A Collection of Encounters

Chapters

One Final Act of Love
Of Apples and Notebooks
The Fashion Designer and the Goth

One Final Act of Love

There were good owners, and there were bad owners. There were those who took their beloved pets to the vet if they so much as had a splinter, while there were those who didn’t remember to feed their pets for weeks. There were those who found clever ways to keep their pets active and get them to exercise, while others simply let their pet wither away to skin and bones. This was a fact and it was a fact Fluttershy did not take lightly.

Many shelters through out Equestria claimed to be caring and kind towards their tiny wards, and while many truly were, there were those that were… careless.

They would give away their animals to whomever could afford the basic fee and that would be the end of it. They had no idea what kind of homes or situations the poor creatures could potentially end up in. Fluttershy knew too many of these countless horrors and desperately tried not to think about it, she didn’t want to imagine all of those innocent animals suffering so horribly. She knew she couldn’t save every animal in Equestria, but she would be damned if she didn’t take care of the animals in Ponyville.

Fluttershy had her own set of standards when it came to adoption, to the point that she liked to consider herself the strictest of pet adoption agencies in the land. If she didn’t know the pony personally, she would run a series of background checks, home visits, and if they were clearly serious about adopting a pet and raising it right, she would offer help and advice. Her major concern was whether or not the family could actually afford the pet they were after, able to properly feed it, take it for regular check-ups, too many pets were turned loose simply because they did not factor cost into their lives.

Another major concern was how willing they were to take their pet’s safety into account. The most common issues she found were houseplants that could be potentially poisonous if consumed by an unwitting kitten or puppy. The proper owners would be willing to move the plants to locations their pet wouldn’t be able to reach it. Things like dangling curtains or tablecloths were also banned until the pet was trained to not play or climb on them. The butter-colored pony would also make regular follow-up visits in the weeks following the adoption. It was just to make sure everything was going smoothly, and other than the occasional housebreaking issue, there was never any serious concern.

Winter was still weeks away, but on blustery nights like this, you could feel an artic chill pierce clear through your bones, it was the kind of night Fluttershy let all of her animals indoors. Even the hibernating animals that had burrows of their own would seek shelter in her cottage, they needed to save their body fat for the long, cold months ahead.

It was well past midnight when the pounding on her cottage door began, it was so hard that it shook the floor, disturbing several of her sleeping friends. At first Fluttershy thought it might have been a fallen tree branch that hit the door, until she heard it again. There were a few seconds of quiet before the noise resumed, even louder than before. It was unnerving, what could possibly be causing such a noise at this ghastly hour… and why?

The young pegasus climbed out of her bed and hurried to the foyer, many of her animal friends had taken to huddling in the far corner, startled by the noise. She went to comfort them, hoping to calm them enough for them to go back to sleep. Despite her own pounding heart, and her attention being tugged towards the noise outside, her focus was on the critters that were under her care.

“Shhhh, it’s alright everyone, it’s just-“

“Open up!”

The animals saw Fluttershy turn into a blur of color before hiding amongst them, startled by the nasty voice coming from the door. The pounding picked up again, even harder this time. By now, even the bear that was normally brave and kind of grumpy was cowering with the others, terrified by this mysterious voice. Whatever creature that was beyond the door had them all shaking in their fur, feathers and scales.

“Open up this damn door right now!”

Fluttershy let out a tiny whimper as a crash of thunder followed the demand, the lightning flash illuminated a shadow beyond the door, making the occupants all the more scared. They could see at least two feet standing right by the door, but they couldn’t tell much else about whatever it was that was making such a terrifying demand.

What made Fluttershy stop cowering was another sound mixed in with the banging and the sounds of the storm. A sound she knew all to well, and it was one no pony could make, simply because they did not have the proper vocal chords to make such a noise.

It was a scream.

The scream of a very terrified dog.

All concern for her own safety evaporated into the air as she stepped away from her friends, many of them whimpering for her to come back and hide in their group. On one level she knew they had a point, that opening the door might put her, and them, in danger… but on another, much more concerning level, if she didn’t open the door, then the dog who had screamed could be in danger. If not from the one who was yelling, then from being out in such a fierce storm.

She stopped at her front door, she could see it moving ever so slightly in the darkness. Whoever was out there was obviously strong, and potentially violent, the idea of that left her scared, almost to the point where she considered turning around and fleeing back to the safety of her animal friends. She planted her hooves, trembling for all of thirty seconds before another scream could be heard, once again following a roll of thunder. It was full of pure terror, snapping poor little Fluttershy out of her own fear.

The trembling died down as she thought of that poor dog… he needed help… she had to summon up her courage and face the noisy aggressor outside, otherwise… she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to look at herself in the mirror once morning came.

She took the biggest breath she could, filling her lungs until she thought they might burst, held it with all her tiny might, and opened the door before she could stop herself and stared at the almost deafening trespasser.

Looming over her in a coat was a tall, imposing figure, well over twice her height and what little she could make out in the dark told her he was frowning. A bolt of lightning overhead illuminated his features, she could see an old brown hat on his head and the glint of glasses over his eyes. Despite his imposing height, she could tell he was an older figure, almost as old as Granny smith but nowhere near as kind. In his arms he held what at first looked like a bundle of blankets, but when the lightning flashed a second time, she could see a pink and a sad looking face.

He was carrying the dog that she had heard screaming.

The poor little thing was trembling from the chill in the air and whimpering a little as the wind whip his face into a raw sting, but he didn’t appear to be hurt. If anything, from the look of his bloodshot eyes, he looked scared and tired.

“Hey!” the snap of the voice pulled her attention back to the towering figure, “Are you the one they say is so good with animals?”

Now that she was face-to-face with the stranger, Fluttershy wasn’t as afraid. He actually seemed rather harmless, his height betrayed a very slim figure and his hands were either holding his hat onto his head or keeping his dog off the ground. He was too busy doing both to be a real danger, right now, he was just a grouchy old man with a serious attitude problem.

“Yes… I’m the primary animal caregiver in Ponyville,” she answered in a voice she found to be strangely calm.

“…I need to drop off my dog,”

The dog in his arms let out a soft whimper as he looked up at his owner in a mixture of hurt and confusion. Fluttershy mirrored his baffled expression as the old man knelt down to her level and held out the soggy canine.

