"What to do, what to do..."
The voice rang hollow within the endless black, tiny white lights providing points of guidance to the travelling voice. He'd walked this space many times in the past, and knew it like the back of his hand, but the trip was always so demanding of him. His eyes lost their point of focus and drifted, though his body always knew the path upon which to walk, so he may perceive the numerous things of interest as he walked.
Planets of beauty unparalleled, such that even the greatest artist could not replicate. Stars of such incredible size that they would sooner be called engines of terrible destruction, rather than the givers of life many respected them as. Black holes, consuming tyrants of the universe that would devour all in their path without care for the things they destroyed. Detonations of such ferocious force that everything within trillions of miles were decimated, even their dust reduced to nothing... not a remnant of history left to suggest they'd existed in the first place.
But he remembered these sights. Remembered what he felt when he saw them be born and be destroyed, for he walked this road constantly. Still, it was understandable that he found himself getting bored between the numerous systems, and even now, he found himself questioning what to do with his time.
Sometimes, it was hard to walk the career path he had, but he loved his job. Many sentient beings found solace in his appearance, ready to guide them on to a better life, and through that happiness and solace, he found his own peace. But, as with every good soul in the universe, there was bound to be a criminal, so he found enjoyment in the punishment of those who would seek to ruin the lives of others.
But, as he was walking by a certain planet, he felt a twinge, as if something were trying to pull his attention to it. Following its pull as an answer for his boredom, he stared down upon the blue planet, observing the small cloud systems, the storms over the Western oceans, the interesting circular placement of the continents, one continent in particular standing out from the rest.
He could hear... screaming. Not the screaming of living beings, no, they all seemed to laugh and cry in amusement... even lust. Lust. What a strange emotion... simply using others to satisfy a biological urge, isn't it? He thought to himself, Maybe Seris can wait for a while... I'm not gonna get there for another day or two anyway, and my schedule gives me a week or so.
And with a simple thought, he let the planet's gravity take him down through the atmosphere, clouds blasting past him as he quickly hit terminal velocity. The snow white of the clouds gave way to rolling green, red, blue and orange... a cornucopia of environments there... a startling number, in fact.
Ahhh, wait a moment. I recognize this place... I've been here before, but it was for a rather different reason... something about the Moon? He raised his eyebrow, holding his hood down as the winds blew his cloak to and fro. A town at the center of the continent was his draw, and he aimed his feet to land within the center of it, only a few clouds in his way...
One of which he promptly crashed into, as if hitting a brick wall.
"Oof!" With a few coughs, he tore himself off the cloud, staring at it, "What in Law's name is this cloud made of!? It's like that special rock from the Vesana Volcano!"
He rolled his shoulder, wincing a bit as it complained; as if he had time to worry about mind-numbing pain. He paid a last glare to the cloud under his feet before walking to the edge and looking down from it. The sight before him was rather interesting, to say the least.
"Ok, maybe I don't remember this place," he scratched his head in confusion as he looked from pair to pair of beings, all locked in an embrace with each other. This was where his boss was sealed away, wasn't it? It should be... couldn've sworn she got locked up in the Moon here. I'd visit her every two years when I came by... good times. Well, except when she'd divulge her plots to dethrone her sister and plunge the planet into eternal night.
"Well, I always did figure she was a bit... loopy," he placed his hands on his hips, flashbacks to his time spent on the surface of the Moon with the blue alicorn, constantly fighting for control with her alter ego.
Speaking of which, there she was in the crowd, sitting in an alleyway. With a hop, he flew down to one of the houses beside her, the annoying clank of his scythe catching her attention with his landing. The alicorn jumped at the sound, looking up, but breathed a sigh of relief after registering who it was.
"So it's you again, is it? Been quite a while since you last dropped by."
"I keep busy, Princess. So, erm... seems everyone here's keeping busy."
"Yes. A rather silly holiday if you ask me, involving some rather silly ponies... though one in particular has me worried," she turned her eyes back to the street beyond the alleyway, settling on one pony in particular. Her face cracked a disgusted grimace as the mare under him cried out in pleasure, the two locked in a furious display of mating.
"A holiday, huh?" The spectre responded, hopping off the roof. He landed with only the wind registering his impact, a gust moving out from his black cloak as he crouched beside the Princess, "Well, why aren't you participating, Luna?"
"It's below me, honestly. I can't think of a reason why 'Rutting Day' would exist... perhaps my Sister just had some aggression to vent?"
"Maybe. I did find it strange to hear you'd been locked up in the Moon... figured being the Goddess of the Night, you wouldn't have to worry about that kind of thing," the spectre chuckled; even Gods had to play by the rules.
"A rather bad moment in my life... though I had no trouble sharing with you, Reaper. I hope Nightmare didn't give you too much trouble?"
"It's fine. Couple fights on the moon is all the trouble she gave me... Nightmare was really interested in my scythe though. Kinda freaked me out..."
