Long ago, in the dead of night, Luster Dawn saw a dark figure in Canterlot Castle's throne room. Longer still before that, Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends defeated one of Equestria's greatest enemies in that same room.
It started when they were children, when every sorrow could be ease with a hug. Eventually it turned into blind supplication and a race against her very bones.
Young or old, rich or poor -- death is the equalizer. It is the final threshold every pony must cross. What lies beyond is mystery. That's where I come in.
All his life, Iron Will has been strong. He's transformed ponies from doormats into dynamos. He's never fallen in a fight, he's never given way in an argument. And now he is dying.
Anyone who has sought counsel from Princess Celestia has met Raven, her most faithful aide. She has been a veritable second shadow to the princess for as long as the castle staff can remember... longer than they can remember, in fact. Much longer.
When tragedy strikes, everyone has a different way of reacting and dealing with their grief. But Cadance is all too aware that, as a princess, her duties must come before her own personal feelings of sadness.