“Please… ya gotta take ‘im. I can’t stand having him around no more.”

“Excuse me?” Fluttershy felt a bubbling of anger in her belly. He was just… going to abandon this poor dog, just because he couldn’t stand being an owner anymore? She didn’t even realize she was scowling until she saw it reflected in the old man’s foggy and droplet-covered glasses.

“I know what you must think of me,” the man said, his voice taking on a softer tone, it was no less pleasant but he sounded… almost like he was pleading, “And really, if I’m brutally honest… I never liked this stupid dog to begin with.”

This time she knew she wasn’t just scowling, she was glaring daggers into his very soul. She didn’t care what her reflection sent back, she was disliking this… this man, if you could even call him that, more and more. She was about to open her mouth and give him a firm lecture, but he beat her to it.

“My wife….” the man started, “…my wife… she found him on the streets as a pup… I never wanted to keep him but… she never asked for anything before that day… I couldn’t say no to her…”

Fluttershy could feel the muscles in her face relax a little as her expression softened. The dog was beginning to whimper, it was a heartbreaking sound, filled with sorrow… something very bad had happened and the young mare has a pretty good idea what it was. Far too many of the animals she took care of had similar stories…

“I’ll admit… I never did treat ‘im right… and she… she always made it known she wasn’t happy that I did that… but… she… I…”

The old man could have had tears rolling down his face, or it could have been the rain, it was impossible to tell, even when he was less than a tail’s length away.

“…her last wish was that I find a good home for him… ‘cause she knew I couldn’t… I…”

He hid his face under the long brim of his hat and sniffling could be heard. Fluttershy’s heart went out to the pair and with the gentleness that only she could manage, she gently hugged the man and his crying dog. Her ability to speak with animals allowed her to hear the poor canine’s whimpering, to her, he was asking why she had to die, why leave now, after so long? She didn’t need her special talent to know that the husband was asking the exact same thing.

She wasn’t sure how long they stayed there in the rain, ten minutes, an hour, the flow of time seemed to vanish around the trio, two of them were heartbroken and in despair, the third, a shoulder for them to cry on. Fluttershy may have disliked this angry old man, but she could bring herself to let her element shine through, if only for this brief period of time.

“Just… Just take the dumb dog… I need to get back to the farm…” the old man’s voice was tiny and trembling but trying to remain firm.

“…alright then sir, I’ll make sure he’s very well taken care of,” Fluttershy said as he moved back, breaking the embrace.

The old man let out a sniffle and held out his poor dog, he couldn’t even look at him, his eyes were focused on the muddy ground below. Fluttershy slowly reached out and took the small creature, he was whimpering as he looked at his now former master.

“Y… you be good now, ya hear?” the elderly farmer choked on his words as he point a long, boney finger at him, “D… Do what your new owner tells ya, ya got that?”

Giving his wife’s dog his first display of affection since her death, he gently placed his hand on the dog’s head and gave it a gentle rub. Not for his sake, but because he knew it would have made his her happy. Fluttershy looked up and vowed,

“…I will see to it that he adopted into the most loving home in Equestria… and I’ll see to it he is happy again. I’m sure your wife would be pleased.”

“…thank you… she would have really liked you.”

The man stood up, though noticeably less tall than before. Fluttershy cradled her newest ward in one elbow as she followed his lead. Though she still had a less than pleasant impression of him, she had gained a respect for this somewhat despicable man. He may not have cared for his dog, but he loved his wife, loved her to the point where he made sure her final wish was fulfilled.

“Sir… why did you come so late?”

“…the funeral was yesterday… she said she wanted him to be in a better home as soon as possible… we got to town less than an hour ago. I’ll be leaving on the next train.”

“…I see…”

As the man turned to leave, his wife’s dog let out a few sad mumbles before letting out a heartbreaking howl. His former owner stopped for a moment, Fluttershy thought he might look back, but he kept going. Then Fluttershy remembered something important.

“Sir, the paperwork! W… what’s your dog’s name?”

“…Courage.”

“…and what’s yours?”

“…Eustace… but put under me wife’s name… Muriel.”

“I will…”

And with that, he disappeared into the darkness, leaving behind only a grief stricken dog and a teary-eyed mare.

“…come on Courage…” she said softly, “Let’s get you out of this rain…”

Of Apples and Notebooks

Of Apples and Notebooks

Applejack was not having a good day.

This was not the typical bad day the apple farmer usually had, the apples were fully grown and juicy, ready to be bucked form their trees and sold on the market, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and Fluttershy’s beavers agreed to be more careful when building their dams. There really shouldn’t have been anything bothering her…

With the exception of the disturbing god of death that was following her everywhere.

He said his name was Ryuk and so far, he was the biggest annoyance she ever had to deal with. He had a terrifying visage, resembling a human, but much taller, thinner. His face was a ghastly white and she wasn’t certain if it was because he was always hunched over, but his arms seemed far too long for his body, they always dangled in front of him like some sort of decoration.

His red eyes were by far the creepiest thing about him. They seemed big-too big and too wide for his face-and now that she thought about it, she had yet to see him blink, even once. Ordinarily, the farm pony would have told the strange creature to get off her farm, but he really wasn’t hurting anything. He just flew there, with wings even larger than Celestia’s, slowly trailing behind her as she worked the day away and only spoke when spoken to.

Applejack’s mind trailed back to earlier that week, when her head had been snapped up from her work when she felt something relatively light land on her back and then bounce onto the grass below. She had been alone in the orchard when she looked around to find a black notebook lying on the ground, cover facing upwards, and thus allowing her to read the title before she could stop herself.

“Death Note?” she mumbled to herself, “That’s an odd thing ta put on yer notebook.”

She scanned the skies for any passing pegasus who might have dropped it, but there was nopony to be seen. She then checked the ground, in case a unicorn had been passing through and tossed it via magic, and again, not a soul to be seen.

With a raised brow, she gently scooped it up with her hoof and flipped to the first page; perhaps there was a name inside so she could return it to its proper owner. Much to her shock, there were no typical notebook pages, at least not right away. The first several pages were different, they had a strangely designed paper and at the top in a somewhat disturbing writing were the words, “How to Use it.”

