The room was deathly silent as Celestia stood approaching Angel Wings. I pulled my hood back and fawned after the angel and stroked her head. Discord stood up and approached Celestia but stopped short I looked up and the mare I had seen not even a moment ago had vanished. In her place stood a Alicorn made up of pure fury.
"Celestia?" Discord said and her eyes shifted to him and he gulped.
"Don't do anything hasty..." he said almost pleading. She looked at me and closed her eyes.
"Discord... Look after angel wings. Grape...come with me we are going to reclaim heaven." She said coldly. I stood up and I saw a flicker of a whisp of purple energy escape her eyes as they flashed red and green.
I stood beside Celestia and the air around us sparked and crackled. A flash of blinding light enveloped us and the air burst as we appeared on the parapets of a white castle and below maring the clean white scene was splashes of red, brown and silver. It broke my heart to see what must have been a beautiful place of tranquility defiled by conflict. Four pegasus landed before Celestia and bowed instantly.
"Your Highness we did not expect." He began but was cut off by Celestia's stare.
"Where is their leader." She said tactfully.
"Guarded by legions of warped souls and in possession of weapons that make him difficult to deal with." He said sounding frustrated.
"How is the sphere of light?" She inquired.
"He is making his way towards it." He said unhappily. Celestia eyes shifted in several directions as she thought of scenarios before looking to me and was about to issue an order when a loud explosion. Captured their attention. By the destroyed gates where the angels had been holding what they could of the line a large creature made up of what seemed to be a mass of heads.
"Is that a hydra?!" I said incredulously.
"We won't be able to hold the line with that added firepower." The stallion said angrily. Cooly Celestia took in a deep breath. Grape with me, Dive Shore you take a contingent and try and slow down the leader and we will be there as soon as we're done. Dive Shore nodded his head and took the other angels with him heading to a large tower. I looked back to Celestia and her horn began to glow and a light shot forth from the sky and stuck in the ground in front of her she pulled it free and out of the light materialized a beautiful spear and along with armor forming to her frame. Celestia now stood there not as a wise mentor but as a warrior of light. She opened her wings and was off of the wall speeding towards the hydra. I followed after her quickly, kind of feeling inadequate compared to her. She struck the ground causing a ripple effect knocking all of the enemies in a 50 meter radius to the ground, the angels cried their cheers as she pulled her spear out of the ground again and charged at the hydra as it spit fire and clawed at the angels. I dove down and removed a head that fell limp to the ground and after a few moments it sprang back to life sprouting two more snapping snarling heads.
"Crap." I said but dove down and landed beside Celestia standing behind her as the warped souls converged on us. I began to hack and slash defending her flank and my side. She was doing the same and as an effective fighting force the hydra then focused fully on the pair of us. I looked up just in time to see a pair of jaws descending on Celestia. My eyes widened and my body moved quicker then my thoughts pushing Celestia aside and putting myself in her spot the teeth ripped into my flesh and I screamed out as it flinged me up in the air as I sprawled like a rag doll. I could see its gaping maw ready to catch me and I blinked. So this is how I die again... I could see Celestia look up at me with terrified eyes and I lost sight of her as I descended into darkness of the mouth of the hydra.
It was dark, smelled and hot. I landed in what must have been the stomach because I could feel the stomach acid begin to eat away at me. There were moans of angels that had met the same fate as I had. I looked for my scythe but I couldn't find it. I could feel it like the feeling you get when you know something is watching you. I called it to me. The beast began to rumble and shake violently as I called for my scythe louder. Light broke through above me as my scythe ripped open the back of the hydra. A cry of triumph could be heard from the hole that my scythe had made. I climbed up and burst forth from the carcass of the dead hydra the fresh air I gulped in.
"Oh my Celestia! Dear sweet air!" I cried out as an angel landed and helped me out of the gash. Celestia stood not far off and had a smile on her face. I felt sick and walked three steps and couldn't hold it in and ralphed my hay. My body shuddered and I felt weak for a moment before I flapped my wings and made it over to Celestia who was now issuing orders.
"Decided to go for a Trojan horse kind of attack. A bit unorthodox." She joked.
"Ha-ha. I just didn't want you getting eaten is all." I said as my eyes were half lidded.
"And I thank you I was scared for you there and remembered your death." She looked now up to the tower.
