The Valley of the Shadow of Death
The Valley of the Shadow of Death
Fluttershy stares down the angel of death, and then nopony can die. But immortality comes with a price…
Fluttershy sat down in her cottage, tending to her pet angel as the sun shone high in the sky. With the cool breeze and scattered clouds providing shade to the ponies below, anypony else would have thought it the perfect summer day. Fluttershy, however, had more pressing matters to attend to. She shifted her gaze from the bright sun, bringing a foreleg up to her face to shield her eyes from the blinding light. She blinked a few times to clear her retinas before looking down at the patient in front of her.
Fluttershy looked down at Angel as he lay on the ground, wriggling in pain. Garbled whimpers escaped his throat as he coughed and sputtered. Fluttershy reached down and patted his head to reassure him. “It’s okay, Angel Bunny. We’re going to make you feel all better, just hold still.” Fluttershy lifted him up and held him on her lap as she took his temperature with a thermometer.
“One hundred and seven,” she said, looking at the mercury. “This can’t be right. It… it just can’t.”
Angel’s face was furrowed in discomfort, every part of his body curled up as tightly as possible as if to quell the pain. He had fallen ill with an unknown disease. Fluttershy had tried everything that she could in order to save him from standard herbal remedies to powerful pharmaceuticals, but as far as she could tell, nothing would work. She stared sadly into Angel’s frightened eyes as she felt tears welling up in the corner of her eyes. Soon enough a steady trickle of water made its way down her face like a small stream.
She sighed and cradled the bunny close to her chest, causing him to reach out his arms and grasp at her in instinct. For all he knew, she was the one who had protected him and nurtured him for his entire life. She’d raised his brood and brought him back from sickness every time before in his short life. Surely she’d be able to do the same now.
Fluttershy shuddered as she felt Angel Bunny grasp her hoof with his tiny paws. His grip was almost intangible. The clasp of his little digits was so weak, that Fluttershy wouldn’t have even been able to tell that he were touching her had it not been for his finely tuned hairs brushing against her coat. “Oh, Angel. Shhh… It’s okay. D-don’t be scared, okay? We’re going to make you all better now, I promise.”
Fluttershy’s kind words were laced with fear and doubt, which in turn made the rabbit even more restless. She merely brushed her hoof along his tiny head as a small symbol of comfort. “You just hold on, okay? Mama’s gonna make you all better.” She set him down on the porch and went back inside. She searched frantically through her entire household, looking for anything that she hadn’t yet tried. No such luck.
If he’s going to go, then I should be there with him. He must be so scared… I can’t leave him alone now. Such a brave little bunny… Fluttershy made her way back outside and wiped the tears from her eyes to try and hide the inevitability of what was to come. Angel was only five years old. That was far too soon for a rabbit like him. Though he was a bit uppity at times, and liked to misbehave, he was a good soul at heart. He didn’t deserve what he had coming.
Fluttershy was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn’t notice that the sun darkening over her little corner of the woods. She didn’t notice as a shadow circled about their heads and descended upon the land like a hungry vulture, ready to claim its meal at last..
All of the pots and pans in the cupboard shook as the house trembled. Vases of flowers and cages of birds trembled, shaking in their places. Fluttershy glanced up from her sick rabbit’s bed and discovered a pony with a hooded black cloak and a scythe held in his hoof stood above her. His face was barely visible through the darkness, but she could see that he had no mane, fur, or skin. Empty sockets of blackness stared back at her from the abyss of his hood as he moved closer to her..
“Death,” said Fluttershy, addressing the specter.
”I have come for the one you are tending to, Fluttershy.” His voice penetrated her with a chill far colder than the iciest tundra ever could. The mere presence of his voice was nearly enough to send any mortal cowering and running in fear. There was a cold acceptance in his voice that signified the inevitability of his success, and the great pain that it brought with it. Fluttershy felt every single hair in her coat and mane stand on end, but she held her ground as her drew closer, placing his withered hoof on Angel’s head.
“No, please… it’s too soon! He has at least ten more good years on this earth! Just give me some time to find out what’s wrong with him, please!” said Fluttershy, jumping in front of Death. She assumed a defensive position over Angel Bunny, flaring out her wings in her best attempt to make herself look more imposing.
Death simply chuckled, the hollow laugh echoing throughout the sky. He brushed her aside and stepped over Angel, giving him a sad smile. The instant that his hoof touched Fluttershy’s skin, she stepped back. Where the hair on her coat had once been were black, shriveled strands that crumbled away to dust.
