Princess Daren

Her assistant, Rainbow Fire

The princess of death, she cannot die. She carries the souls of ponies (and other species) along the rainbow path to the afterlife.

Her Story:

Princess Deren is an alicorn no one ever really talks about. Born before Luna was banished, she is an alicorn of death.

Her family was proud to have a natural-born alicorn in their midst, but it quickly became apparent that the young filly was aging A LOT slower than her parents.

When her parents died, the young alicorn was left alone with no one to care for her. She spent the first hundred years trying to live on her own before being adopted by a family of griffons.

For awhile, she was happy, but then old age took the griffons from her as well. The little alicorn ran away, again.

By her thousandth birthday, she had been through this emotional turmoil of watching those she loved die ten times.

By this point, she'd had enough of watching others die in pain. Depressed, the filly tried to kill herself.

A rainbow light enveloped Deren, carrying her up to the stars. In the light, Deren saw all those she had loved, all those who have passed. Every one of them was smiling.

Each one of them came up to her, told her how much she meant to them. Each one told her a different story about the journey and trials they had to face after death, while searching for peace. And each one told Deren that she was getting a second chance, another opportunity to live her life.

Deren stood. She sighed and looked around her. "I've decided that I will try my best to help ponies and all others make it here safely. You should not have to face the trials alone."

With that statement, Deren's cutie mark appeared, followed shortly by Celestia and Luna.

The two bigger alicorns looked upon Deren in surprise, for they had not known of her birth. And they looked at her cutie mark in shock. A skull and wings, signifying death for all three breeds of pony. Rainbow light shining through the eyeholes, and shining around the unicorn horn, signifying the journey on the rainbow path (the road to the afterlife).

And the young filly (comparatively) whose eyes held so much sadness.

Luna raised the filly until the spirit of Nightmare Moon took her over. Deren ran in fear, not only at Luna, but also at the power Celestia was wielding. Nowadays she has a cloud house that travels from place to place, bringing Deren to ponies that need her help crossing over.

Deren's Poem:

Why am I smiling
Why does my face always lie
Who am I, to feel this
My mask is by my side

There is no fear for dying
Death is a quiet release
But not for me
I can't be free
I'm here to guide you home

I have no place where my heart fits
No pony to love me for me
No one that can stay
No one that can care
No one that can let me be me

I said goodbye to you
Your heart melted in dew
My smile was a lie
And I said goodbye
To you

I smile to make you happy
My smile is a lie that I hold
My sadness is true,
And a bit blue
For sadness eats at my heart

I smile for you, that much is true
For sadness eats at my heart