Chapters A Matter of Life and Death
"Tia, wake up!"
Young, ten year-old Princess Clementia opened one of her eyes to see her twin sister, Caeda, looking at her with an excited grin. She shook her head and closed her eyes again.
"Oh, come one, Tia! The comet's coming today! This is the only time we'll be able to see it for 1,000 years! Well, in Rainum's time, it's 1,000 years, but here it's--" Caeda shook her head. "Do you want to wait FOREVER to see the comet again when you're eleven?" Caeda complained.
Clementia pulled her blanket over her head.
"Ugh. I guess you left me with no choice."
Caeda pulled her sister's blanket off of her, only to see that Clementia was not there.
"Where did you go?!"
Clementia knocked on the wall, catching Caeda's attention, and giggled as she ran out of the room.
"Why you little--!" Clementia laughed as she chased her sister down the hall.
"Come on, Tia! It's going to pass any minute now!" Caeda said as she held her sister's hoof. "Can't you wait to go after the comet's passed? I'm sure it's nothing. Mom and dad have already set up the telescopes! And all of the Reapers are going to be watching, too!"
Clementia shook her head as she pulled her hoof away from her sister's. She went inside from the castle lawns and went down the hall. Clementia didn't know why, but for some reason, she felt like something bad has going to happen. After she went up and down the main hall, she was about to go back to the lawn when she saw flash of bright light. She followed it and ended in front of a door she had never seen before. She saw light shining from the cracks in the door.
Clementia didn't want to open the door; it seemed that this was the source of her worries. She was about to go back the castle lawns to watch the comet passing with her family when the door opened on its own and sucked her in.
Blue Fire sighed as he walked through a snowy trail in his hometown, Snowfall. Not much ever happened here, except maybe a few travelers that came here to stock up on supplies occasionally. Though, he liked it his way. No soldiers clamoring around in their armor around town. No lieutenants shouting orders to their legions at the top of their lungs. No fillies laying unconscious in the snow…
"Wait, what?"
Blue Fire ran over to see a young filly almost buried in the snow. He would have almost missed her if it weren't for her golden crown, floating above the filly's head. How peculiar. Blue Fire shook his head. He had seen a lot of crazy, magical things in the time that he was a royal guard. She was probably some fairy princess or something. He dug her out of the snow and put her onto his back, covering her with his cloak.
"Hello? Anyone there?" He called out. "Is anyone missing a filly?"
All Blue Fire could here was the wind whistling in the distance.
Uncertainly, Blue Fire carried her to his and his brother's cabin. He lay the filly down on top of the couch, in front of the warm fire. Blue Fire thought she was cold, but he couldn't see her shivering.
"Probably because she's unconscious or something. " Blue Fire thought.
Blue Fire sat at the table, drinking hot chocolate. His brother, Red Flame, would be home in a few minutes. It was the same everyday. At eight in the morning, Red Flame would leave to go to work as a royal guard, leaving him to do whatever he pleased until he came home at eight at night. That's how it was every day. Same faces around snowfall, with everypony doing what they did every day. That's how Blue Fire's life had been for the past year, day in, day out. Week in, week out. Month in, month out. But this one, peculiar filly had mixed things up a little. Blue Fire wasn't sure how he felt about it, but--
"I'm home, brother!" Red Flame called out and he stepped into the cabin, making mini fireworks go off behind him.
"Of course you are." Blue Fire said unenthusiastically.
"Oh, come on, Blue! At least I had the courtesy of adding fireworks to my entrance this time!" Red Flame protested loudly.
"Be a little quieter, would you? I found a filly in the snow, and she's sleeping." Blue Fire said, looking at the filly.
"Ooh, did you now?" Red Flame replied. He tiptoed toward the sleeping filly and inspected her closely.
"Hey, where did you find her?" Red Flame asked.
"Like I said, I found her in the snow on one of my walks."
"I think Shining Spear is looking for one of her kind."
"Is she, now?"
"Yeah, she's looking for a Reaper. Says they've got gold rings floating above their heads, but finding one with a golden crown would be even better."
Blue Fire nearly choked on his hot chocolate.
"A R-reaper?!"
"Eeyup. In fact, I should call her right now!" Red Flame exclaimed enthusiastically as he prepared a spell to send flares up above their cabin.
"Wait, don't!" Blue Fire shouted as he tackled Red Flame, but it was too late. Red Flame had sent up two, bright flares above their house.
"Shoot!" Blue Fire whispered.
"What are you so worried about, brother?" Red Flame asked, confused.
"I thought you knew! When Shining finds a Reaper, she'll want to kill it! She's been looking for one for years, back to even when I was still a guard!"
"Oh."
Thinking fast, he teleported the filly into his room, just seconds before Shining Spear teleported to their front door.
"WHERE IS IT?! " Shining Spear yelled, slamming the door open.
A Matter of Life and Death
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. A Matter of Life and Death
Blue Fire sat on the porch outside his house, looking up at the starry night sky. He had just tucked Tia into bed in the extra bedroom. Many things were racing through his mind. Would he have to hide Tia from Shining Spear? Would Red Flame be able to keep the secret? Was he going to keep Tia forever? If so, how do you raise a Reaper? If not, how was he going to bring Tia home?
Red Flame came out onto the porch, carrying two mugs of hot chocolate.
"Brother! I brought you some hot chocolate! I, the Fantastic Red Flame, made it myself!" Red Flame exclaimed as he put one of the mugs down in front of Blue Fire.
"Heh. Thanks, bro."
"What'cha thinking about?"
"1,000 things. But it's okay."
"Isn't the Reaper just the CUTEST thing you've ever seen?!" Red Flamed raved.
"Sure."
"So are we, like, adopting her?" Red Flame asked.
"I'm not so sure. I'm pretty sure Reapers have parents, so…"
"Oh…"
"We'll be something more like… long-time babysitters."
Red Flame smirked at Blue Fire.
"B-but it's not like there's any other option." Blue Fire retorted, blushing. "And I'm planning on getting her home someday."
"Yeah. So, what are we doing for Hearth's Warming?"
"Oh yeah. You're on break."
"Yep! A whole week of quality brother time!" Red Flame exclaimed excitedly as he hugged Blue Fire.
"Yay…"
After Red Flame had gone to sleep, Blue Fire went on a walk through Snowfall Woods. Snowfall Woods was his favorite place to go for a midnight hike. It was a little ways away from the town, and the scenery was magnificent. Snow-covered trees were at every turn, and you could hear the chirps of birds while you enjoyed the scenery. However, Blue Fire couldn't hear any birds chirping the in the distance. And the usually pure white snow on the trees was now pitch black.
"What's going on?"
"Blue… F-fire…"
Blue Fire jumped back.
"W-who's there?!" He called out.
"Blue… F-fire…"
The black substances on the trees starting crawling towards him.
"I don't like the look of this…"
Breaking into a cold sweat, Blue Fire ran back to the cabin, while, unknown to him, leaving a black hoof mark with each step he took.
Blue Fire woke up to the sun, shining in his eyes. The stretched his hooves and looked out his bedroom window. It was a beautiful day outside. Birds were singing, the snowbells were blooming. On days like these--
Suddenly, Tia burst into his room, slammed the door shut, and hid under Blue Fire's blanket, with leftover Alfredo all over her coat.
"Come back, Reaper!" Blue Fire heard Red Flame shout.
"Kid, what's going on?" Blue Fire asked, peeking under his sheets.
Red Flame burst into the room, and launched himself onto Blue Fire's bed.
"What are you doing, Red Flame…?" Blue Fire groaned sleepily.
"Well, I was just trying to teach Tia some words, but she kept shaking her head -- maybe the Fantastic Red Flame was too complex for her at the moment -- so then I tried to feed her, and then--"
"Of course." Blue Fire sighed. "Listen, Red Flame--"
"The Fantastic Red Flame." Red Flame corrected.
"Tia doesn't need to be feed. She's, like, ten years old! And now that I think of it, she'll probably stay ten years old here in Rainum for 1,000 years…" Blue Fire shook his head. "We don't even know how to take care of her! We aren't Reapers! We aren't her parents! In fact, I think it's best if I try to get her home…" Blue Fire trailed off as he saw Red Flame guiltily looking down at his hooves.
"What's been getting into me?" Blue Fire thought. "At first, I just thought I was grumpy because I had to leave my job, but now…"
Blue Fire sighed. He put his hoof on his brother's shoulder.
"Sorry I shouted. I just… haven't been feeling like myself lately. Ever since..."
"It's okay." Red Flame sniffled.
Tia peeked out from under Blue Fire's blanket, the Alfredo on her head gone. She leapt out onto Red Flame's lap and smiled him. Red Flame grinned back.
"I'm going to see if I can find a way to get her back home." Blue Fire as he led Tia out of the room. "But I don't think she's leaving just yet."
Blue Fire put a spare coat on Tia and put his own coat on. He went outside to the spot where he found her.
"Was it somewhere around here?" Blue Fire asked.
Tia shook her head.
"Well, well, well. Turns out you did know where the Reaper was."
Blue Fire turned around to face Shining Spear. Her dark turquoise mane was in a ponytail and she was wearing a black short sleeve shirt.
"H-hey, Shining. Aren't you cold?" Blue Fire said nervously as he pushed Tia peeked out from behind him.
"The whistling wind is no match for the captain of the guard! But I didn't come here to talk about the weather." Shining Spear glared at Tia. "I came here to face the Reaper."
