Death's Stolen Diamonds

by Monochromatic

First published 11th of January, 2016

It was widely known that neither the Goddess of Life nor the Goddess of Death could interfere with each others realms. But, on the terrible day the Goddess of Life decided to save a single soul from death, another soul paid the terrible price.

Two alicorn sisters ruled over life and death. The Goddess of Life was of a beauty as passionate and vibrant as the life she brought forth in every creature. The Goddess of Death was of a beauty as calm and peaceful as the peace she brought upon creatures when their time had come.

It was widely known that neither one could interfere with each others realms. But, the day the Goddess of Life saved a single soul from the reaper's hoof, another soul paid the terrible price.

Prologue

A lone cloaked figure sat in the middle of the universe’s largest courtroom, awaiting judgement for the worst of crimes.

Two Emissaries of the Goddess of Life were standing on the right side of the court, their heads held high and their eyes fixed on the pony in the center.

Two Emissaries of the Goddess of Death were standing on the left side of the court, their bodies hidden by their black cloaks. Their hood was not on, allowing all to see their bowed heads and the blue blindfolds covering their eyes.

In front of the room, sitting on their thrones, were the Goddess of Life and the Goddess of Death; the former’s head was held high, the latter’s was bowed down.

The courtroom had no walls; it went on and on, in pitch-black darkness, for as long as it was needed. There were no benches either, for the dead needed not sit.

Circling the ponies and the courtroom were the souls of the long-dead, their essences represented as millions upon millions of multicolored translucent teardrops. To count how many there were would take an eternity, but all that mattered was that each and every one was victim to the worst crime in the universe.

The Goddess of Death stood up, head still bowed. A scythe appeared next to her, and only then did she rise her head, at the same time as the Goddess of Life bowed hers and looked away.

“The Trial of The Realms begins…!”

She paused, and her ears lowered.

“...Now.”

Somewhere far away, inside a castle high above the clouds, a lavender unicorn’s eyes fluttered open, taking in the light after having danced in hooves of darkness incarnate. She sat up on the bed, and looked around to find herself in a beautiful garden.

What a beautiful place, she thought, at the same time as, inside the courtroom, the one who’d offered her the chance to gaze at such a place now rose to stand trial.

Chapter 1 - Celestia

Two alicorn sisters ruled over life and death, two sides of a coin as close yet distant as night and day itself.

The Goddess of Life, named after the sun that shone over the land, was of a beauty as passionate and vibrant as the life she brought forth in every creature.

The Goddess of Death, named after the moon that covered the land, was of a beauty as calm and peaceful as the peace she brought upon creatures when their time had come.

But, not every soul in the land was peacefully reaped. While so many sought to live eternal, the Goddess of Death painfully knew that no creature sought to ever meet her, and as such, her temperament could be as fierce as the temperament of those who struggled in their last moments.

Death was inevitable.

The Goddess of Death did not chose when it came, and she mourned for those that entered the Lower Realm too soon, but she never relented and never offered second chances.

The Goddess of Life knew this, and the resentment her sister held towards her was enough for her to never interfere, even if it pained her to the very core to see her beloved ponies perish.

All was well for millennia upon millennia, until the terrible day the Goddess of Life decided to save one of her own creations.

“Your Grace, Celestia!”

Sitting atop her throne, Celestia looked out into the vast garden of her castle high above the clouds in the High Realm. She gazed at all her creations, ponies and otherwise, of very young ages, running across her heavenly kingdom, all waiting for the moment in which they’d arrive to the land below the clouds.

Celestia treasured them dearly, for she knew very well that once they left, they would never be coming back to her kingdom. They would live a life filled with joy, sadness, love, heartbreak, and eventually, they would descend into her sister’s realm — never to be seen again by her.

“Your Grace?

Celestia looked around and saw a pink mare — the only adult in the entire garden save for the Goddess herself. “Ah. Pinkie Pie.”

Eons ago, when there was nothing, Celestia had created three living being to assist her as Emissaries of Life, among them two mares. Two mares who would never know of the wonders of life, but would instead know of the wonders of giving life.

Pinkie Pie had been created as a being of joy and laughter because, ultimately, Celestia thought these were the elements of a fulfilling life — and more than that, elements that would lead to a peaceful death.

“Are you okay?” Pinkie Pie asked, her brow furrowing with concern. “You look a teeny bit not-okay…”

Celestia smiled, when indeed, she was not fine. “It’s nothing to be concerned about, Pinkie. I suppose my head is up in the clouds today,” she reassured, winking and adding, “And quite literally, in fact.”

Pinkie giggled. “Oki-doki-loki!” she exclaimed, before trotting off with the usual spring back in her step.

Her emissary at ease, Celestia looked back to the garden, taking another deep breath. Her other emissary had been sent on a reconnaissance mission, and it would not be merely an expression to say that the results terrified her of, not to, death.

Celestia lifted her hoof, and after a simple gesture, a haze of white smoke rose from the ground, dispersing and then reuniting to form a thick cloud in front of her. A moment later, a spark of magic shot out from her horn, and an image appeared on the cloud; a screen for her to see beyond her castle.

She usually reserved it for gazing into the land below, but sometimes…

On the screen appeared a garden similar to the one where she was, save for the fact that a beautiful starry night covered the garden and its blue castle. Though she’d never told her so, Celestia was impressed by Luna’s ability to constantly maintain such an illusion over her castle.

