A Pony Called Death

by thehalfelf

Vacation

Vacation

The train compartment was practically buzzing with excitement. Roseluck decided that the best way to Neighagra Falls involved a day train, and so here they sat. For another fourteen hours. Of fun.

Fun, and I Spy.

...Fun.

“Okay Roseluck, okay, I spy with my little eye, something... orange!” Daisy said.

“Orange? What’s orange...?” Lilly wondered out loud. “Orange... Orange...” She stuck her tongue between her teeth and chewed on it as she looked around.

“Uh, sunsets are orange,” Roseluck replied, mimicking her sister’s expression.

“It’s a little early for the sunset.”

“Well, yeah. I was just saying that sunsets are orange, is all.” Roseluck blew a lock of hair out of her eyes. “Oh! Is it my saddlecase?”

Daisy blinked in confusion. “You’re saddlecase is orange?”

“My old one was.”

Rose Petal rested her head on the bouncing side of the carriage, letting the conversation of her mother and aunts fade into background noise. Upon hearing the news, her mother acted upset for her, but at the same time, Rose Petal knew she was relieved. If she didn’t know better, Rose would have thought her mother put Fate up to it.

She tried to keep herself upbeat with the thought of going to a cabin in Neighagra Falls. The last time they went, Rose was a little foal, and she always fancied she hadn’t really enjoyed it. Still, it was hard to look forward to a weekend away, when the job she had to come back to was working in the flower shop with her mother and and aunts. Not the worst job, but compared to Death it held no appeal.

Out of things to think about, Rose turned her attention back to the squabbling adults. “...there aren’t many things that are orange,” Daisy was saying. “It shouldn’t be that hard.”

“But we’ve said everything!” Lilly complained. “I give up.” She crossed her hooves and glared out the window, every once in awhile looking back into the car to see who was watching her pout.

Rose Petal sighed. “It’s the brochure,” she said. Everypony in the car turned to stare at her.

“Yay, you got it!” Daisy said after a pause. “Your turn!”

“Woah, woah, hold up. How in the world did you get that, Rose? You weren’t even paying attention!” Lilly argued.

Wordlessly, Rose pointed to the bright orange sunset depicted on a brochure sitting next to Daisy.

“But I said sunset!” Roseluck complained. “It was my first guess.”

“You didn’t say it was on the brochure,” Daisy countered. “It’s Rose’s turn.”

“You can have it, mom,” Rose Petal said. “I don’t really like I Spy.”

Roseluck placed a hoof on her daughter’s shoulder. “You alright?”

“M’fine, just tired.” Not wanting her mother to see the truth, Rose looked away. “Long night last night.”

“Do you want to--” To Roseluck’s surprise, it wasn’t Rose who cut her off, but Lily. Silently, the pink pony shook her head. “To... get some rest? We can go to the...” she glanced around quickly, searching for something to finish her sentence with. “The dining car to get something to eat.”

“But we ate before we-- Owwww, Lily, what was that for?” Daisy rubbed her left hind leg with her forehooves and shot a glare at her sister. Lily leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Ohhhh...” One by one, the three sisters rose to their hooves and left the car.

Rose Petal scooted over to the now vacant window seat, and rested her head on the cool glass.

*****

For their weekend getaway, Roseluck had dipped into her savings and rented the family a two bedroom cabin, back up in the woods at the top of the waterfall. The bedrooms were located on the second floor of the small cabin, and both looked out over the waterfall. Aside from a small washroom, the rest of the cabin was on the lower floor.

“So, what do you think girls?” Roseluck asked, turning around once they were all back in the foyer. “It’s a little small, but it was the only one that was open that had two rooms.”

“It’s lovely,” Lily said. “So, I’ll take the room on the right, and you three can share the left yeah?” She beamed, pointedly ignoring the annoyed glares of the rest of her family.

“Uh, no. Lily, you and Daisy have the room on the left, Rose and I have the one on the right.” Roseluck heaved a sigh, looking out the windows. The moon looked back. “It’s been a long day, and I’m tired, and going to bed.” She turned to her daughter. “Don’t stay up too late,” she said before turning and heading back up the stairs.

Lily and Daisy exchanged looks. “I-I think I will too... I guess,” Daisy said before skittering up the stairs herself as fast as could be considered proper.

“Listen, Rosie--” Rose raised a hoof, cutting her aunt off.

