BaronEngel
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Commander of the Revenants
🕑 Added 2020-06-17 20:04:48 +0000 UTCAnother character from the anthro MLP sword & sorcery dream I had a few months ago. Applebloom's story was one of the more tragic aspects of the dream.
Originally Applejacks younger sister had hopes of becoming a Wolf Lancer like her big sister was. Winona Rider When she came of age Applebloom enlisted in the Royal Equestria Army. She quickly showed potential and was soon given a small company of infantry to command.
It was during this time Al-Conikkrall the great lich/necromancer made his move to try and carve away a chunk of Equestria's borders to create his own lich kingdom. While other more experienced and stronger forces were sent to directly thwart the dark wizard's ambitions. Applebloom's company was assigned to hold a small, distant mountain pass stronghold. It was believed that this location was far removed from the fighting but was important to assure that commerce continued between Equestria and the lands beyond its border.
Applebloom yearned to be sent to the front line, but she accepted her orders and was determined to carry them out to the best of her abilities. However unbeknownst to anypony Al-Conikkrall had plans to attack several of these passes and the fortifications located there. His objectives were to disrupt Equestria's trade with her neighboring nations. To sow the seeds of doubt amongst those nations that the kingdom could defeat him. Finally he wanted harvest more souls for their power, and to add more undead soldiers to his growing ranks. One of the strongholds his forces attacked was Applebloom's.
Applebloom's forces put up a desperate defense but were no match for the onslaught that smashed into their tiny stronghold that night. The attackers numbers were too great and in their ranks were several very powerful necromancers and a lich-like construct who Al-Conikkrall could from great distances see through, manipulate, and cast his dark magics. Wielding a Sickle of Harvesting he tore through the mare's forces slaying all in his path and gathering their screaming souls.
Finally Al-Conikkrall came for Applebloom. With all her skill, courage, determination she attempted defended herself. The great lich found this young mare's efforts amusing and toyed with her. Slashing her with his sickle. Never dealing a lethal blow. Just playing with his prey.
Eventually Applebloom ran out space and found herself trapped on one of the high parapets looking out over a deep mountain chasm. With no place to run and no chance of defeating her foe the mare decided to deprive her enemy of her soul and threw herself over the parapet into the chasm below.
She plunged into the darkness expecting it to be her end, but after a few seconds she realized she'd been falling for too long? She should've smashed into the jagged rocks long ago? Suddenly she found herself no longer falling and she was standing on solid ground surrounded by complete darkness. Uncertain of what this meant she stood there. The dripping of blood from her wounds was the only sound. However she soon saw a light approaching. A lantern carried by a hooded, elderly mare. The mare stopped a few feet away and addressed her.
"My dear foal do you know why you are here?"
"Uh no ma'am." Applebloom replied.
The old mare raised the lantern and as if to get a better look at her visitor. Then she lowered it again. "I am Lolinor, Bearer of the Lantern. I am the guide who leads the newly departed from one existence to another. Dear can you tell me how you came to stand before me?"
Slowly Applebloom realized she was dead. Tears began to pour from her eyes as she told Lolinor of her final moments in the living world. Of the attack on the stronghold. Of watching her forces cut down by Al-Conikkrall's blade. Of her final decision to deny him of her soul. Her tears of sadness slowly turned to tears of anger and frustration as she described being helpless to save her troops from such a mighty foe. They'd been her forces and she'd failed them.
Lolinor heard the mare's words and rage she had for the great lich. Gently she reached out and rested her hand on Applebloom's shoulder. "I understand your frustration and digust for what that lich has done. He's usurped the Great Cycle and denied thousands the right to pass on to the beyond. Worse he's condemned countless souls to a horrible fate as they are tortured and twisted to perverse desires."
The Bearer of the Lantern took a step back. "I unable to leave my post. This is my destiny, but I am permitted to send a small number of worthy souls back to their starting point so they can finish some task. If you are willing to serve my needs I will grant you this."
So it was that Applebloom was returned to land of the living, but now she was Lolinor's champion in the land of living. Sent to strike down those who would destroy the Great Cycle. To aid her in her quest the Bearer of the Lantern gave the mare several powerful tools to aid her.
First and foremost was the scythe Wailing Vengeance. When swung the great blade howle like a legion of souls crying out for justice. With single stroke Applebloom could mow down great swaths of undead beings. The blade perpetually dripped blood and if you looked at the puddles that formed you could see tiny faces in the blood silently crying out to be avenged.
Around her waist was slung what appeared to be an old, worn cleaver. This was Spell Hewer. With it Applebloom can hack through many of clever spells and wards lichs and necromancers used to keep their souls out of the Great Cycle.
Finally there was the Flames of Fate. These were candles Applebloom carried in a satchel. Each one represented a lich or powerful necromancer. Candle represented that individuals time in the living world. When lit and then extinguished before commencing battle they countered the ability of the opponent's soul to escape if struck down and prevented it form returning to its phylactery or other device used to cheat death.
To aid in her efforts Applebloom could also call upon the Regiment of Revenants. An army of spirit warriors who had been wronged in the living world and sought to amend an injustice against them. Unfortunately one thing Lolinor could not do was heal the wounds that Al-Conikkrall's blade had inflicted on the mare. Only striking down the great lich would cause them to finally heal. So they constantly seeped blood.
Now Applebloom walks the lands seeking to avenge the deaths of her soldiers and to rid the world of the undead and necromancers.
Comments
Baron Engel
I've always have had very visual, and sometimes disturbing, dreams since I was very little which made having nightmares as a kid very tough at times.
MishaFox
Dude - some of your dreams are truly creepy and freak me out.
jeffh4
Of course, Applebloom went on to fall in love with the one necromancer who fought against the hordes of Al-Conikkrall. For this mage was once a mighty cleric whose soul could not be turned to darkness. Even though all his memories were stripped away when Al-Conikkral attempted to corrupt him, the now-necromancer devotes his life to freeing the souls of all trapped in the living realm. They fight side-by-side, both too consumed by their purpose to admit their feelings for each other. Then comes the fateful day Applebloom learns her deceased parents gave up their first born, a stallion, to the Monastery of the Solar Cake-Devourer (may she be covered in frosting forever).
