//------------------------------// // More Death:Arc 2, Chapter 1 // Story: New Reign // by Dream Seeker //------------------------------// Twilight cried. Just 7 years after defeating Sombra's shadow, it was Pinkie Pie's funeral. In her will, it had said to call it a "FUN-eral, and just like she wanted, it was full of balloons and streamers, and everypony wore colorful clothing. However, it didn't change the fact that Pinkie Pie was gone. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< "Your Highness!" cried the guard as he burst into the room. "News from Ponyville! Sugarcube Corner has burnt down!" In a flash, Twilight had teleported. Upon arrival, she saw Sugarcube Corner. At least, what was left of it. The charred beams and floor were cracked and broken. The roof had fallen to the floor, and the charred beams dripped with water used to put out the fire. Twilight teleported to the hospital immediately. She asked the first nurse she found, "Who survived the fire at Sugarcube Corner?" "The Cakes, their babies and the customers." the nurse replied. "Pinkie Pie tragically burned to save the Cakes' babies." "T-tell me how it happened." Twilight sobbed. "The fire started from an oven. It had spread to far too fast, and everypony ran out as quickly as they could. When they assembled outside, the Cakes realized that their children were still inside. Pinkie Pie rushed back in as quickly as she could, and somehow managed to shoot the children out the window with the party cannon into Quills and Sofas, where they landed on a sofa. Immediately after, the house collapsed on her. Her body has been identified. Thanks to her, the Cakes' children have minor burns and smoke inhalation. Nopony else will die, or even be crippled." >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Twilight went to bed that night and was about to fall asleep when she heard a voice. "They all deserve to die. They could not save her." "No, they tried their best. Right?" Twilight thought to herself. "Why didn't anypony go in to save Pinkie Pie? Why couldn't they stop the fire sooner? Why did Pinkie Pie have to be the one to run inside?" whispered the voice. "I... don't know..." replied Twilight to herself. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Luna decided to let Twilight have a day off the next day. She was obviously shaken up by the death of her close friend. She took her seat in the throne room and waited. Luna remembered when her few friends had started dying. It was one of the real reasons for her turning Nightmare. She remembered not getting a break from her duties, even when her best friends had died. Even now, she heard the whisperings of her Nightmare, trying once again to convince her to begin the Eternal Night. She knew more than anypony how much Twilight needed comfort now. ----------In Ponyville----------In Ponyville----------In Ponyville-----------In Ponyville---------- Twilight had spent her day off investigating the cause of the fire. During her inspections, she figured out that the Cakes had left the oven on too long, and didn't get word to the fire station until Pinkie Pie had gone back in. Her eye began to twitch. "It's the Cakes' fault. They neglected their job, and didn't respond fast enough. They deserve to die." a voice whispered in her ear. "No, they just... made a mistake. Or two. Everypony makes mistakes!" muttered Twilight to herself. "That doesn't change the fact that Pinkie Pie is gone. Nopony can bring her back, so why should they get to live while others suffer for their mistakes?" "I can and I will bring them back!" Twilight roared. "I just have to create the right spell!" The voice was silent after that. Twilight flew back to Canterlot, thinking over the necessary spell matrixes. On reflex, she lowered the sun in mid-flight. Moments later, the moon rose and the stars came out. Twilight ignored the beautiful sight, however. She was still concentrating on creating a necromancy spell. "Dark magic..." she mumbled to herself. "It needs a bit of dark magic..." Twilight flew up to her tower, grabbed some supplies and teleported to the Canterlot Archives. Once inside, she began looking for all books on dark magic. "Crystal-growing spell, no... Shadow Form spell? I might want to look into that later. Cool, but not what I need right now... Necromancy For Dummies? Perfect!" Twilight cried in glee as she found the right book. Within moments, she was deep into the book. When Luna walked in, she saw Twilight asleep on a book, and smiled. "Sleep well, Twilight. I hope reading a good book helps you recover soon." she whispered, so as not to wake Twilight. She marked Twilight's page, without reading what book it was. She made Twilight a little bed next to her small stack of books, and tucked Twilight in with a spare blanket. ----------In The Morning----------In The Morning----------In The Morning---------- Twilight woke up groggily, before realizing in a panic that she had fallen asleep in her Necromancy For Dummies book! If Luna had seen her... she shuddered. She realized that she might have to tread carefully with her research now. But she would do anything to save her friends. "Life to Death, Death to Life..." she whispered, getting an idea for her spell. She wrote it down in her notes as she raised the sun, in perfect sync with Luna lowering the moon. She had become quite proud of her ability to raise the sun exactly when it needed to rise, but the act held no joy for her now. No joy with one of her friends missing. No laughter without Pinkie Pie... In a secret room, there was a box. Inside the box, the Elements of Harmony sat until they were needed to save the world once more. But as Twilight lost her laughter with Pinkie Pie's passing, the necklace with a solitary balloon on it slowly grew dim and grey. It became an ordinary stone once more.