“...my child...bearer of power...agent...of...death...” said a booming voice.

There was only silence in return.

“... did...you...complete...the task...I have assigned you?”

A hooded figure stepped out of the shadows, walking on four legs, the clip-clop of his hooves barely making a sound on the cobalt floor. Black robes covered his fit, slim body, and clouds of ash swirled around the mysterious pony. A tattered black hood covered his face, shrouding it in darkness, and a huge scythe hung from his back, its wicked blade adorned with runes and inscriptions. Two huge, pale eyes stared unblinking out of the hood, made of pure yellow light as bright as the sun yet carrying none of its warmth. Instead, only the cool touch of death and rest circled around the hooded stallion, and shadows twisted and warped around his eternally devastated body. He ripped off his hood, revealing his twisted face, a swirling cloud of ash that formed a semblance to a pony’s head but flickered in and out of shape, as if indecisive about whether to be a stallion, a mare, a filly, or an amorphous cloud of dust and debris. His eyes stood out from his ashen form, for they looked solid on the dust storm, and were static in their position in comparison to the rest of his face.

The cloaked pony walked to the end of the cobalt walkway, without uttering a single world. He waited for a while, watching the darkness move around him, until suddenly in the shadows before him, two pairs of glowing red eyes opened, staring at the pony. Wordlessly he reached into his robe, pulling out a chest adorned with gems and jewels, and upholstered with a rich royal blue. He reached his hoof (or cloud of ash in the shape of a hoof) towards the keyhole, and his walking appendage shape-shifted into something that resembled a key. He inserted this falsification of a key into the slot, turned it for a bit, and opened the chest.

The blood-red eyes watched the ashen pony take something out of the chest. They caught the glimmer of gold and gems shining in the pony’s ambient light. They watched the pony take six pieces of jewelry out of the extensively decorated box, before placing them on the cobalt walkway at the very edge of the platform. The eyes watched the jewels as they flickered with reflective light, the pony’s aura of light bouncing into the blood-red pupils. Then, slowly, a dark tendril extended from the shadows, and grasped the necklaces in a tight coil. The red eyes examined the jewels for a bit longer, the ashen pony motionless, as if waiting for a response from the creature that surely dwelled beyond the shadows at the platform’s edge.

“...so...you have brought them to me...well done... Reaper...”

“Thank you, my lord.” said the ashen pony, his voice as scattered and rough as the dust that made up his corporeal form.

“...and...now...I...think it’s time...I...fulfilled my...side...of the bargain.”

A roar echoed through the cavern. There were the sounds of an ancient maw being opened, and a spark of light as black dragon’s-fire burst forth from invisible points in the darkness. The ashen pony covered his face with his shapeless leg, the ash doing little to block the massive heat. Even from this distance, the pony could feel the fire on his amorphous form, feeling as if the radiant heat from the dragonfire alone was enough to burn him totally and completely, fully reduce him to nothingness and destroy his soul. For the black dragonflame of annihilation burned before him, and it covered the six pieces of jewelry whole. Golden metal became silver, silver melted into featureless grey iron. Intricate carvings completely disappeared, being replaced by long segments of plain silver metal. Once colorful and vibrant gems became devoid of color, turning a featureless white, before shifting to a monotone grey as they remained in the dragon’s flame. Deep laughter echoed around, two voices laughing at different intervals, one young, one old. They laughed as the dragon’s flame enveloped the gems whole, and with one last great puff of black fire, released the necklaces from the tendril’s crushing embrace and threw them haphazardly onto the cobalt walkway.

“...It...is...done... you...you...may leave...”

The ashen pony forged a horn out of ash on his flickering forehead, the horn itself twisting in on itself and fluctuating just as the rest of his body did. A black magical aura glowed around the horn, and the magic reached out to the necklaces, and picked them up off the floor. He carefully stored them in the chest, the color fading away from the royal blue container as the decimated pieces were placed inside. The ashen pony bowed to the red eyes, picked up his chest, turned and left, his ambient light illuminating the path in front of him as he walked down the cobalt pathway, as silent as can be. The red eyes watched the light as it moved, slowly at first, then faster as time passed. The blood-red pupils closed once the light was gone, and the true darkness returned.

