Twilight stalked into the next room, axe hovering near her, ready. It was dim, with only a few small lights allowing her to see. There were crates and barrels stacked about, but they all seemed... empty. No smell came from them but that of old wood. She reared up and tried to pry off the top of one with her horn just for it to disintegrate, falling to pieces under its decay. There was nothing inside. Like the people themselves, hollow.

A grunt had her spinning around to face an upright shambling person, already lunging at her, sword dangerously close, its aged tip still sharp enough to not want anywhere near her. It was too late to dive, so she brought up the only thing she had, the axe. She knocked the weapon off its mark, turning a direct hit into a glancing one that left a painful line across her cheek. She returned the favor with a powerful slam, driving her axe deep into the side of the creature. It howled and died, slumping down bonelessly to the ground.

She hadn't a chance to even try talking to it. Somehow that... was easier. It had attacked first, as the stinging mark on her cheek validated.

Her thoughts wandered back. She had been given something to help, besides the estus flask. She tried to capture that thought of Pinkie, always eager to bring a smile to anyone's face, and to the man whose day was improved with the kindness of a stranger. She held firm to those thoughts and felt warmth rush through her. The stinging abated, the injury chased away. She had performed a miracle.

She reached up a hoof and tapped her cheek where the cut had been and felt a little tenderness there. It would have to be good enough. Maybe actually using one of those charms would make it better?

She heard something climbing and turned to see a zombie briskly come up a ladder she had scarcely noticed before. The moment it got to the top, it drew a sword free and turned to her.

"Hello?" She ventured, raising her axe. "We don't have to do this."

The creature had lost all sense. Fighting was all it knew. As it approached, Twilight struck it down with a quick magic bolt, returning it to a proper death. Its sword clattered to the ground, ripe for the taking. It looked fairly clean and well-cared for. Twilight wasn't sure if it was better or worse than her big axe, but she took it anyway. Perhaps the smith could help her decide? She tucked it away.

Things seemed peaceful, or as peaceful as the world ever was outside the shrine. Twilight noticed a glimmer from a slumped form. After prodding it gently to make sure it didn't want to attack her, she found its pockets were bulging with what looked like bombs the sort that Pinkie might toss, though hers would likely explode with confetti. She doubted these would do the same. She shook her head slowly and tucked the two bombs away, hoping she would have no need for the things, but feeling that was a foolish hope.

Looking around, she spied a body sprawled out of a window, dead in a most undignified position. She could see it glimmer. It had something, but she couldn't reach it without functioning wings. She spread her tattered wings, spread wide before she tried to give a flap, to gain some altitude, but they refused to catch any air, as if that magic had been snatched from her in return for her defiance of death itself.

That was when she realized she was being silly. She let out a laugh. It was a little shrill and she clapped a hoof over her snout. She was being touched by the place. Not that she hadn't laughed like that before, when she had a breakdown. "Calm down, Twi," she berated herself, sitting on her haunches and trying to regather herself. "You'll make it through this, just keep it together..."

With a slow breath, she regathered herself. She was a unicorn, darn it. That came with certain... advantages. She stopped trying to reach the body and instead brought the body down to herself. With a sharp tug, it fell over into the room. "Ta da!" She had... defiled some dead person's body. Twilight shuddered as she realized what she had done. Still, it was already done... She found a pouch filled with golden sparkling dust.

She peered at it curiously before its meaning began to come to her, as a shadow on a wall. "Golden Pine Resin," She spoke to the room, with only the dead as witness. It produced electricity and could be rubbed over a weapon to let it do the same, electrocuting things as she cut them. It sounded... ghastly, but perhaps useful?

She decided to take whatever edge she could get and poured out the pouch over her axe, making it crackle and spark dangerously. She wondered how any non-unicorn would be able to wield such a weapon if they had to held it with their hands, hooves, or mouth.

With her charged weapon, she moved toward the only way forward she could see, the ladder heading downwards. She spread her wings and glanced left and right. They weren't good enough to fly, but perhaps they could cushion the fall? She dared try. Wind whistled past her for the instant before she crashed into the ground. She wasn't sure her wings had helped at all, but at least she knew not to do that with much larger falls in the future. Lesson learned. Yay?

She shook herself out and looked around the dark place. She could see what looked like jail bars, but the door wasn't in the way, she she walked forward, spotting the tell tale glimmer of something hiding on the body of a long dead person against the floor and wall. She glanced around for danger and began her search to find her searching pop free another of those souls. This one was vaguely different. It spoke of a sad determination. Its body had simply been left there, abandoned and forgotten. None would come to bury it.

Twilight shook her head at the soul she held. She could destroy it, claim its energy just as she did with each undead she laid to rest.

