiled “Very true I suppose, but I swear by Celestia I’ll make sure I consider the needs of other before I consider my own, within reason of course.”
“Naturally, and I’ll be with you as well.”, she blushed “Thank you.”
“You’re more than welcome my lady. But come on, we should get to the Necropolis before nightfall.”
They walked out of the village and through the forest, she illuminated her horn and he spread out his wings and flash his fang, in the dark of the forest she could see the glint in his eyes, she saw this before in animals and Fluttershy told her it allows then a kind of night vision. She assumed the fierce appearance deterred prey. Did he say something about werewolves earlier?
They existed the forest with a scratch as the sun started to fall. Rarity followed the colours in the sky. The old saying “Red sky at night Shepard’s delight. Red sky in the morning Shepard’s warning.” Predicted bad weather at a certain time. So, if the sky a night looked a purply-blue did it mean trouble over the night?
She looked up at the mountain and saw activity “What’s going on up there?”
Moonlight followed her eyeline and spied the proceedings on the rock face “A sky burial.”
“A what?”
“A sky burial. A traditional Bat Pony funeral, can be done for clients if they request it. The client is place on a mountain side exposed to the element to decompose and to be eaten by scavenger animals.”
Her noise wrinkled “Uh, that sounds absolutely barbaric.”, his burning eyes glared at her, he cleared his throat “We see it as an act of generosity on the part of the client, since the client and his or her surviving relatives are providing food to sustain living beings. And again, it is an act of recycling.”
“But, what about, the bones?”
“Fertilizer, medicines, and glue.”
Rarity stopped. She knew glue usually came from fish, but to use the remains of another pony… She fainted.
A faint breeze brushed against her cheek and she stirred. She heard a voice “Gods and Goddesses here my plea, I would like to have the same powers as Pluto and be the son of him. But make my life go on the same it has. After I am done chanting make the god appear where I am. And tell me the powers I have been given. This will happen at twelve pm the day after I chanted this spell, Amen.”
Rarity’s eyes snapped open and she looked around. The grander of the room would have impressed her if she didn’t focus on being tied to the bed and a black cloak figure standing before the big window and speaking at the moon. In an aura of Unicorn magic floated a book with ancient words and weird images.
The Unicorn spoke “To seal this deal I offer the blood of a virgin.”
Her eyes widened, then she huffed “What make you assume I am a virgin?”
The figure turned to her “Virgin in Ancient Unicorn can mean simply a young mare.”, he levitated a sword. Ornately hilted, the blade full of inscriptions and glowing red. Rarity however felt no heat, presumably some magic sword.
He raised it high and became a blur. Rarity shut her eyes.
Slash.
A load and low roar filled the room.
She opened her eyes.
Moonlight stood reared up, a cut running down his body from shoulder to middle of his abdomen.
The sword tip tapped onto the floor. Moonlight raised his right hoof and slammed into the blade. It shattered.
Wincing as he moved he pushed to hood down and revealed a shocked Master Façade.
Moonlight gritted his teeth and punched the secretary out.
Rarity allowed a bandaged Moonlight to lean on her as they and the Head Mortician looked out at the insane and ranting Façade.
Bat Ponies of the Necropolis imprisoned not in cells of deep and dark dungeons, since how deep could you go when your city is inside a mountain? No, they did pretty much the opposite. Prisoner sat in cages hung from the ledge at the very top of the mountain.
“That book.” Lord Mark said “Was kept secret for a reason. Ponies have lost their minds looking at its pages.”
Rarity looked to him “Do you think he’ll recover.”
“Perhaps. But he won’t be so high up in my staff as he was.”
Moonlight shook his head “Why did he want to install a puppet monarch? This must have been the fifth attempt at such?”
“The sixth.” The Head Mortician said, “And really the original monarchy was just for show as well.”
Rarity looked to him “What do you mean?”
“I’ll show you.”
He led them back inside the fortress city and passed his office. He opened a pair of large door opening to a massive hall. At the end on a few steps stood an empty throne. To Rarity it looked off, trying to be pure gold, but as she approached she saw exactly why it seemed off to her “It’s just gold foil over wood!”
The Head Mortician nodded “Quite so.”
It hardly even seemed wood any more. Rot and worms fought one another to a standstill over the last biodegradable fragment. Rarity prodded it with her hoof, and part of it drifted gently away in a puff of dust. She turned back “But what about all the gold they mined?”
“Used for something else I imagine. The monarchs were so busy trying to overthrow each other and establish themselves they never got around to the grander. Due to this they also never ran the city. Have you ever wondered where the word “politician” comes from?”
Rarity looked to Moonlight who nodded. She smiled to herself. She then looked to Lord Mark, he smiled and nodded to her. And she nodded back.
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Whoa.
This chapter was all over the place. I don't really know how I feel about it. Although, I could have sworn I saw Monty Python in there somewhere.
8238177
It was all over the place yes. It was partly because of this chapter that I lost interest in writing it. There's one more chapter at my usual length, and then one last shorter chapter. ut I don't know if I should put this on Hiatus or say it's complete.
And the "What have the Bat Ponies of the Necropolis done for us?" bit, that's straight out of Life of Brian. I just thought it fit is this as Monty Python and Pratchett did have their feet in the same type of comedy.