Reaper Mare

Recovering Death, Applejack asked his leave to go and check on her remaining family. She was worried about Mac and Bloom. She had promised Bloom that she would return and Macintosh would be devastated over what he certainly felt was a personal failure. But it wasn't just her blood kin that worried her. Rarity, Twilight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy were considered honorary Apples and she wanted to be certain that they would carry on as well.

Death never quite understood the mortal need for closure, but it knew it would have to accommodate that need and others while Applejack transitioned. It granted permission, on the condition that Applejack attend her first lesson.

The pony in the bed was old and withered. She had seen her around town before, but had never bothered to learn her name. She couldn't figure out if this was a good thing or a bad thing. If she had known her name, what she was about to witness would be a lot more personal and, thus, more difficult. But, as the nameless elder mare had no story other than what Applejack had witnessed, there was nothing personal about what had to be done.

She watched closely as Death waited. The heart monitor beeped loudly, each beep counting off a beat of the old mare's heart. As her time grew nearer, the beeps grew less frequent. Applejack grew tenser with every beep, silently wishing the old pony would just give it up and kick the bucket.

Finally, a single tone sounded. Her heart had stopped.

WATCH CAREFULLY.

Death drew a scythe from the air by its head and gripped the handle in its teeth. They both watched as the mare's body seemed to shimmer for a moment before a semitransparent mare sat up, independent of the body. She looked around her, first noticing Applejack, then Death.

“Well, it's about pony-pickin' time.” She grouched, “I've been waitin' for your bony plot ever since I ended up in this clean threshold of Tartarus.”

Applejack's mouth fell open in shock. She had expected tears, pleading, begging for more time. Not an impatient nag upset that she didn't die sooner.

ALL THINGS IN THEIR OWN TIME. Death responded.

“Blah, blah, blah. C'mon, let's blow this Popsicle stand.” She tapped her hoof as she waited.

A MOMENT LONGER. Death chided before passing something to Applejack. She stared down at the pendant it had given her, a silvery Ankh.

THIS DEVICE WILL ALLOW YOU TO MOVE FREELY BETWEEN MY REALM AND THE MORTAL PLAIN. I WILL SEE HER OVER TO THE NEXT LIFE. AFTERWARDS, I WILL RETURN TO MY REALM. PLEASE MEET ME THERE. I REALIZE YOU HAVE A NEED FOR CLOSURE, BUT DO NOT LINGER. THERE IS MUCH TO DO AND LITTLE TIME TO DO IT IN.

“But you're Death and Ah'm dead,” Applejack protested, “We have all eternity to do what needs to be done.”

I HAVE ROAMED FOR MANY YEARS, APPLEJACK. IF THERE IS ONE THING I'VE LEARNED, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ETERNITY.

She watched as the both vanished before leaving the hospital room. As she passed through the doorway, a team of doctors and nurses charged in and would have run her right over if she had been alive. She retraced her steps, pausing to check on Rainbow once more before continuing on.

As she rounded a corner, a small colt stood directly in front of her. He looked rough with a black eye and a cut on his muzzle.

“Hi.” He chirped happily.

She was slightly surprised. Insofar, the only being that had noticed her was Death. “Y'all can see me?”

The colt rolled his eyes. “Well, duh. I'm dead, not blind.”

“If you're dead, why are ya still hangin' around here?” She challenged.

He sighed and bit his lower lip. “Because I'm not good enough to go to Elysium.”

Her heart went out to the little one as all of the pieces began to fall into place. She folded her legs and sat down. “Why not? Y'all seem good enough to me.”

“I'm not as good as my sister. She went to Elysium when I was still very little. That made Mommy sad. She wanted me to be as good as my sister, but I just couldn't get it right. Every time I screwed up, she got really mad and punished me.” He hung his head, his ears folding back. “I deserved to be punished.”

Nopony deserved to be punished as much as he had been, Applejack thought to herself, except his mother. “What happened?”

