//------------------------------// // Oh Bʳother // Story: Split Second: An Eternity Divided // by wille179 //------------------------------// She would have liked it if the clock had frozen at that moment. She would have been grateful for even a few extra fractions of a second to think. But that wasn’t to be; Shining Armor was a very quick-witted stallion who dealt with surprises far better than any version of Twilight Sparkle ever could. She barely had time to start taking a step back in surprise before the first syllable’s of Shining Armor’s reply were spilling off his tongue. “Wha? Death.” He slid back up from the ground in a movement so fluid, it was almost supernatural. His eyes were quickly narrowing into a scowl as they locked onto her, not even looking away as his horn magically gathered up the papers he’d spilled. But, while she would have liked the extra time to think, when she had to act, she could really move. “You’re not hurt, are you? You rammed me rather hard.” “No. I’m fine.” “Not even a little? Shame,” Sparkle joked, though by the looks of it, her elder brother didn’t enjoy it as she had. “What were you doing in there?” He demanded, military authority saturating the prince’s voice. “Making impressions in a mirror,” she replied honestly, if misleadingly. She had made an impression on her other selves, after all.  And sure enough, the seemingly non-sequitur nature of her answer knocked Shining Armor mentally off balance. He recovered quickly enough. “You shouldn’t even be here. This is a restricted area.” Sparkle momentarily took that statement at face value and started to reply, then she realized the absurdity of it. After all, what place in the world shouldn’t Death be able to go? It wasn’t like there was a place where nopony could die. Sparkle giggled. “Alright, I’ll show myself out, little prince.” She giggled again. This was the first time she’d seen the height difference between them since her rebirth, and the first time she’d ever been taller than her brother. Sparkle turned and started walking down the hall. Was that towards the exit? She didn’t really know; she was just walking and hoping. Unfortunately for her, she had neglected one little detail; she hadn’t come alone. Out of the corner of his eye, Shining Armor saw movement. His eyes darted to the side, landing upon a stallion he recognized well. “Cobalt!? What are you doing here?” Sparkle froze mid-step, muttering a cuss under her breath. Cobalt, however, smoothly replied, “I’m with Death, of course.” His eyes darted towards his mistress, and then he brought his hoof up to his head. He tapped twice and then rubbed it, as if the latter was all he’d ever intended to do. But Sparkle got the message. Their link, much fainter than the one she had with Thorn, opened up. “Well?” “Anything you want me to say or not say?” he asked. Unaware of the thoughts passing between the two, Shining Armor asked, “Does my sister know you’re with Death of all ponies? No offense, ma’am, but my sister is terrified of you.” Sparkle grinned wickedly and chuckled, showing off her sharklike teeth. “If only you knew.” “No,” Cobalt added immediately, as directed by Sparkle’s will over the link. “Sparkle knows that I’m here.” Now, Sparkle was in the midst of feeding him ideas that he intended to parrot out. However, the nature of their link was different than with Sparkle and Thorn’s. Unlike here, Sparkle could send Thorn direct neural impulses, controlling and sensing with his body as if it were her own. Here, the ideas were more abstract, so the exact wording that came out was entirely dependant on Cobalt’s interpretation. Thus, when they were later discussing the next sentence that came out of Cobalt’s mouth, Sparkle would insist that it was Cobalt’s perceptions misinterpreting her thoughts that embarrassed them, while Cobalt insisted that he’d spoken it accurately, and that it had been Sparkle that sent him that thought. Cobalt motioned towards the reaper. “After all, she’s my marefriend.” They blinked. All six of Sparkle’s eyes stared owlishly at her apprentice, and then she blushed. “What! Cobalt!” Cobalt, for his part, squeaked and covered his mouth with both hooves, and then promptly fell flat on his face. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he begged mentally. “Why did I say that?” “I don’t know. Just drop it.”  