The door to my room burst open, and Celestia and Luna charged in, followed by a pony I presumed was a doctor, given her lab coat. Celestia was at my side in a second, wrapping one of my hooves in one of her own, stroking my maneless head with the other.

"Shh," she soothed. "It's okay, TD. You're safe now. You're in Baltimare General Hospital. Do you remember that?"

I looked up at Celestia with wide eyes and slowly shook my head. "Don't remember much," I whispered.

"What is the last thing you do remember?" the doctor asked as she walked over to a bunch of beeping machines that I just realized I was hooked up to.

I tried to take a deep breath, but a sharp pain coursed through my chest, and I clenched my teeth until it faded away. Celestia conjured a chair for herself and placed it next to the bed I was on so that she could sit next to me. I slowly shifted so that I could rest my head on her shoulder as I thought.

"I... I remember the griffins attacking my palace," I said in a weak, quiet voice. "I remember that my soldiers were fighting them. I remembered that a bunch of civilians came in to..." My ear flicked. "To fight too, and the griffins fought them. I remember fighting the griffins. I remember... killing them." I took a small breath as Celestia wiped away a small tear that trickled down my face. "I remember seeing Sinosis flying into my palace. I remember that he killed some of my staff, then he shot me with that Nightmare Weapon when I confronted him. I..." I squeezed my eyes shut as I tried to recall more, but all I got was bits and pieces. Little fleeting shots with no coherent storyline tying them together. I shook my head. "I don't really remember much after that."

"You stopped Sinosis before he did anything else," Celestia said. "Your secretary Tulip informed us of what you did."

I nodded and looked over to Luna, who merely stared at me with blank eyes. Even then, I could see the beginnings of her emotionless mask beginning to crack with things like subtle eye and ear twitches. I gave her a slight confused frown, which she returned with a weak attempt at a comforting smile. I looked back over at Celestia. "And what did I do?"

"You magically surged and killed both him and the soldiers he brought with him."

I looked down at the floor and tried to hold back more tears. "Great. More..." My voice cracked and I had to clear my throat before continuing. "More things that I've killed."

"TD, it was a battle. There was nothing to be done for it." Celestia gently nuzzled my head and wrapped a foreleg around my shoulder. "Had you not done it, he would have tortured you more before killing you."

"Yeah, that makes me feel better," I muttered. "Violently kill somebody or be violently killed. What great options."

"That is the way of things in battle, I'm afraid," Celestia said sadly.

"I guess." I looked over to the doctor, who was just finishing up looking at my monitors and writing things down on a clipboard. "So I got shot with that Nightmare Weapon. They got it out in time, right? I'm gonna be okay?"

The doctor paused and glanced up, flinching when she noticed that the gazes of all three princesses were fixed on her. She gently cleared her throat and attached her pen to her clipboard. "Well, I don't really know much about Nightmare Weapons really. You're awake, and that's a really good sign, Princess Antares."

"But you don't know." I looked from the doctor to Celestia, then to Luna. "I mean, what... I don't know anything about Nightmare Weapons other than what's already common knowledge. I got hit in the chest so am I..." I turned my gaze to Celestia. "Am I gonna die?"

I couldn't help the almost foal-like way in which I said that. I couldn't help how small and powerless I, the third most powerful pony ever, felt when asking that most simple of questions. I wasn't supposed to die. The Elements turned me immortal when they ascended me. Celestia, Luna and I. We weren't supposed to ever die.

And now...

My response came not from words, but a single whimper. I looked over to the source and saw Luna slowly backing towards the door, her ears flat, her jaw wobbling, and tears streaking down her face. I subtly frowned at her and tilted my head.

"Luna?"

"I..." Luna began blinking rapidly, and two of her tears splashed onto the tile floor. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

Before any of us could say anything else, Luna threw the door open with her magic and ran out into the hallway, slamming the door behind her.

"Oh Luna," I heard Celestia whisper. I looked up at Celestia, who must have noticed my uncertainty because she gave me a comforting smile. "Do not worry, TD. I think that you will recover. As the doctor said, it is a good sign that you are awake. I believe that Luna and I reached you in time and took the arrow out fast enough to prevent irreversible damage."

"Okay." I grabbed one of Celestia's forelegs with my one free hoof. "How did you find me? Did one of my soldiers make it to Canterlot in time for you to finish the battle before it got too out of hoof?"

Celestia sighed and shook her head. "No. Luna and I discovered that something was wrong when you did what is called an Alicorn Scream."

I raised an eyebrow slightly. "An Alicorn Scream?"

Celestia nodded. "Yes. It happens when an alicorn goes through emotional overload. Pure physical, mental, and emotional agony, and we let it out in a shriek that can be heard for miles around."

