It was on my fourth Gumball at 3:08am that I died. I didnt make any mistakes. Id checked all of the Mini's onboard computers, replaced and inspected all major components, and had spent countless nights honing my car control on the way to work. I was at the peak of my driving ability. It wasn't enough. I never saw the small Fiat Panda back out of the parallel spot it was in. I sneezed and my lapse in concentration caused me to miss the black vehicle pull its nose into traffic. In the tiny Cooper S we never stood a chance and smashed into the female teenage driver at 67 miles per hour.
Its kinda funny when you die. You get to watch the scene of your death for a while. I saw the smashed up remains of my black and red Cooper. Bloody bits of the occupants were strewn over the road and blood oozed from the carcass of the Fiat to mix with the coolant and transmission fluid on the asphalt. People out walking called the police and some came over to the vehicles. Few tried to held and most looked on in horror. The police and paramedics arrived a short time later and to contain and remove the wreckage. They peeled back the crumpled Panda to remove the girl, who had been slashed accross her chest and legs. Her torso was split open and her innards were held in by the implanted remains of the upper door.
They cracked open my Mini and pulled out my tattered remains and those of my copilot. John had been my best friend through high school and had been the reason i had gotten addicted to driving at speed. He had co-driven every rally I'd raced and this was going to be our last rally together. He was settling down to be with his wife and unborn child. My miscalculation, my mistake had just robbed them of their father. A tug at my back dragged me from the scene of my guilt. The flashing strobes and staring bystanders faded to a large court house. I knew it to be a court house from my time spent in them arguing my way out of a large fine or speeding ticket. Well, trying to argue out of it anyway. There was no jury or audience, just myself and the jude who sat behind an oak pedestal or whatever they call those bloody things. He was a portly man wearing those ridiculous looking black dresses and was sweating profusely.
"Hello Simon," he wheezed.
"H-he-hello," I stammered, "Where am I? And who are you? What about the accident? Where's Joh....." I stammered till he held up one hand and wiped his forehead with the other.
He sighed, "John and Claire are with the creator being judged and having their lives evaluated. I am the deity assigned to correct improper deaths and or occurrences and assigning appropriate punishment or accomidationis to individuals if i deem it necessary to do so."
He shuffled the papers into order and laid them down with his hands folded on top of them. "You see Simon, we have a problem. You were not supposed to die in that crash. You were supposed to be ejected from the vehicle and found in a nearby ditch with a mild case of road rash. However, due to an unknown anomaly, it appears as if you find yourself without any place to be. You cannot go back to earth and it is not yet your time to be judged. While most people I see are hear because acions outside of their calling caused them to die, you will not be damned to burn for eternity. You were supposed to have that accident and your presence here disrupts the balance of things. Now i get to figure out what to do with you, and the creator has given the instruction to USE MY IMAGINATION with my decision. He has held you in high regard despite your antics and disobedience and, while i do not like you, i do not wish to displease him either." He pulled a piece of paper from the stack and dropped it. The paper shuddered and flew onto the wooden stand that in front of where I stood.
"It says here that you have quite a knack for driving. You've gotten first and second place positions at several Gumball check points and have participated in racing as well. You were an automotive journalist to boot. I have one other planet with life that enjoys a similar addiction to automobiles and speed, though their advances in science aren't quite as as sophisticated as earths. I once went there on vacation and the roads were lovely. I believe that would suit you quite nicely. You'll leave for their immediately." he said with a satisfied grunt.
I was speechless. My brain struggled to understand what had just transpired. I was dead? I was going to another world based upon my hobby and proffession? And who was the creator?
"I'm sorry wha..." I managed to say before his gravel slammed on the wooden stand. The court room faded away and a familiar yank pulled at my right shoulder. I rubbed my eyes to clear them if the white haze that had enveloped my vision. My body rattled around and i looked at my shoulder. A seatbelt was fastened securely around me and held me to a familiar seat. As I looked around my breath left me. I was in the passenger seat of a car.
