//------------------------------// // Chapter 46: Epilogue // Story: Souls Apart // by GnollReader //------------------------------// After the flash of light had disappeared again... Canterlot castle lay in ruins. Discord's creations had disappeared. Slowly, as the dust started to settle ponies started to emerge from the rubble... startled and shocked, but otherwise unharmed. Whatever the blast had been, not a single soul had been hurt by it... not a single soul, except Discord himself. When the mane six and Calindria finally found him, Celestia and Luna were already standing next to him, watching his unmoving and charred form in wonder. "I never thought something like this would be possible..." Celestia whispered, "To think that there was something besides the elements that could actually defeat him..." "So..." Rainbow Dash felt unpleasantly out of place, "Should we... you know?" "Yes, that would be best." Celestia replied with a sigh as the element bearers prepared to imprison him in stone once more, "But where is Aergad? What happened to him?" "You don't think he..." Luna's face saddened as she saw Celestia sink her head, "No... I refuse to believe he would simply go like that!" behind her, a flash of rainbow colors signaled that Discord was once again imprisoned in stone. "Neither do I, princess." the paladin tried to reassure them, "I'm sure he's just waiting to pop out of some place..." she failed to hide the uncertainty in her voice, "We should look for him..." "We'll help too!" Twilight and her friends walked up to them, "I'm sure he is alright." Ponies and changelings alike started to shift through the rubble, searching for any clues to the necromancer's whereabouts. The progress was slow, everywhere guard ponies and servant needed to be dug out of the rubble. When the imps arrived though, they finally started to make some progress. It took them two hours to clear the rubble away... and when they finally did find the necromancer, a devastated silence spread over the grounds of the former castle. All that remained of him was a skeleton in charred and torn robes of black, a white skull with empty eye sockets grinning at the sky and watching the clouds pass by. Next to him, the shattered remains of a small black pebble were spread out over the ground. "Oh, no..." Celestia whispered and hung her head, "Not like this..." "This is my fault..." Calindria murmured with a devastated voice,"If I hadn't screwed up his spell all of this would never have happened..." "And we never would have met... nor would we have gained such a good friend to remember." Luna replied with a sad smile, "Do not blame yourself for this... he made this decision for himself. He saved us all when we failed at our most troubled hour." she turned to look back at the skeleton, "And we will remember his valiant sacrifice." "Why didn't he just hide?" Twilight asked with sadness, "We could have figured something out..." Celestia shook her head with a sigh, "I do not know, Twilight..." "Celestia?" they looked up to see Chrysalis approach them, "Have you found Aergad? What are you..." she became silent as she saw what they were looking at, "No... this can not be true... it must be a joke of his..." "I am sorry, Chrysalis... but Aergad is..." "ALIVE! Or something like that..." a voice interrupted them, making all of those present recoil in surprise as the necromancer's skeleton jumped onto his feet and started to dance around, "Who's awesome?! I'm awesome!" he turned to look at the terrified expression of those around him, "What?" "You're..." Calindria stammered, "What in the hells are you?!" "You mean, besides being awesome?" he chuckled and his bones struck together, making a ridiculous clacking noise in the progress. "How are you still here if your vessel is broken?" Celestia asked with a bewildered expression. "My what now?" he took a step to the side and a crunching sound reached his ears, "Huh?" Aergad lifted his foot and spotted the broken pebble below, "Oh... that means..." his arms fell to his side, "Ahh... shit." "What does it mean?" Twilight managed to ask, still baffled at his new appearance. "It means that Aergad has finally taken my place..." They turned around at the sound of the hollow voice... and stared into the eyeless pony skull of death himself. "Is that..." Applejack swallowed, "Is that who I think it is?" "Hi, dad..." the necromancer's voice became low. "Dad?!" Celestia cast him an incredulous look before turning to Death, "What is the meaning of this?" "From time to time, as the dimensions continue to grow... I grow tired." Death stated, "Aergad was born as my son... and from this moment onwards, he will be the Death of this world." he gave Aergad a short nod, "It is good to see that you have finally stopped running." "Yeah, yeah... suck it up." Aergad rubbed his skinless temples, "So how does this work? If I shake my wrist do I..." he shook his wrist and immediately, a list appeared in his fingers, "Huh..." "Your tools will come as you require them." Death explained, "I am sure you will do fine." "He's the new death?!" Twilight finally started to put the words together inside her mind. "I don't believe it..." Calindria groaned, "Someone tell me this is a dream." "Some dream..." Luna remarked next to her. "Okay, I admit that was kinda cool..." Aergad shook his finger at Death, "But I am not going to look like a pony!" "That is your decision to make." Death replied. Aergad scratched his head, "Wait, does this mean I can poke people with a finger and make them drop dead? That would be so cool!" "You will be able to summon a scythe to do your work..." Death replied, "But yes, the touch of death is an option too." "Can he really just appoint a new Death like that?" Chrysalis asked Celestia with a frown. "I don't know..." Celestia replied with uncertainty. "I can." Death interrupted her, "This has always been his destiny and... Aergad, don't..." "Twilight... hold still for a moment." Aergad chuckled as he stood above her, "I'm going to make a practice run." he raised one of his fingers. "You are going to what?!" Twilight started to grow pale and quickly backpedaled away from him. "Don't worry. First one is always a dud!" he laughed as he started to run after her, "Don't make me get my scythe!" Death watched his son chase the screaming Twilight through the ruins of Canterlot castle, an invisible smile passing over his features, "It seems I am no longer needed here." he turned to the alicorn sisters, "Goodbye." and with that, Death vanished again. "I still can't believe it..." Celestia mumbled as she watched the laughing Aergad continue to chase the terrified Twilight, "Aergad is the new Death of Equis..." Calindria let a tired groan escape her, "Just when you think things can't get any more insane... he goes and tops it all." "Come back here, Twilight! I still have to poke you with my finger!" --- Pipsqueak took another look out of the window as he got ready for sleep. It seemed that everything had turned out well... the huge vegetables had disappeared, the rain had stopped... everything was back to normal. Two weeks had passed since that day of chaos and many things had happened. The paladin had left, accompanied by Tobie and carrying countless chests filled with strange scrolls and charms. The tower had been reopened again and the changelings had made a public apology followed by a proclamation about some strange bottles... Pipsqueak himself had talked to his parents about what he had asked from the necromancer, and after hearing what had happened in Canterlot they had tentatively agreed to allow the young foal to study under his guidance... It had taken a whole week for the necromancer to reply to Pipsqueak's letter, but when it finally came in the form of a small note Pipsqueak was overjoyed. He found it strange that the necromancer had not been seen anywhere these days... what could he be doing? Pipsqueak closed his eyes with a small smile, it didn't matter now... because tomorrow, a new life would start for him. Tomorrow, he would become the necromancer's apprentice. Little did Pipsqueak know what a strange journey he was heading for.