This story idea has been used before, but you're a great writer.  Take my like.

This strangly reminds me of Supernatural, But I love this so far! I just hope that it leads somewhere good! ^.^

I've been following this story since it came out on EqD, great to see it uploaded here! Keep up the awesome work, I love it.

I have been waiting FOREVER for this fic to be uploaded here, instant like and favorite!

Oh, so now we have The cold hand of mercy here.

This is good!

Please continue this...

>>756320756320 Here is complete>>> Cold hand of mercy / Equestriadaily

Its over? That was great! Too bad its really over though...

Simply wonderful. Bravo.

Image: http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2r6o1B2Ds1rre1opo1_400.gif

This is without a doubt the best sad fic I've ever read. Of course the fact that I'm a big Fluttershy fan and being no stranger to death myself helps too.

Personally I think it should have been ended with fluttershy being welcomed to the ever by her five friends and being reunited with angel but I still enjoyed the story

8 pinkies out of 10!

Amazing! Fluttershy finally got to pass on the mantle.

.....Is it wrong that I imagined Blanche's voice as Death from Family Guy?

Made you a cover illustration!!!

Image: http://i.imgur.com/EB0v2.png

>>814974814974 Thank you so much! I got it uploaded as soon as I could. And thank you to everyone who comments--your comments are my applause.

Good start so far.  It'll be interesting to see how Fluttershy copes with the realization.

I was waiting for this kind of chapter to come up eventually, and I was not disappointed.

Simply amazing.  Minus a few typos here and there, this is one of the best-written fics I've ever had the pleasure of reading.  It has bittersweet written all over it, and never feels shallow or forced.  However, the overall story arc is a bit too predictable.  I knew that Blanche would ultimately be the one to get Fluttershy back on her feet, I knew that Twilight would be the last of her friends to go, etc.  If you want it to feel fresh, you have to throw in a wrench or two to keep the reader guessing.

Even with this complaint, it's a very powerful piece, and does a very good job of showing how death, in the end, isn't ultimately sad, using cartoon ponies as anchors for your devices.  Good job, bro.

This was amazing. Enjoyed every moment of it. All my feels, they belong to you.

Although...I would love a small epilogue of Fluttershy reuniting with her friends in the Ever...and a little more detail about the Ever's library and the 'accounting' . It just sounds so mystifying.

Very sad, yet enjoyable story. Was glad that Fluttershy finally got to spend the rest of eternity with her friends in the ever.

Beautifully Written. I was wondering if I could have your permission to add this to a compilation of MLP fanfiction ebooks for download. I would only need a pdf file of the whole thing.

Good job!

I am so pissed off. When I read the synopsis i knew I wouldn't be able to rest until I had read every single word. And many many tears have been shed.

You have a mastery of the written word with the magical ability to bring about powerful emotions. Thank you for creating this.

That was a beautiful story that was very well written! I loved every chapter of it! I would have liked to see the response of the elements to fluttershy's return though... return to the ever that is...

great story!

keep up the great work!

Wish there was an extra chapter to show her in the ever...

But it was still a great story none the less!!!

Man I hit the Angel giving himself up part as I was listening to this Right as it hit 50 seconds into the song.

I... I finally have a use for all these crying Fluttershy emotes!  

Very good story.  Like some others, I would have liked a scene at the end where she is reunited with her friends, but as it stands, this is an excellent read.

that... that was wonderful. it was beautiful. GAH there are too many Adjectives synonymous with good for me to list them all!

To sum up my reaction to this fic in it's entirety I need only one emote:

Oh, I loved this fic from the very beginning when I saw it back at EQD!

I didn´t realize you now uploaded it here, that´s just sooooo awesome!

For me, this is definitely one of the best (if not THE best) fic I ever read and the first which made me really cry.

Thank you for this beautiful emotional piece of written art!

DAMMIT! stop making me cry!

I'm wondering why this fic isn't more popular.

Very nice. Loved it.

>>736181736181

When has this been used before?

>>12726821272682

I am too, it is a great fic. Really enjoyed reading it.

Ahhh fuck this is here and I didn't know. I read it in 2011...

I hovered above this story for a few days, before I could pull myself together and start reading it.

Death is a topic I used to avoid thinking about, but you changed that.

Thank you for pouring your heart into this story.

I'll be around, looking into your other stories!

Brilliant story, well thought out, written, and pulls on the heartstrings. I really enjoyed reading this.

Sad, but very thought-provoking. The story was better than expected.

This story is so beautiful...

TAKE ALL MY LIKE AND FAV!

Woah. This was some pretty heavy stuff. This is quite the predicament, one I'm genuinely unsure as to the result will be. I like this.