"You and that weapon are rather well connected, aren't you?"
"Are you kidding? Never leave home without it. She and I have been reaping since the dawn of Time," he smiled, standing up, "So, what's the problem?"
"That stallion over there... Sergeant Nova, supposedly."
"Nova... Nova... involved in a couple wars that broke out here, EEFOC, promoted within a year... his file even mentioned 'god-like powers'. Can you believe that?"
The two beings in the alleyway broke out into a fit of chuckles, laughing over the absurdity of it; as if anyone could match Luna or her servant. It was a foolish remark, if one could even be made.
The spectre calmed down from his laughs, looking over to the alicorn beside him with a grin on his face. "The guy's an aggressive idiot who got lucky with Law. So what's the issue?"
"Well... he nearly killed Celestia."
"Wait... what?" The spirit's aged face swiftly shifted to shock, his grin vanishing. "You are kidding me, right? Your sister was a Goddess. Immortal. By the Gods, she nearly killed me once! And she got trumped by a sad little stallion?"
"I know, it surprised me as well. I fear there may be other powers at hoof here, and I need you to do something." Luna looked over to Reaper, raising an eyebrow. "How much time until your next collection?"
Reaper stroked his beard and hummed in thought, closing his eyes. "A week. It's only a day or two away, so I could play errand boy for a while if it'd please you, Princess."
"I would very much appreciate that. You're always so good to me, Reaper," Luna smiled, confident in her servant. "I do apologize for requesting this, but this matter does require a bit of 'divine intervention', as it were." No matter how much she argued the point, the stallion did have incredible powers, so much so that he could be considered a mutant...
Electro Dubstep. DJ Chemicalz. Sergeant Nova. All three names given to a single stallion, an incredible threat to the country if left unchecked.
"I'm the Reaper, Princess, so I work for you. If I didn't try and impress my boss from time to time, I would never have gotten this job at the Turning."
"Well, this universe has plenty of years left in it, so you and that scythe will be working for a while longer."
"With all the reapings I have to do, I beg for work like this. So, how do you want it done, Princess? Decapitation? Accidental? 'Act of God'?"
"You can use your judgement, Reaper. I trust in your abilities... just make sure nopony finds out about this. The last thing I want befalling this country is widespread panic over a random death, when the stallion in question was perfectly healthy," Luna frowned, the 'festivities' moving about the town. A pony leaned in at the alleyway, looking around before entering. He spread his wings, stretching them out with a groan before folding them and kneeling before the Princess. "Lieutenant Bass."
"Your Highness... I do apologize for my conduct recently, it's necessary to keep up this cover."
"I understand. You may rise."
With a nod from Luna, the winged unicorn rose from his crouch, looking with remorse at her.
"Can he see me?"
The voice took the unicorn by surprise, and he quickly turned to face the source. The sight was near-impossible to see, but a black cloak faded in from seemingly nowhere, two arms crossed in front of its chest. The shadows of the raised hood covered the face, bearing only an ancient, white beard to the revealing light of the sun. "Who are you?!"
The figure grinned, chuckling a bit. "Don't worry about me, stallion. I'm a friend."
Bass twisted his hoof in the dirt slightly, wings flitting as he leered at the shadow in front of him. "That's not a name..."
"My name's not important, if I could remember it at all. I go by my title, Reaper."
"Reaper? As in-"
"Yes. I'm a friend of Luna's, rather high ranking in the Lunar Guard assassins corps."
A mock bow was given to the stallion, a rising eyebrow being given in return.
"Why is an assassin here?" He took a step away from the Princess, eyes still locked on her agent.
"He's come from assignment to oversee things here in Ponyville. Special request from me." Luna looked over at the Reaper, raising an eyebrow.
Reaper smirked and stood back up, holding his hands in front of him in the wide sleeves of his cloak. "Yep, asked for me to come by two days ago, see how things went for this year's holiday... uh... Rutting Day, right?"
"If you don't mind me saying, sir... you stand a bit strangely for a pony."
"Optimized form designed for combat. Don't worry, this stance suits me just fine," a white grin glinted in the darkness of the hood, "So, Lieutenant Bass, is it? How are things going so far?"
"The holiday? Well, if you couldn't tell with everything going on in town, just... what in blazes is that sound?"
Luna raised an eyebrow, turning her eyes back to the street.
Just at the entrance of the alley lay a collapsed filly, obviously choking on something as she gripped her neck, face strained in horrible agony, barely a whisper getting past her gasps.
Luna immediately grabbed the poor filly in her magic, yanking her into the alley. Pouring more focus into her magic, a new aura spawned within the sparkling blue, grabbing at whatever could be suffocating the little pony, "C'mon, c'mon... got it!" With a flick of her horn, a glob of white exited the filly's mouth, still trapped within the aura.
