The Life of Death

by Nightmare Darkness

Lucifer's Problems

As grateful as I was for Discord to stop the conflict, owing him a favor made me feel uneasy but I would have to deal with that when I came to it.

"We need to inform Luna and Celestia." Discord was playing with a Paddle ball bouncing it up and down rhythmically.

"Discord!" I yelled to get his attention and he missed his beat and looked at me.

"I'm sorry what were you saying? I was bored with waiting." He said.

"What? Wait its been moments..." I said confused.

"Maybe for you." He said simply and tossed the paddle away. I decided not to question it further. I flew along with him till we landed on the fort balcony and pushed open the door to see Luna in full battle regalia surrounded by other armored ponies who were in a frenzy at what had just transpired on the battlefield.

"Princess Luna, we must strike now while we have the element of surprise." Said a seasoned pony. He was immediately contradicted by a pegasus pony in nurses attire.

"We need to use this time to recover!" She insisted.

"Enough!" She said in a loud voice that displayed power. The room fell silent and she finally saw Discord and myself.

"Look after the wounded and fortify our current positions." She ordered with a wave of her armored hoof.

"Leave me." She stated and quickly the other ponies left quickly leaving us alone in the room.

"Discord...I might have know." Luna said unenthusiastically.

"Your Princessness..." He said with a bow.

"Why did you stop the battle?" She asked.

"Lady Death here asked me to." He said with a shrug. Luna looked to me then with a softer look.

"I can understand but why?" She questioned.

"The demon Vedra was gathering souls directly from the conflict below. We also have bigger problems that need attention. I don't know how he has mustered an army, but he is marching on Heaven and Hades with weapons that almost have the same power I do." I said pointedly. Luna frowned and walked to a stand where ink, quills and blank paper were ready for use. Luna began to scratch down a letter.

"Are you certain of this?" She said as she wrote.

"I have just come from fighting him." I said which gave her pause and looked at me.

"So you defeated him?" She said with some hope. I shook my head in response.

"No, he escaped before I could recover from his attack." I say disheartened.

"No offense Princess but Bones here has been running everywhere trying to fix up this mess. You could thank me for lightning her burden." Discord said filing his paw.

"Discord the day I thank you for anything is the day I will dye my mane pink." She said flatly. Discord smiled.

"Let's put a pin in that." He said as a corkboard appeared with several notes where he added another one next to another note with what I think said 'world domination tour'. I made a mental note to ask him about that later. I refocused on Luna as she finished scratching out the letter. She rolled it up and sealed it with her magic and it vanished in green flame.

"You will hear from Celestia soon." She said nodding as a knock on her door brought her back to more earthly problems. I went to the balcony door and placed my key and unlocked it walking into my office as Discord followed me. He looked around raising his eyebrows.

"A bit dreary even for you Bones." He commented.

"I just got the place, décor Isn't really high on my current to do list." I said finding my seat behind the desk. It was comfy, as I settled myself into it Apple Scroll's voice came over buzzer.

"The previous Death is here to see you." She said, I pressed the button and responded.

"Send him in." Discord sat across from me and looked back to see him walk into the door.

"Oh Crunchie! How you been!" Candy looked at him and gave a forced smile.

"Discord, why am I not surprised."

"Crunchie?" I said questioning.

"Long story." he said clearly not wanting to get into it.

"If you're here I'm guessing your sources have found something." I presumed, he nodded and was silent for a moment which gave me a hint.

"Discord could you leave us...don't cause Apple any unneeded stress." I warned. Discord rolled his eyes and gave an exasperated expression.

"Fine I'll leave." He said leaving out of the door. When he was gone and the door closed Candy looked at me with hard eyes.

"Working with the God of Chaos is not the wisest choice." He said, to which I nodded.

"Trust me when I say it isn't my favorite plan but he has helped quite a bit and I'm steadily running out of options." I said.

"Well my contacts have located Vedra's lair. Only problem is he's taken to the battlefield. His troops are legions of forced changed souls made to do his bidding. I don't know how but it seems he's been doing this since before you took over." He said frustrated.

"I'll figure something out." I said trying to comfort him.

"I can't believe I missed something this crucial." He said shaking his head. I gave a half hearted smile but his look told me there was no point in trying to reassure him.

"I'll go to Celestia, I'll tell her what I've just told you. You should go and inform Lucifer. No doubt he'll be ready to settle the score with his former General." He said standing. I stood up with him and approached him giving him a hug. He gave a look of surprise.

"Thank you for helping me." I said as he hugged me back anytime.

"We will see this through. After all I'm still looking forward to my retirement. Can't have the world end when I'm not even a week off." He jested. I put up my hood and went to my door as he left through my mirror. As I walked into the lobby Discord was beside Apple Scroll looking like a secretary but by the clearly annoyed expression on Apple he was not helping.

"Discord, leave my secretary alone." I ordered.

"What? I was only.." He began and I silenced him by raising my hoof.

"I don't care, I'm going to Hades. I want you to keep an eye on the ponies and changelings. Keep them from killing each other." I said. He waved his claw dismissively.

"If anything happens I'll let you know right away by staying with you." He said smiling and his uniform disappearing. I opened the door that would have me descend into Hades when the normal heat that it would produce was now cooler.

"That's odd..." I said walking into the ground followed by Discord.

"If I didn't know...it seems like Hades has frozen over." As he said that we rounded the corner to see the fields of pain covered in snow and Lucifer's castle under siege from force changed souls.