Oh, dear Flutters. Into the darkness I'll sing you a song.

Oh god, the feels. Only two more chapters left...

[spoiler] So how will that list work once Tomes is illiterate? [spoiler]

Is Tartarus a darker part of the Ever?

Well the after reading the story found that was something to be marveled at i mean i took me though about all the emotions,there was some much in here that i loved and i hope you can make many more great tales of awesome. .

Your story's premise is flawed at best. And frankly, I find it really fucking offensive. The idea of death as mercy is DIS.FUCKING.GUSTING, okay?! DISGUSTING.

>>23502192350219

Jeez have a little respect why don't you..you may not have liked the story but you didn't have to say THAT.

OH GOD, THE FEELS ARE EVERYWHERE!

So along the line of succession could somepony give up virginity to become the Grim Reaper?

>>24604512460451 If it was really that important to them, enough that it anchors them to this world, yes. But they would just lose it--no dirty stuff there.

>>24068182406818

Yes. I did. Death is not a mercy. It is an INCONVENIENCE at best and a TRAGEDY at worse. Are you actually gonna tell those people who lost family members at Boston that death can be a mercy? You gonna tell the ponies who had to lose their son that death is actually a mercy? No, of course you won't! You're gonna tell them, and I quote, "I'm so sorry for your LOSS"

Death. Is. A. Loss. It is the removal of something wonderful from something else that is wonderful, however great the life beyond may be, it's still tragic and horrible that people have to die all the same, and to try and play death up as a KINDNESS...especially in this context? It's DISGUSTING.

>>24737932473793

What I would say to them is "I am so sorry for your loss, but they are in a better place."

Now don't go screaming at me for believing in an afterlife cause I really don't want to hear it. I'm not dragging my religion into this right now.

And to some people, death is a mercy. Maybe not to the 3 people killed in Boston, or the victims of 9/11, or the Sandy Hook shooting, but some people do believe that death is a mercy. If they are struggling I'm life, whether it be through pain or some other type of suffering, do you really think that they would think of death as something cruel. At that point they may think of death as inviting, something to take away all of the pain and suffering they are experiencing. And the people around them may not be happy, but if they knew that person was in pain or suffering, they may be glad that their suffering is over.

So do not try and tell me that death is always cruel and un-merciful. Try thinking about that scenario I just gave you above, then respond.

>>24742462474246

I'm not gonna scream at you. I'm a good Catholic myself. But here's the thing. The fact that anybody should even REACH a point where death would be a mercy is, in itself, a horrible tragedy. If your life is SO awful that death is itself a kindness, then your life itself is an absolute injustice. And the need for your death is just another gigantic loss of potential in a life full of wasted potential. Also, if you're trying to go the "suicide to end a person's pain" route, suicide is considered selfish. It's blasphemy, it's cowardice, it's giving in. It's NEVER as bad as you may think it is unless maybe you're a quadruple paraplegic, and even so, that's a stretch in itself. Also, you can't point to ONE instance of death being a good thing as proof that it's a good thing considering there are eighteen dozen other instances of it NOT being good. Death by AIDS or HIV. Deaths caused by ebola or cancer or the like. Traffic deaths. Drive-bys. Railway accidents. Plane crashes. School shootings. Terrorist attacks. All of those, you're gonna tell people, first and foremost, that you're sorry for their loss, the "in a better place" thing comes after.

And therein lies the big rub. Comes. After. Death is a transition to you. But just because the destination might be better than where you started doesn't mean the journey can't be HORRIBLE.

>>24756602475660

I am also a Catholic as well. And I also believe that suicide is the cowards way out. It's unnecessary as most problems that are going on in that person's life could be solved. Suicide takes a person away from their family.

Dying from old age is a whole different thing. As the first character in the story to die said that he was waiting for death, some people of old age who's family has abandoned them may welcome death. And after no one may even realize that they are gone.

>>24757892475789

Yeah...but that in itself is kind of the minority opinion. "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."

It also doesn't help the author's case that Fluttershy's bosses are uncaring, couldn't be bothered to justify themselves jerks and a snide, overly wry and jackass-esque pompous blowhard who's more interested in the job than in the "human" element of the job. They're HORRIBLE PEOPLE forcing Fluttershy to do horrid things. They're not sympathetic! They make us wanna strangle them!

>>24759882475988

I have to agree that I didn't particularly enjoy the fact that Fluttershy was forced to do something against her will. I never would've agreed to doing it and yes the fact that her boss was a jerk didnt help at all.

>>24760132476013

I know, right? We, the audience, cam forgive a lot if the characters in a story are likable...but that sure as heck ain`t how the two bosses our poor little pegasus has come off as! There should have been an entire chapter with them talking with Fluttershy to convince her of the tragic necessity. We got maybe half of one and from only one OF them. That`s SUPERB storytelling!...in OPPOSITE WORLD.