Creatures of all kinds and ages made their way through the beautiful garden, looking so at peace and so content. Celestia recognized them all, of course, and it was probably because of that same reason that she never looked to her sister’s realm very often. Though she was happy that the Lower Realm was a very peaceful and happy place for them, it… it saddened her terribly that they were there to begin with.

She heard laughter suddenly, and several foals appeared on screen, laughing as they were being chased by puppies and kittens. Celestia closed her eyes, taking a very deep breath. Death is inevitable, she reminded herself, I cannot intervene. This had become her mantra whenever a soul was taken too soon. A way to remind herself that there was nothing to be done except hope they truly would be going to a better place.

Laughter.

Celestia opened her eyes, and there was a familiar yellow mare with the foals and animals. Though she wore her usual cloak, the hood was not over her head and so was the usual blindfold missing from her face.

Just like Celestia had hers, so did Luna have emissaries of death. Three in fact, which Celestia had allowed considering Luna’s task required more than just two ponies. There was also the fact that, unlike Celestia, Luna had not created hers. For many long years, the Goddess of Death had been alone in her terrible task of reaping souls, until she found souls willing to help her in the duties.

Fluttershy had been the first to be selected, and Celestia had been reluctant about it. She had created Fluttershy to be kind to everything and everypony, and when she expressed her disdain at the pegasus taking on such a grim task, it was Luna herself who reminded her that life is precious, and a very earnest kindness is needed upon taking it — and more than that, help the soul transition peacefully.

Moments later, the foals disposition changed from gleeful to fearful, several of them suddenly grouping around Fluttershy, almost as if wanting to use her as shield of sorts. Celestia frowned, seeing nothing scary in the vicinity, and her heart dropped when she saw her sister step into view, looking… sad by the reception.

Though Celestia knew the Goddess of Death to be kind, it was harsh to see for herself the fear ponies regarded her with. Even Fluttershy herself seemed to try and appease them, bowing down and trying to nudge them towards the young Goddess. However, when this resulted in the foals trying even harder to use the pegasus as a shield, Luna stepped back, like a forlorn filly shunned by all.

With Fluttershy busy calming the foals, neither she nor them noticed the third mare stepping into view. Like Fluttershy, she too was wearing her cloak, with the exception of having the hood still on, thus clouding her face from view. Nevertheless, Celestia clearly recognized the purple tail peeking from under the cloak.

Rarity, in life, had been an exceptional seamstress, as well as an undisputed beauty. It was said — and Celestia knew — that the mare could make stallions and mares alike fall under her whims as easily as she could make the most extravagant and elegant of dresses and suits. But more than that, and it was something Celestia had prided herself with, was that Rarity held within her a generosity that was unmatched.

And, it also hurt Celestia that it was this very same generosity that cost Rarity her life — too fast, too soon, just like Fluttershy.

Admittedly, Celestia didn’t know why Luna had chosen Rarity. Generosity was a trait that served better in life, not in death. She’d heard rumors of course, from the messengers who traveled back and forth both realms. But Celestia herself had never believed them, until… that very moment in which she saw Rarity snuggle up against Luna in a certainly non-platonic way.

Oh my…

For a moment, Celestia felt badly for spying in on such an event, but her curiosity got the best of her, as it always did.

She watched as the forlorn Luna leaned down to nuzzle with the unicorn, muttering something which Celestia assumed were complaints about her treatment by the foals. Rarity lifted her hoof, gently stroking Luna before leaning up to whisper something in her ear.

Immediately, Luna rose up, blinking at the unicorn with a frown, and even Celestia could make out the skeptical “really?” she mouthed to Rarity.

Rarity giggled and gestured for her to proceed with whatever she’d told Luna. Luna stared at her for some moments, still looking very much unconvinced, before looking back to the foals. A spark of magic shot out from her horn, and suddenly, a whole armada of fluffy-looking pillows appeared on the ground.

The foals stopped their cowering long enough to look back and forth between the bundle of pillows and the Goddess, just as confused as Celestia herself was. Another spark of magic, and suddenly, to the foals’s great delight, a very large blue slide appeared in front of them.

Celestia smiled. I see…

It didn’t take any encouragement from Fluttershy for them to rush towards the ladder, nearly breaking into an argument over who got to go first. One by one, they started to climb up, but more than looking at them, Celestia’s sight was set on her sister who looked absolutely ecstatic by the foals’ enthusiasm.

Once the foals had all gone down the slide and landed on the pillows, several of them went back for a second round, and others timidly made their way towards Luna, seemingly wanting to engage in hesitant conversation.

Rarity, seemingly pleased by this, detached herself from Luna and trotted over to Fluttershy. It wasn’t until she wasn’t looking anymore that Luna glanced down at the foals, gesturing for them to remain quiet, before allowing her horn to glow and, without warning, levitating Rarity into the air.

“L-Luna! Er, I mean, Y-Your Grace!” Rarity shrieked, helplessly trying to look towards the smirking Goddess and giggling foals. Her cape fell off, revealing the blue blindfold covering her eyes. “What are you doing?!”

Without replying, Luna levitated Rarity atop the pillows and unceremoniously dropped her, the unicorn landing face first. As Rarity struggled to get up from the pillows, Fluttershy trotted towards the foals and ushered them away, and Celestia was pleased to find several of them timidly waving goodbye to Luna, who perhaps waved them off a bit too eagerly.

Once they were gone, Luna trotted towards Rarity, who’d resigned herself to lying down on the pillows. Just as she’d reached Rarity, the unicorn used her magic to pull Luna down, laughing when the alicorn fell face first as she previously had. However, rather than scold Rarity, she leaned in to nuzzle her.

