The Descent
Chapter 6: Harmony v Death (part II)
Previous ChapterAuthor's note: I know some of you my or may not be wondering what time this takes place, etc, so it takes place approx. 3 years after Luna Eclipsed. Fluttershy had upgraded from a cottage to a tree (More room for birds and other critters). Twilight upgraded the library so it has around two or more floors (underground). The ruins of the old castle are just that, ruins. Only walls are up, no more ceiling, save for the main chamber.
Thanks for reading this far, and I AM looking for people to help give me ideas to add on to the story, as well as proofread. Send me a message for either and I'll see if i can get it added. An example of idea's entering the fic, is the exact following when one of my friends said "Wouldn't it be cool if.." Save for the ending, which I had in the original.
Also to grammar Nazi's: first fic.. don't kill me with bashing please.
Also on third chapter to those who missed it
"Well, my sister, what brings the pleasure of you coming here?" Death asked, grinning.
"Oh you know, stopping my brother because he was found out to early."
Death laughed coldly and loudly, "My dear sister, you need to listen to the future sometimes. It will let you know when to do what. Plus I know the reason I was given this body, was because of unfinished business."
"Regardless. You have to abide by the rul-"
"I don't have to abide by anything, not even you." Death interrupted, his voice becoming cold. "And if you want to fight about it be my guest. I know War has taught you how to fight, and I have seen you two spar."
Peace was visibly shaken about Death's lack of respect for the rules they had created at the beginning of their consciousnesses. Peace narrowed her eyes. "I accept your challenge. Where do you propose we start?"
Death thought for a moment, and replied, "Middle of the forest. Mark twenty-five rule set."
"Fine. Lead the way."
Death started to walk off to the exit, with Peace following him. He heard the steps of the six ponies following as well. They are in for a very quick fight, Death chuckled to himself. After about ten minutes of walking they all stopped in a clearing. Death turned around to see Peace glowing softly, gradually turning brighter.
He looked to the six ponies about ten feet away. "You fillies are better off about thirty miles away. But since the rules of immortal engagements don't apply to puppets versus immortals, your fine at the edge of the clearing. I advise you sprint there now."
Waiting the couple of moments it took for them to get to the edge of the clearing, Peace was glowing brightly. Death smiled, as the dark of the forest engulfed him momentarily. He felt the body of his puppet growing painlessly. Legs elongating, body becoming larger, neck and head following in right proportions.
The dark sphere around him dispersed for a second, showing a cloaked pony about the size of Celestia. The sphere engulfed it again, and shot across the field, depositing the cloaked figure on the ground about one hundred yards away. Peace's glow intensified until she was almost pure white. Then she launched herself at him, her wings not even moving as her body formed into a rainbow.
Death was ready. The dark sphere reformed by his side. He lifted a hoof as a scythe pulled itself out of the shadows, levitated by a black aura. He did not move until the rainbow as mere feet from him. His hoof shot forward, as did the scythe, mirroring his moves, and sliced at the rainbow. The rainbow moved effortlessly, jumping off the ground and off the blade of the scythe, shooting off into the air. It turned two ninety degree angles, coming up behind Death. The sphere of darkness moved up behind him, and elongated into (what words best describe as) a wall of black shadows.
The rainbow hit it, and was stuck in the battle of inertia. Her horn slowly making its way through with a soft sizzle of the shadows evaporating, excruciatingly slowly. Death turned around slowly, prepping the scythe for the incapacitating blow to the horn. As the scythe was slung down upon the horn, purple and blueish aura encircled the scythe, stopping it a centimeter away from the horn. Death pushed down, and the others fought back. He found his scythe slowly turning to him, and rushing up at him. Taking a jump back he looked to the side of the clearing, to two certain unicorns deep in concentration and magic.
He sighed, as the dark wall fell, and the horn of Peace entered his chest with blazing agony. His... Well.. Solar's body felt pain beyond that any normal pony could feel. Solar (who had been cornered by Death's mind for the past while) went into an instant state of shock, giving up any and all resistance. Death looked down slowly, at the half rainbow half alicorn body, and took a hold of its head. He started to slowly push it out of him, even though she was using as much force as possible to keep pushing.
