Original Link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Oa6iR7xK3NGqVHo7z7WEynrvIqlyCrMi3nVzWuvvRAQ/edit

After the group returned from their adventure, everypony had to catch up on their duties. But while the keepers of harmony were busy, Obsidian did not have much to do. That, though, was normal to him. Very irregular work shifts and heavily varying working hours and conditions were normal for an elder reaper. This gap was actually of good use for the black stallion. He needed this time to observe Rainbow Dash more.

He noticed she still did not fully trust him. He also did not forget about her questionable behavior when he stalked her at the night of their race. The black stallion had an idea of what was bothering her and why she could not trust him completely. So, using the claw stand holding the green-burning candle in his room, he began to craft something for her.

Obsidian opened a small bottle containing gray, sparkling dust and sprinkled some in the flame, which then grew notably bigger. While casting a few spells into the flame, he kept adding more ingredients. Substances hard to determine, partially even dangerous. The flame changed its color to a delicate shade of aquamarine and appeared to have gotten thicker and more solid. He made it compress and stretch into a long burning cord. As the reaper grabbed the tip and pulled on it, a sturdy string indeed got drawn out of it, getting longer and longer the more the reaper pulled on it. As the string became long enough for his needs, he changed the flame back to green, cutting the string.

The black stallion examined his work. Crafting curses was one of his specialties. He had done a good job, but the effect was not strong enough yet. So he rolled up the string, placed it on his table and bit himself hard in his left front leg. He then held the bleeding wound over the string, letting his blood drip on it. Each drop that landed on the string instantaneously caused a fizzing sound and made a tiny bit of smoke rise into the air. The red blood of the reaper reacted with the aquamarine string in a weird way, dyeing it into a deep, almost hypnotic lapis lazuli. The first piece of his craft was done now and, after a couple of seconds, the wound Obsidian caused himself healed up. He continued crafting enchanted objects and built them together into a single one until the morning arrived.

---

Fluttershy got woken up by the sun shining in her bedroom. She stretched and said good morning to Angel and all the other animals in the house. Then she began her routine in preparing breakfast for all creature that lived with her. While cutting some fruits and vegetables in the kitchen, she looked out of the window and saw Obsidian meditating outside. The yellow mare observed him for a while. For some reason, she found the sight fascinating. The reaper sat still like a statue, facing away from the rising sun. While he himself was protected by the shadows in his cloak, the sun made the cloak gain a thin, shimmering film of gold. Fluttershy finished preparing food for the animals and handed a portion to every creature. Then she went outside to feed the remaining pets. Every once in a while, she looked over to Obsidian again. He still didn’t move a muscle. It almost seemed like he wasn’t even breathing. It must have taken many years for him to gain this much self-control, she figured.

Now, all the animals had something to eat. Fluttershy always made sure the animals were fed before she made breakfast for herself. But this morning, she was given an opportunity she rarely had before. She could watch Obsidian meditate. She wondered... what is it like? Why does he do it so often? Fluttershy had some basic knowledge about meditation. She knew it helped finding your inner balance and gain better control of your body, mind and soul. But she could not imagine how that worked. It made her curious.

She slowly approached the reaper, trying not to disturb or even startle him. Obsidian, though, could hear her. He was a lot calmer than the yellow mare was. As he opened his eyes and turned his head to her, she jumped up in surprise.

“Is there something I can do for you, Miss Fluttershy?” he asked calmly.

“N-no. There’s nothing. I’m sorry I disturbed you,” she replied.

“Do not worry. You did not,” he ensured and turned away from her again to continue his meditation.

Fluttershy just stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do. She did not want to leave, but she also thought it would be rude to just disturb him now or even stare at him. Fluttershy figured, now that she is already here, she could just try to meditate with him. So she attempted to imitate Obsidian’s position and closed her eyes, trying to concentrate. The reaper looked over to her. She was nervous, obviously. He knew, if he spoke just a single word now, she would get startled. Fluttershy would not be able to empty her mind like this. Why was she trying to imitate him? Is this how ponies show their interest in one another? He could not deny that ever since he witnessed her Stare, he started to get interested in her as well. He asked her so many things on the way back to Ponyville. Now, he could teach her something in return.