Shining waved her horn and surrounded Blue Fire with razor-sharp spears.
"Just you and me, Reaper." Shining said as she took out her spear.
"Shining, no! She's just a little girl!" Blue Fire cried as he attempted to get past the spears.
"I'm so sorry, Blue Fire, but this is for Pops!" Shining yelled as she hit Blue Fire's left leg, which was bandaged, knocking him out. "Heh… His leg's never been strong ever since…"
Shining slapped herself. She turned to Tia again and pointed her spear at her.
"Come at me, Reaper."
A Matter of Life and Death
Shining Spear was chasing Tia through Snowfall Woods, hot on her trail. Shining was throwing spears at Tia as she pursued her. Tia spread her wings and flew above the trees, but Shining threw a spear at her, grazing her wing. Tia crashed into the snow, and the chase continued.
"You won't get away!" Shining Spear yelled.
Shining lunged forward and jumped in front of Tia. Shining shoved a spear through Tia's coat and into the ground, nearly impaling her. Tia, unable to flee, winced as Shining came closer.
"Fight me, Reaper!" She yelled, tears forming in her eyes.
Tia shook her head.
"It's already hard to hurt a little filly like yourself… But you not fighting back makes it even harder!"
Shining surrounded Tia with many spears, glinting in the sunlight.
"Fight me, or I'll attack!"
Tia once again shook her head. However, just before Shining Spear could give the signal for her spears to attack, a blur passed before her eyes. Shining felt something around her hooves. To her surprise, when she looked down, Tia was hugging her.
"W-what are you doing…?"
Tia looked up at Shining Spear, who had an unsure look on her face. She then touched her horn to Shining's heart, and a calming warmth spread over Shining's body. She fell to her knees, crying, while Tia looked unsure at what she had just done.
"I'm s-so s-sorry, Reap-per… I-I didn't mean to h-harm you…" Shining sobbed, tears falling down her face. "I-I jus-st…"
Shining continued to cry as Tia hugged her. They had stayed like this for a long while before Tia heard approaching hoofsteps, crunching in the snow.
"Tia!" Blue Fire cried, limping as a dragged his left leg through the snow. "Where..."
Blue Fire trailed off as he approached Shining Spear and Tia.
"W-what did you do…?" Blue Fire asked Tia in amazement.
Tia stood up and reached out her horn to touch Blue Fire's chest, but he backed away, a slightly scared look on his face.
"Oh. I see..." Blue Fire said quietly as Tia stared at him with skeptical eyes.
Blue Fire went up to Shining and held out his hoof. She grabbed it and stood up, wiping her eyes.
"S-sorry you had to see me like this…" Shining sniffled.
"Heh. It's fine. You couldn't help it." Shining replied, glancing at Tia.
"So that's a Royal Reaper's power, huh? When it touches your heart, it reveals the deepest emotions buried deep in your heart. Only another Royal Reaper can withstand it…"
"Oh, and sorry I hurt your leg…"
"It's fine. It didn't hurt that bad." Blue Fire lied, hiding a wince from the pain in his leg.
Tia tugged on Shining's shirt.
"What's up?"
Tia slit her coat with her horn, and a drop of silver blood slipped out.
"H-hey, what are you doing?!"
Tia put the blood in a vile she found in her coat and gave it to Shining. Her eyes widened as she took the vile with shaking hooves.
"R-reaper blood-d…" Shining stammered.
"It can only be attained if a Royal Reaper willingly gives it…" Blue Fire said, his eyes locked on the vile.
Shining Spear embraced Tia in a long hug, saying thank you repeatedly to her.
"What's she up to?" Blue Fire thought suspiciously.
It was the day before Hearth's Warming Eve. Shining Spear hadn't been seen since she fought Tia a few days ago. Worried, Red Flame, Blue Fire, and Tia went to Shining and her dad's house.
"I wonder if she's okay…" Red Flame said as he approached the door. However, when he knocked, the door creaked open. It had apparently been unlocked.
"Shining? Are you in there?" Red Flame called.
Red Flame, Blue Fire, and Tia walked into Shining's house.
"Whoa."
The inside of Shining's house was in shambles, There were holes in the walls, shattered china was on the floor, and the furniture was all broken. It was surprising that in outside of the house wasn't in shambles too.
In the middle of the room was Shining, looking down, crying. A cracked, empty vile was laying next to Shining's father, the former captain of the royal guard.
Cautiously, the trio approached Shining Spear.
"You okay there, Shining?" Blue Fire asked.
"You…" Shining mumbled.
"What?"
"You!" Shining yelled, glaring at Tia.
"W-what's going on, Shining?" Red Flame stammered.
"YOU!!!" Shining cried at the top of her lungs, tears streaming down her face. "YOU KILLED POPS!!! YOU KNEW THE BLOOD WOULDN'T WORK ON HIM!!! YOU DIDN'T GIVE IT WILLINGLY!!! YOU JUST WANTED TO MAKE ME SUFFER!!!"
Shining charged towards Tia, but Red Flame surrounded Shining with pillars of fire.
"Hey, calm down, Shining!" Blue Fire yelled. "Reaper blood--"
"Calm down…? CALM DOWN?!" Shining shouted. "HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOUR FATHER PROMISED HE'D SEE THE DAY YOU HAD ACHIEVED YOUR DREAM, BUT THEN WAS PUT IN A COMA BEFORE YOU COULD TELL HIM?! AND THEN WHEN YOU THINK YOU'D FOUND A WAY TO CURE HIM, IT HADN'T WORKED?!"
Shining was breathing heavily. Red Flame looked scared. He grabbed Tia and ran out of the house, subsequently making the flame pillars around Shining disappear. Holding Tia in his arms, Red Flame hid behind a tree well away from the house. He knew that Shining had gone too far.
Tia struggled in Red Flame's hooves to try to see what was going on, but Red Flame held her tight.
"How would I feel?"
Blue Flame snickered. Shining was still breathing hard.
"Heh. I dunno. My father, no, whatever he meant to me and my brother, if anything, was--"
Suddenly, Blue Fire started yelling in an strange language. As his voice became louder, Blue Fire started to float into the air.
"H-hey, w-what's going on?!" Shining said, stumbling back as Blue Fire approached her.
Blue Fire's eyes changed color, from a cerulean to a pitch black.
Blue Fire approached Shining closer, grabbed her neck, and brought her head level with his. Shining looked into Blue Fire's soulless eyes.
"But you would never know."
Blue Fire dropped Shining Spear on the ground, who was half-conscious. Blue Fire started breathing heavily, his hooves shaking.
"W-what hav-ve I d-don-ne…?"
A Matter of Life and Death
"Ugh…"
Blue Fire groaned, and turned over on his side. He had had a very crazy dream. They were all in Shining Spear's house, and she was crying, and then…
Blue opened his eyes. He was laying in his bed. Blue Fire sat up. His left leg was throbbing.
"That was a very lucid dream…"
Blue Fire carefully slid out of bed. He went into the kitchen, not realizing that his dream, in fact, hadn't been a dream at all.
"Mornin', Red Flame. What's…"
Blue Fire's heart sank as he took in the sight before him. Shining Spear was laying unconscious on the couch, while Red Flame kneeled beside her, healing her injuries, his horn glowing. Tia was staring at Shining with worried eyes, a butterfly perched on her floating crown.
"Oh my gosh."
Blue Fire ran up to Red Flame and Tia. He had expected Tia to back away when he approached her, but surprisingly, she too looked at him with worried eyes.
"What happened?!"
"You had another one of your… attacks." Red Flame said quietly. "Thankfully, Shining wasn't hurt too bad. She'll be okay."
"Thank goodness." Blue Fire said, sighing in relief.
Blue Fire sat on the couch next to Shining Spear. Shining Spear was a very strong mare, but apparently, he was a bit stronger.
Tia attempted to touch Blue Fire's heart with her horn again, but Blue Fire backed away hastily. Tia stared at him with her big eyes.
Shining stirred. She opened her eyes. They were red and puffy.
"W-wha…?" Shining mumbled
Blue Fire ran up to her.
"I'm SO sorry, Shining! I don't know what got into me! I hope you're not hurting to bad! How do you feel?!" Blue Fire said rapidly.
Shining didn't reply. She just stared down with empty eyes.
"Why…"
"What?"
"Why… didn't… the blood work…?" Shining asked, turning her head to look at Tia, her eyes watering with desperation for for an answer. Tia looked at Blue Fire.
"Oh."
Blue Fire sighed.
"Reaper blood and dust isn't just your average cure-all." Blue Fire explained cautiously, afraid that Shining would burst into anger as she had in her house. "You see, Reaper blood and dust will revive everything and everypony, but… it only works if the pony receiving it is willing to get better. The blood didn't work on your father because…"
"…He didn't want to be cured?" Shining said quietly.
Blue Fire looked down. What was he supposed to say to that ?
"I see…" Shining mumbled.
They sat in silence for a while, the only thing moving was the butterfly fluttering its wings on Tia's crown, and Shining's chest, steadily rising and falling; the only thing they could hear was Shining's ragged breath and the soft whistling of the wind outside.
Red Flame entered the living room with four hot chocolates floating beside him. They hadn't noticed that he had left the room.
"I… I made hot chocolate." Red Flame said as he gave each of them a cup, straining himself to smile.
