The gentle winds of Canterlot played host to the sound of snoring, the sun just barely peeking at the green valley before it, as if still hiding from the ever-observant planet it gave light to. The streets were filled with the quiet wisps of snoring, ponies still curled up in their beds, tangled in their covers, some ponies lucky enough to be in the loving embrace of another as they dreamed their dreams.
But one in particular didn't fit this idyllic scene; a tall figure in a black cloak, standing watch over the city, his ever-perceptive blue eyes seeing beyond the realities that most ponies accepted as truth...
Or at least he would be, if he wasn't being the loudest snorer in Canterlot. Reaper had a bit of a problem when he slept, often repeated in legends across the world that when nightfall came, an earthquake would shatter the land and rend asunder lakes and mountains.
Really, the man just needed to sleep once in a while. It wasn't his fault that his snoring happened to be equal to a natural disaster.
"Mmngh... no, no... Misser Edyuk... no more food..." the Reaper grumbled, rolling onto his side. Miles upon miles of alien foods sprawled out in front of him, a myriad of eye candy. Seriously, I can't eat any of this! It's inedible!
He dropped onto his rear and held his stomach, something in his gut still bloody moving, Why is all this food alive!? I mean seriously, have you not heard the legends of the Ingus Vect, the worm that lives in your stomach and eats everything you eat!? Sick!!
Luckily, he snapped awake before the strange race forced him to eat more, though the queasy feeling of that damned worm moving in his gut stuck around, "Oh, I'm gonna hurl..." he kept his mouth clamped shut, forcing his stomach to get under control; even with all his experiences and crazy adventures, his sensitive stomach was a constant drawback.
"Oyyy... is it morning yet?" His eyes fluttered as they looked around, head following just behind their coordinated movements before settling on the horizon, "Just about. Right, what to do today? I'm a ghost that can't be seen by any other ponies except for Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, and Nightmare Moon," his mouth quirked up at the side in deep thought, wondering what to do, "Haven't got any scheduled appointments here, the only one in danger of dying is about five years off..."
He sighed, "It's times like this that I hate! I'm so bored! Can't bother Luna because she's got work to do, Nightmare Moon is locked up in her head, and Celestia would probably try to kill me. Again," a grimace followed the statement, thinking back to when the Goddess of the Day tried to take him out of the world, "I mean, c'mon, it was one little mistake... I mean, sure, Starswirl died as a result, but it's not that bad! He's still walking! As a ghost."
He stretched out his arms and yawned, and with a grunt of excessive effort, got to his feet. With no clear path set for him, and no bleeding idea what to do with his eternity, he looked around at the city.
As the sun crept up behind him, the light shone on the polished ivory and white stone buildings, a glorious depiction of a blank canvas. Flags, streamers, and clotheslines stretched from building to building, as if it were some modern art piece with tiny dots of color on a primarily white background, speaking of the futility of the soul in a colorless world. The Reaper felt a tear run down his cheek at the beauty of such a message, finding it hard not to break down.
"Wow... such a wonderful painting..." he whispered, wiping his eyes with his sleeve, "The naivete of a pony's soul, trying to bring color to a white, blank, featureless world... yet only managing to bring a tiny stain to the perfect canvas... it's brilliant," he sniffed, lowering his arm, "Brilliant."
He forced himself to escape the ultimate sorrow of Canterlot at sunrise, turning back to the valley below. A massive expanse of green and brown revealed itself, the Sun its crown jewel over a mountain, "It's like everything in this country is some massive painting!" He gawked, the forests below gently swaying in the wind, a moving picture filled with life moving to its own tune. The trees moved like a marching band to the song of the wind, changing tempo and strength in time with the flowing force.
"Ok... enough appraising of Equestria, Reaper. You're gonna be here for the next twenty years if you keep staring," he shook his head and folded his arms, thinking, "Maybe... eh, maybe I'll go to the castle. Long as I stay out of sight, Princess Celestia shouldn't catch on," he smirked and turned to the ivory towers of the monarchy, and with a powerful jump, he launched himself through the air towards the castle. Other thoughts trickled into his mind on the way, however... Well, there are a lot of sleeping ponies around... shouldn't be that bad to have a little fun first, hehehe.
His boss had always chastised his childish behavior...
A pair of eyes fluttered open, finding themselves in the middle of a field, "Where...?" The head rose, looking around the field as the body hefted itself up onto its hooves, worry starting to trickle into the mind, "W-Where am I?"
She looked around the field, seeing nothing but rolling grass. Little hops let her body follow the frantically searching eyes, worry flaring into panic, "W-Where's Cloudsdale!? I'm- I was-!" Her eyes suddenly shot wide and looked up, staring into a massive cloud sitting in the sky. It only took a blink or two before the tears started flowing, a look of tremendous shock cemented on her face, "I was... n-no... no, no, no!"
Her muscles tensed as she stared at the white structure far up in the sky, her wings slowly stretching out. Her teeth clenched together with ever increasing force, a deep, red emotion welling up below her panic, forcing it further and further to the front of her mind, "Rainbow... Rainbow Dash..." the emotions rolled and boiled in her head, her brow slowly furrowing into a look of rage, sadness completely overtaken, "Rainbow Dash... s-she..."
With a roar and a sharp flap of her wings, the ground was pushed away from the furious pegasus, "Rainbow Dash!!"
Like an orange missile, she flew true to her target within seconds, breaking any form of speed barrier she'd ever experienced, wind tearing past her like a torrential wall cleaved asunder by an unstoppable force, every wing beat throwing her faster and faster at the cloud she fell from... with barely any fanfare, she hit the bottom of the cloud and rocketed through it, absolutely nothing capable of slowing her down. Through darkening cloud, thunderhead and solid cloud wall, her speed would not die, her body would not be stopped.
"Rainbow Daaaash!!!! I'm not letting this stop me!!" She screamed as she flew straight through the metal floor of the Weather Factory, tearing through the first floor and heading straight up to the second. Grinding gears and steam blowing from pipes greeted her as she appeared above the dreaded machine. The room still had a few guards around, unaware of her presence... though the sky blue devil was nowhere to be found.
Looking down, she saw only a few remains of what once belonged to her: Hairs from a purple mane, an orange wing... and enough blood to paint the massive grinder below her a deep crimson. The sight brought pain, enough to quell the red mist in her eyes and force the tears to run once more. Why...? Why'd all this happen? I tried, darn it... all those colts and fillies... Aurora... Orion... me.
Her violet eyes remained locked on the grinder, her wing beats slowing to a stop. Her body refused to drop out of the air, simply letting her view the demonic machine from a distance... her ears filled with screams, sounds of gears running, the feeling of a million knives digging into her, tearing her to shreds. Her final moments spent just looking into those magenta eyes, unfeeling, even as blood began to hit her muzzle... before everything fell into darkness. A shiver ran up the pegasus' spine as she thought back to what she said.
"You have beautiful eyes, Rainbow..." she'd said into the picture of rage her hero had become. The face seemed to relent in its fury, body trembling... but instinct ruled over ego as the chains pulled taught, the pegasus closing her eyes as she accepted her fate.
To be honest... it didn't even take that long. I got dropped into the grinder flank first... the pain knocked me out after a few seconds. Didn't even wake up until I hit the ground below. But what do I do now? She thought, looking up from the machine at the guards. Three of them were definitely looking in her direction, but they paid no attention to the floating pegasus, simply keeping watch on the catwalk behind her.
"I told her what I thought... and her answer..." she bit her lip as her eyes fell again.
"Coming from you... that's an insult," the filly had received as a response from her hero, before her lower torso was twisted right round, her skeleton shattering under the force. Her ribs tore out through her chest, her spine was split in two, and her mind was filled with red and blue. The red of pure agony as her body stopped communicating with her brain, and the blue of sadness linked to her coming fate... the gears began turning, the engines started rumbling... and those magenta eyes watched every second of her death.
"See ya, Scootaloo... you failure," were the last words she'd heard before passing on.
Didn't even have the sense to say an emotional goodbye, huh Dash? Scootaloo thought to herself, looking over her body. Her coat had died to a ghastly white, her mane a barely-tinged silver. Her wings had a ghostly quality to them, see-through with an ocean blue tint... wings she'd spent the last few years training to where she could fly. Flight that her hero taught her...
"As if I could really call her my hero now," she shook her head, looking down at the grinder. Every year, that evil machine would chew up hundreds of pegasi, providing rainbows for everypony... what a price to pay for a pretty picture in the sky, Looking at it now... the lives that pay for the rainbows Equestria takes for granted... makes me just want to tear down the whole system, destroy all this 'precious' Spectra... just stop more pegasi from dying. As if the Flock is worth dying for like this.
With a mere shake of her head, and the flow of tears starting again, her wings took her away from the factory, away from Cloudsdale... just carrying her on to the horizon, untiring, unwilling to stop from carrying their precious payload to wherever she was headed.
Her friends... her family... nothing held a chain to her anymore. Not when she was just a ghost...
Screams suddenly rocked a household in Canterlot, as a cloaked man walked out the front door, idly munching on some popcorn, "Well, that was fun..." he said to himself, calmly strolling up the street.
