"All due respect, you're damn right, boss", Umbra said, raising herself up from besides the con-colts corpse. "Why in the Rings was I sent here!? We had a deal!"
Lucifer said, "I am well aware, Venandi. Abaddon acted, out of turn. You know he's never liked you. Especially after you managed to make him stab himself."
Umbra giggled at the memory, before returning to a silent scowl. "Still, it's not cool. When we get back to Hell, can I give him a bath in the Styx.... with a burning hot pike?"
"Hmm", he said, stroking his chin. " I've already demoted him to desk work, as well as give his cleaning imp the next year off. But, I suppose I can give you your wish."
Umbra smiled. Beyond the eyes and whatnot, he was actually a really cool do. "You're the best boss, boss. So, are we just going back, or....?"
"Alas, we are not returning just yet."
That reply caught her off guard. "What do ya mean, boss? We ain't going straight back?"
"No. Remember that, meeting, I had to attend?" When he saw her nod in affirmation, he continued, "Well, the matter that I had to discuss with my sister was much more, important, than I expect. She requested that I bring one of my best Collectors to help her."
"What sort of problem?" Then, remembering what he had said earlier in the statement, added, "And, who the buck is your sister?"
"It's, better, if she explains it. The problem concerns her more than me, and I have a feeling she'll have an aneurism if I 'do her job for her'. Peh. Workaholic. Oh, and she's Faust."
Before Umbra could say anything, he raised his hand in a clenched fist to the sky. It was surrounded by black mist, which seemed to suck in the light around it. A beam of golden light suddenly shot down over the two of them, causing Umbra to look around in alarm. Like when she teleported with Abaddon to outside Ponyville, she was dissolved into the light, flowing up as the pillar faded on the mortal side.
++++
As soon as she rematerialized, she said, "Faust!?". As soon as she got that out, she brought her arm up to her face, covering her eyes and grimacing. "And where are we? It's brighter than if the sun popped inside the Canterhorn Mountain mines!"
"Indeed, Venandi. And as for where we are, we are in her realm", he replied, completely unfazed by the light.
Umbra reached into her jackets pocket, scrambling around for her sunglasses. After a few seconds of feeling around blindly, she finally grabbed them and slid them on. While it didn't help too much, the light still being rather bright, it at least let her see around her.
She appeared to be on a cloud, yet one that was whiter and more fluffy than she'd ever seen. When she looked away from the light, she saw nothing but open blue sky, crystal clear and unmarred as far as the eye could see. She willed herself to look back towards the light, and her eyes squinted to make out the shape. It was a massive golden gate, carved with swirling symbols and designs, easily twenty feet high. A massive light shown above, or perhaps behind them, was what was partially blinded her.
"Come come, Venandi. It is best not to keep my sister waiting", Lucifer said and began walking up the slope of the clouds. Umbra shook off her amazement, and ran to catch up to her surprisingly fast boss.
She caught up to him just as he reached the gate. Outside of it stood a large griffin, clad in a golden breastplate underneath a black great coat, a pair of brown pants, and a pair of leather boots. A large halberd leaned against the gate next to him, and he was looking over a small booklet. In front of him, and her, was an earth pony Celestial, along with a partially corporeal unicorn.
"Alright. Everything checks out", the griffin said, handing back the booklet to the celestial. "You can take him in to housing. Have a nice day, Cookie." The gate swung open of its own volition, the light shining ever brighter in her eyes. The two in front of them went inside, the gate closing behind them. The griffin turned to her and her boss, and while a smile still graced his beak, his eyes narrowed slightly. He said, "Ah, Lord Lucifer. A pleasure to see you again."
"Likewise, Gabriel. This is the one your master requested to assist with her problem", he said.
The griffin looked her over, almost incredulously. After a second, he said, "Well, ok then. You know your way to the palace. They'll be expecting you. Have a good day, your excellency."
"Again, likewise Gabriel." The gate once again swung open, with Lucifer heading towards in before it was even fully open. Umbra scrambled to catch up, following him inside as the loud *clink* of the gates signaled they had closed behind them.