Obsidian slowly stood up, catching Fluttershy’s attention. She feared this moment was already over now and she might have caused it with her presence. But the black stallion stood. He opened his cloak and spread his wings, flapping them a few times to get upright. He then started moving in a strange kind of manner. Slow, regular movements. Very wide and controlled. It seemed like every time he moved, he made his breath match to it. Fluttershy had heard of this before. Was it... Tai Chi? She kept on observing Obsidian for a while. His movements were fluent. Just watching him made Fluttershy feel calm. She then decided to try it herself. The yellow mare got upright and attempted to copy the reapers movements. Though they were a lot clumsier than Obsidian’s, she seemed to quickly learn the pattern. The reaper kept an eye on her. She was learning unexpectedly fast and she seemed to enjoy it. Obsidian did not have to explain anything. It appeared like exercise alone made her understand how meditation works. They both continued repeating the same movements over and over again for the next two hours, while all the animals were watching them in astonishment. Fluttershy improved quickly. But in the end, she started losing concentration. She still had no breakfast yet. They both finished up their exercise with a few final poses. Then Obsidian turned to the yellow mare.

“It was a pleasure meditating with you,” he stated.

Fluttershy smiled and blushed a bit. Then she remembered what Obsidian told her yesterday. They never got to talk further about it until now.

“You... said you were born in a fallen city?” she resumed.

Obsidian turned his head away as she mentioned Coltholm. His childhood memories were something very personal. He never shared anything private with ponies before and he was not ready to start that yet. The hundreds of years in which he learned to distrust ponies would not allow it. Though he was willing to go a step further in a different direction now.

“We will talk about that in further detail some other time, Miss Fluttershy. For now, how about we both catch up on our breakfast?” he suggested.

Fluttershy was surprised. She would not have expected him to ask to eat with her all of the sudden, after he avoided that for weeks. But the idea got her excited. She understood that this was a first sign of trust towards her. So she gladly accepted and they both went inside to have their own morning meal.

---

The keepers of harmony met up on the marketplace of Ponyville at noon. The practise in meditation left Fluttershy slightly more self-confident then usual. While she normally felt a bit nervous when other ponies looked in her direction and thus hid herself in the group, she could just ignore them this time. The change in her behavior was minor, but very well notable for the rest of the group.

“You seem so different today, Fluttershy. So... perky! Has something good happened?” Twilight wondered.

“Oh um no. Not really. Or well, maybe a little. I was meditating with Obsidian this morning,” Fluttershy replied. The group became curious.

“Meditating? So you say a bit of eye shutting and breathing is getting you better than all my encouragement?” Rainbow Dash asked, disbelieving.

Fluttershy lowered her head a bit.

“Well... um... your encouraging really is helping Rainbow. Please don’t get me wrong. But... I don’t know. Meditating just somehow makes me feel more... balanced,” she explained.

This answer did not fully re-ensure Rainbow, but seeing the effect meditation had on her childhood friend filled her with pride and satisfaction. She grinned and patted Fluttershy on her back. Then she looked over to Obsidian.

“Well, looks like our personal demon hunter has a few tricks to teach even I haven’t thought of. Good job, O!” Rainbow congratulated.

The reaper bowed down lightly for the compliment. Then Applejack spoke up.

“Well I say, things are quite different since yer ‘round here, Obsidian. Sure, I reckon we all look on Equestria with different eyes now. But it’s good that way. Wouldn’t have wanted to live a lie all mah life long. And I tells ya: with you around, it never gets boring,” she commented.

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie hopped in the foreground.

“Hey! Don’t you miss somepony here? Making sure things don’t get boring is my job!” she exclaimed.

Applejack smirked a bit in awkwardness.

“Y’all right there. Pardon, Pinkie. But say, when is your next party? Haven’t had one in quite a while!” she stated.

The party pony inhaled loudly in shock.

“Oh my gosh! You’re right! We totally should have another party! How about this afternoon?” she suggested.

“Are you sure you can arrange it that fast?” Rarity wondered.

“Duh. Parties are my special talent, silly! And when Obsidian helps, it will be a piece of cake!” the pink earth pony replied, grinning at the reaper.

He instantly knew what she was aiming for. Obsidian nodded, agreeing to help her.

“See? He says yes!” Pinkie cheered.

The other keepers of harmony looked among each other.

“Well I got time,” Applejack stated.

“So do I,” Twilight added.

“You know me, guys. When Pinkie Pie throws a party, I am there!” Rainbow Dash said.