I was in my car. The inside matched my red and black Cooper S that i had been in my final moments before i made that mistake.
I recognized the less than legal modifications made specifically for speeding and police avoidance. CB radios were mounted where the back seat used to be, the latest laptop was suspended from the dashboard for weather and traffic updates. A kill switch for the rear lights was wired to a toggle switch next to the right window control. Two Garmin GPS systems hung from the front windshield accompanying the LED light bars equipped across the top and the bottom of the wind shield. A matching pair in the back coupled with a steering wheel controlled horn and light system had helped me in my efforts as posing as an ambulance on rallies to get first place at checkpoints.
At the helm was a blonde woman with bright blue eyes. We bumped along and she glanced sideways at me. "Hello there stranger," she beamed. My eye twitched and my head spun.
"What the hell is going on?....." i mumbled while struggling to stay upright and staring at the woman driving MY car. Her head snapped back and she roared with laughter. My eye twitched and anger boiled in my chest.
"What the fuck is going on here?! Who was that?! Who are you?! Where are we, and didnt i crash this car?!? Will you please tell me what just happened for Christ's sake!?!
Her laughter slowly subsided into a snigger, " Sorry, it's just your facial expression was so funny. Most people I deliver are screaming for redemption, not gawking."
"I'm Aeros and I deliver souls to their designated destinations. Te best way to describe me is like a delivery angel, but less pay. The sweaty guy back there was Atlas and he handles the disruptions in a souls path, which he probably already told you. Well your not supposed to be dead for many more years so you get a second life on the house!"
"So that really was me I saw in the car back there? I'm... I'm dead?" I trembled.
"Ding ding ding! That would be correct. You weren't supposed to die in that accident, so your soul is being re-assigned! Your body will be remade and you're being sent to a place called Equestria due to it having accommodations and culture closest to what you like and are used to. The inhabitants are a little...well.... different, but you shouldn't have too many issues adjusting," she said cheerfully.
" What about John and that girl I killed?" I asked warily.
"Don't worry about it," she shrugged. That was supposed to happen and nothing you could have done would gave prevented it. Don't trouble yourself over the past."
Her inconsiderate disregard did nothing to quell the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.
"How are we in my car? I thought it was in pieces in that town," I asked quietly.
"It is. Well it was. Atlas has a soft spot for good people and I guess he thinks your not such a bad guy. He had it replicated for you as a useable gift from your old life. He asked me to deliver you to an area where you'll be safe so i'll drop you off at the palace," she chirped," Can't get safer than that!"
"What do you mean i get a new life, and where is this Equestria?" I asked. "I've never heard of it."
"It's in a different plane of reality, and I mean just what i said. You will get to start over in a new world. We cant let you go back to earth because of your death and there isn't enough room in either tartarus or the Garden Of Eden so you have to go somewhere until we can comfortably incorporate you. Luckily Equestria is on a similar path as earth is technologically and you'll fit in with everypony just fine. They love new creatures. " She said with a smile.
I opened my mouth to ask about what would happen back on earth when her words replayed in my head.
"And what do you mean by new creature and everypony?" I asked.
"We're here!" She shrieked out. I looked out my window to see a wood vanity mirror with a few cases of make up. Behind us the sun shined in from a window with only blue sky visible. Our left held a dresser and a large door with crescent moons as handles. The strangest view however, was out the windshield. A large plush bed with a dark blue comforter sat away from the sunlight. Intricate carvings were sported on the wood and a veil blocked the occupant from view.
"Now thats done, I'll be headed off Mr. Simon. It was nice to meet you," she flashed me a toothy grin.
"Wait! I still have que....." My voice died as pain flared in my head. I clutched at my skull and my teeth ground together. I screamed as darkness enveloped my consciousness.
Luna had decided to turn in early today. She had spent most of it asking Celestia if she could participate more in Equestria's political decisions. As per usual, Celestia dismissed her proposition. She had claimed it was time off to make up for Luna's banishment but that didn't fool the night alicorn. Celestia didn't trust her and Luna knew it.