At that moment, Celestia decided she’d seen enough, and made a movement to disperse the clouds, but stopped when a curious thing happened. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Luna’s crown flashed, and the smile was wiped off Rarity and Luna’s face. Without hesitation, Luna lifted herself from the pillows, whereas Rarity seemed reluctant to do so.

Eventually, she did as Luna, stepping onto firm land. They shared a few words between them, and once they were done, Rarity readjusted the hood over her head.

A reaping! Celestia thought, her breath hitching and her heart nearly skipping a beat. She looked to her sides, searching for somepony, and when she looked back to her screen, she felt despair crawling up her heart. Please, Rainbow Dash… Hurry back…

Celestia couldn’t bear to watch further, and with a gesture, she quickly dispelled the clouds, closing her eyes and taking several deep breaths.

“Death is inevitable,” she whispered. “I cannot intervene.”

“Your Grace!” a familiar and dreaded voice called, and her tone of voice only made it harder for Celestia to think.

“Death is inevitable,” she whispered again, forcefully, trying to convince herself of her words. “I cannot intervene.”

“Your Grace,” the voice repeated yet again, and finally Celestia turned around to look at her second emissary, who seemed to be out of breath.

“Rainbow Dash,” she greeted, making sure that her voice did not betray her state of mind. “How is she?”

How is she, she asked, even though she’d never dreaded an answer more in her entire eternal life. How is she, she asked even though she feared the answer would hurt more than anything in a very long time. How is she, she asked, even though she felt the answer would compel her into breaking everything she and her sister had agreed on.

Rainbow Dash gulped down. “Well… I… Your Grace…” she stammered, looking very distressed, and that stammer told Celestia her answer.

It suited Rainbow Dash to be afraid to tell Celestia the truth. Her loyalty to the Goddess was unquestionable, and so she avoided to bring pain upon her. It was this loyalty that Celestia had instilled into the mare, and hoped would be instilled into the ponies themselves. Loyalty to life meant that ponies would fight for it until the very end, with every fibre of their being.

And still… though the hesitation told Celestia the answer...

She needed to hear it to believe it.

“Rainbow Dash.”

“It’s time, Y-Your Grace,” Rainbow Dash finally said, no doubt using every ounce of courage in her to do so. “I-I’m sorry, I… I don’t think she’s going to last long.”

Celestia looked away, letting out a deep breath.

She’d always known that it would happen, and yet even with that knowledge, she’d foolishly allowed herself to become entranced by one of her own creations. Ever since that day when she did the impossible, Celestia had kept an eye on her… She’d watched her become a prodigy of a mare. She could have done so much good for the world, but now…

Now, like so many, she too was being taken too fast, too soon.

And Celestia had finally grown tired of it.

Without a word, the Goddess of Life stepped down from her throne and trotted away, her emissary following behind.

Death wasn’t inevitable.

She would intervene.

There had ever been only one time in eternity when Celestia revealed herself to a mortal being.

And it was to Twilight Sparkle.

They’d met during one of Celestia’s descent to the land below the clouds. Though, ‘met’ was not a very accurate definition, all things considered. Celestia had always know of Twilight Sparkle, since the very day she created her, to the very day she herself accompanied the filly down to earth.

Celestia loved the earth she had so carefully filled with life. She loved going down there as often as she could, almost as if she were trying to live a simple life like the ones her creations did. But once she had her two emissaries, her descents became less frequent, and instead she’d sometimes go down simply to observe.

That fateful time, she had decided upon visiting Equestria, the kingdom where most of her pony creations had decided to live in. Being an alicorn herself, she was biased towards that kingdom where those so similar to her where.

Her own presence went unnoticed by the ponies, as if she were nothing but a ghost walking amongst mortals — and in many ways, she was just that. She made her way through the marketplace of a castle, secretly blossoming new life into the flowers of a passing florist, and giggling to herself at the expression on his face.

She loved seeing them go about their daily lives, and she wished she could follow each and every one because her love for them was as overflowing as her curiosity.

“Fruits! Get your fresh fruits!” a merchant called, using his magic to levitate oranges and apples that certainly didn’t look fresh, Celestia thought.

The merchant himself looked pale and scrawny, and Celestia knew who he was. She remembered all her creations, from their names to their personalities. Fritter Cobb she remembered as a plump little colt who always lingered by her throne, and it saddened her terribly to see how miserable he looked.

Perhaps that was another one of the reason she had stopped going down to earth. It pained her to see when her ponies suffered, and it pained her even more to know she could do nothing much about it.

“Fruits! Get your fresh fruits!” Fritter Cobb called again, desperation ringing in his voice, before he finally lowered his fruits and sat down on the dirty ground with a weary sigh. He looked to a dirty, cracked vase on his stand, on which several wilted lavenders stood. “Get you fresh fruits… Please…”

Celestia looked to her sides, and after making sure no one was glancing their way, she turned to the stand and with but a spark of her horn breathed new life into the fruits. She watched silently as they transformed from undesirable to very much so. She then turned to the vase, and with but a gesture with her hoof, the flowers blossomed anew, filling the air with a scent sweet enough to attract many passing shoppers.

She stepped away and silently watched as one after another, ponies began to ask about the fruits, their prices, did he sell by the dozen, and Fritter Cobb quickly began to answer as fast as he could, the smile on his face as radiant as the fruit on his stand.

Satisfied with her actions, she continued down her path, looking for other ways to assist her ponies. Her meanderings eventually led her down a street where she found several foals huddled together, their curious eyes all glued to the same little alley.