“Same goes for me!” Rarity agreed.

“And me!” Fluttershy said.

Pinkie cheered loudly.

“Wohoooo! All my best friends are coming! This can only become a great party now! C’mon, Obsidian! We’ve got a whole lot of partying to get ready!” she exclaimed.

The reaper nodded again and followed her to Sugarcube Corner. On their way there, Pinkie bounced and hummed cheerfully. Then suddenly, she stopped and turned to Obsidian.

“You still remember our deal, right?” she wondered.

Of course he remembered. How could he forget such a deal? It was what the trust between her and him was built on. Obsidian did not reply. Instead, he just focused her with a serious face and nodded. The party pony then grinned again.

“You know you can always come over when you get hungry. I always keep some leftovers and I gladly share them with a friend like you!” Pinkie offered.

This ensured Obsidian that he had the complete trust of her. The offer was quite to his advantage. From now on, he would never have to worry about getting the food to silence his inner demons unnoticed anymore.

“I gladly accept that offer, Pinkamena,” he replied.

---

The party was bright and cheerful, as they always were when Pinkie threw them. The ponies danced, played, ate cake and had a lot of fun. Obsidian kept himself in the background all the time, rather acting like a security guard than a party guest. He did not eat anything and barely spoke a word. The other ponies, and especially Pinkie Pie, tried to motivate him to party with them. However, the reaper denied. One who can not experience amusement has little interest in such things. But he did thank them for their efforts in making him part of their group. After the party was over and it started getting dark, Twilight had a short talk with the reaper on her way to the library.

“So what precisely happened this morning?” she asked.

“I can not tell for sure,” Obsidian replied. “Miss Fluttershy showed an unusual interest in my meditation. When I showed her how it is done, she learned very quickly. There is something about her that draws my attention. I can not say what it is. But my guess is she has a great power inside her. She just seems to be afraid of using it or has little control over it, as seen from her Stare.”

“Well, I can only agree with that. She is very shy most of the time and she thinks of herself as weak and helpless. But sometimes, in situations like when she used the Stare on the spawn, it is like we’re facing a completely different pony! I just can’t explain it!” Twilight added.

“Neither can I. But with your allowance, I could do further research. Taming this power inside her could unlock a huge, unexpected ability to her. Something strong enough to cause a demon to stop and abandon its target can not simply be ignored,” the reaper offered.

“Okay, Obsidian. Just make sure nothing bad happens to her,” she agreed.

The black stallion bowed down to her.

“As you command. Now, we have to part here,” he said and started walking in a different direction.

“Where are you going?” Twilight asked curiously.

“I am just going for a night patrol through Ponyville. Nothing specific,” he replied

“Oh, alright then. Good night!” Twilight spoke and went the rest of the way to her library alone.

---

The patrol was actually just an alibi for Obsidian to approach Rainbow’s cloud house. He knew she was home now and she would stay there for the rest of the night, unless the exact thing he came for happens. So he stood hidden in the shadows, waiting half the night for a very specific sound to come out of her house.

Then finally, it happened. Obsidian heard Rainbow Dash screaming out loudly. Her cloud home was apart of the village. No one else would hear it.

Obsidian lifted into the air and flew over to a window, peeking inside. Rainbow Dash fell out of her bed and rolled around on the floor, screaming with all her strength. Tank was right next to her, trying to wake her up. But his movements were simply too slow to catch her.

After a while, Rainbow Dash finally woke up, shaking and breathing heavily. She calmed down soon, but instead began to cry and curl up on the floor, shaking even more.

Obsidian’s assumption was correct. He flew over to the door and knocked. Instantly, Rainbow Dash stopped crying and tried to get her breath and voice under control.

“W-who’s there?” she asked.

“Obsidian Shards. Are you okay, Rainbow?” the black stallion asked.

He could hear something fall over inside. Apparently, hearing his name caused her to jump up in shock.

“Go away! Stay away from me!” she shouted. Another confirmation for the reaper.

“Rainbow. I am not here to cause you any harm. I was on a patrol when I heard you scream. I am here to check on you. Is everything alright in there? Are you hurt?” he asked.

“I’m... I’m fine! Just leave me alone!” she answered.

The reaper figured now was the right time to confront her with what he noticed.

“I know you have nightmares,” he revealed.

