//------------------------------//
// Death and Rebirth 
// Story: Bloody Tears 
// by NintenES 
//------------------------------//

        Fluttershy galloped as fast as she could in the the dark and cold night. In front of her flew Owloysius, Twilight’s pet owl. “Oh please be safe Twilight.” she panted as she ran towards her friend’s home. Mere minutes ago, Fluttershy was sleeping peacefully in her out of the way cottage. Her peaceful dreams were interrupted when she heard Owloysius tap vigorously on her window. When she opened the window to let the nocturnal avian in, he urged Fluttershy to follow him instead. Taking care of animals was of course Fluttershy’s special talent. Part of that talent is that she could understand what an animal is feeling better than anyone else. Owloysius, it seemed to her, was panicking. Something dreadful is about to happen to Twilight! Or worse, it already did. The owl had so far guided Fluttershy towards Ponyville, leading her towards the Library where Twilight had made her home. When it came into view, the lights inside the tree-house were out. Owlyosius seemed to become even more worried about Twilight’s safety. Fluttershy trotted up to the door and knocked quietly. “Twilight? Are you okay?”

Nothing responded. “Okay, she’s probably sleeping, no need to wake her up.” Fluttershy mumbled as she turned to walk back to her home. Owloysius flew in front of Fluttershy, adamant that she should at least take a look inside. Fluttershy gulped a deep breath as she slowly opened the door. The old thing creaked as Fluttershy took a peek into the darkness of the Library. “Hello? Twilight? Are you okay?” Owloysius flew past her into the darkness, but Fluttershy had trouble seeing anything in the light of Luna’s full moon. She walked, feeling the walls for a lightswitch or a candle. When she found the switch, she flicked it to the on position. The lights then came to life, revealing the horrors that the curtains of darkness had covered, causing Fluttershy to scream; Twilight was lying on the floor next to the stairs in a pool of her blood as it oozed out of a wound on her neck. “Oh no, NO!” Fluttershy couldn’t believe her eyes. She walked up slowly up to the purple body on the floor. She prayed that this was only an elaborate prank, because as cruel as that joke would be, it still wouldn’t be half as cruel as if this was a reality. “Twilight, please wake up...” She sputtered, tears welling up in her eyes. She dared to take a closer look. She then saw that Twilight’s eyes had glazed over, and her body was cold to the touch. “No... No...” Fluttershy whimpered. Tears started to flow freely from her eyes, blurring her vision, and mixing in with the blood on the floor. “We were too late.”


Cue the happy theme song.


Part 2: Death and Rebirth


~And now to our regular programming, Twilight’s Diary~


        When I woke up, I was covered in a sheet, from head to hoof. I struggled to get it off of my face so that I could actually see where I am. I was in a strange white room, with the lights glowing softly above me. I thought to myself that I was in the hospital, but then I realized that it couldn’t be due to three facts: the first was that I was on a flat metal table. Far too uncomfortable for anypony. There wasn’t even a mattress for me! The second fact, is that I didn’t have an IV attached anywhere on me, despite that I lost a large amount of blood. The last but not least fact was that I curiously had a paper tag tied to my rear hoof, with my name on it. If I were in a hospital, the tag would be wrapped around my front hooves, not my back hoof. Then I thought about how much blood I lost in the first place, and I started to doubt that I should have even survived. “Blood Banks was probably aiming for my jugular veins,” I thought, “and then I forced him off me, and that tore the wound...” I reached up to my neck to feel where he bit me. I could feel that a horrible scab was on it. I needed to see what it looked like, so I desperately looked for a mirror in the room. But before I could find one, I heard laughing, it sounded like two ponies were trading jokes. I heard the tail end of one of them as they drew closer to the door.

        “Wait, it gets better!” said one, “When the patient woke up, she found that her skeleton was missing, and the doctor was never heard from again!” As the other pony met his companion’s story with a boisterous laugh, I prayed to Celestia that they were not talking about me. I like my skeleton where it is thank you very much. With their voices and hoofsteps getting louder, I realized that the two ponies were heading towards my room. I didn’t have time to move when they opened the door. Though when they entered the room, they seemed to be more surprised to see me than I was to see them.

We traded glances in the silence, before I spoke up, “Um, hi, I don’t know what’s going on here, but can you two please tell me where I am?” I tried to ask as nicely as I could.

