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My Life as a Receptionist in the Afterlife

by Another Army Brony

Chapter 1: Welcome to the afterlife! Now get to work.

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My life as a toaster repair pony. Wait... no, that's not right. Let's try this again.

My life as a receptionist in the afterlife.

For years, a wise pony by the name of Sage stood on the threshold of death, ever ready to welcome the recently deceased and guide them into the ever after. Be it with words of wisdom, a caring shoulder, or a gentle nod, he would help them accept their demise and move on into the great beyond. Innumerable souls had been guided to their eternal rest by his stewardship, and ponies were happy. It was, however, not meant to last. The position of receptionist was but a job, one that was passed down from one to the next every eleven years at the peak of the solar cycle. And as it just so happened, I'd gotten a hold of some berries that turned out to be poisonous at the same time that Sage's time as receptionist was up. And that, my dear ponies, is how I became the bridge between death and the afterlife.

I had no idea what I was in for.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

That day started the same as many before it, the dawn's light finding me already slashing my way through the forest in search of treasure. I'd recently decoded a message that I'd discovered during a previous expedition, one that pointed towards an undiscovered temple in the heart of the everfree. In my rush to get back on the hunt, I'd decided not to eat breakfast, choosing to pick and eat the numerous berries growing along the trail. Perhaps it was due to the faint light of the dawn, or maybe I'd gotten complacent in the light of my recent successes, but I somehow managed to overlook the nightshade berries growing amongst the wild berries.

One minute I was walking through the forest on my way to an ancient temple in the Everfree, munching on some berries I'd picked on the way. The next thing I knew, everything was shifting and moving in ways it shouldn't as my head began to spin. There was a faraway feeling of pain in my stomach, and then I was falling as everything went black. I never felt myself hit the ground. That blackness was the worst sensation I'd ever felt, and I'd been bitten by more poisonous creatures than I cared to count. The blackness wasn't a feeling so much as a lack of feeling, of sensation at all. There was no light. I was not hot, nor was I cold; I lacked feeling entirely. There were no sounds to be heard, and even the taste of the berries had left my mouth. There was nothing but my thoughts, which buzzed through my head incoherently, like a swarm of bees. Was I dead, or merely unconscious? I didn't feel dead, nor did I really feel unconscious; I usually dreamed when I was unconscious, and this wasn't any dream of mine. Ahead there appeared a light, the first break from the blackness since it had closed in. The light was growing rapidly closer and brighter, becoming blinding in only a heartbeat. I squeezed my eyes shut against the light, barely taking note of the fact that I could now feel them.

Opening my eyes, I was initially baffled. I was in an elevator? A cursory investigation of my surroundings revealed that I was indeed inside of an elevator. Finely furnished in dark mahogany wood and brass trim, this lift seemed like it belonged in the palace at Canterlot. The only indication of movement or destination was the illuminated "up" arrow, and the likewise illuminated single button on the control panel. The button bore not a number, but a letter; the letter "L". Just then, the elevator dinged softly to indicate its arrival, but the vessel failed to lurch to a stop as one would expect. Either the elevator hadn't been moving at all, or somepony was building a better elevator. The doors slid open with a slight hiss, revealing a lobby. A lobby?

This dream just kept getting stranger and stranger.

The room was rather large, roughly thirty meters square, and seemed to be made entirely of white marble. In places, there were golden accents and trim pieces. The ceiling was around twenty meters high, sporting an ornate golden chandelier from its center. On the sides of the lobby, there were some small trees and fountains, evenly spaced between benches. There was a lone desk along the far wall, and to the left of the desk was a single ornate golden door. Behind the desk there stood an older stallion with a shock of grey hair, one who greeted me with a tired smile. Stepping around the desk, he strode towards me like an old friend. I strode towards him in kind, hoping that he could answer my burning questions. When he got within three meters of me, he said something that stopped me dead in my tracks; he called my name.

"Jade, it is so good to see you."

"Do I... do I know you? Where am I? Am I dead?"

"You don't know me, but I know you. My name is Sage, and I am the receptionist for the afterlife. I assume this answers your questions?"

"Afterlife? So, after all I've been through; berries. Not crocodiles, not ancient traps and poison darts, but berries. That's what finally did me in. Go. Figure."

