//------------------------------//
// Chapter 12 
// Story: "I don't know how to deal with this!" 
// by Dirty Bit 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 12


A Heartfelt Reunion! Death Can Feel Fear?


Medusa rested her cheek on a hoof as she sat at the dining room table with an unamused look on her face and a plate with a couple of eclairs. She expected her new 'partners' to be more skilled and disciplined, but they really were nothing more than children who carried potential that was better off wasted.

Gilda had no map for the group's intended use, since she rarely ever travels, and all Lightning Dust could do was sit around in a near-catatonic state in her chair after the dreadful realization of having snake familiars resting inside of her body. She heaved a sigh as she looked over at Gilda, who tried to look back at the witch with narrowed eyes, although she was sweating.

"Clearly, I overestimated your respective abilities. I should at least take solace in the fact that you prepared an acceptable meal." Medusa said as she used one of her tendrils to grab one of the eclairs and took a bite. After finishing it, she held a content smile "I must say, these are divine. You're quite the cook." Medusa complimented genuinely.

"Just something I learned from my uncle. No big." Gilda responded shakily. She tried thinking of different ways for her and Lightning Dust to try and escape Medusa, but what stopped her was the fact that she, too, had some snakes lurking inside of her own body.

"Well, regardless, I'm not entirely pleased with the lack of information we possess for our trips, let alone funds." Medusa took another bite of her eclair and swallowed before continuing "I'll need you to either scrounge up some money yourself, or find the time to snap Lightning Dust out of her little trance so she can contribute. Of course, before that, we'll need a proper destination."

"...I know a place where we could start, but I don't really wanna go back there..." Gilda said, looking down as her tension was replaced with wistfulness.

"Oh? And where, precisely, would that be?" Medusa asked curiously.

"Ponyville. It's far west from here, and we can travel by airship, since you can't exactly fly..." Gilda said as she raised her head at Medusa.

"That sounds prudent enough. Alright then. See to it that our partner snaps back to reality and that you're both properly fed. You'll need all the energy you can get for this adventure of ours..." Medusa said deviously with a widened smile.
_____

Sometime after tending to the animals, Fluttershy and Crona trotted into Ponyville, although the latter tried keeping its face hidden while moving. Fluttershy looked down at Crona with a sympathetic and caring smile as she draped a wing over the swordpony's seemingly frail body.

"So, you said we were going to Rarity's?" Crona mumbled.

"Of course. I remembered how you wanted to have something for yourself to wear, so I thought it would be nice to get you an outfit from the boutique." Fluttershy replied softly.

"That's nice. At least I won't be naked all the time." Crona piped up, its fear lessening.

"Don't worry, Crona. You'll be fine once we reach Rarity's place." Fluttershy said as the two ponies continued to trot. Up ahead was a building resembling a carousel, much to Fluttershy's delight "Here we are. I hope she isn't too busy for us to show ourselves in."

"I don't wanna bother her if she's busy." Crona said, taking a step back "Maybe we can come back another time." Fluttershy felt bad about making Crona nervous and placed a hoof on the black pony's shoulder.

"Oh, I didn't want to sound like that at all. I'm sorry. I'm sure she wouldn't mind in the slightest." Fluttershy reassured, encouraging Crona to follow her to the front door as they made their way inside, where Rarity was seen placing a frilly dress onto a ponnequin. She looked over at the two ponies after she finished and greeted them with a bright smile.

"Why hello, you two. What brings you to my shop today?" Rarity asked.

"Well, it's just..." Crona looked down, placing its left hoof on its right leg "I was wondering if you would..." Rarity stared at Crona between pauses and chose to smile confidently.

"Say no more, Crona. You're free to browse any available dresses, or you can even request me for one of your own design." The fashionista offered. Crona instantly looked up to face Rarity.

"Really?" Crona asked incredulously.

"Of course! Although, if you're going for the latter option, it may take some time before I finish." Rarity added "But that's not a problem, since I can whip up something exquisite for one of your delicate frame overnight."

"That's great." Crona said with a small smile before it vanished "Too bad I don't have any money, though..."