"The Reaper's come, everypony!! Run!! It's the promised time!! Everypony's going to die!!!" A stallion screamed, random things falling to the floor and breaking in the household, the Reaper smirking to himself at another prank well done.
"I've gotta use the undead pegasus disguise more. That was fun!" He grinned to himself, shoveling more popcorn into his mouth, "Man, this stuff's good! Should bring a tub along to Seris..."
With every crunch of the delicious foodstuff, he carried on on his path to the next house, eyes coasting around to find another deliciously-vulnerable target, "Ahhh, it's good to be a God sometimes... it's so cruel messing with the ponies like this, but it's so fun! Besides, no one's at risk of a heart attack, or stroke, or blood disease, or an alien race hitting the planet. Who else, who else...? Already pranked five houses." Reaper looked over his shoulder at the sound of two sprinting ponies running off down the street, screaming about the coming Apocalypse, "Ehhh... if I prank any more ponies, I'm gonna inspire some sacrificial cult trying to please the Gods. Heh, as if the Princesses need ponies killing themselves to please them."
With a shrug, his eyes turned back to the castle, "Guess I'll go bug the Boss, see what goes on at the castle. Been a while since I attended Day Court... wonder what the nobles'll think, having that familiar chill run down their spines?" He chuckled deviously as he walked on down the street, ready to prank somepony of a higher heritage... just to inspire that same base instinct that makes everypony similar.
Far off in the sky, a lonely pegasus drew a line through clouds and air without a single disturbance, her head hung low, heavy with her thoughts, "Where am I gonna go now...?" She stopped on her path, staring down at the fields below. She looked around, simply appraising the world for what it was now to her; a massive isolation cell... so much space, yet so little for her to stick around for. I'm still stuck here, though... well, maybe I could go check on Apple Bloom. It's been years since I saw her. She smiled a bit, changing course for her old home town, and a few flaps of her wings sent her on her way.
Being a ghost actually... isn't that bad, is it? Maybe I can still talk to them. And flying's easier than ever now! Besides... with Orion dead, it's not like I was gonna stick around in Cloudsdale for long anyway. Wonder if he's a ghost, like me? Wandering around the sky... maybe when somepony comes to take me away to the afterlife, I'll meet him. She sighed, eyes barely focused on the town closing in, wind whistling past her as she tore through the sky, That's for later, though. Right now, I just wanna check on Bloom... hope she's still living at the farm!
With a quick flap of her wings, she darted towards the familiar farm, feeling the gentle tug of an ethereal wind on her body as she moved through the air. A wondrous feeling, filled with the joy of flight... Even as a ghost, flying's still fun... c'mon, Scootaloo, be positive! There're worse fates after death than being a ghost! With a quick smirk, she watched her target close in. The barn roof quickly closed the gap with her, and another flap of her wings granted her a gentle landing on it. Her eyes moved over the empty field, raising an eyebrow, Weird... isn't Applejack usually out here with Big Macintosh, tending the farm? She poked her head down through the roof of the barn, looking around.
"Hehehe... wow, this is a weird way to see the world." She grinned, thankful to not have that sickening rush of blood to her head; being dead had its perks, however few. Though no adolescent mare revealed herself, despite her search. Scootaloo's brow fell as she pulled it from the roof of the barn, looking around at the orchard; was it really becoming Fall that quickly? "Heh... not quite as good as Whitetail Woods during the Running, but it's... very, very nice." She smiled at the sight of the oranges, yellows, and the tiny hints of green in the multitude of trees. The colors all ran together in a stream of evenly transitioning colors, from a deep orange on the West to a vibrant green on the East; a rainbow drawn to Fall's design.
"Been so long since I saw Ponyville... wish I'd just come back after that botched test." She shook her head and sighed. Her eyes drifted over to the house that kept her friend's family safe during the harsh seasons, one of the upper floor windows left open. "That's... Apple Bloom's bedroom. Wonder if..." Her wings opened and flapped, carrying her over to the window on instinct. As she drew closer, two voices become apparent to her.
"Y'all sure y' wanna do this?"
"Yeah, I'm sure, Mac! Today's when she takes her exam, so Ah wanna make sure she has the best luck Ah can wish her!"
... Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom? My exam was hours ago... Scootaloo propped her chin on the window sill, simply floating there with her wings closed.
Apple Bloom, now a well-grown mare, sat down next to her bed, her considerably larger big brother taking a seat with her. They both placed their forelegs on the bed, putting their hooves together. "Alright, just repeat af'er me."
"Ok, Mac." She nodded, closing her eyes.
"Alright, lessee..." Big Mac mumbled, "Scootaloo, right?"
"Yeah." Apple Bloom fidgeted a bit, rubbing her hooves together.
"Alright. Oh Celestia, Princess of the Day..."
"Oh Celestia, Princess of th' Day," Apple Bloom took a breath, Feels kinda weird... c'mon, this is for Scootaloo.
"Please, take our friend Scootaloo..."
"Please, take our friend Scootaloo."
"Under your golden wing, an' protect her on her way."
"Under your golden wing, an' protect her on her way."
"We pray for Scootaloo's good luck."
"We pray for Scootaloo's good luck..."
"With all our spirit, and from the bottom a' our hearts."
"With all our spirit, and from the bottom a' our hearts..."
Scootaloo blinked, simply staring at the display before her, Are they... praying for me?
"So please, guide our friend Scootaloo."
"So please, guide our friend Scootaloo." Apple Bloom adjusted herself again.
"As she walks the road all good ponies should."
"As she walks the road all good ponies should."
"An' strives for her dreams."
"An' strives for her dreams..."
Big Mac let out a short sigh, smiling, "Ahh, now that's an ol' prayer Grann' Smith taught me when Ah was a colt."
"Did she teach Ma an' Pa, too?"
"Yep. Prayed whenever one o' our friends was off doin' something they really wanted to succeed at." Mac grinned, patting his little sister on the head, "You're pretty good."
"Thanks!" She grinned back, "So, when do ya think AJ's comin' back?"
"Big thing over in Manehatten, so yer sis is gon' be awhile longer. She'll be home soon though, jus' like Scootaloo."
"Ah hope so... Ah miss 'em both." Apple Bloom frowned slightly, turning back to her bed. She took her mane in a hoof, looking at the bow at the end, a sight Scootaloo widened her eyes at.
Th-That's her old cape...! But, we all got our Cutie Marks... Scootaloo looked down at her flank, seeing a faint image of her old Mark; a purple lightning bolt struck down two small wings, her ability to fly despite having smaller wings than most other pegasi. Heh... my talent is just flying... so normal compared to everypony else, like Sweetie Belle and her singing, or Apple Bloom and the magic she works with a hammer and nails... I've just got flying. She smiled softly before turning back to the bedroom, staring at her friend. "Princess Celestia, huh... well, it's worth a shot. Maybe she can help?"
With a nod, and a flap of her wings, she took off from the window, unknowing of the surprised look on her friend's face as she saw a flare of purple and orange take off on the wind...
"What do you mean 'the Guard has fallen off standards'!?" A white stallion wearing the crest of a Captain shouted across the circular table, sitting in one of the upper floors of the castle's main tower. A glorious view of the valley from the crystal vista window, but the offer seemed to fall on deaf ears as an argument rocked the ivory-stoned room.
"I mean exactly that, Captain Shining Armor. And I would prefer it if you didn't raise your voice at me." The white alicorn answered back, staring into the eyes of her now-completely-enraged commander, "The Royal Guard has been performing at a lesser and lesser quality over the years."
"All those mistakes were of no cause in my ranks! I've dealt with the Lieutenants handing my orders down already!" Armor grimaced, "I don't see why it comes back to my ground soldiers!"
"I'm not suggesting it's their fault, but somepony in the chain is passing off false intelligence. Your investigation in Cloudsdale has consistently turned up false alerts, despite the constant 'threats' that your officers keep finding. I want the investigation called off, and for the Solar Guard to be put under review."
"Princess, this is crazy! I trust my soldiers, and I know the intel is right! Something's going on in that city! We just need a few more days to-"
"You will cease this investigation, or I will, Captain. And I do not wish to raise a hoof against Equestria's finest." Celestia turned around to the vista window, staring outside to the massive conglomeration of clouds in the distance, the center of much controversy in the Guard. Two weeks have been spent on this silly investigation, and the Cloudsdale Weather Corporation has been very cooperative... there's nothing going on up there, so why do we keep getting notified every time a pony sneezes?
"Princess Luna, please, reconsider!" Armor pleaded, feeling his argument slipping.
Luna simply sighed, shaking her head, "We are sorry, Captain... the investigation will be called off, and Captain Night Splitter will carry out the review with you. I'm sure you will quickly find the crack in the chain..." she nodded to Armor as the aggression in his expression slipped away, "Good luck, sir."
"... Might I... be excused, Your Highness?" Armor looked down at the ground, brow furrowed slightly.
"You are dismissed, Captain. I want this review started within twenty four hours." With the cold words from Celestia, Armor bowed and walked out, the doors slamming shut behind him in a last exclamation of his anger. "That stallion is just getting more and more angry as the days go by... claims of colts and fillies disappearing in Cloudsdale..."