With renewed vigor, the yellow pony took in each breath like a newborn coming into the world, coughing after every few breaths. Tears streamed down from her eyes as she looked up at her savior, even her bow sagging from the terrible trauma.
"P-P-Princess?" She whispered, still grasping for each puff of air.
"Yes, it's alright. Just wha-" Luna stopped herself, staring at the white mess held within her magic, getting a whiff of that familiar scent, "Just what are you doing, my little pony?"
"W-Well, it's a holiday, a-and Ah wanted t' participate..."
"That's no reason! This isn't proper for a filly your age! You should be waiting until you're an adult, not for some silly holiday!" Luna grit her teeth and tossed the glob to the side and painted the nearby wall with it, using a bit more force than intended. The splatter flew out, stretching from ground to roof, with a few drops landing on her and the Reaper.
"Ohhh, that's real nice..." the cloaked figure grunted with a grimace, looking at the white staining his black cloak. I just had this thing washed in a recent supernova! He just looked away and wiped the stuff off with a few swift flicks of his hand, Bass too focused on the Princess and filly to notice, before slipping his hands back into his sleeves.
"What's your name, little filly?" Luna raised an eyebrow, ignoring the white stains on her immaculate coat and mane.
"A-Apple Bloom, Your Highness..." She grabbed her mane and pulled it around to cover her face, stroking the bow gently, obviously fearful of her rescuer's reaction. Please don't eat me.
Luna nodded as she recalled the filly and her older sister, looking away for a moment. "Apple Bloom... Applejack's little sister. Listen, you must understand that this sort of thing is reserved for your special somepony, somepony you want to share your life with... not some random colt you meet on the street. This... was with a colt, wasn't it?"
"Y-Yeah, he's still out there... Ah think Ah saw him talkin' with somepony," Apple Bloom sniffled, looking down.
"I'm not going to ask what you did... just keep it in mind for the future, alright?"
The filly nodded and looked over her bow, her creased brow and frown feeling just as shameful as she was. "Ok... Ruttin' Day sounded like so much fun, too..."
"It's not a holiday you should respect, my dear. Just stay here with us, alright? Things should be dying down soon... nopony can do this forever."
Luna and Reaper exchanged a look of worry before looking back at the little pony, and after being set gently back on the ground, she moved under Luna's chest, as if using the Princess as a warm roof to protect from a storm.
Reaper merely looked from the filly to the end of the alleyway, furrowing his brow. So, this is Rutting Day? Fillies choking on semen and everyone just doing each other 'till the sun goes down?
A small smirk appeared on his face, a grim look of enjoyment for the future. Ohhh, I know this is gonna be fun to end. Still, what happened to this country? Everyone seemed so much more... I dunno, self-controlled before.
Finally, a grimace replaced his smirk, thankfully ignored by the already-scared filly under his boss.
"Well, that was alarming..." Bass blinked himself out of his trance and shook his head, looking back out at the street, "Shall I continue with my work, Your Highness?"
"No, I think our troubles are about to end, Lieutenant. All we require is silence." Luna nodded, furrowing her brow slightly. The target of her anger had already moved on to another group of mares, his status as 'the most popular DJ in Equestria' attracting a lot of attention without much work on his part. And he took every single mare with not a look of affection or happiness... just indifference. As if the entire thing was irritating to him.
It was insulting. He'd openly defied the holiday for only a few minutes before just dropping into everything like it was some huge safety net, using mares just to kill the time. The silver body like an arrow fired straight through morality itself.
"You feeling alright, Your Highness?" Reaper looked over at her, seeing the growing look of frustration on the Goddess' face. It worried him, having only seen it during her fights against Nightmare on the Moon... and those always ended in him getting attacked by the angered manifestation of jealousy locked in her head.
Luna nodded, not wanting to look crazy in front of the filly. Or rather, above her.
And so the day carried on in silence, the 'festivities' thankfully calming down after only another hour or two. A little colt zoomed past the alley entrance a few times, crying out for Apple Bloom, but the group stayed quiet in the alley; out of sight, out of mind held true in that situation. As the sun began to fall and everypony started returning to their homes, it was time for the two Gods to make their move.
"Alright, seems everything is going back to... relative normalcy. Apple Bloom, do you want us to walk you home?" Luna looked down at the filly between her forelegs, Apple Bloom looking back up at her.
"A-Ah can walk home on my own... Ah wouldn't wanna be takin' yer time," She looked back down at the ground under her, slowly walking out from under her protective, warm roof.
"It's quite alright. Bass, do you think you could?"
"Of course, Your Highness," Bass nodded, walking beside Apple Bloom. "Hello, my name's Bass, I'm a Lieutenant in the Royal Guard... what's your name?"
"A-Apple Bloom, sir," Apple Bloom responded, and the two chatting voices faded as they got further and further away.
"Well... that's the baggage taken care of," Reaper sighed, putting his hands on his hips, "So, what's the plan of action, boss?"
