Original Link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1liAV1Ca9qsPhdFBzBGABnC6H0FErV-1JUTQc3FjeO44/edit

As the sun rose up the next morning, the entirety of Equestria was already covered in a thick layer of fresh snow. Fluttershy stood close to Angel, who was sleeping in his basket. She knew his hibernation had begun. So she made sure he had it nice, warm and comfortable by giving him an additional blanket.

“Goodnight, my sweet angel. See you in spring,” she whispered gently. Then she lifted her head, glancing over to her partner warmly.

Obsidian, though, was sunken in his book of death. Judging from his expression and his rapid page turning, he was very confused.

“My love? Are you okay?” the yellow mare wondered.

“I am not precisely sure,” he replied with his eyes still stuck on the book.

Fluttershy became curious and worried. She took a few steps towards him, but that only caused Obsidian to close his book and made it disappear.

“I apologize, mea amāta. But no creature is allowed to read a reaper’s book of death. Not even another reaper,” he explained.

“Oh... okay. What’s the matter then?” Fluttershy asked.

“It appears Mistress Celestia rearranged my book. Multiple pages are blank now. There is a three months gap between now and the next date of death I am supposed to ensure,” the black stallion responded.

“Oh! I didn’t know she could do that,” the yellow mare stated in surprise.

“The book of death is not part of the original reaper curse. It is an advancement to it that our mistress created after she realized she needed a precise list to know when which pony was supposed to die and under which circumstances. Mistress Celestia has the true book of death, containing all the names of ponies that are supposed to die in Equestria. Thus, she also has the power to manipulate it. Though this can only be done to a certain limit. She can not extend anypony’s lifespan. She can also only change the time, location and cause of death up to a certain limit. Destiny itself is rewriting the true book of death constantly, too. It is a never ending battle, which requires a huge amount of strategy to make even the smallest changes,” the reaper spoke.

“Then... why did she change your book and create such a large gap?” Fluttershy wondered.

“That is what I, too, wonder. It is already very difficult to make sure every pony is getting reaped in time while keeping Maledictum Insania a secret. The schedule of every reaper is very full. So I do not understand why-” Obsidian started. He got interrupted by the sound of a hoof knocking at the front door.

“I know the answer! May I come in?” a female voice spoke behind it.

“You may enter, apprentice Derpy Hooves,” the black stallion answered. A moment later, the door opened and Derpy stepped inside, wearing her reaper cloak.

“Grātiās, elder Obsidian Shards. Hi there, Fluttershy! Haven’t seen you in a while!” she greeted happily.

“Hello there, Derpy! Can I offer you a cup of tea?” the yellow mare offered.

“No, thanks. I’m only here to deliver a message. Then I need to go already,” the reaper mare answered.

“A message from our mistress I assume,” Obsidian stated.

“Yep. Okay, here it goes... ahem:
Due to your incredible efforts in protecting the keepers of harmony, your long, loyal serving times and the fact that you have a partner now, Mistress Celestria granted you, Obsidian Shards, a holiday season from the second day of winter to Winter Wrap Up Day. During this time, she wishes you to spend your time with your partner and your friends. You’re also released from all of your other duties, like demon hunting, searching for undead ponies or supervising the zone you are stationed in,” the grey mare proclaimed.

“Oh, that is just wonderful! Celestia can have such a kind heart. But, um... Derpy... won’t it be a bit too much for you to supervise Ponyville all alone for such a long time?” the yellow mare worried.

“Hey now, Fluttershy. I may just be an apprentice, but I’m not a wimp!” the grey mare responded and removed the glass eye out of her empty socket again to present it to her. “I mean this should be proof enough, don’t you think? Anyway, don’t worry. Mistress Celestia got it all arranged as usual. You can rely on us.”

“Okay then. I really learned to trust you reapers by now. If you say everything will be fine, then I have no reason to doubt you,” the yellow mare stated happily. Derpy grinned, pushed her glass eye back in its place and turned around.

“Was nice talking to you two again! See you next time!” she announced and walked outside. Before she could close the door behind her, Obsidian followed up.

“May I have a talk with you in private?” he requested. Apparently, Derpy was expecting this to happen.