"And you heard that?"

"TD, I daresay the entire country heard it."

"Oh." I shifted in my bed to get a little more comfortable, and Celestia tightened her grip on me slightly. "Have..." I looked back up at Celestia. "Have you ever done one?"

Celestia's comforting smile fell away entirely, and for the first time since coming in, I noticed that she looked very tired. She didn't answer my question for a few moments, but she finally nodded. "Yes. Just once." She looked over to the door to my room. "In the moment after I banished my sister and I truly realized what I had done..." Celestia got a faraway look in her eyes for the briefest of moments before looking back to me. "When you screamed Luna and I heard it. We came to Baltimare immediately and turned the tide of the battle."

The battle. Being reminded of it again caused my jaw to clench and my stomach to tie itself into a million knots. I tightened my grip on Celestia's hoof and did my best to take a deep breath. "Y-you saw the carnage. A lot of ponies died."

Celestia nodded sadly. "I'm afraid so. We saved as many as we could and stopped the griffins."

"Do you..." My voice cracked again and a single tear streaked down my face. "Do you know how many died?"

Celestia exchanged an uncomfortable glance with the doctor and resumed stroking my head. "TD, I don't think it's best for you to worry about that right now. I know that the time will come when you must, but for now, I think it best--"

"Celestia." Even in my weakened state my voice carried a hint of sharpness and authority as I cut off her words. "How many?"

Celestia stared down at me, the beeping of the machines I was hooked up to being the only noise filling the room. I did not blink as I stared right back at her, trying not to falter in my resolve to know just how many ponies had been slaughtered trying to defend me, despite the tears brimming. After a few more moments, Celestia quietly sighed and closed her eyes.

"Three hundred and fifty five."

Three hundred and fifty five.

Three hundred and fifty five.

I couldn't wrap my head around the number. Three hundred and fifty five ponies had charged out onto the battlefield to fight the griffin invaders and would never wake up again. Three hundred and fifty five ponies who had never seen battle before, who had woken up that morning expecting an uneventful day had everything taken away from them in the most horrifying way imaginable. I couldn't begin to imagine it. I could only do one thing.

I broke.

I wrapped my forelegs around Celestia's middle as tightly as I could, holding on to her as though she was the only pony left in the world. My hysterical sobs drowned out everything as the number burned itself in my mind.

Three hundred and fifty five.

Three hundred and fifty five.

Three hundred and fifty five ponies that would never be there again.

I don't know how long I cried. I don't know long I let Celestia hold me as I let every emotion I could possibly feel out. I drew in deep, ragged breaths, ignoring the pain in my chest as my sobs died down. I became aware that Celestia was stroking my head and gently nuzzling me.

"I know this hurts TD," Celestia said softly. "Believe me when I say that I know it hurts."

I took a few more deep breaths to calm my breathing and wiped my eyes with a foreleg. "Does... does it ever get easier, watching them die?" I whimpered.

Celestia subtly shook her head. "No. I'm afraid it does not. But that is why we fight to prevent battle, so that we do not see our subjects fall."

"I don't ever want to see them die again, but knowing that this whole thing was just probably the start to a war..." I shuddered and nuzzled into Celestia's chest. "I don't know how I can do it."

"But you must. You are a princess of Equestria, in good times and in bad. Your ponies will look to you for strength in this dark time." Celestia put her hoof under my jaw and gently tilted my head up to look her in the eye. "And trust me when I say that I know that you have it. The Elements did not choose you lightly. If you did not have the strength to lead, you would not have ascended, TD."

"No. I don't think I'm TD anymore." I blinked once and took a deep breath, my voice barely louder than a whisper. "I am Antares."

Celestia raised an eyebrow and a slight frown creased her features. "What?"

"I am Antares," I repeated a little louder. "I..." I wiped my eyes again to get rid of any remaining tears. "I guess there's not as much TD left anymore. He's still there, I'll always be TD, but after everything that's happened, after having ponies charge into battle and willingly risk their lives, all for me? To split open the sky and rain down hellfire on my enemies? To rule over a nation in a time of war? I can't see TD doing that." I took another deep breath. "I'm in too far now, really. I wouldn't go back to Earth now if a portal presented itself and you said you could turn me human again."

Saying that out loud sent a slight pain through me that had nothing to do with the arrow wound, but I pressed on.

"I know I haven't ruled over this land very long, and sometimes not very well, but this is who I have to be now. This is what life has given me, and I accept it now. I... I don't know what I'm going to do about helping Twilight, or if she even wants this anymore, but as for me, I am Antares. I have to be."