“Do you think she’ll do it?” a concerned filly asked, which Celestia knew to be called Winter Rose.

A colt, Dusk Diamonds, snorted in reply. “No, dummy, she can’t bring stuff back from the dead.”

Now that.

That caught Celestia’s attention.

She carefully stepped over the gossiping foals and into the alley, making her way down and down until she turned left and her eyes met a little garden and her ears were filled with the sound of sniffled cries. Though she couldn’t make a sound, she still crept as silently as she could, hiding herself in the shadows and feeling her heart break at the sight she found.

Celestia remembered having created Twilight Sparkle as being extraordinary in the art of magic, but she never intended for Twilight to use her powers for such a sad thing.

Twilight Sparkle, of perhaps no more than seven years of age, stood in front of a blonde cat. Considering the animal was lying immobile on the ground, it was not hard for Celestia to ascertain what was happening — or, perhaps, already had happened.

“Come on, Calli…” Twilight said, tears streaming down her cheeks and falling to the ground. She scrunched up her eyes, groaning for a moment until finally, several sparks of magic shot out from her horn and fell on the cat. She opened her eyes moments later, hope sparkling in them, and when the cat failed to move, the sparkles of hope died and so did Twilight fall down on her hindquarters, staring down at her pet with a desolate look.

It was painful, to say the least. But what was even more painful was how Twilight refused to give up.

She stood up again, wiping away her tears. “Come on, Calliope! We were gonna go to magic school next year!” she insisted, stamping her hoof on the ground. She scrunched up her eyes, and Celestia knew the filly was using all the extents of her powers in trying to save her friend. Several sparks of magic shot out, one, two, three, four, and they all fell on the cat who did not budge.

After a moment, Twilight sat back down again, reaching over and taking her pet in her forelegs.

“Calli… Please…”

Twilight…

It was touching to Celestia to see how much the life she gave was valued by others, and more than that, how they valued the lives that weren’t just their own.

For a moment, she felt tempted to step out into the garden, but stopped when a haze of black mist arose from the ground. She retreated back to her shadows, and decided on watching, both curious and concerned. She didn’t like watching reapings, but she felt compelled to make sure this one was treated with all the dignity and respect a little filly deserved.

To Celestia’s surprise, two reapers appeared next to Twilight, their hoods covering their faces. Why two? she thought. Only one reaper was needed, and if either of them tried to take something else than the cat, they would be confronted with a very angry Goddess of Life.

“The poor filly,” one of the reapers said, which Celestia instantly recognized as Applejack. “It just ain’t right for a foal to go through this. It just ain’t.”

Applejack had been the second of Luna’s emissaries, and it made sense that Luna chose her. Death, at the end, had to be faced with complete honesty. Honesty of what one had done in their life, how they lived, and who they were. An honest death, where one faced the demons within, was the key to a peaceful afterlife.

To Celestia’s surprise, the other reaper took off her hood, revealing herself to be Fluttershy. In retrospect, it made sense Fluttershy would be sent to assist an animal cross over.

Her eyes were blindfolded, a custom Luna had implemented from the very beginning. Death is blind, the Goddess of Death believed, and it makes exceptions for no one. Sight clouds judgment, but darkness allows one to be just.

“She feels so at peace,” Fluttershy said, lifting her hoof and petting the cat. “And she feels sad, too. She wanted to stay a bit more with her master.”

Applejack inched over to the filly, and wrapped a foreleg around her. “Don’t you fret none, Sugarcube. We’ll take right good care of her,” she reassured, and Twilight hiccuped in reply, almost if though she were nodding.

Fluttershy stepped back, lifted her hoof, and suddenly, an orange smoke emerged from the cat. Celestia watched, mesmerized, as it floated towards Fluttershy, and when she gestured with her hoof, the smoke dispersed and then reunited to form what looked like a teardrop.

“Hello, I’m Fluttershy,” she said kindly, offering a forehoof for the soul to levitate over. “You’re Calliope? Oh yes, I think she chose a very good name for you too. Would you like to say goodbye?”

Fluttershy gestured with her hoof, a long circular motion, and before Celestia’s eyes, the smoke began to take a shape, ending up as a translucent version of the cat currently in Twilight’s forehooves.

Calliope gracefully landed on the floor, and after stretching out for a moment, she made her way towards Twilight. Once she reached her, Calliope stood up on her hindlegs, placing her paws on Twilight’s crossed forelegs and leaning in her head to lick the filly’s chin.

Twilight stopped her silent weeping, blinking twice and lifting a forehoof to her chin. “H-Huh…?”

“See? Calli and us are gonna watch over you,” Applejack said, her enthusiastic claim met by a meow from Calliope and several giggles from Fluttershy.

Eventually, time came for them to leave, and while Calliope rubbed herself against her master one last time, Fluttershy busied herself with putting her hood back on. Once Applejack was back to her side, Fluttershy gestured with her hoof and the cat jumped into the air, transforming once more into a hazy teardrop.

It was fitting, Celestia thought. Fitting in a tragic way.

She watched as black smoke arose from the ground, enveloping the two reapers and then, in a second, they were gone and Calliope had gone with them.

All that was left was a lonely filly, crying over her lost friend.

And before she could stop herself, before she could even properly realize the consequences, Celestia stepped out from the shadows and into the garden, for the first time in millennia making herself visible to the mortal eye.

“Hello, little one.”