What came next made her stomach twist in disgust.

“The creature whose name is written in this notebook shall die?!” she yelled in disbelief, “Who in the hay would come up with such a terrible thing?!”

It was such a morbid idea, but there seemed to be no magic coming from the book, so it was probably a fake, just something to scare ponies with or perhaps, a very stressed pony’s way of somehow coping with those who they did not like. Either way, she was glad she was the one who found it. She didn’t want to imagine how badly it would scare Apple Bloom if she had been the one to stumble upon it.

Applejack wasn’t entirely sure why she didn’t just simply destroy the dark and morbid book. She had given a long hard look at the “How to Use it” pages and there were a lot of them, sixty-six according to her last count. They had one to four rules, they were disturbingly detailed, hours of thought had been put into them; and even a few loopholes into how the book supposedly worked were included. She had hoped the book was fake, just a terrible prank made by the twisted mind of some sick individual, but a small part of her mind left her scared. Scared at the possibility that it might be real. That it actually did have the terrifying power to kill any creature just by writing their name with that person’s face in their mind.

Applejack had considered taking the book to Twilight, so see if she could discover if the book truly did possess some dark power over life and death, but she didn’t. She had no idea why, but… something just stopped her. She knew better than to keep it hidden, and perhaps it was the power of the book that kept her from giving it to somepony who might be able to learn more about it, but in the end, she took to hiding it in the darkest corner of the barn, hidden away in a small crack in the wall. It was almost impossible to notice and as a filly, Applejack would sometimes hide her private treasures inside it.

Every day for five days, she went to check on the book at least once, making sure nopony else had found it. From the amount of dust and bits of old hay that laid around it, she could be certain no other pony had been here. On the fifth night, she was especially grateful for where she had hidden the book.

It had been at dinner, the family was taking turns telling how their day was. Big Mac had just finished his story about how he and the Pony Tones had been trying out a new song when Apple Bloom took her chance to talk about her day. She went on and on about how she and her friends had tried to clean up the barn, hoping to get their cutie marks in organization but had no such luck. Hearing that they had gone poking around in the barn made Applejack come to a stop. A twisting sensation had formed in the pit of her stomach, making her feel the tiniest bit sick.

Fearing they might have found the book, she stepped outside once the dishes were cleaned and put away for the night. When Granny Smith asked where she was going, the middle grandchild answered that she thought she felt something was off and was going out to investigate. It wasn’t a lie, it was just part of the truth, and nopony really seemed to question it.

She carefully carried her lantern as she walked to the barn as calmly as she could, she didn’t want to risk the chance of somepony looking out the window to see her running from the house. They might think something was wrong and come to help, only to discover her holding the notebook. She forced herself to keep her pace steady as she trotted inside, much to her relief; the dirty floor at the very back had been untouched. She now considered how silly she had been; after all, their focus had been on cleaning and organizing all the tools and supplies, they weren’t focusing on the walls and corners.

Just to be safe, the young mare knelt down by the crack and pulled out the notebook; it hadn’t been touched since earlier that morning. She let out a small sigh, relieved that those fillies hadn’t even come close to finding it. She flipped open the first few pages, past the “How to Use it” pages and straight to the actual notebook paper. It was unremarkable, rather average looking; if she didn’t know better, she’d think it was one of her own notebooks from her school days.

Then she heard the wheezy laugh that sounded like it was made through clenched teeth.

“Well, look at what we have here.”

She never saw him coming, never even heard him, and she dropped the book in a startled yelp. It then turned into a scream when she saw the creature standing in the glow of her lantern.

She took in his appearance all at once, the all black outfit, the spikey blue-tinted hair, the unnatural eyes, the pointed teeth, everything. He simply continued to laugh until she stopped screaming.

“W… Who in Tartarus are you?!” she demanded through her fear.

He let out another, smaller laugh, as if amused.

“They call me Ryuk,” he answered simply, “And that there is my notebook.”

“Y… Yer notebook?” the orange pony quickly picked it up and held it out to him, “Here, take it! Ah don’t want it!”

“Now now, there’s no reason to panic,” the creature answered in a gravely voice that made Applejack’s ears hurt, “I dropped it on purpose.”

“Wah… who in the hay drops something this… this creepy on purpose?”

“Creepy? Hm… Mind if I see it for a moment? I just want to check something.”

“Sure, it is yer's, ain’t it?”

Ryuk gave no response as he picked up the notebook and filled it open, before letting out a surprised noise.

“Well I’ll be, you haven’t written a single name in the notebook yet have you?”

“No, why would ah?”

“Well, the book’s power is real.”

“Real…? Then why in the world did you drop it?! It says how to use it and everything!”

“Oh I know that, it’s on purpose. I wanted to see what would happen if I dropped it into the mortal world and what kind of person would use it.”

“Wah… you dropped this thing here… because you expected somepony to start killin’ with it?!” Applejack stomped her hoof on the last word, “That… That’s just despicable!”

“What do you expect? I’m a shinigami and I got bored.”

“A shini-what now? Wait…you did all this just ‘cause you were bored?!”

“Of course… you see, the shinigami realm has been decaying for some time now, and the only thing we really have to do anymore these days is gamble. I dropped my that notebook into the mortal realm some time ago and had quite an amusing time with the human who picked it up. It’s been quite some time since then and I wanted to try it again.”

“So you dropped it here in Equestria?! Do ya’l have any idea how reckless that is?! Mah lil’ sister coulda picked it up! She's just a filly! You coulda scared her half to death with this thing!”

“Oh don’t worry, scaring someone to death isn’t as easy as it sounds. Besides, I’m impressed you haven’t written anyone’s name in here yet, most folks succumb to its power. The nature of the book compels people to want to use it, at least once, the fact you’ve resisted it this entire time is impressive.”

“Ah don’t see how. No sensible pony would write in that thing.”

“Well the human I mentioned before wrote quite a few names in that notebook before I met him. He was a crusader of justice, hoping to purge the world of evil by killing criminals.”

“And you didn’t stop him?”

“Nah, it wouldn’t have been as interesting if I did.”

“Interestin’?! Ya’ll let him kill folks just because it was interstin’?!”

“More or less.”