“Sure! No problem! Fluttershy, would it be okay if I kidnap your beloved one for a little bit? Reaper business, you know,” she asked.

“It’s okay. See you later, my love!” the yellow mare said and kissed Obsidian on the lips. He kissed her back.

“Valē, mea amāta,” he spoke warmly and started walking off with the grey mare.

---

Derpy kept on grinning for a while after they started walking. But as soon as she was sure they were out of Fluttershy’s line of sight, her face became very serious and she stared at the black stallion.

“‘Mea amāta’? Really now, Obsidian? I never thought I would hear you, of all of us, say such a thing,” she commented. Obsidian’s face now became serious as well.

“What is the real reason our mistress granted me a time apart of my duties?” he wondered. Derpy sighed.

“Eversince you let her know that you were forced into a relationship with the keeper of kindness, Mistress Celestia ordered me to spy on your behavior. I had to send her detailed reports about your development. Please don’t get me wrong. You did the right thing to report that and things didn’t look so bad actually. Until you started getting worse on your hunts. After what I’ve seen yesterday, I can only agree that you need a time away from your duties. Mistress Celestia is unsure if you are still capable of finishing your mission,” she explained.

“I admit that I had difficulties the past weeks. But the fact that I am developing feelings for Fluttershy does not endanger the mission. The situation is under control and I have the full trust of the entire group,” Obsidian responded.

“Elder, you precisely know how difficult our duties are for reapers that have emotions. Just look at me! I mean, I don’t really have a reason to still be emotional now that everypony knows I’m a reaper. But they are so happy around me... I keep getting ponies to laugh and it just makes me happy, too! And for what cost? If I wasn’t so skilled with runes, I would be one of the worst!” she proclaimed. The black stallions’ face became anger filled.

“Just as you stated, I am an elder. I am more than two hundred years older than you and therefore I have a lot more experience than you do. You can not compare me with yourself. The fact that you are implying that I would become a bad reaper, only for the reason that I am capable of feeling now is insulting me, apprentice,” Obsidian countered sharply, causing Derpy to lower her head a bit and gain an awkward expression.

“Forgive me, elder. But you know how important this mission is, since Twilight Sparkle is involved in it. You know how important she is for our mistress’ plan. She just wants to make absolutely sure nothing will happen to the keeper of magic before her time has come. You have reached a lot by now, so Mistress Celestia is giving you a chance to prove yourself. She wants you to fully use these three months to improve your relationship with the keepers of harmony as much as possible... I know I shouldn’t say this, but I’m ordered to keep spying on you. If you give our mistress the smallest impression you might hesitate when it comes to the moment you are supposed to finish your mission, you will be replaced,” the grey mare explained.

The black stallion became silent. His mistress was truly considering to replace him? If that happened, he would never be able to see Fluttershy or the others again. He might not even be able to say farewell.

No. He could not let this happen. Not only because of his personal feelings for Fluttershy, but also because of his loyalty to his mistress. He could not disappoint her. His entire life belonged to her, and he would do everything she ordered from him. Even if it meant to give up his own life.

“I appreciate your candor, apprentice. I will do as our mistress desires,” he concluded.

---

After Twilight and Spike woke up from the trap Despair set up, the situation between them became a lot worse. The purple mare just couldn’t explain how she could get so carried away with her temper that she ended up hurting Spike in such a terrible way. Apparently, this wasn’t the first time either. Just the first time she could remember. Twilight apologized to the baby dragon countless times and tried everything to make it up again. But after what she said to him, no apology sounded honest enough to mend his broken heart.

The days went on with Twilight acting as if nothing had happened. She knew what she had done was horrible and if anypony found out about it, she would get in big trouble. Spike, too, had no intention to tell anypony what happened. Not only because it was against one of Twilight’s rules, but also because he didn’t trust anypony anymore.

The baby dragon became very seclusive. He spent a majority of his time staying inside the library and only left when Twilight demanded it from him. He still followed every order she gave him. But in contrast to before, Spike did everything with apathy and a rebellious tone in his voice. The baby dragon lost his appreciation for ponies, considering every kind word they spoke out to him a lie.

---

Because of the secretive behavior of these two, the other keepers of harmony and even Obsidian had no idea what was going on with them. While Spike and Twilight kept on having small conflicts with each other, the others had a lot happier and more harmonious time.