"Thanks." Blue Fire said.
"…Thanks." Shining spear said quietly.
Tia gave an awkward smile to Red Flame (that seemed to say, "Just keep smiling!") as she wiped the hot chocolate from her mouth.
"So…" Red Flame started. "I'm going to make Hearth's Warming Eve dinner now! It's gonna take a long time, so that's why I'm starting now! Still, I could use some help, so does anypony want to help me?"
Tia nodded happily and went over to Red Flame.
"You'd better stay here, Blue." Red Flame whispered to Blue Fire, glancing at Shining Spear. "You know, just in case."
"Nah, I'll help with dinner for now. I think it'd be better if you stayed." Blue Fire said he followed Tia into the kitchen.
"Good idea. I'll stay then."
However, Blue Fire's heart sank as Tia stood in front of him, waiting for instructions. He didn't know how to cook! How could he be so stupid as to not remember that?!
"H-hey, Tia… Do you know how to cook?" Blue Fire asked hastily.
Tia gave Blue Fire an exasperated sort of look, but she nodded.
"Oh, thank goodness. Do you think… you could get Christmas dinner started?"
Tia ignored him as she was already searching through all the cabinets and the fridge for ingredients.
"Whoa." Blue Fire thought, impressed. "Well, I'd better start the fire."
Blue Fire went over to the wood-burning oven and started to charge up his fire attack. It took awhile, as he hadn't used offensive in a long time. He heard Tia scurrying around the kitchen behind him. After he had lit the stove, he felt Tia tap him on the back and turned around; his mouth dropped in awe.
Tia was carrying a giant casserole dish (it was bigger than her; how was she carrying it?). It was filled with stuffed mushrooms, potatoes, and other stuffed vegetables, all of them ready to be baked. Floating beside her were pie dishes filled with savory fruits, wrapped in hoof-kneaded dough, and trays full of fresh seasoned vegetables. Blue Fire's mouth watered.
"H-how…?"
Tia just gave him a friendly smile as she gently pushed him aside and put the food in the oven.
"In such a short time…" Blue Fire muttered.
Tia posed dramatically in front of the kitchen door, imitating fireworks sounds.
"Oh, Red Flame taught you?"
Tia nodded proudly.
"Why isn't there Alfredo, then?" Blue Fire laughed.
Tia winked at Blue Fire, as to say "Oh, of course they'll be Alfredo! This is Red Flame we're talking about."
Blue Fire seemed to get the message and went into the living room with Tia.
Shining Spear appeared to be in a better mood. She and Red Flame were playing Charades. Shining was laughing as Red Flame dragged his hooves across the floor, hunching over, muttering to himself.
"Oh, I know! It's Blue Fire" Shining laughed.
"Ding ding ding!" Red Flame said cheerily.
"Hey!" Blue Fire exclaimed.
"Look, even the Reaper's doing it!" Red Flame said as he pointed to Tia. She was doing Red Flame's imitation of Blue Fire; she was hunched over and was muttering to gibberish.
"Oh, come on!" Blue Fire said, but he was smiling. If anypony could cheer up Shining Spear, it was his brother.
"Hey, Blue Fire, is it okay if Shining stays with us for Christmas?" Red Flame asked. "Since, you know, her house is kinda… broken."
"Sure. Tia made plenty of food for all of us!"
Author's Note
You can probably tell that I was really hungry when I wrote this.
A Matter of Life and Death
Everypony was laughing. It was Tia's turn at Charades, and she was posing dramatically.
"Shooting Star! No, it's Shining!" Red Flame gasped. "I know! It's ME!"
Tia nodded happily as she sat back down on the couch. Suddenly, the egg timer went off. Tia stood up and ran off to the kitchen.
"I'll go and see what's up." Blue Fire said as he excused himself.
Tia had brought out a steaming pumpkin pecan pie, the smell wafting throughout the house. Tia set it on the counter.
"Made one to eat today?"
Tia nodded excitedly. She opened a drawer and took out a knife.
Suddenly, Blue Fire felt a tremendous pain searing across his torso, as if someone had sliced his chest right open. Blue Fire stumbled back upon a wall with a cry, breathing heavily.
"Y-you okay, Blue Fire?" Red Flame called from the living room.
Blue Fire didn't answer. He was just staring at Tia, breathing heavily. The knife was floating in front of her, and was pointed at him, glinting in the sunlight. A curious look was on Tia's face. However, when he looked at her again, Tia was crying, and the knife had been replaced with a giant scythe. Tia looked as if she had been heavily beat up, and there were splotches of blood on the her and the scythe. She was wearing a pendant that looked awfully like the pendant he was going to give her for Hearth's Warming tomorrow...
"T-t-tia…" Blue Fire managed to get out, clutching his chest.
Blue Fire looked again, and Tia looked normal again. No tears, no wounds, no blood. He slowly approached Tia, who did not put down the knife. Carefully, he put his hooves out in front of the knife.
"G-give the kn-nif-fe to m-me, T-tia…" Blue Fire stammered. Tia placed the knife dropped into his hooves, and the pain ceased.
"Blue Fire, what's going on?" Red Flame asked worriedly as he ran into the kitchen, followed by Shining Spear.
Blue Fire was still breathing heavily, beads of sweat on his face. Tia's hooves were glued to the floor, a terrified look on her face, like was about to crumple to the floor any second.
"Just... my leg acting up again." Blue Fire lied.
"Are you going to cut the pie now? It's starting to get cold." Shining observed.
"C-can you cut the pie?" said Blue Fire. "I'm going to rest my leg."
"Sure?" Shining said suspiciously as Blue Fire left the kitchen, looking back to make sure Tia wasn't following him.
"What just happened?" Blue Fire thought as he sat down on the couch. As he replayed what had just happened in his mind, things made less and less sense.
Red Flame and Shining Spear came into the room, plates of pie floating beside them, but Tia was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's Tia?"
"What? I thought she was with you." Shining said.
A feeling of dread looming over him, Blue Fire teleported to all the rooms in the house, but there was no sign of Tia. His heart beating faster, Blue Fire grabbed his coat and ran out into the snow-covered town.
Tia sat beside a pond of sky blue water, which appeared to be glowing. Tiny blue light orbs were floating up into the air. They seemed to be coming from the water.
Tia was in one of the many caves of Mirror Falls, the set of waterfalls deep inside Snowfall Woods. After the incident in the kitchen, she had run out of the house and deep into the forest, where she stumbled across one of the caves. There was no source of light in the caves except for the mysterious, blue glowing water and the orbs coming from it.
Tia was looked at her clear reflection in the water, appearing to be deep in thought. It was so clear that she might as well have been looking at a mirror.
Suddenly, the sound of a thousands beatings wings filled the cave.
"Ooh, look what we have here~" cooed a voice.
Tia stood up, alarmed.
"It's time for lunch, my dear subjects~! Tee hee hee!" The voice giggled.
From the shadows, thousands of changelings suddenly appeared, lead by one changeling that stood out from the rest. She had purple hair, purple, translucent wings, and purple eyes, and a purple crown atop of her head. She looked around the same age as Tia. The changeling cleared her throat.
"Ahem. I must hawve had somefing up my fwoat."
The changeling puffed her chest proudly.
"I am Pwincess Antanna Insectia Punaise Thora the fif!" The changeling announced. "But woo can call me Thora.
Tia gave a polite smile. Thora flew down to Tia and looked at her with curiously… upside-down.
"I've nevew seen a cweatuwe wike woo befowe!"
Thora frowned.
"Waiwt a minute."
Thora turned right side-up.
"Nevew mind! Go back to mommy!" She declared, and the changelings left. Thora cleared her throat again.
"I know what you are." She said seriously. "You're a Reaper. A royal one, in fact. I can tell. The floating crown, the wings and the horn, you're 100% a Royal Reaper."
Thora went right up to Tia's face.
"But why are you here? ...Wait, don't answer that. Tee hee!"
Thora sighed.
"Too bad. I was really feeling hungry. But don't pity us. We have plenty of food. We can feed on our own love. Unlike Reapers, we have the power to love a plethora of creatures. Not just our kind, but other races too… But Reapers …"
A grave look crept upon Thora's face.
"They can't love. They can love themselves, love their kind. But they are incapable of loving others." Thora whispered somberly.
Thora inched closer towards Tia, her nose a centimeter apart from Tia's.
"Such love is… unsatisfying. It leaves you empty." She rasped.
Thora backed away and cleared her throat.
"Wew, I'w be gowing ven! Bye bye! Tee hee!" Thora giggled as she retreated back into the shadows, leaving Tia looking very shaken.
Tia sat down and buried her face in her hooves, on the verge of tears. The changeling was right… About all of it… It was all true...
"Tia!" She hear Blue Fire call out, his voice echoing throughout the cavernous space.
Tia turned around. She could see Blue Fire peeking behind a stalagmite. Tia stood up and ran towards Blue Fire.
"Tia!" Blue Fire said. "What w--"
To his surprise, Tia went up to him and hugged him tightly. A tear slipped out of her eye.
"Whoa, settle down, kiddo."
After much prodding, Tia finally let go of Blue Fire. She was looking down at her hooves.
"I see you've found my favorite thinking spot." Blue Fire said, smiling. Tia looked up. "I love to go here and get away from everything. But don't go near the water. Last time I looked in it…"
Blue Fire shook his head.
"Let's go home. There's a plate of pumpkin-pecan pie with your name on it."