Anger filled the young mare’s body, this… this thing had made her beyond furious! This was a crime against nature! She had to tell somepony! Twilight, Shining Armor, Celestia even! Somepony had to stop him but before she could open her mouth, he was looking away and sniffing the air.

“Is… is that…?”

He spread his somewhat mangy looking wings and with a single flap, flew out the barn doors, like a dog on the hunt.

“H-Hey! Git back here! I ain’t done with you!” Applejack yelled as she gave chase, but she was barely out of the barn when she tried to stop. Ryuk was just standing there, staring at something she couldn’t see from behind him. She couldn’t stop in time and began to skid across the damp grass. The propulsion sent her barreling head over hoof, losing her hat in the process and sent her crashing straight into–

She felt a chill as she tumbled straight through Ryuk’s legs and came to a stop a few feet away.

“What the… h… how did I…”

“You… have… apples…”

Applejack turned back to look at the shinigami, only for him to be looking at her dead in the eye, his face was uncomfortably close to hers. Gentle green stared into neon red and from between the blue lips of a corpse came the smell of decay, turning her stomach just a little bit.

“Uh… y-yeah… we have apples.”

It wasn’t fear Applejack was feeling… it was… she wasn’t sure what it was…

“Why do you have so many?”

“Ah’m an apple farmer. Mah whole family is.”

Ryuk stared at her blankly, it was the first time she realized his eyes were… wrong. They stared off in two different directions, not in the cute way the grey mailmare had but more like a chameleon’s but more disturbing. What made it worse was they didn’t even move. They were as still as a statue, they didn’t twitch, the lack of pupils meant there was nothing to dilate and up close; she could see that the supposed “whites of his eyes” were in fact a sickly yellow. What left her scared was that so much of him was partially hidden by shadow. She had left her lantern in the barn and now the light from it was shining on Ryuk’s back, making the hunched over monster more terrifying than even Nightmare Moon.

“So… you grow apples?” the gravely voice asked.

“Yeah…”

“…can I have some?”

“A… Ah suppose so,” she nodded, “Just don’t take too man-“

There was a gust of wind as Ryuk flew over her head and into the nearest apple tree, plucking two apples at a time and dropping them into his cave of a mouth. It was at that moment she realized he was huge-even bigger than a human, the fact he could eat an apple in a single bite made her the tiniest bit queasy, she took this moment of distraction to retrieve her hat from the ground. After a minute, he stopped and sighed in relief.

“Apples in the mortal world are always the best, but I certainly didn’t imagine I’d end in a place with so many of them.”

“…ya’ll like apples, huh?”

“Of course, they’re so much better than the apples that we have in the shinigami world. They’re just so… juicy.”

That was an interesting word for it, though it made Applejack wonder what kind of apples were in his world if they couldn’t be described as juicy. As if reading her mind, Ryuk spoke again.

“I let a human girl try one from the shinigami world. She really didn’t like it, said something about it tasting like sand.”

“Like sand?!” Applejack exclaimed before shuddering as she thought of how that must have tasted, “That’s disgusting!”

“Yeah I suppose it would be to you mortals, but then again, you have so many apples, I think I’m going to like staying here.”

Green eyes snapped open. No. There was no way in Tartarus he was staying here!

“Look you, Ah want you offa mah farm, right now! Ah ain’t gonna use your damn book, so there’s no reason for you stick around! Now git!”

Ryuk stopped for a moment before slowly turning to look at her. Were…. Were his eyes glowing?

“Really? If you make me leave now, I’ll have to take my notebook back.”

“Ah don’t care! Ah don’t want that unholy thing!”

“You know… the second it touches the ground, it becomes part of the mortal world and the first mortal to pick it up becomes the new owner. You currently own the notebook Applejack.”

“How do you know mah name?!”

“Shinigami can see the name and lifespan of any mortal floating over their heads,” he pointed an unnaturally long finger over the young pony’s head, making her look up at the empty air.

“Now why in the hay would you need to know something like tha…” she trailed off as it began to click together in her mind, “The notebook…”

“That’s right, we shinigami stay alive by killing mortals and taking their remaining lifespans. That’s why we can see your name and lifespan, so we can kill you and know just how much time we’re getting.”

Applejack’s face went pale. Was… Was this thing going to kill her for telling him to leave?

“But if you really don’t want the notebook, I’ll just take it and be on my way. Of course I’d have to erase your memories of it, myself included.”

“…so… you ain’t gonna kill me because I told you to leave?”

“Nah, I am a bit annoyed I won’t be able to have this many apples again, but this really isn’t something that bothers shinigami. Of course, if I did leave, I’d have to try dropping the notebook again, and it could be picked up by somebody who would use it.”

Now her blood was running ice cold. She hadn’t considered that. Ryuk let out a wheezy laugh.

“Didn’t think about that did ya? Tell ya what: I’m willing to make a deal, keep the Death Note and let me have some of your apples and in return, I don’t let anybody else find the notebook.”

“What… you mean… you don’t care about things bein’ interestin’?” Applejack wasn’t wrong for being suspicious, after hearing him talk so casually about the notebook and how it had been used, any sentient creature would question his motivations.

“Nah, it’s nothing like that. I do want things to be interesting, and I’ve heard this town always has some sort of disaster or another going on. That’s why I dropped it here, although I wasn’t certain if it would be used or not. Word has it you creatures are pretty much too good to kill anyone.”

“Well, Ah won’t deny we usually do have some sort of calamity here in Ponyville, but there are plenty of ponies who’d be happy to cause trouble… killin’ is somethin’ else entirely though…”

“So it would be good for me stay then?”

“Ponies would panic if they saw you! And we have enough problems to worry about!”

“Nah, they’d never know I was there. Mortals can only see shinigami if they touch their notebook, and so long as you don’t go flinging it around in public, you’ll be the only one able to see me.”

“…are you serious?”

Ryuk’s face never showed emotion, only his jaw moved when he spoke, simple up and down motions, it almost like a puppet or a marionette. His mouth also never changed shape to match the sounds of words as he spoke.

It was almost as unnatural as the book.

“You didn’t hear me come in, did you?”

“What?”

“In the house, you didn’t hear me come in right?”

“What?! You were in mah house?!”