"Look at this not as the end, but as a fresh beginning, full of possibilities."

"Yeah, not like I can do anything about being dead. I can't, right? Dead is dead?"

"Dead is indeed dead. You, however, have been chosen for a very important task; you must complete this task before you can move on into the ever after."

"A task? What's this about a task? What am I supposed to do?"

"You are being given a sacred duty, one that has been handed down for millennia. You have been chosen as the next receptionist."

"But why? Why me? Besides, what does a receptionist even do?"

"You have been chosen for the same reason that we all are. You've lived a good life, though not one without evil. You have done something terrible in your past, and this is your opportunity to atone for it."

I swallowed a lump of ice that had formed in my throat. Any lingering doubts I'd harbored as to whether or not I was truly in the afterlife suddenly vanished. Many years ago when I was young and arrogant, I'd done a selfish deed that had carried a terrible price. Nearly a dozen ponies had died because of my actions.

"But how? How was I chosen for this, out of all the ponies in the world?"

"I cannot say. All I really know is that the Codex has chosen you. Be thankful though; most who die with evil in their hearts are not given the chance for redemption."

The somber tone of Sage's voice brokered no response. A heavy silence hung over us like a shroud for several tense seconds. Trying to hide my fear under a mask of confidence, I leveled my best Discord-may-care gaze at Sage and issued a challenge.

"And what if I refuse?"

His features immediately darkened, tinted by equal parts anger and fear as he responded in a menacingly soft voice.

"You don't want to do that. Receptionist is a mercy, one that is not extended twice. Should you refuse your duties at any time, try to move on before you've served your pennance, or fail to tend to your guests with the respect they deserve, then you will find yourself being dragged down into the fiery lakes of Tartarus by the chains you've forged I'm life."

I gulped audibly as my rough-and-tumble adventurer act gave way to fear. On second thought, this receptionist gig didn't seem so bad after all.

"You know, on the other hoof, this seems like a nice job. So, yeah... what do I have to do?"

A curt nod seemed to say "I thought as much" before he replied. His voice was no longer laden with fear or anger, having instead returned to the tone of quiet reverence he'd used before.

"You stand as the buffer between death and the afterlife. Your purpose is to help the dead move on to the ever after, and to do this they must be at peace; you are the one who must help them find closure. Also, on occasion, you'll have to make coffee and wax the floors. But mostly, guide the guests to the ever after."

The ominous tone of his response was shattered by the sheer absurdity of the part about coffee. Shaking my head to knock the cobwebs loose, I concluded that he had, in fact, said what I thought I'd heard. True to form, I blurted the first thing that came to mind before I'd had a chance to think it over. Thankfully, Sage seemed to have a sense of humor.

"Coffee? Really? Am I supposed to fetch the paper as well?"

Either Sage missed my sarcasm or he was returning the favor, for he stroked his chin thoughtfully as he replied.

"I've never had the Codex ask for the paper, but I suppose it is possible."

I fought valiantly, barely restraining my urge to facehoof, choosing to groan instead. About that time, something he'd said struck me as odd.

"Wait, what's this Cold-decks thing? You mentioned it earlier, but it only just occurred to me that I don't know what it is."

"The Codex is many things, but that will come later. All things in due time."

"Well that was insightful. So this is it? Herd the dead to the ever after and take orders from the Codex?"

"Herd? Herd? Jade, these are ponies, not mindless animals. They have families and friends; they love, and are loved in return. They will be your friends, family. When they walk through that elevator door, they'll have just been torn from everything they've ever known and loved, and they will be hurting. They need to find acceptance and solace before they can have peace, and you are the one who must lead them."