"Sister, he doesn't care for the 'Flock' and its practice of banishing those who fail their school system's exit exam. And we have tried to turn things around... but to no avail." Luna sighed, looking over to the cloaked figure leaning on the wall.
"I'm aware, little sister... but they gave us the banishment location, and adolescent pegasi have arrived to queue and quota at that location. They are under constant watch of the Guard, and constantly considered for the Thunder unit under Captain Bastion's watch." Celestia raised her brow slightly, eyes moving down from the massive cloud city to the valley below, as if perceiving something closer to the Drake Ocean... Earthbound Camp stood at the coast, containing the pegasi who failed that dreaded exam. Though they weren't allowed to serve in any weather-associated occupation, many found solace in serving the military as air force troopers, some even ascending to the Thunder division in the force, the elite flyers in the Guard.
"We know, Sister... but it still bothers us. If there is nothing to be done, however... we would like to return to our quarters."
"Of course, Luna. I wouldn't dare keep you up... have a pleasant rest."
"We wish you the same, Sister." Luna nodded to the Princess and walked to the door, the cloaked figure moving in time with her. The figure cast a last glance over his shoulder at the alicorn standing at the window, glaring just slightly as he made sure she didn't notice him.
As the two walked down the hall, soldiers parted and saluted the Princess of the Night as she made her way through the excessively plush and beautiful ivory halls of the castle, moving up the tower. Golden rays of the noon sun leaked in through the tall windows, stained glass murals of heroes and heroins who served with the Guard, in the scientific community, and even well-known civilians recognized for their incredible contributions to society, such as the discovery of precision industrial-cut cloud from Cloudsdale engineer Diamond Edge, or the excessive contributions to medicine and the regeneration of pony flesh from reknowned doctor and Canterlotian 'miracle worker', Shining Mind.
"Place just doesn't change, does it?" The figure mumbled, looking at the numerous murals and displays, lit in a number of colors by the Sun above.
"No... no it doesn't, Reaper. And this is a pleasant thing," Luna spoke as she looked over to him, "But that's not what we're here for, is it?"
"You think those murders are real, hm?" Reaper raised an eyebrow, taking his hood off to reveal his silver hair and beard, looking into his boss' eyes.
"I do."
"Hm... well, I'm not one to argue with you, but Scarlet hasn't noted any deaths recently. Did you get a feeling for one?"
"I didn't... but if we look, I'm sure we can find a wandering soul quite easily. I'm just worried we will actually find one... I pray these accusations are simply false, and that the review will reveal the liar..." Luna sighed, looking up the red velvet staircase leading to the top of the tower, her pace slow and labored.
"I've got a constant eye on Canterlot, but I haven't seen or felt any ghosts. How're we even gonna find one? I take the souls I find with me, and you don't have a Scythe." Reaper grimaced, folding his arms as he turned to his thoughts, Just how're we gonna find a lost soul...?
"Well, once a soul falls under your view, you can find it, can't you?"
"If I have a direct line of sight, or they're near me, sure. Just takes some focus." Reaper nodded, looking to the Princess.
"Then I want you to sit up on the balcony and look. It will give you the best view, and more importantly, a view of Cloudsdale. Just search and see if you can find some souls." Luna rose her voice a touch at the end, nodding as her eyes turned back to the stairs.
"Roger... though, if any deaths did occur... might have another pony on my hit list," Reaper grumbled, Scarlet twitching in respone. A smile hit his face for a moment, but quickly faded as Luna turned to him.
"Alright, we're here. Reaper, I don't want you to do anything rash."
"Death is my business, Your Highness. Has been for a long time, and I only take those who deserve it."
The two Gods reached the top of the stairs, and at the end of a short walk over royal purple carpeting, sat the two doors leading to either Princess' bedroom chambers. One was a stark white with a golden sun emblazoned on it, thick with steel to keep out all those with magic weaker than those who served in the Guard, while the other was a dark blue, a white moon etched into its surface. Luna walked on and pushed the doors open, entering her bed chambers while Reaper stayed outside, hands in his sleeves.
Luna looked over her shoulder, blinking at her servant, "Er... Reaper, what are you doing?"
"Being polite. A man shouldn't enter another's bedroom without permission, after all. That, or I've taken too many honored souls to the afterlife to really tell the difference in conducts..." Reaper grimaced a bit at his pose, reminded too much of a certain blue planet's overly honorable population.
"Ah... very well. You may enter the royal bed chambers of the Princess of the Night, Luna." Luna smiled, expression suggesting 'is that good enough for you?'
"Very much obliged, Princess." Reaper replied in equal mock appreciation, shaking his head with a smile as he walked in, "I'm gonna get to work then."
"Please do. I shall be sleeping, so I would prefer not to be disturbed."
"Don't worry. I'm the universe's sneakiest guy." Reaper shrugged as he walked through the doors leading to the balcony, Luna staring at his back with wide-eyed distress.
"He's... he's kidding, obviously." She blinked, trying to reassure herself before moving over to the plush bed and stepping onto it. She kneaded the surface with her hooves for a little bit before nodding, an appraising raise of the brow and quirk of the mouth decorating her face. She then immediately crashed onto the bed and fell asleep; not even the notion of a God of Death creeping about was going to keep her from Dreamland...
The trip was pleasantly short for the pegasus now screaming through the streets of Canterlot, flying low enough to charge through the passersby on the street, enjoying her new freedom. "Woo! Ok, being able to go through other ponies while flying!? That's awesome!" She grinned, elated at her freedom of movement, despite the ever-constant thought of her condition in the back of her mind. She felt a twinge of worry echo through her as the thought came up, but the sight of the quickly approaching castle quickly grappled the thought and put it down. "Alright, time to visit Princess Celestia!"
She gave her wings a hard flap and landed in front of the massive gates, a confused look on her face. There was something missing to her plan... Umm... found out I'm dead... visited Apple Bloom... heard that prayer, came here... what am I gonna ask her? She raised an eyebrow and tapped her chin, hoof occasionally passing through to her throat. She gulped every time she felt the edge of the hoof pass through to her spine, Woah, that's a weird feeling... kinda like clogging your windpipe! She quickly placed her hoof back on the ground, pondering on what she was going to say to the Princess.
Would she even know how to deal with a dead pony? Nah, she's really tough. Lived for a thousand years! I can depend on her... I know it. Scootaloo furrowed her brow, looking up at the massive gates... the gates that would lead to her freedom, and to getting her life back. Ok, Your Highness... I need you more than ever now... steeling her mind, she took a step forward... then another, each one a heavy, weighted labor towards the light at the end of her short, dark tunnel. Her eyes fixed on the elegant, massive doors to the main hall of the castle, soldiers walking on their typical patrols.
The gleam of gold only caught the corner of her eyes, the shine of steel a short glimmer on her singular road, mere stars ignored as she walked toward the Sun. She walked through the main doors, the massive ivory and metal incapable of slowing her down, as her eyes rose up the velvet staircase. Though the sight that met her was not of the holy Princess of the Day... nor the hallowed Princess of the Night... but a being she'd never even seen before.
His cloak drifted on an invisible wind, hood concealing his face. His stature easily towered over the adolescent mare's, and her eyes widened slightly at the chill running down her spine. Who... is this guy? And w-why do I feel so scared?
"... Hello, little pony," the cloaked figure said with a light tone, white smile glinting in the darkness that concealed his features.
"Hi... w-who are you?" Scootaloo took a step back to the door, eyes locked on the mysterious figure, Something's wrong here... I feel heavy...
"A friend... saw you flying into the city, thought I'd come greet you." He took a few steps down the velvet stairs, the light around him surrendering to the weight of the air around him. Scootaloo continued backing away, trying to keep a distance between her and the approaching ghost.
"H-How do I know that? The g-greeting's nice, but..."
"You've got nothing to worry about, kid." The smile widened into a grin as he took his hood off, "I had to play the mysterious guy, at least for a bit."
"That's... not reassuring." Her brow fell, examining the face of the mysterious figure. "You sure don't look like a pony..."
The grin fell to a mocking smirk, blue eyes burrowing into her own violet orbs, "Well! Look at the eyes on this pony! You're right, I'm not a pony."
"Well, then what are you?" Scootaloo's rump hit the door, and she lowered herself into a charge, wings spreading. The figure stopped his advance, smirk descending into a neutral scowl, eyebrow rising.
"Listen, kid, I'm not here to fight. We're supposed to introduce ourselves before a real discussion, right?" The figure gestured with his hands in an apologetic motion, bowing slightly.
"Yeah... a stallion's supposed to introduce himself before asking a mare. If you wanna do an intro right..."
"Then I gotta follow the rules. Haven't got a name to share though, little missy, but I've got a title that works as well." His mouth spread into that same grin as he bowed fully to her, hand behind his back, "Title's Grim Reaper, Lord of Souls and God of Death. You can call me Reaper, though... realize the title's a bit long."