Discord and I stood there in shock for a moment.

"You don't see that everyday." He said bundling up in a scarf and mittens.

"How do we get in?" I asked out loud. Discord smiled and said with an odd accent.

"We terminate." He cocked a metal barreled weapon and charged ahead of me. We charged across the fields of pain and approached the edge of Vedra's army and the first Changed souls turned toward us and hissed leaping and bounding at us looking to attack without though if self preservation. Discord began to fire his weapon and the first several within range transformed into cute puppies and baby ducks as he laughed like a maniac. I was confused to say the least. The souls that attacked the new little ducks and puppies themselves were turned into harmless animals. When they began to lash out at me I was less chaotic in my disposal of them. Cleaving flesh from bone, one lunged to bite me with fangs. I blocked him with my scythes shaft and twisted it quickly snapping its neck. Not pausing to consider it I swung my blade in a wide arc separating heads from bodies. Just looking around me it was the worst state of chaos I have ever seen. Discord smiling as if he was in a dreamland. He shot five more times and it clicked. He put it behind him and lifted it again into the air above himself and it had transformed into a sword.

"By the power of Equestria!" He proclaimed and held the blade in front of him.

"I have the Power!" Then began to swing it back and forth.

"Thunder, Thunder...Thunder! Thunder Ponies HOOOOOO!" He exclaimed and began going to town carving his way towards the castle. I looked behind myself and saw the souls that had been transformed began to return to their previous forms.

"Discord!" I exclaimed getting his attention. He looked to me and saw what I was yelling about.

"We need to get moving! I'm almost spent!" He said as we finally made our way to the lines between both armies were engaged in heated battle. A demon exploded in front of me in a fit of purple sparks as she obliterated 4 changed souls. I recognized her.

"Ender!" I exclaimed and she looked at me. Though now she was clad in battle armor and still sporting her accessory scarf that now in the cold had a useful purpose.

"Death?!" She said surprised. Discord jogged up to Ender and blocked and attack and tossed it aside.

"Don't forget me." He said as I approached.

"Where is Lucifer?" I asked.

"On the battlements overlooking the siege." She said then kicked an attacker back and waved her hoof making the sparks strike three more back.

"I'll take you to him." She said and she engulfed us in her magical sparks and the world blinked black and I stood on the battlements. My mind took a moment to recognize where I was when a voice centered me.

"Death, nice to see you." Lucifer's smooth voice said as I looked to him. Lucifer wore a black armor that had flecks of red that made him look like a glowing ember.

"I was coming to inform you of this attack but it seems I'm to late." I said looking over the battlefield.

"Indeed, shortly after your stint they began their attack." He said which made me feel awkward.

"Ender, thank you for bringing them here. Go to Brimstone and help push the right flank." He ordered.

"Right away." She said and vanished, Discord took a seat as his ears drooped.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Haven't felt this weak since Luna and Celestia first imprisoned me." He recollected.

"That was fun to watch." Lucifer said and Discord scowled. I looked at Lucifer.

"What is with the snow?" I asked steering the conversation away from internal conflict. Lucifer now scowled.

"Vedra knows I'm weakened in the cold, if my domain was at its normal temperature I could end this conflict by reconverting the souls with a wave of my hoof." He said angrily.

"They look like demons." I said and he scoffed.

"Demons can think, these twisted souls are merely puppets of Vedra's will. Vicious, strong, and many in number but without any intelligence. No self preservation makes them hard to deal with but easier than usual to manage. But they are hard to control." He said.

"How does he control them?" I wondered out loud.

"The weapons the dragon made. He's the same creature that created your scythe. It gets its power from the soul well." He said as if it was common knowledge.

"Soul well?" I said quizzically.

"I don't have time to give you a full explanation. The well is where new creatures that are born into the world come from. When a soul does its time in Hades or Heaven they go back to the soul well to be recycled. Rinse and repeat, your scythe is connected to the well directly because you are the vital link that helps them get back to the well. Vedra has somehow managed to tap into the well indirectly. That would explain how he's gained the power and army he has now." He said

"Well if anything that needs to be severed." I said.

"The only way I think would be to defeat him." He said.

"If he's pulling troops from the soul well I suggest you and Celestia cooperate by combining your forces to deal with him."

Lucifer looked at me dangerously.

"What your asking hasn't been done in a very....very long time." He said

"Either that or we all fail. Heaven is probably dealing with this very same thing." I said simply. He looked out Over the battlefield silent for a moment.

"Help break this siege and I'll consider it." He said.

"I want to hear a promise." I said and he turned to me his eyes alight.

"Fine...I Promise to help Celestia defend Heaven." He said through clenched teeth. I turned.

"How do we get the heat back on?" I asked.

"Oh you will have to reignite the furnace... You will need a dragon." He said looking at me and I dreaded the thought and Discord laughed.

Comments

[Exaxxion]

5588797
what i thought imedietly

[rikusorasephiroth]

5589039 5588797 (sarcasm) Oh, yes, I can picture that. *Discord appears in front of Twilight* "Sparkle. Spike needed. Help Death. End war. All die."
I can just see her throw Spike at Discord in eager need to help.

[Krazyfan1]

and thus spike became a hero, saving all of existence

[Luna Secret Stallion]

We need a Spike!

[lurado]

Spike saves multiversea didn't you all know