Well, this must be it, I think as I stop in front of the large house. Its windows are lit up brightly and music reaches my ears, though it’s dulled down from inside the house. I feel the warm food in my saddlebags and decide not to waste another moment. I stroll forward and knock on the door, then wait for somepony to open it. After about a minute, I frown. Maybe they couldn’t hear because I wasn’t loud enough? I search for a doorbell in the night and find it. My hoof presses down on it, and I wait again.
The door opens.
I prepare a smile for the customer . . . but there’s nopony there. My face falls and I stick my head just slightly inside the house.
“Hello?” I call, straining to be heard over the blasting music.
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t lock the door, I guess,” comes a slurred voice. I jerk back as a snout is pushed into mine. The stallion gazes at me with a glazed expression.
“Uh, hi,” I start. “I’ve got your food.” The stallion glances toward the saddlebags on my back.
“Oh, that’s cool,” he says. I struggle not to cringe—he’s hammered.
“Yeah, uh, that’ll be 32.71.” I pause for him to register my words.
“You know, you’re really pretty.”
I start, blinking. “Uh, excuse me?” Well, that was sudden. “Th-that’s really sweet, but I’d like to get paid.” I don’t want to sound rude, but Snow said to hurry and deliver if the customer was drinking.
“I like you,” he continues. I begin to back away as he nears me. I can feel myself shaking.
“That’ll be 32.41,” I repeat, hoping he’ll come to his senses.
“Do you like me?”
I stammer, “I-I’m sure you’re a n-nice guy, but I have to do my job.” Suddenly, another stallion appears behind him. I see he’s drunk also. I flex my wings in preparation to fly.
“Dude, the food ‘ere yet?” he asks, mumbling the words.
“Yes, I’m the delivery mare. The total is 32.41,” I say to him, just wishing that he’ll pay me and I can leave this place. The first stallion turns to the other one, and whispers something to him.
“Oh, yeah, she is cute,” the second stallion agrees. I gulp and back away, trembling. “Hey, baby, wanna come inside?”
“Yeah,” the first stallion coos, “we can have a real fun time. You can skip work.” They’re both stumbling drunkenly over their words—I need to get out of here before anything happens.
“N-no, I can’t. If you’re not going to pay, I’m going to leave. Goodnight,” I respond, a bit more forceful to sound strong.
“Come on, baby, we’ve got a real nice bedroom upstairs.” The first stallion falls forward so suddenly I don’t have time to react as his arm is wrapped snugly around my shoulders.
“Let me go!” I shout, struggling away from his drunken embrace. I feel myself being pulled inside. My heart hammers inside my chest. My wings are pressed against me, and I can’t open them.
“You can’t say no to us,” the second stallion’s voice sounds. I want to scream. I don’t stand a chance—they're so much bigger than I am—I’ve never been very large.
“No! Please, just let me go!” I’m being tugged inside, and I feel a hoof wrap around one of mine. I stumble forward, farther inside. I feel the wooden floor pressing against my belly fur. The door closes behind me.
“Please! Please!” I scream, now being yanked to my hooves and upstairs. I can’t even land a hard hit—I’m too restrained. I struggle and kick my legs.
“Yes, you keep begging,” the stallion holding my whispers crudely in my ear. I shudder.
“Let me go!”
I’m being dragged up the stairs. The stallions are pressing against me, and I feel my saddlebags being tugged off, along with my uniform. The bedroom walls are suddenly around me. Unadulterated fear courses through my body, blood going cold. Suddenly, I’m tossed against the wall, hitting my head. I shake it off and spread my wings, finally free. I leap up, but am swiftly stopped. I scream again as I’m forcefully pushed into the bed’s mattress. The stallions are rubbing against me in the most inappropriate ways. I can’t move I’m so scared. Lips brush against my body. My arms are over my head, my wings and back legs spread out.
I’m screaming—
“Surprise.”
I open my eyes and find myself splayed across the floor. Except, it’s not my floor. Or any floor I recognize. In fact, I actually think I’m lying on a blanket of stars. I glance around shakily, pushing myself to my hooves. A figure stands—a blur—in front of me.