Scootaloo's eyes shot wide at the mention, feeling her chest pound with a heart beat, despite the lack of her eternal engine, "R-R-Reaper!?" Her eyes quickly whipped around, seeing a multitude of guards marching around on their typical patrol, some walking right by the self-proclaimed Lord of Death. She gulped, a scream getting tied up in her throat as paralyzing fear overcame her... P-P-P-Princess...
Reaper stood back up, folding his arms as he appraised the now-trembling mare before him, her entire form seeming to shake itself to pieces in his presence. "Sheesh, you're a scared little filly, aren't ya?"
"I-I-I'm not s-scared! I-I c-can't be! I've... I've got too much to do with my life!" The mare forced her strength back up as much as she could, but couldn't fight back the shivering in her knees. The guards continued on, ignorant of the discussion happening right there in front of them... no help could be expected, or even prayed for. "I'm n-n-not ready t-to go yet!"
"That so...? But I've gotta take the dead with me to the afterlife. What've you got to do that's so special, kid?" Reaper raised his eyebrow, not moving from his place in the center of the hall.
"M-My name's not 'kid'! It's Scootaloo!" She took a deep breath, trying to quell the bombs going off in her chest, the piston that refused to quiet down as she focused on the strange ghost's face. Their eyes stared into each other, two with a simple look of neutrality, while the other two were filled with indignant rebellion, a fierce aggression towards the spirit of Death. "I'm not going yet..."
Reaper smirked, softening his gaze, "I don't plan to take you away that quick. But I can see you've got a story, kid..."
"Yeah, I do... but I'm not sharing it with you. Where's... w-where're the Princesses?"
"Celestia and Luna...?"
"Yeah. You... you better not've done anything to them!" Scootaloo bared her teeth, prepping her charge again... only to be answered by a hard laugh, Reaper putting a hand to his forehead as he guffawed.
"Do anything to them!? You have any idea what Princess Luna would do to me if I tried killing either of them? Trust me, Nightmare Moon's the tip of the iceberg in that situation!" He held his chest as he continued laughing, a heavy laugh that seemed to deafen the room.
"Ok, ok! Stop yelling! J-Just tell me where they are, creep!" She put a hoof to her ringing ear, grimacing.
"Right, right... sorry." Reaper smiled, folding his arms again, "Celestia's up in the board room right now... but you can't see her."
"Why not?"
"Because she can't see you, kiddo." Reaper sighed, "The Princess of the Day can't see ghosts like you or I can."
"W-Whadya mean?"
"I mean you're outta luck. Only one you'll be talking to is me." Reaper quirked his mouth, staring at her with an expression that seemed to suggest 'You seriously expected something else?', his raised eyebrow topping it all off.
A feeling of ice speeding through her veins dropped Scootaloo's rump to the floor, eyes wide in shock. Her lip quivered as her lungs froze solid, heart stopping as her ears drooped. The whole world fell silent to her at the finality of the phrase, as if sharing a moment of silence for her loss... a deafening moment that stretched to an eternity. There were perks to being dead...
But apparently, coming back to life wasn't one of them...
"But... b-b-but... h-how do I g-get my body back, then...? I-I..." Scootaloo barely managed a whimper, heart tearing itself apart as the reality came down on her. I t-thought the Princess... I t-thought she could help... darn i-it, Scootaloo! She sniffled, eyes falling to the floor, "I-I don't... w-wanna be dead..."
"... Don't wanna be dead, huh?" Reaper sighed, walking over to the crushed pony, and kneeled down in front of her. She didn't dare raise her head to him, forcing her tears back; she didn't shed a tear as she stared into that devil's eyes... didn't crack as her ribs shattered... didn't relent as she was devoured by that evil machine. She hadn't cried since she was a little filly...
I'm not... g-gonna break down... in front of this ghost...! Scootaloo clenched her teeth, eyes slammed shut, but the sheer weight of everything pulled harder and harder on her chest... E-Even if... I can't f-fly in Cloudsdale anymore. C-Can't see Orion anymore... or Apple Bloom, or Sweetie Belle... o-or even Babs. I'm not gonna... b-break down in front of him! She sniffled again, every instinct begging her to give into her emotions.
"Kid, look at me."
A hand gently cupped her chin, but her head stayed resolute in its position, despite its gentle presses against her chin. "N-No... just... i-if I'm... d-dead, th-then I don't wanna pass on. Just l-let me roam..." she whispered, barely able to get the words past her unsteady mouth.
"You didn't die the way you were supposed to."
"Wh... what?" Scootaloo blinked, eyes still locked on the floor. The surprise didn't last long as her eyes squinted, then closed again, "Well, so what if I didn't...? Doesn't change t-the fact that I'm dead." Her heart continued sinking into its black pit, the corners of her eyes starting to feel damp.
"I'm saying that the one responsible isn't going to be able to get away with this." Reaper pulled on her chin, Scootaloo finally surrendering to the movement, and the two pairs of eyes met. "Just gotta talk to me, kid. I may be the Grim Reaper, but that doesn't mean I have to be cold."
"But... w-what can you do?" Scootaloo nearly squeaked out the words, simply feeling the need to curl up into a ball, her emotions a torrential storm on the shore of her mind, tearing away the beach with wave after wave of crushing water.
Reaper smirked at the eyes searching his own, "I've dealt with cases like you. Just tell me your story, and I'll see what I can do about it."
"W-Why, though?"
"Well, call me a sucker for being the big hero. But honestly, seeing a soul pass on before their time? It feels like a waste of life and talent. I help out whenever I can, but I can't get all the killers out there. Doesn't mean I can't get yours." Reaper's brow fell, a serious look gracing his usually-jovial expression. When work calls, can't do much beyond answering it...
Scootaloo blinked, searching the blue eyes in front of her for any notion of a lie. The look never faltered in its cold stare, the oceans seeming to draw her into an icy sea, threatening to drown her... "If... y-you are telling the truth, right?"
"Kid, I haven't got any reason to lie. May be a Reaper, but I'm a man of my word."
"Well... c-can we at least see one of the Princesses...?"
"Princess Luna is asleep... but she'll wanna see this. C'mon." Reaper rose to his feet and walked towards the steps, Scarlet clanking on his back. The gleaming steel reflected Scootaloo's face, as if marking a target for an occasion down the road... but the mare followed, despite it.
The landscape stretched dark and barren under the pale moon, casting light down on the sand below. A sole figure walked the sands towards the horizon, unsure of what lied beyond it...
How long have I been walking in this desert? The figure pondered, a dust cloud kicked up in front of her by a mischievous wind, wanting to make her progress just a little more difficult; it was a trained skill that she didn't speak to herself there, lest she breathe in that suffocating sand. The wind gently played in her mane as her thoughts carried on...
Started dreaming of this place when I first became Princess... after Discord surrendered the throne to us. It was a difficult battle... surprised that Celestia actually survived it. There are drawbacks to not being born of Law. She sighed, a quick flick of her horn weaving a bandanna from the air, tying across her muzzle; even breathing was difficult without some kind of cover. Why though? Can't just be an interesting place my sub-conscious built, could it?
She whined, Fourteen hundred years, and I've had this dream, or some variation of it, every time I fell asleep! Wonder if somepony could enter my dreams, help me figure this out... though, maybe I'm just being overly cautious. At least it's easy to think here. A light smirk grew on her face, the deep blue bandanna hiding it behind the thin fabric. Her eyes squinted in the face of a hot wind, though only her muzzle felt the warmth. This is new... The wind blew again, following a pattern; each time the heat passed across her face, a chill would move back through her mane and behind her ears.
Wait... there's a sound to this... is-
Her eyes snapped open in the real world, staring into the familiar face of her cloaked servant. "Hi boss!"
"Wah!!!" She leapt out of her bed and slammed into the ceiling in shock, leaving a good dent from how hard she flapped her wings. "Reaper!? D-Don't do that! This is highly inappropriate!"
Reaper grinned, letting out a raspy laugh, "Sorry, but I had to have a little bit of fun! Look at your face, seriously!"
"Hehehe, yeah! Oh, um, s-sorry, Princess Luna... I tried to tell him not to!"
Luna rubbed her spine, brow furrowing at the new voice, "Wait, who is this with you, Reaper?"
"Someone who wants to see you, Your Highness." Reaper got up and moved away from the bed, preferring to let the wall hold him up in a lean. Luna groaned a bit and looked over, moving her hoof from her spine to rub her eyes; cursed drowsy haze! She blinked a few times to get the last of it out, staring at the mare sitting in the middle of the room.
"Reaper, don't ever do that again," Luna hissed, squinting her eyes slightly to focus on the new arrival.
"Sorry, sorry, boss... can't scare you any other way, though." Reaper quirked his mouth, "Seriously, you're impossible to scare."
"That doesn't mean you get to come in here and... wait." Luna tilted her head slightly, staring at the purple mane over the violet eyes, the orange coat and wings, memories welling up. "I saw you... Nightmare Night in Ponyville, quite a long time ago." Her eyes scanned the mare, seeing her elegant dresser through the orange coat, and her heart sank... "Oh dear..."
"If you mean the see-through thing... yeah. I... I came to ask for help." Scootaloo shifted her stance a bit, eyes on the ground. She lowered herself into a bow and cleared her throat, "I mean, um... I humbly request help from you, Your Highness."