I felt pretty terrible right about then. I might have been joking, but this was no laughing matter. Solemnly, I nodded my head as the immensity of this responsibility started to become clear. This, however, was nothing more than the opening credits; the real story has yet to begin. Once I'd accepted my fate, I became acutely aware of exactly how little I knew about being a receptionist, let alone to the afterlife.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Luckily, I had Sage with me for the first half hour or so, in order to help me adjust to my new job and the various pitfalls. The first thing he did was hand me a book, no bigger than my wallet. This book was trimmed in jade and gold, the same color as my eyes and mane, respectively. The book, he explained, was simply called the Codex. There were many names for it, along with fancy titles and such, but it was the Codex, plain and simple. This was not your run of the mill book, however; it was a little bit... magical. In the Codex, you could find the name and summarized life story of everypony that had ever died, along with a picture and how they died. Much to my pleasure, the picture was of them in the prime of life, rather than at the moment of death. In the Codex, it mattered not to which page you turned; the page you landed on would have what you needed. Not necessarily what you were looking for, or even what you wanted, but always what you needed. This was very useful, explained Sage, though equally frustrating from time to time. To prove this to me, Sage hoofed me the Codex and told me to flip through it.

As he tossed it to me, the Codex opened up to expose a very familiar face at the top of the page. I was staring into my own face, as it would look if I'd taken the time to brush my mane and apply a little bit of makeup. Not the garish warpaint that some mares walked around with, but something to tastefully accentuate my natural beauty. Or at least, that's what the mare at the boutique had told me. The picture looked like it had been taken recently, since it had my new haircut on it, something I'd only had for a few days. My golden locks had been cropped close to my head so that they didn't get tangled in the bushes while I was trekking through the woods. The stylist (who was, coincidentally, the one who'd done my makeup) had cropped it closer in the back and longer in the front, a style that she claimed would draw focus to my eyes. I'd always liked my eyes, and the picture in the Codex really made them look stunning. They were a shade of the most vivid jade, flecked with the same gold as my mane. Those gold flecks were catching the light, causing them to sparkle. My mother had named me after my eye color, and she always insisted that my name was as pretty as my eyes. The only thing about the picture in the Codex that I didn't like was the color of my coat. In the picture, my coat appeared faded, bleached; what should have been a deep emerald shade was more along the lines of spring green.

Beside the picture, there was a short summary of my life. Born in Filly, moved to Ponyville eight years ago, kissed Caramel under the slide in kindergarten...

"Wait. How the... nopony saw that! How did that get into this book? Oh, if Caramel blabbed about that to somepony, I'll kill him so hard, he dies. To death."

Sage favored me with a raised eyebrow for a moment before reminding me that I was deceased, and would be incapable of doing so. To this, I replied with a whine, something along the lines of how I needed to kill him, because he blabbed about something nopony could know about, before Sage's words from earlier came back to haunt me. From memory, I repeated what he'd told me, verbatim.

"This book is magic. And it tells you what you need it to, not what you want it to."

He simply grinned at me.

"Correct. It has demonstrated as much, has it not? Are you not convinced?"

I sighed, hanging my head.

"Well... I guess. Yeah, I am. Caramel lucked out that time. Nopony breaks a promise with Jade the Spade."

"Your treasure hunting name?"

Though treasure hunting is exactly what I did for a living, I'd long ago found that most ponies thought of treasure hunters (with the exception of Daring Do) as vermin. In response, I'd come up with a deflection for the term.

"Not treasure hunting, paleo-cryptology. I solve ancient puzzles, it's my special talent. It just so happens that these puzzles tend to have valuable items as a prize, and is purely coincidental."

Sage said nothing; instead, he smiled. This buck was a strange one, and I couldn't help but like him for it. Our bonding time was cut short by the familiar ding of the elevator. As the doors slid open, Sage turned to me and informed me that he'd be assisting me with the first few "guests", as he called them, before he took his long awaited trip to the other side. I wanted to tell him how much I admired his dedication and appreciated his help, but the sound of hoofsteps came closer and cut me short.

The steps rang out from the hooves of an elderly mare, one whose eyes were wide with foal-like wonder. Her gaze roamed across the lobby, marveling at each detail. She soon grew nearer to us, and asked the question I'd been waiting for.

"Pardon my intrusion, miss. Am I dead?"

"Yep."

Sage shot me a look to tell me that I needed to rethink my blunt approach, though the mare didn't seem to mind. She smiled broadly, though she still seemed hesitant.

"Are you quite sure that this is really the afterlife?"

"Actually ma'am, this is the lobby. The afterlife is behind the next door."

"Oh, good. It's been three years since my husband passed, and I can't wait to see him again... I've missed him terribly since he left."