“H-hello?” I call wearily, voice tense. The figure comes towards me, its coloring black. I shy away, trembling.
“Surprise,” it hisses. Now I can identify it—it has the form of a mare with no legs, just a trail of smoke that seems to push it forward. Two glowing white orbs pierce through the darkness of its hood, like twinkling diamonds.
“Who-who are you?”
“Death.” It floats closer. I flatten my ears. “You have met an unexpected tragedy, I’m afraid.”
I sit up, startled. “W-what? I’m . . . dead?”
“Yes.” Death’s voice is like rocks grating together.
“But what about my family? My parents? My friends?” I struggle to accept the truth. I can’t be dead-!
“They will mourn, and demand you have justice.” Death crawls slowly around me. “You will have it. But your time in Equestria was not finished.”
Pushing away my grief over being dead, I look up to the misty pony. “What do you mean ‘my time wasn’t finished’?”
Death puts its muzzle close to mine, tilting its head, and replied, “I am not supposed to take you. It is far too early for that.”
“Then I can go back to my body?” I ask hopefully. My hopes are immediately dashed into pieces as Death makes a disbelieving sound, shaking its head just slightly.
“No, I cannot, even if I wanted to. I would not want to burden you with the aftermath of your tragic murder.” Death sounds wistful. “You have a very kind, good natured soul. You would have done many things.”
I feel tears welling up in my violet eyes. “So . . . are you going to take me away now?” I'm confused when, once again, Death shakes its head. “Then what is going to happen to me?”
Death closes its eyes, light shining down under the eyelids so all I can see are two crescents. “Take this gift, and go.” My hoof moves against my will, and a small item drops into it. I stare down at the thing, confused. It's a little skull. I move my fearful and awed gaze back up to Death. Its eyes are still closed, and it moves towards me. I nearly shy away, but something inside me stops, and I feel an icy touch upon my forehead where Death presses its nose. My eyes are closed, but I open them just as the touch begins to fade away. The world is turning black and seems to drop away, the stars falling and laying in shattered pieces around me.
“Go . . .” I hear Death whisper one more time. An incredible feeling spreads through me; my back arches, and my wings open, fully extended. They reach across the once sparkling landscape, seeming to grow ten times their size. They fade away into light, and something glows above my head. My eyes are glowing—much like Death’s—and the world fades away.
I awaken on a flat plain. My wings are halfway unfurled at my sides, looking just as regular as they've always been. I stand up. At my hooves is the skull, sunlight reflecting off it. For a moment, I think I'm dreaming—that I've been dreaming—but the new lightness I feel rejects that idea. I glance around, searching for something I recognize. I find nothing, but spot a lake a few hundred meters away. Its surface is smooth and untouched. I soar towards it. Once I land, I approach the edge and look down at my reflection. I'm shocked by what I see.
My physical appearance is the same; what's new is the circular halo floating above my head. It shines brightly. I reach up a hoof and touch it, but I feel nothing. I study myself some more. My wings are huge once again. They spread dozens of feet to each side of me, just as graceful as Celestia’s. But there's something off with them—they're not there. I tear my eyes away from the surface of the water on which my reflection sits. My plain white wings answer my call. I glance back to the water. They're back. They seem to shimmer as they sit upon my back. I flap my wings, but I don’t feel them move.
I'm an angel, I realize. I've read about them—majestic and graceful, regal and righteous. How they appear as regular ponies, but are swirling with power on the inside. They aren't even ponies at all—they're some of the most beautiful beings in the universe. And I'm one of them.
Is this what Death meant when it said my time in Equestria wasn't finished? I ask myself. I study myself for a brief moment more, then turn away. But why the skull? I look down at it. I'd grabbed it before taking off. Now it sits, desolate, in my upturned hoof. I close my eyes and reach out with my consciousness, and discover it is pulsing with power. I open my eyes and sense they are glowing brightly. I blink several times to clear them, and then I place the charm into my mane.
