Mortis, the Spirit of Nightmare Night
I never really liked Nightmare Night. Crazy huh? For some reason I always liked Hearth’s Warming Eve. Why couldn’t I be a Hearth’s Warming Eve spirit like Saint Hooves, or a spirit for Hearts n’ Hooves Day or maybe even a Saint Patrick’s Day spirit!? Is that too much to ask? The Universe thought so. It decided to set me up as a spirit for the holiday I hated the most. Nightmare Night.
Nightmare Night is different. It’s not a time for opening gifts. It’s not a time for getting that special somepony and it’s not even a day named after a pony! Well, it is technically but let’s not go into that. I wasn’t always a scary headless horse. I actually started out as a regular Unicorn. Not many ponies know that. I hardly think that anypony who is still alive remembers that I was a Unicorn. No. They won’t remember because they’re all DEAD! I have to go on living while every single pony I know dies. I watched them grow old. I watched them age. And finally, finally I watched them die.
I now collect souls for the Goddess of Death. I’m her soul-reaper. They shouldn’t call me Mortis the Headless Horse. They should call me Mortis the Soul-Reaper. That’s a good title. I’m stuck with Mortis the Headless Horse because I’m a literal headless horse.
My life as a headless started when my head got lopped off for being treasonous against the pony race. During the war between Griffins and Ponies I was a messenger. I was one of the fastest ponies in that era. This was Pre-Discordian era mind you but enough of that. I had just delivered a letter when the Griffin asked me to do something for him. He asked me to go back to my Princess and he wanted me to kill her sister. I was shocked that he would suggest such a thing.
I ran back to the castle and I was just about to tell the Princess what the Griffin ordered me to do but I then saw her sister walk in. The Griffin had told me to slay The Princess’s sister in front of her eyes.
I pulled out my sword and everything went by in slow motion. I saw her eyes open wide in fear. Saw the Princess charge up a spell. I managed to chop her head off just before the spell hit me. It must have been an anaesthetic type of spell. I drifted off to happy-land while the Princess only saw rage.
When I came to I had discovered I was in prison. I realised what I had done. I had killed the Princess’s sister, all for my family. My family. What would they think of me now? Throughout all the months I was in prison not one single member of my family had come to see me. Maybe I wasn’t allowed to get visitors. Maybe they couldn’t stand the sight of me. I slumped down on the bed and drifted to sleep. The next morning I was taken to an executioner’s block. It was a public execution. Come one, come all! Come and see the great catastrophe that has befallen our dear Princess. Please bear witness to the execution of the Princess’s killer! That’s what I thought he would say but nope, he just chopped my head off. No fanfare, no mourning. I never saw the light of day again.
Or so I thought. I thought I was dead but no, I’m alive. I have no idea why I was alive until I was brought forth before the Council of Holiday Spirits. There were four spirits. Saint Hooves the Reindeer, the Spirit of Hearth’s Warming Eve. Athena the Serpent, the Spirit of Hearts n’ Hooves Day. Dagran the Ram, the Spirit of St. Patrick’s Day. Finally, Grimalkin the Witch, the Spirit of Nightmare Night. Grimalkin motioned for me to sit down on the chair behind me.
“You have been brought forth before this Council because the Universe foretold it so.” Dagran lowed.
“I was brought forth because of the Universe?”
“Don’t interrupt!” Saint Hooves bellowed.
“As I was saying, you were brought forth because of, yes, the Universe. But this is only because of Grimalkin. She is dying and is need of a replacement.”
“That’s it? The whole reason why I was brought forth before this Council is because of a dying Spirit? What the hell is the Universe talking about? I don’t even LIKE Nightmare Night!” At this point the whole Council gasped.
“You must take this into consideration. Grimalkin has been on the Council and a Spirit of Nightmare Night for nigh on two thousand years. She is close to her retirement and she may live out the rest of her dying days in peace. If you don’t want the job and continue to live than that’s fine by me. You can just die and stay dead.” I was shocked at this statement. I hadn’t thought of it like that before. Another chance at life? But I would see my family, my friends die. They probably don’t even care about me. I sighed and stood up.
“Fine. I’ll take Grimalkin’s place. But only because of another chance at life!” The Council Spirits seem a bit taken aback at that. We all watch Grimalkin as she let out an unearthly sound. It sounded like it was caught between a sigh and a scream. She then just went poof. Just like that. Poof.
“Hmmm. She was closer to death than we thought.” Dagran rubbed his goatee in a thoughtful way. Athena then spoke. This is the first time she spoke since I entered the chamber.
“I think he should start right away.” Athena had an ethereal quality to her voice.
“Yes. I think you’re right.” Dagran was still stroking his chin thoughtfully, looking at the place Grimalkin last sat.
“Oh fine. If we must, we must.” The Spirit of Hearth’s Warming Eve stood up and stomped twice. This seemed to mean that the meeting was adjourned. The three spirits filed out without even another glance towards me. What was I supposed to do? They hadn’t told me what I was meant to do. I floated outside and realised it was night. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed overhead. I saw a fork of lightning lance right towards me. It went right through it and there was nary a scratch on me. I couldn’t believe my …. What? How am I even seeing this? How am I even talking!? It must have been by the pony who resurrected me. Or maybe it was the Universe. In the distance I saw the Spirit of Saint Patrick’s Day stroll towards me.
“I almost forgot. Your orders.” He handed me a piece of parchment with some text scribbled on it. The signature on the bottom looked like it was from the Goddess of Death herself. I quickly ran towards her throne and bowed down to her. I didn’t even know where it was! It must have been the Universe again.
“You wanted to see me?”
“Yes I did Mortis. I wanted to see what the new Spirit of Nightmare Night was like. I was told many things about you.” She started to pace around my bowed figure.
“Like what your highness?”
“Things like, for example, things like that you don’t even like Nightmare Night. It’s understandable for kids to not like Nightmare Night but for a grown stallion? It just won’t cut it.”
“Please mistress. I didn’t even ask for this job. I just wanted to rest in pieces.” She laughed at my terrible pun.
“No, I think you’ll do just fine. Even for a pony who hates Nightmare Night. You start your double job of scaring the little fillies and foals by becoming a legend.”
“And what’s the other job?”
“You other job will be to collect souls for me. Your predecessor, Grimalkin, did this before you and so shall the Spirit after you.” With that, I began my life as a soul-reaper and a legend. I’ve been doing this for about a thousand years and I’ve got another thousand to go. You will hear about me at the next Nightmare Night. Have fun screaming ……….