"I'm going to leave that up to you. The only thing I wish for is his body quickly disposed of, and the scene cleaned and all evidence gotten rid of. This stallion is too powerful to let roam forever... and those rings aren't going to contain his power for the rest of his life."
"What do you mean? They're gonna break?" Reaper leaned on the wall, taking his scythe off and holding it in front of him.
"His power is tremendous for an earth pony. The current limiters placed on him by the Guard were developed using ancient techniques and aged minerals... they just don't match today's magic inhibitors," Luna sighed, shaking her head, "If only I was around ten years ago... he'd be under control."
"What's this stallion like then? Just so I know what to look out for."
"His power is... phenomenal. With what he displayed earlier with his tail alone, I could tell that the magic flooding through his body has conditioned his muscles to super-pony limits. And with how easily he shattered my Sister's bones, I fear his power may be affecting his aggression..."
"Red cloud blinding him, huh?" Reaper sighed, staring up the cum-covered wall. She chucked that spunk hard. I feel bad for the guy who gets on her bad side, and she decides to manually banish him to the Moon... and not with magic.
"Indeed. Shadow him for tonight and study what he does, then think of how to deal with him. I'm required at the castle... I will have to have a chat with Celestia about this whole thing."
In a burst of light, the Princess was gone, leaving the Reaper alone in the alley. He didn't have a lick of a plan at the time, most of his reapings just horrid mutilations of criminals. Equestria hadn't had a murder in over a thousand years, however, so he had to play his cards right.
Now... if I were a crazy powerful stallion who broke the bones of a Goddess with a thought, what would be my weakness...? Element of surprise, a quick blade to the spine... sever the brain stem... maybe overflow his power? Nah, all of those would end in a pretty gory way... especially that overflow one, Reaper shuddered at the thought of flooding a unicorn with raw magic, and then watching them explode like an over-inflated balloon, Yep! Definitely not going with that plan! C'mon, brain, think... I need something here!
He tapped his palm with a closed fist, scythe resting in his arm as he thought. There had to be something, some method of getting rid of the stallion without alerting anyone else...
"Well, I'll start with the shadowing. No one can see me, so that's a plus," he nodded to himself and exited the alley, looking about the street. He spotted a stallion wearing two rings around his forehooves, walking alongside a mare. They shared nearly the same body color, the stallion having a sharp silver in the evening light while the mare had a snow white coat. Their manes and tails looked about the same however, though the stallion had green instead of blue.
"Bingo... I think that's my man," Reaper smirked and headed down the street, following just behind them as he listened in on their conversation.
"Ohhh, you're so big, Electro... I could go all night with you," the mare swooned, leaning her head on his shoulder.
Good Lord, that's sick... Reaper grimaced, distancing himself a bit.
"I'm tired though, Vinyl. I wanna end this stupid day so I can move on... damn Tia and her want for me to make friends. I've got tons of fans, what do I need a friend for?" Electro grumbled, glaring at the road.
"Awww, c'mon. You're one of the most popular DJs in Equestria, and live in one of the wealthiest cities in the country, Canterlot. That's worth something, isn't it?" Vinyl raised an eyebrow, looking at him.
"Barely. I just wanna go home... all this fame has done nothing but bother me time and time again. Ponies are laughing at everything I say, and I know they do it just to spite me, and then this holiday rolls around so three hundred mares are trying to bang me all at once. It's... it's exhausting!"
"Yeah, and I've got the same number of stallions wanting to do the same to me. It's making a fantasy come true, right?"
"So? Ponies can keep fantasizing about me," the stallion just grimaced, keeping his eyes off the mare beside him.
Wow, you are a little jerk, aren't you? Reaper shook his head, looking at the mare beside him, C'mon man, she's trying to at least make you smile. And though I agree this holiday is stupid, the least you could do is smile a bit. Granted, any form of happiness right now would just make my killing tougher later on.
"Let's just get back to your house, I wanna go to bed."
"Alright, we can finish what we started there, then," Vinyl grinned, setting her eyes back on the street.
"Whatever..." Electro simply sighed, watching the path scroll by under his hooves. He thought about simply going to Tia and telling her to end this holiday for good, all it did was mess with him anyway. Heck, maybe it was just made so mares could have a shot at me... hmph.
The walk finished after a short minute or two with Electro and Vinyl walking into their house. The shield had dissipated a while ago, leaving the door unblocked. Reaper watched the two head up the stairs, supposedly towards the bedroom, and looked around the living room.
Quite a setup here, Miss Vinyl. Lots of electrical equipment... perfect for a fire, hehehehe, he grinned, plans already starting to cook in his mind. Equipment was spread all over the room; turntables, sound monitors, subwoofers, speakers. If a DJ could use it to make somepony's ears bleed, it was there in that disaster of a living area. His eyes continued searching for possible 'accidents' that could befall those two kind ponies, and simply walked around the house. He picked out fire hazards in the complex stove and bad wiring in the kitchen - it was like that mare hired a seven year old to do her electrical -, the obvious electrical fire and electrocution hazards in the living room, and even the classic 'trip down the stairs and break your neck' accident in the... well, stairs.
