//------------------------------//
// Smolder - On Death 
// Story: One on One Philosophy with Discord 
// by CrackedInkWell 
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Twilight facehoofed. “I’m not against using some mode of transport to get to one end of the school to the other, Discord. Trust me, I get how big this school is. But why in the name of whatever is in Celestia’s shampoo are you driving a tank in the middle of the hallway?”
 
  Raising an eyebrow, I lifted the sunglasses over my head. “And you don’t? Really for a princess, one would think that you would be used to being carried around in an over extravagant golden chariot being drawn by twelve underpaid guards with disgruntled eunuchs tossing rose petals everywhere you go.”
 
  Naturally, my boss is not amused. “For one, I don’t do that – I’m not Blueblood. Secondly, your ride is taking way too much space and I fear you might accidentally run over a student or two. Plus, what do you need a tank for?”
 
  I looked down at the massively awesome green machine of destruction. “Because it’s cool.”
 
  “Why? I thought you can float. For a philosophy teacher, this seems completely unnecessary and childish.”
 
  “Oh Twilight,” I leaned forward. “What’s the point of being a grown-up if you can’t be childish now and again?”
 
  “Just make that monstrosity go away and fly down the halls.”
 
  Seeing there’s no point in trying to persuade the alicorn with mental blinders on, I begrudgingly made my precious tank go away. I decided quickly not to sit around for her three-year-long lecture of not taking up space, I drifted away before she could get a word out. At the time of this particular story, the school was out for the day and I was heading back to my home dimension where a pot full of sea-butter soap curry with my name on it. At the time I had gotten out of a class that I taught Seneca in which the entire class erupted in tears. By then, I was more than ready to lay on the volcanic couch and let dinner fix itself. 
 
  However, by the time I slithered over the school’s courtyard, I heard a noise that caught my interest. 
 
  “WELL BUCK YOU TOO!” quickly followed by a slamming door. Curious, I looked down to see an orange Dragoness storming out into the open before taking flight. She flew past me for a split second, but for a moment, I saw that across her face of fury tears were streaming down. Before I could do anything, she zipped right by me. 
 
  Intrigued at what had just happened, I pulled out a pocket watch and rewound time back to a minute ago, to which he slithered over towards the student dormitory. I didn’t have to go far as I heard an argument going on. It was loud enough that there was no need for the old glass to a door trick.
 
  “…. -e the point!?”
 
  “That we’re still your friends regardless!” This voice sounded like Ocellus. “As long as we live, we’ll still be your friends!”
 
  “Oh, genius idea!” Smolder retort, “Let’s have you guys befriend a creature that would no doubt outlive you all by a couple of centuries to watch all of you die while I keep on going! That won’t backfire in anyway!”
 
  “And you think just giving up our friendship just because of your longevity is a good idea?”
 
  “You don’t get it! I maybe almost fifteen, but I already know that I’m just setting myself up for heartbreak! Do you think I want to see any of you go?! The more I get attached to any of you guys, the more devastated I’ll be when the day comes that you’ll have to pass away! Really? What’s the point of being friends with someone that won’t last beyond a century from now? Huh!?”
 
  Ocellus sounded disgusted. “I just can’t believe you! You don’t want to be friends with us anymore for something petty? Fine! Get out of my room!”
 
  Instinctively, I flung myself up to the ceiling, just in time for the door to swing open and a royally frustrated dragoness screaming, “WELL BUCK YOU TOO!” before slamming the door as hard as she could and storming out. 
 
  Now back in the present, I got a pretty good idea of the problem that was laid before me: Smolder is aware of her longevity and questions about being friends with those who don’t live as long as she does. But underlying all of this is a specific topic that comes to mind – namely, death. Stroking my beard in thought, I pondered how exactly to tackle this, especially to a student that’s in great distress. 
 
  But then, a glowstick hovered over my head. I had an idea.
 
  


 
  It isn’t uncommon that I would go about in disguise. Why I once pretended that I was a candle before Rainbow Dash’s stupidity made me blow my cover. But this particular disguise is unconventional for me. However, given how just as unconventional of the topic at hoof, it was necessary. Still, after diving into a little bit of research and training to get the personality just convincingly right, I was ready.
 