“Mom asked you to talk to me, didn’t she?” Rose accused. Lily’s shifting glance answered. “Look, I know she’s worried, and maybe you are too, but I’m fine. Really.”

Lily opened her mouth to respond, but a knock on the door stole her words. With a look towards Rose, Lily headed towards the door. “Uh, hello? I’m sorry, we weren’t exactly expecting...” the door creaked open, “visitors... Uh...”

“We are here to see Rose Petal. May we come in?” The pony on the other side of the door was hidden, but the voice was unmistakable.

“R...Rosie, the... Princess Luna is here to see you...” Lily mumbled, stepping back. Gracefully, Luna stepped into the small foyer. She shuffled her wings nervously and refused to meet Rose’s gaze. It was the pony behind the princess, however, that Rose was least happy to see, a sandy earth pony mare with a cotton white mane.

“I... I’ll be upstairs. With Daisy. And Roseluck... Yeah...” Still in a bit of a daze, Lily trundled up the stairs,

Luna cleared her throat, reshuffling her wings again. “Rose...”

“Miss Rose Petal, I must apologize,” Divine Sight said. Luna glanced over at her, indignant at being cut off. “It would seem I was... incorrect in my first judgement of you.”

“Your first judgement...” Rose trailed off. Freezing a blank look on her face, she turned to Princess Luna. “Good evening, Luna. Can I help with something?”

Divine Sight cleared her throat, attempting to recapture attention. “I came here with the princess to--”

“I didn’t ask you.” Rose turned her glare onto Fate, causing the mare to splutter into silence. “Princess?”

Luna took a deep breath. “Rose... Fate was wrong.” Next to her, Divine Sight scoffed, but Luna pressed on. “After you left, she brought in a new candidate for the office of Death, by the name of Shade.”

“I thought he was bad news,” Divine Sight mumbled to herself.

“In the two days since then, all deaths everywhere have stopped.” Luna paused to let her words sink in. “We need you to come back with us to Canterlot, where we are going to meet the new Death. The office is yours once again.”

Despite her best efforts, a look that could only be described as ‘serves you right’ flitted over Rose’s face as she turned to look at Divine Sight. “Is this true?”

Looking like she just swallowed a lemon, Fate nodded.

“Mom! I’m going back to Canterlot with the princess to get my job back!” Rose shouted over her shoulder. Before the trio could even think about moving towards the door, however, a very loud bang, followed by several smaller ones that shook the entire house stopped them in their tracks.

“You... you’re going to.... what!?” Roseluck panted, rubbing her muzzle with a hoof.

“Rose’s...” Luna tossed a glance to the very sheepish sandy mare, “colleague was mistaken in her judgement of your daugher, and as such, we have re-offered her the position of Death, should she want it.”

“Which I do,” Rose hastily added.

“B-But, Rose, our family vacation...” Roseluck’s ears drooped. “You were off for two days. I won’t let you overwork yourself anymore.”

Rose turned to look her mother in the eyes. “I won’t, mom. I know what I have to do, for Cloud, for you, and for myself.” With a deep breath, she turned back to Luna and to Fate. “I have to banish Mortis.

“Let’s go.”

*****

Perched near the cliff of the falls was a carriage not at all like the one that had shuttled Rose back home two days previous. That one had been built for comfort, for show. The two pegasi pulling it were Royal Guard, of course, but probably just recruits, or ponies who only shuttled the princess’ guests around.

This one, on the other hoof, was obviously built much more streamlined, if not stronger. Two sets of guards stood nearby, waiting patiently. Without invitation, Fate climbed into the carriage, followed by Luna. Warily, Rose climbed in last, shutting the thin golden door behind her. As they waited for the guards to retake their positions, Rose couldn’t help but hope the chest-high barrier around the edges of the carriage would be enough if something happened; after all, she no longer had the Death cloak to protect her.

Long before Rose was ready to fly, one of the guards spoke up. “On your go, Your Majesty,” he said, wasting no breath.

“Hold on,” Luna cautioned Rose before turning back to the flight team. “Go.”

Four pairs of wings raised and forced themselves down as one. Against all evidence saying it was impossible, the gilded cart rose in tandem with the pegasi, letting itself rise slowly into the air before really taking off, rocketing out over the falls, then back around towards Canterlot.

“So, what do I need to do?” Rose shouted over the wind. “Get the cloak and scythe back from this Shade character and then deaths start again?”

“I am not totally sure,” Luna replied, equally loud. “Understandably, this is somewhat of a new problem for me, but I assume so.”