“You... you... do?” she wondered, calming down again.

“Yes. I am here to help you. I have something that could help you get rid of them. But for that, you need to trust me. Please, let me in,” Obsidian requested.

Rainbow Dash did not reply this time. Nothing happened for more than a minute. Then finally, the door opened.

“I... I haven’t told anypony about them. How did you find that out?” she wondered.

“You might be able to put on a mask for your friends to hide your problems from them. But I am a reaper. I can see past the mask of yours,” the black stallion explained.

Again, Rainbow Dash became silent. They both slowly walked over to a cloud sofa and sat down on it.

“What are your nightmares about?” he then resumed.

“One, Obsidian... It is just one nightmare... the same over and over again. I... I’m not sure if I can talk about it...” she replied.

“If you keep it secret, it will never get better. Talk about it. It will help you, believe me,” Obsidian stated.

The blue Pegasus needed a moment to think about it. Tank flew over to them in the meanwhile, using his flying contraption. Then, Rainbow took a deep breath in and started explaining while staring at the ground.

“It starts out various ways... like I’m with the others and just talk to them, take part in a competition, have a meeting with the Wonderbolts or am simply flying around. But then... then its always the same...”

She stopped for a moment to take another breath before she continued.

“F-first... my... flanks and wings start bleeding. Really badly. It just won’t stop... Then, I suddenly catch on fire. I burn, but don’t incinerate. I just... burn... outside and inside... it seems all so real each time... and it hurts so much. I never thought I could feel pain like that in my dreams... And... and then...”

Rainbow paused anew, turning towards Obsidian. She started shaking again. Her pupils shrunk to tiny black beads and her ears dropped sideways. With a very shaky voice expressing her total fear, she finished her exposition.

“I see you! You’re coming towards me and kill me!”

Obsidian remained silent. He knew Rainbow Dash was very unstable right now. One bad movement from his side and she would completely freak out, breaking all the bonds they had so far. Obsidian sat there, not moving a muscle.

“When did that nightmare first appear?” he asked carefully.

“About two or three weeks before you came to Ponyville. Ever since then, I started having it more and more often. Now, I have it almost every third night...” she replied.

The reaper remained silent for several moments again. He needed to be careful what he said and did now. Then, he thought of how to go on.

“I see now why you do not trust me. I would not be able to find trust in a person like me myself if I had such dreams,” he stated.

Rainbow Dash was still shaking. She held Tank tightly, afraid of what might happen next.

“There is very little I can do to prove I mean you no harm and that this dream will never come true. It is a mere fact that I am a professional state killer. I am not going to try and convince you otherwise. But-” he started, reaching into his cloak.

This only made Rainbow Dash even more nervous. Though she soon relaxed again as Obsidian’s hoof returned, presenting a strange, head-size object. It was a large ring through which a lapis lazuli colored string has been woven to look like something similar to a spider web. It was decorated with feathers and had three long cords hanging from it, which had small gems at the end. The gem at the middle cord looked similar to an eye.

“-I still hope you accept this gift,” the reaper finished.

“What is that?” the athletic mare asked.

“This object is called a dreamcatcher. It is a magical artifact that can filter dreams and nightmares. While good dreams pass through it easily, nightmares get stuck in it. They are forced to abide in the dreamcatcher until the morning arrives. Then, the first sunbeams that fall through it destroy the nightmares. As long as you sleep nearby this dreamcatcher, you will never have this nightmare again,” Obsidian explained.

He then placed the dreamcatcher on the table in front of them. Rainbow Dash examined it for a moment. Then she looked back at Obsidian.

“You are absolutely sure this works?” she asked. The reaper nodded.

“You do not have to accept it or use it. It simply is a gift. Mistress Celestia ordered me to protect you and your friends. That not only means on a physical, but also on a mental level. It is up to you if you believe me or not,” he stated.

The black stallion stood up after he was done speaking and headed towards the door. Rainbow Dash was wavering like never before. On the one hoof, there was this extremely alarming nightmare that clearly told her to not trust Obsidian. On the other hoof, he really just wanted to help and already had done a lot to protect her and her friends. Their whole conversation just now seemed very convincing. Obsidian was not hiding anything from her. He did not hesitate saying that he really is dangerous and he did not lie about anything.

“Wait please,” she finally spoke, just before the black stallion reached the door. He turned around.

