The Bar at the Edge of Nowhere

by Syric Philharmonica

Interlude 4 - First Meeting

"I've had the opportunity to speak with both immortals and the undead who have kept their minds so I can say, with certainty, that their version of healing, of recovering, is something wildly different than what we know. See, Immortals do not heal in the conventional sense. Sure their bodies can be damaged, broken. But the wounds inflicted bear little to no consequence for them. It's more like a state of deep meditation. An Immortal will slip into what they call a Death Trance; a state where they are as close to Death as they can possibly get. In this state they are not sent to The Pale Horse, the one who judges the dead, but are instead allowed Communion with Death herself."

-Faded Veil, The Immortals of Equestria, printed and self-published against immense push-back in 1965

---

Stalwart Shield liked to think of himself as an honest pony. He lived his life according to his personal beliefs, which had made him kind in the eyes of others. Stalwart also knew that he had made many mistakes, as all are want to do. He liked to believe he had atoned for them through his actions near the end of his life. Speaking of, Where was he? Stalwart knew that he had died, he remembered the events that led to it clearly. He also knew that wherever he had ended up he had no body, his consciousness floating in an empty space filled with a swirling current made of memories and a soft all encompassing glow.

Stalwart tried to turn and follow the current but found that he could not move, stuck in place as it flowed past, replaying his tragically short life in startling detail, from his birth to his death. As Stalwart watched his teenage years flash by he felt a presence appear outside his locked field of vision. Stalwart could feel the overwhelming power this new presence held but found that he didn't feel any fear. On the contrary, he could feel a sense that this meeting in this place was meant to happen.

"Good to see that thou hast not lost thy mind, Stalwart Shield." Once the soft, graceful voice echoed into the empty space he resided in Stalwart could only watch as the current of his life slowed to a stop, coming to rest on the final image of his last defiant act against the monster that sought to control him. He felt as the presence came up behind him, a deep cold pervading his very essence, his soul he realized belatedly, as it came to a close stop. "Yet another fine life reaches thy conclusion, much sooner than expected. Although this was never planned for thee, We must admit to Our curiosity. What made thee worthy of the curse?"

And then in the next instant Stalwart had his body back, falling onto an invisible surface and gasping for air that didn't seem to exist in this space. The presence at his back waited calmly for him to regain himself while seemingly unwilling to get closer, or unable to. And so Stalwart gathered his courage and strength, knowing who the entity was now that he actually felt the effects of Her presence, and turned to face Death.

The first thing Stalwart noticed about Death was Her eyes, how could he not? They were a dark grey, filled with a cold and lifeless heaviness before they changed. When he blinked they had become lighter, softer, A warm grey that radiated a sense of calm and warmth. Another blink another change, every time he thought he had the feeling they bestowed pinned down they would shift, ever-changing but always that damning and calming grey. "Do not gaze to deeply my friend," Stalwart was shook out of his intense study by Her voice, an echoing and hollow rasp yet also a full and rich timbre, and he tore his gaze away from those hypnotic pools to find that his soul had been fading the longer he looked. "We have lost many who thought themselves stronger than the soft, tempting allure of Death. We wouldn't want thou to join them would we?"

Too afraid to answer the God in the flesh before him, Stalwart instead nodded meekly and quickly looked over the rest of Her for fear of another subtle effect. Death was much taller than any other pony he had ever seen, towering over him at well over six feet, maybe even reaching seven! The little Stalwart could see of Her coat was a deep and vast darkness, a black so deep he felt he could fall into it forever yet he could also clearly see Her skeleton suspended in that abyss. The rest of Her body was swathed in a cloak of dense mist, a fog that obscured and hid the totality of her form except her Her head, those deadly eyes resting in hollow sockets of a skull against a void in the shape of a mare. But as Stalwart examined it, that cloak began to swirl and coalesce. Stalwart thought that was the end of it before the clear shape of a wailing Pony swam to the surface, It's terrified expression striking fear into his soul as that visage was dragged back down into the depths, never to be seen again. Stalwart looked up to Death to barely see the scowl that marred her once peaceful visage, a hoof held to the spot that Soul had departed.

But the details that truly floored Stalwart was Her horn AND wings! Stalwart blinked and shook his head in disbelief, much to Her amusement that dark expression melting away while she observed him. Stalwart looked back along Her spine, and clearly saw the wing bones tucked against that emptiness and somehow resting atop that ethereal cloak. His gaze lanced back up to Her horn, the only part of Her jutting out from the darkness that made Her body. "What..." Stalwart was startled at the sound of his own voice, watching as Death tilted Her head in question as he gestured at Her. "What are thee, Death?"

