Bronze's eyes opened quickly. He was standing. Where? He didn't know. He walked forward. No pain. He looked at himself first. No bandages, no burnt dead skin? He then looked at where he was. He saw floating chunks of land with clouds beneath them. They were levitating above a void. A void of cloud and then nothing. Bronze was on a long snaking piece of grass, rock, and cloud. All around him on the section of the snaking chunk was a golden fence too high to jump. He saw a gate. He saw Celestia on the other side of the gate. Smiling. He ran over to her. His mind stricken with thoughts of what had happened to him and Sixty-six. As he approached he heard her say "Welcome, Bronze."

"Where...where in Equestria am I?" He questioned confused, dazed, and disoriented.

"You are not in Equestria, Bronze" She said calmly

"Then where am I?!" Bronze almost yelled "and what are you doing here too?!"

"What do you mean what am I doing here?" Celestia asked calmly

"Is...is this death?!" Bronze questioned now beginning to panic "Did I...did I kill Sixty-six, me, and ....you?" he finished.

Celestia just stared calmly.

"Well?!" Bronze shouted awaiting a response.

Celestia turned and walked away.

"Hey! Hey! Wait!" He shouted as she walked away towards what in the distance looked like a gazebo "Hey! Celestia!"

The golden gate opened as she entered the gazebo. Bronze galloped towards to gazebo. As he ran parts of his past came into view, from clouds of mist. He ran past his childhood. He ran past all the years before Celestia. Then he slowed when he saw himself. Blacking out in Twilight's library. Then he walked. Then the mist reformed to Celestia and him on the train to Canterlot for the first time. As Bronze walked more and more of his recent past began to show. Now it showed him, being shouted at by an emotionally damaged Celestia in his bedroom at Canterlot castle. Then it showed Celestia forcing herself onto him. He saw himself struggling to get her off him at first. Then he saw it. After licking his neck twice she had placed a spell on him. He saw his movements change, the him in the mist now began licking, pumping, and kissing Celestia. Under her telepathic command.

"That's why I lost control...."

The mist version of his past was echoed. He saw Celestia lips move as she moaned, he heard an echo.

"Ohhhh...ohhhhhh Bronzzzzze!" the echo played.

Bronze jogged towards to gazebo again. Now skipping ahead to when he was at the Hotel Hunstinge with Celestia. He saw Twilight, covered in snow, blood, and with a pained look in her eyes. Then the mist faded and he saw Celestia and Himself in the doctor's offices where he was told, Celestia was Pregnant.

The doctor's voice echoed in his ears "Princess, these test results don't lie and they are usually 94% correct so unless your the unlucky 6% its certain." the doctor then continued "...Mr.Bronze you are going to be a father"

The memory faded again. He saw the look in his eyes when he said "....They probably would have killed you or worse if you hadn't run"

Then he saw himself running through Canterlot. The mist changed, and now he saw Celestia being choked to death by the assassin in the alley. The assassin's laughed echoed through his brain. Then Bronze's cry echoed into his ears

"....Hey rookie! Hooves off my Princess!"

He then heard the crack of the assassin's wind pipe, as he killed the assassin.

He was now just a little over 20 meters from the Gazebo.
The mist now showed, the theater where the play had been. He saw Celestia floating over the audience. As Bronze levitated her to him. Golden Necklace in hoof. Bronze then heard, "Will you marry me?". In his own echoed voice.

He saw Celestia yelling "...Yes yes yes!"

This brought a smile to Bronze's face. His heart beating or not, was warmed by this.

He then saw the first explosion. In Canterlot Castle. He saw himself half conscious beneath stone and glass. The assassins running by.

He then saw himself throw one assassin down the stairs. Then use another one's blade to slit, ones throat. Then he saw the one bleeding out on the stone, release the explosive beneath his feet. He heard his "Oh cra....". Then saw a flash of light in the mist and the blast echoed in his ears. He then saw himself in the surgery room. The doctor pulling piece's of shrapnel from his torso. Then he heard the flat line. He saw the unicorn nurse shoot him with electricity. Then he heard to beeping of his own pulse through the machine. He saw himself in the hospital bed as Celestia walked in. He heard his old statement "No! I love you too much to fail....!"

He approached the gazebo, now within a meter of being under it. He spoke to Celestia.

"This is the afterlife isn't it?" he nearly whispered

"Yes, it is Bronze. You died in the collapse of Canterlot Castle"

"Collapse?"

"The explosion, the one generated by Sixty-six's power and your own. It collapsed Canterlot Castle...killing hundreds and causing the worst catastrophe in Equestrian history"

"Where you killed in it too?" Bronze asked

"No, I should clear something up for you, I am NOT Celestia. I couldn't ever explain what I am to you. Never. Not because I am bound not too, but because even I am not sure what I am. However I am not Celestia. I just chose this form because you were most comfortable with her" Celestia said

The mist entered the gazebo. It formed Bronze in a stainless tuxedo and Celestia in a wedding dress and veil. He heard "You may kiss your bride!"

Then the two enveloped each other in a long passionate kiss.

"Wait, that...that hasn't happened yet." Bronze stated "whats going on?" he asked as the mist faded.

"What could have happened, if you hadn't died."

Bronze felt anger, "...if I hadn't died" he repeated "Great I get to miss what was probably the greatest day of my life because I died, and now Celestia will die because I am dead....ARGH AHHHH!" Bronze shouted, reared up and kicked the nearest wooden wall of the gazebo. He rears hooves went through the wood wall.

"...but it could still happen, Bronze." The Celestia said "all you have to do is make it to the portal."

"What portal?!"

"It is a portal that will grant one soul a second chance and one soul only. Just there is one catch."

"What's the catch?!" Bronze nearly shouted

"You and Sixty-six will be competing for it." The Celestia raised a hood and pointed to another snaking island in the sky that connected with the current one Bronze was on and the went in one path to a bright purple swirling vortex of light.

Bronze saw Sixty-six already galloping full speed for the portal.

Bronze galloped out the gazebo and was soon chasing Sixty-six. Soon he was mere meters behind him.

"Enjoy the afterlife Bronze! I am the only one of us getting back to the land of the living today! I'll make sure to make Celestia's death slow and painful!" Sixty-six shouted as Bronze caught up.

"Sorry to tell you this, Sixty-six but you're dead and will always be dead!" Bronze yelled now neck and neck with Sixty-six. The tow ran past mist covered trees,rock, and even ghostly animals like deers,rabbits, and squirrels. They approached the portal. Bronze tackled Sixty-six to prevent him from getting to the portal. They were now 10 meters from the portal. Bronze flipped Sixty-six onto his back and ferociously hit Sixty-six with his fore hooves. Sixty-six returned the favor by blocking then hitting Bronze with his own fore hooves. Sixty-six rolled over and now pinned Bronze on the ground. Unleashing his own pounding. Bronze's right fore hoof blocked while his left scrambled around in the grass to his left scanning for a rock. When at last he found one, he brought it,hard against the side of Sixty-six's head. Sixty-six was stunned by this. He fell off Bronze and back on to own back. As he ran a hoof when were the rock had hit. Bronze stood on his rear legs and mercilessly continued beating Sixty-six with the rock. Soon Sixty-six lay there. His head and face covered in his blood. The rock now cracked and about to break, also covered in blood, Bronze dropped to rock and watched as Sixty-six's body faded into mist. He saw to mist return to end of the snaking island were Sixty-six had been. Then he turned and enter the portal.

"Enjoy death you scum bag." Bronze said as he watched to last of the mist drift away and entered to portal.

Next Chapter: Mother and Father. Estimated time remaining: 28 Minutes