The Grim Details

Grim sat in the Cemetery of Equestria. She poked at the dirt with a boney hoof. She used her magic to wipe away some dirt on a nearby grave. She went inside the Mausoleum, her home. She went into the dusty room she call Death Room. She had a list of everypony on Equestria that will be born and has lived, and has died. She checked off another pony: Jericho. She teleported to her home, red and black magic surrounding her and hiding her from mortal eyes. But, then there were the immortals. Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and Twilight Sparkle could all see her. Grim stood in the shadows, becoming translucent. The old mare was in the hospital, her family close. A mare, her daughter Angel, and her husband, James. Then there was her grandkids, Avalon and Ram. They stood close to her, mostly half-asleep by the edge of her bed.

Grim sighed. She hated this part of the job. Red and black light surrounded her scythe. She expertly swung the silvery, red splattered blood on it. She sliced straight through the mortal body of the mare, and pulled out the soul. Grim sweated as the heart monitor beeped faster and faster until the soul of Jericho was out. The family awoke very quickly and started calling the nurse.

"It is of no use," Grim said, knowing nopony could even hear her. "I need to take her, she is due to die. I have direct orders from Celestia." Even though Grim Reaper knew it was futile, but she liked to talk to somepony, anypony really. She looked at the soul of the girl, she was very confused and scared. "No worries, my friend. I am taking you to The Scales. I will explain later." Her raspy, rugged voice did not help in calming her clients. Jericho saw her family crying, weeping over her body.

"My family needs me," Jericho tried to get off the hook of Grim's scythe, but had no where near the strength of the Alicorn.

Grim sighed again. "No, I have orders from Celestia herself to take you to The Scales." After watching her family cry from hearing the time of death, she stopped and gave in. Grim teleported back to the only cemetery in Equestria and carried the smaller earth pony into her home. They walked down the dusty halls and into a secret hidden room. She carried her to The Scales. Grim set the earth pony down on the empty side of the gold and silver scale. The other contained her good and bad deeds she had committed in her lifetime. The Scales decided she had enough goodness to be Welcomed into Heaven.

"Heaven it is." Grim said, and with one strong sweep on her scythe in her grasp, the soul jetted up towards the sky where Heaven lay. Grim sighed again. "Time to go back to guarding." She turned and closed the hidden, damp room after she had walked out. She cantered out to the cemetery and became translucent again. She pulled her cloak further over her skeleton, hiding her bones and face. Two teenage stallions and two mares came in, and closed the squeaky gate.

"It's creepy here." The pink mare raved on.

"Come on, we're just visiting my grandma, she passed away about two weeks ago," A stallion comforted. Grim pulled her best 'smile'. She remembered that reaping. She only took about five souls a day. She listened some more. She saw the male unicorn carry a bouquet of roses and set them on the grave. He held in his tears, but Grim could tell he wanted to cry. After a couple minutes of tears and comforts, the four left, closing the gate respectively. Grim walked over to the flowers and cancelled her translution spell. Grim Reaper carried the roses in her red and black magic 'hand' and cantered back to her home. She walked in and opened the hidden door and walked over to the left wall. She looked at the pasty yellow brick and pushed a seemingly random one. It pulled the entire brick wall back and revealed another hidden room. She walked in and typed Mary Marionette in her Death Comp. It sent a white light signal to Heaven, and soon, Mary came down.

"Hello Grim Reaper. Something for me?" Mary asked politely.

"Your grandson left these for you. They still remember." Grim pulled her half-smile. She hoofed the bouquet to the ghost Pegasus and waved.

"Thank you, dear." Grim pushed the 'Send' button and watched the Pegasus fly back up to Heaven. Grim sighed for about the billionth time that day and walked back outside to her graveyard. She sat next to the gate for the ponies she needed to meet with. She sat at the gate until the six mares appeared. She cast a sight spell to render her seen to mortal eyes.

"I've been waiting." Grim said, still hidden by her cloak.

"Sorry to keep you, Mister-E. What do you need?" Twilight Sparkle asked politely.

"Why are we meeting in such a creepy place?" Fluttershy asked in a squeaky voice.

"This 'creepy place' is my home." Grim took serious offense.

"You live here? In a graveyard? Really?" Applejack was very skeptical.

Grim pulled her hood back and let the ponies gape in disgust. Her ratty, crispy mane was dirty and crusted from years of not washing. She had one red eye on the left side of her skull, moving from side to side when she moved in great ways. She also had a few spiders crawling throughout her skeleton.

"Oh my dear!" Rarity cried. "We must simply help you!"

"Rarity! She will tell us what she needs, don't jump to conclusions!" Rainbow yelled.

"Actually," Grim Reaper rasped in her grumpy voice. "I would like it if you could help me look a bit, uhm, fresher. After five thousand years of doing this business, being the Grim Reaper, you get how you put it, icky."

Rarity smirked at Rainbow dash and pranced over to the Alicorn. "Dear, I am here to help. Best in business!"

Rarity and the others followed the Alicorn into her home and into the bathroom. Rarity had packed her supplies and took out her assorted shampoo's and conditioners. She scrubbed Grim's mane and tail vigorously. She blow dried it and combed it very delicately. Grim felt her mane and tail and was very happy. Rarity then scrubbed her skeleton and instructed the others to help. When they finished, Grim was white again. Her black and white hair was soft and silky.

"Thank you, I am very grateful. Celestia has instructed me to take a break from Reaping. I have prepared replacements within our royal family. My daughter, Bones, will take over for a while. I am to come to Ponyville with you ponies." Grim smiled.

"But, uh, you are a skeleton..." Pinkie pointed out.

"Oh, yes, of course!" Grim used her magic and restored what her body would have looked like if she were not a skeleton. Her hair was silky smooth and all black. Her coat was blood red and her hooves were onyx black. She had one hazel eye and one red eye. She had her red tiara and black and red chest plate. "Shall we depart?"