Death did not show any outward reaction to the question, only regarding him with her heavy gaze before answering. "I do not blame thee for not knowing, such is the secrecy of Our race." And here Death drew herself up to Her full height, flaring her wings and and horn with all the grace of royalty and glaring down at the stallion imperiously, Her cloak writhing and twisting furiously as those tortured souls opened their mouths in silent screams. "We art an Alicorn Stalwart Shield. The culmination of every race of Ponies yet even more. I do not expect thee to understand the true scope of Our being." After Death's show of power left Stalwart slack-jawed and stunned, She relaxed back into her previous position. "Do try not to look so impressed my friend. If thy character is anything to go by," Death opened a wing to gesture at the reel of his life, it rewinding to one of the many times he had taken hits for others. "We shalt be seeing each other quite often."

Stalwart looked away with a blush, feeling chided as Death raised a hoof to her muzzle, hiding a laugh at his flustered state. "Do not misconstrue my words Stalwart, thy willingness to give of yourself is an admirable trait. Thy predecessor did NOT share thy love for those around you." Oh and here Her face darkened, an expression of hatred twisting her features until Her bones had reformed into a terrifying visage, teeth sharpened to a point and the sockets angled to mimic eyebrows drawn together and those glowing pools turning a burning, horrifying crimson. "She held such contempt in her heart that it poisoned her magic and soul, becoming a vessel for evil so great that she forced Us to sever her immortal soul. She will never exist in any form again."

Stalwart had never met this mare, nor did he ever expect to, but in that moment he felt profound sorrow for her and Death, who had turned away to reign in her emotions, the very thought of what had befallen her causing his own soul ache in sympathy. Death turned to look back over Her shoulder, Her features having turned back. "Thy anguish for others is loud and beautiful." Before Stalwart could question how Death could know what he was thinking, She continued to speak. "In this realm those with sufficient knowledge can hear the thoughts of those who speak as loudly as thou does."

Putting that revelation aside for now, Stalwart spoke up again, voicing the question that had burned in his mind since he had first woken here. "Death, Wouldst thou tell me why I am here, and not standing before the Judge of the Dead? I am grateful for thy companionship but I can not understand it." Death only smiled gently down at the Reanent stallion before casting a sweeping wing into the empty space, gesturing for him to follow her.

And so they travelled into the vast expanse of the infinite, leaving the reel of his life behind. There was no sense of time passing in this strange realm, and Stalwart found that he didn't care as much has he thought he would. Every now and then he would catch glimpses of fluttering lights drawing closer before they would flee from just the glance Death would give them, and when Stalwart considered Death's conduct so far, he assumed there was a good reason She kept them at bay. So he kept quiet, enjoying a calm walk in silence with good company. Something that was rare to experience when he was alive.

"Thou hast asked Us why We hath brought thou to this place." The suddenness of Death's unique voice breaking the silence caused Stalwart to jump slightly, fully immersed in the pleasant atmosphere as he was. "The truth is that We did not, or rather, there was no choice in the matter for either of us." Death stopped walking and Stalwart blinked, seeing that they had returned to where they started. "With time, Thou shalt remember what transpired after thou proved thyself worthy. But until then, allow Us to answer questions that thou hath not the mind to ask." Death took a moment to gaze both at and through Stalwart, searching him for something he couldn't fathom, before She smiled and began to speak again.

"Firstly, Thou might be here for a while longer while thy body heals and grows accustomed to it's new abilities. Secondly, Thou art dead, although not completely. Thou art also not Undead, so thou can take solace in that." Stalwart let out a small breath at that, the confirmation that he would not be at the mercy of another putting him at ease for a moment, but only a moment. "The truth is that thou art Immortal, Stalwart Shield. Thou may never die, cursed to walk this land for now and forevermore." Stalwart stared for a moment, before Death's words registered and he felt nothing but despair.

---

Deep in the Castle's sickroom two ponies rested fitfully, deaf to the reassuring words others had said to them and blind to anything that happened outside said sickroom. The two Princesses could only huddle together on the edge of the cot their friend had rested for quite a while now, the small rise and fall of his chest reassuring that he still lived. Both of them knew they both had duties to attend to, and were eternally grateful that their parents had given them time to embrace this despair. But it would seem that time was coming to an end, as the voices that had started up outside the door grew into shouting and caused the smaller princess to curl tighter into her sisters side.

"Shh Lunar Glow, It shalt be okay." Celeste Aurora lit up her horn and drew power from her amulet; creating a bolt of flame and aiming it at the door not to harm anyone, but to intimidate. "We shall see to it that-" Whatever Celeste was going to say was cut off by a deep groaning coming from the stallion on the bed, causing both of the Princesses to gasp and scramble off the bed. "We shalt go get the healer!" Celeste shouted as she ripped the door open, scaring whoever was on the other side if the yelps were anything to go by. Lunar glow for her part hastily levitated a glass of water over for Stalwart to drink from, the relief that he was awake overpowering her need for answers.

"Lunar Glow?" Hearing the raspy tone of his own voice had Stalwart flinching, but he powered on. "How long have I been here for?" Lunar Glow stared at him for a moment before answering.

"It hath been a Moon since either Our sester or Us hath seen thee, Stalwart."