"Oh, perish the thought, darling. Whatever attire of choice is on the house." Rarity replied with a dismissive wave of her hoof, surprising Crona.

"R-Really?" Crona asked incredulously.

"Why not? Think of it as a late welcome present, even if you're possibly not going to be here for long." Rarity winked at Crona, who continued to stare in surprise. Fluttershy stifled a giggle at Crona's reaction before she spoke.

"Go ahead, Crona. Don't be afraid to pick something that suits you." Fluttershy said happily.

Crona took a deep breath and took a first glance at the several dresses available. So far, they - like the latest dress Rarity placed - were all rather frilly. Crona gave a slight wince and looked down, pawing at the ground in nervous thought. Rarity smiled in embarrassment at Crona.

"There are more to choose from in the back if these dresses don't suit you, Crona. You can follow me if you like." Rarity offered. Crona picked up its head and blinked.

"Oh...Okay." Crona muttered before following Rarity along with Fluttershy. Going through another door, the swordpony noticed a larger selection of outfits, varying from formal to casual in appearance. Crona was nearly overwhelmed by the options until it noticed one that stood out; a plain white and long sleeve jacket. It wasn't complicated in design, and it seemed better than getting lost in thought over the other choices.

"I'd like that one there, please." Crona said, pointing at the jacket. Rarity looked over where the hoof was directed at.

"That jacket there?" Rarity asked before she nodded in comprehension and levitated the white jacket with her magic, bringing it over to her "Consider it done. Would you like to try it on?"

Crona nodded and approached the jacket, but then inspected its body. After a brief moment, the ambiguous pony bowed its head in shame.

"I don't know how I can do this..." Crona murmured sadly. Fluttershy donned a caring smile before she neared Crona.

"Don't worry, I'll help you. Just sit down on the floor, okay?" Crona looked at Fluttershy before following her command, satisfying the yellow pegasus "Good, now just lift your upper body up and stretch out your hooves like you're about to hug somepony." Crona slowly lifted itself up and extended its forelegs out, shocked that it was able to do so with ease. Fluttershy then nodded to Rarity, who was then able to carefully put the jacket on Crona, one sleeve at a time, making sure to button it up as well.

"Very good, Crona." Fluttershy said warmly. Crona rose up on all fours to inspect the jacket it was wearing. Rarity was seen with intrigued eyes.

"I must say, darling, you've made a wonderful choice. I can see how you would want to go with something white to go with your black coat. It probably would have been redundant to go with a black outfit." Rarity then tilted her head with a pensive stare "Then again, how would you look in an outfit that matched your mane color?" She then shook her head "No, I mustn't dwell on it; your choice was made."

Crona continued to inspect the coat before being seen with a small smile.

"I like it." Crona looked up at Rarity "Thank you for the outfit, Rarity."

"It was my pleasure, Crona. Do be careful with it, won't you? I'd hate for you to be caught in another scuffle with it on." Rarity replied. It was at that moment that her eyes widened "Oh dear, I almost forgot..."

"What? What's wrong?" Crona asked, starting to feel worried upon seeing Rarity, who then took a deep breath and looked at Crona.

"Crona, I may need to borrow that coat and make a slight...alteration to it, so that Ragnarok won't see fit to ruin it himself. Do you mind?" Rarity asked. Crona stared before nodding to the fashionista.

"Splendid." Rarity said as she used her magic to take off Crona's jacket "I'll have it ready for you later on today, so you won't have to worry too much."

"Okay. Thanks again, Rarity." Crona said, looking down with a smile.

"No problem at all. Perhaps you could join Fluttershy and I on our next visit to the spa. After a good treatment, you'll look and feel better than before." Rarity said cheerfully.

"That could be a great idea." Fluttershy said.

"A spa, you say?"

Ragnarok sprouted out of Crona's back and perched himself on the black pony's head. He ignored the slight look of disdain on Rarity's face.

"I never been to a spa before. It seems kinda girly to me." Ragnarok said rudely.

"Only one like yourself would say such nonsense." Rarity said, turning her head away from Ragnarok "If you must know, it's something you'll probably need as well sometime."

"Can we please not fight?" Fluttershy pleaded anxiously "I don't want to make this visit go bad..."