The colt pawed at the floor. “Uh...one night, I peed the bed. It was an accident, but it made Mommy really, really mad. She punished me and accidentally knocked me down the stairs. That's all I remember, really.”

“Didn't...didn't Death come?”

“Oh, yeah,” the little colt nodded. “And he told me it was time to go. I was going to go be with my sister forever. I told him I wasn't good enough. I had been very bad and I needed to be really good if I wanted to go to Elysium and be with my sister.”

She nodded, slipping a foreleg beneath the ankh, extending it to show the colt, who's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates.

“Y'see this?”

He nodded.

“Know what it means?”

He shook his head.

“It means that Ah work for Death. Ah've been watchin' you and Ah like what Ah've been seein'. Y'all have been a good boy and Ah think ya deserve to go to Elysium.”

“You do?” He asked excitedly.

“Eeyup.” She confirmed with a nod. “Now, Ah can't take ya there, mahself, but Ah can certainly put in a good word with the big guy. When Ah do, we'll come back to get ya.”

“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you.” The colt squealed, hopping about in his ecstasy.

She chuckled, happy to bring a bit of light into this dreary afterlife. “Ah don't know how long it'll take me to get back to ya, so Ah'll need ya to be patient. Ah promise ya Ah'll be back as soon as Ah can. Can ya wait that long?”

“I've been waiting for five years.” The colt said, giving her a look. “I can wait a little longer.”

Applejack kept up a false smile while she trotted away, letting out a sob the moment she knew she was out of sight. She raised a foreleg to wipe at her eyes, even though no tears had formed. If any pony deserved Elysium, it was that little colt. If only for what he had endured during his brief life.

Since the library was close to the Hospital, it made a convenient first stop. Applejack poked her head through the front door, expecting to see a tearful or just generally depressed Twilight reorganizing her shelves, as she often did when something was bothering her. However, the library itself was empty. From the apartment above, she could hear the sound of pacing. Cautiously, she mounted the stairs.

Twilight trotted about, gathering bits of equipment from around the room and stuffing them into her already full saddle bags. The unicorn had a slightly-manic look in her eyes as she went through a checklist with Spike.

"Rope?"

"Check."

"Lantern?"

"Check."

"Poncho?"

"Check."

"And maps?"

"Check. Where are we going," Spike asked.

Twilight laughed. "We are not going anywhere. I am going up into those mountains, with Shining and some of the Royal Guard, and arrest those griffons. Just have to wait for Celestia to give us her approval."

"And if she doesn't?"

"What do you mean, 'if she doesn't'? Of course she will. Applejack was a national hero, one of the Elements of Harmony, to say nothing of what happened to Rainbow Dash. I mean, do you really think that she'll let a crime like that go unpunished? No way."

Spike hiccuped and gave a loud belch, expelling a scroll bearing Celestia's personal mark.

Twilight hummed merrily as she picked up the scroll and opened it. "Justice always prevails," she informed Spike before clearing her throat and reading.

"My most faithful student:

I was saddened upon hearing the news of Applejack's demise.This is truly a loss for the nation of Equestria as well as a great personal loss. Surrounded as I am with 'yes-mares', she was one of the few I could count on to give me a truly honest opinion. She has done more to make this world a better place than those who came before her. Please let me know when and where the funeral will be held as Luna and I would like to pay our respects.

Concerning your request to bring her murderers to justice, I cannot, in good conscience, allow this. There is too little evidence that this was little more than a tragic accident. The only witness we have to the event, Rainbow Dash, is in no condition to tell her tale and likely won't be for some time. Furthermore, ties between the Equestrian nation and Griffonia are strained and I cannot condone what will be little more than a mad goose chase through the world without risking open war between our lands. Finally, I cannot allow my personal student to risk her life in such a manner. Your parents left your care in my hooves and I intend to do their faith justice. Please understand that, were it not for these three factors, I would love nothing more than to grant your wish, but I can not.

My deepest love and sincerest condolences to you and your friends.

Princess Celestia."