He responded with a mental nod. “Fine. By the way, I think you should tell him who you really are.” “What? No. Not after that pronouncement. Shiny will kill you.” “Sparks... really?” Cobalt deadpanned. “You know the real reason why you won’t tell him.” “But... he’ll know what I did. I doubt he’d love me once he knew how I got this body.” “So skip that part, or lie for that little detail. But not having your brother is eating you up on the inside; Thorn, your parents, and I have all seen it. Tell him.” Looking him in the eye, she found resolve. “Fine. But on one condition...” That whole exchange between mistress and apprentice happened at the speed of thought, which is to say, far faster than any words could convey. However, it wasn’t fast enough to stop the formation of an awkward silence. Shining Armor, in an effort to break the silence, coughed once. Sparkle’s eyes refocused on him. Then her body began to shift and shrink. Six legs melted into four, four eyes vanished, and the rest of her features warped. As for the remaining eyes, the sclera returned to white and they stopped smoking, but the red irises and slit pupils remained. Where once there was a twisted goddess, now there stood a crystalline unicorn mare that bore a striking resemblance to the late King Sombra. “Ah, there we go. Now, speaking of your sister, there is something concerning her... status that we really need to talk about. But, if you don’t mind, I’d like to find your wife first, since this concerns both you and her as well.” Shining Armor’s front hooves slid across the ground as he adjusted his stance. To the unfamiliar, it looked like he was getting ready to blindly charge her, but Sparkle recognized the pose as the starting stance of her brother’s Scorpion style. His soul spun in his body and readied his magic just below his horn. “Tell me now. What have you done to my sister?” “Me? I’d tell you, but we need Cadance for that. As for you, I thought you, Prince of the Crystal Empire and ex Captain of the Equestrian Royal Guard, had more sense than to fight Death herself head-on. You’re in no position to say otherwise; I hold all the cards.” Shining Armor’s scowl twisted into a frown — not an I’m furious frown, or even an I’m worried frown, but an I’m confused frown. That wasn't to say that he wasn't worried or upset, because he clearly was. Then his stance relaxed somewhat. “Fine. Follow me.” He then turned and went the opposite direction that Sparkle had originally intended to go. Sparkle followed after her brother, while Cobalt followed after her. The prince led the two incarnations of death silently through the halls. And that silence, it was a powerful silence, one that demanded your attention and directed it at the void of meaningful sound that was Shining Armor. It was oppressive; that silence very quickly eroded Sparkle’s patience. “Not feeling very talkative, are we?” “You want to talk about my sister yet?” “Not particularly, no. Not yet, any rate.” Shining Armor snorted, clearly indicating that that was his answer. He said nothing else and continued walking as if that little exchange hadn't just happened. “You know, they always seem to do that,” Sparkle remarked, gazing back at her student. “Pretend I don't exist, hoping I’ll go away. Or they panic.” “The cultists don't,” Cobalt replied. “Yeah, but they're all madder than a hatter.” “We’re here.” Shining Armor stopped in front of a large door, guarded by two armored stallions who, if Sparkle had guessed correctly, looked to be father and son. Shining addressed the two. “Alarum, Iron, make sure these two don't wander off while I’m inside.” They saluted, and he slipped inside. Sparkle turned her attention to the two stallions. Iron Bell, the elder, had a -9 floating above his head, meaning he was balancing precariously on the edge of the pits — a position not terribly uncommon among the guards who were guards because of a love of fighting. But the real shocker came from Alarum Bell, who had a score of -28. That got a reaction out of both Sparkle and Cobalt. In the purgatory range, ±10, small deeds could have a big impact. As a soul moved further to the extremes of paradise or the pits, it got progressively harder to move to even more extreme values. Such a strong, negative number generally meant that the pony had done some awful thing. “Well now, aren't you interesting?” Sparkle said to Alarum Bell. “It's been awhile since I’ve seen a soul like yours.” As she spoke, she switched her soul-sorting spell into active mode, allowing her to clearly see the criteria upon which it sorted them. This also had the effect of letting them see it as well. In other words... “Hey, you know how they say that your life flashes before your eyes when you have a near-death experience? Hello.” She grinned, and for an instant, her mouth was full of razor blades instead of pony teeth. At the same moment, she flared her unmistakable aura.  “That me, seeing your life. And I know what you did.” She mimed slitting her throat with a knife. Alarum flinched visibly. Iron noticed that and, for the first time since Sparkle and Cobalt had been left in their watch, he looked away from them to glance at Alarum. Just then, the door creaked open and Shining Armor motioned for them to come inside. Sparkle quickly trotted inside. Cobalt, however, had seen everything from the sorting spell that Sparkle had, and because of that he trailed slightly behind. As he passed between the two guards, and without looking at either of them, he said, “Why didn't he mourn Silver and Golden?” Then, with not a word more, he too slipped inside. Once beside his mistress again, he whispered, “Ten bits says less than an hour.” She nodded, accepting the bet. Then, Sparkle took a good look at the conference room they were in. On one side of the central table sat several crystal ponies, while on the other sat several changelings and Queen Chrysalis herself, all undisguised. The changelings were looking at her with no small amount of worry. The crystal ponies weren't as worked up, but there was definitely some muttering going on among themselves. “Well, I didn't expect to be brought in the middle of a meeting...” She trailed off, an embarrassed blush spreading across her face. She wanted to look away, but then remembered that she was in a room full of emotivores, which only made her blush harder. Chrysalis giggled. Cadance, unaware of the silent exchange between Chrysalis and her sudden guest, announced to the room, “Please excuse me. A family matter has arisen that I must take care of. Continue without me, please.” Then she stood. “Er, no, it's not that important,” Sparkle replied. “It can wait.” “I beg to differ,” Queen Chrysalis, of all people, replied. Rubbing her sides, she said, “I took a spear to the barrel for my family, and for my family, I’m willingly staying in the same room as the stallion who put it there. I know the importance of family, so please, go ahead. Plus, Shining Armor looks like he’s about to burst, and I don't feel particularly keen on repeating that experience.” The ghost of a smile, directed at the changeling queen, found its way onto Shining’s face. Sparkle sighed. “Right then.” A portal opened up beside her, angled so that the majority of the people in that room, pony and changeling alike, could see into paradise. Immediately, Cobalt stepped through. “Shall we go somewhere a little more private, then? We won't be long.” Cadance nodded and stepped through. Shining Armor followed his wife a moment after. Sparkle moved to follow them, but then momentarily paused when she felt a nearby pony’s death approaching; the sensation was strong and clear. As Sparkle resumed her walk through the portal, she heard a muffled yell of “To the pits, you filthy bastard!” A shame — she owed Cobalt ten bits now. The portal closed behind her, and as it did, Sparkle let the transformation fade, restoring her to her normal, six-legged form. She stretched. “Ah, that's better.” Shining Armor turned to face her. “We're alone. My wife is here with me. Now talk.” Train tracks materialized on the grassy plane behind Sparkle, and an instant later, so did a sleek-looking train. “Wouldn't you rather talk to your sister yourself?” That shut him up real quick. Death stepped into the open door of the train car, which had materialized directly behind her. The royal couple and Cobalt followed after, and found themselves in the most luxurious of train cars. No sooner had Sparkle sat down then a pony in a conductor’s uniform entered through the door at the front of the car. “My Lady, my Lord?” “Topside Palace, at a reasonably fast pace, please,” Sparkle said. “Also, a pot of the Tea of Life, for my guests and I.” “And a water for me,” Cobalt added. “Right away,” the conductor replied before retreating through the door he’d come from. A moment later, the train smoothly started forwards. As the lush countryside of Paradise began to roll past, Sparkle turned towards her brother and sister in law. “Well now, I suppose I should officially welcome you two to the Afterlife. You're each one of only a hoof-full of ponies who have come here while still alive, and one of an even smaller group that will actually leave while still alive.” “The Afterlife?” Cadance asked, surprised. “So that pony-” “Was dead? Yes. On Time died two weeks ago of bone cancer, though since time passes faster in here than it does in the real world, he's been my conductor for a good bit longer than that.” Said pony returned pushing a cart bearing a tea set. He poured each of them a glass of the glowing, golden tea, and then vanished again. Sparkle summoned a little vial of the concentrated, liquid evil she’d extracted from the dead. She uncorked the vial and poured the writhing, malicious tar into her tea, and then proceeded to down the entire contents in one go. “Bah!” she exclaimed as she set the teacup down. “So good...” Cadance took a polite sip of her own tea, blinked, and then exclaimed, “Wow, you're