Soon, the loud, echoing sound of deep breathing rippled through the chamber.

Saaroklir slept...

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...and so did Celestia.

The princess of the sun snored away in her bed, the balcony doors open, the wind blowing through. The massive ceiling of the sky shone in on the bedchamber, the glass roof allowing a perfect view of countless points in the endless drape that covered the once-blue dome. Celestia lay in her bed below, the light of the sky shining on her. It did little to wake the tired princess, for her day had been long, filled with anticipation and fear. Her guards had all long gone, and only a veteran squadron stayed behind, captained by her nephew-in-law, Shining Armor. His footsteps clanked outside the golden door, the brawny unicorn pacing back and forth as he carefully watched the hallway that lead to the bedchamber. He clutched his spear tightly in his hoof, his attentive eyes squinting down the corridor. Eying a tiny black dot on the wall, he fired a pulse of lightning from his horn, elementary offensive magic that required little exertion to master. He zapped the fly with arcane electricity, a deadly accurate blast that sent the roasted corpse of the fly plummeting to the ground. He too, was jumpy and nervous, the heist that was discovered today affecting him deeply too.

For the Elements of Harmony had been pilfered, the very chest they were held in stolen from a locked room that only Celestia’s horn could open. Someone had nabbed them from under everypony’s nose, without so much as a sign as to where he went (or what he was). And this was why, when a cloaked pony appeared in the hallway and began walking towards the bedchamber, did Shining Armor lower his spear and shout “HALT!”

The cloaked pony did not stop, her cloak rippling as her powerful legs carried her along, cloth-muffled hoofsteps echoing across the hallway. A long, colorful scarf lay coiled around her neck, the bright reds and blues in direct contrast to the pony’s monotonous color scheme. Shining Armor lowed his horn, and sparks of lightning began to escape it.

The pony finally stopped, obviously intimidated by the electricity. Shining Armor raised his spear, but continued to point his horn at the mysterious pony, ready to zap her with his magical bug zapper should she get too close. Then he noticed her long, winding horn, her tattered grey cloak, her equally grey body, and the massive spear she carried on her back. The blade of the weapon was split in the middle, forming two distinct blades with a small gap in the middle. Vine-like growths wrapped around the blade, holding it to a long wooden handle made of black ebony, and a small red ball was wrapped in vines at the other end. Magical energy surged through the pony, and the force of the power was enough for Shining Armor to lose his concentration and accidentally discharge the arcane lightning.

zzZAp!

As Shining Armor held up his hoof and shouted in surprise, the grey unicorn did nothing but raise a hoof. She did not duck, nor attempt to move. Shining Armor watched as the electrical bolt redirected into her hoof, forming a tiny ball of swirling magic. She then simply tossed the ball over her shoulder, the blue sphere shrinking as it bounced about on the ground, until it finally disappeared.

Shining Armor breathed a sigh of relief. Behind the golden doors, the snores of the Princess began to grow louder, a sign of her entrance to the dream world. Twisting and turning sounds came from the bedroom, the princess thrashing about as she experienced her nightmare.

“Trying to electrocute me with a bug-zapping spell is a waste of my time.” said the grey unicorn at last, with a raspy, grandma-like voice.

“Huh?” said Shining Armor.

“No, nevermind. I was just wondering how a pony like you could be Captain of the Equestrian Royal Guard, Canterlot division, when you cannot cast a simple bolt of Chain Lightning. Back in my day, they taught us how to fire offensive electricity in unicorn kindergarten.”

“I-I was never taught how.” said Shining Armor. “They don’t teach us how to cast offensive spells anymore. That bug zapper was just something I found in an old textbook in the Royal Library.”

“Pity. Remind me to teach you that sometime. Now step aside. I have business with the Princess.”

“The Princess is sleeping.” said Shining Armor in a more guard-like tone. “She is not to be disturbed while having rest.”

“Hahaha, oh, what fun! A pitiful excuse for a pitiful battlemage such as yourself. Hydrus should never have passed on his pacifist genes! Oh, Shining Armor, you remind me of my husband, Aries. Always pitiful excuses with him. Oh, just getting a sandwich, oh, just sharpening the family sword. Please. Why don’t you just tell me the truth and say the Elements were stolen and that Celestia is dealing with some stress?”