I've got to help ponies. Death said my time is unfinished, so I must do good. I spread my wings and will myself to be in Moonlight. I feel the world moving around me so suddenly and I nearly lose my balance. I look around in shock to find that I am indeed in my hometown. Ponies walk by me, not even noticing. One walks right through me, and I cry out, a cold feeling tingling throughout my limbs. I breathe heavily for a few moments, heart hammering in my chest like a jackhammer.
Can I even be seen by them? I wonder. I turn and watch the pony that had passed through me. They continue on, not even aware of me. I frown and begin walking towards my old apartment. I enter the building and find several bouquets of flowers sitting at my door. I approach and see my picture sitting in the midst of them. My eyes well up with tears. The idea I'm dead is beginning to settle in again. And how I died . . . My frown of sadness becomes twisted with anger and fear. My wings click open in an act of aggression, blood roaring through my veins. I feel darkness welling inside my mind. But as soon as I notice, I clear my head, startled. I glance around. I'm still alone. Deciding to go towards the police station, I wish myself there and appear.
There's a pony sobbing over something as soon as I find my body. My fur is sickly pale, no longer a bright white. Several police ponies are off to the side, and there's another stallion in a lab coat that is probably the scientist that worked on my body, examining me. I go closer to my body and see blood on my fur. I remember the pony and turn my head; it's my mom. Her blonde mane falls over her eyes, hooves up on the table. Tears are running down her cheeks.
“Mom . . . I'm sorry,” I whisper. I find myself trying to touch her shoulder, but go right through her. I remove my hoof, disgusted. The two stallions—they're the ones who did this to me. Anger wells inside my mind and I don't hold it back this time. I rear up on my back hooves and unleash a roar of pent up agony. The ponies in the room stir, surprised. I calm down, panting, and notice their reactions. Their ears are pricked and eyes wide. The room is frequently dimming and brightening. I tilt my head up—the lights are flickering. I feel saddened as if I've bothered my mom. I vanish and appear outside of Moonlight. I sit on the edge of a cliff and dangle my legs over the edge.
I should kill those stallions. They've made my mom cry . . . I haven't even seen my friends yet. I wonder what they're feeling . . . I pop up in Firefly’s cloud home. I hear crying almost immediately. I search her house and find her in her room, pink figure curled up on her bed. Her shoulders are shaking and her tail is curled up around her body. I hear the sobbing.
I've just finished visiting my friends. They're crying. I looked at the date—it's about four days since I was . . . attacked. They must've found my body—though I don't know where. My heart burns in my chest. I can't let these acts go unpunished. Somewhere, inside of me, a little voice is telling me: don't do it. But I ignore it and search out the two stallions. They're in jail—no surprise there. I am transported there on a whim. I see them, hunched over and looking guilty, in their cell. I study them for a while, just watching. Something inside me discovers how to do it; how to appear. I flash into existence.
“What!” the first stallion shouts, falling off his cot.
“It's her! She's come for us!” the second yelled. “Please, spirit! Spare us!” The stallions crawl away, eyes wide. They both look as if they're on the verge of a panic attack.
“No,” I say plainly. “You have taken everything from me.” I'm feeling a sudden drain in my energy. I realize now that I am not supposed to appear—I've wasted more than I can afford. Suddenly, I remember the skull that Death gave me.
“Take this gift, and go . . .”
Gift? . . . A gift of life. I call upon it and absorb the energy from it. My eyes blacken and my halo crumbles away, wings blackening and imprinting on the floor. The stallions are screaming, but I ignore them and surge forward. Blood spatters under my hoof. I stand back, not even out of breath.
I feel good.
So that's it. I have forfeited everything Death gave to me, just to get revenge. I'm sitting on the ledge, staring out at the world. I'm weak—I'm no longer an angel, but a lost spirit, wandering this world for eternity. I feel like my soul has been tarnished and tainted. Part of me wants to go and undo it—so I can do better. But the other part of me would kill them again in a heartbeat.
What have I become . . .
A voice calls out to me. It's giving me hope, whatever it is. I'm suddenly feeling an urge to go towards it. I now know, I have another purpose in the world; a chance to redeem myself. I spread my wings . . . and leave.