This place is a wonderful death trap. Shouldn't have too much difficulty silencing him, Reaper smirked, putting a hand on his trusty scythe. His first thought was to start cutting wires and plugging everything in, but that would have been far too obvious... Perhaps I should continue shadowing him. See what other ways to kill him there are. Shouting soon caught his attention, however, and his eyes turned back to the stairs, matted carpeting providing a perfect slipping surface.
"Oh, come on, Electro! Just a quickie?"
"No! Leave me alone and let me sleep!"
"But we're sleeping together, aren't we?"
"Fine, I'll sleep on the couch then."
Ohhh, not even gonna give me enough time to be creative? You're working me to the bone here, Electro! He grimaced, Guess I could just stop his heart in his sleep... died peacefully. Maybe 'rutted' way too hard today, eh Electro?
Soon, the silver stallion came into view, looking as agitated as the shouting upstairs had signaled. His stomps echoed loudly in the small house, his target being the couch as he tried to set it on fire with his glare.
Damn, man, cool off. I mean, you'll be plenty cold once you're asleep, but chill! Reaper moved out of the stallion's path, simply watching him. Electro didn't even register that his murderer was only a few feet away from him, and carried right on with passing out on the couch. Alright, shall we get to work then? Princess Luna wanted his death to be quiet, quick, and clean... maybe a goodbye note or something. Hmmm... wonder if that mare has any writing supplies?
He started hunting around the house, sticking his head through cupboard doors - good thing he was a ghost, or else that would've made a lot of noise. And, he assumed, would have hurt quite a lot -, searching through drawers, even shoving his hand into several subwoofers. Was he just not looking in the right places?
Come on, lady, at least have this stuff stored where it's easy to find!
After some more digging, he finally found what he was looking for; music sheets, and a quill and ink pot. Strangely enough, the ink was stored with the glasses, the quill was jammed into one of the turntables as a needle for the vinyls, and the parchment was piled under the table to support a short leg.
Hasn't this mare ever heard of poisoning, thumb tacks and books? Reaper shook his head at the silliness of it all, and set to writing Electro's message to Vinyl.
"Let's see...
Dear Vinyl,
I've grown sick and tired of this town, and I'm heading out to get some fresh air. If I come back to this town, instead of heading home, I'll be staying with someone else. Don't expect me to come back to your door, because I'm done hanging out with you.
Peace, Electro."
Reaper grinned at his work, careful not to burst into a 'woohoo'; can't be waking up ol' Electro now! Setting the message down on one of the turntables, he turned to Electro and reached out to pick him up...
"Oh, to Tartarus with it. I need this!"
"Oh crud." His eyes shifted back to the stairs, and more importantly, the encroaching hoofsteps of a certain mare. Shoot, gotta move!
With a quick snatch that, thank the Heavens, didn't wake up the stallion, Reaper charged out of the house, being sure to give the door a realistic SLAM of angry departure; if he was going to play the part, he may as well have played it all the way through.
Alright, boyo, you and me are going on a little trip...
With a display of strength that would drop most stallions on their flanks, and such speed that would depress even the quickest of pegasi with just how outclassed they were, Reaper jumped straight for the clouds, knowing just where he wanted to go...
With a yawn, Electro cricked his neck and smacked his lips, still feeling a bit drowsy. That was a nice nap... coulda sworn it was a bit warmer in Vinyl's living room though... he opened his eyes, thoughts still swimming in a blur as he looked around the room.
It certainly was warmer in Vinyl's living room, as this room was freezing his bones solid... but all the more alarming than the sudden temperature difference was the locale; beyond the severe lack of light, all he could see was that black stone surrounded him on all sides, except for the silver bars in front of him...
"Wh-what am I doing in a prison cell!? Who put me in here!?" He shouted, immediately moving forward to the bars. His legs were still a bit sleepy, but carried his sore frame to it.
"Ah, you're awake then!" A gravelly voice greeted him, and his eyes turned to the right, looking down the darkened hall. All he could see was what seemed to be a cloak, and a white, glittering smile in the shadows.
"Who are you? It was you who put me in here, wasn't it!?" Electro growled, moving a hoof to one of his rings, "Let me go, or I'll turn you inside out right here and now."
"Oh, I'd love to release you, believe me, but I'm afraid I've an agenda," the figure answered, smiling.
"Fine, have it your way. I'll break these bars, tear you in half, and leave," with a satisfied grin, Electro took off his rings. A sparkling aura surrounded him as a flood of power rocked his body, eyes shining with a chaotic white that seemed to leak out the edges like flame, "Die."