I was a bit shocked by the candid response. Being that this was my first guest, I hadn't a clue what to expect. As I hesitated, thinking of a proper response, the older mare turned her head towards the golden door.

Is that the door?"

Initially taken aback by her declaration that she was happy to be dead, as I saw the tears begin to moisten the edges of her eyes and heard the emotion in her voice, I understood. She'd been waiting for the reaper not as a thing to be feared, but as an old friend. I flipped open the Codex, and I read enough to confirm this. Her name was Mabel, her husband died of pneumonia three years ago, she had no siblings still alive, and her children had all moved out and had children of their own. There was almost nothing to tie her to her old life, and it was easy to see why she wanted to move on. She stood there patiently, waiting for my answer about the door. Unable to find the words I needed, I nodded simply as I stepped to the side. She looked at me with a warm smile, looking positively giddy to see what lay behind the door. She gave me a nod as she stepped away from me, towards the door. She paused for a moment just in front of the door, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. Then, with a filly-like giggle, she pushed open the door. There was a flash of light, and then she was gone.

I stood there for a moment, wondering what it must have been like to live a life so long and full of love and happiness that death should come as an old friend. It saddened me to think that I'd never get to know what that was like. I'd never had a chance to settle down, to start a family... and now, I never would. Sage pulled me out of this downward spiral of thought with a gentle tap on my shoulder. I turned to face him, blinking away some dust that had somehow gotten into my eye and made it water.

"Sage? Are they always that easy? To get them to move on, I mean..."

Sage did what Sage does best and said nothing. Not that he needed to speak... his expression said it all. There was pain in his eyes, and it was plain as day. A heavy silence descended upon us like a shroud; the only sound came from the gentle gurgle of the fountains. Sage seemed to be focused on something in the distance, and I was contemplating my own mortality; the seconds stretched into minutes as solitude reigned. A soft ding pierced the silence, signalling the arrival of another guest.

The doors slid open, admitting a younger buck, perhaps in his mid twenties. My age. Blinking against the bright light of the lobby, he stumbled out of the elevator. I vaguely recognized him as one of my classmates in anthropology. I flipped open the Codex, and sure enough, he was. I couldn't help but wonder what it is that he was doing here. Obviously, he was here because he had died within the confines of Ponyville or the adjoining forest, but I had to wonder how. Hesitantly, I called out to him. His head whipped around at the sound of my voice, and he stared at me like he was seeing a ghost... which, for all intents and purposes, he was.

"Clay? What happened to you?"

"Jade?Jade?! What the- where have you been for the last three months? Everypony in town has been worried sick about you!"

I was dumbstruck. Months? What was all of this talk about months? I'd only been dead for half an hour, maybe forty minutes, tops.

"Uh... months? I've only been gone for a little while, certainly not months. What happened to you, though? Why are you here?"

"Jade, is this some kind of sick joke? I was part of the recovery team sent to comb the forest so your family could have closure. Last thing I remember was being in the forest. And wolves. Something about wolves... I don't know, it's a bit fuzzy right now. What is this place? Wait, never mind, that's not important right now. You can explain all of that on the way back to town. Where's the exit?"

"Clay, I can't leave here. Neither can you."

"Don't be silly, your family is waiting for you. All they expected was a body, something to bury... but now I've found you, and they're going to be so happy! So quit your fooling around, and let's go."

"Clay, we can't leave."

"Oh, really? And who's going to stop us? That guy?"

"Clay, we're dead. This... this is the afterlife."

"That's not funny at all. Don't joke like that. Now come on, we need to go now."

"Clay, it's not a joke. I ate some nightshade berries by accident, and you... you were killed by the wolves"

"I... the wolves? Oh my- oh. I-I remember now. It was terrible."

"I'm sorry, Clay. This is the end of the line, for the both of us. Your next adventure awaits you on the other side of that door. All you have to do is step through."

"Why does it sound like you aren't coming with me?"

"Because I can't. I have to stay here to help others find peace and cross over, at least until the eleven years are up."

"What? Why do you... eleven years?"

"I know, it confuses me too. I just know that this is what I'm meant to do. I'm sure I'll catch up to you on the other side, and maybe we can go treasure hunting together?"