        They looked at each other before the boisterous started screaming, “AAH!!! This is just like that opening scene from Prototype! We’re all going die to a cannibalistic pony plague!” he then fell in front of my table, prostrating himself before me and crying, “Please don’t eat me! I have a wife and kids!”

        “Shut up you stupid oaf. First of all, you’re scaring her! Secondly, you’re single, and have no children to speak of. And finally, this is not one of your stupid video games, because she is not going to eat us!” said his companion, “You see, at least once in a coroner’s career, a doctor makes the wrong call that a pony is dead, when instead they are actually comatose. The body is sent here, and then they wake up as if absolutely nothing has happened. All what happens next is that we call the family to tell them that their relative is fine. She is simply fortunate that she woke up now, instead of later, while we were in the middle of preserving her. See? No pony plague apocalypse. It’s no wonder you’re still single.”

        “Umm, I may be missing something important here, just where in Equestria am I?” I asked.

        “Oh, my apologies Miss Sparkle, I’m Funeral Director Dead Walk. My idiot friend here calls himself Cadaver Care. You are in the Ponyville Morgue, you were sent here after the hospital next door declared you dead.”

        “I’M IN A MORGUE!?” I screamed in horror.

        “Yes, a morgue, a mortuary, Rose Cottage, Rainbow’s End...”

        “I already know what a morgue is thank you.” I said flatly. “Wait, if I’m in a morgue, does that mean that...”

        “Everypony else thinks that you’re dead, yes. The one who brought you in... I think, she was yellow and pink, looked very depressed when she learned about your death.” Dead Walk explained. “I can imagine that she told some of your other friends as well. I think your pet dragon also burned up a letter. He said he was sending it to the Princess, but I never fully understood that method of communication.”

        “Well I guess I have a lot of work ahead of me.” I said as I picked myself off of the metal table and I... fell face first onto the floor. I guess I was little lightheaded and dizzy from last night.

        “No, the first thing YOU need to do, is to have a doctor check up on you, and get some rest. While your survival is nothing but miraculous, you’re still too weak from your assault last night.” Dead Walk said as he got me back up on my feet. “Cadaver, I’m going to escort Twilight to the hospital, can you go and inform her friends and family that she is fine?”

        “Wait!” I said, as I levitated a piece of paper and a pen from Dead Walk’s coat pockets. “If you’re going to my friends, you need to know where they live first. Besides, you’ll probably have an easier time convincing them if they saw my own writing.” I said as I scribbled down addresses, and on the other side of the paper I wrote down a simple message; “I’m okay, I’m going to the hospital for a checkup. I’m not dead yet. Love you all, Twilight Sparkle.” I levitated the paper over to Cadaver, who took the paper with his mouth and then exited the room.

        “Now then Miss Sparkle, shall we be off?” Dead Walk said as he opened the door for me. He lead me through the hallways of the morgue towards the exit. He opened the door outside, letting me step out first. When I stepped outside with him, my skin suddenly felt itchy. The morning sun blinded me as I yelped in pain. “Miss Sparkle are you alright?”

        “It’s too bright!” I said, as used my hoof to shield my eyes.

        “Your skin!” Dead Walk exclaimed, “It must be an allergic reaction to the sun, we need to get you inside quickly!” He picked me up and carried me to the hospital. What was odd is that as soon as I was inside the hospital, my skin felt less itchy. This whole series of events is still all confusing for me; first I wake up with everyone that I know thinks that I’m dead, and now I have a sun allergy. What in Equestria was going on? Dead Walk explained to the receptionist what had happened. The receptionist nodded and started to lead me to a room to wait for the doctor. I shouted over my shoulder a thank you to Dead Walk. “No need,” he replied, “in fact, with my line of work, you best hope not to see me again.”

        I chuckled a little at Dead Walk’s joke as I entered the hospital room. It was a very welcome change from the white and metal room of the morgue, with a soothing green wallpaper and a bed, rather than a stainless steel table. “The doctor will see you momentarily Miss Sparkle, please make yourself comfortable.” the nurse guided me to the bed before leaving the room. I know that hospital beds aren’t always known for their comfiness, but anything was better for my back than the morgue’s cold table. Though I guess dead bodies don’t normally have the ability complain about what kind of material they’re being laid on.

