//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7: The Way 
// Story: The Rock 
// by DinoDenver 
//------------------------------//

Rarity quickly approached Zecora. She wouldn't go all this way to the barn just to tell Rarity that she can't help her. At least that's what Rarity wanted to think.

Zecora looked in Rarity's eyes, but white mare couldn't read her expression in the dark. They stood for a moment in silence before Zecora reached to her saddle bag. She gave Rarity something, wrapped in brown, old paper. Rarity picked it up with her magic. She couldn't tell what it is from it's shape. She was about to ask, but before she had chance to Zecora turned around and started to walk away.

Rarity wanted to stop her, there were so many questions in her head. But when she opened her mouth Zecora stopped.

“Before using it think twice,
it comes at terrible price.
Every day for Spike it give
one shorter you will live.”

She said it without facing Rarity, and immediately after that galloped away, leaving Rarity with even more questions than she had moments earlier.

“Come on, Rarity!” It was Pinkie. “Or we gonna drink without you!”
“Sorry, girls, but I really have to go now.” Answered Rarity before she started to run down the road to Ponyville.
“What's with her?” Pinkie was confused.
“Sometimes a mare has to do what she has to do.” Said Fluttershy. “So, um, cheers!”


***


Door to Carousel Boutique opened and Rarity went inside. It was middle of the night, but Sweetie Belle was with her parents, so she didn't have to worry about waking anybody up. She probably wouldn't worry about that anyway, the only thing she was thinking about now was mysterious package she received from Zecora.

She used her magic to place the parcel on the table and examined it. It was about 30 centimeters long, had cylindrical shape and was wrapped up in very old looking, brown paper. Very old looking, blood stained, brown paper.

Rarity's eyes widened and she took a step back. What exactly did Zecora gave her? Well, whatever it was, it was supposed to help her bring Spike back. And there was only one way to find out what it was.

She approached table once again and used her magic to carefully removed wrapping paper. What she saw frightened her.

It was knife, but not a normal one to say the least. It was double sided knife. On its blade there was written something in language, that Rarity didn't know. Alongside it's cutting edges were engraved some weird channels, they went all the way up to handle. And handle was the weirdest, and most creepy, part of this knife. There were some more sentences in that weird language and on the end there were carved two head of ponies. Well, one of them was only a skull.

What was that? How did Zecora even acquired that item? And most important: why were there blood stains on it?! Many questions flowed through Rarity's head. She looked at the clock and decided, that these questions can wait. But night train to Canterlot surely won't wait for her. She wrapped knife back and left boutique.


***


Trip to Canterlot went by much faster than Rarity thought it will. She didn't have enough time to think about this weird knife. Nor about what Zecora told her. But what bothered her most was how does one even use this knife?

“You'll have time to think when you get there, Rarity.” She told to herself and started galloping.


***


Canterlot's garden was peaceful. Only sound was burble of trees, as they were hit by blasts of wind.

Rarity was standing right before Spike's grave. This was it. She used her magic to open the crypt. It wasn't easy, but she managed to do it. Mare was breathing heavily, but she didn't stop there. She used her magic once again, this time to open coffin.

Spike looked peaceful. He was lying in coffin just like he was at funeral, but heart shaped ruby necklace was nowhere to be found. This reassured Rarity, in the end she was still wearing it. She unwrapped knife once more and stopped.

“What am I supposed to do with that thing?” Rarity asked herself.

And it was a valid question. What was she supposed to do with a knife? Stab Spike? Well, Stabbing someone with a knife don't usually bring them back to life, it has the opposite effect . Was she supposed to stab herself? This didn't look like very smart thing to do either. But standing over body of your dead friend in the middle of the night with some kind of occult knife didn't look very good either.

“What are you doing here, my beloved subject, on this beautiful night of full moon?” Rarity jumped upon hearing Princess Luna's voice.
“I... I just...” Rarity didn't know what to say... What was she supposed to say? Anything she could think of seemed like bad idea.
“Oh, you're reanimating a corpse?” Asked Luna.
“I...” Rarity knew she was in trouble.
“Sweeeeeeet. Can I help you?” Princess asked another question without waiting for answer. And there was no answer coming out from Rarity's wide open mouth. “Is that ritual knife from Zebrica? We didn't see that for a while!” Princess looked at knife, her eyes were shining, she was blushing slightly. “We'll need blood to carry life force to corpse...”
“You'll help me, your highness?” Rarity was still in shock, but managed to say something at last.
“Of course I will! Your princess loves this stuff!” Luna looked Rarity in the eyes and added with a grin. “Night is my domain, after all.”
“Does this really have this much to do with night?” Rarity was surprised.
“Well, I like night and other dark things...” Princess looked like she was thinking about what Rarity has said. “So I think this isn't such a bad hobby for me. Or is it?” Princess smiled. “But that's not important, we'll need blood to revive him. Looking at this knife it looks like it will drain life force of one that sacrifices blood and give it to reanimated corpse...”
“That's what Zecora told me, princess.” Explained Rarity. “But she didn't even told me how to use it...”
“That won't be problem, my dear subject.” Luna reassured Rarity and raised the knife.
“I... I have one question, your highness...”
“What is it, my dear?” Luna looked confused, she was wondering what was holding Rarity.
“How can I control how much 'life' will I give to Spikey?”
“Well, and how much do you want to give?” Princess accepted this as a pretty important reason to hold up ritual.
“I was thinking about half of my time...” Rarity drooped her head down and looked on ground before her. “I... I know it's not much compared to dragon's lifetime... but even if I gave him all of my time it would be only small fraction of what he lost... “ She raised her head and looked at Princess Luna with teary eyes. “But... as selfish as it is, I want to spend this time...”
“Speak no more, your princess knows everything she needs to know.” Luna interrupted before Rarity started to cry. “One drop will be plenty.”

Rarity was surprised. One drop of her blood will give Spike half of her lifetime? She expected it to be a little more accurate... but wasn't time to worry about such a small details. In few moments she will revive Spike!

Knife levitated closer to her. It was under Princess Luna's control.

“Are you ready?” Asked princess.
“Y-yes!” Answered Rarity as she raised her front leg.

She closed her eyes and waited for a moment. Then she felt a little sting. Was that all? Rarity opened her eyes and saw a small cut on her leg, but more importantly she saw that knife was looking bit different now. Every engraved channel, all words and eyes of  carved pony heads were glowing with dim, red light.

Princess levitated knife closer to her and cut her own leg. Rarity gasped.

“Princess!”
“So you want him to live as long as you?” Luna asked calmly.
“You're going to sacrifice your lifetime in my place...?” Rarity couldn't believe, that princess Luna would do so much for her.
“My dear, I'm nearly immortal, that's not a big deal. So, your lifetime will be plenty?” Princess asked once again.
“Well... If I can have one request... Could you make him live a little longer than me...? Even a day...” Princess looked surprised upon hearing Rarity's request, so Rarity explained. “I know I'm pretty selfish already... but I don't want to see him die before me...”

Princess didn't say anything, just added few more drops of her blood. Knife was now glowing with a bright red light.

Princess Luna raised knife and with stabbed Spike's corpse in heart. Rarity's heart almost stopped. But moments later Spike's body started glowing, more and more as knife's light was getting dimmer. When knife was no longer glowing princess took it out and wound healed immediately.

Rarity approached Spike's body. It wasn't glowing anymore. It was just lying in the coffin. But his eyes opened.

“Rarity?” She was on verge of crying upon hearing Spike's voice.