Mephisto and the Pony

Helena slowly rose from her soft bed, breathing a sigh of relief.  She had never felt so... satisfied before.  Light drifted through the windows as she slowly opened her eyes and grunted.  She reached out with a hoof.  She felt only a pillow.  She bolted up straight, and looked around the room, to see Ariel sitting on a stool, his face obscured by shadows.

"Ariel?"

"Helena."

"Come back to bed..."

"Helena, you came to me.  It seemed that life had only just begun again."

She stood up on the bed, and looked him with rage and fear.  "What?"

"Once I was free to fly... I never promised anything.  This... may well be goodbye."

Her tears hit the floor and her eyes shut tight, and her heart shattered.

"Don't ask why, and don't be sad.  Sometimes we all must alter the paths we planned.  Try to understand, I want to save you-"

"Save me?!"

"From the lost and bound."

She shook her head.  "Please..."

He shook his head.  "I felt retention rise."

"Ariel!"

"Keep your voice down.  I can't explain, and I don't know, somehow we may reuinite."

She nodded at him.

"Helena, don't you cry.  Believe me, I do this for you."

She gave him a look of pure hatred.

"Heed my decision now.  I will be gone but soon...  Nothing can take my faith away."

"You'r... faith."

"Deep within you know.  I'm lost and bound."

He got off the stool, walked past Helena, and pushed the door away with his head.  He didn't even look back.  He was gone.

...

Helena lay on her stomach on a rock, icy, slippery cliff just a above a raging river.  Had she turned around, she could see the village behind her, but she didn't care.  She felt sick.  She looked out over the skyline, where she could almost make out a castle.  Only briefly did she wonder about it.

She stood up and heard something thud down next to her, so, emotionless, she turned around to face it.  The pitch red alicorn looked at her with utter sympathy and peace.

"My little pony,"  He said carefully, "whatever ails you?  I could feel your pain from my castle."

She shook her head.  "Stallions," she snapped.

"I assure you, some of us are just as sick of the others.  Tell me all..."  He said.

She looked away and allowed her tears to flow.  "I remember a song.  From long ago."

"A melody of longing?  Of betrayal?"  He asked her.

"Some of the pieces, they remind me... of him."

"Reminders of love lost?  Everywhere."  He said.

"How could I know?  He was to leave me?"

"Nopony ever does."  He told her.

"I thought that I was the melody.  Oh... so... wrong."  She turned to face the stranger.

He simply nodded.

"If this is goodbye, I will leave.  But Ill love him until... the end."

Mephisto extended one wing, and with a lap, knocked her over the edge.  She fell, screaming, and was suddenly silenced.  Only the running of the water could be heard.

"Mares."  He whispered.

...

Fluttershy saw the mare falling from the cliff.  "NO!"  She screamed as she flew forth.  She was going to make it - the mare was in hooves reach.  Rainbow Dash was right behind her, being watched carefully by Twilight, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie, from the other shore.  Rainbow managed to get right under her, and then laughter was heard by all.  A gust of wind blew both pegasus away from their target, tumbling them all the way to the shoreline, where their friends waited.

Each of them stood still in shame as the body washed up beside them.  Tears came from each mare.

"What... How.." said an unbelieving Rainbow Dash.

"Mephistopheles."  Said Princess Celestia simply.  Each mare turned and gazed her in their horror.

"Where did you come from?!  Why didn't you do anything?!"  Cried Twilight.

"My little ponies, do not cry.  Everypony dies."  She placed a hoof over the body and checked it.  "She is gone."

"Can anypony speak for the dead?"  She asked the river.

Each mare gave another a look, until the water before them rose.  A mare made of water appeared from the river, standing on the rushing river itself.

Its voice was high and feminine, and it challenged her.  "If you have grace, if this world has light and healing, bring thine souls to heaven's light.  Bless the unborn child tonight!"

Celestia nodded.  Her horn lit up, and the body vanished.  She turned to the others.  "We are more like observers, at the moment.  Find out what happened."

Each mare gave her a different look, but all of them collected themselves, some only after a hug from Applejack.  They were depressed and still crying, but they made their way to the village, and only Celestia glanced up at the castle.

...

Ariel snapped awake with a cry.  He had somehow fallen asleep on the road.

"I just had a dream...she was by the riverside, alone, and dressed in white.  Flailing in the cold!"

He turned and fled back to the village, where the town crier was just starting his messege to a large crows in the center of the village:

"Hear ye, Hear ye!  The pony Helena has committed a sin!  Now death lies on her like a untimely crust upon the sweetest flower of all the land!"

Ariel turned away and cried into his hooves.  "How could I have known?!  Just the thought is simply wild, a little foal!"

"Excuse me sir!"  Said a mare to him.

"Wah - what?"  He composed himself and stood up, looking straight into the face of a purple alicorn.  Okay, seriously.  He thought.  How many of those things are just running around these days?

"Do you happen to know anything about the death of the pony?"

"Nuh-no."  He stuttered.  She leaned a little closer to him.

"Its just so tragic, and I've never been strong in the face of horror..."  He trailed off.  It wasn't a total lie.

She simply walked away, asking others the same questions.

He left the village in the direction of Mephisto's castle, leaving a trail of tears behind him.  "Carry on..."