Tia gave a tiny smile and followed Blue Fire out of the cave.
"And forget about the whole knife thing. I think we both want to keep it forgotten."
Blue Fire was right. Tia had totally forgotten why she had run off to the cave. Forgetting all her worries, Tia took Blue Fire's hand and returned to the world, the sun shining through the trees.
Author's Note
NO. THE FEELS. WHY DID I WRITE THIS. WHY.
A Matter of Life and Death
It was Hearth's Warming Eve at Red Flame and Blue Fire's house. Lights were strung outside the house, and snow was falling lightly from the sky. Inside the house, hundreds of lights were illuminating a gigantic fir tree. The fire was happily cackling, its flames dancing energetically inside the fireplace. Everypony was wearing an ugly holiday sweater (all of them made fun of each other's sweaters at the dinner table), and the smell of savory vegetables and crispy pies wafted throughout the house. Everypony was excited to open presents at midnight, but nopony was more excited than Red Flame.
"HOW MANY MORE HOURS UNTIL MIDNIGHT?!" Red Flame asked excitedly, nearly flinging his vegetables into the air.
"About four." Blue Flame said, taking a gulp of hot apple cider.
"Ooh, I can't wait!" exclaimed Red Flame impatiently, longingly looking at the pile of presents under the tree.
"Um, guys…" Shining started, blushing. "The gifts was going to give you all were… kinda, um, destroyed in my house…"
"Oh, that's okay, Shining!" affirmed Red Flame. "Hearth's Warming isn't about presents; it's about family and friendship!"
The group continued eating, laughing, talking, and having a good time. However, Tia looked a little downcast. She was listlessly poking her food with her fork, staring blankly into space. Blue Fire caught note of this and pulled Red Flame aside.
"Red Flame, she misses her family!" Blue Fire whispered.
"What? How do you know?" Red Flame replied, confused.
"Just look at things from her perspective: It's Hearth's Warming Eve, and she's celebrating it with a couple of ponies she barely knows in a world she doesn't belong in!"
"B-but--"
"I-I think we should try to get her home soon…"
Red Flame didn't reply.
"A-after Christmas, of course!" Blue Fire added hastily.
Red Flame was silent.
"O-okay…" He stammered quietly after a while.
Red Flame smiled sadly, and he and Blue Fire returned to the dining room.
"IT'S TIME, IT'S TIME!!!" Red Flame yelled happily as he pranced around the living room.
"Hold your horses, now." Blue Fire said as everypony took a seat in front of the tree. "Heh. Horses…"
Tia tugged Red Flame's sweater.
"Do you want to go first, Reaper?"
Tia nodded.
"Go ahead, then!"
Tia took three gifts from under the tree and passed them out. She ushered Blue Fire to open his first, a rather embarrassed look on her face.
"Okay, then." Blue Fire said, unwrapping the paper. Red Flame was watching anxiously.
Blue Fire's eyes widened. It was an… encyclopedia?
"U-um, th-thanks, kiddo…" Blue Fire stammered politely.
"The Reaper could not decide what present to give you, so I chose for her!" Red Flame revealed proudly.
"Well that explains it."
Tia gave Blue Fire an I'm-really-sorry kind of smile.
"Don't sweat it." Blue Fire whispered to Tia.
Red Flame opened his gift next. He let out a gasp.
"A COOKBOOK!!!" Red Flame exclaimed. "AND NOT JUST ANY COOKBOOK, A FETTUCCINE ALFREDO COOKBOOK!!!"
Red Flame scooped Tia into his arms and hugged her as hard as he could.
"NOW WE CAN TRY MY NEW ALFREDO RECIPES EVERY DAY!!!"
"As if we don't do that already." Blue Fire thought to himself, smiling.
Shining Spear opened her gift now. She took off the cover of a small, box. There was a vile with a silvery substance in it.
"Another vile?! Really?!"
Tia nodded.
"Thank you so much! But don't be giving away too much blood, now. You could get anemia."
Tia nodded happily as she sat back down.
It was Red Flame's turn to give his gifts now.
"Open yours first, Reaper!"
Tia unwrapped the box and took off the lid. Inside was a purple long-sleeved sweater with a butterfly stitched on it, which was a lighter shade of purple.
"Do you like it?" Red Flame asked excitedly. "You're always borrowing Blue Fire's sweaters, so I made one that's all yours! I thought purple would go well with your complexion, and there always seemed to be a butterfly around you, so I stitched one on there too!"
Tia grinned ear to ear. She took off her sweater and the on the one Red Flame made for her. Perfect fit.
"IT LOOKS PERFECT ON YOU!!!"
"Guess it's my turn, now." Blue Fire said as he unwrapped his present.
Laying inside the box was a blue hooded cloak with Blue Fire's cutie mark stitched onto the back.
"So, brother?! What do you think?!" Red Flame asked exuberantly.
"I… I love it."
Red Flame let out a long gasp.
"My… my only brother… LOVES IT?!"
Red Flame wiped nonexistent tears from his eyes and pretended to faint.
"Well, then…" Shining Spear said. "I'll open mine now."
However, there was no present under the tree for Shining from Red Flame.
"WAIT!!! It's in the kitchen! I'll go get it." Red Flame said quickly before he ran into the kitchen and back out, carrying a plate covered with a cloche cover. "After you!"
Shining took off the plate cover to reveal a plate of fettuccine Alfredo.
"Alfredo?"
"Not just any Alfredo, Shining. Oh no." Red Flame corrected her. "It's my Extra Special Super Amazing Fettuccine Alfredo!"
Red Flame gave Shining a fork. Unsurely, she took a bite of the pasta. Her eyes widened.
"It's amazing…"
"That's because I spent one month cooking it!"
Shining gagged.
"It-t's real-lly good, Red-d Flam-me…" Shining coughed.
Red Flame swelled with pride as he took his seat.
"Actually, I managed to get you and Tia last-minute presents." Shining told Red Flame. "Sorry, Blue Fire."
"Hey, it's fine."
Shining handed Tia a large, messily wrapped box.
"I guess I'm not the best gift wrapper." Shining laughed.
Tia opened the box to find a turquoise shield laying inside it, the emblem of Rainum (a red raindrop) emblazoned on it.
"I thought you could use it to protect yourself in case, you know, other ponies try to kill you…" Shining mumbled quietly, blushing.
Tia took it out and examined it, smiling.
"Wanna give it a test run?"
Tia nodded determinedly and held the shield out in front of her. Shining punched the shield hard, but it didn't make a scratch.
"Works pretty well, doesn't it?" Shining said, beaming.
Tia nodded happily as she hugged the shield. Her hooves couldn't touch when she wrapped them around the shield; it was almost as big as her.
"Ooh, what's my gift, Shining?" Red Flame asked curiously.
Shining blushed.
"This." said Shining as she leaned towards Red Flame and gently kissed him on the cheek.
Red Flame's eyes widened, and he fainted, blushing. Tia suppressed a giggle.
Shining was flushing a bright red.
"Welp, guess it's my turn now." stated Blue Fire.
Red Flame immediately sat up, still a little dazed.
"Ooh, yay!"
Blue Fire snickered. He handed out his gifts to Red Flame, Shining, and Tia.
"Ooh, can I open my present first?" Red Flame squeaked.
"Go ahead."
Red Flame unwrapped his present and opened the box. Laying inside was vibrant red scarf with words, "The Fantastic Red Flame" stitched on it. Red Flame let out a very long gasp.
"I LOVE IT!!! IT'S THE MOST PERFECT GIFT IN THE WHOLE WORLD!!!" He exclaimed as he wrapped it around his neck. "CAN I WEAR THIS TO WORK, SHINING?!"
"Well, I guess it's in code, so, sure."
Red Flame nearly exploded with happiness. He tackled Blue Fire and hugged him so tight that his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"Glad… you… like it…" Blue Fire coughed. "Open… yours… Shining…"
"Um, should I help…?" Shining asked unsurely, smiling.
"It's… fine." Blue Fire choked, smiling back.
Shining unwrapped her gift, and underneath it was a long, sleek case. She opened it up and inside was a spear.
"Whoa." Shining whispered.
"Ya like it?" Blue Fire asked, having freed himself from his brother's grasp. "Used it in my early days as a guard. Doubt I'll ever use it again."
"It's… AWESOME!"
Shining immediately took the spear and plunged it into the air.
"Works like a charm!"
Finally, it was Tia's turn. Blue Fire felt a little hesitant to give his present to Tia after seeing the vision, but Blue Fire had had the old pendant for as long as he remembered, and there wasn't anything special about it.
Tia took off the lid of a small box. She held up a beautiful talisman with a white, glowing orb at the end of the string of blue diamonds. Tia put it on and smiled.
"Glad ya like it, kiddo."
"Yes… YES!" A raspy voice exclaimed, watching from the shadows. "The next step has been completed…"
The voice cackled loudly. It eagerly watched Tia laughing with the group, the orb on her talisman turning pitch black.
Author's Note
Here come the iconic items!
What's really important (spoilers, kinda?):
Tia's pendant from Blue Fire
A Matter of Life and Death
"Ugh, do I have to go too?" Blue Fire groaned as Red Flame dragged him off the couch.
"Yes!" Red Flame replied. "The Reaper's coming with me, so you should too! And besides, I already got your ticket!"
