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Introductions 352 words
Deaths office2,638 words
The gift of life1,735 words
Death, Convict, and Demons2,388 words
Starvation of Love1,744 words
Octavia's Melody983 words
Meeting the Players1,573 words
Clues and Darkness1,047 words
Dire Consequences1,721 words
Keeping a Promise910 words
Confrontation1,755 words
Lucifer's Problems2,465 words
Spikey Wikey1,899 words
Relighting Hades3,270 words
The last push3,074 words
Epilogue 541 words

Meeting the Players

The crackle from the fireplace in the study was the only sound that broke the silence that hung between Celestia and myself. I don't know but her look of concern and disbelief made the pit in my stomach all the more troubling.

"What did you say..." She asked again.

"I was collecting a soul and blackness came out of nowhere and then tried to capture the stallion." I explained as evenly as I could.Being so new to the job I could only imagine what could be going on in Celestia's mind. I'd only ever seen her aloof and smiling in the pictures I had seen. This news had...ponified her.

"Darren!" She said suddenly, a guard opened the door.

"Your highness?" He asked puzzled.

"Get my sister immediately." She ordered. He nodded and disappeared closing the door. She looked back to me slouching back against the chair back.

"What did the darkness try and do?" She asked.

"It seemed evil if that's what you mean." But then something popped to mind.
"The darkness was similar to something I was confronted with that seemed to be hanging over Queen Chrysalis..." I watched as Celestia's expression darkened but I kept explaining. "After she declared war the thing attacked me but I scared it with the scythe. It escaped before I could...well hit it. Before that I did visit Lucifer. He...sounded angry before I got to the door something about a lot of souls just don't go missing." Celestia was silent for a long time till the door opened and Luna walked in and abruptly shut the door.

"Sister why has thou called me..." She stopped mid sentence as she saw me.

"Why has you come back surely nothing...." Her voice trailed off as she looked at Celestia.

"What is it dear sister?" Luna asked walking up and stopping beside me.

"Something foul is amiss?" She asked. Celestia looked at me.

"Tell her everything you told me." She ordered. Luna looked at me puzzled with worry, obviously she has never seen her sister like this. I begin to explain the entirety of it all, all the while her expression getting more and more grave just like Celestia. As I finished she found a cushion to sit on as she digested the information. Just then there was a knock on the door where a pony opened the door and sat the two sisters.

"Your highnesses I bring news..." He said darkly. Both sisters looked at each other.

"There has been a sighting of a vast army of changelings making for our border at the badlands. It is odd because unlike their usual cloak and dagger methods they usually avoid a front war..." He said almost to himself. Celestia stood up and lifted a pen with me magic scratching the quill against the parchment then lifted the paper waving it for the ink to dry.

"You had our army mobilized like I had ordered?" She asked he nodded in turn.

"Good I want you to send 6 platoons of earth ponies, 8 of pegasus, and 3 unicorn to reinforce the fort at the border of the Badlands." She said and looked at Luna.

"Luna I want you commanding that fort." She said and Luna nodded.

"Of course sister I won't let changelings take our beloved Equestria." Luna stood up and walked with the messenger pony out of the room and I simply stood there letting things seemingly fall apart.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked slightly overwhelmed.

"No credit to you Grape Vine but this is the worst possible scenario to have and you new on the job....but ponies will die and you need to work. But this takes precedence over the collection of souls. I'm sending this letter to both Heaven and Hades to collect the necessary souls. I want you to go to Hades and figure out how Lucifer is losing souls." She explained as she rolled up the scroll focused her magic and then two appeared side by side and then both vanished. And what next happened made my head spin. The room erupted in both a blinding light and an intense flame and there stood Lucifer and a beautiful pegasus.

After the flashy entrance Lucifer looked over at the beautiful pegasus with a smirk.

"Well If it isn't Angel Wings." He said in a mocking tone. She looked at him with daggers. Even her angry stare was beautiful.
"Lady Celestia please tell me this is a joke I have enough problems in heaven to be bothered with dealing with his kind...." She jabbed. Lucifer simply shrugged. Celestia looked at Lucifer and she seemed to have her own smoldering anger with him.

"You missing souls...." She simply said.

"Oh you know how they are, some hide some just get recycled." He said rolling his hoof.

"Lucifer Brimstone..." She spoke evenly. Angel Wings smiled like a sibling watch the other get in trouble.

"Oh full names? Ok maybe..." He spoke softly so nopony could hear him.

"Have gone missing but nothing I can't handle." He said simply.

"How many." Celestia asked again more firmly. Lucifer looked disheartened.

"Around 38 thousand last I checked. First it was ten now it's exploded.... I have my demons working on it."

Celestia sighed and closed her eyes rubbing her temples.

"I am having Death go with you and find out what is taking the souls and where they are taking them." She said. Lucifer looked less than enthusiastic.

"I don't think that's necessary." He began but she raised a hoof silencing him.

"Angel I want you to fortify the army of heaven I don't think this will go without a fight on both plains of existence." Angel Wings looked at her oddly.

"If that is what you wish...but about coming to the earth to collect souls? Are you sure?" She asked hesitantly. Celestia looked at Lucifer more than Angel.

"Each demon and angel will have a set amount of time before they must return to their respective plain if they do not they will be ripped from this world violently...." Lucifer looked unfazed and nodded along with Angel Wings. Lucifer vanished leaving behind the smell of brimstone. Angel Wings looked at me with hesitation.

"If you could..." She looked at Celestia whom nodded.

"Can you take a special interest in Big Mac and his daughter.... Just make sure nothing happens to them." She smiled sadly.

"I can't make any promises but I'll do my best." I said. I didn't know who Big Mac was or who he was to her. She was soon gone leaving the smell of rosemary. Celestia looked at me now alone with her.

"Things are happening that cannot be undone Grape Vine....if we fail...equestria no, The world will be thrown into chaos.

"You called?" A second voice interjected Celestia looked more annoyed than surprised. A creature I knew only by reputation and look appeared out of thin air and hovered there.

"Discord. You are not needed." She said. Discord waved his paw dismissively.

"Oh please you don't need me. If anything you need me more than ever. Evil baddies making themselves known, souls missing, heck I'm surprised the new death has done so well considering her time on the job only....what a day. Way to go bones." He summoned a big foam finger that said number one along with a drinking cap. Celestia looked like she was going to slam her head against the desk but refrained from doing so. But then she smiled.

"Discord I want you to accompany her while she looks for clues in Hades." With that Discord seem to have the winds taken out of his sails.

"I don't know I have a fairly busy schedule." He said making a big book appear that looked so patched together with crayons and paper scraps it looked as if it was put together by a filly.

"You and I both know you have nothing to do. Everypony is affected by this....that means Fluttershy." She said. Discord slightly sobered up with that recollection.

"I'll help...but not because I want to..." Discord folded his arms. I looked at Celestia like she was nuts.

"Me work with Discord?" I asked.

"He is a god in his own right...albeit an annoying one." She said.

"I am right here you know...." He said pointedly. Celestia nodded at me.

"Ok...but I feel weird about this." I say.

"Noted. Now go to Hades." She said. I tired to the door lifting the keys and turning it. I flipped up my hood and walked through followed by Discord. My day couldn't get any worse...could it?

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