“That is what they all say in the end. Don’t make this any harder than it has to be, Fluttershy. We all have our time to die. When it becomes yours, you will believe it is too soon for you, whether it happens tomorrow or a hundred years from now. Regardless, I have my duty to escort the denizens of this world beyond this mortal coil.”
“It’s not fair!” Fluttershy cried, stepping on Death’s robe to prevent him from walking further towards Angel Bunny. As her hoof touched the cloth, a searing pain shot through her hoof and she was forced to draw away.
“He has suffered enough. It is his time to go.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it!” said Fluttershy. Summoning up the courage, she jumped in front of Death and glared at him, the furious leer stopping him in his tracks. Death shook his head and sighed.
“You will not take Angel Bunny. Got that!?”
Death nodded his head. Fluttershy scampered backwards a few steps, expecting some sort of blow or punishment to come her way. Instead, she felt a cold silence settle over the clearing. Fluttershy looked up from her cowering position and looked up towards Death. He was standing stock still and unmoving, seemingly waiting for Fluttershy’s response. She couldn’t believe it. She had talked down Death himself. She felt an ancient, primeval anger and fear well up in her soul as she looked up at the very being that had brought so much suffering to her, her friends, and Equestria.
“In fact, your job here is finished. Nopony in Equestria will ever die again.”
”As thou hath commanded, Fluttershy. I shall forfeit my duties in this land starting now. Perhaps this will be an opportunity for the masses to learn a very valuable lesson.” Death walked to the middle of the clearing and set his scythe down on the ground. The earth itself seemed to weep as the dark clouds above rained down without the assistance of any pegasi. A small whisper blew through on the wind, barely audible over the sudden downpour.
”Perhaps in time you will come to see what a mercy Death truly is.”
In a puff of smoke, Death disappeared, and the sky brightened up once more.
“There, there, Angel Bunny. Fluttershy’s here for you. I’ll never let anypony hurt you.” Fluttershy leaned over Angel and caressed his head softly again. “Not even Death himself…”
Angel coughed and sputtered in the scorching heat of the summer sun.
In a few weeks, Angel slowly returned to health, though at a cost. Splotches of fur were missing from his body, exposing his pink skin to the elements. Fluttershy often had to rub sunscreen on him now or dress him in warm clothing during cold days to prevent permanent damage to the fragile areas. Angel bunny was also blind, his eyes hazy and glazed over from the damage that had been done. He was still alive though. He was still alive, and that was all that mattered.
Fluttershy had spent hundreds of bits on a specialized pair of protective glasses and a walking cane, though Angel prefered not to use them. With his limited mobility and inability to see properly, they served more as a hinderance than a blessing. No, he still longed for the old freedom of being able to go wherever he wanted and hop to his heart’s content. He preferred to hop around until he hit a wall, and then turn and move the other direction.
Though he was left with no sight, Fluttershy still prefered this to death, and Angel Bunny seemed to still be content with living. He was still just as fussy as ever, though, and required more attention given his disability. Now Fluttershy had to spend almost every waking moment tending to Angel, leaving almost no time for her friends or other animals.
For a few days, nopony even noticed that death was absent from Equestria. There were a few odd occurrences, mostly that ponies on their deathbeds the previous day had continued to hang on despite the doctors’ predictions. Most ponies chalked it up to a miracle blessing from Celestia.
The absence of Death became clear, however, when a condemned murder was subjected to a public execution in Appleoosa for killing five ponies. Crowds across Equestria watched in awe as he simply refused to die. Despite three attempts, a broken neck, and various poisons coursing through his bloodstream, he refused to die. He was dubbed “the invincible inmate” by the media—a title which remained until three days later when another condemned pony in Dodge Junction also refused to die.
By that point, Princess Celestia and Luna called an urgent royal meeting to which the mane six were invited.
“Elements of harmony,” Celestia said to the six who were seated around a table, “We have an unusual situation on our hooves here in Equestria. It seems that nopony is able to die at all. Hospitals have reported a 100% survival rate over the last week. Condemned death row inmates are still living. Equestria hasn’t had a single murder, death, or fatal accident in a week.”
“That’s odd,” said Twilight Sparkle, “And statistically impossible. There must be something else at work.”
“What’s wrong with this, exactly?” said Fluttershy. The other ponies glanced towards her, their mouths agape.
“I mean, we all get to live forever, right? Who wants to die?” asked Fluttershy.