"Why would I need a visit to the spa when I'm just fine the way I am?" Ragnarok asked with a sneer "I don't need some pony telling me what I need and what I don't need!"

"Ragnarok, I'm sure she didn't mean it like that..." Crona piped up while looking up at the rude growth before scratching its head "But I never been to a spa either. Is it that good?" Rarity's eyes widened as she approached Crona.

"Darling, you would be surprised at how much a visit at the spa can work wonders on a pony's body. It's a very luxurious experience." Rarity said passionately.

"I'll gladly pay for both of us on our next visit if you like, Crona." Fluttershy offered kindly "It really is nice, and the ponies there are good at their jobs."

"Sure. That sounds nice." Crona replied.

"Hey, Rarity! Are you in here?" Everyone in the room turned to the door at the sound of a new voice.

"Is that Rainbow Dash? For whatever reason would she visit here?" Rarity asked, befuddled that the cyan pegasus would usually pick a time to stop by Carousel Boutique. Placing Crona's new jacket back on its ponnequin, she proceeded to trot out of the back room with Fluttershy and Crona following suit. As Rarity confirmed, Rainbow Dash was seen in the main lobby with a smile.

"Hey, girls! How's it going?" She asked in a chipper tone until she noticed Ragnarok perched on top of Crona "Oh, hey, Ragnarok..." Rainbow Dash said with less enthusiasm, earning a dirty glare from the demon sword.

"Hello to you, too, Rainbow Dash. What brings you to my shop around this time?" Rarity asked inquisitively.

"Well, it's not just me, actually." Rainbow Dash said as she scratched the back of her head before pointing outside "Discord actually rounded Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack, and I saying that Princess Celestia wanted to see us in Canterlot. Him and the others are waiting outside."

"Really? I wonder why she would ask of our presence the day after our last visit." Rarity asked curiously, rubbing her chin with a hoof.

"Maybe she managed to resolve the issue with Crona returning home?" Fluttershy asked. While she was happy on the possible thought, she at least wished to spend a little more time with Crona and Ragnarok.

"We won't know until we get there, right? C'mon!" Rainbow Dash said as she trotted out the front door, with the other three ponies and Ragnarok following suit.

'Could the princess have actually found me a way home? I really hope so...' Crona thought, developing a small smile while following the mares out of the boutique 'If she did, I can't wait to see Maka again. It feels like it's been too long...'

Outside, Discord was seen with the other element bearers lounging in the air as if resting on a hammock and perked up upon the new additions to the group.

"There you all are. I was beginning to think I was on a wild goose chase, and that's usually a sport for me." Discord quipped.

"Spare us your banter, Discord. You said that Princess Celestia wished to see us?" Rarity asked.

"Correct. I'm glad I found you all at a good time, because you'll probably need to witness this as well as dear little Crona." Discord smirked as he readied his talons "One trip to Canterlot coming up!" At the snap of his talons, the group found themselves instantly teleported out of Ponyville.
_____

Celestia and Luna stood in their throne room, waiting patiently for their intended guests to arrive. It was about time for them to break down the situation the best way that they could. Luna, for her part, was seen with a thin and nostalgic smile on her face while Celestia was seen with a neutral expression, calculating the possible outcomes of the upcoming event to herself.

The doors to their throne room opened with a loud creak as Discord was seen with the Elements of Harmony and Crona. Luna took it upon herself to greet the new visitors.

"Hello, all. It's a pleasure to see you again." Luna looked down at the black pony and smiled "You must be Crona. So nice to meet you face to face. Are you enjoying your time in Equestria?"

"Yeah...Who are you?" Crona asked.

"My apologies, Crona." Celestia voiced herself as she approached the group with Luna "I've forgotten that you haven't met my younger sister Luna. I'm glad that you made it here, because..." Celestia stopped herself, her spirit wavering before she continued "I have some good news and bad news..."

"D-Do I really wanna hear the bad news?" Crona asked anxiously.

"It is your choice, Crona. I only wish to impart what I have to say before we continue..."

"Okay...I suppose it's best to get it out of the way." Crona said, not feeling happy with what was about to be said.

