The room was nice and cozy as the group of ponies stood around the dying pony. All of them had instruments in the corner and one could tell they were well looked after and well played. Octavia laid her head on the dieing ponies chest and smiled meekly as a white coated mare with a vibrant blue mane walked up beside the other ponies in the room.
"Tavi are you ok?" She asked.
"Grandpa has just fallen asleep for the moment." She said sitting up and looking at her grandfather lovingly. A knock at the door captured their attention and they left the room as I looked at the old pony. His life began to bubble up in my mind. It was a simple and fulfilling life with little struggle but he loved his granddaughter Octavia. He had taught her to play the cello and he was there when she got her cutie mark after her first concert. Walking into the room a pony with a doctors bag and stethoscope. He walked over to his patient and began to take vital signs and blood pressure. After several minutes he walked out of the room and looked at the old ponies friends and family.
"He time is close now." He said shaking his head in sympathy. Octavia's eyes welled up with tears as Vinyl placed a reassuring hoof on her shoulder.
Being alone in the room, the pony must have sensed me because he opened his eyes and looked around till his eyes found mine. The frailty in his eyes seemed to light up as he looked at me.
"Is it my time?" He asked. I simply nodded feeling there was no use for words.
"Can I have one last request?" He wondered asking more to himself. I wondered but I decided I am death so why not. I shrugged and he chuckled following by a coughing fit. Octavia rushed back into the room followed by the rest of friends and family and she knelt by her grandfather's side. He looked to her and smiled she smiled back.
"My time is near." He whispered. Octavias smile dissipated as the look of overwhelming sadness overtook her.
"Play me the new song you and the band are going to play at the gala." He asked
"But Grandpa..." She began to protest. He furrowed his brow and took on a more mentorship tone.
"I may be old but I am still all of your teacher. "His stirn music teacher persona softened as he looked at them all. He lifted his hoof and beckoned them closer as he hugged Octavia.
"Consider it a last request." He said as Octavia tears began to wet his neck. Then she pulled away and made her way to her cello that way in its case. Parish, Beauty, and Fredrick got all of their instruments to back up Octavia. Slowly she slid the bow across the strings and a low haunting note began as a low snosaphone from Beauty Brass a teal blue pony assisted. A harp added more to her note from Parish Nandermane, then a small electrical piano from Frederick Horseshoepin was added to create specific notes to the melody. Combined all of the music sounded sad at first but then seemed to flood the room and soon more instilling sound took root.
I felt a picture was being played out before me in my mind of a strong young mare who fought on through hardships and is being herself for the first time. I opened my eyes and felt a tear roll down my cheek and I raised my hoof up to my eye and pulled away a tear and the old pony liked at me with a smile on his face as he looked up at Octavia.
"Its beautiful. You all did a wonderful job, I think even death would shed a tear at how well it was done. He closed his eyes and coughed slightly and smiled as Octavia's tears fell on her cello. I raised my scythe and gently removed his soul as his body sunk into the bed a little heavier than when it was full of life. He landed beside me and smiled.
"Thank you." he said gratefully and soon the light filled the room and a young mare waved to him beckoning him and he seemed to get a pep to his step as he made his way to her.
A small pain jabbed at the back of my mind as a darkness flooded the light and black tendrils reached out from the shadows lunging at the elder. Before my mind registered what I was seeing my body reacted slicing the tendrils with a single sweep allowing the stallion to escape. The darkness turned on me with a hiss that I recognized as the creature that was looming over the changing queen as she declared war. I felt the air go cold and soon the darkness receded and I was left in the room of mourning ponies. First thing that crossed my mind was I needed to inform Celestia. I tuned to the door and placed my key inside willing it to the study of Celestia. I walked through it and found myself in the lobby of the castle where Celestia looked up at the intrusion and blinked surprised.
"We talked not even an hour ago...what is it that bothers you?" She asked slightly annoyed. I ignored her tone and flipped my hood down.
"Something else is trying to steal souls from me..." I said and the comment hung in the air as her eyes became pinpricks and her mouth held open with the word "impossible" just barely escaping her lips.