Celestia stared down at me in silence for a few moments as if studying my face to see if I was lying. I stared back up at her, my face not wavering for a moment. Finally Celestia ran her hoof down my head again and gently kissed me on the forehead.

"You will recover, Antares, I am sure of it. Long will you reign, and I foresee our little ponies prospering under your good and wise rule."

Celestia gently laid me back down on the hospital bed and used her magic to pull my blankets over me. "It is getting late, Antares, and I need to see to Luna. I will speak to her about earlier. She knows you do not hate her, it is just..." Celestia grimaced and shook her head. "This is not what she needed. These are not the scars that she needed brought to light again."

I chanced a light snort and settled deeper into the blankets. "As if any wounds we want healed need to be violently opened again without warning." I raised a hoof up for Celestia to squeeze. "Tell her I forgive her, alright? I hope that does her a little good."

Celestia gave me a small smile. "I think it will."

With a final kiss, Celestia walked out of the room, leaving me alone once more. I knew this time that I wasn't completely alone. I had a call button to press the moment I needed something, and Celestia would be right at my side the moment I asked, but I did agree that Luna needed her sister at the moment.

But I didn't want to go to sleep. Despite Celestia's assurances to the contrary, I wasn't sure that if I did go to sleep I'd wake up again. As an alicorn, I technically didn't need sleep, but that was under normal circumstances. When our bodies needed to heal, we needed sleep just like any other pony.

And now here, alone in my room with just my thoughts as company, my eyelids began feeling heavy. I shifted in my bed as I tried to stay awake, but as anypony who has tried to stay awake knows, the harder you try, the faster you fall asleep. I could ask a doctor or nurse for something to keep me awake, but they'd never go for it. They'd want me to get a good night's rest.

But then I might never wake up. I might go back to that world of fog and shadows and ruins for the rest of time. I gripped my sheets tightly as my eyelids began drooping. I couldn't fall asleep. I had to stay awake so I wouldn't die. I couldn't...

My eyes snapped open some time later, and I shot to my hooves with a jolt. I looked around wildly, hoping to see Celestia or Luna or some doctor around to tell me that everything was okay, but...

All I saw was shadow and fog.

I whimpered and flattened my ears. This place didn't even have the ruins of my castle. It was merely blank open space as far as I could see. Like the opposite of the place I had come to ascend. I shivered and sat on my haunches, hoping that this wasn't death. If this is all there was, then I had to admit, I felt a little disappointed in it. Just fog and shadow? Still, the last time I had come to a place like this and thought I died I was wrong, so maybe this time...

My ears swiveled around when I heard a noise behind me; a noise that sounded like... hoofsteps. I shot to my hooves and turned to face the sound. From out in the distance I saw a shadowy figure approaching me. Even though I couldn't see who it was, my gut told me that this was something different from Strawberry Fields or my dead soldiers. I sucked in a breath and raised a hoof as if to run in the opposite direction, but I knew nothing would come of that. Not in this place.

The shadowy figure came closer, and it began to take a form. It was an earth pony and male, I think. He had a short, slicked back mane, and an equally short tail. He had dark gray fur, which I could only tell by looking at his face, as the rest of his body was covered by a dark gray coat he wore. I noted with some distaste the kind of self-satisfied smile on his face as he approached me. He said nothing when he stopped just a few hooves in front of me, choosing instead to bow low. Even though I knew nothing about him, I sensed heaps of sarcasm in the action.

I think I would know.

"Princess Antares. A pleasure."

His voice was rich baritone, and almost as self-satisfied as his grin. He raised himself up and fixed me in an unblinking gaze. "I welcome you."

Not knowing what else to do, I inclined my head in a small nod. "Uh... thanks, I guess."

The pony chuckled and rubbed his forehead. "You guess? Charming, Princess Antares. Or TD. Whatever you wish to be called." He lowered his hoof. "It is Antares now, isn't it? You think the human TD side of you isn't the dominant one anymore now that you've done and seen some of the things you have."

I gave him a slight glare. "I get the feeling you're going to call me what you want."

The figure gave a gasp of mock indignation. "Now, now Antare-TD, there are manners that must be observed. Not even I want to go around and be rude to everypony I come into contact with; it would further dampen my already spotty reputation. Besides, you're royalty, and one must be respectful of royalty."

"Uh-huh." I tapped my hoof on the foggy ground. "So you say you already have a spotty reputation? I take it you're Death, then? Or some keeper of the underworld, here to take me to what lies beyond?"

