Rarity was the first to step forward, addressing Death directly. "I... Know you don't I?" Death nodded silently. "I thought I saw something when Sweetie was sick. But whenever I turned to look there wasn't anything there."
Death nodded again, still speaking in its toneless but slightly cold voice. "I was not there for you, so you could not look at me. Though sometimes I do bleed over into the sight of the living." Death paused for a moment before it added, in what one might describe as a lighter tone. "Especially when there is such a special connection with the one whom I am visiting."
Rarity couldn't help but smile at that. "And when she thought she was alone? She referred to..."
Death finished the sentence that Rarity was unwilling to, "the angel in the corner. Yes. In your world, even those who can "see" me, do not truly see me. So they react in their own way. Most who've made their peace with my role in their life perceive me positively, those who have not..." The six ponies shivered as death trailed off, they knew each knew about stories of people yelling at nothing. While they knew about mental illness, there were times when the dying very well could have been yelling at Death himself.
Rarity cleared her throat nervously and looked up at the figure, still towering over her despite it reclining on an invisible chair. "Mr. Death, I would like to know where I am going, if you could." Rarity grinned as she glanced over a shoulder to Applejack, nervously shifting from side to side, obviously not enjoying that she couldn't be a part of this little meeting of Rarity's.
Death straightened up to his considerable height, standing upon his feet once more, instead of floating in the air. Nodding he leaned down, kneeling next to Rarity as he leaned in and whispered so none of the others could hear what was said. As he straightened back up Rarity favored him with one of her dazzling smiles. "I must admit I was a little worried after you said that we can't know each other's."
Death nodded. "It is not meant to be stressful, but it is also unusual for me to have more than one guest at a time. Yours is a special case." Rarity nodded and smiled, trotting back to Applejack, and prodded at her to try and get her to go forward next but apparently Twilight was impatient herself.
"How can that be?" Death turned his head to Twilight as she hopped on the chance for more information. "I mean we've been here a few minutes, How can you spend so much time? Or do you only meet with a few ponies and everyone else gets more automatically sorted?" Twilight gave a quick glance around and huffed when she didn't find anything for her to take notes on.
Death let out a low rasping chuckle that sent Twilight's hairs on end. Glancing back at her friends Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Rarity were also bothered by it, Applejack and Fluttershy didn't seem too bothered though. Before she could think on it Twilight whipped her head back around as Death spoke. "We are no longer in the stream of time. We exist outside of it. We could sit here for the rest of eternity and no time would pass for those who are not here. I could not do my job if I were restrained by such a weakness as time."
Twilight nodded and smiled at Death. “You can’t tell us where our friends are going. I don’t suppose you can tell us where those who have passed before us can you?”
Death shook his head. “No, I cannot. The only way to find out is to travel on. While I would normally do so right after telling you we have different plans this time, do we not?” At Twilight’s nod of affirmation, he leaned in and spoke quietly to her. She smiled at him and retreated to let someone else go forward.
At Rarity’s prodding, Applejack took a few steps forward looking up at Death. "Could I ask a question before ya tell me? I'd be much obliged." Death gave a slow nod, waiting for the question. Applejack was confident she would see her parents in just a few minutes, but on the off chance she didn't, she needed an answer to the question she never trusted. "How did they die?"
Death paused a moment, long enough for the other five ponies to wonder what Applejack was asking about, or rather, why. It took them only a moment to realize Applejack would, of course, be asking about her parents, but they knew the answer to her question. They all knew the Apples had died in a cart crash while transporting a large shipment of apples. Death, however, contradicted their beliefs. "They were killed by timberwolves."
Everyone else gaped, but Applejack nodded like she had been expecting that. "Then my nightmares were true." She sighed and adjusted her hat, having just realized for some reason that had also come with her to this place. "So they lied to me to make it sound better."
Death let out his rasping chuckle and nodded. "I can't say that is what they did but that is what they tried to do." Applejack looked up curiously at Death. "They did not die peacefully, but they did die well." At that Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Protecting those they loved most in your world. Do you not wonder why you have those nightmares?" Applejack gaped for a few moments then smiled, and nodded. With that, Death again knelt and whispered into the pony's ear.
Applejack gave him another smile before trotting back to Rarity's side. "I can't believe they didn't tell me. When I was a foal I get it, but even after I grew up!" She smiled and shook her head, nuzzling Rarity gently. "I guess granny just didn't have it in her."
Rarity nuzzled her mate back. "And I for one wouldn't have felt right telling you if your own family hadn't." Applejack's eyes widened and she pulled back in shock, causing Rarity to chuckle gently and pat her mate's side. "Metaphorically dear." Applejack chuckled in return and nodded, going back to nuzzling her mate.
