Twilight went out once more to meet Princess Celestia. While she kept walking, she was having thoughts about the times that she spent with Celestia as a student, including yesterday. It may been rough for herself, but Twilight felt as if the hatchet was slowly being buried between herself and Celestia. There was one thing that bothered her. It was what she said yesterday.

“You’re implying… that you hate your job.”

She didn’t know what she meant by that but she had a feeling that Celestia knew something. It had to have meant something else. Either way, Twilight had to get the bottom of it.

“Hmm? Oh, hello Twilight,” she greeted.

“Good morning, Celestia. Sorry that I’m late. I had an odd feeling I was being followed so I had to take a detour,” Twilight said, glancing in different directions.

Celestia nodded as Twilight took a seat. She briefly watered the flowers as Twilight rested from her walk. As Twilight got closer, she let out her Phoenix as it rubbed itself against Twilight.

“I’ve been nurturing him for the past few weeks. Take a look.” Twilight looked at the Phoenix and noticed that its flames were a little dim. It’s the same Phoenix from the few years back but older. Twilight helped Philomena perch on her arm as the Phoenix continued to rub herself against her. “I don’t think I ever told you this, but have you ever noticed that everything you touched withers away?”

“Hmm. How fitting. The Grim Reaper being near something that can’t die,” Twilight said, taking off her cloak.

As she petted the Phoenix, it whimpered. Twilight forgot that anything she touches, dies instantly and for a brief moment, was taken by surprise.

“...Oops,” she said, taking her hoof away.

“It’s alright, Twilight. It’ll be back shortly,” Celestia said, heading towards a forest of trees.

“I suppose… still,” she looked at her hoof and frowned a little. “Ever since I took this job, I’ve been more distant from everypony else... I can’t even confront anypony without fearing I would killed them… I can barely even touch Flurry Heart without making her skin shrivel up.”

”Does that also apply to Cadence and Shining Armor?” Celestia asked.

“It’s painful. Whenever they want to talk to me, I just ignore them. It’s not like I hate them or anything, but this power that I have is driving everypony away from me. No matter what I do, I just grow more distant from everypony.” Twilight said with sadness in her voice.

Celestia was heartbroken upon hearing that.

“You never chose for this to happen. It was just bad luck that you had no other choice but to put on that ghastly outfit.”

“I know. But even as I look at the results I accumulate, it can never replace what I have done to him.”

Celestia looked at the flora as she recalled what Twilight did back in Ponyville when Spike was still with her.

“I wish there was something I could have done to make it up to him. Something that I could have said if I wasn’t so angry at the time.” Twilight said.

“I could have stopped him from going to Ponyville with you. I could have spent his one last day with him in Canterlot. It would have meant the entire world to him if I had bothered to show him some attention. I really am a terrible mother.”

They both sighed at the revelation about their treatment of Spike. If they had both shown a little more affection towards the drake, he would have survived and would not have died in the anomaly that has affected Equestria. They were both to blame, and they knew it all too well to be true. But Twilight decided to change the subject and try to brighten the mood a little by asking,

“So did you plant all this?”

“Hmm?” Celestia asked.

“The flora. Did you plant all this?” Twilight specified.

“Hmm. I did. Has anything about it piqued your interest?”

“Not really. It just seemed to remind me of how beautiful life can be away from all that ugliness in Equestria.”

“Ah. Yes, it is. It’s mostly became my private sanctuary from all the meaningless carnage occuring right now in Equestria.”

“So it seems. It’s pretty. More than I can ever ask for.”

“Thanks, Twilight. How is Luna doing?”

“She’s fine. But she really misses you. I often hear her speak about you everyday that it gives me a headache.”

“There’s not a doubt in my mind she would do that. She was always the clingy type.” Celestia said with a chuckle.

“That she was. I even read part of a journal entry concerning you.”

“Oh? What did it say?”

“I had something to do with you and something related to a doll. I couldn’t put my hoof on it, but sounded like it meant a lot to you. Could you tell me-?”

Just then, she saw Celestia give her a look of disapproval upon hearing about a doll.

“I’ll take that as a no.”

Celestia looked back at the flora as Twilight stopped asking.

“So how are things back at the Empire?” Celestia asked.

“They’re okay. Everypony’s busy with their duties and are doing everything they can to beat back this Corruption.”

“I have no doubts that you are doing so. How are Cadence, Shining Armor, and Flurry Heart doing?”

“They’re okay, though they’re incredibly stressed about what plans they mustering up while at war against the anomaly.”

“Is that also applying to Luna?”

“Hmm.”

Trying to change the subject on the matter, Celestia asked,

“How long has it been since we had cake?”

“Cake? What’s got your mind on cake now, all of a sudden?” Twilight asked, feeling confused.

“I dunno. Just hungry, I guess.”

The two laughed jovially as they started to remember what life felt like when they weren’t at war against a force that was bigger than the either of them. They both continued to talk about whatever was on their mind, whether it be big or small. The time that they spending together was all the more pleasant as they started to remember what it felt like to be with each other as friends.

. . .

Several hours passed and Twilight realized she had to go. “I’ll be back again tomorrow,” she said.

“I’ll be waiting,” Celestia replied.

And with that, she teleported away. She entered into what appeared to be her room. As she went into her room, she looked at her weapon that was over near her closet. When she touched it, she started to have this unnerving feeling. She heard voices coming from somewhere in her room. She spun around her room, trying to find the source of where the voices are. It was then she noticed a black ooze. Something that wasn’t there before. She backed away as the ooze slowly morphed into a familiar form.

"It's been a long time, Grim Reaper."