Life and Death

by Protector of Light

Torn

The moon hovers just above the horizon, a messenger of the new night. I yawn and pull myself out of my bed, only to find myself in the middle of a forest. The Everfree Forest. This might make sense if my bed was not here, but as it is, I know that I must be dreaming. I vaguely remember falling asleep suddenly after seeing something important. What was it?

Ah, yes, the place of unhappiness, the land of which I seek. I search my hazy mind for a reason why. Ah, yes, I’m looking for death. I need to destroy it for the sake of my ponies, right? Is that why I’m looking? My mind is in a haze. Perhaps that is the case, though I feel as though part of that is a lie. No. I’m doing this for my ponies and Twilight Sparkle. For if it weren’t for death, Twilight Sparkle would still be here. But destroy death? Yes, that’s what I want, no matter how harsh it may seem.

I see a form in the moon, a shadow flying from it to me. Luna, my dearest sister, is suddenly standing before me. “Dearest sister, how are you? How goes the adventure?” she asks.

“Alright, I suppose. Not getting the results that I was hoping for yet, but I guess that I was expecting too much.” I choke back nervous laughter. My emotions really come through in my dreams, far more than I let on in real life. I cannot hide anything from Luna here. I scrape a hoof on the ground compulsively and look away from her face.

“Oh? And what is it you were hoping for?” I can tell that she has become suspicious of my body language. She tries to make eye contact, but I avoid her gaze. “Celestia, please tell me. You know that I’d never do anything to hurt you. Maybe I can help.”

“I doubt that you could help, or that you would want to.”

“Tell me!” she exclaims in frustration. “Please,” she adds sheepishly.

“Alright.” I still avoid her eyes for a moment, feeling guilty of what I plan to do. But I finally meet her gaze to tell her the truth. Perhaps this is just a dream, not actually Luna I am talking to. It’s worth the chance to get this off of my chest. “I seek Death.”

“Celestia? Surely you are not pondering suicide.”

“Not at all. I seek an answer as to why ponies have to die.” I break eye contact, as the concern in her eyes pains me. “It hurts all ponies so much when somepony dies. I just want to know why. Why does it have to be this way?”

“Sister, you surely know why ponies have to die. Populations would get too high and people would starve without even the relief of death. Equestria is a safe haven, allowing ponies to live far longer than those in other lands that are full of disease and drought. Is that not enough?”

“But why don’t you and I die if that is the ultimate meaning of life? Why must everypony suffer so much pain?”

“I… I don’t know,” she admits. “I’m sorry sister. I suppose that if all you intend to do is ask Death that question, no harm will come of it.”

“I wish it were that simple.” I feel myself fighting tears for some reason. I need to tell her the truth. I need to be honest with her. I’m tired of lying. “I am going to ask Death to end its cycle. I want the act of dying to be gone. I want my ponies to live. It is my duty as the ruler of Equestria to protect my ponies from anything, even realities.” The tears have been replaced with determination. I feel that nothing can stop me. Yet, the little voice in the back of my head, growing ever weaker, tells me to halt, to cease and desist.

“No, Celestia, we just talked about what would happen. This isn’t right for our ponies. You must not do it!”

“Oh, but I must do this Luna. The fate of Equestria rests in my hooves and I need only to convince death to end its reign of terror. And if it will not do as I ask, then I will make it! One way or another, DEATH WILL END!” I feel myself surrounded in a wave of energy. My vision ripples. I feel the tears burn away. I have no more doubts. Yes! I go to end death! I see myself surrounded by flames. Luna backs away.

“Celestia, no! Don’t let the darkness overtake you! You’re stronger than this!” Luna looks extremely distressed. I guess that she’s never seen me take a stand like this before.

“Oh, but I am stronger. I have the strength to do this!”

“Celestia STOP!”

“Now, now, don’t worry about me. I’ll be back soon. Don’t come after me; you won’t be able to find me.”

I feel the dream begin to fade. Ah, finally, I will wake and begin my journey with new purpose, a true purpose. I will stop death no matter what the cost.

