Benevolence in Black

by LucidTech

The only choice

Twilight stirred from her dreams, once more bound to the table. She couldn’t understand. Last she remember she had been untied, and then... she had attacked Trixie. Sudden fear for the unicorn ran through her and the librarian attempted to free herself from her bonds. Fearing what she may have done to the only living pony beside herself that she knew of. That was until she was pressed back onto the table, not by the claw of the creature but by a hoof.

Her vision cleared and Twilight looked to her side to see Trixie looking back with a worried face. “Trixie!” the mare exclaimed, happy to see she hadn’t done any damage. “I’m so happy that I didn’t hurt you. I just.. I didn’t know what was going on! I was so...” Twilight let the phrase end as Trixie looked away and towards a wall.

“Twilight, I’m sorry.” Tears had started, and it was only then that the lavender unicorn spotted the bloodshot red of the showmare's eyes.

“Sorry? Sorry for what?”

“Lucid has deemed that you should be subject to his mercy.” Trixie spat the last word from her mouth, like one would with a horrible taste. “I tried to argue him out of it but he countered all my points and... well...”

At the end of her words the creature entered through the door, a large hatchet in his hands. Twilight attempted to say something but was silenced as the blade swung downward, slitting her throat and killing her.

So it was quite the surprise for Twilight when she awoke again. This time being carried on Trixie’s back to the edge of town. Occasionally a monster would show its head and Trixie would cast an invisibility spell to make them unseen. “I don’t care what Lucid says, you deserve a proper funeral Twilight.” Trixie said.

The words went by with little attention paid however, Twilight’s attention was on the beating heart of the pony below her. So painful with its light of life that it pushed into the air with every beat. She wanted only to end that annoying sound, end it completely and let the world go back to its dark origins. But she didn’t, she couldn’t, her body wouldn’t move.

The duo swiftly arrived at the edge of the town where a small ditch had been dug into the ground. Trixie laid Twilight into hole, Twilight making sure to close her eyes loosely to avoid being noticed by the mare. Trixie levitated a shovel into the air but paused for a moment, standing at the edge of the grave. “I’m not much of one for epitaphs.” Trixie said slowly, to herself, as she gazed at the unmoving body of Twilight. “But I suppose that the very least I could say is... sorry.”

That word! Rage flooded Twilight’s body as she attempted to move from her place and end the life of the being who had spoken that word. It was a word so full of light, so full of burning waking light, that it needed to be smothered. Smothered and never spoken again. Yet, Twilight could not move.

However, her brethren could. Hisses and shouts echoed around them, the sounds of the angered dead as they encroached on the mare. Trixie looked around fearfully as she spotted the shadows that were approaching her, causing her to swiftly repurpose the spade as a weapon against the horde that was closing in on her location.

As she turned around she was just in time to swing the weapon and knock away a pink earth pony with a straight mane who had come out of nowhere. Deciding to step up on the game another pair of ponies decided to try their hooves at the game, one coming at her from each side. The first she knocked away fairly easily but the second bit into her side. Trixie landed painfully on the ground and kicked the other pony off of her, but remained on the ground as her missing leg made it nigh impossible to stand while under constant siege.

Another group of attackers were beaten away with the spade but they didn’t stay down. None of her blows killed the ponies, despite where or how deep her shovel would dig into them the wound would heal almost immediately. It was a losing battle and she knew it.

As her vision began to darken from her lack of hope a single white dot appeared in her vision. For a moment she doubted it’s existence, until it continued to approach and grew in size. The sound of flapping cloth gave a few of the plague-ridden pause, before they were shoved aside by the creature with a mask.

In his hand was a small lamp that burned an odd blue color, and whenever any of the creatures stepped into the light they would be forced away. Twilight was beginning to stir in her grave as the muscles and cords in her neck reconnected her mind with the rest of her body. She slowly stood from the ground, limping slightly as she came towards the duo of infuriatingly alive beings.

She had just joined the edge of the ponies around the circle when a well aimed pastry knocked the lamp to the ground, where it shattered and faded. With their victory secure the ponies all began their approach. It was time to end the light that had invaded their town.

But at the back of Twilight’s mind was a second feeling, a near silent one, that told her that this wasn't a good thing to do. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for her to truly see the terrified look on Trixie’s face before the black cape of the doctor obscured her from view. And then there was the doctor, punching one or two ponies before his arms were restricted and brought to his sides.

The beings began to gnaw on the heavy clothing of the bird-like doctor while a few removed the cape from Trixie, who still shook with fear. It was then that Twilight’s mind snapped back to reality, these were her friends, and as a good friend this was not something she should be doing. Her horn was lit with magic for a moment before her and Lucid, along with Trixie. Were teleported away, back to the house from which they came.

Normally this wouldn’t have hurt her as much as it did but it felt to Twilight like she had drawn water from an empty well and she couldn’t bear to stay awake any longer, letting the familiar darkness take her once again. It was more like a close friend now anyway.

Comments

[Whitestrake]

I think I see what's going on, now.
Proceed with testing.

[TheEnemyCube]

So the sickness feeds on magic to make them zombies... Excellent work my friend!

[LucidTech]

1157155

Could you tell me? Because I have absolutely no idea.

MWAHAHAHAHAHA!

[Everwinter]

Intriguing developments. I look forward to your next update.

[omega-ze-wargod]

good lordy mc birdy is this what i think it might be? CLIFF HANGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!!!!!!! MOAR

[please delete]

Would a headshot kill these things? Or are they truly unkillable via normal means?