Twilight looked up, blinking twice at Celestia before clutching Calliope closer to her. “H-Hello…”

Celestia stopped several paces away from Twilight. “May I?” she asked, gesturing to a spot next to Twilight. When the filly timidly nodded, her eyes glued to the alicorn, Celestia ceremoniously sat down next to her, adjusting her wings in the process.

Celestia looked towards the garden, taking her time, before finally gazing at Twilight. “She seemed like a wonderful companion. What was her nam—”

“‘Is’,” Twilight interrupted with a sniffle. She looked back to her cat and replied, “Her name is Calliope.”

Celestia smiled gently.

Is, indeed, she thought, finding it endearing that Twilight was more concerned over things like those, rather than the fact that Celestia had wings and a horn. Foals always saw beyond the exterior appearances, didn’t they?

“That’s an interesting choice of name!” Celestia said, looking up towards the blue sky. “Do you know who else wa— is named Calliope? The mu—”

“The muse of epic poetry in Ancient Greek Equine mythology,” Twilight finished instantly. “And there’s an instrument named after her, too.” When Celestia looked down at her, impressed by Twilight’s correct answers, the filly held her cat closer against her chest, her ears folding back. “Calli and I read it in a book when we were studying…”

“Studying?” Celestia asked, looking towards a nearby bush where a bird busied itself preening its wings. “For Canterlot’s Magic School, I take it?”

Twilight nodded, the topic seemingly brightening her up. “Calli helped me study for my exam. ‘Xcept she doesn’t like magic spells a lot, and she used to hide— she hides under the couch when I p-practice. Mom s-says that because she was old, it scared her a lot.” When she corrected herself, her voice cracked slightly, and Celestia was upset to see tears flowing anew down the filly’s cheek. “M-Maybe that’s why s-she won’t let my magic fix her.”

“There are some things magic cannot fix, Twilight,” Celestia said, lifting her foreleg and watching as the little bird flew over and settled itself on the very tip of her hoof. “Life is fleeting, and when it ends, it can be very sad for those of us who stay behind.” She nudged her hoof, and the bird took off into the sky. Once it was gone from view, she lowered her hoof and turned to Twilight. “That is why we must remember the joyful times we shared with our loved ones while they were here with us.”

And, to that, Twilight had a reply Celestia wasn’t expecting.

“But you’re going to fix her, won’t you?” she asked, clutching Calliope tight and staring at Celestia with big, wide eyes.

It was natural, she supposed, that Twilight would think she could. Foals often believed adults could do the impossible, but even if she wanted to, Celestia was now unable to do so. Once a soul was in a reaper possession, only they could decide its ultimate fate.

“I’m afraid I cannot do that, Twilight,” she said in the kindest way she possibly could. “I know it’s har—”

“Yes, you can,” Twilight interrupted immediately, her eyes fixed on Celestia’s. “I’ve seen you do it. You can fix her.”

Celestia blinked at her. She can’t possibly know, can she…? Celestia shook her head, dispelling the preposterous thought. No, of course not. That’s impossible.

“You’ve seen me do it?” Celestia asked, laughing good-naturedly. “I think that’s quite impossible, Twilight. We’ve never met before, and I’m not from around these parts.”

“B-But I saw you do it in my dreams!” Twilight protested, desperately, tearing one hoof away from Calliope so as to grab onto Celestia. “I-In your castle in the clouds! Y-You can bring things to life, with your two angels, and d-dragon!”

Celestia drew back, and if she had heart like her creations did, she was sure it would be beating at a very alarming rate. How is this possible? she thought, regarding the filly not as a filly nor as one of her creations, but as something else entirely.

Save for herself and her emissaries, any soul that left the Higher Realm and descended to the land below would have their mind wiped of their memories before birth. No soul had ever been knowingly allowed to bypass this rule, and yet this filly…

“That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?!” Twilight asked, shaking Celestia with her hoof, even more tears streaming down her face. “Please, Lady Celestia! Please fix Calliope!”

“I— I can’t,” Celestia blurted out, her mind still desperately trying to comprehend how Twilight could know; know about Celestia, about the Higher Realm, about the creation of life, about things she couldn’t possibly know.

“You… You can’t?”

“I was too late,” Celestia said, forgetting her vow to never reveal her identity or that of her world. “My Sister’s emissaries were already taking her by the time I arrived. I… There was nothing I could do. I’m sorry, Twilight.”

Twilight let go of Celestia, and pulled herself back, wrapping her free foreleg around her cat.

There were no words to describe just how terrible the feeling creeping up Celestia’s soul was as she helplessly looked back at Twilight Sparkle. All her life, her long immortal life, she had always suffered alongside ponies when their time came, like a friend embracing them and telling them to be as brave as they could. But now…

Now she was the terrible one.

Even if Twilight wasn’t saying it, her eyes all but screamed it. Celestia, the Goddess of Life, had allowed death to befall over and over again on ponies, animals and every single being. At first, she had instilled in them the desire to live until the very end as a way to make sure they took full-advantage of it, but now… now she realized the only thing she’d done was make sure that they’d all feel terrified and helpless when they passed away.

Could it be… Could it be that Twilight was an anomaly meant to make Celestia realize what she’d allowed for so very long? Was it perhaps Celestia herself who’d unwittingly allowed Twilight to remember as a way to make her see the suffering she brought upon her creations? Like an author, she’d given the character of the earth life and personalities, and though she always allowed them to take their own path, she knew where they were headed.

But now… Now one of her characters had become something distinct from her, and with two teary eyes, it brought judgement day upon the Goddess.