"Alright." Celestia closed her eyes and took a deep breath "It is with a heavy heart that you will be unable to return to Death City." The following news shocked the element bearers, namely Fluttershy. Needless to say, Crona was feeling worse.

"Wh-What?" Crona mewled.

"I'm sorry. I've done what I can, but I'm afraid it is out of my hooves to provide you with a way home." Celestia explained morosely, before she smiled "However, that is where the good news comes in."

"Princess Celestia, what could possibly ease the fact that Crona and Ragnarok won't be able to go back to their home?" Twilight asked "No offense, but I doubt there would be a surefire way to turn Crona's depression around..."

"That's where you're wrong, Twilight." Discord said as she hovered to the princesses' side "In fact, the good news will wipe away dear Crona's pain in the blink of an eye."

"Really?" Twilight blinked before facing Celestia "What is it?"

"I'd like for you all to look behind, Discord, Luna and I. What do you see?" Celestia asked. Complying to her request, the element bearers and a saddened Crona looked behind Celestia to see what appeared to be a large mirror on a golden frame.

"Oh my!" Rarity gasped at the mirror's appearance "I could really use one of those in my home." She swooned.

"What's with th' mirror, princess? Is it some kinda magical item?" Applejack asked.

"In a way, Applejack. You see, this mirror is very special to us, and is an item that nopony else in Equestria knows about." Celestia explained "And, like Discord, I can assure you that this may ease the troublesome news I've shared."

The group made their way towards the mirror and stopped in front of it. Everypony and Discord watched how Celestia's horn glowed as she focused her magic on the mirror, which began to light up. The group, save for Celestia, shielded their eyes until the light receded. It was then they noticed that upon looking at the mirror, their reflection was replaced with another sight that was strikingly familiar to Crona, who stared with wide eyes along with the other element bearers.

"It's-...It's Lord Death!" Crona nearly shouted.

From what the swordpony seen in the mirror, it was indeed the same black shroud wearing a comical skull mask staring back from inside the mirror. The background seen inside consisted of a partly clouded blue sky with windows in the air, and on the ground, there appeared to be several crosses, as well as the platform the shroud was standing on.

"Crona, is that you?" Lord Death asked "Splendid! So you're still around after all!"

"Wait, what!?" Rainbow Dash piped up "That's Lord Death? He looks...weird..." She cringed at his sight.

"Lord Death, what's going on? Why am I here?" Crona asked frantically.

"Now now, Crona, everything will be explained in due time. You'll have to calm down before I can do so." Lord Death said as two large hands appeared on his being, holding them up in a placating motion before disappearing back into his body "In fact, you'd be surprised that I'm not the only one expecting to hear from you today."

"Who else is here?" Crona blinked before noticing several other people enter the mirror's view. The swordpony gasped at the group that came into view, namely the blonde girl that stopped next to Lord Death. A tear could be seen rolling down Crona's right cheek.

"Maka..."

"Crona?" Maka asked before gasping and smiling "Crona, it is you! I'm so glad to see you again!" They stared at each other through the mirror before another person showed up, only this time, it was a white-haired boy.

"Crona, is that you?" He blinked at Crona's new form before turning to Maka "Are you sure that's Crona over there, Maka? All I see is a pony..." The boy looked back at the rest of the group "In fact, all I see is nothing but ponies."

"Hey! What am I, chopped liver?" Discord complained.

"Of course it's Crona, Soul! Can't you tell?" Maka said before looking down at Crona "Then again, now that you mention it..." She stared before placing her hands on her cheeks, a sweet smile on your face "You do look rather adorable, Crona." The swordpony looked down with a bashful smile and a blush.

"You again!"

Ragnarok sprouted from Crona's back and pointed a paw at Maka with an angry glance.

"I never thought I'd have to see your stupid face again after Crona decided to play the hero!" Maka could only giggle in embarrassment at Ragnarok's words.

"It's nice to see you, too, Ragnarok." She greeted awkwardly.

"So you must be the same Maka Crona was talking about." Twilight said with a smile "It's a pleasure to meet you finally. My name is Twilight Sparkle. Crona told me you shared the same enthusiasm for studying as much as I do."