The stretch of clouds immediately after the gate was just a straight path, going unmarred and narrow in front of the two of them. Umbra could now see over the edge, looking down only to see the same blue sky that surrounded them. As they kept walking, paths of clouds broke off of the sides, leading to large golden apartments. She was able to make out more paths on those platforms, branching off into more apartments. Winged creatures flew around them while non flyers milled about. A few of them walked up onto the path; a mix of Celestials and 'Righteous' souls. She remembered how it had been described to her: 'We down here get the scum and villains, they get everyone else.'
In front of them, in the center of the path, was a massive white and golden palace. Massive spires rose out of the main structure, a massive bastion with equally extensive battlements. A gate was out front, with a portcullis and everything. It reminded her somewhat of old pictures of the Castle of the Two Sisters, with white and gold coloring and not a ruin. Oh, and the massive blinding light.
"By Lucifers' horn, why is it so bucking bright!?", she groused. "What even is that!? The bucking sun?!"
Her boss chuckled, before replying, "The source of power for the Celestials, like how the storm around my citadel is the source of yours. And, in essence, yes. By the by, I wouldn't recommend using your magic up here. While my magic is within my body, yours is not entirely."
"What does that have to do with anything?", she asked.
"We are as far as possible from that source. Without it, you have a limited amount; like a backup. Without it, your existence would become a lot less... comfortable. Same works in the reverse, if you're wondering."
Umbra didn't ask what that meant; she didn't need to. Whenever the Lord of Hell said 'less comfortable', that usually meant hellfire and brimstone. Instead, she just held a hand up over the gaps in her sunglass and kept walking straight.
The two of them reached the entrance, they were greeted by another pair of celestials. These two were also wearing golden breastplates, but instead wore civilian clothes underneath them. One of them, a male Pegasus with a pale blue coat, said, "Lord Lucifer. Welcome back."
"Enough of the formalities. Just lead us to her", he said, waving his hand.
The Pegasus nodded, turning to his companion. "Wave Rider", he said to his companion, a dull grey hippogriff. "Take 'um up to the bosses office. You have a nice day, sir."
"Likewise", Lucifer said, not a hint of annoyance in his voice. Umbra would've hit someone by then; hence why she wasn't the Boss.
She followed the two of them past the gate into a large courtyard. Multiple doors rimmed the edge of it, going into the various wings of the castle. Like the various apartments down in Hell, various signs indicated what would be in the various wings of the castle. Also like down in the Pit, various Celestials of every species roamed about, heading to-and-fro across the courtyard and in between the various entrances, only they had the partially-corporeal forms of the similar species.
Their escort lead them straight across the courtyard, towards the central keep and largest spire of the palace. Through a door in the far side, he lead them up some stairs to the second floor. Then up a spiral staircase to the main keep. Then into an elevator inside said keep up to her office.
"Why, by all that is holy, is your sisters office beyond so much stuff. Hell, yours is just an elevator and an elevator", she said, groaning slightly.
Neither of them replied, leaving her to just lean her head back and breathe. After the ding of the elevator went off, the two in front of her got out, and she followed them.
They entered into a large room, reminding her a lot of her Bosses own office. A high ceiling, a big centrally located desk, and a few bookshelves and other things like those. However, that is where the similarities ended. The room was much brighter, and obviously was colored white and gold, not pitch black. The desk was actually wood, white birch, carved to look like a floral pattern-ish thing. And of course, the mare behind it herself.
Faust, the Celestial Lady.
Again, it was much less impressive in real life than what she had read or heard about. She was also an alicorn, with a dull rust-red mane, which sloped down her back like Twilight's in a way, and pure white fur. She was wearing a simple sleeveless blue dress with a lowered top over her bosom, and a few bits of jewelry. Like Lucifer, her eyes weren't like a normal pony's, with hers glowing a brilliant white like spotlights.
"You're back?", she said, her voice light and airy as opposed to Lucifers low and husky one. "Good. Let's get to work. We have a whole lot to do to solve this problem."