“STOP! YOU MUST NOT GO ON! SISTER!” Luna yells as I proceed away from her. “Celestia… no… not like me…”

***

As I wake I realize that I feel different, more powerful, I just feel… relieved. Like there is a weight off of my chest and I can breathe again. I stand up and take a step forward. That single step causes the forest to disappear. The glass lake is beneath me. That was certainly easier than before. I note that I am surrounded by a glow, as though I’m shimmering. I look to my left, then my right and see nothing worth noticing. Then I look down at the reflective surface of the pond. My cat remains white as snow, but it seems to glow now. But my mane, my mane is on fire. It’s beautiful, but very strange. I feel like this should bother me, yet I feel no concern. I wonder why?

No time for wondering though. I continue forward, glad that the forest does not reappear. I would hate for the chance to slip away. It has taken me so long to get this far, I don’t want that all to go to waste. I see something in the distance, beyond what I could ordinarily see. However, this place is different, a completely flat and empty void, allowing my vision to be uninterrupted. I keep walking forward, towards whatever it is. It thankfully doesn’t do anything tricky like move farther away. It stays in place, and every step I take it draws nearer. Finally I can see it and tell what it is. It’s a tree. A random tree in the middle of this glass lake. Well, I suppose that stranger things have definitely happened. Why do I feel so happy? Just a while ago I was filled only with grief and anger. Now I feel on top of the world. Is it just because I’m finally getting my way? I couldn’t really say.

I reach the tree. I examine around it’s trunk before I look up. Within its branches is a tree house, a dilapidated thing, boards falling down and rotting away. I flap my wings briefly to reach the doorway. I will not fit through the opening, but I can see that within the room is empty and pitch black. “Hello?” I say, searching for a sign of anything. Nothing is said in response. I turn to leave only to see a little filly, coat and mane black as coal, with a scythe around her neck, coming up behind me. “Hello,” I say.

“Hello Celestia? What brings you here to the Void of the Forlorn?” the filly asks cheerfully.

Is this who I seek? “I’m looking for Death. I would like to speak with them.”

“You’ve come to the right place then! Though I’m not really sure how you got here…” She smiles. “That’s me, Death! Some people call me other names, but I don’t really care for any of them, so Death works as well as any!” She smiles again and climbs into the tree house. “Come on in!” She waits for me but them realizes: “Oh! I don’t think you’ll fit in here. I guess we can talk out there, but it’s kind of creepy, you know.”

Is this who I’m bargaining with? A little filly, happy as can be, going about her day like any other filly would, living in a playhouse like any child would dream? A little voice in the back of my head tells me to stop, but the rest says to continue as planned. Maybe just a little less violently.

“Well?” she asks.

“Oh. Yes. Well I was just wondering why everything that lives has to die.”

“You came all the way out here to ask me that? Okay.” She frowns. “I don’t really know. That’s just the way things are, all I do is the dirty work. I don’t decide what happens in when, I just do it!”

“Well could you stop ‘just doing it’? Why must you do it? Why must ponies die?”

She taps a hoof against her chin. “Hmmm… Nope, sorry. I don’ think that I can do anything about it. Why’s your hair all flamey anyway, Celestia? I thought that you had a pretty rainbow-like mane that shimmered in the sun, not fire that is bright on its own.”

I ignore her question. “You’re telling me that you don’t have any choice in the matter? No choice at all?”

“That’s what I’m telling you.”

“What if someone were to stop you from doing your job? How would that work?”

“Well, if I can’t go out and take away ponies’ souls, then I suppose that the ponies wouldn’t die, but that wouldn’t be very nice because they wouldn’t get to go to—“ I make a bag appear and place Death inside. I won’t harm her, but that won’t stop me from holding her hostage. “Help, Celestia! Somepony is kidnapping me?”

“It’s me, you little dimwit. I’m just going to give you a little break from work is all.”

“That doesn’t really work for me. I thought that you were supposed to be nice to everypony, but I guess that I was misinformed.”

I snort. “Yes, well, when you took away the most important pony to me, lots of things changed.”

“I’m sorry that I had to take your friend away. It’s not my fault. Why don’t you let me go now, so I can just get back to work and you can go back to your job too?”

“Not until you agree to stop working all together!”