  The form I took on was that of a black earth pony stallion, no mane, wearing a pure white suit, pants, and a black-tie. And for extra effect, I made it so that only Smolder would be able to see and hear me. So, after choosing my mask (so to speak) the next thing to do is to find my audience. 
 
  Smolder, as it turned out, was in the park, sulking to herself on a bench. When I walked up to her, I noticed the birds chirping nearby. This gave me inspiration for my opening line.
 
  “Everything grieves, you know. Especially birds.” Confused, Smolder looked up at me. “They too grieve as they know about loss.” I sat down on the other side of the bench. 
 
  The orange dragoness looked at me, confused. “Sorry, who are you?”
 
  I didn’t answer right away, instead, I took out a pocket watch. “I’ve already planned to meet you, however, I’m way early.” Closing it up, I reached a hoof out to her. “We haven’t known each other until now, I’m Death.”
 
  She blinked, looking between my outstretched hoof and face. “Death?”
 
  “You know, the Grim Reaper, Oblivion, He-Who-Ends-Existence, Decay, I can go on, but just Death for short will do.”
 
  Another beat of awkward silence. “You’re Death? You?”
 
  I frowned. “Ah, you don’t quite believe me, do you?”
 
  “Why would I? I thought Death goes about in a black robe and is all made out of bones, carries a scythe thing and has a scary deep voice.” She got up. “But look at you, you look like a pony trying to sell insurance or something.”
 
  By a stroke of really good luck, a mare with her foal came walking by. We both overheard them say: “Mom, who’s that Dragon talking to?”
 
  “Don’t pay attention sweetie, some creatures are just silly.” The mother said before hastening her child away. 
 
  Thankfully, the pieces were being put together in Smolder’s head. With wide eyes, she pointed a shaky claw at me. “W-Wait… are you really…?”
 
  I nodded. “Most don’t see me until it’s their time. And before you start panicking, I’m not here to collect you, as I’ve said, I’m far too early for that. Instead, I’m here because a certain Ex-God of Chaos sent me here. Said something about giving you perspective on something that’s currently going on with you. He wasn’t very clear what it was about but that’s what I got out with.”
 
  “Discord sent you?” She folded her arms. “He sent Death himself to come to talk to me?” I nodded. Her eyes narrowed. “What do you really want?”
 
  “Honestly? To take a break for a while from my job. Take a breather, as it were.” I chuckled at this joke. “As if I could anyway. But in all seriousness, why do you think that Discord would send me for?”
 
  Smolder thought it over for a moment. “If I had to make a guess? I think he might have overheard that argument I had with Ocellus. Come to think of it, did I pass him on the way here? I’m surprised he didn’t just come straight to me and instead sends you here.”
 
  “An argument?” I tilted my head. “Over what?”
 
  She shook her head. “It’s stupid, you probably don’t want to hear it.”
 
  “If that were the case, I wouldn’t be here. Knowing Discord, he wouldn’t call me for a favor without good reason to do so.”
 
  Sighing, she told me. “You know how us Dragons tend to have a long life span. Like, really long-life span.”
 
  “I’m painfully aware. You lot tend to take centuries.”
 
  “Yeah, but that’s the problem. I’m friends with a pony, a griffon, a changeling, a hippogriff, and a yak, all of which aren’t known for their immortality. The thing is, I do care about all of them. They helped change my mind that maybe this friendship thing isn’t as stupid as I thought it was. But the thing is, I think I’m getting too attached to them that if something happens where… you have to come by… I-I just don’t know what to do with myself. I know they’re my friends, but I know deep down that one day, they will have to go. How would I move on from these amazing friends that’ll die one day?”
 
  I hummed in thought. “Something tells me that’s not the only thing that’s troubling you.”
 
  “Oh gee, how can you guess?” She deadpanned. “With me thinking about the eventual death of my friends, it got me thinking about… well…” She hesitated to speak out her thoughts.
 
  “Let me guess, you’re thinking about how to spend the rest of your life and how to prepare for your own passing as well?”
 
