Winter of the 84th Year, Equestrian Reckoning

"Citizens of Equestria, we are joined today in mourning for Clover the Clever, Founder and Grand Magus of Equestria and one-time student of Star Swirl the Bearded. His passing marks the death of the last Founder of our nation, and of the last member of the Circle of Pony Friends who defeated the Windigoes so many years ago..."

***

Clover the Clever walked calmly down the hallway in which he found himself. The walls, floor and ceiling of the hall were solid blocks of some lustrous black material, evenly if dimly lit from some unknown and invisible source. He thought that he should be worried or confused, though he didn't know why, but felt neither. These halls felt familiar to him, yet he could not decide why; odd, for such a place would surely be more memorable. After some time, the Magus came upon a doorway which opened up into a larger chamber. Somehow, he knew he should go this way.

The room was huge and beings could be seen all around it, but to this he paid little attention. Before him, occupying his focus, were his five best friends. Puddinghead. Smart Cookie. Hurricane. Pansy. Platinum. The Commander was the first to greet him.

"Ahaha, so the slowpoke finally made it!" he shouted, his voice as booming as it had been all those years ago. "Do you know how long I've been waiting for all of you to catch up?" He flashed a cheesy grin, but his eyes held some measure of sadness.

"Commander!" scolded Pansy, her voice uncharacteristically stern. "All of us were hit hard by your death, you know that."

"Yeah, but did you see how many gryphons I took with me? Must have been like twenty or thirty of the featherbrains! They sure rued the day they chose to intrude in Equestria!"

"Is that what this is, then?" asked Clover. "Am I dead?"

"I'm afraid so, my dear old friend," answered Platinum. "Don't be too sad, though."

"Like Ah said," interjected Smart Cookie in her rural drawl. "Everythin' dies. Don't mourn for it much. Just look forward to new life."

"What is this place, anyway? I never expected an afterlife like this." Clover glanced at the blank black walls. "I figured it would be more interesting, at least."

Puddinghead spoke next, his insane energy persisting, it seemed, even through death itself.

"Well, one time this HUGE alicorn walked through here, and I asked him where we were, and he said we were in the bardo, which is an afterlife that the yaks from the east believe in, and that it's only a stop on the way to reincarnation, and we're all here together waiting for you becuase everyone in this room is part of a jati, which is like a family of spirits, and the jati will always be reunited in every life and death!"

If the dead had required breath, Puddinghead would have keeled over from asphyxiation after that run-on explanation.

Clover looked around the room with his full attention for the first time since arriving. Occupying almost an entire wall of the room was an ancient white dragon, fast asleep and snoring. Clover knew it as Tzepesh, a millennium-old wyrm who had been the dragons' first ambassador to Equestria. Off to another side sat a huge earth pony who the Magus recognized as Farmer Apple, the first earth pony to move his family to the new lands. Near him were three ponies, one of each race - councilors in the early days of the country. They were constantly talking, ranging from petty bickering to uproarious laughter. Farther on the edge of Clover's vision, the ponies grew less familiar and less distinct.

"So when we... Reincarnate, will we remember this? Our past life?"

"Not from what I've heard," replied Pansy. "But we don't have to be afraid, because no matter what happens, we'll be together."

Pansy leaned forward and wrapped Clover in a hug, joined quickly by the other four in their little group.

They spoke as one.

"We'll be together, always."