It was Red Flame's last day off work, and he wanted to go to Shooting Star's concert. Shooting Star was a popular performer, and everypony in Rainum knew his name. He was having a performance today, and Red Flame wanted to go.
"Now, let's go! You already have your coat on. It starts in 30 minutes, and it's a long walk!"
Blue Fire pulled the hood of his cloak over his head. He hadn't taken it off since Christmas. It was really comfortable, and Red Flame put a spell on it so that it wouldn't get dirty.
"Do you want to carry the Reaper?" Red Flame asked."It would be long walk to the coliseum for her."
"Sure." Blue Fire replied. He picked up Tia and put her on his back.
Blue Fire suddenly realized how small Tia was. She was like a doll compared to him (no wonder Red Flame was so easily able to throw Tia out the window). This was only the second time he had carried Tia; the last time he had, he was too busy thinking about where she had come from.
"I'll switch with you if your leg starts bugging you." said Red Flame, glancing at Blue Fire's bandaged left leg.
"Nah, it's fine."
"Let's go!" Red Flame exclaimed excitedly.
"Mares and stallions, fillies and colts!" the announcer boomed, the coliseum torches darkening. "Please welcome... Shooting Star!"
The crowd cheered, and a spotlight appeared on the stage, revealing a handsome stallion with a light pink coat and a deep, navy mane. He was wearing navy blue suit and pink tie.
"Welcome, my beloved fans!" Shooting Star beamed, blowing a kiss into the air. Several mares screamed in delight. "I would like the show to start as soon as possible, however, there seems to be something amiss…"
A murmur swept over the crowd.
"We are extremely honored to be in the presence of--"
Suddenly, bright lights shown down on Tia.
"A REAPER!"
The crowd gasped. Everypony turned their heads to face Tia.
"Did you know this was going to happen?!" Blue Fire seethed, sinking into his seat.
"Nope!" Red Flame replied nonchalantly, apparently delighting in the attention.
Shooting Star teleported Tia on stage. She didn't shy away, instead, she looked at him with ready eyes.
"My, my! Isn't she the cutest!"
The crowd aww-ed. However, Tia just stood there, her hooves glued to the stage, seeming to be getting ready for something. Blue Fire squirmed nervously in his seat.
"Before we get the show started, let me tell you all a little story!" announced Shooting Star. "Before I became a performer to all of my loyal, beloved fans' delight, I used to be part of our king's elite vanguard! And not just any soldier part of the vanguard, oh no! I was the Reaper specialist! My sole duty was to catch an Reaper that appeared in our fair kingdom of Rainum! And it just so happens that there is a Reaper standing right in front of me!"
Shooting Star glanced at Tia, smirking.
"And it is still my duty to capture any Reaper that dares step hoof on our grounds!" Shooting Star declared.
Suddenly, a forcefield surrounded the stage. Shooting Star lifted his horn into the air, and a rumbling sound filled the coliseum. A bright light filled the area, blinding the audience.
"Kid!" Blue Fire shouted, covering his eyes.
When the light had died down, there were thousands of stars hanging only a half a mile above the stage. The crowd ooh-ed. However, Blue Fire wasn't goggling at the stars. His eyes were on Tia and Shooting Star.
"Lights!" Shooting Star yelled.
More spotlights appeared on stage.
"Camera!"
Nothing happened.
"What is a camera, anyway?" Shooting Star mumbled. He cleared his throat.
"Action!"
Dramatic music started playing in the background, and a star came flying down toward Tia.
"No!" Blue Fire cried, his eyes locked on Tia.
The star created a bright flash of light as it crashed on the stage, engulfing Tia in the light. Blue Fire ran down to the stage as fast as he could. He tried to break the forcefield with a spell, it was to no avail.
The light dissipated, revealing Tia, who was still standing on the stage. Her hooves were shaking, and there was a gash on her cheek.
"Oh, still standing, are we?" Shooting Star taunted. "Well then, I guess I'll actually have to try."
He sent a barrage of stars crashing down on Tia, however, she did not fight back. When the lights cleared once again, she was laying on the stage.
"Stop!" Blue Fire yelled. Shooting Star ignored him.
Tia pushed herself back onto her hooves. She had sustained more injuries.
"Aren't you a little tough cookie!"
Shooting Star sent more stars attacking Tia, battering her left and right.
"No, stop it!" Blue Fire cried, trying once again to break the forcefield.
"If you knew why I was doing this, you'd stop resisting." Shooting Star whispered to Blue Fire from the other side of the forcefield.
Tia was beaten and bruised all over, however, she warmly smiled at Shooting Star.
"Oh, I see what you're doing, Reaper. You think that I'll just give up if you don't fight back. You think I'll have mercy on you." said Shooting Star bitterly, sending more stars crashing down on Tia.
"Well, unfortunately your wrong."
Tia forced herself to stand up, her right eye blackened.
"WHY WOULD I HAVE MERCY ON YOU IF YOUR KIND WAS THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR INFLICTING SO MUCH PAIN US?!" Shooting Star shouted, his voice echoing throughout the coliseum.
Two stars sped toward Shooting Star, and he absorbed them. Shooting Star's horn starting glowing.
"Fight back!" Blue Fire yelled at Tia.
Tia shook her head, remaining stationary.
"He's going to kill you! You have to fight back!"
Tia shook her head once again.
"You foolish, little filly." Shooting Star sneered.
A huge beam of light shot towards Tia, causing the whole coliseum to shake.
"NO!"
However, when the light cleared, Tia was unharmed by the beam.
"W-what…?"
In front of Tia was the shield Shining Spear had given her. It was cracked.
"Oh, you smart, little filly."
Author's Note
Action! Drama! Bloodshed!
Heh.
Anyway, if you guys haven't picked up on it yet, this story takes place in a sort of ancient time. Not where everypony was living in caves and hunting bears, but not when there were dragons and knights. There is no technology (the way the spotlights work is they send light through a giant magnifying glass), and the most advanced thing they have is a fridge. However, I wouldn't say they live in a colonial time either.
A Matter of Life and Death
The crowd fell silent. All eyes were on Tia and Shooting Star.
"Tia…" Blue Fire mumbled.
"Hmph." Shooting Star sniffed, flipping his hair.
Tia stood up straight, pushing Shining's shield aside. She wiped the blood off her face, staining the sleeve of her sweater red.
"Bet your surprised your blood is red and not silver, aren't you? After all, you've been willingly giving away so much of your healing blood. That's why you gave it to Shining Spear, isn't it? To keep her quiet. To keep your whereabouts hidden. You would almost kill yourself and deplete nearly half of your silver blood just to escape my grasp. To cause more pain to others without suffering the consequences." whispered Shooting Star darkly. "After all, self-harming is one of the only two ways to kill a Reaper, and the most painful one at that…"
Tia shook her head.
"But it doesn't matter." said Shooting Star, chuckling bitterly. "You will yield to me if it's the last thing you do!"
Shooting Star sent more stars crashing towards Tia. When the light cleared, Tia was on her knees, blood trickling down her face. Blue Fire grit his teeth.
"Tell me when you're ready to give up." Shooting Star said apathetically.
More and more stars came speeding down towards poor Tia, who was not resisting at all whatsoever. Blue Fire helplessly watched in horror.
Shooting Star was about to send a giant star towards Tia when her pendant glowed a bright periwinkle.
"What?" Blue Fire mumbled.
A wisp of sky blue light escaped from the pendant and took the shape of a butterfly. It flew around Tia and ensconced her in its phosphoresce.
"What's happening?!" Shooting Star demanded.
When the wisp returned to Tia's pendant, she was completely healed, with no sign that she had ever been attacked.
"What did you do?!" Shooting Star shouted angrily at Tia, who pushed herself onto her hooves.
Shooting Star sent a barrage of stars flying at Tia, but to everyone's surprise, she quickly dodged them all. When the light cleared, she was unharmed. The crowd cheered loudly. Shooting Star, however, was enraged.
"GAAAH!!!" He yelled, absorbing two more stars as Tia spread her wings and took to the air.
Shooting Star rapidly fired beams of light aimed at Tia, however, she dodged them gracefully. The crowd cheered louder.
"You go, kid." Blue Fire said to himself, smiling.
Shooting Star was breathing heavily. He sent more stars towards Tia, but they were slower, and seemed to not be as bright. Tia dodged them once again.
"I… I will…" Shooting Star said in between breaths.
Shooting Star continued to fire dozens of stars and beams of light towards Tia, but she dodged almost all of them, though a few were able to graze her. The battle continued until there were no more stars hovering above the stage, and the crowd had nearly lost its voice. Shooting Star was on his knees, breathing heavily, unable to get up. He had worked his magic to his limit. Tia looked down on him from the air.
"What are you waiting for? Kill me." Shooting Star jeered. "Kill me without the slightest sign of hesitation or mercy, just as the other Reaper would have."
"...Other Reaper?!" Blue Fire thought to himself.
Tia flew down and landed at the opposite side of the stage as Shooting Star. She pointed her horn at him.
"Going to stab me, are you? I thought you would chose a crueler method." Shooting Star scoffed.
Tia started to run towards Shooting Star, her horn aimed at his heart. Shooting Star closed his eyes, smiling.
"I'll finally get to see my parents again." Shooting Star said quietly.
Tia was nearing closer.
"I'll get to see everypony."
Tia was one foot away from Shooting Star.
"The nightmare will finally be over."
