//------------------------------//
// A New Day 
// Story: It's Complicated 
// by K.J. Cragon 
//------------------------------//

	"Ungh..." Twilight Sparkle groaned. Every muscle in her body felt horrible, and she could feel a dull pain even as she opened her mouth to speak. "C'mon, Spike, one more minute..." The heat in her bedroom was horrible, and she could feel the sweat in her matted purple mane. She twisted and turned, unable to get confortable in her bed. The usually soft plush surface was now stale and rough and... hard. Now that was unusual, her bed usually wasn't hard. She fought to open her eyelids, and when she finally did, she didn't see anything. It was pitch black in whatever direction she looked.
Starting to get anxious, she lifted her head off of the hard surface that she layed on, only to bump her horn on the celing. Cursing, she lit her horn, letting it spark and then glow a subtle light. Looking around, she found that she was in a wooden box with paint peeling on the edges. It was large enough for even a pony as large as Applejack's brother to fit in. What the hay? She though, Is this some kind of pratical joke or something? She kicked the upside of the box, making a loud thump. Dirt and dust fell down onto her. 

After rubbing her eyes, she squinted, noticing some nails holding the roof to the main sides of the odd box. Looking it over she found that the nails were rusty and appeared to be old. She sighed. Ok, she thought. So, right now I know that I am trapped in some sort of box, still with my magic but no idea how the buck I got here. Ugh, what happened last night?

She searched her mind for the details, but couldn't remember much, although she was relieved to remember the basics, her name, who she was, and basically everything up until waiting for something in a field with her friends and Spike.

After going over several more senarios of what had happened after that, she finally stopped to consider her options. Well, I could just teleport out. She thought. That would probably be the easiest way of getting out of here. She lit her horn again, this time extending the glow to all of her body. A bright light erupted as she tried to imagine what the outside of the box looked like. In another flash, outside of the box, she readjusted her eyes and looked around.

"Well, that was easier than I expected," she said, examining the area. A dark cloud loomed over her head. She looked over herself, to make sure nothing was missing. She looked behind her, and saw something that made hey eyes go wide. A grave. Two graves actually, and she was standing right on top of one. She looked at the first headstone that read: R.I.P Twilight Sparkle. She was a great friend, a noble enemy, and a gifted student. Long live her legacy.  Underneath were five signatures, whom she recognized as her friends'.

Wha... What? She thought. But, I'm not dead! I'm right here... right? She looked at the next grave, praying that it wasn't who she thought it was, Shining Armor, her brother. She knew that family were usually buried together, so it would be either him, or a parent.

What she saw was not Shining, though, nor a parent. What she saw was, in her oppinion, worse. It read: R.I.P Spike the Dragon. He was a child, and a friend to many. A kind heart, we are sad he had to go. She took a step back, Partially in shock. Why Spike? She thought. What could have happened for him, us, to... To die?

Then it dawned on her. How was she here, then? What was she now, a ghost? Could she be alive, in the flesh? If she was, than why were there grave stones in her and Spike's place? Well, of course she was alive, she had used magic. It was known to almost all magal creatures that once they passed, their magic diminished over a very short period of time, and it was practially impossible to come back from the dead.

Yet here she was, apperently deceased, and yet still here on Equestria. But then why wasn't Spike? She sighed, and became quiet. She wasn't going to cry, or going to just walk away from this to try and find some help. No, she wasn't going to do that yet. She was listening, listening for anything that might point her in the right direction. After waiting for a couple of minutes, she found it.  It was coming from somewhere below here, a sound of bumping and a sort of shwooshing sound. She smiled in relief for a moment. So, everything was at least mildly okay. Spike was alive, at least it sounded like he was. 

"Spike!" She called out to her number one assistant. "Spike, can you hear me?" The rustling sound stopped for a moment and was replaced by a muffled voice.

"Twilight?" She could hear it, but barely. She quickly used a spell, making her eardrums super sensitive. 

"Yes, Spike. It's me. I think we have a bit of a problem. I have a bit of a plan though! Close your eyes, and stay as still as possible, okay?" She heard a clear voice, most definately Spike's, say 'Okay, Twilight I'm ready!' and started the spell. It was a complicated one, but it wasn't the hardest spell she had ever done before. Lighting her horn with her puple magical glow,  she imagined Spike getting surrounded by the light instead of her. She consentrated for a moment before- Poof, Spike the Dragon was laying on the ground facing Twilight.

"My head," He complained. "It's aching, just like the rest of me. Thanks for that extra migraine, Twi'", he half-joked.

"Yeah, yeah, I hurt too, at one point. But it will be gone after a while. I have a theory  that states that when you dont move your muscles for an extended amount of time, they wear off and hurt to use when you actually do use them. It's just a side effect of apperently being dead for a while"

His eyes widened a little. "Wait, what? What do you mean by 'dead', Twilight? I- Were right here, right?"

She smiled a little, hoping to not worry the little guy too much. "Apperently so. Look at these." She showed him the grave stones, and he too was very surprised at them. She looked up as a drop of liquid hit her on her back. 

"Oh look, its raining. How positively delightful, eh?"

Spike looked around, and suck out his tounge to catch some of the falling rain. As one hit it, he smiled in delight, then in confusion. "Spike? Whats wrong?" She looked around and the scenery, and noticed it was raining harder now. Her eyes widened in understanding. She grabbed Spike with her magic and placed him on her back. "C'mon Spike," She said. "We need to find the Princesses!" 

And with that, she galloped on through the field, leaving it raining chocolate milk.