It didn’t take them very long to notice Obsidian slowly started to change in personality. The first time they saw him smile made them speechless. Yet, they appreciated this development very much. Although the best he could do was giving a weak smile, even when Pinkie Pie told a hilarious joke, seeing that he was capable of expressing his feelings made him appear much more believable. Indeed, Obsidian was being honest and enjoyed himself.

As Celestia demanded of him, he spent as much time with the keepers as possible. He frequently helped out at Rarity’s boutique, had practical magic lessons with Twilight, visited Applejack at Sweet Apple Acres, had races with Rainbow Dash and even danced with Pinkie during her parties. What started as him simply following an order given by his mistress began to turn into something the black stallion liked. He slowly developed an appreciation for his friends, became warmer, friendlier, more open and helpful. Still, of all the ponies, Obsidian favored being around Fluttershy.

The couple spent a lot of time together. During winter, the yellow mare had no animals to take care of. Usually, she tended to get very bored and sad during this season. Her home was normally bustling with life. There always was a bird singing, a mouse squeaking or a chicken clucking. But in winter, everything was so silent. She really appreciated Celestia’s thoughtful decision to give Obsidian a work free period, so she would not have to be alone.

---

Their training has become a small, rather casual activity. Other things were much more important to them. Fluttershy really enjoyed wandering around in the snowy meadows of Ponyville during winter. But together with Obsidian, it became something special. She kept staying close to the black stallion, snuggling against him. Now that the reaper was in love with her too, he tried his best to keep her warm.

“Goodness. Just look at all that snow. I can’t even imagine what kind of effort this must have been to make,” the yellow mare commented.

“Cloudsdale is producing snowflakes all year long, just to be able to deploy them in winter. I, too, admire the incredible love for detail the weather factory workers put into them. Each snowflake is unique. A piece of art on its own. All this effort is only to ensure that when the snowflakes come together, they create the proper consistency,” Obsidian explained.

“I know. A few years ago, Twilight tested a spell that allowed unicorns and earth ponies to walk on clouds, so the others could support Rainbow Dash during a contest in Cloudsdale,” Fluttershy responded.

“The Best Young Flyer Competition, I assume. Apprentice Derpy was participating at the contest in order to guard the competitors. She told me the keepers of harmony were amongst the spectators and was quite surprised,” the black stallion commented. Fluttershy nodded.

“She also said she was very confused to see Rarity competing. Derpy’s knowledge of magic is limited to that of runes, so she did not understand how she managed to grow wings temporarily,” he continued. The yellow mare giggled a bit.

“Yes, that was quite something. It caught me pretty staggered, too. I still can’t believe they actually allowed Rarity to compete. But I guess there just wasn’t any rule that limited the tolerated races to Pegasi alone. Anyway, back to the topic. Applejack was especially interested in seeing the weather factory, so we showed them around. When we came to the rainbow facility, Pinkie Pie had to taste the rainbow essence. Turns out this was the first thing that was too spicy for her,” she said, chuckling softly as she remembered the faces Pinkie made.

“It is easy to underestimate the power of rainbow essence,” Obsidian commented, smiling lightly.

“Mhm. Well Rarity told me that her favorite part of the factory was the snowflake facility. I can fully understand why. It is just incredible what they do,” Fluttershy continued.

“It appears you all have experienced a lot together,” the reaper stated.

“Well, you can say that! Rainbow Dash and I are friends for as long as I can remember. After we moved from Cloudsdale, I met the others time to time. But it took until Twilight came that we actually turned into the group we are now. With her being completely new to friendship and having to send reports to Princess Celestia every week, we all learned what friendship truly means from scratch. It was quite an exciting time! Although I am not much for adventures, there was just so much happening these few years! We all learned and gained a lot. Take Rarity for an example! She was pretty much unknown for many years, until we all started helping her. Now she is one of the most famous designers in Equestria! It’s just wonderful!” the yellow mare responded.

“Also, from what Applejack told me, the business for Sweet Apple Acres inflated a lot too the past years. They are able to afford a lot more now and even could pay the surgery miss Smith required,” Obsidian continued.