"Huh. Yeah, I guess. I- I'd like that. I guess I'll wait for you on the other side, then?"

"I'll be there before you know it, okay Clay?"

"Promise?"

"I- I promise, Clay."

"Alright, Jade. I... this is a lot to take in, but I trust you. I'll see you soon."

"Take care, Clay."

He took a step towards the golden door, but he faltered for a moment. Just as I was about to ask him if he was alright, he turned around and quickly planted a kiss on my cheek before turning and booking it for the door. In shock, I raised a hoof to my cheek, feeling the heat already rising from it as my cheeks burned. I just stared after him as he opened the door, turning at the last moment to look back at me and smile. The light flared and he was gone, but his smile still hung in my mind's eye. I locked that memory away in a special place, vowing to come back to it when I had a moment to myself. In the meantime, I had some questions for Sage.

"Why didn't you tell me that the time here was all... weird? I've been here for less than an hour, and three months have passed? What the heck, guy?"

"You never asked. And no, the time here doesn't sync up with the time there.Three months have passed there, but you are only an hour into your duties. Here, time is not linear, nor does it pass at an even rate. It's like a tangled ball of yarn, and each pony that comes through the door comes to you for a reason. "

"That seems like something you might want to mention up front. And then it raises the question, how do I keep track of the time here?"

"Well, now you know to mention that to your replacement when the time comes. As for just when that time is, you'll know when you open the Codex and see a gold border on their photo, and not a minute before. Really, this job is very simple in concept, though difficult in execution. There's not too much more I can tell you. Most of this, you'll have to figure out on your own as you find out what works best for you."

"Great. More mysteries."

"So it is in life, so too is it in death. One more guest, and then this is your show. I'll finally get to meet someone who's been waiting a long time to see me."

"Okay, one more. I want you to stay longer, to be around in case I need your help, but I know that's not fair. You've waited long enough as is."

As if on cue, there arose a soft ding from across the lobby. Adjusting to my new role far quicker than I had anticipated, I drew myself up to my full height and prepared what I thought to be my most comforting smile. The door opened and my smile faltered. This... this couldn't be right. She was just a little filly, looking lost and scared. Nervously, she peeked out of the elevator, as if searching for someone.

"Mommy?"

Oh...oh no. Please, no.

"Mommy? Mommy, where are you?"

I could feel my eyes begin to burn as the tears threatened to spill. I blinked them away, opening the Codex to distract me from the heartwrenching scene in front of me. Hoping against hope that this was a mistake, I flipped through the pages as I searched for confirmation that it was. Instead, I found exactly what I'd feared.. The girl's name was Belle, and she was six years old. She'd died of an undiagnosed heart condition while she played with her friends in the park. I closed the Codex, wiping away the tear that misted my eye. I shrank to my knees, setting the Codex on the floor and opened my arms to the poor child.

"It's okay, sweetie. You can come out. You're safe here; I'll take care of you."

Slowly, achingly slowly, Belle ventured out of the elevator, dragging a stuffed bear.

"Lady, can you help me find my mommy? I can't find her, and I'm scared... I want to go home, I miss my mommy."

I could swear I felt my heart breaking. Such a sweet, vulnerable foal. I could not help but ask myself, why her? Why so young? It seemed cruel beyond measure to give parents such a beautiful little filly, only to steal her from them like this..

"I-I'll help you find your mommy, sweetie. My name is Jade, what's yours?"

"My- my name is Belle, and I'm six and a half years old. Thank you for helping me find my mommy, miss Jade. I just hope she isn't super-duper mad at me for getting lost. I mean, I didn't mean to! It's not my fault! Billy stole Mister Fluffy and ran away, so I had to chase him. And then... and then I was all alone inside that little room, and I got scared, and... and... and I miss my mommy!"

Belle had been walking closer as she spoke, and she seemed to open up a bit as she did so. As she got to that last part, about being in the elevator, she began to drag her hooves and stare at the ground. Her voice was getting smaller and more frail with each step, until her final declaration. As she wailed those last five words, she broke down crying as she ran into my arms and hugged me tight. I sat down heavily as she crashed into me, hugging her back and rocking her in my arms as I whispered that it was going to be okay now, that I had her. I did my best not to cry, trying to be strong for this little filly. She whimpered pitifully in my arms, and the sound was tearing at a part of me that I couldn't quite come to terms with.