“I… I don’t wanna go there,” Twilight said, terror sewn into every word. Without warning, she grabbed onto Celestia again and pleaded: “Promise me you won’t let them take me, Lady Celestia! I don’t want to go there! Promise me you won’t let them!”

And, feeling more helpless than she ever had, Celestia uttered the two words that sealed Twilight’s fate.

“I promise.”

Hours later, when she’d be back in the Higher Realm, sitting on her throne, barely cognisant of Pinkie’s questions or Rainbow Dash’s scolding of the foals, Celestia would tell herself that she had simply made an empty promise to reassure a terrified, grief-stricken filly.

Twilight was just a filly. She’d eventually forget it. Forget the encounter, forget Celestia, and even those dreams were bound to become nothing to Twilight but an idea she’d ‘made up’ as a foal.

Twilight would forget, but Celestia…

Celestia never would.

Author's Notes:

Never written a fic like this before, so we'll see how it goes... Didn't want to post this on my main because of REASONS.

As always, I'm a human prone to errors, so if you spot any typos or the like, please let me know (preferably via PM)! Thank you!

Chapter 2 - Luna

Death was never pleasant, and the Goddess of Death was painfully aware of it.

She didn’t understand why her sister had instilled fear of death into every living creature, rather than simply making them see it was not an end, but simply another phase — one that Luna tried very hard at making a pleasant one for every being she greeted into her castle.

It was inevitable, after all.

New generations had to come, and as such, the old ones had to leave. Fighting death was akin to trying to stop the sun from setting and the moon from rising.

She couldn’t be blamed for being cold sometimes, could she? Who wouldn’t when the first time ponies saw her, so many of them looked at her with fear, as if she were planning on hurting them or worse.

She always greeted them in the throne room.

Luna's throne room was not like her sister's. It was not outside, where she could watch over the ponies residing in the Lower Realm. Her throne room was hidden away inside the realm's massive castle, beyond the millions of corridors housing individual rooms for every creature that had died since the beginning of time.

It was a small throne room, where the magic coated ceiling acted as a window to the Goddess's night sky. It was there or in her private garden that she spent most of her days.

"Hoo-wee, that mare sure is takin' her sweet time."

Sitting atop her throne, the Goddess of Death glanced over at her cloaked reaper, staring her down with a humorless glare. It wasn't until Applejack glanced towards her that Luna looked away, making it a point to show her dissatisfaction.

"And I'm sure it ain't because this Rarity mare don't want to meet you, Your Grace," she added, and Luna needn't look to know her emissary was equally frowning at her.

"I am sure, as well," Luna said. "I am sure she will be different than every single other creature ever to meet me, and I am sure you will magically sprout wings as well, Applejack."

Applejack sighed. "I ain't going over your nonsense speak again, Your Grace."

"I am not speaking nonsense!" Luna continued, turning to Applejack. "You have seen them! How they look at me as if I were a monster! And even after living here for countless centuries, they still continue doing so! I do not choose to bring them here! I am not allowed the same luxuries as Celestia, who does as she pleases!"

Applejack stomped her hoof against the floor. "Now Lady Luna, bearin' a grudge against Lady Celestia won't help you none! Besides, she might be usin' her own mirror to look at us, and you wouldn't want to go and hurt her feelings, would you?"

“It would be a fitting punishment for spying on us,” Luna replied, in no mood to hold her tongue.

And yet, even so, she sighed and hunched her shoulders. She never liked speaking ill of her sister, but sometimes it was hard not to feel resentment towards the Goddess everypony adored. What would she give to be adored like her.

"And you're forgettin' Fluttershy did the reaping, Your Grace. That mare loves you so darn much, I'm sure she's gotten this Rarity pony mighty excited to meet ya'," Applejack encouraged. "Though I reckon you'd give off a better impression if your scythe wasn't hangin' above your throne like it's gonna chop somepony's noggin off."

Luna pursed her lips, and with a flash of her horn, the scythe disappeared.

"I tire of waiting," she announced, slouching in her throne, ears flopping down. "I am starting to believe it would not be such a loss if I were to delegate my greeting duties to you two."

"What? So you can sit in your garden and find out how much food you can stuff yourself with?"

Immediately Luna straightened up, voice booming. "We do not eat all day, Appleja—"

The loud creaking of doors interrupted her indignant protest, and so did Luna turn towards the end of the throne room. Fluttershy came in first, no longer wearing her cloak's hood nor her blue blindfold.

"Here we are," she said, pushing the door as far back as she could. "Come in."

Luna watched quietly as Fluttershy stepped away, and a silver coated mare trotted in after her. Though ponies could chose their appearance in the Lower Realm, Rarity the unicorn looked like a radiant mare not because she disliked her elderly appearance, but because she hadn't had the luxury of living long enough to reach it.

Most mares hid themselves behind their mane, but Rarity insistently tucked her long, purple locks behind her ear, and though she moved slowly, her gaze resting on the starry ceiling, Luna saw no fear in her, no worry or nervousness. She saw fascination.

"Goodness, this is absolutely gorgeous!" she exclaimed, stopping to stare at the stars. "I don't think I've ever seen a night so clear!"

"Rarity, will you follow me, please?"

Finally, Rarity turned to the throne in the distance, and in her gaze Luna now saw curiosity. Her lips curved into a circle, and she glanced to Fluttershy, waiting for the pegasus to continue trotting before doing the same, eyes set on Luna. As she approached, Luna straightened herself, trying as best she could to wipe the humorless expression off her face.