The crowd flinched, expecting to hear Tia's horn plunge into Shooting Star's chest, but they heard nothing except Shooting Star's jagged breaths.
"W-wha…?"
Tia's horn laid upon Shooting Star's heart.
"No." Blue Fire whispered.
A comforting warmth spread over Shooting Star. He started to cry. Tia closed the stage curtains so that no one could see them. The crowd was disappointed.
"I… I just wanted to save my… my little sister…" He sobbed quietly. "An evil Reaper... cursed my family a long time ago... so that every generation, one pony would... become fatally ill. That pony… was my sister…"
Shooting Stoor looked up at Tia, tears in his eyes.
"The only cure for this illness... was Reaper dust or blood. The king suggested that I… pose as a performer for a while… so that when a Reaper appeared… it would have a better chance… of meeting me. But when I had spotted a Reaper… he told me to catch it… and bring it to him… but I guess I got carried away…" Shooting Star chuckled sadly.
Tia embraced Shooting Star in a hug. He recoiled, but after a while, he hugged Tia back.
Suddenly, Blue Fire burst through the curtains, dragging Red Flame behind him. He ran to Tia and scooped her in his arms, hugging her tightly.
"Oh my gosh Tia are you okay?! I was so worried!"
Tia nodded and hugged Blue Fire back.
"What were you so worried about, Blue Fire? Tia was watching the show with us the whole…"
Red Flame looked at Tia.
"Oh…"
He took Tia from Blue Fire's arms and squeezed her.
"OHMYGOSH REAPER ARE YOU OKAY?!"
Tia nodded happily, wincing slightly.
"That was some show you put on, Reaper."
Blue Fire and Red Flame turned to face Shooting Star. Amazingly, he looked like he had just arrived for the beginning of the show. His clothes were in pristine condition, his hair was smooth and clean, and his face was free of tears.
"Get. Away. From Tia." Blue Fire demanded, pushing Tia behind him.
"OHMYGOSHYOU'RESHOOTINGSTARI'MSUCHABIGFANOFYOURWORK!!!" Red Flame squealed.
"Red Flame!" Blue Fire scolded. "What are you doing?"
But it was too late. Red Flame was shaking Shooting Star's hoof.
"I love your scarf, wherever did you get it from?" Shooting Star asked.
"Oh, my brother made it for me! He's the best!"
Shooting Star faced Blue Fire, who backed away from him.
"I said to get away!" Blue Fire repeated.
Tia, however, ran from behind Blue Fire to Shooting Star, who picked her up.
"Wasn't that fun, dearest?" Shooting Star said. Tia giggled.
"What?!" said Blue Fire.
Red Flame slid next to his brother.
"Jealous?" Red Flame asked, elbow-ing Blue Fire.
"N-no!" Blue Fire exclaimed hastily. "I don't… I don't know what you're talking about."
Red Flame smirked, suppressing a laugh.
A Matter of Life and Death
"WHAT?!"
"Yep. That's what happened."
After what happened during Shooting Star's concert, Blue Fire and Red Flame immediately reported everything to Shining Spear. She wasn't too pleased to hear about it.
"I would have had Shooting Star do one-thousand, no, one-million push-ups if I had the authority!" Shining growled, slapping her hoof on the table. "I'm really sorry that you had to go through that." Shining said sympathetically to Tia, who was laying on the couch. Red Flame was healing her injuries.
Tia smiled, wincing while doing so.
"I've heard stories about Shooting Star. Stories before word went around that he had "retired." Ponies say he was one of the strongest ponies in the guard." Shining explained. "He's a member of the Phoenix Four."
"Really?! The Phoenix Four?!" exclaimed Red Flame. "The most elite warriors in all of Rainum?!"
"Yep." Blue Fire replied. "There are only four members. The king, the queen, Shooting Star, myself, and…"
"And that's it, right?" asked Red Flame. "Only four members."
Blue Fire froze.
"You know how everypony says that the king and queen are immortal, right?" Blue Fire said very slowly.
"Yeah. " replied Red Flame. "They've been on the throne for more than a thousand years. And they have very strong powers."
"A while ago, I was browsing in the Royal Archives, and I stumbled across a legend that said that there was a fifth member about a thousand years ago."
"A fifth member?!" said Shining.
"Who was it?!" Red Flame asked.
Blue Fire paused.
"It was… their daughter."
"They have a daughter?!" shouted Shining, jumping out of her seat.
"Shh! The Reaper's sleeping!" Red Flame whispered, walking over to the table from the couch.
"They… they had a daughter?" whispered Shining. "But I thought Her Majesty was unable to have foals."
"It said that the king and queen found a filly wondering around the gardens, and decided to adopt her, as she didn't know where she was. But then something happened, and she died."
"Oh." Red Flame said quietly.
"There's more. The book also said that… she was around ten years old."
"Wait. So you're telling me that the now deceased daughter of the king and queen was around the Reaper's age when she was one of the most elite warriors in all of Rainum?!" exclaimed Shining.
"Well, when you say it like that, it seems pretty far-fetched." said Blue Fire.
"Wow, she joined the guard younger than you did, Blue Fire!" Red Flame gushed. "And I thought joining the army at 16 was an accomplishment…"
"Yeah." Blue Fire said blankly.
"Was there a picture of what she looked like?" Red Flame asked curiously.
"I didn't see any."
"Well, this is just a legend, right?" Shining asked skeptically. "I mean, she would have had to be stronger than or as strong as you , Blue Fire, and that's not an easy feat to accomplish."
"Yeah, just a legend…"
Blue Fire lay on his bed, looking at the stars through the skylight in his room. He was replaying what had happened at the concert in his mind.
"Tia's pretty awesome to have survived a member of the Phoenix Five…" Blue Fire thought. "Guess she's capable of defending herself."
Blue Fire chuckled.
"Still can't believe that I'm the strongest member, though... Well, I was."
Blue Fire glanced at his bandaged leg.
"Don't think I can ever go back with this thing bugging me."
Blue Fire closed his eyes.
"You think you're pretty clever, disguising your leg as injured."
Blue Fire's eyes shot open. He was standing in complete darkness.
"Long time, no see." The voice croaked.
"Not long enough." Blue Fire rebuked, sitting up.
"Is that any way to greet your f--"
"You are not my father, and you never will be!" Blue Fire spat.
"Oh, I wasn't going to say "father," oh no." a different voice coaxed, clearing its throat. "I was going to say "friend"…"
Blue Fire looked furiously around the darkness, but he saw nothing.
"What have you done with my father?!"
"Oh, now you call for daddy!" the voice jeered.
Blue Fire grit his teeth.
"I got you good, didn't I? Talking in your father's language? You actually thought he was still alive!" The voice snickered.
Blue Fire's eyes widened.
"He's long dead ever since he took off that pendant and gave it to you… But, really, I haven't seen you and your pathetic little brother since you were little colts, helplessly sitting in a little cell in the castle dungeons." The voice sneered.
Blue Fire froze.
"Yes, and as I remember it, there was not much color around. In fact you could say everything looked a little…"
The voice giggled.
"Monochrome."
Blue Fire went cold. His left leg twitched.
"H-how do you kn-now all this-s?" He stammered.
"Oh, well the question is, how could I not? After all, your father was the Head Judge for my father when he was instated as king, nearly 1,000 years ago, just as you are now, hm? Yes, very intriguing indeed… He was my best friend. He was the only one who would approach me other than my father and mother. Everypony else thought I was a monster." The voice sniffed. "But why wouldn't they, hm? A ten year old a part of the elite guard?"
The voice snickered.
"They also despised me because I was a Reaper. And a royal one, at that. The very creature who gave them life. They didn't feel right, being ruled by a little brat, hm? My crown was a constant reminder that I was above them."
"Y-you're the king's daughter…" Blue Fire said quietly.
The voice scoffed.
"Daughter?! How can he call me his daughter when he betrayed me?! Killed me?! Tortured me?!" The voice shouted angrily, her voice rising.
The voice sighed, scoffing again.
"He's a selfish fool." She said quietly between her teeth.
Blue Fire's hooves were glued to the ground.
"Oh dear, I've said too much."
The voice cleared her throat.
"I have a proposal for you."
Blue Fire remained silent.
"I want you to kill the other Reaper, take her pendant, and give it to me."
Blue Fire's heart began to race.
"W-why do you want it…?" Blue Fire asked quietly.
"Oh, I'm not going to tell you unless you do it first." The voice cooed slyly.
"…I won't do your bidding!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Don't you realize, Blue Fire? The Cursed Midnight is drawing closer. If you wait, everypony will be on the hunt for her soul."
Blue Fire's heart nearly stopped. The 1,000th year was this year. The Cursed Midnight would be happening in a week. The night when the entire land of Rainum would be cursed, and nearly half of the population would be wiped out, unless...
"No…"
"Oh, yes. If you payed attention in history class, Blue Fire, you'll know that every 200 years, millions of ponies "mysteriously" fall under an incurable illness that eventually leads to death, and the only cure is…?"
"Reaper dust." Blue Fire whispered.
"Exactly. And it just so happens that every 200 years, a Reaper appears in Rainum. Convenient, isn't it?"
The voice giggled.
"But there's a catch. Only one pony gets cured. One pony, one Reaper."
Blue Fire was sweating now.
"And that pony could be you."
"W-what…?"
"You or somepony else you care about could very much fall under the sickness. If you don't kill her now, somepony else will."