"Oh! It's nice to meet you, too. I see Crona's been talking about us, huh?" Maka said with a smile "But yeah, I do like to study now and then."

"Can anyone tell me why Crona's a pony?" Soul piped up "I'm seriously lost here."

"And you must be Soul." Twilight said "I heard from Crona that you're a weapon, correct?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Soul asked "Got any questions for me?"

"Hey, you two, move aside! I wanna see Crona, too!"

The raspy voice from behind Maka and Soul earned their attention before another person came into view in between the two. He was a boy with spiked blue hair, a black shirt, a silver scarf, fingerless gloves, and white pants with black stripes on the bottom. A star was seen on his right shoulder, as well as the silver toes on his black shoes.

"Huh? Why are there ponies here?" The boy looked at the group, flummoxed as he scratched the back of his head.

"I know, right? I was thrown off, too." Soul said from behind.

"Black Star? I'm over here." Crona said, raising a hoof to grab his attention. Black Star's eyes fell on the black pony and he blinked before going slackjawed.

"Crona!? What the heck happened to you!?" Black Star shouted.

"I-...I was turned into a pony when I got here." Crona replied feebly.

"Wait a minute." Rainbow Dash said before pointing at Black Star "You're supposed to be the guy who surprasses what's-their-name?" After grabbing his attention, Black Star grinned proudly at Rainbow Dash as he pointed a thumb at himself.

"Nice to see my reputation's spreading. That's right, I'm Black Star. The one who will surpass God!" He proclaimed with bravado.

"Well, before you surpass God, whoever that is, you gotta remember that there are other awesome figures out there, like me." Rainbow Dash placed a hoof on her chest.

"And who are you supposed to be?" Black Star asked as he crossed his arms.

"Name's Rainbow Dash; fastest flier in Equestria and soon-to-be Wonderbolt." Black Star stared before he broke out in laughter.

"If you're supposed to be an obstacle for me, that's no problem. If I could go to that Equestria place, I'd surpass you in no time at all!" Rainbow Dash stared before narrowing her eyes.

"I'd like to see you try. I doubt you'd be able to keep up with me." Rainbow Dash shot back, earning a glare from Black Star.

"Is that a challenge? You don't know just how powerful I can be-"

*BONK!*

Black Star was seen face first on the ground with a large dent on the back of his head. Over him, Lord Death was seen with a large hand held out in a chopping gesture. Needless to say, the element bearers were shocked.

"I do hope you can forgive Black Star. He has a rather 'eager' nature, as it were." Lord Death said to the group.

"I feel I must say the same for Rainbow Dash." Celestia said maturely, while the cyan pegasus looked away in shame.

"Sorry about that..." She muttered penitently.

"Whoa! That must hurt somethin' fierce." Applejack said as she inspected BLack Star "Is he gonna be alright?"

"Oh, he'll be fine." Maka said with a reassuring smile "He might seem like he's all talk, but Black Star is tougher than he looks."

"Oh no, Black Star."

Soul moved out of the mirror's view for a girl to show herself in next to Maka as she picked up Black Star. She had long black hair done in a ponytail, and was seen with pale yellow clothing with a yellow star emblazoned on the right side of her chest. There were grey and black bandages on her arms from the shoulder down, and a sweatband with a star symbol on it on each of her wrists.

"Hey, Tsubaki, have you seen Crona yet?" Maka asked as she pointed to the black pony in question. The girl named Tsubaki noticed Crona and Ragnarok before she stifled a gasp and smiled warmly.

"Crona, Ragnarok, it's nice to see you both again." Tsubaki greeted as she held Black Star.

"I missed you." Crona said, returning a smile.

"I missed your food!" Ragnarok piped up, making Tsubaki giggle.

"Are you both adjusting well here? I must say, I'm surprised at your new form." Tsubaki said as she examined Crona.

"Yeah, it was hard at first, but I'm dealing with it." Crona said with a nod.

"Excuse us. We would like to see Crona as well."

The sophisticated voice heard behind Lord Death and the humans beckoned for them to move out of view for three other people. Two of them were women who looked nearly identical in their attire, including a white cowboy hat and tie, tight and sleeveless red bellyshirts, and high-heel black boots.