"There's no need for such formality, my little pony. Those who have passed on are family to me, so please, call me Luna." The Princess adjusted herself on her bed, cricking her spine back into place, Hit the ceiling a bit harder than I thought... ouch.
"I-I couldn't, Your Highness."
"Please. The Flock made itself a sovereign state three years ago. You don't need to address me as Princess anymore... though it is a kind gesture."
"But..."
"I won't throw you in the dungeon or anything, so worry not." Luna offered a gentle smile, "You may raise your head."
"Thank you." Scootaloo sat down, looking over at her, "Are you able to help me though, Prin- er... Luna?"
Luna's smile faded, looking over at Reaper, simply returning her neutral look with a scowl. Scootaloo looked between them, the exchange of expressions pulling down on her as Luna turned back. The fallen look in her eye just pulled Scootaloo down further, view falling to the floor just in front of her hooves... the weight of the world sat heavy on her shoulders as she felt her eyes well up again.
"I'm... sorry, my little pony. The fact that you're wandering around like this means it is too late..." Luna shook her head, a morose expression befalling her face as she fought to keep her eyes on the mare.
"Wh-Whadya mean... too late?"
"I mean... well, even my necromancy couldn't bring you back. Look at yourself, little one."
Scootaloo scanned her body half-heartedly, already knowing there was no way out of the situation she was in. May as well... she thought to herself, and after a few seconds of searching, she looked back up at the Princess. "Was I supposed to... find anything?"
"Yes, you were. The remnants of chains."
"Chains?" Scootaloo raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Why would I be looking for chains?"
Reaper simply scoffed, smirking. Scootaloo turned her eyes to him at the sound, nearly glaring, "What's so funny, big man?"
"Ah, nothing. Don't these kids know anything, Princess?" Reaper smirked, the Princess merely holding her eyes on Scootaloo.
"Necromancy, and the associated practices, were banned six hundred years ago. Such a notion that she would know about the Chains is insane..."
"I suppose it's for the best."
"Wait, what're you talking about? Necromancy is about bringing dead ponies back to life, right? What's wrong with knowing that?" Scootaloo raised her eyebrow in honest curiosity, looking back and forth between the two beings with her, "Heh... i-it's not like you can kill me over it..."
"We wouldn't consider the option, little one. But it is privileged knowledge... something we can be certain you will not use. But the point here is that these chain remnants are not present on your body..." Luna tapped her chin in thought, turning her eyes to the deep blue, velvet sheets, "What happened to your body? Tell us."
Scootaloo blinked, at first in surprise, then slowly into disbelief. The fact that her death was irreversible threatened to break her, but sharing how she died? She quivered, shockwaves traveling through her like earthquakes, outwardly imperceptible, but every wave rattled her insides like a child's toy in the hooves of a giant. Her breaths reduced to raspy, shaking hisses as her mind locked. T-Talk... about my death...? B-But, what if they don't believe me? I'm- I'm blaming Rainbow Dash for this...
She bit her lip, trying to use the pain to cripple her sadness, but the bastions of her mind fell in the storm... she couldn't hold, feeling the familiar pressure of tears in her eyes as they turned to the ground, the shivers becoming shattering shakes. The shining blue floor below her offered nothing but the disgraceful reflection of herself, wracked with sorrow and apprehension. The sight made her feel sick... I look so sad... so hurt... s-s-she deserves it... she killed me... s-she killed me for the sake of putting more rainbows in the sky...!
The hoof placed on her shoulder took her by complete surprise, Is... t-that hoof real? It feels like I h-have a body again... she could barely comprehend the notion as she was pulled into a gentle hug, her reflection dying to a sea of soft, blue fur. The warmth passed through her, the previous cold of death vanishing as she felt her body warm up, degree by degree... simply surrendering to the embrace.
"It's alright, little one..." she heard the sea whisper, her own emotions going to war against each other. She felt anger swell like a volcano in her stomach, sadness drown everything around her, shock paralyze her mind... the Chaos within her simply burning her defenses to the ground as she felt tears fall from her eyes. "Let it out..."
The last of the walls crumbled, and the mare descended into a pained wail, quickly wrapping her forelegs around whatever they could in a tight hug. The sea tightened its grasp around her as she simply screamed into it, years of failure all crashing on the shore of her mind in one terrible tsunami. Her body shivered with each cry, sobs broken with wracked breaths as she tried to take in enough air, only to have it cut off by another crash of her emotion... not a word passed through her mind, simply wanting to let everything out of her heart. All the weight of her past failures, all the depression that Orion had helped her endure... the sheer, paralyzing sorrow of that sky blue demon, the last thing she saw before death took her away from the world...
Away from her friends, away from her love, away from all her hopes and dreams... they say the road of life is long and filled with potholes, but what kills a pony is the drop at the end. Everything came back to a single realization for the poor filly, gently floating in the blue, warm sea...
It was the end of the line... she would never achieve anything again.
The realization just brought more pain to her screams, the sea taking every agonizing scream she could give, every single chaotic thought, every last bit of her pain... she simply let it all go.
Reaper averted his eyes, deciding that the wall was more appropriate to look at while the poor mare broke down. No one should ever be like this after death... no one should ever have a reason to be. I already knew she was gone before her time, but this is just... he placed his hand over his heart, grimacing, Listening to her cry like that? Don't think I've felt pain like this in millenia...
Luna simply held the shuddering emotional wreck in her hug, chin in the purple forest of a mane. Her chest felt drenched from the rivers of tears, but she held strong against the tide. She will share her tale with us when she is ready... but for now, we must be her guard. She gently nuzzled the mane as the cries continued, simply trying to provide some comfort as her ears fell, trying to protect her own heart from the pained sobs. Her hooves gently stroked Scootaloo, trying to show as much motherly care as she could, praying that it would be enough to hold her together.
Finally, after what felt like hours of simply drowning in the warmth before her, Scootaloo's tears dried up. An anvil hung from her chest, forelegs still clamped around what she tried to hug, but her sobs fell into simple, quiet breaths. I feel like a filly again... just can't get more tears out...
"Are you alright, little one?" The ocean whispered to her ear, the dark helping to ease her tensions.
Mom... she thought, eyes barely open to just watch the fur before her, ear close enough to hear a gentle heartbeat. Her own tide slowed to a gentle ebb and flow, her breaths coming longer and more stable. "I'm... my name is Scootaloo."
"Scootaloo, my apologies... do you feel better?"
"Yeah... a bit. I still feel really heavy, but I've cried all I can..." her hooves wrapped just a little bit tighter around the warmth before her, resting her head on it. She didn't let the blue out of her sight, not wanting to come back to reality just yet.
"Do you need more time?"
"No. I can speak... just... can I ask a favor?"
"Of course, Scootaloo."
"D-Don't... don't l-let me go..."
"I will stay here as long as you need me..." The warmth filled her as the words fell into her mind on a breeze, surrounded her as if she were resting on a cloud under the summer sun... and as she thought back to one such day, the laughs of her friends around her, a smile grew on her face... strength leaked back into her as she took a deep breath, letting the safety of the space in front of her take away her worries.
"Thank you." She gulped, focusing, "The way I died... it's not the usual way. I didn't mess up my flying... or crash into anything... I..." she paused, mind starting to lock up again, I have to explain. I have to! I c-can't let Rainbow Dash get away with this... I can't let her get away with killing me! She... s-she... She felt her body starting to shiver again with the thoughts, cold spreading through her, No! She n-needs... s-she needs...
"H-Help..." the word tumbled out of her mouth on a path of gravel, raspy and weak, "S-She... n-needs help..."
"Who needs help?"
"R... R-R... Ra-ainbow..."
"Rainbow...?"
"D-Dash..." The tide began to swell again, threatening to drown the broken mare in her own sadness once more. She breathed slow and hard, forcing it back down.
"Rainbow Dash... is she in danger?"
"No... s-she... k..."
"She...? Did she do this?"
Scootaloo simply squeaked into the fur, eyes closing.
"She killed you?"
"Y-Yes!" Her voice rose as the tide immediately exploded, assaulting the shore of her mind, "S-She killed me! Broke my ribs!! Fed me to that machine!! She's evil! Evil! I hate her! I hate her so much!!"
"It's alright, Scootaloo, calm yourself!"
"No!! She was my hero, and just because I messed up one little exam, she murdered me! D-Didn't even say she was sorry, or cried, or said it wasn't her choice! Just killed me along with everypony else!" Somewhere deep inside her, a volcano simply let go of all the rage it had built up, vaporizing the sadness that had conquered her mind for so long, "She should die! P-Ponies didn't get to live out their lives because of her!"
Scootaloo shoved away from Luna, rolling backwards over her head and immediately opened her wings, aiming for the door to the balcony, "I'm gonna get her!!" With a flap, she blasted towards the glass, aiming straight for the tiny cloud city on the horizon...
Only to be grabbed by something hitting her chest. She frantically flailed her hooves, the only thing worthy of her red-misted sight being the city beyond the door. I have to get there! I can't let anypony stop me!! She deserves this! ALL OF IT!! I'M GONNA KILL HER!