  “Can you blame me?!” she threw up her claws in the air. “I don’t want to think about it! And you know why? Because it’s a scary thought! I know I’m way too young to think about something this morbid, but when I’m friends with those that have a much lesser life-span than mine… it just… got me thinking about my own too…” A sense of melancholy took over her, her head lowered to the ground and rubbing an arm. “I don’t want to lose what I already got, ya know? I know that we Dragons can be really possessive and all. But when you get reminded that you could very well lose everything… Especially after what happened with Cozy Glow… I just…”
 
  Humming in thought, I got up from my seat. “Come, walk with me. I have something to show you.” With that, I began to walk down the dirt path. When I didn’t hear her footsteps, I added, “Don’t worry, this won’t resolve to your own death, but rather to help illustrate my point of view.”
 
  Her curiosity hooked, she followed me. For a while, we walked in silence out of the park, down the streets of Ponyville, past the windmill, and towards a particular spot on the edge of town. Upon walking up a hill, I stopped at the very top so that she may see it. Below is a small valley, among the trees and bushes, in front of the stone ruins of a former house of worship were the gravestones. Immediately, Smolder seemed a little freaked out by this.
 
  “W-Why did you bring me here?”
 
  Instead of looking at her, I stayed in character and said. “You mortals are fascinating, if not confusing to me. So strange and contradictory you all are. Regardless of how much time you have in this world, I often run into countless many who beg me for more time. That they didn’t want to go; that they’re scared of crossing over that threshold; of what their death would mean to those they love. That you say that your life is so precious. And yet, everywhere I go, you creatures have wars – a game where soldiers are meant to die – that you murder someone you don’t like or just simply murder yourself. Regardless of what the reason is, I find mortals tend to have conflicting opinions whenever I show up. That I can be either a plaguing curse or a relieving blessing. Not that I mind, of course, but I just wish you mortals would at least make up your minds.
 
  “Yet, in all the eons and life forms that come and go, I often find some patterns here and there. Your concerns are no different. If anything, speaking as someone who assists the souls to let go of their fragile bodies, I have some perspective on these things. So, if you permit me, I’d to at least share a few things.”
 
  “Well since you had me walk all the way out here, do I have much of a choice?” Smolder folded her arms. 
 
  I shrugged. “Let’s deal with one thing at a time. Starting with the mortality of your friends.” I began walking slowly towards the graveyard. “Now, pretend for a moment that you and all of your friends were in the school courtyard one day. Then suddenly, a grand piano falls out of the sky and squishes all of them as flat as paper. Naturally, they all die except for you. Now here’s my question: how would you deal with it?”
 
  Smolder went quiet for a while. Looking uneasy as she pondered over this dark thought. “I… I don’t know. I’ve never had anyone that was close to me die before. So, I don’t have a clue how to cope with something like that.”
 
  “But suppose, let’s say, that event will happen tomorrow and there’s not a thing you could do to prevent it. If all five of your closest friends were to die, how would you think it’ll play out for you?”
 
  She sighed. “Well… I guess the first thing would be that I would be pretty angry with myself.”
 
  “Why?”
 
  “Because I couldn’t do anything about it. And then probably at the same time, I’d be really sad about it. That I guess I would cry or hide somewhere so I could be left alone. And probably avoid everycreature that tells me to get over it. As if to forget about my friends that I had a connection with. But I don’t think I could do that given how things are with them now.”
 
  I nodded. “In my experience, not many could do that either. I’ve heard some creatures who say that doing so makes them weak, but I don’t think that’s fair.” She tilted her head and asked me what I meant. “It’s unlikely anyone will ever get over their loss in any simple way. To those that indeed have a connection to the deceased, it’s the price they have to pay for the extent of their love. I’ve often seen many who won’t forget, nor do they recover. Perhaps, they don’t have to. Even when mourners feel conflicted in trying to speak well of the dead. That’s because they know that deep down, they were just as flawed and complicated as they are. Sure, they were difficult to be with when they were alive, if not downright frustrating and disappointing. However, even having doubts about the deceased isn’t a sign that they didn’t care for them. They did and still do. The price they pay is from their closeness and being close is why they love them so. It’s a consequence of something profound.”
 
  “But that’s exactly why it’s a problem!” Smolder exclaimed. “If I get too close to them, it’s just going to end up hurting me, if not them more!”
 
