//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Answers // Story: Equestria Ends With You // by Lunat1c //------------------------------// Chapter 3: Answers "Death is closer than you think.” Twilight Sparkle walked down the pavement with Dawn. "Well, nice to meet you, Dawn. My name is Twilight Sparkle, but you can call me Twilight." "So, Twilight. Getting straight to business, what the hay is happening here?" Dawn questioned, with a raised eyebrow." " To be honest, I have clue. I actually have no idea what has happened up to waking up on the streets here..." Replied Twilight. "Well, what do you remember from before that?" "I..." Twilight trailed off "I don't know. I can't remember anything before waking up here. Has the same thing happened to you?" "Well, I also woke up here on the streets, with this on me" Dawn motioned towards a small saddlebag "Unfortunately, it was empty. Do you have any idea what's going on?" Twilight smiled "Well, I woke up with something that seems more useful than your saddlebag." "And what might that be?" Twilight pulled out the book. Opening it, she could see a sentence already on the page. "So, I see you found your little friend, and quite a bit more than that, hehe." Dawn looked confused, tilting his head towards Twilight. "Don't worry about that, it tends to speak like that." Twilight assured him. "Speak?" Dawn replied with a raised eyebrow. "Uh.. I'm not sure how to explain this.." Twilight looked at the book for help. Ink began to form on the book, as if there were an invisible pen writing. ..."BOO" Seemingly unfazed by this formation of ink, Dawn poked the book in response. "Hey, not surprised?" Appeared on the book. "I've seen and done enough weird things today, give me a break." Sighed a slightly annoyed Dusk. "Aww, you're no fun!" Interrupting their conversation, Twilight butted in. "Well, book. We'd like some answers, please." "Hey! You can call me something other than Book!" "What, then?" "Your Superiority would suffice." "Book then." Laughed a smiling Dawn, looking over at Twilight stifling a giggle. A small patch of ink appeared on the other side of the page, as if somebody had knocked over an ink pot, but quickly dried up. "How about Ben." Simply stated the book. Twilight nodded. "Sounds fair enough. So, answers?" "There are no answers if there are no questions~" "Ergh, fine. Why did we wake up on the street?" Asked Twilight, becoming a little impatient. "Simple. You two are dead." Twilight and Dawn stopped dead in their tracks. "D... Dead?" Stuttered a distraught Dawn. "Th... That... What?" Stuttered Twilight, following after Dawn's speech. "You know, dead? Deceased? Lifeless? Departed? Fallen? Game Over? Well, more like Game Begin but you know what I mean" "That's not possible!" exclaimed Dawn. "I know, we're right here. It's illogical." Twilight said. "But Twilight... The entire situation we're in is completely illogical!" "Argh! What is going on?" The confused pair looked into space for a while, sat on their haunches, trying to figure out this seemingly unexplainable predicament. Ben made a loud rustling sound. "Well, if you two are quite done uselessly staring into space, I've prepared some 'answers' for you. Feel free to turn over when you feel like it." He sat on the rooftops, watching the pair converse. Interesting pair, this one. He’d have to keep an eye out for them. He had seen them fight with that noise, and they certainly had potential. And that book they seemed to be communicating with. That doesn’t seem right at all, and he was sure he’d seen pins come out of it. and the energy pulsing from them… the mare in particular. He’d never seen anyone with quite the same potential power as she seems to be exhibiting. But no matter. He would strike when the time is right… He would surely get some recognition for this. Surely. Twilight flipped over the page, coming face to face with a wall of text. He certainly had ‘prepared’ some answers for them. The Reaper’s Game – A Brief Overview ~By your Supreme Overlord The Reapers' Game is a one-week competition in which the dead may participate. To enter in the game every player has to pay an 'entry fee', that is taken by the conductor, one who supervises the games. Each player is given a player pin, as a sign of their participation and entry into the Reaper’s Game. The player pin allows the holder to read the mind of anypony not carrying a player pin (with some exceptions), an ability called "Scanning". The Reaper’s Game happens on a different plane of existence to the living, though both can be observed by one playing the Reaper’s Game, which exists on one called the Underground, whereas the living exist on a parallel plane called the Realground. “Dead… One week… Scanning…” Twilight processed out loud. “Yes…” Dawn pondered “I guess that would explain some things about our situation. We definitely need to know more, but I think that can wait until later.” Approaching Sugarcube Corner, the pair put Ben in Dawn’s saddlebag, and trotted on. “We made it!” Dawn exclaimed. Looking down at their hooves, the timer vanished. Sharing a hi-hoof, Dawn and Twilight stood there, waiting for something to happen. “Awkward…” Dawn said out loud. Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but was cut short by Dawn’s body falling onto her. “Dawn, wh-“ Twilight started as she fell, but started to black out, the darkness drawing into her vision. Smiling, the reaper sat in the same position. “Let day two begin.” Thanks again for reading! Be sure to comment and say what you like (Or more likely) dislike about the story. Don't be shy! Oh, and just to clear something up. It doesn't really matter if you've played The World Ends With You (Other than if you haven't, you're missing out on a great game), and if you haven't, you'll probably be confused by some events throughout the chapter. But don't worry, treat it like any mystery that you might read in a story: One that will be explained later. Peace.