"Calm down, kid. It's bad enough to see a soul cry like this." A cold voice reached to her from the side, the grip around her chest tightening as she continued her mad flails.
"Shut up! I need to do this! I need to bring her down for all those foals who died!"
"Oh yeah? And what're you gonna do?"
"I'm gonna grab her head, make her look me in the eyes, make her cry for ever doing this! I'm gonna... I'm gonna...!"
"You're not gonna do a thing."
"Why!?" Her eyes whipped around to the cloaked figure on the wall, filled with all the rage she'd kept buried since her death. The feeling of being sent off to the Factory, just because she didn't pass her exam... the anger of seeing Orion fail, just because he went to help Aurora... everything that had built up over her time at the Factory; Doctor Atmosphere, the foals being attacked, Rainbow Dash murdering a path to her!
"Because, the way you are now? All you'll be doing is screaming at a brick wall," Reaper spoke rather calmly, despite the wrath aimed at him, holding the mare steady in the air. "What can you do to a living thing, Scootaloo? Tell me."
"I can haunt her... I can go into her dreams, make her guilty..."
"Princess Luna can do that. But all I've seen are ghosts who have shifted things in a house, scaring the residents a little. Poltergeists aren't feared anymore, kiddo."
"Then what can I do!? This is something I have to do!"
"This isn't, kid. Now calm down."
"No!! Put me down right now! I want to do this! I need payback! I need answers!" Scootaloo continued thrashing, pumping her wings as she tried to tear Reaper's arm off, flailed her hooves to try and break down the wall between her and the target of her wrath, mind completely consumed with the need of an answer. "Those foals need vengeance!"
"Revenge isn't something you should degrade yourself with!"
"Why not!?"
"Because a foal like you? A pure soul who's just passed on!? You've got the best shot out of everyone there at a good afterlife, and I'm not gonna let you screw that up!"
"What's the point of an afterlife if the one responsible doesn't pay!?"
"Then let me do it!!"
She stopped. Her eyes remained locked on the man's face, staring into his eyes like she had only twenty minutes before... "Wh-What'd you say?"
"I said, let me get payback for you."
"Why? Why would you...?"
"Because... throughout my work, I've never seen a soul break down like that. I've dealt with murder cases, I've dealt with disease, and I've dealt with deaths that were merely Time taking its toll. And no one's ever shattered like that... not even when facing their final moments with me." Reaper grimaced, actually showing an amount of agony on his face, "It hurts, damn it. It hurts more than you can believe, because my job is supposed to give you ghosts a good afterlife, one without regrets... and taking you away like this? I'd rather not be called Reaper anymore."
"Reaper, what are you saying?" Luna stared at him, surprise on her face. He's... he's never acted like this before...
"I'm saying that I want to give this mare what she wants. From the sounds of it, coming back to life would be impossible... but her last wish is payback for her murderer," Reaper hissed as he gripped his scythe, "And by Law, I'm gonna make sure she regrets every second of watching Scootaloo die."
Scootaloo blinked at him, an expression of shock on her face. An image of when she first met Orion came to her as she stared into those eyes... Orion... h-he did the same for me... against those bullies. He fought them all when they wouldn't stop insulting my flying... it hurt so much, hearing those names. Her lip quivered, Wingless... pathetic... earth pony reject... Ch-Chicken...
"Let me fight for you, Scootaloo."
Her eyes shot wide at the sound of the voice... voices. Her eyes locked on a faint image of Orion next to Reaper, the sound of him coming as clear as the first time she'd heard him. "Orion...?"
"Let us fight for you..." the image spoke, clear as day. "Don't stain yourself with this."
"But-"
"No buts... I didn't get my chance to admit my feelings for you until the last moment. But, at least... allow this stallion to support his love in her time of need. Let us... let me do this."
Her body fell slack, pupils shrunk to pinpricks as she listened to him. Her ravaged breaths barely satisfied her lungs' need for oxygen, but her focus was completely stolen. "Orion... is... i-is that you...?"
"It is..."
"Why'd you h-have to die...?"
"Life's cruel like that, Scootaloo. But I'm not going to let this stop me. So please, calm down..."
The grip on her chest finally released, dropping the mare to the ground. Her body rose onto its hooves and walked over to Orion, eyes going over his image, just trying to accept that it was real. Her hoof ran slowly across his cheek, his own hoof rising to grip hers. Is... th-this real? she sniffled, pulling the image of him into a gentle hug; it felt real enough... "Orion... I miss you..."
"I miss you, too," he whispered back. "Scootaloo... please, I need your answer."
Scootaloo moved back, looking into his eyes. Orion stood stalwart, a look of determination aimed back at his love, one that wouldn't falter. No matter how much she stared into him, the look wouldn't change or diminish... certainty shone like a light in his eyes. "I... I d-don't want to lose you again..."
"I'm never lost, Scootaloo... but I'm more afraid of you losing yourself. Don't let your anger control you." he gently returned the hug, Scootaloo's hooves moving up to his neck, "I don't want to lose the mare I love because of all this..."
"Why, Orion...? Why won't you let me do this?"
"Revenge corrupts the soul, Scootaloo. You have a lot ahead of you, even like this... you have many dreams, all within your reach. You have an eternity to achieve everything you ever wanted... but this would simply drag you down." Orion shook his head, "Don't concern yourself with vengeance... and don't take this fight on alone. Not when you have friends to help you."
He smiled to her, looking back into her sorrowful gaze, "You're tough, Scootaloo, and I love that about you... but this is one fight you don't have to fight alone."
Scootaloo simply stared at him, considering her options. A fight I don't have to go to alone...?
"Listen to me, Scootaloo. Don't take this burden on your own... because nopony should ever march to a battle without a friend by their side. Let me prove I can love you... and let me prove I can support you, no matter what comes up."
"... Alright, Orion..." Scootaloo closed her eyes, trying to manage a smile, "I don't like the idea... but... at least let me stand by you..."
"And I wouldn't have it any other way." Orion leaned in towards her, placing his muzzle against hers. Her eyes opened to the feeling entirely alien to her, his hug tightening slightly.
Scootaloo's eyes widened at the embrace, frozen. Is he... k-kissing me? Her mind reeled, but instead of pulling away or struggling, she simply relaxed... a feeling ran through her mind, causing her heart to race, fluttering in tune with the grey chest against hers. Her legs wrapped tighter around his neck as the tide built again, pushing further into the kiss. Always thought t-this would happen... before I died...
Closing her eyes, she felt a warm trail draw down her cheeks... Why am I crying? She thought as she tried to relax, but the trembling just wouldn't cease. Her mind rumbled with blind emotion, the chaos combining into a single ebb and flow... a tide that rose and fell with greater strength in time with her heart; sadness, joy, safety, worry... love. She simply listened to the flow, felt her lover's heart beat in time with her's, and with him by her side, she watched the sun set over the violet tide... and she held him until the sun vanished from the horizon of her mind.
Scootaloo opened her eyes to stare at the wall across from her, lips still puckered and hooves still in the air... yet no contact to tell her something was there. No face to love, no eyes to lose herself in... no kiss to keep her from the cruel whips of reality. She let her hooves drop to the floor, eyes still staring into the space that her coltfriend once occupied... a stallion that she had mere moments to confess to, one that she was separated from as soon as she found out. But she didn't feel lonely... she had shared something special with him before he disappeared. Her heart calmed, but beat with strength, confidence, and a small smile grew across her face.
"Thank you, Orion," she whispered to the empty air, nopony around to hear the silent wind respond to her...
Hooves slammed down on the metal catwalk, belonging to a very angered mare. Her sky blue coat was covered in bandages and tape to close up her open wounds, though the loss of blood did little to slow her down. Rage still boiled deep within her stomach. "That stupid filly... looking back at me like I'd save her life. It was her mistake that put her here..." she growled, the raspy voice leaking out of her mouth like lava. Had to work so hard to get her back to that room! She was close to escaping, too... good thing she went down that chute.
"I'm gonna give Management a piece of my mind about security around here... lost a lot of pegasi in that fight. Had to kill six of them myself. Useless, the lot of them." She looked around at the pegasi flying about, few in number to tend to the wounded and deceased; records had to be written, news stories had to be thought up. Management fought hard to keep this floor of the factory a secret, and all the PR she had to do to please the Royal Guard only served to anger her further. "I need some of that anti-headache stuff... just been feeling really angry lately."
Her suit hung in tatters from her body, only the blood red part of her mane left on her head, as the rest had been torn off in her mad dash to catch her 'friend'. Been doing this for years, ever since that first Sonic Rainboom... was recruited two years after I ran from Cloudsdale. Funny how quickly I settled into all this. Seen foals get eaten by that machine, get turned into Spectra. At least this way, they've got a purpose they can perform without fail... and hey, we still send some of them off to the Camp on the coast.