  I raised an eyebrow. “Why is that?”
 
  “Because…” She sighed, “If they were to die tomorrow, then Ocellus would go to her grave thinking that I didn’t value our friendship as much as I should have. That it would be too late to tell all of them how much they mean to me personally.”
 
  “You’re not alone,” I told her. “Most will feel that we didn’t love those who passed on as much as we ought to. That there were things we haven’t done with them or wish we shouldn’t do. Where in hindsight we could change this or that if only we could. However, I’m going to let you in on a secret.”
 
  She raised an eyebrow. “Yeah? And what’s that?”
 
  “Even if you could talk to the dead to tell them that you’re sorry, or that you do in fact care for them – they already know. It pains even the dead to learn that their loved ones want to beg for their forgiveness because they didn’t love them enough. From what I could gather, much of what the living needed to say has made its way to the dead indirectly. None of them have to put their thoughts and feelings at a crucial moment because they already knew or guessed. To be fair, the deceased didn’t say anything either. I suppose that’s the nature of relationships. Most of the time, they don’t have to spell out everything because we do so much of the work in their own minds. If there was anything the dead could help the living understand, it is that their love was sufficient enough. The proof of it is that the living are still thinking about them when they have no reason to.”
 
  “Huh…” Smolder’s face scrunched up at this realization. “I never thought of it like that. But what about them, though? What happens to the countless creatures that do die? Is there an afterlife that you take them to?”
 
  I hummed at this question. “I get the impression of what you’re asking is if, in theory, your friends would be at peace when I come for them.” She nodded. “To answer your question, while you might be in the right for wondering if anyone I take is feeling alone, dejected, unhappy, angry, disappointed or resentful the living. But in truth, those that I carry go to where they are beyond all of that. Or at least, so I’ve been told.”
 
  Her eyes widened. “You mean you don’t-”
 
  “I said I carry the souls, not see to it where they head off to. So, if you are asking me if there’s an afterlife, I’m afraid I will be forever the last to know. However, I do tend to think that wherever they go, they may head off to somewhere where they do find calm. Be it some Elysium or Oblivion, either fate means that regardless, they are out of reach of being hurt by anyone or anything.”
 
  At this point, we were passing the gravestones. We weaved around through the carved stones when Smolder inquired. “Well sure, but what’s so comforting about knowing that my friends – or even me no less – have a limited time to be alive? Unless you’re immortal like the Princesses of Equestria or Discord, I doubt that anyone could find solace in knowing that the clock is ticking.”
 
  “For some, yes. But I have an opinion on the matter of immortality.” I told her. “In truth, I think that all creatures actually die twice.”
 
  “Huh? What do you mean?”
 
  “I mean that there are two kinds of death. The first is the physical in which I come along to take what is essentially you, and leave your mortal remains to rot. But the second death isn’t so much as having your soul being obliviated, but being forgotten, forever. On that idea, as long as there’s at least one soul that was touched by another, that memory of that passed soul would still live on long after they died. In many ways, those in history books are still alive, for good or ill, they are being kept alive and still converse with the living to confront them whatever is going on. I remember that in Southern Equestria, they used to believe that if you so much as speak the name of the dead, they shall live again.”
 
  “Okay, that’s all fine and good,” Smolder said, “that’s one way to cope with my friends dying, but what about moving on after that? It’s not just that I’m afraid of them dying that worries me, but what about after? Do I just make new friends until I kick the bucket? Even if I do, they won’t be like them.”
 
  Stopping, I raised an eyebrow. “And why would they? None of your friends are alike, are they?”
 
  “Well… no, but-”
 
  “So why would befriending any other soul be any different? Why would one be interested in someone that is no different than the previous one? I thought you mortals crave variety.”
 
  “That’s not what I mean!” She flew up into the air for a moment. “I mean how could I move on with someone else when I spent so much time and effort to be with them? If I did that, it’d be like I’m betraying them somehow.”
 
  I tilted my head. “So, you think that you can be with someone only when they’re physically present. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you have a brother, don’t you?”
 
  “Well, yeah. What’s that got to do with anything?”
 
  “So by your own logic, your brother isn’t really your family as he’s not around you at the moment.”
 