right! This is delicious!” “Thank you. Now, I really should tell you some things before we arrive. Firstly, your sister and inlaw is fine; she's actually living in my palace. So if you were worried about her, don't be. Secondly, since time passes faster here than in the real world, you don't have to worry about missing too much of that meeting. And thirdly, I myself am a time traveler, and this happens to be the youngest incarnation of me. Although I know of you two, and I know my future self has run into you in the past, this is technically the first time I’ve ever met you two like this.” She tried to gauge their reactions. Shining Armor merely nodded while keeping up the blank, royal guard face, while Cadance looked only mildly surprised. The pink alicorn took another sip of her tea. “So, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you?” Sparkle thought on it for a second. “From your perspective, I’d be roughly twenty years old. From my perspective... I’ve lost track already.” “If you’re only twenty, then does that mean your family’s still alive?” Cadance asked. Sparkle smiled, while on the other side of the train car, Cobalt suppressed his own. “My older brother and sister-in-law recently moved out to the Crystal Empire, while my twin sister lives in Ponyville. My parents were murdered.” “Oh...” Cadance’s happy expression withered. For a second, Sparkle held a melancholy expression, but then she burst out laughing. “Bwahaha! The look on your face! Cadance, please, remember where you are and who you’re talking to,” Both husband and wife blinked. Then Cadance facehoovedd while Shining Armor groaned. “They have their own cottage on the palace grounds,” Sparkle explained. Suddenly, Shining Armor stiffened and sat upright. Slamming his hoof on the table between them, he demanded, “My parents. Please, I want to see them! They died about twelve years ago, and-” Sparkle closed his mouth with her magic. “Please, what kind of a bitch do you think I am? Of course I’ll let you see your parents. It’ll be one big, happy, tearful reunion.” Shining Armor’s eyes widened and his breath hitched. For the first time since she’d bumped into him, the stallion’s body was completely relaxed and there was a genuine smile on his face. “Next stop, Topside Palace!” On Time’s disembodied voice proclaimed. Shining and Cadance looked out the window. The grassy plains had vanished, having been replaced with a rugged mountain range that sailed past them at a breakneck pace. The train hurled around a bend at a speed far faster than it should have ever been able to go, and as it did so, a massive castle came into view, perched at the top of a snow-capped mountain. Even from this distance, the scale of it was mind-boggling — it was easily bigger than Canterlot Castle and the Crystal Palace combined, and spires and towers protruded from it at angles that should have been impossible. The train turned and crossed a bridge that spanned the massive chasm between where they were and the castle. Shining Armor found that he had to look away so as not to get vertigo. Soon, however, the train came to a stop directly in front of the castle gates. At this distance, even with the enclosed garden between the castle and the train platform, the castle loomed above them ominously. Sparkle stepped off the train and walked towards the gate, which opened on its own as they approached. And as they entered, a soft humming brushed against their ears. There, tending to the flowers, was Shining’s mom, Twilight Velvet. “Hey Mom,” Sparkle said, “I brought guests.” “Hm, Sparkle? Who- SHINING ARMOR! Oh Celestia, NIGHT LIGHT, COME QUICK! IT’S SHINY!” From another part of the garden, there was a clatter as a coffee mug was dropped and a chair was flung aside. The dark blue stallion bounded in, spotted his son, and tackle-hugged the flabbergasted stallion. “Mom, Dad?” “Oh, my little knight, let me take a good look at you!” Velvet propped Shining Armor up and then took a step back. She looked him up and down, then looked over at Cadance. “You’re a lucky mare. Ooh! My son is so handsome!” “Well, it’s about time,” Night Light said to his daughter. “I was starting to think you’d never tell him.” Shining Armor blinked. “Tell me what? If this is about Sparkle...” Night Light rolled his eyes and face-hoofed. “Of course you didn’t. Well, Shiny, that anxious bundle of nerves there, despite her appearance and behavior to the contrary, is Sparkle, your sister.” Shining and Cadance’s heads whipped around to focus on her. Sparkle merely waved one of her six hooves. Then, lowering herself down a bit, she started to dance. “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves and-” “-do a little shake,” she and Cadance finished together. “Oh my goodness, Sparkle!?” “Hello!”