She suddenly started, realizing something. She hadn't even noticed the little bits of strange sensation the last few victories. She was already getting used to it. She wasn't sure how happy she was about that. It was distracting, but it meant she was getting all the more used to the world. She tucked the soul away, unwilling to finish the corpse's defilement in shattering its soul.

She moved past the abandoned body. She couldn't do much for it. Things became more lit as she turned the corner and found herself stepping outside. A... zombie with a polearm held limply rose it up into readiness, a large shield in its other hand. Another undead took notice and brought a crossbow into view, ready to perforate Twilight.

Twilight squeaked and backed up through the archway in time to hear a bolt clatter against the stone. She peeked out and saw the crossbow wielder was reloading. The pole and shield one was not advancing quickly. It was the vanguard, almost protecting the other. That was fine. It was... almost like a puzzle. She stuck her head out and blew them a raspberry until the undead let loose a fresh bolt.

She jerked her head back, letting the bolt sail past where her head had been. While it was reloading, she charged forward. She brought her axe in a cruel arc, but it crashed against the shield. Electricity arced and jumped, lancing through the undead painfully. It grunted and staggered under the unexpected assault. She could see the crossbow wielder was reloading quickly, she had to act fast. She brought the weapon down and around, cleaving into the poor thing's legs from behind. It collapsed under the unfair swordsponyship.

The crossbow was aimed directly at her. Twilight dove to the side just as the bolt came free of it. She had no time to think, so she just acted. Even as the bolt crashed into the wall, she pounced on the living dead and began beating it to the ground, blood flying with every swing of her axe. It was only when things had gone still that she stepped back off of it, panting.

There were two ways she could go, up some stairs, or along the wall. She could see some undead massing ahead, a motley group she didn't want to deal with. Stairs it was!

She ascended, head barely cresting the top to see plenty of other undead when the ground shook. She heard a terrific roar as a dragon came to land right on the building ahead of her. It was like the dead dragon, only very much alive, and very much angry. Twilight could only gawk at it as it drew a mighty breath. "Um, hello?"

It exhaled a terrific burst of flames that engulfed the undead that were on the landing she was about to walk out onto. As the flames reached the stairs where she was, the force of the heat knocked her back and down, sending her tumbling painfully down the stairs to a heap at the bottom. "Or not..." She picked herself up, bruised and hurting in new places, but mostly in one piece. This seemed like a good time for a sip. She drew out her estus flask and drew some of the liquid fire into her dry mouth. Her body shimmered as the aches and pains faded away, leaving her restored.

Unfortunately, the dragon was still there, barring the way. "Guess I'm not going that way..." She shook her head a little and returned her gaze to the group ahead of her on the wall. They looked far less threatening than a fully grown dragon. It was the only option she saw.

She raised her axe high, then let it dip. Did she have to engage them in melee? There were too many of them to consider it a safe idea, as safe as any mortal combat could be. It was tiring, but safe. She set the axe down a moment and lowered her head as she gathered her power. Bright purple energy streaked from her horn, striking each down, though one stubbornly remained standing and needed a second to put down properly. "Ta da." Being a unicorn had advantages, though she felt tired. She would not be repeating that trick until she could rest, preferably at a bonfire.

She plucked up her axe and it felt heavier. She barely had enough magic to heft it properly. "I hope there's another nearby." The defeated undead did not reply to her wishes.

She walked forward cautiously, the dragon roaring and growling above her. It leaned over the side of the building it was on and fixed its eyes on her. It drew a breath.

Twilight screamed in panic and ran as fast as she could, flames scorching the back of her tail, but she made it past. "I see dragons in this world are about as popular as most in mine." She rolled her eyes as she held her tail gently a moment. Stairs led upwards and seemed to be the only way. At the top there was a knight, or so she assumed. Suited entirely in steel armor with a tall and gleaming shield and sword held. It walked with smooth confidence. There was no lurching or staggering in its steps.

It wasn't one of the same undead she had met so far. "Oh! Hello! Please tell me you can talk."

"Foul intruder," it replied. "What manner of demon are you? No matter." He raised his shield and sword. "I will defend this wall."

"W-wait! I'm not attacking, I promise!" She lowered her axe quickly. "Can't we talk?"

"I will not be corrupted by the sweet lies of a demon." He brought his sword forward, not with the mindless aggression of the others, but with a practiced skill. Twilight, in her attempt to try peace, was unprepared for such a swift attack and caught it in her flesh, pain exploding as the knight pierced her right through the chest. "Die."

He brought up an armored boot and kicked her off the blade, freeing it and sending her stumbling over backwards. She grabbed the axe in her magic just in time for the knight to come crashing in against her. A swipe that seemed faster than lightning sent blood flying in an arc. She managed an uncoordinated flail with her axe before the knight brought down his sword through her spine, killing her. Next Chapter: 8 - Git Gud Estimated time remaining: 49 Minutes