  “Wha- no! That… That’s different! It isn’t the same. At least I can fly to the Dragon Lands and still see him. But having someone die, you can’t go see them after all that! When they’re gone, they’re gone! How can I still be with someone that’s not coming back?! Huh!?”
 
  Humming for a moment, I replied. “What if it was the other way around? Suppose that you had died instead of them. Do you want them to not be friends with anyone else?”
 
  Smolder at first looked like she was about to reply but when she considered that, she drifted back to the ground. “Well… no.”
 
  “Why not? It’s fair, isn’t it?”
 
  “They’re not… They’re not like that. We’re encouraged to make new friends and… oh…”
 
  I nodded. “The fact remains that regardless of what happens, you won’t forget about them. But you will live tomorrow and the day after. You don’t do it out of gratitude or being cruel, but because you’re loyal to what you stand for. As well as to those that you share those values with. You can live on and still be loyal to what they meant to you. It’s not a betrayal to endure and start again. I bet that if it were up to your friends, they would want what’s good for the other. They want their friendship to grow with others too.”
 
  She sucked some air in. “Okay Death, good point. Still, what about me though? I mean, having this longevity thing and all.” I started to chuckle, and she looked annoyed. “What’s so funny?”
 
  “My apologies, the whole idea that you think you’ll just continue on for centuries without a problem is funny.” But I quickly added, “Not that you might, it’s just your attitude to it that I find amusing.”
 
  “Why’s that?”

  I continued with the walk through the graveyard. “To be fair, I do get where your attitude comes from. On the one hoof, you think that you are practically immortal because your organs are functioning normally, that your joints aren’t in pain or that you can’t die because you have some big exam coming up. To do so otherwise will screw up with your plans. On the other, whether or not you want to admit it, you’re scared of me.”
 
  “No, I-”
 
  “Bullcrap. Everything is terrified of me – and I get why. You’re scared that you might fail, or be left alone with your messy feelings, being rejected by certain individuals, telling those closest to you who you really are, or taking your dreams seriously before I show up. Am I right?” She didn’t answer. “If there is anything I can complain about you mortals is that you have these ridiculous ideas that if you somehow lengthen your lives by eating leaves, or cheat me by inventing a spell that guarantees immortality. They think that as long as they buy themselves more time, then they would have all they need to finally get something done. Otherwise, they’ll just beg on their knees, pleading for me to have at least one more day to live. Even dragons, who live for centuries that the day I come to them, they cry like infants to live a century more, as if they didn’t have enough time do anything. I swear, you mortals are so caught up with trivial things that you’ve forgotten how to live.”
 
  “Oh that’s rich coming from you of all beings,” Smolder commented. “I mean, you’re Death! What right do you have to judge about life?”
 
  Immediately, I stopped, turned to her with a look that made her take several steps back. “What right? The fact that I can never have life myself, to never experience what taste is, what true intimacy is, what feeling warmth is – and yet have mortals complain about it – to never appreciate the magic of what is naturally gifted to you. That, is insulting to me. Do you know why I brought you out here?” She shook her head. I pointed at one of the tombstones. “Take this one for example. This fellow died in 874, he was sixty-three years old at the time. He used to be one of the most important ponies in this region. When I came for him, he wept like a mare because he spent most of his life in business and politics. His life was all work and nothing else. I took him before he could experience the joys of life had to offer, simply because he couldn’t be bothered to do any of it beforehoof.”
 
  I pointed to another tombstone. “Or that mare, she died in 929 at the age of forty-four. When I came to her, she pleaded for more time because she felt regret too late to apologize to her husband and telling her children that she loved them.” I pointed at another. “Or that one, he passed away in 955 at the age of seventeen. I was there when he gulped down a bottle full of sleeping pills and realized that if he died, then he’ll be leaving his friends that were pleading outside of his room to go to the hospital. He tried to tell me that he regretted what he did and wanted to go to the ponies that did care for him. But instead of doing any of that before, he let the pills do the deciding for him, simply because he thought his friends would forget about him after he died. They never did.
 
  “In these aspects, you mortals disgust me.”
 