Their noticeable differences where that the taller one had dark blonde hair that reached her back, two silver bracelets on each hand, and long blue jeans, while the shorter one had chin-length blonde hair and puffy blue shorts.

The boy standing between them had pale skin and yellow eyes, and was dressed in a black tuxedo with white lines in a symmetrical pattern, with a crest resembling Lord Death's mask on his white shirt. Unlike his attire, his black hair was adorned with three white lines on the left side of his head. He was seen with a stoic expression.

"Whoa, they weren't kidding when they mentioned ponies." The taller girl said with a raised eyebrow as she looked at the group.

"Yay~! Ponies~!" The smaller one said, cheering and gushing at the ponies' appearance "They look so cute, don't they, guys?"

"Indeed." The boy piped up as he noticed Ragnarok on top of a black pony, blinking in surprise "Crona, is that really you? You look rather different."

"Hi, Kid, Liz, Patty." Crona said "Yeah, this is what I look like now."

"I see you're doing well, although..." Kid looked at the entire group "I'll need you to stand perfectly in the middle..."

"Oh, okay."

Kid continued to observe the rest of the ponies, then turned to Twilight and Rarity "You two, won't you stand on either side of Crona?"

Twilight and Rarity stared at Kid, then at each other before complying to his request.

"Now for the winged ponies on either side of the unicorns."

"Oh, okay..." Fluttershy said as she stood next to Twilight, though she wished to stand next to Crona. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash descended and reluctantly stood next to Rarity, wondering where Kid was going.

"The regular ponies next now, but..." Kid trailed off before pointing at Pinkie "That one must wear the same kind of hat!"

"Just what in the hay are ya tryin' to do here?" Applejack asked, oblivious to the fact that Pinkie fished out an exact replica of her stetson from her own mane before putting it on and grinning.

"Now for the tall ones in regalia. Stand behind the ponies, please."

Celestia chuckled as she and Luna decided to stand next to each other behind Crona. Luna arched an eyebrow at Kid.

"Just who is he?" Luna whispered.

"Judging by his attire, he might be affiliated with Lord Death." Celestia whispered back, albeit in amusement. Kid made a motion with his hands as if he were focusing a lens as he stared through them at the ponies before nodding in approval.

"Much better. It's much easier for me to talk to you all now-"

"How about me, hm?" Discord said with a playful smile as he appeared in front of the ponies, in Kid's full view.

Kid, for his part, immediately caved in at the sight of Discord, as if he saw a ghost.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT'S SYMMETRICAL IS THAAAAT!?!" Kid shouted before he reeled back and fell in a sitting position. Discord only guffawed at his reaction.

"Discord!" Twilight chided.

"Oh, Discord, I see you haven't changed." Lord Death said cheerfully as he took up most of the mirror's view.

"You'd be surprised, Lord Death. It seems we both have undergone changes as of late. I like your style." Discord said.

"Thank you. Anyways, I'd like you to meet my..." Lord Death looked over at Kid, who was seen cradling himself in a fetal position while Liz and Patty tried to comfort him "...son that you just scared."

"Oh my goodness, you actually have a son? How exciting! Did you do this yourself?" Discord asked curiously "I doubt there would be anyone willing to find a soulmate in the Grim Reaper."

"Yes, well, personal issues aside, I have made sure he's on his way to inheriting my role." Lord Death said "He just needs more training is all."

"...Does this mean we can stop standing like this now?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Lord Death." Crona said, prompting Discord to float out of view "You still haven't answered my question yet. Why was I sent here and not back at Death City?"

"Well, Lord Death?" Celestia said with a smile that appeared serene "Given what poor Crona has been put through, I believe now would be the time for a proper explanation, don't you?" She said in a seemingly kind tone with her eyes closed. As Lord Death looked upon the solar princess in silence, some beads of sweat were seen on his mask, and the Grim Reaper began to tremble as if the ground beneath him were quaking. The children in the background, save for Kid, Liz, and Patty, watched in surprise.

"Wait...Is Lord Death actually shivering?" Soul asked as he watched Lord Death give a slight whimper.


End of Chapter 12