Finally after a couple of minutes of fighting against the rainbow/alicorn, he finally got the horn out of his body. Death jumped to his left and let go, the rainbow zooming past him, and then coming back around. He wasn't concerned about Peace, he was worried about his scythe, which was spinning its way to him. He opened up his wings, and launched himself into the air. With a couple of powerful flaps of his wings, he was well above the ground at a comfy fifty feet, and rising. Peace ninety-degree-angled again, heading straight up to him. Death was smiling widely, about to something he had done only a few times before.
As Peace neared, the smile grew bigger. She was right on him now, and that's when he did it. He froze time. Peace slowed to a complete and utter stop, the scythe was frozen in the air, the six ponies were frozen, all but the purple unicorn, looking up in total awe. Death, however, could move freely. If there is one thing I like about being 'Father Time' it's that...
Death took a look around him, flapping his wings every so often. His gaze moved to the frozen-in-mid-bounce pink pony. He know he saw worry in her eyes, but she was in the middle of saying something. His gut tells him it was a story of some sort.
He looked back to Peace, and grabbed her horn again, only this time he angled her entire head to the ground. Nighty night. He flew his way over to the six ponies, and landed next to the mid bounce Pinkie Pie. Time began again, slowly at first then back to normal in a second. All Death saw was the rainbow fly directly into the ground, causing a huge shock-wave through the area, as well as Pinkie finishing her story "- Oatmeal are you CRAZY!?"
Death stood there without moving at all, though the oatmeal thing made him kind of worried about Pinkie's sanity... If such a thing existed. A multicolored alicorn slowly picked itself off the ground, and limped it's way to the group. "Okay fine...But.. Pray tell what you are going to do while you're here... What is your plan, Death?"
Solar was finally coming back from the shock of having a horn in his chest, but wasn't able to catch what Death whispered to Peace, and all he got was,"So will you finally let me have my peace of mind and heart?"
She was hesitant, and took Death a couple of steps away, so any whispers cannot be over heard. "Twilight... Would you join us please...?"
The purple unicorn slowly made her way to the two, standing next to Peace, her eyes not leaving Death's. Death used the whisper that Solar had always heard in his dreams.
You...Do not trust me?
"I don't. Your evil." The purple unicorn responded.
Tell me... Did you read that? I tend to be antagonized by history and books, even though death is as natural as life. Both the good and bad die at the ends of their stories. The only one's immune to me are the Alicorns...I'm not as bad as you think, young one.
"Prove it."
Your friend Solar is still alive. By now the body would be but a shell of its former self, and only I would be here. Me and him struck a deal, and thus he lives, inside of the body with me. It's like... A bi-polar personality disorder... To the extremes.
"Then let me speak with him."
Death handed full control over to Solar, and receded to the back of the mind, monitoring every word spoken and heard.
"He's telling the truth." Solar said, completely over the shock of being impaled. Twilight looked up to Peace for confirmation, who nodded to her.
"What does he want?" Twilight asked
"To say sorry to Celestia and Luna."
"Why?"
"I believe I already told you.. He pretty much told Luna how alone the night is... And by accident, turned her against Celestia. Isn't that reason enough?"
"What'll happen then?"
"They will either accept his apology, or banish me and him from Equestria forever. Preferably the former."
"How do you know this?"
"Death..." He hesitated, looking for the right words. "Can see things. Any major happening or disaster he knows about, but not the smaller things, like this."
"Why were the two of you at the ruins?"
"He wanted to know more about their life so he could at least get to know them better.
"Can't he see what they say?"
"He doesn't know about the future if it involves himself in a mortal body."
He could see the gears in Twilight's head grinding, thinking hard and long. After a few minutes,"And if i do somehow get him to Canterlot to talk with the princesses?"
"He..." Solar answered hesitantly, not wanting to say the next part. Death took over once again and whispered so only she and Peace could hear,
Grant you immortality. Knowledge. Wisdom. Anything your heart desires. But you only get to choose one.