A Pony Called Death

by thehalfelf

Discussions and Decisions

Discussions and Decisions

The guard bowed, closing the door behind him, leaving two mares alone in their room. The latch had barely clicked shut before one mare turned towards the other.

“Rosie, I really don’t think you should do this,” Roseluck said, turning towards her daughter.

“Okay, fine, geez,” Rose Petal said, putting the bottle of sparkling cider back in the ice chest. “I’ll get some water.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Roseluck replied, taking a seat on a bed and crossing her forehooves.

“So I can have the cider?”

“Yes. No. Since when do you ask me whether or not you can do something? How old are you?”

Rose fell onto her back, holding all four hooves in the air. “I’m dis many!” she exclaimed in a high pitched voice like a filly, swishing her tail in excitement.

Roseluck managed to avoid laughter, for a minute. The sight of her daughter wiggling around on the floor of the royal palace like an overexcited filly soon had the cream pony falling over onto the bed in stitches.

Rose Petal let out a couple more giggles before getting back on her hooves. Grabbing the cider from the ice chest, she walked back into the room with her mother, taking a seat across from her. She popped the cork, ignoring Roseluck’s disapproving glance.

“You shouldn’t be Death,” Roseluck said after righting herself on the bed. “I don’t think it’d be good for you.”

Rose took another drink, mulling her thoughts along with the crisp tang of the cider. “I want to,” she said after some time.

“Are you just doing this to go against me again? Honestly, Rose, I thought you were above that!”

“No! I want to because...” Rose trailed off, shifting her gaze towards the floor.

“Exactly,” Roseluck replied. “Just what I thought.”

“What else am I going to do?” the white pony asked, almost so quietly the other couldn’t hear.

“What?”

“What else am I going to do?” Rose shouted, jumping to her hooves and starting to pace. “Honestly, this is the best plan I’ve heard so far. Don’t get me wrong,” she quickly added after seeing her mother’s mildly hurt expression, “I love working in the shop with you and the other girls, but it isn’t really what I want to do my whole life.

“I mean, look at me!” Rose looked back to blooming pink rose on her flank. “What else am I going to do with a cutie mark like that? I love it, and I love the shop, and I love you girls, and I’m sure working with Cheerilee would be great, but I don’t think selling flowers is what I want to do my whole life.”

“So you want to take this instead! Look Rose, not wanting to work in a flower shop is all well and good, I didn’t like my first jobs either, but going to do something like this?” Roseluck threw a hoof out, motioning towards the splendor of the room. “And for the government? Hun, its not like working for Cheerilee. You can’t quit this job unless that Fate-book-thing says you can! This isn’t a career choice, it’s a life choice!”

“But it’s my choice to make, and one I think is best,” Rose countered, stopping her pacing to stare into her mother’s eyes. “I’m not a little filly anymore, mom. I’m old enough to make my own decisions.”

The cream pony sighed. “Yes, you are a grown mare Rosie, but just because you can make your own decisions doesn’t mean that you can see all the consequences,” Roseluck said, getting up and nuzzling her daughter. “I trust you, but I also know that you have a tendency to... rush into things without thinking.”

“Hey, that’s not totally true!” Rose exclaimed, but the cream mare ignored her.

“And this isn’t a thing that you can just say, ‘oops, this isn’t really what I want to do, sorry,’ and walk away. I love you, hun, and I don’t want to see you throw your life away. I just want to see you do better than me.” the elder mare led her daughter to the bed where the two sat side by side.

“Stop being nice and understanding, I’m trying to be mad at you,” Rose grumbled, but her smile gave her away. Roseluck wrapped a cream foreleg around her daughter, pulling her white body to hers.

“Well, I’m not stopping you.” Rose wiggled against her mother’s grip, but the other mare was just too strong. In the end, the younger decided to lean into the elder’s hug.

The two sat in silence until Roseluck took away the cider Rose had been sipping at. “What would you do, mom?” Rose asked after trying, and failing, to reclaim her bottle of cider.

“About what?” Roseluck asked, buying herself time to think of an answer that wouldn’t offend her daughter.

“You know, becoming Death.”

Roseluck squeezed Rose. “I wouldn’t. I’m happy in the shop with my sisters. It’s what we always wanted to do.”

“That’s the thing though, I don’t know what I want to do! I don’t have any plans for the future.”

The cream mare got off the bed. “Look, I just think you should put more thought behind this. It...” she looked like she wanted to continue, but she didn’t. Instead, she got up and walked into the kitchen, out of Rose’s sight. “Do you want som-”

“Want what?” Rose asked. As the silence stretched longer, she got off the bed, moving towards the kitchen door. “Mom?”

“Mmm, no, not quite,” a voice said from behind Rose. The white pony spun around, mentally tracing a route to the closest pair of guards in case she had to run. A black unicorn was standing by the window, which was still closed. He wore a black cloak which hid most of his body, revealing only his head topped with a gray mane and an ominous gleaming horn. “Guess again”

“Who are you? What do you want?” Rose asked, turning around to face the intruder.

“Oh, who I am isn’t important, for the moment. No, what is important is what I came for. Tomorrow, you will be offered a choice by Princess Luna about becoming Death, yes?” the stranger asked with a smug grin.

Naturally, Rose was skeptical. “Maybe, maybe not. What’s it to you?”

