He Who Walks The Graves
By: The Zealot
Chapter 4: … Mindfuck Equestria
So, I will shamelessly admit that the first hour I spent in the library was taken up by me freaking the fuck out. After which I just kinda mellowed out, I mean, I had no way to get home so I might as well enjoy where I was, right? Looked fun enough. So, I got to reading.
[1189 Y.R.S. 7:56pm]
*****
Three hours I spent reading, I found out much. This land was known as Equestria, ruled over by the two princesses I had met earlier, Luna and Celestia. They apparently moved the sun and the moon. There were also unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies. Unicorns could do magic, pegasi controlled the weather, and the earth ponies did… uh… earth stuff?
I set down the book I was reading with a quite yawn, looking through the windows found me looking out into the night’s sky, the moon and stars shining brightly upon the inky canvas of the atmosphere. I was always a fan of astronomy, even though the constellations I knew wouldn't be here, it was still a beautiful night sky.
“Hmm, I just realized I don’t have a room. Hm, I wonder if either of those princesses are still awake? What time is it anyway?” I spoke to myself, as I wondered the time I saw a small box appear in the upper right of my vision, telling me it was eleven twelve at night. “Well, that’s convenient, still doesn't solve my problem of where the fuck I’m staying but…. eh, this chair is nice enough.” I said, setting my book aside and reclining in the chair, I fell asleep not moments later.
[1189 Y.R.S. 10:23pm]
*****
Upon my sleep I found myself to be in a dark forest, shadows where everywhere, like a thick mist. I felt different, I looked down to my body to find myself wearing dark black tattered robes. In my hands I held and ancient looking scythe, carved from bone and steel. I still wore the gloves from my armor, although they were patterned with the bone structure of my hands and arms. I assumed I also wore some kind of hood, and that my face was shrouded in shadow. I should have been freaked out by this, more concerned, instead I was eerily calm about the whole ordeal. Heh: I am become death, destroyer of worlds.
“Well, this is certainly… different. When I took up the name Reaper I never expected anything like this to happen. Oh well, I must have some kind of job to do if I’m decked out like Old Grimm. Tally ho!” My voice, I found, was the same as it was in the ‘waking world’, I had decided this was either a very strange dream, or that this world had put me in this forest to do my namesake’s job.
As I wandered the forest I eventually saw lines, ones of gold and others of red, leading through the mist. I decided I would follow one of the many golden lines, and pushed through the trees to where it led. There, sitting in a grove, a faintly glowing mare, she had a white coat and a blue mane, it looked like she was just sitting there. I moved silently and walked up to her, placing a gloved hand on her withers I saw a new line appear, one leading from her and out somewhere else, it was the purest of white.
“How long have you been here, child?” I asked, I was probably younger than she was, but if I was going to be Death than I was gonna act like it.
“I-I don’t know… I've just been, waiting, waiting for so long… I just want to see my family again.” She replied, I hadn't noticed up until then, but she was quietly crying.
At that point I kind of just assumed that the new line would lead me to her destined afterlife, and that it would be easier to just say some comforting words and lead her than to try and ask her any questions, she definitely wasn't in the state for it.
“Then come with me, child, I will lead you back to your family. Stay close, the æther is an unusual place, and I wouldn't want you getting lost.” My voice seemed to calm her, make her more responsive. She wiped the tears from her eyes and got to her hooves, with a nod she went to my side.
Neither of us talked as we walked through the Forest of Darkness, as I had dubbed it. I knew that, in all reality, I should be freaking out about this, but I just felt calm, like I’d done this before. We followed the path cut through the mist by the light, my hand still on her withers, leading her through the æther.
We walked for a measure of time, I could not tell. To mark its passage through the void would be impossible, so I didn't even try. The white light eventually stopped, and when I looked up I found myself looking into a grove of greener trees, live grass and shrubbery, and a pure white light shining out and into the Forest of Darkness.
“Here is where we part ways, child. Your family awaits you ahead, you will finally be home.” I rumbled out from my place by her side, with but a nod and a smile at me she left my side, walking into the Forest of Light, disappearing from my sight.
I smiled under my hood, I was knew in these lands, I had no right to be here, but at least I could help the lost souls of the world. Perhaps I could actually be a Reaper, for it seems that my job here would be one of… not joy, but perhaps justice.
[???? K’re Jah Mil Hia]