“Ho-how did you...” blubbered Shining Armor.

“What? Know your name? Or know that the Elements were stolen? Of course I know your name. We’re family, just you’re a huge bit further down the line. As for the Elements, well, I believe one of your guards... told me.. on the way here. You know that Flash Sentry. Talkative one, is he.”

“Remember your little speech about pitiful excuses?”

“Yi-ah-ha.” said the grey unicorn.

“You just made a few yourself.”

“Did I? We are family, Shining Armor. I’m surprised you didn’t recognize your thirty-three generations-old great-great grandma Candice.”

“Not about the family. Flash Sentry’s in Ponyville now. He’s isn’t here. The only ponies are the sniper mares on the rooftops and the... veterans... in the entrance...oh, now I’ve told you too much!”

“Oh, not to worry. I’m not here to kill anypony, mind you. Just to see my eldest daughter. And please. I’m your thirty-three generations-old great-great-grandma. At the very least call me Candice. You should treat your family members better, maybe bake a few cookies with that bug zapper instead of pointing it at someone.”

“You’re not my grandma.” said Shining Armor.

“Am too. I have the star of the Sparkles on my flank.”

“Really? Would you mind proving that?”

“You really want to see an old lady strip naked?”

“We usually go around in the buff, remember.”

“Heh... the indecent younger generations these days. Fine. So be it.”

The grey unicorn flung off her grey cloak, the staff flying away with it. The cloak revealed more of her gray, colorless skin, the monotonous skin sharing the same color as the cloak. She did not kick off her cloth hoofwraps, nor did she remove her scarf. Her mane, however, was pulled out of the cloak’s hood, revealing a navy blue and red mop of straight hair ending in a straight-cut bang above her forehead. Her tail carried the same color, and was styled much the same way, but shorter. Folded wings pressed tightly against her body, and they were barely noticeable when she was wearing her cloak. Her horn was longer than most, and a golden bracer gripped it, with no decoration save for a single sky-blue sapphire embedded in the center, facing the ceiling. She looked a lot like Twilight, just recolored and with...wings. She indeed carried the six-pointed Star of the Sparkle on her flank, but instead of being pink it was a bright yellow, flanked on both sides by white wings, with a shield behind it like Shining Armor’s. But it wasn’t the mane, nor her appearance, nor the mark that caught Shining Armor’s attention. It was the fact that when you stared into her bright lavender eyes, in her pupils you could see a faint pink star: the same star that Shining Armor, his sister, and his mother carried on their flanks. He had only seen the star in four other ponies’ eyes. The Princesses carried them, as did his wife, Cadence. And... and... her. The shapeshifter queen who had taken over his mind and tried to marry him. Never before had he seen the star in anypony else. The presence of the star in Candice’s eyes startled him.

“Wh-what... who... are you?”

“Queen Candice, at your service.” said the gray alicorn. She did a little bow.

“And what... exactly... do you want?”

“Seriously? Do we have to go through this again? All I want is to talk to my daughter, who needs no rest nor sleep! Now, my child, please take me to her. I am beginning to lose my patience.”

“Oh...um...okay...” responded Shining Armor. He turned around and opened the golden doors behind him. He stretched out a leg, pointing into the darkness that lay behind it.

“That’s a good lad.” said Candice. “Remind me to show you the Chain Lightning spell once I’m finished with the conversation.”

All Shining Armor could do was nod as the gray mare walked into the dark room, cloak and spear back on her.

Candice peered around the dark room, taking in the massive glass roof, the four-poster bed, the open balcony door. She quietly walked to the door, her hoofwraps keeping her absolutely silent. Not that she needed to be. Her daughter was an immortal god, remember, and missing a few minutes of sleep meant nothing to her. Not that she needed sleep, anyway. As Candice closed the balcony door, she heard somepony getting out of the bed behind her. She whipped around, unsheathing her spear and pointing the glowing red ball at the Princess of the Sun. But after Candice saw that it was indeed Celestia that stood before her, she dropped her spear onto the ground and held out her front legs as Celestia ran to her.

“Mother.” she said as her hooves wrapped around Candice’s neck.

“My eldest little pony.” said Candice.