Pinkie took her chance to hop forward and wave happily at Death. "Heya! Can we still do this on the other side?" She hopped up and down as she turned back into a young foal and grinned happily up at the skeleton.
Death nodded. "That would depend on if you are going to a good place or a bad place. You have many rights if you are worthy, if not, then you will not have privileges at all." Pinkie Pie hopped happily around Death as he turned to try and speak with her. But the happy go lucky pony didn't seem to have any other questions or concerns for him. Death sighed long and leaned on his scythe, waiting for Pinkie Pie to be done with her fun. Finally, Pinkie Pie came to a stop in front of death and grinned up at him. After a few moments, as if expecting a trick he leaned in and whispered to her.
Much to his surprise forelegs wrapped around his bone spine where a neck would have been, had he had skin. He received a hug from the young pink pony with a squealed, "thank you!" Followed by Pinkie Pie running back and diving in amongst her friends. After a few moments of confusion she ended up on Applejack's back wearing her hat and they all just decided to leave her there.
Rainbow Dash decided to take her turn next, her logic that giving Fluttershy the least amount of time to fret over where she was going would be best. Not giving her time to consider being left behind. What Rainbow Dash hadn't noticed is that Fluttershy didn't seem in the least bit bothered by the ongoing events. Rainbow Dash in her usual style stepped forward grinning widely, her chest puffed out. "Tell me where I'm headed. I am not afraid."
Death's face always a rictus grin did not change, though for some reason they could just tell that he was amused by Rainbow Dash's bravado. He leaned down and spoke to her quietly like the rest, before straightening up and Rainbow Dash beamed. "Heck yeah! Soarin's totally going to be at..." Death made a sharp slash through the air in front of Rainbow Dash with his scythe. Burying itself into the strange ground as Rainbow Dash jumped back with a yelp.
While Applejack quickly pushed herself in front of Rarity, Twilight's horn lit up, and Rainbow Dash recovered herself adopting a fighting position Death slowly and calmly raised his scythe back up to his shoulder. His voice was as cold and neutral as ever. "None but you and I may know your destination this side of the veil."
After a few tense moments, tense for the six at least they slowly began to relax, Rainbow Dash swallowing a bit chagrinned now that the threat seemed to have passed. "Yeah, sorry about that. But you could just tapped me or something, you didn't need to take a swing." The other girls stared in exasperation at the brash pegasus. They wouldn't have expected her to try and reprimand Death!
That low, spine shuddering chuckle came again as it looked to Rainbow Dash. "I was not threatening you Rainbow Dash." Now the voice actually seemed to lighten slightly. In a normal voice, it would have been completely undetectable, but in a voice so flat even the tiniest change spoke volumes. "I was reaping your sentence." After a moment Rainbow Dash cracked up, with Pinkie following suit, Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy all grinning as well. Twilight for her part frowned, wondering how literal Death was being.
Fluttershy, much to everyone's surprise strode forward, smiling at the dark looming figure in the black robe. "Hello, old friend."
Death, for his part, pulled back his hood and gave Fluttershy a low bow. "Fluttershy. It is truly a pleasure to host you in my realm." The eyes of the other five ponies boggled at this interaction between the two. "Your hospital was always a pleasure to visit. Comfortable and ready were your patients. Truly you made my job easy."
Fluttershy smiled, though a little sadder this time. "And thank you for taking away their pain."
Death nodded. "It is my duty. When you are at your worst, I come." He flipped his hood back up and nodded down to Fluttershy. "Are you ready to be told your destination then Fluttershy?" At her agreement he bent down and whispered to her, her destination, though he started to straighten up he paused at her hoof on what would have been his shoulder.
She spoke quietly, though in the otherwise silent realm it wasn't hard to hear. "Can I ask, I know you cannot tell me where, and probably not when, but Big Mac...?"
Death paused for a moment, seeming to consider the request before he relented. "I cannot break the rules, not even for you my friend." Fluttershy nodded but Death continued. "Though I must say that it is unusual to expect great great grandfoals at funerals. An unrelated comment of course." Fluttershy grinned widely, it obviously wasn't. Their first great grand foal had just hit ten. Apples did tend to marry and have foals young, that still gave Big Mac about a decade at least. Fluttershy released death and he finished straightening up.
He turned to look at the six ponies as Fluttershy rejoined her friends. "You have all been told your places. And now you must journey on, and find their fulfillment in the next world." With a slash through the air Death opened up a tear in the world itself. It opened wider and wider, the tear consuming where Death had been standing and coming for the six. They all linked hooves and heard Death's voice speaking as the tear got to them. "Journey onwards friends, one last time."