"Lady Luna," Fluttershy said when reaching the throne, bowing down.

Rarity immediately followed suit, her eyes still fixed on the Goddess. The intensity of her gaze was unlike any Luna had seen in a very long time, and the same could be said of her azure eyes. They were absolutely mesmerizing, like looking into a pair of sapphires.

"Rise," Luna commanded, and so did Fluttershy and Rarity obey. "We welcome you to the Lower Realm, Rarity."

"Oh, thank you, Your Grace," Rarity said at once, before Luna could continue her traditional and well-rehearsed speech. "It's admittedly a tad too sombre for my tastes, but it certainly does have its charm. I had been led to believe ponies who took their own life away were taken to a much more ghastly place, but Lady Fluttershy has explained that is not the case?"

Luna blinked at first, unsure of how to respond. She'd gotten interrupted before, mostly by ponies eager to scream at her for "killing them", but the only other pony ever to have interrupted to speak calmly and rationally seemed just as shocked by Rarity as Luna did.

"Well, you can't say this ain't better than what you hoped for," Applejack whispered.

Truthfully, Luna wasn't sure what she had hoped for, but she'd never expected to be faced with a pony so unconcerned regarding her own suicide.

"Life is a precious gift from my sister, little pony!" Luna said, trying to look as intimidating as she could. "What right have you to reject her gift in such a reprehensible way?!"

Rarity's expression darkened. "I beg your pardon, Your Grace, but considering the fate that awaited me, life was not a luxury I'd have much longer regardless, and I'd much rather my death be at my own hooves than at somepony else's. Love truly is a deathly thing, is it not?"

"So, you do not fear me, little pony?"

Rarity seemed surprised by the question "Fear you?" she repeated, tilting her head and placing a hoof against her chest, eyelashes fluttering. "Why, Lady Luna, how could I fear you when simply the mere idea of you has left me breathless?"

Luna blinked, drawing back and feeling her cheeks heat up. Many times had she heard the old saying of ponies flirting with death, but this mare was taking it to entirely new levels.

"I think we better start with the tour," Applejack said, filling in for her employer's stunned silence. She smiled to Fluttershy, gesturing to Rarity all the meanwhile. "You takin' care of it, Shy?"

But before the pegasus could reply, Rarity did.

"Might I be so bold as to request for Lady Luna to accompany us?" Rarity asked, and again the Goddess's eyes widened. This outspoken mare had no care for upheld traditions, and for Luna it was as insolent as it was fascinating.

Fluttershy glanced at Luna. "Uhm, I don't..."

"This is her castle, is it not?" Rarity continued, smiling at the alicorn. "Who else to understand and know it better than its sovereign creator?"

Truthfully, Luna didn't know what came over her. She would think about it for days, weeks to come, about what in Rarity's gaze willed the alicorn to do as she pleased. Eventually, she'd come to the conclusion that it was her entrancing diamond like eyes.

"Very well," Luna said, getting off her throne.

"What?!" her reapers gasped, stepping back and regarding Rarity with both fear and deep respect.

Rarity seemed pleased by the reply, as though she expected Luna to agree. She stepped back, and only when Luna trotted past her did she follow, the other two reapers trailing behind if only to witness this entirely new event.

As they made their way out of the throne room and into the hallways of the castle, Luna found she quite enjoyed explaining the inner machinations of her abode. Though she hated the word, Luna could only describe it as heavenly, to have somepony finally admire her duties.

The castle, she explained, was organic, alive even, and it was incalculably immense. It had to be, for it held a room for every single creature that had died since the dawn of time. The castle itself was connected to the reapers, and the moment a soul was in a reaper's grasp, the castle immediately created a new room filled with replicas of items that would make the pony happy.

It would make them feel at home.

"Does that mean I have a room now?" Rarity asked, stepping behind Luna into the gardens.

"You sure do, but findin' it's gonna be like a needle in a haystack," Applejack replied. "Spent nearly a week looking for Sweet Tart's room last week."

Rarity laughed, and it was like wind chimes, a relaxing sound unlike anything Luna had heard. She liked that laugh, she wanted to hear more of it, and she found that, more than anything, she wanted to be the cause of it.

"Forgive her indiscretion," she said, frowning at her reaper. "I assure you we are mostly competent."

And Rarity laughed again, though it was softer, kinder, like when endeared by something a loved one has said. But love was not something ponies felt towards the Goddess of Death, and though she was most certain Rarity was simply being kind, it still made the alicorn feel at ease, feel so comfortable pretending somepony other than her reapers enjoyed her presence.

Because her ponies did not.

The castle gardens were usually bustling with life, sounds, voices and laughter. Luna always saw it from her hazy mirror, and though she wished to join, she never did. And yet, now that she was in her beautiful gardens, when she realized it was unnaturally quiet, she briefly glanced around to find fear.

Dozens of ponies watched her in silence, the terrible entity that had stopped their life and now stopped their leisurely activities in the garden. Foals cowered behind older ponies, and older ponies simply stood in place, too fearful of Luna to leave. Her joy drained away, her happiness faded, and she herself wanted to flee, go back to her private garden, go back to where nopony resented her.

Instead, she smiled at them.

She pushed a smile, because all she had ever wanted was to welcome them into her home. She turned her sight back to Rarity, intent on continuing the conversation as best she could, but her heart fell when she noticed the mare looking at the others.

Would she too suddenly look back at the Goddess with hate in her eyes?