“Yeah, I was standing behind you the whole time, I went out of my way to make sure you didn't see or hear me. Your family didn't react, and when I flew into the barn you didn't hear me then either.”

To prove his point, he flapped the two raven-like wings on his back; they made quite a bit of noise and picked up enough wind to make Applejack place a hoof on her hat. She certainly hadn’t felt a breeze in the barn, and come to think of it, when he left to look at the orchard, his wings hadn't made even the slightest sound, despite the fast he had left fast enough that Rainbow Dash would have almost been impressed... but if the cyan pegasus had left at that speed, the still burning lantern would have gone out.

Touching the book distorted reality.

“So, tell me about this place. Is it as exciting as people claim?” Ryuk asked.

“Well… you never get bored.”

“So… you gonna give up the notebook or not?”

Applejack took a few minutes to consider this. Could she deal with having such a dangerous object in her possession? Ryuk claimed it had a power to make creatures use it, and she hadn’t even considered using it. Sure, there were ponies she disliked, but not enough to want them dead, and he did raise a valid point. If somepony else got their hooves on the book, they might actually use it, either on accident or intentionally. If that happened, she wouldn’t be able to remember ever having the book… she wouldn’t be able to help stop whoever it was that might be using it…

Then she thought of her family.

How they could be in danger if she couldn’t keep an eye on the book.

Well… she was a responsible young mare… she could handle one more thing right?

“Alright… ya got a deal.”

After that, Applejack was surprised how little she saw of the shinigami; he spent most of his time in town, watching for the latest thing to catch his attention. He normally didn’t have to wait long before somepony’s personal drama or a town-wide emergency came up and, true to his word, not a soul spotted him. Whenever he was on the ground, ponies would walk right through him, completely ignorant to his existence. Nothing could hurt him and whenever he saw her staring at him, he’d give a little wave before wandering off to find something new to do.

On occasion she would see him when something bad was happening, and, as if he took a page out of Discord’s guide to being a pest; he would find the best seat to watch from. Unlike a certain Spirit of Chaos however, he would remain silent and stare. Just… stare…

If she watched him staring for too long, she would get uncomfortable, before remembering he seemed to lack eyelids. She assumed he did anyway, as she never bothered to ask.

At night, he would return to Sweet Apple Acers to have his fill of the delicious fruit. He seemed to favor the red ones over the green for some reason, but she could never figure out why. When asked about his return trips to the farm, Ryuk explained that the human who had the Death Note last made him realize an important detail he hadn’t considered before. If he picked up something, it would look like it was floating in the air to anyone who hadn’t touched the notebook, and since he didn’t find everypony in town freaking out over floating apples interesting, he decided to wait until it would be impossible to see them being plucked from the trees.

Applejack couldn’t poke a hole in that kind of logic and would go about her days on the farm like nothing had changed. If she was alone, Ryuk would sometime follow her; simply to watch her go about her daily business and on occasion, they would discuss recent events.

He may have been the creepiest, strangest and perhaps the most sinister creature in Ponyville-if not all of Equestria-but he was slowly becoming a part of her every day life and so long as she kept the notebook well hidden, he would stay her little secret.

She felt she could live with that.

The Fashion Designer and the Goth

Rarity loved her work as a fashion designer and seamstress; she could dream it and then she could make it. The entire process made her feel just the tiniest bit giddy, imagining a design, drawing it out, carefully cutting the cloth and sewing the pieces together, finally bringing her creation to life. She had seen a similar talent in young Apple Bloom, although it seemed she covered a larger range skills, from building and painting to designing and sewing. The white unicorn had offered to give her some lessons, but the impatience of youth always had the little apple farmer running off to the next Crusaders adventure before they could even start.

She didn’t mind of course, sewing was an art form that not everypony had the patience for and childhood was so short. The three fillies deserved to spend that fleeting amount of time to enjoy themselves; not being bored by something they took no pleasure in. Still, Rarity would be quite surprised if her friend’s little sister didn’t get a cutie mark in some sort of creative field.

This particular day, the young trio was lined up in her boutique for a quick fitting, summer was on its final legs and fall was coming soon. The girls were in need of some new jackets and sweaters for the coming chill and Rarity was more than happy to make them.

“Alright then girls, I should have everything finished in about two weeks,” she explained as she finished writing down Scootaloo’s measurements.

“Two weeks?” Sweetie Belle squeaked, “Why so long? You’re normally quick at something so simple.”

“Well you see dear, I received a letter from a new client, her family will be in the area on business for a few days and she commissioned a dress for her daughter. She’ll be arriving later today and she said she already had a design prepared for me. Until I see it, I won’t know how long it’ll take me to actually finish the dress,” Rarity explained as she set her clipboard down.

“You mean you haven’t seen the design?” Apple Bloom cocked her head as she asked her question.

“Well, no, she wanted to deliver it to me in person,” the fashion pony wasn’t entirely sure why this seemingly eccentric client insisted upon that one detail. It didn’t make much sense. However, she aimed to please and she would comply with the odd demand, even if she couldn’t wrap her mind around it.

“Well, we better get goin’,” Apple Bloom piped up, “We have homework to do.”

“Oh, what has Cheerilee assigned you today?” Rarity smiled, enjoying the fact that they were focusing on schoolwork and not some dangerous hijinks to get their cutie marks.

“We’re just doing a project on our personal heroes,” Sweetie Belle answered, bouncing on the spot in delight, “We have to write a short essay about why we look up to them and draw a picture of them.”

The older white mare chuckled warmly, stroking her little sister’s head. Scootaloo seemed just as, if not more excited, while Apple Bloom seemed calmer, but amused by her friends’ actions. Lead by Sweetie, the fillies galloped out the door, eager to get started on the project, leaving Rarity alone in her boutique, smiling like the sun.

“Have fun girls!” she called after them before looking around her store. The mystery client would be arriving in a few hours, so she had time to tidy up a little.

For the next two hours, she magically picks up little scraps of fabric, threw away old spools, set out her shiniest needles and her most vibrant thread. She aimed to please and impress, it led to customers who would come back again and again. She smiled in satisfaction as she looked around her store; it looked as pretty as a new penny in her opinion.