"We need to get up there. There is still a vast army outside the gates we have a brief respite but the battle here is far from over. But if he gets to the sphere it will steal all power from angels and myself." She said worried and looked to me.
"Let us go." She spread her wings and I spread out my wings and followed after her. We arrived at the bottom of the tower where Dive Shore and a contingent had made their stand and lost. Celestia landed and looked at them with a look of utter sadness. Dive Shores eyes fluttered open as his haggard breathing became louder. His eyes found Celestia.
"Your Highness...I have failed...for-forgive me.." He said as tears poured from his eyes.
"You did your best. That was all I ever asked." She said calmly Dive Shore smiled as his eyes went dark.
"Vedra will pay." Celestia said angrily she turned toward the doors and before she could open them a loud earth shattering crash was heard and the light of heaven turned to a dank grey and Celestia collapsed eyes widened.
"He is at the sphere..." She said shocked. She looked at me and pleaded.
"Grape....I beseech you to end him and bring light back to us all. You are our only hope." She said as her eyes closed and my eyes widened in alarm. She can't be dead. I felt her side and her heartbeat was still there. I looked at the gates and stood up infront of them my scythe faithfully beside me.
"Don't worry Princess. I will end him and restore balance." I said to her not caring if she heard me because I was going to do this for me. The doors opened and I entered the staircase that winded up to the top of the tower. Speeding up the staircase I burst out onto the first floor where what looked like hundreds of warped souls stood between me and Vedra he turned and smiled.
"Good to see you here Death took you long enough but really you are the only thing that may stop me. After I defeat you I can't be stopped." He looked different somehow. His features were more like my own now. Similar to death but not quite death itself. I looked at all of the warped souls. I was mad yea but I couldn't take all of these enemies alone. It was then I heard a whistle and several hoofbeats begin me and I looked behind me and my eyes must have been deceiving me.
"Tootsie Pop?" I said surprised. The old death smiled as he had often did with his Hawaiian shirt a vast difference from the scene around us.
"Yo kiddo. Seems like you need a bit of help." He said as he stepped beside me and I hadn't seen his fishing pole but he slammed it into the ground and it turned black and a long blade seemed to grow out of it. His Hawaiian shirt flowed over him and became another black cloak. 15 other ponies that seemed like normal ponies from all walks of lives began to appear beside us each at one time Death all sworn to uphold the balance. I looked left and then right raising my Scythe.
"For Equestria!" I exclaimed and the yells of death echoed at the roof of the world. Fighting tooth and hoof I bashed, cut, cleaved and kicked my way into a flurry before making it close enough to Vedra He stood there stoic unfazed by the display of the Death corps. I yelled and leapt at him with my scythe raised coming down on him. He moved quickly and batted my scythe away and slammed me with his shield sending me flying back. I was able to stop myself in the air. Looking down at him he seemed to kneel and then launched himself at me, he sped at me like an arrow shot from a bow. I lifted my scythe just in time to deflect the blow away from me. The energy from the blow caused the clouds to separate. I lashed out with my hoof and kicked him in the jaw causing him to spin and gave me an opening to cleave him in two. I swung but he was able to twist his body using his shield to deflect the blow. The exchange between our blows were violent and shook the air around us. The battle below still raged on and I floated across from him.
"You know this is a fruitless battle. I still have many more souls to do my bidding. You cannot win." He said shaking his head with a shrug.
"You think because you have an army you will win?" I stated. To prove my point a horn pierced the air making us both look out over the gates of heaven and an army of demon ponies snarled and hooped and hollered as they stood underneath Lucifer. He smiled and nodded his head and his horde of Hades was unleashed on the unsuspecting warped souls army. I smiled but also hoped I didn't have to fight off Lucifer after fighting Vedra he looked back at me his calm visage cracking as he seemed to tremble with a seething rage.
"You see that the whole of the world is against you. Even Death itself cannot stand against the will of creation." I said pointedly as I repositioned my scythe.