“You’re really not a bad guy, aren’t you?” she asked with a lot of hesitation.

“You are wrong, Rainbow Dash. I am a bad guy. I kill ponies. That is my task and I am not going to lie about it. As I said: it is up to you if you want to believe a killer like me or not,” Obsidian replied.

Again a moment of silence passed. Then, Rainbow made up her mind.

“Well I do believe you. You are trying so hard to just be here for us. You are around every day and night. Heck, I don’t even know where I might have ended up if I hadn’t talked to you about this nightmare... You were right, Obsidian. I already do feel better now that I’ve talked about it. Thanks,” she spoke.

The black stallion bowed down before her.

“It is I who has to be grateful for being accepted for what I am. I have to say, it is very rare for me to have such an experience. Reapers have a lot of hate on them. I suppose you still remember the night my identity was revealed?” he reminded, causing Rainbow to scratch the back of her head and look at him with an a bit awkward expression.

“Yeah... I led the whole thing... come to think of it, I was acting pretty stupid all the time. Everypony accepted you as what you are and I was the only one who still had problems... because of some stupid nightmare. Just think about it: the great and brave Rainbow Dash, the only one afraid of the most friendly reaper ever,” she summarized.

“You are exaggerating, Rainbow,” the black stallion replied.

The blue Pegasus smiled at him.

“But it’s right. I should have known better,” she said.

Then she looked over to the dreamcatcher and picked it up.

“Well, if you’re so sure this thing here works, I will test it out right away. Thank you, O. You have no idea how much this means to me,” Rainbow Dash thanked.

“Nothing to speak of. By the way: it seems like we both had our preconceptions,” Obsidian added.

“Huh? What preconceptions did you have against me?” Dash wondered in confusion.

The black stallion slowly walked over to her again and pointed at Tank, who by now fell asleep.

“I would not have expected you to be the kind of pony to have a tortoise as a pet,” he answered.

Rainbow Dash had to fighting back a loud laugh, for the sakes of not waking up Tank, and chuckled instead.

“Yeah, yeah. Since I adopted this little fella, I get to hear that all the time,” she explained.

Obsidian turned around again and headed to the door.

“I appreciate your trust, Rainbow. I am glad we could talk this out. Do not worry. I will keep this nightmare a secret. Now, I suppose you want to get some rest. Good night,” he spoke.

“Well, yeah. Valētō, Obsidian,” she replied.

Obsidian stopped and turned his head to her one last time.

“Valē, Rainbow. Valētō means 'farewell forever',” he corrected.

“Oops! Sorry!” Rainbow apologized.

“Unless you really want to not see me again...” the reaper spoke.

“No, no. Hope to see you tomorrow. Again, thank you a lot for tonight. I have the feeling everything can only get better now. Valē!” Rainbow finished.

Obsidian bowed down and left the cloud house. On his flight back to Fluttershy’s cottage, he reflected back on the night. It turned out better than he expected. Rainbow had no idea Obsidian crafted the dreamcatcher and filled it with many powerful curses, which all combined in this way lead to only one, but very strong effect: robbing her from an ability she was not aware she had.

Now, all that was left to do is wait. Let time pass by and intensify the friendships he built up with the keepers of harmony. Until those two specific dates in his book of death have arrived and he could finish the mission Mistress Celestia gave him.

---

The days went on in Ponyville. All eventless, besides Rainbow now being able to sleep much better and be fearless again. But while nothing happened in Ponyville, a very specific mare in Canterlot was breaking with her past.

She lived in the school for gifted unicorns and was busy burning everything that reminded her of the last few years. Maps, notes, gifts never handed out, letters and pictures. She held the last photo in her hooves, sitting in front of the chimney fire. It was a picture featuring her and Twilight Sparkle.

The only one she ever had with both of them together. It was her favorite picture and it was the hardest for her to let go of. This photo was the last string that connected her with Twilight. But the purple mare was gone for years now. It had no use. She had to face she will never see Twilight again.

Tears ran down her face as she dropped the photo into the flames and painfully watched as it turned to ash. She cried so many times already. But this time, they were tears of relief.

Suddenly, a small magic flame entered her room and turned into a dark blue ticket that landed in her front hooves. The mare gladly accepted this distraction, since she no longer wanted to think of Twilight anymore. So she began to read:

Official entry-ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala Midnight Masquerade