She barely had time to rethink what else might need work when she heard the bell above the door ringing. Her ears perked and she quickly turned around, ready to give her usual greeting to her customers, only to stop when she saw a young human girl duck under her window. Outside, Rarity could see two other humans in very pastel colored clothing; they looked around for a few seconds before running past her shop.

The fashion pony blinked in confusion as the girl got up from her hiding place and looked out the window, making sure her pursuers were gone. Unlike them, she was dressed almost entirely in black; her tights were purple and her skirt and a green plaid pattern.

“Ahem, excuse me,” Rarity chimed, finally catching the young human’s attention, “I am sorry but are you alright dear?”

The girl turn around fast, looking like she was ready to jump out of her boots. She had black hair that stopped just short of her shoulders and some of it was pulled up into a tiny ponytail. She seemed a little shocked somepony else was there.

“Oh, uh… sorry,’ the girl said, panting, “I didn’t know anyone was here, I was trying to get away from my parents.”

“Whatever for dear?” Rarity’s voice filled with concern as she took a few steps closer, worried as to why this young lady would need to escape her parents.

“They’re trying to take me to this store to get some horrific dress made and… ugh,” she shuddered violently, “I told them I didn’t want to but they refused to listen.”

A store to have a dress made? Carousel Boutique was the only place in town that came even close to fitting that description. Could it be…?

“Wait… is your mother Mrs. Manson?”

“Uh… yeah? How’d you know?”

“Well it just so happens I am the designer your mother commissioned to make your dress,” she realized a little too late she had used too much enthusiasm in her statement.

“Oh no…” the girl seemed to become miserable when she realized who’s presence she was in.

“Whatever is wrong Miss uh…?”

“Sam… My name is Sam Manson,” she answered with a small scowl.

“Well then Sam, what kind of design does your mother have in mind? And why did you run from them and it?”

That earned Rarity the biggest groan her marshmallow colored ears had ever heard.

“She has a horrible sense of style!” Sam began, “It belongs in the sixties, and even then it would be unsightly. Pink and frills and lace and hearts everywhere!”

She was clearly enraged and Rarity could understand why. She remembered the bright, overly cheery colors the shapes outside the window had been wearing. She then compared it to Sam’s dark clothing. Clearly there was a conflict of personal preferences here.

“Well, I was hired to make a dress for you to wear my dear, not your mother. If you’re unhappy with her design, then why not make one of your own?”

That seemed to surprise Sam, she watched as Rarity levitated some parchment and a quill into her hands. The girl blinked a few times before asking,

“Are you serious?”

“Oh I quite am darling,” Rarity placed her hoof to her chest, “I make outfits for those who will be wearing them, and I make sure they are perfect. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had parents yelling at me for creating something they don’t quite like… at least until they see how they look on their little ones.”

“…you’re really that good?” Sam asked suspiciously.

“Well, I do cater to Sapphire Shores and I design the ensembles for the Grand Galloping Gala every year!”

“Wait… the Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot?” Sam’s eyes had widened a little.

“Why yes darling, this past year was my first time attending, my friends and I went together you see but… things got out of hoof,” she shuddered at the memories at how badly the “best night ever” had gone so wrong.

“I heard that it went off the rails but nobody really seems to agree on what happened,” Sam smirked.

“Oh, it was a number of things that went wrong, and I… ahem… well… I had been spending the evening with Prince Blueblood but he was just terrible. At one point a very large cake was knocked over and I got covered in it… after he used me for a shield that is,” Rarity couldn’t hide the dripping annoyance in her voice, “It was the last straw and I kind of… shook the cake off myself and onto him.”

There was a brief three seconds of silence, and Rarity worried what her young client had been thinking… only for the quiet to be shattered by laughter. Sam was holding her sides before wiping a few tears from her eyes.

“You seriously did that?” she half asked, half laughed.

“Well… it was the last straw, normally I’m far more ladylike but sometimes you just have to take a stand. Why I once saved myself from an unruly trio of diamond dogs and managed to wear them out to the point where they let me go. I even got them to give me their jewels on top of it all, and I never had to do anything more drastic than raising my voice a little.”

“Wow… you did that?” Sam seemed a little amazed.

“Oh yes, in fact, my friends were on their way to save me just as I was on my way out. The diamond dogs wanted me for this spell I can cast, it allows me to find gems while they’re still hidden in the ground. They wanted me to do all the work, find them, dig them out and such, but I outsmarted them in the end.”

“Wow, that’s really impressive, I’d have probably tried to fight my way out though,” Sam contemplated.

“Well I wouldn’t advise it, they were quite strong, I’m not sure just anypony- er or human, could easily escape from them on brute strength alone. Anyway dear, I’m sure you could use something to calm your nerves after that run from your parents. How about I put on some tea and we can talk about what kind of design you want.”

She didn’t give Sam a chance to respond, the stunning unicorn trotted into the kitchen a little faster than usual. She rather liked this young lady so far, and despite her sense of style being a little darker than her own, Rarity could see why some creatures might like it.

A few minutes later, Rarity returned to the common area of the store, levitating a tray with her finest teapot, two cups and some sugar. In her absence, Sam had taken to looking at some of the dresses on display.

“…did you make all of these?” she asked.

“Why yes, they’re my own creations,” Rarity answered as she set the tray down.

“…they’re not quite what I expected.”

“What were you expecting then?”

“I don’t know… lots of really light bright colors, lace, ribbons, super girly things, the kind of stuff my mom’s always trying to get me to wear but… well… it’s not.”

Sam seemed to be at an utter loss at what to think, Rarity just smiled.

“Well I try to have variety, not everypony’s tastes are going to be the same and I do like to please as many ponies as I can,” she said with a small but elegant smile, “Now then dear, the tea is ready, have some before it gets cold.”

Sam took one of the teacups after Rarity had filled them both. It appeared to be green tea, which she gladly drank. The elder female hoped it would help her relax a bit.

“Now then dear,” Rarity began, “What kind of dress would you like?”

Sam hesitated, as if trying to sew the pieces of a response together, it made the fashion pony smile in amusement.

“No need to think of one right away darling, take all the time you need.”

She seemed to relax a little as she took a long drink from her teacup. Rarity followed her lead and took her own dainty little sip, letting the warm brew soothe her. After a few minutes, Sam finally broke the silence.