"I will end you here and now." I proclaimed. He leered at me a moment and charged at me with his shield first and I attacked with the same aggression yelling for this one last confrontation. I slowed down just enough before he swung his sickle where it skimmed my neck cutting the robe and I swung me scythe sideways and felt it connect with his side making him cry out in anguish. I put more weight behind it and finally it sheared him in two causing him to swing wildly at me he struck me in the face with his shield and it sent me reeling. I crashed into the ground and so did he. The warped souls began to act oddly as the hold on them slipped. I stood up and the fighting stopped as the souls seemed to come out of a hazy dream. I approached Vedra looking down at him with mixed feelings. Anger, remorse, pity, sadness he was my enemy but he had reason for what he did but it didn't excuse him. He was breathing heavy as he looked at me and smiled with bloody teeth.
"You think you have one this day." He chuckled and coughed. He clung onto his sickle and shield still.
"If I can't have the world I'll make sure Death can't live in it." He said as he closed his eyes and his body glowed.
"Look out!" Tootsie said and shielded me from an explosion that sent us both crashing into the ground several meters away. The world was spinning as I was hugged by Tootsie still. Everywhere hurt but he stayed on top of me.
"Thanks...you can get off of me now." I said and his body shuddered.
"Sorry kiddo..." He sounded sad and I shifted to see the sickle protruding from his back. My eyes widened.
"No....nononono, Tootsie hold on you're ok we'll...." My words died in my throat as he shook his head.
"This is the end for me...you've turned out a great Death. Never lose who you are Grape. Always be fair." He said as my vision became blurry and a warm feeling of his a tear that rolled off his cheek.. His body then felt heavy and I cried out in anguish as a fellow death helped Tootsie off of me but I held onto him sobbing like a child.
The light had returned and the angels stood uneasily beside their demonic counterparts as Lucifer and Celestia were in talks about rebuilding for both realms. I came down from the tower as the other helped bring Tootsie Pops body and Celestia saw him and her eyes watered.
"Oh Tootsie Pop.... You always did work too hard." She said as Lucifer had a look of sorrow as well. The sickle that had killed him was removed and now sat on his body. Celestia took it and examined it.
"I'll have this dealt with." She pulled out a cloth and wrapped it around the blade and looked at Lucifer.
"I'll hope to see improvements about dealing with you subordinates." She said pointedly. He seemed to be hurt but brushed off her jab.
"Things have been put into place." He said and looked to his demons.
"Back to Hades." He said and several nodded going up I'm a smoke and fiery inferno.
"Where is the shield, was there not two pieces?" Celestia asked.
"Yes but it must have been destroyed in the explosion." I said unsure and I could tell that she shared my doubt. Lucifer sighed and looked at me.
"You did good. Don't be a stranger." He said and he was gone in a burst of flame. I looked at Celestia and wondered.
"What now? So much had happened." I said looking down.
"Now we carry on and pick up the pieces." She looked to all of the deaths that assisted in the fight.
"Thank you all for your continued service." They all nodded and soon left with Tootsie Pops body. One hanged back and removed her hood and to my surprise she was a Changeling.
"We'll make sure he's well taken care of. We will let you know when he will be laid to rest." She said with a look of sorrow. I nodded my gratitude. They left through a door like all deaths do. Celestia stood beside me and we were transported to her study once again where Discord was still caring for Angel. Luna was there now as well and looked to her sister with worry.
"What has happened sister?" She inquired.
"I'll tell you later." She insisted and looked to Angel Wings.
"How are you feeling?" She asked.
"I'm much better thank you your Highness." She said respectively.
"Good. They will need all the help they can get in repairing heaven." Celestia said. Angel nodded and looked at me with a smile. The vanished in a blinding light and I blinked away the dots. Discord stretched and yawned.
"Haven't exerted myself like that since I fought the two sisters." He said jokingly. He popped and was wearing a fishing hat and had a bunch of fishing tackle.
"I need some r&r" he said chuckling. Celestia nodded and Discord was gone. I looked at Celestia who looked just as haggard as I felt.
"You best go and do your job. Death is always needed." She said. I smiled weakly.
"I only knew him for a day at most but you knew him for 700 years. How does it hurt just knowing him." I said pulling back my hood. Celestia smiled softly and walked over giving me a soft embrace.
"He was just that kind of stallion." She said. I felt several more tears fall before I rubbed my eyes and put my hood back up.
"I'll pop in from time to time." I promised and left the princesses to talk as I transported myself to the office. Apple Scroll stood there with a soft smile.
"I have today's reapings." She said. I nodded.
"Let's do it."