To my surprise, instead of gleefully admitting that I had gotten it right, the figure's smile slowly faded, and his expression morphed into one that looked rather... disappointed. He sighed and patted his mane. "Death. I suppose you can call me that if you'd like. Death, The Reaper, Charon, Azrael, I've had hundreds of names throughout the eons, Antares, and I'll have hundreds more before the end."

"Are you a literal incarnation of death or just a psychopomp?"

Death shrugged. "I guess you could call me both, but for our purposes, I'm here as the former, not the latter."

I raised an eyebrow and gave him a slight frown. "You're not here to take me to the afterlife?"

Death bit his upper lip and stared at me, and my stomach clenched when I saw the hungry look in his eyes.

"I would certainly like to." He raised a hoof and slowly began reaching out to me. "An alicorn. Even if you haven't ruled for the eons that Celestia or Luna have, or seen the time pass by that Discord played with, you're still an Alpha Alicorn; an immortal. Your very nature goes against what I do." Death's hungry look turned to one of pure fury, and I could almost see the fire blazing in his eyes. He slammed his hoof on the ground. "I am DEATH, and you do not die! The passage of time beats all others into submission, but Celestia and Luna are eternal rocks that weather that storm! It tires them, it can temporarily weaken them, but it will not break them!"

Before I could respond, the fire went out of his eyes just as quickly as it had entered, and his smile returned. "Well, not yet anyway. If something does not happen that kills Celestia in an unnatural way, the sun will one day extinguish as all stars must, and once it does..." Death's smirk became a full-blown grin, and he licked his unnervingly pointy teeth with the tip of his tongue. "Celestia will die. Luna will soon follow." Death's grin faded into a wistful look. "Unless something unnatural happens, as I said. Like the Nightmare Weapons. You would not believe how excited I was when Luna began creating those."

My eyes narrowed and I flared out my wings halfway. "You mean Nightmare Moon. Nightmare Moon created the Nightmare Weapons, not Luna."

Death snorted. "Yes, because that's why Luna ran out crying at the hospital earlier when she saw what a mess you were. Because it was someone else and not her that created the weapons." My glare hardened, and Death shrugged. "Fine Nightmare Moon. Whatever. My point is, I thought I was finally going to get to taste an alicorn! The immortal, steadfast, death-defying alicorns brought low."

"But you're not here to do that to me?"

Death shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not. Believe me, the day will come when you and I will walk through the Shadowlands together, but today is not that day. No..." Death took a deep breath. "I'm here to restore some balance. There is an order to things, and I know you cannot understand what that is, but there are forces at work far beyond what you understand. Suffice to say, as much as I would like you dead..." Death's mouth curved into a slight grimace. "I need you alive even more."

I snorted and gave my best impression of Death's own smirk. "You need me alive? Isn't that kind of ironic?"

"The irony is not lost on me either, but that is how it needs to be." Death motioned to the void around us. "As I said before, there are forces greater than you. Oh, I'm not saying gods or fate, or whatever, but there's just a balance to things. A way it should be. The Elements of Harmony hit you and not Twilight Sparkle for a very good reason. When that little faggot Sinosis, not his real name, by the way, he just liked the Old Griffish translation, hit you with that Nightmare Weapon, he upset some plans of mine. I'm here to restore them."

Did Death just call...?

I couldn't think about that. I pushed those thoughts out of my mind and turned to the matter at hoof. "I don't get it, though. What plans? Why do you need me alive? Not that I want to die, quite the opposite, but you seem to be implying that I'm just some chess piece of yours."

Death shrugged. "I wouldn't really say that. I'm restoring balance so that you can do what you would have done had you not come here. My part in this is my business. I need you alive. You need you alive. Equestria needs you alive." Death raised an eyebrow at me. "Wouldn't you say that it benefits all parties involved if you were alive, then?"

I frowned at him, but slowly nodded my head. "I... yeah. I don't want to die."

"Good." Death walked up to me and, with a surprising amount of force, put a hoof on my shoulder and pushed me onto my haunches. "Then I shall see you at another time, Antares. Not today, not tomorrow, not even in the near future. You will survive your wound from this Nightmare Weapon." That nasty grin spread across Death's face again. "Others will not be so lucky. All that to say, I will see you again. Nothing is truly eternal."

I returned his smug smirk. "Not even you?"

Death chuckled and condescendingly patted my bald head. "Now Antares, surely you must have thought about this: what would happen to the physical incarnation of Death when there is nothing left to die?"

With that, Death leaned forward and, to my utter surprise, kissed me full on the mouth. I flinched back, but even then I could feel the spark of life in my chest, which rapidly began spreading throughout my body. The world of fog and shadow began fading away as Death pulled out of the kiss. The last thing I saw was his grinning face staring at me.

"We shall see each other again, Antares. I look forward to it."