He willed for the figure's bones to break, an aura surrounding him... but nothing came. No crackle, no crunch, no screaming or moaning... nothing. All the aura did was cast light on the figure's cloak, and the bored look on his face as he checked the nails on his wrinkled hand.
"Is... that all you're going to do? Try and kill me by giving me the world's lightest tan?" He responded to the attempt of brutally murdering him, walking over to the cell door. Electro poured all the power he could into the telekinesis spell, but nothing came of it.
What's this guy made of!? I can't get a grip!!
"Why aren't you dying? Tia broke pretty easily when I grabbed her!" Electro shouted, growling as he forced himself to the limit.
"I'm not sure. You're certainly using a lot of power, if the wrinkles on your face are any indication. Keep trying, I'm sure you'll manage to break one of my nails," He raised his hands and stared at his nails, checking for damage with honest interest. This only served to anger Electro more, who started to feel heat in his head, smoke rising from his whipping mane.
"Die... die! Die!!"
"Mmmm... nope, still haven't broken a nail."
The heat continued to build in Electro's skull, the pain hitting him like racing through a track made of nails and spears, constantly tripping and impaling himself. It grew and grew until his mane burst into flames, the magic cutting out immediately as he started smashing out the fire dancing on his head like a group of ravers during one of his night club shifts.
"Ahhhhh!!!" He screamed, rolling on the ground as his hooves flailed to put out the fire.
"Wow. You tried so hard, you ended up lighting yourself on fire. That's pretty impressive!"
"Shut up and help me!! This hurts!!" Electro glared at him, the flames still growing on his head. He felt the wet heat reaching down to his back, threatening to send his entire body into a lethal inferno.
"Oh, very well. Let's see, do we have any... ah, here we go!" The figure raced off down the hall, soon returning with a bucket full of liquid. Without another thought, he flicked his arms and coated Electro with the stuff, putting out the fire.
"Hoo... thank y- wait, what is this?" He looked over himself, squinting as his eyes finally adjusted to the limited light.
He was covered in a white, salty substance.
"Sorry, couldn't find any other liquid, so I used what was at hand."
"YOU DUMPED SEMEN ON ME!?!?" He roared, now rolling around on the ground. Oh, this is so sick!! Get it off, get it off!!
"Well, I did say there wasn't any other liquid here... um, are you going to stop rolling around soon? I'm kind of on the clock here."
"You can shut the fuck up and clean me off! Do it or I'll kill you!" The stallion roared, earning a sigh in return from the figure.
"Honestly, what do you expect me to do? Conjure up a tidal wave and just rinse you off? Nah, you're not worth the effort," The figure simply crossed his arms and rolled his blue eyes, staring at one of the bars in disinterest. Can't cast magic anyway... who was the last prisoner here? This bar's got a lot of scratches in it. Break out, maybe?
"Then get your sorry ass out of here and get somepony who will! Oh, this is disgusting!" Electro roared as he started grinding his coat on one of the walls. Don't care if this crap gets into my coat... just gotta get rid of the smell!!
"So demanding... haven't you ever heard of the word 'please'? Honestly, you stallions are all the same."
"Who the fuck are you, anyway!? Whadya want from me!?"
"Ahhh, introductions! I do love introductions. Here, let me get really dramatic here... ahem!"
With a gust of freezing wind that made the room's sub-zero temperature feel like a tropical vacation, the light died completely as the figure's voice deepened to that of an earthquake.
"I am He who guides the fallen! He who decides right from wrong! He who has NO EQUAL! I! Am the God of Death! The Grim Reaper!!"
Electro immediately froze, staring at the imposing figure. Oh... h-holy Celestia...
"T-T-The R-R-Reaper...?"
"Yeeees, and He has come to claim YOU!"
"AHHHHH!!!!" Electro screamed, immediately rocketing into the back of the cell, nearly breaking his back in the process. He slinked up against it on his hind hooves, trying to put as much distance between him and the figure beyond his cell. It's him! It's Death! I-It's too soon, I'm too healthy! WHY DOES HE WANT TO CLAIM ME!?
The imposing atmosphere was immediately ruined by a raucous laugh from Reaper as the light finally came back into the room, "Ahhhhhahahahahaa!!! Look at you! I mean... seriously, look at your face! Ohhh, the reactions I get from doing that... it makes acting worth it!"
"W-Wait... you aren't the Reaper!? What the fuck!?"
"Oh, no, I wasn't kidding about that. I really am the Grim Reaper, and I really am here to kill you."
Electro immediately shut up, staring at his supposed assassin.
"Now then, let's see. I suppose I should start with the most obvious stuff... what's your name?"
"E-E-Electro Dubstep..."
"... Seriously? Who were your parents?"
"I... I don't remember. Th-They're dead..."
"Dead parents? Ok. Any siblings?"
"Well... one. M-My little brother, Twister."