"N-no."
The voice sighed.
"I was hoping you could help my, but I guess you've made your decision clear."
The voice stayed silent for a while.
"Do you know how the Cursed Midnight came to be, Blue Fire?" The voice said after a while. "How this horrible tragedy befell Rainum?"
The voice giggled again.
"It was me." The voice whispered, as if she was casually telling Blue Fire a secret. "Right before my precious father crushed my soul, I put a curse on Rainum so that half of the entire population would pay for mistreating me. They didn't fall under the illness, oh no, they suffered much worse consequences… It was their loved ones that would suffer for them. Those ponies… somepony that they loved fell ill… Cruel, isn't it? … But I really should give credit to my dear mother, whom my father loved more than me, whom my father would betray, kill, and torture his own daughter for. My mother fell under a rare illness that somepony falls under only once in a blue moon. My father, unable to find a cure, killed me, crushed my soul into dust, and cured my mother. "
Blue Fire was utterly shocked.
"Oh, you didn't know that you had to crush a Reaper's soul to obtain its dust?"
The voice scoffed.
"Just like every other wretched pony in the world of Rainum." She spat. "Yes, you have to crush a Reaper's soul to get the dust. Having your soul ground to pieces is a torturous experience, and I should know. My own father crushed mine."
The voice laughed bitterly.
"There are two ways to kill a Reaper. The most painful one is if they kill themselves. A Reaper inflicting harm on itself is almost as torturous as having your soul ground to dust. The second way is if you cut off a Reaper's wings and then kill it. Most ponies prefer the second one. Only a very select few can tolerate watching, much less, drive a Reaper to the point of suicide. Cutting off wings is much quicker, and less painful for the both of them." The voice said quietly. "However…"
Suddenly, a young filly appeared in front of him. She looked exactly like Tia, except her hair was little messier, her sweater was red instead of purple, and she had black, soulless eyes, which were shooting right through him. Her wings were spread out majestically beside her, her crown glowing in the darkness.
"You can see which way my father chose." She said, barely above a whisper.
A Matter of Life and Death
The voice laughed sadly.
"Don't you see, Blue Fire?" The voice said quietly. "All I want is to lift the curse that I so foolishly put on Rainum so that no other Reapers will suffer the same fate that I and the other four Reapers did. I put the curse on Rainum, and only I can lift it. But I can't lift the curse without a soul. That's why I need you the pendant and for you to kill the other Reaper. I need another Reaper's soul."
"Why do you need the pendant?" Blue Fire asked skeptically.
"Well, whenever that lucky somepony killed a Reaper, they were ordered to bring the body to the king for proper burial. What the king didn't know was that your father, Black Embers, would take the body and extract the last living remnants of the Reaper, and was able to scrape up a microscopic fraction of the soul. He put the slivers of the souls in the pendant, allowing him to live longer every time he added another soul to the pendant. However, when Black Embers gave the pendant to you, tired of living, he instantly died."
The filly smiled at Blue Fire.
"The essence of the Reapers lives in, hm, what was her name again, oh, that's right, Tia's pendant. Each of the Reaper exhibited a certain… quality, that made them stand out from the rest. Whenever the wearer of the pendant exhibited one of those qualities, the essence of the Reapers would stir, and would bless you with something. Clide, the second Reaper to appear in Rainum, who was murdered in the capital Woodbridge, exhibited diligence. Nora, the third Reaper, who was murdered on a stroll around Mirror Falls, exhibited integrity. Ferox, the fourth Reaper, who was murdered during a nap under a tree in Belua Forest, exhibited courage. Elm, the Reaper who appeared before Tia, who was murdered in your current dwelling, Snowfall, exhibited patience. And myself, who was killed in the castle throne room, exhibited gentleness, before I lost my soul. You'll notice that when Tia was patient with Shooting Star, when she patiently waited for him to vent out his anger, Elm healed her injuries."
Blue Fire thought back to Shooting Star's concert. She was right, there was a butterfly that came out of the pendant and healed Tia of her injuries.
"Unfortunately, a fraction of my own soul is in that pendant. I need at least a sliver of my original soul in order to lift the curse."
"But I don't want to kill Tia!" Blue Fire retorted.
The filly looked frustrated with Blue Fire.
"You would sacrifice millions of ponies' lives just to save that Reaper's soul?"
"I… I don't…"
"You know, if you cut off Tia's wings and take her soul, she won't die."
"…What? But you said--"
"I retract what I said earlier. You can't actually kill a Reaper, you can take its soul, but it will continue living as long as it has an essence of its soul. The other four, unfortunate, Reapers had their souls drained from their bodies completely, thus why they are not living like me. Sure, with almost all of your soul gone, you can't feel emotions as well as you could before, but you still retain all your memories. Since your father is no longer alive to drain the rest of her soul, Tia will still "live", technically."
Blue Fire shuddered at the thought of Tia becoming a near-emotionless husk.
"But I thought that the last of your soul was in the pendant…" Blue Fire questioned.
"Well, I am a, hm, special case. I'm a mistake. I'm not supposed to be alive. But here I am, standing before you now, unable to feel anything."
Blue Fire was silent.
"Well, if you change your mind, I'll know." The filly said smoothly. "Say hi to subject RF-002. Goodbye, subject BF-001."
The filly started to fade into the shadows.
"Wait! What's you're name?" Blue Fire called out.
The filly stopped. She flew up to Blue Fire, her mint hair brushing his face.
"I am Cerene. The strongest member of the Phoenix Five."
The filly disappeared. Blue Fire woke with a start, sweating profusely.
"Brother! You're awake!" Red Flame exclaimed, who was sitting beside Blue Fire's bed. He looked extremely worried.
"W-wha…?"
Blue Fire looked around. It was still dark outside. The bandaging on his left leg had gone loose, and his entire room had turned grayscale. His heart sunk like a rock.
"No no no no no no…" Blue Fire stammered, burying his head in his hooves.
Red Flame hugged Blue Fire.
"What happened? You haven't gone like this in forever…" Red Flame whispered in his brother's ear.
"I-I had a n-nightm-ma-re…"
"Nightmare? More like night-terror! The entire house has turned mon--"
"Don't say it." Blue Fire said sharply.
"I-I don't know how to fix it…" Red Flame mumbled.
Blue Fire froze. How was he going to fix it? No one could know about…
"C-can you help me wr-rap my leg?"
"O-of course!"
After Red Flame re-bandaged Blue Fire's left leg, they heard a knock on the door. Red Flame and Blue Fire looked at each other.
"W-who is it…?" Red Flame called out.
Suddenly, him and Blue Fire saw color seeping from the crack under the door. A small area in front of the door had regained its color.
"C-come in." said Blue Fire.
The door opened a little. Tia stuck her head through the small crack in the door.
"K-kid…"
Tia ran up to Blue Fire and jumped on him.
"H-hey, what are you doing-g up?"
Blue Fire looked past Tia to see that color was returning to the places where she had stepped on.
"H-how did you…"
Suddenly, Shining Spear burst into the room.
"I sensed a strange powerful magic-thingy in here!" She yelled. "WHERE IS IT?!"
Red Flame and Tia laughed. However, Blue Fire was unnerved.
"Sounds just like that Cerene kid…"
"No, seriously, what's wrong?" asked Shining worriedly.
"Oh, Blue Fire was--"
Blue Fire elbowed Red Flame.
"I-I mean, I d-don't know…" Red Flame coughed.
"H-hey, can you leave me al-lone for a minute…? Blue Fire asked.
"Oh, sure! Come on, Red Flame, we'd better put Tia back to bed." Shining replied.
"Oh, um, okay." said Red Flame as he carried Tia and followed Shining out of Blue Fire's room.
After the door had closed, Blue Fire sunk into his pillow. He looked at the skylight, but the stars weren't visible anymore. Blue Fire sighed.
"What am I gonna do…?"
A Matter of Life and Death
When Blue Fire stepped out of his bedroom, most of the house was still grayscale. He could clearly see the spots where Tia stepped on, as they were the only patches of color in the house.
"Hi, Blue Fire!" Red Flame said cheerily. "You're up early. Me and Shining are about to go."
Red Flame and Shining had their uniforms on. Red Flame was sporting the scarf Blue Fire gave to him.
"Actually, I think you'll be coming with us." said Shining Spear.
"What?"
Shining pulled out a letter from her pocket and gave it to Blue Fire. It had the seal of Rainum on it: a red raindrop. Blue Fire opened the letter.
Dear Head Judge and Phoenix Four member Blue Fire,
His Majesty, King Crimson Dusk, has requested your presence at Castle Regalious at 8 o'clock sharp. Please dress in your official Head Judge uniform and bear the Phoenix Four badge along with your attire. Captain Shining Spear and Colonel Red Flame will escort you.
Cordially,
The Desk of His Majesty, King Crimson Dusk
Blue Fire froze.
"What's a Head Judge?" asked Red Flame.
"I've never heard of that position before." Shining added.
"No no no no no no…" Blue Fire stammered. He pocketed the letter, ran off to his room, and locked the door.
"Oh, well the question is, how could I not? After all, your father was the Head Judge for my father when he was instated as king, nearly 1,000 years ago, just as you are now, hm? Yes, very intriguing indeed…" Cerene's voice echoed in Blue Fire's head.
"Dammit… Why did I ever agree to take that position?!" Blue Fire thought furiously.