“Yes. And Rainbow Dash is getting closer and closer to her dream of becoming a Wonderbolt!” Fluttershy announced.

Obsidian didn’t instantly respond to that statement like he did to the others. Just when the yellow mare was about to get curious, he raised his voice again.

“She does have good chances to be accepted, does she not?” he wondered.

“Um. Yes, of course. You know how skilled she is and she already left quite an impression on the whole team. I wouldn’t be surprised if they suddenly showed up around here and asked her to join them!” Fluttershy agreed.

The black stallion suddenly became silent and the smile in his face vanished.

“Obsidian?” Fluttershy spoke.

“Mihi īgnōsce. I drifted off with my thoughts. Tell me more about what you have experienced,” he requested.

“Certainly!” the yellow mare responded in excitement.

---

The couple continued chatting and wandering through the landscape. Fluttershy told Obsidian a lot about the adventures she had with the other girls, how she temporarily became a famous model, convinced a dragon and even went through an assertiveness training caused personality change. In return, the black stallion revealed some of the most difficult missions Celestia had given him. They were so lost in their conversation that they didn’t notice it got late until the sun went fully down.

“Oh my... it is getting quite chilly now...” Fluttershy commented, starting to shiver.

“In that case, please allow me,” Obsidian requested and halted.

He then took off his reaper cloak and covered the yellow mare in it. For a reaper, this was an incredible symbol of affection. She understood this, leaving her with a lightly opened mouth and a strong blush on her face.

“B-b...what about you?” she worried.

“I am used to the cold. It does not bother me. As I said before, reapers are immune to any poison or disease. The only thing I am worried about is your well-being, mea amāta,” the black stallion responded with a warm expression.

“Oh...” she spoke shyly. “But, um... It’s getting late. Shouldn’t we go home now?”

“Do you need rest?” Obsidian asked.

“No, its not that. It’s just... I’ve never been out wandering during the night before... You know I still have problems accepting darkness...” she stated. Obsidian smiled again.

“Maybe I can show you something that will change your mind,” he offered and slowly lifted into the air, dragging Fluttershy with him.

“What? Wait! Where are we going?” she spoke out nervously.

“Do not worry. I know you have a fear of heights, but I ensure you I will not let anything happen to you. Trust me and close your eyes,” Obsidian responded gently.

This wasn’t the first time somepony tried to get her to fly high. Rainbow Dash attempted it many times before she finally gave up. But her mistake was that she rushed Fluttershy too much. Obsidian was very gentle. He held her securely the whole time while they rose up slowly to not frighten her too much.

Obsidian’s cloak kept the yellow mare warm and comfortable while the air gradually became colder and thinner. Fluttershy was nervous, but since the black stallion was very careful with her and allowed her to keep her eyes shut, she remained somewhat relaxed. After all, she trusted Obsidian completely. Yet, since they increased in height so slowly, the yellow mare had no idea how high they were by now.

Finally, Obsidian stopped. He changed his position, flying behind Fluttershy and holding her around her stomach. Even while changing position, the reaper made sure to not let go of her for just a single moment.

“W... what are we doing up here?” the yellow mare wondered.

“I merely want you to understand. You are very high up right now. How do you feel?” Obsidian asked. His statement caused the yellow mare to start shaking and gulp hard.

“I... I’m not sure... I’m a bit scared but... when you are holding me, I feel safe. P-please don’t let me go! Rainbow did that with me once before,” she begged.

“Do not worry, mea amāta. At no point I intend to make you feel in loss of safety. I will hold you, no matter what. Just allow this moment to impinge on you,” he responded gently.

“Okay...” Fluttershy answered. The cold night air brushed over her face. Up here, the only sounds that could be heard were that of the wind and the flapping of Obsidian’s wings. The yellow mare was too nervous to concentrate much.

“Can... we go down now again? Please?” she asked.

“As I said, I do not aim to frighten you,” the reaper answered and slowly started to descend with her again. Fluttershy sighed lightly in relief.

“It will take a moment to reach the ground again. So let me ask you something in the meantime,” he requested. Fluttershy nodded lightly.

“You had your eyes closed the whole time? And you still have them closed?” he wondered. Fluttershy nodded again.

“So you could not see anything. Did you still feel safe?” Obsidian kept on asking.