“Sorry, I can’t do that!”

“Then I’m sorry, I can’t let you go!” I continue walking. I am suddenly returned to the Everfree Forest. I continue forward, not really caring where I go, ignoring the struggling filly in the bag as much as I can.

***

“This is getting old really fast,” I say, exhausted but worried to let go of the filly in the bag.

“You could just let me go! Then you could get back to your business!” Death says from within her little prison.

“Not going to happen, you little twerp.”

I see something coming from the distance. Three forms, all roughly the same size. Is it a pack of Timber Wolves coming to get me again? They should have learned by now how easily I can send them away. Just a quick spark and they are set on fire, destroying them instantly. The forms grow closer. I try to tell what they are, wary of what is coming towards me. I can vaguely see through the fog the shapes of two alicorns and a small dragon. Cadance, Luna, and Spike? What are they doing here?

They grow ever closer. I stand up, grab the bag, and make a hasty retreat. However, I am followed by the running forms of my family. They’re keeping up with me. I cannot fly through this part of the forest; the trees are too close together, so I cannot open my wings. I try to lose them, but simply cannot, so I find myself cornered in a cave of sorts.

“You were right, Luna. She’s gone, isn’t she?” I hear Cadance say through the darkness. The little light that Is put off of my flaming mane allows me to see them. This new mane is so much better then plain old auroras; so bright and powerful. But none of that matters right now.

“Princess Celestia? Is that you?” Spike asks in disbelief.

“What do you want?” I ask, backing up against the rock wall behind me. I think that I can break through with my magic. It isn’t a very thick wall; it almost seems manufactured. A trap, maybe? Why would my friends want to trap me? They move closer. “Stay back or the filly gets it!” I move the bag behind me protectively.

“A little help over here?” says the filly in the bag.

“Celestia, let her go this instant!” Luna commands. “Nopony has been dying; I know that you have Death! Have you hurt her?”

“No, she’s fine; I haven’t harmed a hair on her head.” I’m glad that nopony is dying. That means my plan is working. Luna steps forward. “Stay back!” I wave the bag around threateningly. “I will turn her to stone if you keep coming at me! Don’t make me do it!”

Luna takes a step back. “Celestia, be reasonable. Ponies are suffering because of you. Please don’t do it or we must do something to stop you. Let her go.”

“I’m never letting her go until she agrees to stop taking my ponies away from me!” I prepare a spell to break through the wall and am ready to run for it.

“This is ridiculous!”

“Get back!” I exclaim.

“No. You give me back my sister, whoever you are! You are not Celestia!”

This makes me pause. A little voice in the back of my head is crying, has been crying for all this time, screaming for help. Shut up! “No. I’m not Celestia. I’m better than Celestia, I am beyond her power, and I am all powerful!” I blast them with a shockwave of energy that breaks the wall and gallop off. The voice implores me to stop, let Death go and go home. But I will not. I have my mission and will carry it on to the end.

I am stopped by them. They are suddenly in front of me. Stupid teleportation, why didn’t I think of that? I try to disappear, but they have up some form of ward. I cannot break it. Why can’t I break it? I am all powerful. I can do anything. “Let me go!” I am surrounded by my so called friends. I notice something around their necks. The Elements of Harmony? “What are you doing?” They close their eyes in concentration. “Stop!” They begin to float. I pull death out of her bag and hover her in front of me to prepare a stone spell. “Stop or she becomes a rock!” However, they do not stop. I begin the spell. Death is screaming and squirming. That should stop them.

Suddenly, I find a rainbow of light coming at me. It is my turn to scream. They are using the Elements on me? I look at them. How is this working with two ponies and a dragon? I just don’t know how it could. Yet I feel myself being pulled away. My magic breaks, my stone spell reverses. “Why?” I hear myself ask.

And then all is gone. I am nothing anymore. There is nothing but light and heat. I am blinded and I am in pain. Let me just sleep… Maybe when I wake up this nightmare will be over.

Author's Note:

Epilogue will be coming after this, but due to school, I don't know when. I appreciate your patience.

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[Fluttermac36]

TOO THE SUN! in an alternate universe