//------------------------------// // 7: Twilight of a New Opportunity // Story: 'Til Death Does Us Part // by Styxxie //------------------------------// Styxx had to explain everything to Twilight. The purple alicorn was searching the shelves on one side of the library, Styxx doing the same. Anything regarding death, necromancy, and darker magic was what they needed. Twilight said Styxx had the mind of an ancient pony when it came to the knowledge of death. Though, this is taking to account that half of her family were necromancers, cadavers, et cetera. "Have the princesses been taking care of you, Styxx?" she asked casually. Styxx looked over her shoulder at Twilight for a moment, then answered her. "Yes, they have. Luna has been especially kind to me." she remarked. Twilight chuckled. "I would figure so. I wonder if she is fond of you?" Styxx's brow furrowed as she continued looking through the many books on the shelves. Twilight and her had known each other for some time. In fact, Twilight was the one who helped Styxx get directly under the princesses' wings. Before then, the family business was more like servant work. Now it's more important. "Why me?" she asked, almost to herself. "Luna is particular about these things, Styxx. It's not everyday you meet a pony of death." Twilight answered, still looking through the books as well. "Ah, here's something..." she muttered, taking an old leather book from a high shelf, and holding it with her aura as she continued to search. One book was not enough to look for a solution for Styxx. "I'm not a grim reaper, if that's what you mean." Styxx replied. "I'm just a pony who prepares others for one of their most important occasions, if not the most important." she added casually as she too found a book. This one was black and hardback, the covers almost looking like a thin woven fabric wrapped around a hard surface. "Have you found anything, Twilight?" she asked. "I found one thing so far. You?" "Same here." Styxx sighed, discouraged. Since nopony knew much about death or beyond, there was not much research books. Styxx was almost positive any books they would find would be written by one of her distant ancestors. She turned back around, as did Twilight. "Let's look through these and see what we can find." Twilight nodded, and they came closer to flip through pages. They sat down, both using their magic to hold the books and look through them. "The princesses were acting a little...strange...early this morning." Styxx remarked. "Oh?" Twilight said. "How so?" "They had spent hours on end in the archives, and I had come downstairs to check on Luna. Dinner had been a little...awkward, to say the least. I had to make sure she was alright. When she came out and caught sight of me, she asked if I had heard anything she and Celestia had been discussing." "Had you?" "No. But that caught me off guard. I'm starting to worry, Twilight." Styxx admitted, almost sheepishly. "Don't be worried, Styxx." Twilight said reassuringly. "I'm sure they just were having a private conversation. You and Luna seem to be close, so I'm sure she will talk to you about it later." "I hope so..." Styxx sighed, and flipped to the middle of the book she had to realize a page was torn. "Hey, one of these pages are torn. I can't read the rest." Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Really? Let me see." she said, and peered over to see the page was torn in half. The bottom of the page was gone. "How did that happen?" "Did anypony else own this library before you?" Styxx asked. "Oh I'm sure," Twilight replied. "but I don't know who..." At the palace, Luna was determined to convince Celestia that Styxx was not a grim reaper pony. She paced her chambers, trying to think of how she could persuade her sister to believe that Styxx was not meant for that. Luna knew that Styxx was meant to prepare ponies for a restful afterlife, not put them into the afterlife. She knew the grey unicorn was out, and this worried her deeply. What if she went back to her shop? She was beginning to think there was no saving it... "Luna!" Celestia called from upstairs. "Sister, come here!" Luna rolled her eyes, knowing Celestia was probably trying to give more evidence that Styxx was meant for "so much more". She went upstairs, and saw Celestia holding two scrolls and a dark leather book. "What are those?" Luna asked. "The book looks like the 'Book o' Death...'" "It is." Celestia admitted. "I found it in the guest bedroom Styxx has been staying in. A new entry has been put in, I witnessed it myself!" she told her, aware of the book's magic, since their mother had given the book to Styxx's family. "We need Styxx to hunt the killer and put them to rest, Luna." "You're asking her to assassinate another pony!?" Luna exclaimed, shocked. "Luna, this pony is a threat to Equestria! I cannot do this, but Styxx can. She knows the elements of death better than any other pony." she vaguely explained. "She is not a grim reaper, Celestia!" Luna shouted, stomping a hoof. "What if that is what she is truly meant for!?" "She would have known that by now! I don't care what you say, I will not allow you to go through with this silly plan!" "Also, little sister, it is not assassination. It is a natural act of a reaper." Celestia corrected her from earlier. Luna growled, on the verge of screaming at her older sister. "Dammit, Tia! She is not a grim reaper, she is an undertaker. She would be doing much darker work if she was a reaper, and she would know if she was one. She would commit to it and it would not have to grow in strength if it was truly inside of her somewhere!" she yelled. Celestia glared at her. "Luna, calm down." she instructed sternly, trying to keep her composure herself. Luna's glare did not ease, and she looked to the side. "Just shut up about it around me." she snapped. "If you dare mention this ridiculous idea to Styxx, I will leave this palace. And take her with me." "Why would you take her along?" Luna hesitated, realizing what that sounded like. Quick to flip it around on Celestia, she said, "...Because I refuse to allow you to implant this into her mind. She is already on edge, I know it. Just leave it be, Celestia." she almost pleaded, and turned away to return to her quarters. Twilight and Styxx sat in the middle of the library for a long time, having found about four more books on the matter they were looking for. The ultimate idea was to find a way to return Styxx's shop to normal. The two sat mostly in silence as they skimmed through several worn pages of six different books. Styxx found a particular page that could possibly help with whatever was in her shop. "Twilight," she said to get the alicorn's attention. Twilight looked up, a glint of inquisitiveness in her eyes. "I found something. 'Returner'? It's like a spell..." she said, turning the book to let Twilight see the page. She glanced over the page, and smiled. "Hmm, this could work. Return the spirit to the murderer?" she asked. "I believe it's more like a karma thing. The spell sounds familiar. My aunt, Sage Hoodoo, was knowing of these kind of things. This is well deserved, obviously. Hell, it's a murderer." she pointed out. Twilight nodded. "I understand. Where are we going to find the things for this?" she asked, looking over the ingredients to perform this spell. "Zecora, if I don't have anything myself." Styxx told her. "Zecora is who I often go to if I run out of herbs and such. A truly talented pony, she is." she added, and Twilight nodded. "Should we head to Canterlot to see what we can do, then?" Twilight asked. Styxx seemed hesitant at the thought. She knew the princesses were put off about her ever going back to the shop as of right now. Another thing she thought of was the four caskets still neatly put in the floor, having yet to be preserved, and probably slowly decaying as of now. "...Give it a little bit of time?" Styxx asked. Twilight raised an eyebrow at the grey unicorn. "Why? Don't you want to be rid of this and return to work?" "Of course I do." Styxx replied, and then looked away at nothing in particular. "I just...have a lot of issues with this matter. I have not performed a proper spell in four years. There's also rules to this kind of magic. What days are better than others, what times are better, the moon phase..." she trailed off. "I could go on. Twilight, what I'm trying to say is, I'm worried it will release and then latch onto you. I would not wish a haunting on you, princess." she said gently. "I know that, Styxx." Twilight replied. "I understand your magic is more delicate than most." the grey unicorn nodded at this acknowledgement. She sighed, and looked down. "I'm going to speak with Luna on the matter." she admitted. Twilight let a small smile spread on her face, and she nodded. Styxx thanked her friend, and they shared an embrace before the grey unicorn left the library. For safe keeping, Twilight put the books all together and set them to the side. She knew this would not be the last time they would have to look through those.