The two alicorns held the embrace for a while longer before they separated.

“My daughter.” said Candice. “I am so happy to see you again. I thought... I thought I had...ended you.”

“Whatever do you mean?” responded Celestia.

“I... I’m sorry I have to tell you this now. I sincerely do. I... was at the wedding. I... almost... got married.”

“You... you were Chrysalis?”

“Yes. It was a similar name. It fit my corrupt form quite well. Too bad I couldn’t control myself after it attached to me. I... I didn’t know how to stop myself. I... grew... hooked on love... as ponies get hooked on a drug.”

“So... you were cured.”

“Yes. The love explosion. It blasted away the darkness when I landed. I defeated swathes of changelings and retrieved Bladecaster from my former inner sanctum.” Candice rubbed her spear affectionately. “But apologizing was only part of the reason I have woken you, my daughter. I am also here... to warn you.”

“Warn me? About what?”

“As you and I both know, the Elements were stolen.”

“Yes.” said Celestia. “Go on, mother.”

“Yes, yes child. Don’t push me. I know who stole them. In fact, I was a part of his plan. We allied together. I would help him steal the Elements with my changeling army, and he would cure me of the darkness. I’m still debating whether or not he kept his side of the bargain.”

“And? Who is this pony that has stolen the Elements of Harmony?”

“You may know him. You...you and your sister... did away with him... centuries ago.”

“You...you mean...”

“Yes. The Reaper. He has returned.”

“Galactica save us all.” said Celestia.

The stars themselves seemed to shimmer at the Princess of the Sun’s majestic voice...

Celestia turned around to face Shining Armor, who had been standing silently in the doorway.

“Send word to your sister.” she said. “And her friends. Tell them to meet me here now.”

Shining Armor nodded and ran off, ready to catch the Late, Late Train going anywhere.

When Celestia turned around, Candice was gone. The balcony doors were open again. Celestia turned her head up to the stars, her eyes open...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...and the Reaper could not see the stars, for his telescope was pointed elsewhere. He looked down the magnifying lens of his microscope, peering at one of the Elements of Harmony under its scrutinizing gaze. His ashen form did nothing to help his observation, and particles of dust kept getting on the lens. After brushing off the ash for the umpteenth time, the Reaper finally gave up and threw the microscope off the table it stood on. It disintegrated into ash and flew back into the vortex of dust that made up the only corporeal form of the Marcher of Death. He floated over to the mirror that hung on the wall, staring at his reflection even as ash covered the glass. He stared into his own eyes for a moment, before walking back to the table and picking up the Element. As he went to put it away, his ashen reflection stared back at him from the mirror, his dark black eyes watching himself open the chest and place the Element inside. Five other Elements twinkled inside, the Reaper’s ambient light reflecting off them before he shut the chest and they were bathed in darkness again. His cold black eyes stared as he floated to a corner where an upright coffin lay. As he lowered himself into the coffin, the black eyes in the mirror twinkled for just a second, and then lay still as the ash cloud stopped its movement, falling to the ground in a wave of dust. The shine of a tiny pink six-pointed star remained in the pupils that slowly faded from the mirror. Two round pieces of obsidian lay in the ash pile, two tiny pink stars etched onto their surface.

The Reaper’s ambient light went out, and everything lay silent.

Then, something happened. Hoofsteps, echoing from above. Somepony was near. A loud cloppity-clop filled the dark room, and the sound of a distinct Wild West accent accompanied it. A brash, condescending shout answered it. The obsidian moved in the ash pile, the stars turning to face the stone ceiling of the room. More hoofsteps came with more voices, each distinct and vibrant. One was peppy and bright, and was accompanied by rhythmic bangs. as a pony jumped up and down. Another was small and weak, barely able to be heard but still existent, and the corresponding hoofsteps equally silent. There was a large rustling sound, and the crisp, clean sound of unfolding fabric as a tent was set up. A jingle of bells accompanied the sound, and the scraping noise of something metallic scratching stone. A whining voice followed, complaining about some sort of “horrible disaster”. And then, a final, sixth sound. A logician's voice, it was smooth and swift, explaining and contradicting with every breath.

The ash pile began to quiver.

“Ah. So... I ... can start the party...”