The rain was pouring down like never before, thunder cutting through the night. Several parts of Equestria were taking a hard hit from this, suffering from flood and mud slides. It was chaotic other places, and it was clear that ponies were scared, as this was unnatural weather conditions.
Shining Armor was just outside Ponyville when one of the guard came up to him.
“Sir. Is the area cleared?” The guard looked around.
Shining nodded as a patrol passed by. “It’s all clear here, just like the orders said.”
The guard sent up a magic flare. Then he looked at Shining. “But why is this area supposed to be cleared.”
“They’re sending a reaper. A reaper needs space to prepare to prepare for an operation.” Shining looked at the sky as a lightning bolt flew by.
“A reaper?” The guard was looking confused.
Shining looked at him. “Yes. It’s one of the most well hidden secrets in Equestria. To even be involved in operations like this is a special clearance level needed.” He looked at the sky again. “You got yours last week, I presume.”
The guard nodded. “Yeah.” He looked a bit worried. “But what is a reaper, and why is one sent here?”
“It’s a last resort solution to threats.” He closed his eyes and sighed. “There would have been a team at the wedding if we had understood how serious the case was. This time are we taking no chances. Celestia fears that these conditions will cause so much chaos that Discord will return, and she suspects that there are someone behind it, using Cloudsdale as their basecamp.”
The guard wanted to reply, but a bolt of lightning revealed a shadowy figure. A pony who was pulling a large wagon. The guard looked scared as it came closer, walking by them at a slow pace. The pony the stopped, the wheels of the wagon sinking two inches into the mud.
The pony then turned to face Shining Armor and the guard. He then took off his cloak. Underneath was there a light red stallion with a short light brown mane and tail, a small brown moustache, and with a cutie mark that looked like a film roll with a double-A mashed into one letter.
“Only one?” The guard looked confused again. “And he’s so small…”
Shining looked serious. “Don’t let his looks deceive you. He’s one of the oldest reapers who’s still operating, as most of the reapers retired after an incident a hundred years ago.”
The pony looked at the guard. “New meat, eh? I guess you haven’t found the time to actually give him a proper briefing yet.”
Shining shook his head. “Didn’t get time.”
The pony nodded. “Ah well. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Director Cut. Part-time film maker, full-time reaper.” He turned to the wagon. “But excuse me. I need to get to work. Reports are saying that Discord’s statue might already be cracking. That’s why I came and not a full team.” He fetched a carved wooden box from the wagon. “All the other active reapers are at the scene there, trying to block out the chaotic energy.”
Shining and the guard took a few steps back as Director opened the box and put it on the ground. There was a screen under the lid with two speakers. It sparked to life as to red eyes appeared.
“Sir.” Director nodded. “I’m ready for my mission.”
“Good.” The voice as dark, making the speakers spark a bit. “The enemy should be using some sort of altar that have been hidden for a long time. That’s what the report I got in says at least.”
Director sighed. “Offering pony blood to mess up the weather? I thought it only was a myth, like the Rainbow Factory…”
The voice sighed. “Sadly is this one a fact. You better hurry. The others can’t block out the energy for much longer.”
“Yes sir.” Director picked up the stick that also was in the box, placing it mid-air. It was floating. He took a deep breath. “Transform!”
A magic circle appeared under him as he started glowing, his size growing as his mane and tail became flowing. The stick also changed shape, becoming a dual-bladed scythe. As the glow died down was he now a crimson alicorn with a black mane and tail that was filled with red stars, indigo eyes and a black light armor with bladed hoof guards. His scythe was indigo with a black shaft. He grabbed it with magic and strapped it to his back.
“New guy. You can call me Horror Movie.” He took flight, flying straight up and through the cloud layer. The guard just stood there, staring.
It was night as he passed the layer, the moon high up, making the clouds look like the sea of a dream world. Horror was gliding over the dreamscape that covered the chaos, keeping a high pace.
Not long after was Cloudsdale coming in sight. Something was off.
Horror remembered how it looked from earlier missions. The white clouds and the rainbow rivers. What he was seeing now was a city on black storm clouds and the rivers were blood red.