"Uh huh... any extended family? Grandparents, cousins?" Reaper put his hands on his hips, listening with interest, and a raised brow.
"N-No..."
"Strange. Magic that couldn't affect me... and no extended family besides a brother. Alright. What's your relationship with the Princesses?"
"T-Tia's my boss... d-dumb bitch sent me to Ponyville to 'make friends'... even forced me with an escort."
"And do you have any friends?"
"No, of course not! I don't need them!" Electro shouted, keeping himself stuck to the wall.
"And what about your job?"
"Disk jockeying around the country... I'm DJ Chemicalz... know me?"
"No," Reaper quirked his mouth, staring blankly at the DJ in front of him, "But just so we're clear, does a disk jockey use all that stuff in Vinyl's living room?"
"What th- did you go in her house?!"
"Well, yeah, I did. Don't worry, I didn't steal anything, I actually left a note for her. Signed by you, too!" Reaper grinned.
"Signed by me? Wh-What was on the note?"
"Oh, well, nothing serious... just that you hate her, and you're never going back to her..."
Electro's eyes widened, staring at the monster, "Wh-What...?"
"Yep! Shattered her heart quite nicely, I must admit. Well, I think I did anyway, didn't have enough time to stick around..." Reaper scratched his chin, trying to think of her reaction, "Did she cry? No, maybe she flew into a rage? Or, um... maybe she was just happy? Heh, that'd be a laugh, just acting so she could get off."
"Shut up! She's not like that!"
"And how do you know that, buddy? You haven't got any friends, and you're supposedly famous. Must have a really blurry line between 'fan' and 'friend'," he shook his head, chuckling, "Ohh, you poor, misguided soul."
"She likes me! I know it!" Electro shouted, pulling himself off the wall. Mustering up as much courage as he could, he slowly walked up to the bars of the cell.
"I dunno. Couple ponies don't really like you..." Reaper watched his every step, hands hanging down at his sides.
"Who? Tell me," Electro glared at the Reaper, "Just who doesn't like me?"
"Oyyy... can I really say names here? I mean, you are gonna die pretty soon. Hmmm..."
"Tell me!!" Electro's magic fired back up, gripping the bars. They easily twisted and buckled under his grip, a few tearing off completely.
"No, I don't think I will," Reaper backed away from the cell, flexing his hands, "But it seems you want to beat the info out of me..."
"No, I'll do much more than that... I'll tear it from you... snap your neck, then go kill those who would dare talk behind my back!" With a roar and a wave of his hoof, the cell door came away completely, crashing into the wall with a mighty crash. Within moments, he was into a full speed charge at his assassin, rage blinding him. I'll smash his skull on the floor after he cries out their names!!
But as soon as he leaped at his killer, his back was on the ground. He moved fast, but he didn't even blink before his throat was snagged from the air, "GUK!"
"Wrong move," Reaper said flatly, staring into Electro's eyes. All manner of amusement was slaughtered as he spoke, going from semi-pleasant to...
Oh holy mother of Celestia...
"Halt, Reaper," a regal voice echoed from further down the hall, and the bone-shattering pressure on Electro's neck lightened up a bit. Reaper turned his head, looking off into the darkness.
"Now's really not the time, boss."
"Now is the time. Just keep him there, and we'll talk this through. I've a few thoughts about what he is..."
"What're- Luna! What the fuck is this!? Get him off me! Now!!" Electro shouted, flailing under the Reaper.
"Keep him down, and if he struggles anymore... silence him," the voice was suddenly deeper, colder...
Reaper grinned, looking back at Electro, "Hear that, boyo? Your death warrant just got signed by the Princess herself. Now, be a good little stallion and Stay. Quiet," the words growled out of his mouth, the grin turning into a scowl, "Unless you want me to tear out your vocal cords..."
Electro relented, blinking up at him before his eyes turned to the advancing figure. Sure enough, the figure was the same size as Luna... but something was different. Is that...?
The clank of armor rang true in his head, and his pupils shrank in terror. I-It's her... it's her! A blue necklace adorned with the full moon came into view, worn by a black neck and chest. His eyes moved up to the head, seeing only a dark blue helmet, a flowing mane of darkness and stars, and the two soul-searing eyes of a dragon...
"Welcome back... Nightmare," Reaper grimaced, staring up at the alicorn.
"I won't be here for long, Reaper. I simply borrowed Luna's body for a time... she's well aware of what's happening, and forwarded me to handle things."
"That so? Can I get a message from her?"
Nightmare nodded, closing her eyes. Soon, her mouth moved to the tune of the younger Princess, "She's right, my servant. I will be released after this task is done."
"... Alright, Nightmare. Welcome to the team."
"The welcome is appreciated, Reaper," Nightmare nodded to him, her green eyes looking down at Electro. She moved up and placed a hoof next to his head, well in his sight, "I've a task for you, criminal."