The Head Judge was the pony who led a trial of a criminal and determined whether they would be allowed to live or would be killed. And if he made the verdict that the criminal deserved to die, the Head Judge was the pony who carried out the death.
There was a knock on the door.
"Blue Fire? What's wrong?" called Red Flame's voice.
"I'm, uh, j-just getting ready!" Blue Fire replied.
"Okay, but hurry up!"
Blue Fire sighed as he heard Red Flame walking away.
"I guess I don't really have a choice."
Blue Fire opened his closet. There was no sign of his uniform in there.
"Rise up from the ashes." called Blue Fire.
Suddenly, a uniform appeared on an empty hanger with a golden flame pinned on it. Blue Fire sighed.
"Never thought I'd see you again." he said grudgingly, taking the uniform off the hanger and laying it on his bed.
After he put on his suit, Blue Fire fastened several badges on the front of it. He dusted off the gold pin and put on his cloak.
"I'm ready." Blue Fire thought, staring at his reflection in the mirror.
Blue Fire went to the living room to meet Red Flame and Shining Spear.
"Wow, you look so cool!" Red Flame gushed.
"Nice badges." said Shining, examining the golden badge.
"L-let's go, already." Blue Fire said brusquely, blushing.
"Hey, who's going to watch the Reaper?" asked Red Flame as they were about to walk out of the door.
"Oh…"
"I think she can handle herself." said Shining. "I mean, you've seen her battle Shooting Star, right?"
"Yeah, but--"
"I think she'll be fine." Red Flame added.
"…Fine." Blue Flame mumbled. "Let's just go."
The group found a chariot surrounded by guards waiting outside for them. Shining whistled.
"Fancy!" Shining exclaimed. "You must really be important, Blue Fire. They only use this kind of security for high-ranking nobles and the like."
The guards saluted as Blue Fire stepped into the chariot.
"Yeah, but I hate being treated like I'm royalty…" Blue Fire mumbled, laying back in his seat. "Why do they even bother? The Phoenix Five… Four can take care of themselves…"
The chariot took off. Blue Fire felt the cold wind lashing against his face. It was nice. He hadn't left Snowfall in a long time.
"So will I be excused for being late to my post?" Red Flame asked Shining.
"Well, yeah, since you had a royal summons. Besides, I'm in charge here!" Shining replied cheerily.
Blue Fire stared off into space for the remainder of the trip. He was thinking about his nightmare about Cerene. Surely he wasn't going to kill Tia, right? But if he did, the curse would be lifted from Rainum. Well… how could he trust that she would? She said that since she didn't have a soul, she couldn't feel anything. Why would she want to lift the curse if she couldn't feel compassion or guilt?
"Hey, we're almost there!" said Red Flame, poking Blue Fire's side.
Blue Fire sat up. They were flying over Belua Forest, which surrounded Rainum's capital, Woodbridge. In the center of Woodbridge stood Castle Regalious, a gargantuan palace made of crystal, diamonds, and white granite. It looked a lot like Tia and Cerene's colors...
"Whoa, so cool!" Red Flame exclaimed.
The chariot landed below the stairs leading up to the gates of Castle Regalious. Blue Fire stepped out, followed by Red Flame and Shining Spear.
"Wow." Red Flame whispered, admiring the crystals glistening in the sunlight.
"Looks like the entire guard is here." Shining commented.
She was right; at least a hundred armed royal guards lined the steps to the gates. Blue Fire sunk in his cloak.
"Why do they always make a big deal out of me just going out of Snowfall…?" he mumbled, frustrated.
"They're just taking caution, because, you know, they quarantined you in Snowfall to prevent another…" whispered Red Flame.
Blue Fire's heart sunk. How could he forget? One day when he was doing a judging, his anger got the better of him and he caused the entire capital to lose its color. He'd been removed from the Royal Guard and quarantined in Snowfall ever since. He still was a member of the Phoenix Five and was still the Head Judge, but whenever the king summoned him, he'd have to be closely guarded.
"I feel like a criminal…" Blue Fire thought bitterly.
As Blue Fire climbed the stairs to the gates, the guards saluted. Though Blue Fire could tell they did this merely because of protocol, not because they respected him or anything.
"Wonder why the king called me here… Do I need to lead a trial or is this a matter of the Phoenix Five… Four?" thought Blue Fire as he stepped through the castle gates.
"Please wait here." A guard told Blue Fire as he stood outside the entrance to the throne room.
"We're just going to be out here." Shining said as she and Red Flame left the corridor.
"Okay."
Blue Fire leaned against the wall.
"This is taking forever." Blue Fire thought. It had been at least half an hour since the guard told him to wait.
Blue Fire looked around the corridor.
"Well, nopony's here, so it can't hurt to just…"
Blue Fire took a deep breathe. He pulled his hood over his head and wrapped his cloak tightly around him.
"Haven't done this in a while." mumbled Blue Fire, charging up a spell.
Suddenly, a blue flame ensconced Blue Fire, and the next moment, he was gone.
A Matter of Life and Death
Author's Note
VERY IMPORTANT NOTE:
This is the unfinished next chapter of the current story. I decided to rewrite this story to, in my opinion, make it MUCH better. However, it would be hard to edit a story over 10,000 words, so I am "canceling" the story. BUT I AM GOING TO REBOOT IT. The rewrite will just be under a different link. Got it? IT'S. NOT. CANCELLED.
If you're wondering what the differences will be between this story and the rewrite, here's some stuff:
-I am taking out a few characters and adding some
I hope you will all like the rewrite!
(If there are a few of you who prefer the original over the rewrite (when the first few chapters are out), PM me)
Chapter Twelve
Blue Fire silently appeared behind King Crimson Dusk's throne. The fire ensconcing him dissipated. Blue Fire rubbed his horn.
"…Y-you're going to kill the Reaper yourself?" a familiar voice asked. It was Shooting Star.
Blue Fire inhaled sharply.
"Yes. Do not worry; I will give you your share of dust to give to you sister after you deliver the Reaper to me." said a stallion's voice.
"Are you really willing to live for another 200 years, Your Majesty?" Shooting Star asked uncertainly. "Her Highness could very well become sick again after you cure her. And you've always been the one pony who gets the Reaper dust."
"I do not want any of my subjects to bear the burden of immortality and alicornness. And I have no heir, Shooting Star. Who's going to watch over Rainum if my wife and I die? The kingdom will be thrown into anarchy."
"Well, if you keep this up, there will be no Rainum to watch over!" shouted Shooting Star angrily.
"Are you suggesting that there's a way to kill a Reaper without your lifespan being extended?" the stallion asked coolly.
"No, Your Majesty, but speaking of that, how is it that your wife's lifespan extends with you? I thought that the lifespan only increases for the pony who kills the Reaper." Shooting Star questioned.
"If you recall, Shooting Star, my wife and I share a soul. I could not bear to part with her after I had just cured her, as we were both approaching our, hm, "Golden Years," as they call it. The act of killing a Reaper rejuvenates the soul, not the body, thus why my wife's lifespan extends with mine." the stallion explained.
"I see…"
"…I've been keeping Blue Fire for a while." said the stallion. "Let him in now."
"Oh, shoot."
Blue Fire appeared on the other side of the throne room doors mere seconds before Shooting Star opened the doors.
"Blue Fire." Shooting Star said curtly as he passed Blue Fire and exited the corridor..
"Shooting Star." Blue Fire said brusquely.
Blue Fire walked into the throne room.
"Your Majesty." Blue Fire said, tilting his head.
"Ah, Blue Fire. Sorry to keep you waiting." said the stallion on the throne.
Blue Fire raised his head. King Crimson Dusk was sitting before him. He was a rather large stallion, at least twice as big as Blue Fire. He had a pale yellow coat with a bright red and deep purple mane. He had piercing blue eyes and had a tired look on his face. King Red Dusk stepped down from his throne, his purple robes sweeping behind him. He put a hoof on Blue Fire's shoulder.
"I heard you had another outbreak." Crimson Dusk whispered.
Tia opened her eyes. It was quiet. She slid off her bed and fluffed her wings. The color had fully returned to her room. Tia went to the living room, making splashes of color where she stepped, but there was no one there. She went through the other rooms, but they were empty. Tia looked around. She had returned to the entire house to its original color. Satisfied with herself, Tia headed outside. She observed that only Red Flame and Blue Fire's house had lost its color.
Tia saw a group of ponies leaving Snowfall and decided to follow them.
A Matter of Life and Death
Chapter Three and a Fragment
"Blue Fire…"
Blue Fire opened his eyes. He was floating in an abyss of nothingness. But he knew exactly where he was.
"Oh no."
A shadow barely brighter than the darkness surrounding them appeared before Blue Fire.
"Surprised to see me?" The shadow croaked.
"I'm surprised that you're talking in my language." Blue FIre scoffed.
"Well then, would you like me to speak in our, er, "language", Blue Fire?" The shadow chuckled. "Or should I say--"
The shadow began speaking in a strange language, the same language that Blue Fire had been yelling in previously. Hesitantly, Blue Fire responded angrily to the shadow in the same language.
After a long, heated argument (or what seemed like one), Blue Fire disappeared from the abyss, leaving the shadow maniacally laughing.
Author's Note
Just a little something to keep you guys on edge!
Man, writing the shadow's text is SO time-consuming. Seriously, I have to change each individual letter to a different size one by one!