Twilight began to hyperventilate as she read through the letter again and again. "No. Nononononononono. How could she do this? Why would she do this?"

She breathed deeply, letting out a ferocious roar and incinerating the letter. Several large pieces of furniture levitated and launched themselves out the windows. A cyclone of debris began to build and grow rapidly as Twilight lost control. In the midst of it all, she wept, shrieking her rage at being betrayed.

Spike charged through the maelstrom and tackled her. The contact broke her concentration and caused everything to fall.

“It's going to be okay.” He whispered. “I miss her too, but it's going to be okay.”

Twilight snorted to clear her head. “I want you to write a letter.” She said, her voice thick with tears.

Spike nodded and produced a scroll and quill. “Alright, to who?”

“Princess Celestia.”

She stood and began to pace. “Dear, Most-wise Ruler.” Only a fool would miss the sarcasm in that statement.

“I want you to take your apologies and condolences and blow them out your over-sized plot...”

“Twilight, are you sure you...”

“Write it!” The unicorn snapped. She resumed her pacing, “I thought, after all Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and I had done for you, you would feel obliged to, at least, investigate such a foul crime as to take the life of one of the Elements of Harmony. I guess you proved me the fool. We have faced down horrors that you and your obnoxious little sister were too cowardly to tend to yourself. Any capable ruler would lead her own troops into battle and face death with them, rather than sit on her tail and stuff her muzzle with cake while pretending that there was some ultimate lesson behind her craven and idle ways. I do hope you, one day, choke upon your precious cake so that I might dance and piss upon your grave.

“Go stick your horn where the sun doesn't shine.” She took the scroll and quill from him to add her own signature with a proud flourish before handing it back to him. “Now, send it!”

“Twilight, I really think you should calm down and rest before you do anything rash that you don't mean to do.”

“Just send it!” Twilight bellowed.

Spike held up the scroll and inhaled, expelling green fire to send away the awful letter.

“Twilight, girl, what are you doing?” Applejack whispered.

“I'm going to get you something to help you rest. You haven't slept since...since we got the news.” Spike dashed downstairs, dodging broken furniture as he raced for the kitchen. Applejack followed, curious as to what the little dragon was up to.

Once in the kitchen, Spike withdrew another scroll and hastily scribbled a note.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Please excuse Twilight's earlier letter. She's crazy with grief and anger and she hasn't slept in days. I'm sure that once she calms down, she'll want to apologize. Please know that Twilight did not mean anything she said.

Sincerely, Spike.

Before anyone had a chance of stopping him, he exhaled fire and sent the apology letter on its way.

“'Atta, boy, Spike. Ah knew ya always had a good head on your shoulders.” She said with a satisfied nod.

She watched as he went into a low cabinet and pulled out a bottle of amber liquid. “I know we were saving this for a really special occasion.” He said to himself as he pulled the cork out of the mouth. “But you need it now.”

Carefully, he poured a measure of the brown, strong-smelling liquor into a cup and carefully carried it back up to Twilight. Even the fumes were enough to make him a bit dizzy as he passed it to Twilight. The unicorn wrinkled her nose as she took the cup in her magic.

“What's this?”

“Something to help you rest.” Spike responded.

“Yeah, she'll rest alright.” Applejack observed.

Twilight emptied the contents into her mouth. Between her physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion and the fact that she wasn't a heavy drinker, the alcohol took effect immediately. She managed three wobbly steps before crashing to the floor.

Shaking his head sadly, Spike retrieved the blanket and draped it over her. “You're not the only one hurting, Twilight. I really wish you could see that.”

Applejack hung her head, trudging away slowly as Spike curled up next to Twilight and succumbed to his own exhaustion. Twilight was the more level-headed member of their group. Applejack could only imagine what the fragile Fluttershy, the dramatic Rarity, or the unstable Pinkie would be like. Any way she looked at it, it didn't look good. It seemed she filled an important role in the group dynamic and, with her gone, how would such change affect the group? She didn't know and she wasn't sure she wanted to.