  “Well, what do you want us to do!?” Smolder lashed out at me. “Life's hard as it is! It’s complicated and messy, and…” She stopped for a moment, taking in a deep breath. “Ya know, as much as I disagree, Discord must have sent you here for a reason, right? So here’s my question: What would you advise the living to do before you have to come?”
 
  I thought it over for a minute, thinking about how Death would respond to that given the philosophy I know about the subject. “If you really want my advice,” I said, “you mortals got the wrong idea about time. You know how sometimes five minutes can feel like an hour; ten hours can feel like five minutes; a decade can pass like two years, and two years could go by like fifty?” She nodded. “If the goal of life is to be more meaningful or at least fulfilling, the trick is to densify your time then to try to extend it for a few more years. Young ones, especially those under the age of ten, have mastered this. They feel that their time is longer than any other in the world; that their experiences with it can feel like ten-thousand years. But the older they grow; the faster time may seem to go by because they’re stuck doing the same things day in and day out.”
 
  “So why is that?”
 
  “I think it’s because unlike adulthood, childhood is full of novelty. To them, even on an ordinary day, they’re always finding something new in the mundane. Like watching clouds go by while lying on the grass. Exploring the complexities in a zipper. Or simply getting an imprint of a coin on a piece of putty. However, as adults get older, these things become familiar to the point where they’re boring. Adults don’t get excited about the idea of eating a peach, owning an apartment or turning on a light. They know about earning money and telling others what to do, and as a result, one day blends into the next and time starts running on them.”
 
  “Okay, so the solution is to – what? Go to exotic places and have expensive, valuable things?”
 
  I shook my head. “It’s simpler than that. Even when you’re an adult, you may fall into the illusion that you know about the places and creatures you run into. But in reality, you’ve barely scratched the surface. At that point, you’re going to grow bored of a world you haven’t begun to study properly. It’s why artists help draw attention to certain things that many tend to overlook. For artists, in a way, help re-introduce the ordinary as if we’re seeing them for the first time. Artists who look at apples, oranges, grass even, and gives them the sensitivity and attention that only infants could give. Now I’m not saying that you have to make art to learn the most valuable lesson in life – to notice properly, you must live with your eyes open, and along the way, savoring time.”
 
  “So take in the ordinary stuff? That’s what you’re getting at, right?”
 
  I nodded. “Life for you mortals should be a simple affair as walking through an unfamiliar part of town, asking an old friend a side of their life that we didn’t think about asking, looking up at the stars at night, or telling a friend that you’re sorry.” A guilty expression flashed on Smolder’s face. “There’s one more story that I’d like to tell you. One day, there was once a prisoner was tried and was set to be executed. With the few minutes lift to live, the prisoner exclaimed, ‘What if I were not to die! What if life were given back to me – what infinity! I’d turn a whole minute into an age. A day, eternity!’ When he was faced with losing his life, he recognizes that even a second of time could be stuffed full of imagination and appreciation.
 
  “This is what I desperately wish  I could teach you, mortals. You could very well live for a hundred thousand years and still complain that it all went by too fast. You Smolder, should be aiming to lead a life that feels long because you managed to be filled with the right sort of open-hearted appreciation and humbled respect; the kind that any five-year-old would know how to do. You don’t need to add or take away years; you just need to densify your time with appreciation. Laugh at a joke. Enjoy a meal. Be a friend that needs cheering up and tell them you’re sorry when you might be in the wrong. Always think that if you were to die tomorrow, would you be at peace? The point of life is to do as much as you can with the time you’re given.”
 
  “Okay, I get what you’re saying but-”
 
  “Remember Smolder, time, even for a dragon, is short,” I pointed a hoof at her, “and suddenly, you’re not there anymore!”
 
  It was at this dramatic moment that I made the bell from the ruins ring, thus giving the distraction I need for her to look away and for me to disappear. Once I was able to slip away, I returned to my home dimension where an award show was going on, and to be ready to accept the award for best actor of the millennium.
 
  Of course, hours after I got my golden trophy did, I decided to check on Smolder. As expected, she returned to the school and watched as she knocked on the door of her friend. Ocellus opened it and the dragoness told her. “Hey Ocellus, can I come in? I want to say I’m sorry.”