"I'm not a criminal..." Electro hissed, staring at the armored horseshoe.
"Break my leg," she ordered, hoof flicking towards him a bit.
"Break it? I'll gladly break it!" Electro's eyes snapped shut as he summoned up all the power he could. I'll do more than break it! I'll rip it off along with every limb you've got!!
He opened his searing, white eyes and focused on her, the lightning-blue aura quickly surrounding her. Yet, no matter how much he willed her leg to break, her skeleton to shatter, her head to come off... nothing happened.
"... Just as I thought."
"So he's one of them, huh?" Reaper raised his eyebrow, clicking his tongue, "Now ain't that a sorry state of affairs?"
"Wh-What are you talking about!? Why can't I break her!?" Electro struggled again, only to have the hand around his neck crush down with the force of a Hydra's jaw, silencing him with a sudden gasp for air.
"I thought she said shut it." Reaper let up on the pressure a bit, allowing the stallion a gasping respite.
"He's one of them. An Abomination."
"I thought the term was 'Artificial'?" Reaper raised his eyebrow at Nightmare.
"Abomination, Irregular, Artificial... whichever way you say it, he's the creation of a Scribe."
"Now that's just sad. Ah well, it makes our job easier, doesn't it?"
"Indeed, Reaper. Luna was worried he was a Natural, and would have left a scar on the world had he been taken from it... but it seems that's no longer the case," Nightmare pulled her hoof away and turned her nose up at Electro, looking down at him like some unworthy peasant in her royal presence, "You may kill him."
"What?! N-No! I don't wanna die!!" Electro struggled under the Reaper's grip, hearing the metal clank of his weapon being drawn. Every passing second only created more stress for him, and his flails became stronger and stronger, "Wh-What's gonna happen if I die!? Vinyl'll get angry! Ponies will notice! You two'll be found out!!"
"That's not the way it works, kid. Makes sense though, that you're an Artificial... just means that your story ends here," Reaper chuckled, holding his scythe at the ready, "Nightmare Moon, mind holding him down, please? It's kinda unwieldy to use my scythe at such a close distance."
"Of course, Reaper," She nodded, wrapping Electro in a black aura. He struggled and fought against it, but found his entire system paralyzed. W-Why can't I cancel this!? Every spell cast on me, I could overpower it! What's different now!?
"Alright, lemme just take my aim here..." Reaper grunted, bringing his scythe around behind him. The silver blade glinted in the limited light, a spark of light appearing at its tip before vanishing with the sheen.
"Stop! If I die, ponies will notice! I'm too popular to just go into the dark quietly! There'll be riots! Uprisings! Somepony will find you two and arrest you for this!" Electro found his only ability was speaking, mentally fighting his war against the magic around him.
"Oh, be quiet, stallion. You aren't the first he and I had to end," Nightmare just shook her head, freezing the stallion's jaw as well, "Just end him before I do..."
"Gladly. Well, Electro Dubstep, if you wanna know what'll happen after you die... well, the world'll move on. It'll move on properly, at that."
What the fuck does he mean!? The world's not gonna move on! It'll notice my death!!
"The world's gonna move on by the design set for it by the interactions of thousands of ponies over thousands of generations. Your creation was just an interruption by an overconfident Scribe, and now, me and Nightmare are gonna set things right."
Reaper's grip tightened on the scythe, a familiar twinge of absolute excitement racing through his body, You're excited too, huh Scarlet? Well, let's get a taste of his blood! Ohhh, so excited! He raised the scythe blade to give him a nice slice through Electro's neck, and as he began his swing, Electro heard the last word he'd ever hear shatter the silence of his life flashing before his eyes...
His short, short life... of only a few weeks.
"Sayonara," the cut was quick and clean, barely any blood splattering from the slash. A head rolled from its body as the world shifted, shuddering as everything that had changed returned to normal. Guards patrolled up and down the prison as one or two prisoners decorated the cells, banging their iron cups against the bars. And between Nightmare and Reaper... no corpse was to be found.
"Seems you were right, partner," Reaper nodded, looking up at the black alicorn.
"Of course I am. I always won our arguments, after all," She smirked, raising her brow slightly.
"Only because I let you win. C'mon, let's get the boss back to her throne... I'm pooped."
"Of course. Staying here long?"
"I think I will, honestly. I can get to my next appointment in a day, and I've got another six to waste..." he scratched the back of his head, letting the hood come down. White hair decorated his balding head, wrinkles present all over his face. Two blue eyes stood watch over a smile as the Grim Reaper placed his trusty scythe back on his back.
"Shall we go then?"
"Lead on."
With an exchanged nod, the two Gods passed, unnoticed, by the Guards, and headed back to the throne room. Maybe hanging out here will be more exciting than the occasional supernova... it's not like Law lets the universe go on its own without his eye watching absolutely everything. He can show me the cool explosions later on... for now, time for a break!