]The device that blocked any physical or magical content had been broken.
The fillies and colts all now stood in the party room, smiling.
And of course, the parents rushed in, uncaring for the bloody tiles.
The leaned down to their children.
"Goldy! Cocoa!" A creamy coated mare and brown stallion cried in unison.
"Oh, Music Ruff..." A purple mare sighed, her hoof placed on an ethereal purple colt.
"C-Cake Flower..." a golden mare teared up, her mouth pulled into a S shape.
Crimson Fur waited. By now, the children`s ghost forms had become whole, so they had all of their legs now.
He sat on his flank, his tail bushy and like a fox.
It didn`t wag with any excitement of his parents.
Because no pony came to him.
He let out a long sigh, his head held low...
String Play noticed the absent Fox pony`s sigh.
He began to pad over to him, but was suddenly wrapped in a tight hug.
"String Play! Your alive!" Twilight Sparkle cried happily. Tears dotted her eyes. She didn`t know?
"Y-yeah..." String Play returned the hug, but let out a silent sigh. He had to tell her.
"Am I... Dead?" Vincent asked. Earlier, he could feel his soul lifting, but a sudden tug had kept him between the feelings of sleep and alertness.
It was as if he was in a dream.
He looked around.
He stood in a dark gray landscape, and lighter gray squares seemed to float about.
He felt no pain, but in that matter, didn`t really feel anything at all.
He couldn`t breathe.
But it didn`t hurt.
He couldn`t blink.
But his eyes didn`t burn.
Vincent got off of his purple haunches.
He had no blood on him... And that death trap suit wasn`t around him either. He began to walk aimlessly, since everywhere around him seemed... More or less the same.
He did notice his dark purple mane was tattered and bed-head like. His bright gold eyes were duller.
"So then... I`m dead" he deadpanned.
A sudden tug in his lungs told him something was coming.
Or appearing...
Crimson Fur watched as Cake Flower hugged her mom, and Cocoa embrace his dad.
Music Ruff hugged his mom, and she kissed his forehead.
"Guess i`m all alone t`en..." he sighed in his new pirate accent.
String Play pulled away from Twilight Sparkle. She almost grabbed for him, but decided it was best to let him do whatever he needed.
"Crimson Fur!" String Play said as he came up to the young red colt.
"Aye? er, h-hi?" Crimson replied, trying to keep the accent down.
String Play chuckled.
But he gained a serious face again.
"Where are your parents?" he asked.
"I, er, my dad left a while back, a`ter he killed Crimson Grace..." Crimson Fur sighed. String Play guessed that was his mom, and decided to let the rest of the background be untold.
He hugged Crimson Fur tightly.
"It`s alright. I don`t have any parents either. Or ones that care, anyways" String Play said, as Crimson returned the hug.
"Thank ye, lad" Crimson said softly. For his accent, the pitch was still lighter, considering the colt form of his body.
Twilight Sparkle took notice and began to trot over to them.
"Hey`a Crimson Fur!" Twilight smiled, but it faded, "W-where`s your parents?". The red colt looked down.
"Tis gone" he mumbled. Twilight shared a glance at String Play.
Crimson Fur perked up for a second, and looked to Twilight Sparkle.
"Oh, i`m sorry about that" Twilight Sparkle sighed.
The other ponies themselves were caught in their own greetings and hugs, but Crimson was just... Alone.
"No, tis `k. Wasn`t yer fault" Crimson Fur looked down.
Twilight Sparkle thought for a moment, and then looked to String Play.
"Hey, just hang out with us!" the purple alicorn nudged Crimson. He twisted his head up in a flash.
"R-really?" he stammered.
String Play nodded with Twilight.
The gold outline around Vincent only grew brighter, and more solid.
He tried to get it off, but it wouldn`t budge.
A sharp pain stuck into his sides again.
And more of them.
The golden glow soon curved and ridged at some points, and became almost opaque by now.
The pain of whatever was seemingly stabbing him only continued.
"W-what`s happening?!" He cried. He had a good idea of it, in truth, but the concept seemed so... Unreal.
More dagger like things shot through his flesh.
It was the spring locks. Like it was happening all over again.
No blood came out of him, though.
He collapsed as the locks broke quickly, adding to what would have been a bloody disaster.
And eventually, everything faded from his sight, and the black and gray landscape just became a mirror image to him.
Slowly, he possessed the suit.
"It`s almost time" String Play looked out the window. It was odd, but the outside ponies had given them space, but it wouldn`t last long.
Every pony knew that much.
"I know" Crimson sighed. Cake Flower stepped back from her mom. Music Ruff gave a last whisper in his mom`s ear before walking back a few feet.
Goldy had shared one hug, but in the end just stepped back, not even saying goodbye to his mom and dad.
Cocoa gave them both one last tight hug.
[And yes, even as spirits, in their full form they are able to be physically interacted with.]
"Goodbye" the children all whispered, and even Crimson did too. He gave a final hug to his new purple friend, and stepped back with String Play.
String Play began to use his flowing dark magic.
"Are we goi`n back to t`e animatronics?" Crimson asked.
"Yes" was the only reply from String Play.
A small white circle like dome encased the seven foals. It grew brighter. The fillies all looked to their parents, whom gave small smiles back.
Music Ruff`s mom was sobbing, unable to look at the glowing group.
String Play turned to Twilight Sparkle. She looked at him in confusion.
He was alive now, right?
"S-String Play?" Twilight stammered, words caught in her throat. She lifted a hoof towards him.
String Play shook his head, which was held low. He stared at her teary face.
No sounds could be heard, except the last few, "I love you".
The spirits vanished from sight, and the dome was no longer existent. They were just... Gone.
Twilight put down her hoof.
Tears escaped her resistant eyes.
They were gone... String Play was gone... Forever.