“Are you serious about making a dress to my standards?”

“Why of course! It’s what I strive for,” the snow white mare insisted.

“I just have to be sure… my parents are always trying to get me to wear things they like, they refuse to listen to me when I tell them no,” she crossed her arms over her chest in irritated remembrance.

“Well as I told you before, you can design it yourself and if you’ll allow it, I’ll make a few stylistic changes. Nothing too major mind you, maybe a support string here, a bit of color there but only if you approve it.”

Soft violet eyes stared in confusion, and the deep sapphires that greeted them brimmed with honesty and sincerity.

“Well… alright…”

Sam hesitantly picked up the parchment Rarity had given her and began to draw. The fair unicorn had almost emptied her teacup by the time she had finished and showed her the design. She placed a hoof to her chin in as she squinted her eyes, as if she was trying to decide something.

“It’s certainly elegant… but what about the colors?” she mused.

“Uh… all black?” Sam shrugged.

“Hmm… Sam, how would you feel about a little bit of green?”

“Green?”

“Yes, green… like… maybe it has a theme? It being all black is nice and all but… a little bit of color could help breathe some life into it. Nothing bright, but something elegant that would got with something you like… like… like a dark garden theme!”

A dark garden… Rarity had no idea where that came from but as it rang in her head, she began to enjoy it more and more. When she looked at Sam, she had an expression of approval on her face. They both liked the ring of it, it sounded mysterious, dark, the elegance Rarity insisted upon…

“Oh! What if it has vines on it?!” Sam suggested, suddenly excited by the idea.

“Yes! Oh! And maybe flowers, something to compliment the green and black!” Rarity suggested, retrieving some colored pens.

The two sat side by side, excitedly debating where the vines would creep up from, where the flowers would bloom and what color they would be. Within half an hour, the simple design had sprung to life with flowers and vines, leaving both of them grinning.

“Oh, I just have to start on this!” Rarity squealed with delight as she magically hovered some measuring tape, “Sam, dear, can you please stand up so I can take your measurements?”

The girl eagerly stood up and the unicorn wasted absolutely no time. In only a matter of minutes, her glasses were on her muzzle and her magic levitated rolls of fabric in front of them. They were different shade of black and green, she watched as her young client picked pitch black she had and seaweed green, the color of the flowers would be decided when the vines were done.

Rarity could feel Sam’s lavender eyes on her as she worked, cutting the fabric with grace and ease. Humans were always amazed at the sight of unicorn magic, like it was some kind of miracle, when, to ponies, it was as common as breathing. She supposed to them, it was like some kind of spectacular show, that it was a rare privilege to see. Humans could use magic as well, it was a known fact, but it didn’t come as easy to most of them as it did to unicorns. True there were some humans who were talented at it, but as far as she knew, they couldn’t use it as easily as ponies, after all, unicorns could start using magic at a month old. Controlling it was another matter.

“And there!” she announced happily as the final vine had been stitched into place, earning an applause from her client, “Oh, thank you.”

Rarity bowed like she was on a grand stage and a whole theater was cheering and stomping their hooves, just for her. She let out a little laugh before backing away, allowing herself to get a good look at her creation. It had a cool but very alive aura about it, like a garden on a summer night. She could almost feel her fur fluff up as she imagined a chill in the air and the more she thought about it, the more romantic it became in her mind. Gardens were meant to be a private place, away from prying eye, a place where young lovers could meet in secret… and if they met at night, then they truly did not wish anyone to discover them… as if their love was forbidden.

She officially loved this dress.

“Now then Sam, we still have to decide on a color for the flowers,” she said in a perky way.

“Hmm… maybe something softer…” the young goth mused with her hand to her chin.

Rarity mirror with her hoof, she then looked at her client, trying to decide what colors look on her. She wore mostly black, some purple and green and… wait… her eyes!

“That’s perfect!”

Before Sam could even ask what she meant, Rarity ran out of the room, only to return, levitating a roll of lavender cloth. She held it against the incomplete dress and squealed with delight.

“It is perfect!”

Before either of them realized it, flowers loosely resembling tulips had blossomed all over the dress, some were large and open, others were still tightly closed buds, but they were all perfectly made. Rarity was panting when she finally stopped, she had let her excitement get ahead of her and the resulting adrenalin had fueled her magic. She may have only been sewing them for a few minutes at incredible speed but even stitch had been precise and perfectly placed.

Her latest masterpiece had been completed.

“What do you think Sam?” she chimed happily.

There was a moment of silence that, to Rarity, seemed much longer than it should have been.

“Wow Rarity… you really do know what your customers want,” was all the stunned girl could get out.

“Why thank you darling,” the seamstress would be lying if she hadn’t been nervous Sam had secretly not been happy with the flowers, “Why don’t you try it on?”

“Are you sure?”

“Oh dear, it’s your dress, I’m quite certain.”

Sam smiled before taking the dress off the mannequin and slipped into one of the changing rooms. Rarity had to resist the urge to bounce on her hooves as she imagined the young lady in her-no… their creation.

When Sam emerged from the changing room, Rarity let out a sound that shouldn’t have been possible for a pony. She looked perfect in the dress, it stopped at her ankles and the fabric hugged her body nicely. The skirt had had vines creeping upwards that twisted and curved, the torso was black with a sweetheart neckline, it look marvelous on the young girl.

“Oh! You know what would round it out?! A pair of long gloves!” Rarity squealed.

“Fingerless ones?” Sam suggested.

“Yes! And made of velvet!”

In twenty minutes, Rarity had finished the second glove-they were a deep peacock-they had little plastic rings that slipped over Sam’s middle fingers to keep them in place, and, for a bit of dramatic affect, she sewed some ocean-colored sheer fabric into them. They had both agreed in a heartbeat that it had to be torn a little, so that it looked like falling water or even the branches of a weeping willow tree.

“Oh man, this dark garden idea you had was great Rarity!” Sam loudly proclaimed as she looked at herself in the mirror.

“Well Sam, I couldn’t have made it possible without you,” was her sweet and happy reply, “Why, I must say this has inspired me to create a whole new line of dresses, just like this one! The Dark Garden collection, oh it’s so romantic sounding!”

“Really? You like it that much?”