She snuggled under the covers and drew the veil over her bed. Tia had always said it was childish of Luna, but she didn't care. It was one of the few things at made her happy and she was sticking with it. Her head flopped onto the pillow and a light sleep took her in minutes.
Her dream was a pleasant one. It was really more of a memory of her childhood. She was a popular filly and was usually busy hanging out with somepony, somewhere. Her favorite was to pass the time was Orange Cream. Orange, a black pegasus with light yellow hair, had invited Luna over for their usual session of antics. Luna’s horn lit up and her aura enveloped a portion of the candy she had bought earlier for them to share. The treat flew into her mouth. It was grape, her favorite flavor. She chewed happy and Orange's hoof reached to grab a her half.
A muffled bang ripped her from her slumber. Luna's head shot up and her ears danced around her head. A group of maids had recently been playing some very nasty tricks on her and she was not going to be caught off guard again. Her hoof reached out and ripped the vail back. Her eyes adjusted to the sunlight, and shrunk to pinpricks.
They'd parked a motorized carriage in her room. Those ingrates had parked someones carriage in her room. There would be hell to pay. A blue flash enveloped her and the carriage and she teleported with it to Celestia's office.
Celestia was annoyed. The minister of foreign affairs had requested a private audience and she had reluctantly agreed on the condition that he made it quick. The minister would often stop by with a ridiculous concerns. He chatted her ear off for as long as he felt necessary and refused to leave until she had reasoned him out of what was usually an unnecessary concern. Today was business as usual and she had toned him out after his first few sentences. Her gaze wandered around her office. Paintings from her favorite artists were displayed up on the walls and trophies of past victories were displayed in glass cases. Her attention was drawn to the familiar aura of her sisters magic. The sensation intensified as Luna flashed into the room with the small vehicle in tow. Barely contained anger was plastered to her face and her mane danced aggressively around her head.
"Minister, i'm sorry but we will have to finish this discussion some other time. Something has come up that demands my full attention," Celestia interrupted with a hint of mirth. Her horn glowed and the minister disappeared mid-sentence.
"What is wrong little sister?" she asked in worry.
"THIS IS THE FINAL STRAW CELESTIA!!" Luna yelled. I told you of the servants treachery and you denied me MY RIGHT to retribution," her voice dripped with venom. " They have defiled their princess's quarters and I will have them imprisoned for it! I found this in my room when somepony yelling awoke me from my slumber. I don't know which of those wenches did this but i will have them imprisoned for their treachery!" She declared.
Celestia looked at the object in question and her eyebrows shot skyward.
"Luna, who and what is that?" Celestia asked.
"Its a motorized carriage Tia, " Luna hissed, "And what do you mean who?"
"I know what a carriage looks like Luna, though i've never seen one like that. I referring to the occupant," Celestia's hoof pointed towards the windshield. Luna smiled and turned expecting to find a culprit. Confusion flashed across her face and her head reeled back in surprise. A figure was slumped over the steering wheel. It had dark brown skin and a black cap covered its head. A pair of glasses were skewed across its face.
"I-I-I don't know what that thing is,"Luna stammered. "I've never seen anything like it."
Celestia rose from the chair she sat on and cautiously approached the vehicle.
Shoulders, arms, and a torso formed over the red metal as she got closer.
"It appears to be unconscious," she said. "Can you get him out of there?" she asked.
Luna looked for a latch on the side. A silver handle shinned on the side and she reached out for it. Neither pressing, pulling, or magic produced any results.
"It wont open Tia," She sighed in frustration. Movement in the corner of her vision brought her attention to the creature. It shifted in it's seat as it regained consciousness.
"Celestia, it's waking up," Luna said with a hint of panic.
"Get back," Celestia said as she charged her horn. If it was hostel, she was not going to be caught unprepared. She took aim at the carriage and they waited with baited breath.