>>24761262476126

There should've definitely been full chapter about Blanch talking to Fluttershy about why she needs to become the next Death, not just coming in and saying 'Well hi there! You're going to be the next Death!' It's not very comforting or persuading.

>>24761262476126 The point wasn't really for the reader for feel okay about the things that are going on. Nothing about what happens to Fluttershy is alright and it's not really supposed to be. Blanche is cold, mostly unfeeling, and highly inconsiderate of the way his actions are affecting others. He might feel pangs of guilt here or there, but for the most part, his decision was based on what he thought was right and what he thought would be the best decision. If one was looking for sympathy from him, they were looking in the wrong place--he doesn't consider it his job to be fair, necessarily. But even with me saying that, the way the reader sees him is meant to be on an individual basis--that's just the way I personally view him.

As for The Ever, I wasn't trying to make that comforting and sympathetic either. If you want my actual opinion, I don't even believe in an afterlife. I don't believe anything happens when we die other than, well, we die. The Ever isn't meant to be presented as one way or another, but rather as just a relatively nebulous governing body. There's no need to explain, there's no need to comfort, and there's no need to make anyone feel good about anything--the way things are the way things are.

The story is mostly up for interpretation as to the attitudes, motivations, themes and other things. If you hated it, I can't change that. If you think it presents an unfair view of the afterlife because you believe in something better, then alright, that's fine too. I'm not going to argue or berate anyone for disliking the story or the themes it presents--your opinion is not fact, and mine isn't either. What you hate may be something plenty of other people love. While I see a few of the things You said as being rather rude and inflammatory, if that's the way you feel, then okay.

That's pretty much my piece on the subject.

>>24756602475660

I've watched enough people wither away to understand how death can appear merciful in nature.

For my own part, i agree with Staeg in that this world is all we get, there is no afterlife, sadly no magical Equestrian reunion for old friends and family.  Maybe there's something beyond this world, but i can't be certain.

Death is no more merciful than it is cruel.  Death is a process of this world, it is devoid of all emotion whether positive or negative.  I've seen heroin junkies OD half a dozen times only to be given a 50th chance, and i've known people cut down in their prime of their life by sheer probability.  The only manner in which we comprehend death is how we react to it as those left behind.  When you lose someone close to you, it's supposed to hurt, you should feel empty inside.  In many ways, losing someone very dear to you should leave a void that time will never fill.  That is what death is, something wonderful was there one minute, and gone the next.  I pray to anything that could possibly listen, that i will not be the last one to go.  I could never imagine how miserable that would be, to watch everyone you care about fade away, to suffer alone in the end.  Fortunately i have the luxury of at least one heart attack under my belt, but i can understand how someone in that position would disagree with you.  If by some random act of fate i outlive my remaining friends, i think that would be enough time for my life.  I'd be a scared little child, begging for one more minute just like everyone else.  Still, a big part of me would want to leave this world.  It's by no coincidence that i rant this evening, for a year ago today (yesterday technically) i lost someone very very dear to me.  She said something funny a few years back, referring to her declining health.  We were discussing age and i joked that "your gonna live to be 120 mark my word."  She said "No, i think another five years maybe, that'll be enough."  Our world lost a color that day, has never been the same, and never will.

I partially agree though, in that the worst moments of my life have been spent in a funeral reception line.  It is absolutely no comfort to be bombarded with "he/she was a good person" and the like.  However, i've yet to find something truly comforting in those moments.  I don't have faith anymore, but i was once Catholic.  If Jesus himself came to me tommorrow and told me that dying meant traveling to a world with all those we have lost, i'm not sure if i would ask him to take me or not.  You shouldn't have so much anger towards death, or those who embrace it.  It is not cowardly to want the pain to end, and for those of faith, it is not cowardly for them to want their own piece of heaven.  Suicide is rarely about these things however, and more often involves mental health and depression.  I don't think i could ever drift that far at this point, but i've seen young people very tragically go through with it.

Read Eternity and enjoy a sweet little sad story.  Makes you feel better afterwards, even if it is a little too optomistic.  While overly romantic, i agree with Pip's decision in chapter 3, and can honestly say that i would do the same.

On a more positive note, i'd like to think that when my time comes, whether i see it coming or have no idea that my body is dying, i'd hope to smile.  It's a fool's hope, particularly for an agnostic, but it's enough to keep the gears turning.  I guess i've changed my mind, i could handle being the last to go.  Wouldn't have to worry about leaving others behind, could just focus on enjoying the moment.  The only problem would be getting chewed out for making everyone wait so damn long.