“Yes. Because you held me,” she responded.

“But I am a creature of darkness, mea amāta. Darkness was all around you the whole time. Did that not frighten you?” he wondered.

“N-no. I trust you,” Fluttershy stated, getting nervous again as the reaper mentioned how dark it was around them. Obsidian noticed and held her closer to calm her down and make her feel more secured. He moved his head to her right ear and started to whisper.

“I am your darkness, mea amāta. I am holding you and keeping you safe,” the black stallion spoke gently, causing Fluttershy to blush again.

“So if I, your darkness, can make you feel so safe that you can keep your eyes closed, what do you think will happen if you open your eyes to me?” he questioned.

Obsidian seemed to have hit her curiosity. Very hesitatingly, the yellow mare opened her eyes. They instantly grew big in astonishment as she realized how high up they truly were. Ponyville was so small, it would have fit in her hooves. The entire land around it was dyed in a bluish white and all the lights coming from the houses were just tiny sparkling dots. The moon emitted a radiant, blue light and the stars as well sparkled beautifully. This scenery seemed familiar to her. It was very similar to how Princess Luna decorated the Grand Galloping Gala. It had the same feeling.

All of the sudden, it became clear to Fluttershy. This is how Luna saw the world! Everything was dark, but beautiful. Distances seemed to not matter at all. Everything appeared so dreamy, sleepy and peaceful. That was it! That was the true face of darkness!

“It is... incredible,” she spoke, still stunned from the impression she just gained.

The yellow mare turned her head to Obsidian. In his eyes, she could see that he precisely knew what she was experiencing right now. He was used to seeing darkness this way and he mastered separating this impression from any other, creepier form that was caused by monsters and demons.

“I think, I get it now!” Fluttershy announced. Right now, she felt absolutely safe. She wasn’t afraid of the dark and even the height didn’t matter anymore.

“You can let go of me now, Obsidian. I can handle it,” she stated.

“As you wish,” the black stallion responded and slowly let go of her, making sure that she was able to keep herself in the air.

Fluttershy felt an incredible sensation of freedom. She levitated high above the world. Higher than any mountain could reach. She could move freely in this seemingly endless empty space. The night sky belonged to her right now. All her problems and worries were far below her.

The yellow mare couldn’t hold back a big grin growing on her face. She gently floated through the air and savored this carefree, beautiful moment.

“This is amazing, Obsidian!” she finally announced in an excited tone. “I had no idea how wonderful it can feel to fly through the night, so high up in the sky!”

The black stallion simply smiled and nodded in response. Then he flew over to her, held her hoof and they both glided through the night together.

---

An hour later, Fluttershy finally became exhausted from flapping her wings the whole time. She and Obsidian discovered a single cloud in somewhat their height that was just big enough for both of them to land on. The couple found itself in intimate togetherness, gazing at the moon, holding each other tightly and exchanging kisses every now and then.

“Thank you for showing this to me, Obsidian,” she spoke happily.

“Nihil est, mea amāta,” he responded.

They both kept on gazing at the moon for a few more minutes before Fluttershy made another statement.

“You know, if you want me to, I could become just as dark as you. I would do everything for you, my love,” she explained.

This, though, did not have the effect on Obsidian she hoped for. His face became serious and he slowly turned his head over to her.

“Did... did I say something wrong?” she worried.

A second later, Obsidian gently held her head between his front hooves and gave her a long kiss. This relaxed the yellow mare again, even though his face remained serious after the kiss ended.

“No, Fluttershy. Do not change for me. Do not change for anypony,” he finally responded, still holding her head and staring deep into her eyes. “It is true you are capable of a lot. You can become very strong. You can become anything you wish. The only limitations are those of your own mind. But if you decide to change, then only do it for yourself, to become a ‘you’ that you appreciate more.”

This moment drew Fluttershy nearly speechless. How can a creature that had experienced so little kindness and care in his life have so much to share? How can a creature that is so dark and cruel be so gentle and passionate at the same time? It seemed like with everything Obsidian did, he aimed to do his best to make her happy. And he very well succeeded at it.

“Okay,” Fluttershy answered with sparkling eyes. This had turned into the most beautiful night she ever experienced.