//------------------------------// // Dire Consequences // Story: The Life of Death // by Nightmare Darkness //------------------------------// The tunnel was dark and foreboding. I couldn't shake this uneasy feeling if being watched. I looked to my left and Discord was looking at me. "What?" I ask after an uncomfortably long pause. "I'm trying to make sense of you Bones." He said floating alongside us. I didn't know what he was getting at but it seemed irrelevant to my current thought process. "Don't try and make sense of me just help us and you can go back to doing whatever it is you do." I said maybe a bit too harshly. If it fazed him it didn't show he simply rolled over and began to backstroke swim in mid air. Fire Pleasure was quiet which didn't surprise me. I looked at him with a side glance. He looked around the darkness seeming squeamish for some apparent reason. "What do you think well find?" Fire said suddenly and looked at me. Really? Truly I didn't have the foggiest idea. "Oh I think well find an odd thing for sure." Discord said as he read a book as his eyes lit up like lamps. He turned a page. "You seem unfazed at the parel we could find ourselves in." Fire said. "Oh I am well aware but are you?" He said raising his eyebrow. "Do you know something we don't." I asked. "Do you know that history of that scythe?" He asked suddenly. I looked confused and pulled my hood down and looked at the scythe. The metal gleamed even with the reduced light. "I don't." I said honestly. He flipped over his book and it showed the picture of the scythe. "Says here that no weapon can rival the scythe of death. Its power rivals the creation of this world." He said making a lollypop appear in his claw as he began to suck on it. I looked at the seemingly simple tool. "Hard to see. But what does this." I begin to ask. Fire pleasure had a moment of clarity. "You aren't suggesting that..." He said. I looked at the both of them. "What?" I ask confused. "What do you think I'm suggesting." Discord said as if he didn't know what he was saying. "If so were in for a real problem." Fire said. "What are you two on about!" I exclaimed and they both looked at me as if I was completely a lost cause. Which didn't help my mood. "What are souls made of?" Fire Pleasure asked. "Life?" I say without thinking. "Exactly, and if creation created your scythe enough souls could create a weapon to rival the scythe. If you can defeat death you can conquer all." He said darkly. "Wait are you suggesting that whomever is stealing souls is trying to create a weapon to defeat me?" I asked surprised. "Now you understand why were worried." Fire said. "Nah our hero hear will do fine." Discord said landing on the ground walking beside them. This was troubling indeed I thought then a crack caught my eye and I walked to it. Large enough for a pony it I looked down to see some left over darkness. "This is where the souls must have been taken." I said lifting up my hood and leveling my scythe with the darkness as I stepped forward where I suddenly found myself on top of a mountain where cold wind a blew snow and ice. Discord was soon beside me in winter wrap up gear and I looked to see Fire Pleasure with the most uncomfortable look on his face. "I hate the cold." She growled. I couldn't help but smile. I looked over the scene again and then a cave lighted up in the distance. "There." I guestured. We began the small trek and soon we stood outside a large cave that had large wooden doors with fire braziers that Discord rubbed his mitted gloves together and tried to gather heat. My hooves were frozen and I lifted my scythe and was about to knock when a smaller door opened up and a blue scaled young dragon looked at me. "Come in he's expecting you." He said. We all looked at one another. Making are way inside we shook off the snow and felt the heat of a furnace. The room was enormous. The ground shuddered as a large grey scaled dragon looked down at us. "I was wondering when you would show up looking for those souls...." He said sadly. "Harry!" Discord shouted as the dragon gave a toothy grin. "Well if it isn't young Discord." He chuckled softly. "I thought I recognized this place." He smiled as he looked around. "I'm sorry to cut to the chase but what did you say about the souls....Lucifer is livid what happened to them." Fire said as I looked up at the dragon. "I was blackmailed into creating a sickle and shield to rival that of my finest creation." He pointed at the scythe. "He didn't nearly have enough souls but I made them." He said with a pained expression. "What did he blackmail you with that could sway you." Discord said curious. Harry sighed and looked at the young dragon who was now sitting down watching us. "He threatened me with taking Cobalt and using his soul to..." He trailed off. "Dragons souls are different then pony's he would be close to filling the weapons. The weapons collect the souls and the longer you wait the more power he gains." He said. "You enabled him and for that we could all die." I said harshly which made him frown and growl. "I know this well Death but understand it is your job to keep the balance." He pointed his claw accusingly. I pulled my hood back and glared back at him. "You can't put this on me!" I lashed back. Its now that I know a dragons temper is short. For the world around me became upside down as my head hit the wall and I looked to see my body standing ten feet from me. I couldn't help myself. I screamed. Discord grabbed his sides and rolled on the floor laughing. "I am in no mood for your lip pony." Harry said. "And stop screaming!" He bellowed, I looked at my body and it seemed unfazed and I felt like I was going to faint. Fire pleasure approched me as I looked up at him hoping he would help me. Of course he did something better. I know have sympathy for hacky sacks. Discord stood up and waved his claw. "Oh oh me! Tag me!" I flew in the air and I bounced around before I yelled in rage and my body leveled its scythe at Discord who held his claws up in mock giving up. "Ok ok." He picked me up and placed my head back on my body. I cracked my neck and I lifted my hood up. "I've decided I hate you all." I said with loathing. Harry shrugged like he cared. "The Demon who took the weapons named himself Vedra." At this name Fire Pleasures smile ceased and became grave. "Friend of yours?" Discord asked. "No, but he's the lead general of the armies of Hades... If he's trying to overthrow Lucifer this would be the way but the fact he's chosen to reach for higher goals surprise's me." He said and I turned going to the door lifting my key as the scrambled to follow me. "Goodbye Harry I hope we never meet again." I said as I opened the door and walked into my office lobby slamming the door behind me. Fire Pleasure and Discord looked at me. "What our move boss?" Discord said now paying hacky sack with a small bean bag which made anger flare up in me. I pointed to Fire. "You report to Lucifer, and You are going to Celestia I can't deal with you two right now!" I nearly scream. Both shrugged and left going to their respective places. Apple Scroll walked in with a cup of tea. "Tough first days?" Which I looked at her as if that was an understatement. "Hmm maybe call the previous death. He's on a cruise right now." She offered. I nodded and walked into my new office that I hadent even been yet. I looked at the scroll and saw the number. Placing my cup of tea down on the desk I approached a large mirror and breathed on it and wrote the number and waited. The glass shimmered and a smiling face greeted me. "Well if it isn't death." He joked I calmed down and sipped my cup of tea. Whatever Apple put in it, it calmed me. "Oh wow Apples tea? You must be in deep." He said as he distorted the image and what looked like a straw. "How am I talking to you?" I asked. "In my punch. But that's not what you called about what's up?" He said and I took a deep breath and explained everything. His face went from light hearted slowly to a brooding face with hard eyes. The image disappeared and I looked bewildered. "What! I wasn't finished!" I sighed and felt on the verge of tears when a hoof came out of the mirror and I stepped back as he stepped from the mirror. In a Hawaiian flowed shirt and straw hat. "That is a problem." He said simply.