“Uh, sugarcube, death is a part of life,” answered Applejack. “It’s part of the natural order. Ponies are still bein’ born, and now none of ‘em can die to make room for new ones.”
“Well, there is a caveat,” said Princess Celestia, “Nopony in Equestria can die. It appears that other nations have been unaffected.”
“So what do we do?” asked Rarity.
“Go out and do crazy stunts and never worry about dying!” said Rainbow Dash.
“Party all the time!” said Pinkie Pie.
“I wouldn’t do that,” said Fluttershy, “Disability is still possible, just like Angel Bunny. I’d be careful.”
“Correct. Immortality doesn’t mean invincibility,” said Twilight Sparkle.
“Well, I am at a loss,” said Princess Celestia. “I’ve talked to Death about this, but he simply refuses to come to Equestria. Tell anypony that if they really wish to die, they should go to the Crystal Empire or another country.”
For the next several years, Equestria became a destination for ponies, gryphons, zebras, dragons, and beings of all sorts from across the world who wished to live forever. The Crystal Empire and other nations became a destination for Equestrians who, for whatever reason or another, wanted to put an end to their misery.
However, after some time, Equestria became incredibly overcrowded. With nopony dying, and with ponies still being born and immigrating to Equestria, ponies were living packed in with each other.
Fluttershy found that the forest became more and more crowded, with no living creatures able to die. Over the years, the sky blackened with thousands and thousands of birds, blotting out the sun. Ants coated the forest floor like a blanket.
The ponies and other sentient creatures fared no better than the animals. Eventually, riots, battles, and even wars broke out over limited resources. It was a bloodbath, but with no deaths. Ponies lived and suffered with terrible wounds and disabilities from the conflicts, unable to die.
Twenty years later, Angel Bunny, now weakened and unable to move more than a few feet at a time, lightly tugged on Fluttershy’s mane.
“What is it?” she asked him.
He pointed towards his wrist.
“Oh, I know this one. Time, right?” answered Fluttershy.
Angel nodded, and then made a throat slitting gesture with his paw.
“Wait… time to die? You can’t be serious, can you? But you have a great life, and…”
Angel Bunny gestured towards his body, his greying fur, his blinded eyes, and his frail form.
“Well, it’s better than death, right?” asked Fluttershy.
Angel shook his head as vigorously as he could.
“But, but, you can’t leave me… You’ll die… and…”
Angel pointed towards his wrist once more, and motioned with his arms all around.
“But…” Fluttershy started. Angel stood firm.
“I guess… I guess I didn’t stop to think that death might be a good thing. Let’s get you to the Crystal Empire.”
Fluttershy flew towards the border with the Crystal Empire, a trip which took several days. All along the way, she struggled through flocks and flocks of birds who overcrowded the sky. She finally reached the border and noticed a stark contrast. Many of the birds who flew across the border instantly fell, dying. The difference between the two lands was as night and day.
She landed near the border, and set Angel Bunny down right in front of it.
“Go on, Angel,” she said. “Right in front of you.”
He moved forward, crawling along, until he crossed the invisible line demarcating the border between the two lands.
Suddenly, in a puff of smoke, Death appeared. Death gave Angel a sad, crooked smile and extended his hoof towards the suffering bunny. The instant his hoof touched his body, Angel crumbled into a pile of dust and drifted away in the wind. Death sang him a soft song in his passing, granting him a safe journey into the afterlife. Then, he turned to look at Fluttershy.
”Ah, if it isn’t Fluttershy,” he said. ”Seeking death for your loved one when you once so bitterly opposed it.”
“I’ve learned my lesson,” said Fluttershy. “Everything has its time, and that time must be limited. The old must make way for the new.”
”Wise words, indeed. After all of these years, you’ve finally begun to understand…” Death’s voice rang with the solemn tone of finality as he spoke. ”I take no great joy in my duties, Fluttershy. That being said, death is an aspect of life that is necessary. I bring comfort to the diseased, pained, sad, and forgotten. Certainly you of all ponies understand what it means to bring comfort to one who is scared and in need, even if it is only a small one... I suppose you’ll be begging me to come back to Equestria now, then?”
“Um… if that’s okay with you, that is,” said Fluttershy, blushing. “I did sort of kick you out rather rudely.”
Death looked at the birds clouding the sky, and at the mice crowding the field.
He chuckled. ”It seems I have quite a bit of catching up to do.”