“Nothing much, little filly,” the unicorn said, stalking smoothly forward. “I happen to know something about the job. It can be... risky,” he said, quickly pushing his muzzle next to Rose’s, causing the smaller mare to push him roughly away. The stranger laughed, a deep, grating sound.

“I can handle myself,” Rose said, surprised by the iron in her voice.

That brought another deep chuckle from the stranger. “Well, let’s not find out the hard way. All you have to do is accept the job, and bring the Focus of the office to me. I’ll transfer it between us, and you can go on like you have been. You can even keep the pay.”

“What did you do with my mom?” Rose asked, hoping the change in tact would catch the stranger off guard.

“Hmm? Oh, the mare in the kitchen? Roseluck, right?” The stranger shared one of his creepy smiles. “She’s fine.”

Rose slowly moved back, keeping the stranger in her sight, until she saw her mom, frozen in mid-sentence over the table in the small kitchen, facing the door. When she turned back to the window, the stranger was gone. The white mare stepped into the kitchen to check on her mom, when she felt a hoof on her shoulder. She screamed.

“You know,” the stranger said, his mouth right next to Rose’s ear. “Death is such a dangerous job.” Another hoof wrapped around Rose’s neck, making the mare choke. “I wouldn’t want something bad to happen to such a pretty filly.”

Rose wriggled and squirmed, trying to get out of the grasp of the stranger. Despite her best efforts, the grip just tightened, cutting off Rose’s breath. The world was starting to go dark at the edges, when the door burst open.

“Release her,” a pony that sounded a lot like Princess Luna. Almost instantly, the pressure around Rose’s throat vanished, causing the winded earth pony to fall to the ground. Behind her, in the next room over, she heard shuffling hooves and heavy breathing, followed shortly after by the sound of shattering glass, and a familiar deep laugh. A few moments later, a pony knelt down next to Rose.

“Are you okay?” the voice asked.

“--thing to eat? Oh my goddess! Rose!” On the other side, another pony crouched down, running her hooves over the white mare, turning her head so that she faced her mother. “Rosie, are you okay?”

“Mmfine,” Rose managed to choke out through her constricted windpipe.

“Here, allow me,” the Luna-voice said before Rose found herself suspended in a nimbus of blue light. Slowly, she was moved through the air, finally to be deposited on top of the plush bed. Sure enough, as soon as she could, Rose looked up into the concerned face of Princess Luna herself. Roseluck quickly pushed her way through, unceremoniously shoving Luna out of the way in her haste to get to her daughter.

“Rosie, speak to me. Are you okay? How many hooves am I holding up?”

“I’m alright, mom. I’m fine,” Rose said, hoping to reassure her panicked mother.

“How many hooves am I holding up!?” Roseluck insisted, shaking her hoof in the air.

“One.” With some effort, Rose struggled up to a sitting position. “Princess, thank you.”

Princess Luna opened her mouth, but then closed it and simply nodded. “‘Twas no problem. I would not let a pony die in my castle.”

“But... who was that?” Rose asked, though she was drowned out by her mother.

“Princess, who was that? What kind of crazy pony breaks into the castle, and assaults ponies!? W-What was he going to do to my daughter!? Is this city filled with rapist-psycho-ponies!? Are the guards so incompetent that--”

“Enough.” The princess did not shout, but her voice stilled the smaller cream mare, who quickly dropped into a bow and began spewing apologies. “Do not apologize, I also will not criticize one for caring for their offspring.”

“Thank you, your majesty,” Roseluck said, rising from her bow to climb up and lie next to Rose.

“To answer your question,” Luna continued, “that was, I believe, the spirit of Mortis.”

“The original Death?” Rose asked. Luna nodded, so the white mare continued. “Okay, but what did he want from me?”

“That, I do not know. Did he say anything to you?”

“Well, he wanted me to take the office and--”

“Absolutely not!” Roseluck shouted. “I admit, I was on the fence about it, but I was leaning towards agreeing with you, Rosie, but after this, there is no way that I’m going to let you do this!”

“Miss, with all due respect--” Luna started, but was quickly cut off.

“Let me? Let me!?” Rose Petal shouted. “What happened to ‘you’re old enough to make your own decisions,’ huh?”

“Rosie, that’s not what I meant...” Roseluck started, but it was too late.

“No, I thought about it, and I’ve decided I want to.” Rose turned towards Princess Luna. “I’ll do it. I’ll be Death.”

“No, you can’t!” Roseluck turned to Luna. “You can’t let her do this!”

“She is a legal adult, Miss Roseluck. She can make her own decisions,” Luna replied. “I shall inform Cloud. We will transfer the office tomorrow. Roseluck, you are welcome to stay for the ceremony.” With that, the princess walked out the door, bidding the other two good night.

The door clicked shut. “Mom, I--” Rose began.

“I’m going out for a walk,” Roseluck said, cutting her daughter off. The cream mare got up, and followed the princess out the door, leaving Rose Petal alone in the opulent room.

Rose Petal blinked. Great. What have I gotten myself into? She shook her head, and crawled into one side of the bed, shutting her eyes.

But sleep never came.

Author's Note:

Wow. Shortest chapter so far, but so, so terribly important plot-wise. This also marks the point where I've finished the story outline in my head, so writing chapters will be easier, and they will probably come quicker. This is shaping up to be a very fast ride. Hope y'all are buckled in.

-thehalfelf

Comments

[TheCloudtop]

This looks good. Whoever did the editing job really knows what they are doing.