Another Soul

“And then I stuck a needle in her eye!” Diamond Jack yelled. His drunken lackeys cheered. He looked at his plate and clapped his hooves. “Eh barmaid, get me more booze.” Morton Saltworthy walked over to his table.

“Marie you stay there. You still haven't paid for the one’s you’ve already had. 40 bits and you won't have to get lost.” Thomas seethe, trying to stare him down. Saltworthy would not budge. “I’ve thrown out worse than you Diamond.”

“Get him.” Five stallions stood. One head-butted Saltworthy, dropping him to the floor. The rest stomped on him, leaving imprints and blood. Diamond Jack stood and whispered in Saltworthy’s ear, “No one calls me Diamond.” His gang continued to stomp on Saltworthy the other patrons only stared as blood pooled around the salt tender's body. All, but one.

“Can you please quiet down?” The lone pegasus asked. The criminal's gang immediately stopped stomping on the near-unconscious stallion, their bodies became paralyzed, overcome by dread. Only Diamond Jack moved freely. The stranger continued enjoying his salt lick.

“Excuse me, I think you’re in the wrong bar mister.” Diamond Jack said as he poked the stranger’s wings. “Tell you what, kiss my hoof, say you’re sorry and maybe, just maybe, I won’t kill ya.” The stranger turned around. He was just an ordinary pegasus, a brown mane slicked back, a red coat, and red eyes.

“Diamond, may I call you Diamond?" The stranger grinned. "Just walk away, not all confrontations have to end in violence.” He said sweetly. “And don’t come back. Mr. Saltworthy wounds will heal in time, you can rethink your life, and we’ll just it squares. What do you say?” The strangers smiled and outstretched his hoof.

“Eh Boys, I think we got ourselves a nimrod here.” He chuckled. “I guess you’ll have to beat some smarts in him. Get him.” No one rushed toward the stranger. “I said -” Jack turned around, only seeing Marie helping a badly injured Morton get up.

“They’re on the 11:30 train to Manehatten. You all just came back from a rather successful and unfortunately deadly robbery there. Those type ponies tend to follow, and its ponies like you who tend to lead. Maybe they’ll follow someone with a bit more moral fiber, after prison. Maybe you again, right?” The stranger smiled “Leave, rethink your life, join the church, start a charity, wander Equestria and help others in need; you know the good life . So what do you say?” The stranger said again with an outstretched hoof. Diamond Jack head-butted the stranger. The pegasus sighed. “That's too bad, you can be too far gone.” His face morphed, his skin stretched over his bones, his coat turned black, his mane and eyes turned white. His meta-form flashed before changing back to normal. The stranger turned around to finish enjoying his salt lick.

“Boy, what the hell are you?” Jack gasped out.

“I’m not a ‘what,’ that’s a very rude thing to say. I’m a pony just like you, my name is Charon.” Charon responded leaving 5 bits on the counter.

“No, y-y-y-you’re a fucking demon," Jack ran for the door. "Celestia help me!” he cried, slipping on Morton’s puddle of blood, falling head first breaking through the floor.

“Let’s go then; Ms. Brizard, Mr. Saltworthy, thanks for the salt, but we must be off.” Charon dragged Jack by his nape out of the saloon. Jack screamed, he could see his body in the saloon. “Very nice, if you were still alive I bet they could've heard you in Phillydelphia.

“What’s going on, where ya taking me, why the hell are there two of me!?” Jack cried out as Charon grabbed his legs and flew up in the sky.

“You were a naughty pony in life, murder, robbery, more murder, very naughty.  So I, Charon, I hope you remembered, take ponies such as you to Tatarus, when your time is up. Or if it’s almost up, I give you a little push.

“This isn’t possible I’m  just hallucinatin', nothings wrong  with me.” Jack continued to yell, he and Charon were flying over water. “Oh Celestia don’t drop me.”

“I thought you were hallucinating. I gave you a chance, you didn’t take it. I gave you another chance, and you head-butted me.

“B-b-b-but Celestia's all-forgiving, I learned that in Sunday school.”

“See, I have no idea where that ‘all-forgiving’ thing came from, probably the church, but we don’t judge what good little ponies do; only the corrupt like you.” Charon flew faster, he cut hours of flying into a few seconds.

“Please, please, just give me another chance, I’ll do anythin', please, please, please, just let me go.” Jack saw a large gate in the distance

“It’s not completely hopeless. I won’t lie, you are going to suffer, but a few lost souls have managed to find their way out.

“Why bother? I’ll just rot.”

“Well you are dead, no way to fix that, actually you can, but … Never mind it doesn’t really matter. Look you’ll move on, I haven’t died, so I have no idea onto what. But Celestia says to enjoy life and not to worry about that.” Charon chuckled. “Too late for you I guess.”

“Screw you, when i get free, I’m going to fuckin' kill you, no one messes with me and lives.” Jack saw a palace next to the gates.

“I believe you; I have your naughty list." Cerberus will be there at the gate to stop you, no one who didn’t deserve to, has ever gotten past him. Charon stopped at then entrance waiting to answer the same question most souls ask.

“What’s in there?”

“The evils of Equestria, I’ve thrown in worse than you.”

“Daddy, daddy, daddy!” A filly yelled happily, flying out of the palace. “Daddy! I'm so glad you're home, what did you bring me?”

“Daddy’s working sweetheart, go back inside, I’ll be right in.” Charon said, slightly embarrassed.

Yes daddy, bye Mister. The filly wave at Diamond Jack, he waved back.

“What’s her name?” Jack asked.

“Melinoe, I call her Melody.”

Diamond Jack sighed. “That's a nice name.” He said quietly.

The gates opened, screams of the damn broke silence, Cerberus growling and baring, at the souls near escape The body of a pony in a torn  business suit reached for the gate, Cerberus' left head, bit his leg and draged him back. Charon threw Diamond Jack into the abyss of pain. Charon went inside to be with his filly.

"Daddy, what you did get me?" Melinoe asked hugging her father.

"Hmm, what did you get me?" Charon asked right back."

"Um," Melinoe searched around the room, bouncing from object to object. "Okay, I got this crayon and half a bit."

Charon gave a hard gaze. "Fine here's this sheriff's badge." He threw the gold badge at her hooves. Melione kissed her father and giggled as she went off to play. Charon hid his daughters trade offer. He laid on his comfortable sofa and smiled. This is the good life.