"How could they be so sickly?" I thought to myself as I walked along the cobblestone road. Changelings walked too and fro seemingly without hope or direction. My robe gently tugged me, showing me the way. There was no laughter, no smiling, and no love. I stopped in front of a seemingly beaten house, covered with dirt and grime. I pushed open the door to find the inside was equally dirty. The air was heavy with a metallic taste. I proceeded down the hall and through a door to see a mother and two fillies. They were skinnier than the others. The mother was brushing their leathery manes with a kindness that spoke volumes to me, and again I found my heart being squeezed by sadness. Soon they would die, for that is why I am here. The other filly coughed and closed her eyes as she nuzzled into her mother's bony chest.
"Mom, where is the love...Queen Chrysalis said," The little filly on the left began, but seemed to have no strength to finish her thought. The mother looked down at them and smiled weakly.
"Don't fret, it seems that the good queen's noble plans have been foiled by some ponies." Her voice seemed to spew some venom but her fiery anger withered.
"I know a lot has happened my dears but where we will be going the love there is boundless....so be good and when the grim pony comes embrace the darkness for it is only another beginning." She said looking up at the ceiling, not having the courage to look into her own daughter's eyes.
Something in me told me it was her time. I reached forth and the scythe touched her gently. Her soul left her body as the mother began to cry. A single tear ran down her cheek and soon it was her daughter next whose breathing slowed as she rested her head against her guardian. I quickly placed my scythe on her forehead, withdrawing her soul. The mother looked at her now lifeless fillies and began to sob as her body began to shake. The first filly was bewildered and looked at me as I touched my scythe at last to the mother. Her sobs began to quiet and her body slumped forward. Her body seemed like she was protecting them even in death. I stood there like a statue. As the ghosts of the family looked at each other and looked at me, the mother began to become protective. I felt the feeling of warmth of the room increase as the air clarified, much like the center of a forest. There at the other side of the light, a masculine changeling observed his ghostly family before him and smiled.
"It's nice to see you love." He said.
"Daddy!" The two fillies exclaimed and ran towards him, tackling him to the ground with hugs. I couldn't help myself and I smiled with a small laugh. The changeling mare looked up at me with a small smile.
"Thank you." She said and walked into the light to her husband and children. Just as quickly as it appeared, the light left the room and I was alone again. I looked at the bodies of the mare and fillies and sighed. I felt happy but...sad at the same time. It was odd to say I mourn the dead, yet at the same time say I feel happy for them.
As I was about to open door with my key, life seemed to stir in the populace causing me to pause. A large changeling flanked by a contingent of guards landed in the square. I exited the home and made my way to see what the commotion was. The changeling Queen, her face a calm visage, but I could discern the grief behind her militaristic form. Bags under her eyes, with stains of tears.
"My children, I have failed you. I promised... I promised to have us feed better than kings! But through my callousness, I have failed you." She paused. Her look became galvanized as a smoke began to swarm around her. I frowned, no pony was acting any different. Maybe a show of dominance I guessed. But soon that assumption was replaced by shock and horror, as red demonic eyes appeared by her ear. My blood, if it was pumping at all, ran cold.
"We as a species have lived in the shadows long enough! No longer will you and yours starve. I call you, my subjects, to arms! I will declare war on Equestria and we will fight until every home is fed, and every changeling happy!" She declared. Her subjects got caught up in her speech and cheered. I looked around at the madness that was just presented with horror. Open war?!? Are they serious?! My mind raced. I had to tell Celestia...or anypony. I ran to a door as the smoke noticed me and flew in front of me with wicked speed. I stopped dead and leveled my scythe. It recoiled in fear and hissed at me.
"You are too late, Death...soon you will have too much to deal with... When we meet next? it will be in my true form." It flew skyward and over the house upon giving the warning. I quickly took out my key and thrust it into the lock tuning it thinking of naught but Celestia. I didn't look, but simply entered and came face to face with a room full of ponies, Celestia in court. As soon as I stepped into the room Celestia and Luna looked at me. I began to approach and Luna shook her head and I stopped. Celestia turned to Luna and whispered something and she nodded. Luna stood up and gestured for me to follow. I walked through the crowded room through the populous of ponies, and met up behind Luna. As she left the room, she lead me to a study where she nodded for the guards to close the doors. Being in a room with royalty was not the craziest thing I had done today.
"Death, why do you come?" She asked with what seemed with a bit more force than what was necessary.
"I was just collecting the souls of some changelings." I began but stopped as Luna made a sound of distaste.
"I do not know why you collect the souls of such creatures." She said. It disturbed me, how callous she was, even at the mention of them. What I had witnessed and felt with the family of changelings would prove her otherwise, had she experienced it.
"Because they have souls worth saving..." I found myself saying and blinked surprised at myself. Luna looked at me and waved her hoof.
"Well what did you want." She asked, seemingly more reserved.
"The Changeling Queen will declare open war on Equestria." I said. When the words of open war left my lips, her eyes went wide and became pinpricks.
"You lie. We have defeated the creatures when they tried to take Canterlot." She said, assurance in her voice. I glared at her as I pulled back my hood and she became uneasy. I could only imagine it was me as a skeleton.
"If you don't listen to me many good ponies, and changelings will die. I've been at this a little less than a day and I'm already having to deal with this!?" I exclaimed. Luna looked at me with a cocked brow.
"You are not Tootsie?" She asked surprised.
"Do I look like Tootsie?!" I asked sarcastically.
"Well, you have no skin, how am I to know?" She said. I pulled my hood back up and down again and she visibly changed.
"What is your name?" She asked.
"Grape Vine." Came a new voice of a regal Celestia walking into the room. Both Luna and I turned to look at her. The door closed behind her as she approached.
"She says the changeling queen will declare open war." Luna said seriously. Celestia frowned in concern and disbelief.
"I am surprised that the new death brings me news of such weight when only on the job for less than a day. If what you say is true I'll get my agents to look into it." She said as she walked past me and Luna taking her place behind a desk.
"If what she says is true we must muster our forces and prepare for an attack." Luna began. Celestia nodded in agreement.
"Begin battle preparations Luna." Luna nodded and left the room promptly. I stood there looking at Celestia as she wrote a message rolled it up and it disappeared in a puff of smoke then looked at me.
"I'm glad I chose you." She said smiling.
"Why...why me I'm nopony special." I was glad but still unsure.
"I have a hunch about you and usually my hunches have merit." She chuckled. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Typical political tactic, tell them something but not the truth.
"I am glad you brought this to my attention. But you still have much work to do. Please go on and remove the pain from suffering ponies." She said. I sighed lifting my hood up and walking to the door, while lifting the key and I looked to my scroll.
"Sound Melody, 97, heart attack." I opened the door and walked into a lightly lit room where several ponies stood around an bedridden old stallion. A dark gray coated mare with a nicely combed black mane accented with a pink bowtie around her neck as she stood beside him.
"Grandpa..." She said sadly. He smiled at her.
"Don't cry Octavia... I've had a wonderful life." A tear rolled down Octavias cheek as she held his hoof. In the room was several other ponies looking down trodden. The emotion in the room was palpable. I steeled myself again I was going to take another life...