“Of course! It sounds almost like a beautiful tragedy! Sam, if I might ask, would you like to be my partner in this endeavor?”

“Wait, what?!”

Rarity smiled in a big way up at her.

“I apologize for my boldness death but hear me out. You see Sam, I may be a fashion designer, but I know very little about dark things, I usually use brighter colors, but this… well… they say you have to step outside your comfort zone to improve. You however seem to have a clear understanding of dark things, so maybe we could work together? I’d be more than happy to split the profits fifty/fifty.”

If Sam had a response, she didn’t get to say it. Their discussion was interrupted by the jingle of the bell over the door. Rarity took a moment realize new customers had just stepped in, and she needed a few seconds to compose herself. Sam however let out a very distressed, “Oh no. Not them.”

“Sammy-kins?!” one of the customers, a female, screeched.

That was when Rarity realized who they were.

Sam’s parents.

“Samantha, this is where you’ve been all day?!” a blonde man, Sam’s father, asked in what sounded like disbelief.

“If it helps you sleep at night, I didn’t intend to hide in here in the first place,” Sam answered with her arms crossed over her chest.

“What in the world are you wearing?” her mother added, looking a little shocked at what she was in.

“Uh, my dress?” the smirk in Sam’s voice made Rarity feel rather proud of her for some reason.

“Your… goodness me, you can’t honestly expect us to let you wear that!”

“Now hold on just a moment!” Rarity couldn’t stop herself from interrupting, “Pardon my outburst but just what do you mean by that?”

“…a… are you the fashion designer I wrote to?” her red-haired woman asked, completely ignoring her question.

“Why yes I am,” there was a little more force in her voice, “And I demand to know why you are do disapproving of your daughter’s dress! She helped me design it and I think it is quite lovely!”

Mrs. Manson scowled and looked at her daughter.

“Did you tell her I would allow you to wear such a-”

“No Mom, I told her your design sucked-which it does-and she let her come up with one of my own,” Sam cut her off.

“My dress is perfectly fine for a young lady! What you’re wearing-“

“Is the first in a new line of dresses!” Rarity was the one to interrupt this time, “Sam helped me design it and if she will allow it, I would like her assistance in creating other dresses like it!”

The look on the two parents’ faces was of disbelief.

“And,” she continued, “She told me she was not fond of the dress you had designed for her. I was commissioned to make a dress for her to wear, but she made it clear your design was… was not something she could approve of!”

“And what is wrong with my design?”

Mrs. Manson reached into her purse and fumbled around before pulling out a piece of paper that had been folded up. Rarity surrounded it with her magic and levitated it closer, carefully unfolding it in the process.

She blinked.

Adjusted her glasses.

Squinted hard.

And placed a hoof to her mouth as a surge of bile burned the back of her throat.

Sam running from her parents seemed less of an act of youthful rebellion now, and more of a “this thing is so offensive to my sense of style that I can not even be near it.”

Her young client was laughing.

“That is the most horribly designed dress I have ever seen!” Rarity managed to yell once she was certain she wasn’t going to vomit, “How could you possibly think it was a good idea?!”

Mr. and Mrs. Manson both looked thoroughly offended at the outburst but the designer would be making no apologies, not for this horrific dress. It was just shy of those abominations her friends had her make for the Gala last year, at least it didn’t have a bird’s nest for a hat… or galoshes.

This dress however… it looked like it as supposed to have taken inspiration from several different decades and… had she colored it in with a ballpoint pen? For the most part, it looked like it was straight out of the late 1800’s, but… Rarity wasn’t sure that shade of pink could have been made during that era, and there were far too many hearts on the skirt.

“Mrs. Manson, I know you wanted to commission me to create this… garment, but I am afraid I simply cannot comply with your request. I’ve had a little bit of time to get to know Sam, and the dress is for her, is it not? Shouldn’t she have a say in the matter?”

“But Sammy’s wardrobe is already dark enough! She needs something bright and happy!” Mrs. Manson argued, a little stunned someone was standing up to her so firmly.

Rarity scrunched up her face before continuing her own argument.

“While I admit, I am not one who normally works in gothic apparel, but I personally find elegance in it. So what if Sam doesn’t like bright colors? It’s her life to live, and while I understand parents wanting the best for their children, trying to control their self expression… why… why that’s just selfish!”

That seemed to take both of the adults aback.

“Sam clearly knows who she is and what she likes, you trying to control that is just wrong… and personally, I find this dress quite stunning. You should be proud of her for creating such a design, and celebrating her individuality!”

As the snowy unicorn went on and on, Sam stared in stunned silence. She wasn’t used to someone coming to her defense, especially when it was her parents. Sure her friends were always there for her, but for someone who was almost a complete stranger to stand up for her… she was touched. When she had learned her mother had commissioned a dress for her, she had expected a snooty, full of it kind of personality that had the same mindset as her parents. This was a pleasant surprise.

By the time Rarity had finished her little rant, she was completely out of breath. She took a few deep breaths and for the cherry on top, she said,

“And if you’re so against her having the dress, then I’ll just give it to her, I don’t care if I’m paid or not. She deserves it, especially if you both continue trying to change her.”

At that, all three Manson jaws dropped.

What did she just say?

“I’m being serious!” Rarity stomped her hoof, “And if the two of you don’t like it, then I suggest you leave my shop!”

“We are not going anywhere!” Mr. Manson took a few steps forward, intending to tell her off. The young unicorn would not back down and her horn glowed as every sewing needle in Carousel Boutique levitated into the air and pointed straight at them.

“Now then… I believe you were just leaving.”

Sam’s eyes widened as her parents turned tail and ran as fast as they could out of the boutique. The needles flew behind them, and when they reached the closed door, they stopped in mid-air, waited and continued their chase once Rarity opened the door.

Both unicorn and teenager stood in the doorway as they watched Mr. and Mrs. Manson run back and forth, trying to escape the enchanted sewing needles. Rarity let out a slightly evil chuckle as she turned her head so she could continue watching.

“I may get in trouble for this, but right now, I couldn’t care less,” she confessed with a twinkle of mischief in her eye, “Sometimes you simply must put your hoof down.”

“…you know what Rarity…” Sam said, smiling in approval, “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”