Rarity didn't look at Luna yet. Instead, she gazed up to the night sky, the thousands of stars shining above. "It's simply divine, isn't it?" she said, and once more, to great relief, Luna heard no anger in her voice. "Those stars… Did you create them, Lady Luna?"

Luna nodded, looking up to her sky, anything to force her eyes away from the ponies. "I had not much to do the first few dozen years when my realm was empty. I had to find some way to amuse myself."

Rarity giggled, and the ponies were forgotten to Luna. Nothing but that laugh remained.

"All the beautiful stories poets have written on the creation of stars, from souls of the departed to tears of foals, and they actually exist because somepony didn't have anything better to do," she said. "How dreadfully anticlimactic."

Rarity looked around again, to the wary ponies, and was it odd for the Goddess to think Rarity was beautiful even with a furrowed brow? But this beauty inspired the Goddess, invited her to risk all and shed her defenses, because how could a pony so beautiful be anything but kind?

She leaned down, so only Rarity could hear, or her reapers if they so wished, and she whispered, "They do not like me."

She wasn't sure, exactly, why she'd said it, and what she expected of it. But it felt nice, it felt freeing to say it, to tell somepony other than her reapers, to… to wish that maybe somepony from outside would sympathize with her for once.

Rarity was quiet for a moment. "Your Grace," she said, finally, her gaze set on the stars once again, and her voice was loud and clear, as if she wanted all to hear. "If you created the stars, does that mean you could rearrange them into any shape?"

Luna was taken aback by the change of topic. She felt offended, almost, that the unicorn did not care for her plight. But a question had been asked, and so she would answer.

"Yes, but I need not. My stars are fine where they are," she replied with a scoff. Unlike Celestia, who sometimes created the most unseemingly of ponies, Luna's every action and choice was filled with divine beauty.

"So, you could rearrange them into the shape of a cat, perhaps?" Rarity asked, and Luna scoffed again.

"A cat?"

Rarity turned to the Goddess. "Yes. I thought maybe you could, but..." she drifted off, and Luna knew when she was being challenged.

"Of course I can," she replied.

She turned to her stars, her horn aglow, and with as much ease as brushing a paintbrush on canvas, she moved the stars from their place until they'd formed the shape of a lovely cat stretching after a nap.

The deed done, she looked down, intent on boasting about her skills, but instead… Instead, she realized she was no longer the target of ponies hateful gazes, and they'd all turned their sights to the stars.

"Oh! How beautiful! It reminds me of my darling Opal," Rarity noted, a smile gracing her lips. She looked back to Luna and asked, still speaking loudly, "Might I see a bird now, please, your Grace?"

And Luna complied, because what else could one do faced with such a polite request? She looked to her cat, to this Opal, and her horn aglow she moved the stars again, shaping them into a hummingbird drinking nectar from a flower.

Her reward was Rarity's laugh, and it distraction enough from everything else. She wanted to keep satisfying this unicorn's silly requests, but before she could inquire what else Rarity would like, she felt something tug at her foreleg.

She looked down, and if she had a heart, it would have stopped at the sight of a little filly, Rose Flower. Rose winced when Luna spotted her, but she didn't leave. She didn't leave, and Luna would have excitedly pointed this out to her reapers had she not been too shocked.

The first foal to ever address her.

"L-Lady Luna?" Rose asked, gulping down, obviously trying to be brave. "Can I ask for something too, please?"

Luna didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to react, and as she most often did in times like those, she turned to her reapers. They too seemed shocked, Applejack's mouth nearly hanging open, while Fluttershy simply covered her mouth with her hoof, eyes wide.

Luna turned to the other ponies, and though they'd returned their gaze towards her, it no longer bore anger. No… No, they only seemed to be watching, waiting to see what the Goddess would do.

When she set her sights to Rarity, the unicorn simply kept smiling.

"Lady Luna!" Fluttershy whispered, apparently having gathered herself.

When Luna turned to her, the reaper gestured towards the filly, and quickly did Luna awkwardly lower herself to speak with her. Rose stepped back a few paces when she did so, but she seemed to relax, no longer faced with an imposing adult.

"What would you like, my little pony?"

Rose gasped. Had she not been expecting a positive reply?

"Uhm—! I… I… M-Maybe a puppy, please?"

Immediately Luna rose, and she took great care with her new design. She wanted nothing but the best for Rose Flower, and so it would be done. She created the most adorable puppy she could conceive, its tail wagging high as it cuddled up to a filly quite like Rose Flower.

Rose giggled in delight, clapping her hooves, and when Luna took in the sight, a smile pushed itself onto her lips. No, not a smile, but a delighted grin, which vanished when another pony spoke up.

"Lady Luna?"

She turned around, and now a stallion had approached her. Silver Locks, who'd been in the Lower Realm for so long, and who didn't seem as fearful as Rose had been.

"May I ask for a lion, please?"

And Luna complied, and something changed in the Lower Realm.

It changed because a mare approached and asked for a flower, then a colt timidly requested a toy guard, and so on and so forth. Pony after pony approached to ask, and they laughed at each other's requests, and invited others to approach. Even the reapers joined in, with Fluttershy gasping at a beautiful rabbit, and Applejack proudly staring at the universe's largest starry apple.

And then a crowed had gathered around her, more ponies near her than in all of her life, and they smiled at her. They gazed at her, not with hate or anger, but with newfound appreciation, because perhaps now they would no longer see her as their death, but their kind ruler.

And in her joy, Luna turned to Rarity to find her grinning.

"Goodness, Your Grace," she said, and her diamond eyes shone, "I thought you said they didn't like you?"