She smirked to herself, "It's only the bad ones that get eaten, after all... poor lil' Scoots was unlucky enough to be on that list." Her eyes turned down a hall, three pegasi clearing a path for her as she walked down the other catwalk, industrial cut cloud standing tall around her. The white clouds tended to emit their own light from the electricity running inside them; the entire factory powered itself on a condensed thunder cloud in the core. Lightning strikes were collected and sent out, but it was really erratic. Bet there's gonna be another power outage in my office... She thought, scowling.
The hall was blank, undetailed, simply filled with lumpy clouds and catwalks stretching in every direction. The factory followed no code of connective pathways, since a pegasus' wings granted complete freedom in the air, so all they did was keep the clouds from closing rooms up. It was surprising just how difficult it could be to open those clouds up; their shape retention was stronger than steel. If the things weren't so heavy for pegasi to carry around, it'd make some very strong armor.
Good thing the Factory, and most of Cloudsdale, was made from it. Rainbow came up to her door after pondering on what could be considered a parade of worst-case scenarios rolling through her head, most of which having to do with the freaky power and her office. The lighting just never worked when she wanted it to... "Alright, here we go... where's my medication?" She stomped in onto the concrete-like cloud, her hooves making a loud 'clack, clack' that echoed off the equally-strong walls. "Sheesh... more paperwork, great."
She sat down on her chair, looking around at the dull, grey surfaces that comprised her prison cell of menial labor. Her desk was a mere four steel legs and table top affair, decorated with two pictures of the Wonderbolts - one signed by Captain Spitfire - and a monolith of papers that she might have neglected to do over the past week. Uuugh... where's Paper Tape when you need him? He's supposed to handle all this for the week... she wondered as her head leaned on her hoof, staring out the open doorway.
"Right, that's this year's quota made up... everypony should be getting back to usual operations in the next few days. Means I'll finally be able to go back to Ponyville, take a break on one of the clouds..." her voice trailed off, thinking back to the filly's face as the machine started to consume her... the compliment, spoken without fear... those eyes without an ounce of pain, merely... judgement. Her mouth curled into a scowl, placing her spare hoof on the desk. Why wasn't she scared? Every single pegasus I hit and bit into during that scuffle was scared of me... scared of my coworkers. Why not her? Her hoof started tapping on the desk as she thought, The Cloudsdale Weather Corp is a wing of the Flock... everypony's scared of the system, at least a little. Even us, but it's a job we have to do; clean the skies, make sure every pegasus up here is actually capable of doing their job.
So what if we found a way to use the bad ones? It's better than sending them all off to the camp. Pegasi are supposed to be the shining beacon in this country, a race to look up to... the unicorns have their monarchy, and the earth ponies have their control over the land. What've we got? Efficiency. Brutal efficiency in our work. We control the weather, so it falls on us to make sure Equestria's weather is good... can't have a rookie up there screwing everything up; it'd kill more ponies than what we're killing. She sighed, looking over at the picture of her idol, Spitfire... you're one of the few who got out of the Flock and made a name for yourself... heh. Look at me. Dead end job, terrible suit, and I'm managing Spectra creation... hmph. Wish I was like you, Captain... then I could get out of this bloody circle.
"So boring... well, only another few hours until the shift's done, Rainbow. Then you can get outta here..." she mumbled to herself, leaning back in the chair as she stared at the ceiling. She imagined rocketing through the clouds around Ponyville, her lightning-kicks demolishing the obstacles in her path... a little filly's laugh from behind her. Stop thinking about that... she screwed up and paid the price. She never would've made it in the Guard... The laughter vanished from her day dream, simply crashing through cloud after cloud.
She nodded at her work and flew down to the streets below, numerous ponies waving to her, complimenting her on her work, asking if she wanted to go to Sugarcube Corner with them... wondering where Scootaloo went... Stop it! The questions vanished, the streets falling silent. The ponies around simply smiled and waved, Rainbow happily returning the gesture as she went on towards her favorite treats shop.
As she pushed open the door, a familiar mare was waiting behind the counter for her, grinning her usual grin. She asked if Rainbow wanted anything, replied with an order for two Sprinkle Supreme Cupcakes, followed by an inward chuckle at how silly the name sounded... just how it was so like the mare when she made her treats, giving them crazy names... Pinkie Pie... haven't seen her in a while. Bet she's doing well. The thoughts tumbled through her mind as the mare came back, giving the brown bag to Rainbow. The mare asked where Rainbow's friend was, leaning over to try and see the orange pony who always followed her idol- Shut up! Stop thinking about her! She's dead, and there's nothing that can be done about it. Rainbow grimaced at the ceiling as the pink mare shot her a convicting look, asking if something happened.
Rainbow replied that there was nothing wrong, but the questions kept coming. Where is she? What's she doing? Why isn't she with you? Didn't she go flying with you? Shut up shut up shut up!! The final roar, the day dream fell apart, a look of shock on the pink mare as she faded from the day dream. "What's wrong with me...? M-Maybe it's just shock from the work... yeah. My daydreams would always ask me where those foals are... what happened to them... how their parents are. All part of the job, Rainbow." She shook her head, burying her face in her hooves as she tried to rub the exhaustion from her brow, "All part of the job..."
The day dream started again, this time walking to the Golden Oaks Library, the same place she first found out about Daring Do. Well, heh... the first place was the hospital. Couldn't put it down since then. She chuckled, shaking her head slightly as the door was pushed open. As usual, there was a lavender mare sitting behind one of the desks, reading away... Probably a dictionary this time... some crazy thick book that I'd take weeks to read... she smiled to the mare across the lobby, getting a smile back from her friend. Rainbow inquired about the next Daring Do book, her friend nodding to one of the shelves behind her in response; a fresh copy of the newest novel was sitting on its lonesome... all alone on the shelf.
As Rainbow walked over to it, she felt a questioning glance on the side of her head, but cast it aside as coincidence... she took the book in her hoof, grinning at the cover; her hero swinging valiantly over a large mine, carrying a golden statue under her foreleg... So brave... just like Spitfire. A pegasus, just like me... her smile faded slightly, but she quickly shook her head, the envy rolling away from the front of her mind. Hungry for another adventure into the Darirus Jungle, she opened the cover to look at the table of contents. Her head tilted in confusion at the titles of the chapters; none of them made sense...
A Valiant Sacrifice... Questioning Authority... "Already Made Up My Mind"... Why'd You Do It? The dream shattered on the last title, Rainbow's eyes widening as her desk came back into view. "Must... must be stress... it's making me think weird things." She lifted her head and gave it a shake, staring at the deep-red oak of her desk. "Yeah, s-stress... that's all. Nothing else."
Rainbow closed her eyes again, imagining the farm. Here to help out with the harvest... nothing weird about that. She smiled, enjoying the sweet smell of apples hanging on the trees, the orchard stretching out around her for seemingly miles... a familiar Stetson came into view, shielding the mare's head under it from the cooking sun. The two friends grinned at each other, the also-familiar lightning between their eyes already kicking up. The orange mare offered a bet to see who could buck the most trees in an hour, Rainbow all too happy to accept the bet... loser had to give up an important secret, one they'd never tell anypony otherwise.
The competition kicked off in a hurry, both mares running off across the orchard, and they just started kicking. No scary voices, no unbearable questions, no questioning glances... just good, honest work. Rainbow used her wings to catapult herself from tree to tree, kicking and kicking, apples falling into baskets that seemed to appear when she looked away. The sun drew a quick path across the sky, and before she knew it, the contest was over. Applejack was waiting for her by the barn, Rainbow quickly meeting her with the most smug grin she could manage. But when she heard that Applejack had bucked three quarters of the orchard in fifty minutes, deciding to spend the last ten taking a break by the barn, Rainbow could hardly believe it. Yet, with a quick scan from a high altitude, the only corner that still had apples in it was her's.
Well, a bet's a bet. Rainbow came back down to Applejack who had an interrogative smirk on her face, staring straight into her friend's eyes. The only words that came to her, the only damning words.
"So, Rainbow Dash. Kill anypony lately?"
"Gah!!" Rainbow leapt out of her chair, staring at the table as if it were some kind of monster. "Stop asking me those questions! Stop! J-Just stop!!" She screamed, steam flaring out of her nostrils. Without a single thought to the contrary, she spun around and bucked the table straight into the wall. "Just SHUT UP!!!!"
The table slammed into the wall with the sound of a bomb going off, papers scattering and fluttering to the ground like massive snow flakes. She covered her ears, begging for the noise to stop, her headache simply getting worse. "Somepony! Anypony! I-I need my meds!!"
The only voice that answered her was a gentle chuckle, one that seemed to bounce off the walls, coming from everywhere, bringing a deathly chill to her spine. "W-Who's there?" Her eyes hunted along the walls, trying to seek out the source of the voice, but every single one just turned out to be another part of the room. I'm-I'm going crazy! I gotta be!
I-I'll just tell Paper that I'm going home. Need to rest, get my mind off work. Yeah. With a quick nod to her plan, she turned to the door, just to freeze mid-step. Held within her door was a tall shadow, one that nearly took up all the light in the hall; the only thing she could see was a glinting white grin. "Wait. Who are you? What're you doing in here? You have ID?"
"Call me a privileged client of your... corporation here." The grin widened as the shadow leaned on the frame; nothing resembling a wing widened from his back to provide balance.