I just sat there and held the filly as she bawled, not knowing what else to do. I slowly rocked her, quietly shushing her and telling her that everything was alright. A few minutes passed before her cries began to fade. When I asked her if she wanted a short ride, she nodded slowly. I loosened my embrace and allowed her to escape before lying on the ground so she could climb on my back. Once she was situated, I slowly rose to my hooves, taking her around the lobby and making sound effects as I did do. From the corner of my eye, I could see Sage watching me with an almost pained smile. I circled back to the golden door before setting Belle back on her own four hooves. She wiped her eyes on the back of her hoof as she stared at me with those big, watery eyes.

"Miss Jade? Where is my mommy? You said you would take me to her."

"I know sweetie, and I am. She's right on the other side of the door, all you have to do is open it and walk through."

"But Miss Jade, I'm scared. I don't want to go alone. Will you go with me?"

"I... I can't, sweetie. I have to stay here and help other ponies."

"But-but I don't wanna go alone. I don't want to be alone again!"

Just as I was beginning to panic, Sage walked up behind me, breaking the stalemate with a gentle tone.

"Little Miss Belle, Miss Jade has to stay here, but I can take you to find your mommy, if you want. I have a daughter about your age, my little princess, who went through these doors before I got here. I'll be looking for her as I help you find your mommy, and if we find my princess first, maybe you two can make friends while we try to find your mommy?"

Sniffling, Belle nodded as she wiped away another tear. I suddenly found it hard to breathe. Sage had lost his daughter... and then after he died, he had to wait eleven more years to see her.

"But... what if my mommy is mad at me? I've been gone a really long time..."

"Little Miss Belle, my princess has been gone a really long time, too. But I'm not mad at her, I'll just be happy to see her again. And do you know what I'm going to do when I find her?"

Belle just nodded, eyes wide as Sage commanded her full attention.

"Well, first, I'm going to scoop her up, like this!"

As he said this, Sage swooped down and scooped the filly into an embrace, causing Belle to shriek and giggle with delight.

"And once I have her all scooped up, I'm going to tickle her... like this!"

The shrieking and giggles redoubled for a bit before dying down as Sage ceased his tickling.

"After I tickle her, then I'm going to hug her and squeeze her tight. While I've got her in my arms, after I've heard the sweet sound of her laugh again, I'm going to tell her that I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I wasn't there when she needed me, that I couldn't protect her. Finally, I'll ask her to forgive me for what I've done."

The joy and energy Sage had started with bled away as he spoke, his voice becoming raw with emotion as he imagined the impending reunion. Belle didn't seem to understand what was going on, and she continued to smile at him with a toothy grin. For the first time, I noticed that she was missing a tooth, and her cute little smile was made all the cuter by the gap in it. Having collected himself, Sage spoke up once more.

"I miss my princess, and I'm just going to be happy to see her again; I'm sure your mommy will be the same way. I'll be with you the whole entire time, I promise. Do you want a pony-back ride as we look?"

Sniffling again, Belle nodded, looking up at Sage with a small smile as she scrambled onto his back, giggling all the while. Sage smiled warmly at the little girl, reaching up to the handle.

"Are you ready, Little Miss Belle?"

She smiled up at him and nodded. Sage looked back at me and gave me a slight nod as he pulled the handle. There was a flash of light, and then they were gone. In the last hour, I'd gone through more emotional fluctuations than I had in the previous five years, and I was feeling more than a little shell shocked. I was numb for a time, sitting alone in the lobby with naught but the gurgle of fountains for company. But then, the tears came; and they just kept coming.

I was the receptionist for the afterlife, but that would have to wait. For now, I was just a scared filly trying to come to terms with her own death, and the reality that this was the end.

The elevator was mercifully silent as I broke down and wept.

Author's Notes:

So here it is. This is a short story of mine, knee that might be expanded on a little bit in the future. This is but a rough draft, as I cannot properly edit it on my tablet our phone. At any rate, I hope it's enough to peak your interest. And remember not to judge it too harshly, as it is only a rough draft.

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