“Sounds simple enough.” The necessity of shouting over the wind, and lack of words to shout, quickly ground the conversation to a halt. Despite her dislike of flying, Rose found herself nodding off. A fourteen hour train ride out had turned into a three hour flight back that ended with a rather large thump, shocking the young mare from her uneasy sleep.

There must have been a door on the other side of the carriage as well, for Luna and Divine Sight were already out. “Come,” Luna motioned with a hoof, “we must hurry.” Rose practically fell from the cart in her haste to catch up and match pace as the alicorn walked through the door to the castle.

Princess Luna took the lead, guiding Rose and Divine Sight through the castle with a determined, but not too hasty, stride. As they walked, Rose tossed a glance to the sandy mare next to her. Showing some measure of humility, Fate refused to meet her eyes.

The group made good time, arriving in the office with a few minutes to spare before Shade was set to join them and relinquish the Office. Each of the three mares took a seat in the room and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Finally, after almost two hours of nothing but expectant silence, stewing in the same thoughts bouncing around in her head for the last two days, Rose sighed angrily. “So, Divine Sight,” she said. Luna gave her a warning look, but she ignored it. “Let me get something straight.”

Divine Sight gulped audibly.

“You took my office, for something you never bothered to say I was doing wrong?”

Fate nodded.

“You then gave the cloak to another pony, who proceeded to do something that was actually wrong?”

Another, shakier, nod.

“And now, that pony isn’t going to show up?” Rose tried to hide it, but her anger was slowly bubbling into her speech, giving each word the sting of a discharged thunderhead.

A faint squeak answered.

Rose made a noncommittal noise and buried her gaze into her hooves. Two very deep, calming breaths later, she turned her attention to the princess. “So, what’s the plan?” Divine Sight cringed at the terse words, but relaxed once she realized they weren’t directed to her.

Luna chewed her lip, eyes shifting between Rose, Fate, and a row of books on a lonely shelf. “I... I do not know. Nothing even close to this has ever happened before. We-I, I will have to talk to Sister.” With a weary sigh, she rubbed her face with a hoof. “The carriage will return you to your cabin. I shall have Fate contact you when we have an appropriate solution.”

“What!?” Divine Sight shouted, voice cracking. “W-With all due respect, Your Majesty, I can’t--”

“Being afraid of one’s co-workers is not normally smiled upon in the work force,” Luna replied with a barely suppressed grin.

Catching on, Rose gave the other mare another good look at her blank glare. “You did cause all of this, you know. It’s only right that you help fix it.”

“I am trying,” Divine Sight whined, rising from her seat and slowly edging back towards her pedestal. “I shall scour the skein of life, and my own past recollections, and attempt to find answer.” Without a second thought, she disappeared in a white light, returning to her book and pedestal.

With a light laugh, Luna turned back to Rose. “Return to your vacation; you’ve earned it. I shall speak to Sister and ponder myself. Hopefully we can resolve this soon.”

Rose slowly got to her hooves and made towards the large door. “I hope so too. I never thought I’d say it, but I miss my job... Have a nice night, Luna.”

“And you as well.”

Comments

[Rhulain]

THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT? I WANT A CHAPTER WORTH READING! This chapter serves no purpose whatsoever! Literally nothing happens. This chapter is lame. You trick us through the chapter into expecting to see this 'shade' and Rose's meeting, but then you just "LAWL NOPE!" The Fuck? YOU CAN'T HAVE 13 GREAT CHAPTERS FOLLOWED BY A SORRY EXCUSE LIKE THIS!

for shame.

don't ever stop

[thehalfelf]

3491288
...I'm not sure if this comment should piss me off, or if I should just ignore it. Just be warned that another comment like this, and your ass is getting blocked.

[quick_study]

3491288
fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/240/b/5/i_have_no_idea_by_irainbowdash-d483mm4.jpg

[Rhulain]

3492681

Very well.

[Dusty Old Qrow]

“I have to banish Mortis

WELL IF THAT ISN'T A WHAM LINE I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS.

FUCK.
This story is awesome.

[thehalfelf]

3493386
Tell that to this asshat. 3491288

[Dusty Old Qrow]

3491288 This chapter does serve purpose. It tells us that Fate was wrong in her judgement of Rose, and there is another conflict that needs resolved. Shade needs to give up the office of Death so Rose can banish Mortis and save ponies who will be needlessly killed by him, and to avenge Cloud.