He's too tall to be a pony. Way too tall. Rainbow bared her teeth, moving up to the side of the chair as she leered at the shadow. "Privileged client, huh? They've all got names. What's yours?"
"Haven't got one to share." The shadow smirked, two eyes leveling with her own, "Though it's not like it's info I'd willingly give to you."
"What's with the condescending tone, jerk?" Dash sneered, adjusting her position; no way he'd be able to block a flying chair from that distance.
"Condescending? Oh, I don't mean offense, Miss Dash. I just need to have a simple chat with you, concerning a friend of ours," He whispered, the smirk widening into a smile, "One who's not very happy about your acts."
"Unless his name is Red Line, I don't have to listen to a word you say," Rainbow hissed back, gently raising her hind leg, "Now unless you're gonna stand there, fantasizing about me, I suggest you leave before I call Security."
"Call all you want. Doesn't mean our chat will get done any faster." The shadow's smile disappeared, brow falling slightly, "This talk is far too important to have someone stop it."
"Yeah? Well, horseapples to your talk. I'm going home." Rainbow lowered her leg and approached the shadow, "You've got five seconds to get out of the way before I take you to the cops myself."
"What happened to Security?"
"He's got enough on his plate, and besides... you aren't that tough. Earth ponies can't come up to Cloudsdale, and unicorns wouldn't dare tango with a pegasus hoof to hoof." She grinned, the sheer size of the shadow compared to her not shifting her stance.
The seconds ticked by without even a twitch in the shadow's expression. "Fine, be that way. Security! Get your flanks in here!!" She shouted past the shadow, earning a raised eyebrow in response as hoofsteps echoed down the hall.
"Heh. What happened to 'dragging me to the cops yourself'?" The shadow smirked, staring down at Rainbow.
"Eh, like I said. You aren't that tough, so I think I'll let the scary muscle take care of you." Rainbow sat down, grinning smugly back at him. After a few seconds, one of the guards popped up in the doorway.
"Guard Baton here, Manager! What seems to be the trouble?"
"Get this guy here out of my way."
"Erm. M-Ma'am, what guy?" The guard's violet eyes moved about the office in front of him, the lighting having mysteriously gone out. "I don't see anypony here but, well, us."
"What're you talking about? He's right here!" Rainbow tapped Reaper on the leg, deadpanning at Guard, "What, have you gone blind?"
"No, ma'am, just... there's nopony here besides us." Guard leaned in through the door, looking around the office. "Did they run off?"
"Wha?" Rainbow looked up at Reaper, then back at Guard, rolling her eyes and sighing, "Whatever. Just head to the mess hall and get my meds ready. Think I'm hallucinating, or something..."
"Right, of course, Manager! Your usual dose?"
"Yeah. Get going."
Baton quickly saluted and ran off, Rainbow watching his fluttering blonde tail whip about behind him; the thing was way too well kept for a proper security guard, almost looked feminine. "Hmph," she grunted and made her way to the door.
"What happened to our chat, Miss Dash?"
"I'd just be making myself more crazy by talking to a hallucination."
"Hallucination? Ohhh, right. Little friend there couldn't see me, so you think I'm just a construct of your imagination."
"Pretty smart for a freaky mental image." Rainbow walked out of the office and into the hall, quirking her mouth. Dunno why I stopped for him in the first place... not the first time I've seen ghosts. Always come up after the quota's been met, just means I need my meds.
"Hey now, hang on. Aren't you at least curious about who our mutual friend is?"
"Nope."
"Starts with an S~."
"Don't care." Rainbow walked on down the hall and rounded the corner, only to find the cloaked figure standing there again.
"You should."
"I don't. Now stop popping up," Rainbow sneered, walking past him in a huff.
"Oh come on, Miss Dash. Why do you have to be so mean?"
"Easy. It gets rid of you more quickly." Rainbow grit her teeth as she walked on down the catwalk, a few ponies running past to tend to the facilities near the office; hopefully one or two focused on her office's power issue. "Now leave me alone."
"Not getting rid of me that easily, but I suppose we can walk and talk before..."
"Before?"
"Nothing. Gotta be curious though." Reaper quirked his mouth, walking alongside Dash.
"No, I'm not. Now stop annoying me."
"Annoying? I couldn't be!"
"You are, now shut up!"
"Well, alright. Suppose you'll figure it out eventually... maybe you'll run into her?"
"Whadya mean?" Rainbow looked over at her hallucination, deciding to humor him for a bit.
"Oh, nothing. Just that... well, the skeletons in our closets tend to come back to haunt us."
"Alright, seriously. What are you? My ghosts are just ponies that died."
The shadow grinned, looking down on her, "How very perceptive." He stopped, looking back down the hall, "How very perceptive indeed..."
Rainbow blinked up at him, eyes widening slightly as she followed his gaze. His grin only widened while her heart nearly stopped, as her eyes locked with draconic eyes of emerald... a shimmering quality, swirling with fire that dared to swallow her whole. "N-N-N-N-Nightmare Moon!?" She screeched, flaring out her wings and jumping back. The visage of Nightmare didn't respond, Rainbow's shock trying to ebb itself. "Th-There's no way... no, no. Heh, j-just hallucinating again, h-hallucinating about r-really scary ghosts..." she reasoned, forcing her breathing back to a level pattern. Her knees still trembled, staring down her new opponent. It's gotta be a ghost... we beat Nightmare! We beat her eight years ago!
The shadow quietly approached Dash, the flaming eyes shaking her to her core. The mare simply tried to keep the distance gap wide as her mind threw itself back, back as far as it could go... and something echoed in her head. A small sound, but one that just felt nostalgic. Is-is that Pinkie? Wait... the sound grew stronger as she focused on it; a laugh, a high laugh that raised her spirits, the fear burning away. Her body shook as her mouth curled into a smile, simply focusing on that single laugh... "Heh... hehe... hehehehe..."
The laughs helped quell another sound in her mind... the sounds of firing engines. Screaming gears creaked and cranked in her head as she saw the jaws of something.
"Ahahaha!" The laugh covered up the sound of a scream crashing through her head, the image of a pony flaring in her mind, torso twisted a full one-eighty. The engines rumbled louder, going to war against the sound of her laughter, as if the laughs didn't deserve to exist next to the storm of machinery.
"Ha! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!" Bones snapped and blood flew as the massive machine devoured the pony, Rainbow watching from above. The terrified eyes staring back at her, the screams of agony as the teeth tore through the mare's flesh...
"AAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Another pony was snatched by the chains, staring in absolute terror at the laughing mare, eyes locked in a horrific staring contest as their torso was twisted much too hard... blood flew as the body was torn in half, a very recognizable scream shredding through Rainbow's mind... a drawl that she'd heard too many times on a farm somewhere. The screaming mare was dropped into the machine, just like the rest, under the crazy gaze of the sky blue pony.
"HAHAHAHAAHAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!!!" The next mare, lavender in color, begged for her to stop, but the pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears... ears filled too much with the sound of laughter, of the effort to destroy her own ghosts. The machine roared in defiance of the laughs, trying to drag Rainbow into its ripping jaws, and the chains pulled taut on her friend's limbs. The two stared into each other's eyes as the engines roared, and the chains twisted... she thrashed in pure agony as her ribs tore through her flesh, but the laughing just wouldn't stop. They became cold, emotionless, completely focused on the destruction of another; as if she loved the spray of blood and crack of bone...
"HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!!!!" The laughing grew with the engines as the lavender mare was dropped in, a muffled cry of Rainbow's name before her form was devoured by the blurring teeth. The blood didn't even have time to fly away from the machine before being devoured... the colors, forms, voices were all familiar, but it didn't matter to her. Not even as a meek, yellow pegasus was drawn up, her absolute shock present in every crease of her expression. Her tears started rolling as she looked into the magenta eyes of a pony she respected so much, the laughs tearing into her soul.
Rainbow wasn't able to raise her voice any louder, thrashing on the catwalks as the engines screamed even louder, the chains simply pulling on the pegasus from her limbs. She cried for mercy, shouted for some angel to save her, begged for Rainbow to snap out of her psychosis before the end... but she was shouting for something that would never come. Her body was torn, limb from limb, the machine not caring for proper procedure anymore; it simply wanted to feed. Chains whipped around as the machine tore the falling mare to pieces.
Her mind fell down into the torturous cocophony of metal as she watched pony after pony be eaten in more horrific ways, some even skipping on the flaring teeth before being torn apart. Blood hit her face as she simply watched, the grin on her face never disappearing...
Until the last mare was brought forward, and the roaring engines died... the gears continued their quiet cranking, as the room was treated to the sound of a laugh. A half-hearted, sad laugh, but one that overtook Rainbow's own. Dash simply sat there, frozen, a permanent grin carved into her face as those blue eyes stared into hers... the one mare that taught her how to destroy her ghosts and conquer her fears. Tears drew paths down from their eyes as Rainbow's body locked, her mind teetering on the edge.
And with a twist of the chain that killed her laugh, and that pink coat vanishing in a rain of red...
Rainbow was gone.