Horror landed, sighing. The place was deserted, and the streets quiet. He started walking through the streets, looking for clues on where to find the altar.
It didn’t take long before he heard someone. Two ponies were walking through the street. They were discussing.
Horror didn’t waste any time. He hid in the shadows as the first walled by before snatching the second guy with his scythe, placing the bladed end of his right hoof in the mouth and the bladed end of his left hoof on the neck of the pony. It was a Pegasus pony, and he was scared, knowing that if he moved or made one sound was he dead.
The other pony stopped as his partner had fallen silent. “Jaggered?” He turned, just to get the read of Horror’s back hoof up underside his jaw, the bladed bracer cutting clean through. The pony staggered backwards, falling as blood was flowing from the cut. He then got his neck cut by a second kick, falling silent.
Horror removed the hoof in Jaggered’s mouth. “Where is the altar.”
Jaggered was scared. “It’s… It’s under the weather factory!” He instantly started crying. “Please don’t kill me!”
“Very well…” Horror released him, but before Jaggered got to run away was Horror’s Scythe around his wings, cutting them off. “But I can’t risk having you come up and warn the others.” He turned and unfolded his wings. “Your fate will be decided by the royal guard.”
Jaggered watched as Horror took flight, looking at the wings. He closed his eyes. “Forgive me, master.”
Horror circled the weather factory a few rounds before he spotted the entrance. He landed outside it before heading inside.
It was dark, a single path leading into a room. But that was nothing compared to the stench. The smell of rotting corpses was filling the air, burning in his nose.
Horror didn’t give up and pushed onwards, entering a big room. There was two ponies in there. Both were Pegasus ponies, one stallion, who appeared to be the leader with his jet black color and red mane and tail, and one mare, who was strapped to the altar and critically wounded. She was light yellow with cyan and black mane.
The stallion turned. “Well what do we have here? A reaper?” He laughed. “Why should I be surprised. They would eventually send one of you here.”
Horror growled. “Stop this madness!”
The male laughed more “Stop? I think you are forgetting that it’s too late my friend.” He placed a ritual knife over the mare’s chest. “Prepare for dis…”
Horror had moved fast, planting the back of his right hoof in the neck of the stallion, the blade cutting his neck. The stallion collapsed on the floor instantly, tha blade falling and landing besides him.
He then cut the mare loose. She was barely able to move.
Horror sighed and lifted her onto his back. “What’s your name.” He left and took flight as he asked.
She opened her eyes a bit. “I’m… I’m Blue Thunder…”
Horror nodded and started going lower as the clouds started breaking up, as the altar no longer was fueled. “Very well then, Blue. I will make sure you survive. I promise.”
She laughed weakly. “Why do ponies always make promises they can’t keep…”
Horror froze when he heard her say that. He stopped and looked at her. She had closed her eyes.
She spoke again with a weak voice. “At least you stopped the storm, mister reaper dude…” She was smiling. “And I bet that we will meet again in the…” The smile suddenly faded as she went limp.
Horror sighed and closed his eyes. She was dead, and it was all because he hadn’t been fast enough. He sighed and started flying again.
Horror landed besides his wagon and placed the lifeless body of Blye on the ground. He then sat down.
Shining came over. “I guess you couldn’t save her…”
Horror sighed. “No.” He looked at her. “She was the offer they were using. They had been draining her for days to power the storm, and her death on the altar would open the flood gates.” He changed form, packing the box. “I got her off the altar, but she died on the way here…”
Shining looked at him. “But will you be okay?”
Director nodded. “Give me a few weeks. This isnæt the first time I have seen someone die…” He then strapped the harness to the wagon on. “But give her a worthy burial. She deserves it.”
Shining saluted him as he started walking, pulling the wagon away. “I’ll see that we’ll get it done. I promise.
Director nodded once as he trotted into the night, looking a bit sad. This was all in the life of a reaper. Life and death. It still hurt a lot when someone died, but they just had to cope with it.
The wagon vanished in the dark of the night.