        Any and all thoughts I had about my condition were interrupted when the doctor entered the room. I remembered him as being the same doctor who took care of Rainbow Dash when she broke her wing once. Now that I think about it, I think his cousin helps out the Apple family as a farmhand. Anyway, the doctor smiled, “Twilight Sparkle, aren’t you the lucky one. You certainly had a lot of us going for a while there.” He levitated a notepad beside him, with a pen ready. “Now, let’s see if we can find just what exactly happened to you and get you back home in tip top shape. Turn your head so I can see your neck.” I obeyed, showing him the scarred wounds to him. He muttered, “Huh, that is interesting...” He examined the rest of my body as he asked, “The nurse had told me that you had developed a sun allergy, is that correct?”

        “Yeah, but it feels better now.”

        “Hmm, normally sun allergies takes minutes or even hours to show symptoms, depending on the type. That also goes for relief. But I have never heard of a strain that develops symptoms that quickly, nor have it go away just as fast. And you don’t have a history of this peculiar allergy, correct?”

        “Right, I never felt like that in the sun before.”

“Don’t worry, usually adequate covering of the body is enough to reduce sun allergies. If you have continued cases, I can recommend some dermatologists. They might be able to help you more and be able to answer any questions you have.” I nodded in response. “Now let’s take a look at your temperature.” He levitated a thermometer beside my face. I always hated having to take my temperature, having to hold it in place under my tongue. A grueling minute passed with the accursed thing in my mouth before he took it out. When he read it, he seemed to be confused. “What in Celestia’s name...?” escaped from his lips as he placed a hoof against my forehead. I saw his jaw drop, when suddenly we heard shouting outside the room.

“W-wait! You have to let the doctor-”

“I have to see her!” said a hyperactive voice, which I recognized as the ever bouncing Pinkie Pie. The door slammed open, confirming my deduction. “TWILIGHT! Ohmigosh, you’re okay!” she screamed as she pounced on me, hugging me tightly. She then rattled off something that sounded like this; “First Fluttershy was all like sad, so I was all like, ‘Hey wassup?’ then she told me that you were all like, dead. Not like mostly dead, like Westley from the ‘Princess Bride’ movie, but like, dead dead. So then I became all sad, then this nice pony named Cadaver Care said that you weren’t dead dead, so the first thing I did was run straight to you. Okay, really it was the second thing that I did, the first was really telling Fluttershy and everyone else that you weren’t dead, and then I went to see you. Ohmigosh this is like, the best day of my life. Okay, maybe not like, the best BEST day ever in my ENTIRE life, but this easily makes the top ten, no, top FIVE best days I’ve ever had.”

“Ohh... ‘kay... I guess.” I replied. To be honest, I was distracted by how nice and warm Pinkie Pie felt against me. Like a nice cup of coffee or hot chocolate from Donut Joe’s after a long cold day. Like a nice hot bubble bath easing your tired muscles after a stressful day. I don’t remember feeling like that about anypony before, and I felt really embarrassed about, but I didn’t want her to let go. Heck, I feel embarrassed right now just writing about it. Like I wanted her...

“Get off of her!” shouted a disgruntled doctor, “She’s-”

“Alive! You’re alive!” shouted Applejack, standing in the doorway with the rest of my friends.

The doctor let out a sigh of resignation, “Fine, come on in. I only have a few more things to check up on her anyway.” Pinkie Pie jumped off of me and joined everyone else at my bedside. The doctor put on his stethoscope and place the other end on my chest. It was surprisingly not as cold as I thought it would be. After a few seconds, the doctor nervously shifted the stethoscope around my chest.

“Um, is there something wrong doctor?” Fluttershy sheepishly asked.

“Here, listen to this,” the doctor said as he levitated the earpiece towards my friends. Applejack took them and placed them in her ears.

“I don’t hear a thing doc.” Applejack said after a few seconds, “You sure this thing ain’t broke?”

“Here, try it now,” the doctor said, placing the end that was on my chest onto Rainbow Dash’s. She flinched slightly like it was cold when he did but stayed still.

“Hey, now I’m hearing her heart beat!” Applejack exclaimed.

“Ooh! Ooh! I wanna hear too!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed jumping up and down. Applejack handed her the earpiece, “Hehe, it sounds like a drum. Bump, bump, bump, bump~” Pinkie giggled.

“Now listen to your purple friend here,” the doctor said, taking the stethoscope off of Rainbow Dash, placing it back on me. Pinkie’s face contorted into one of confusion.

“I... I don’t hear anything.” Pinkie said.

“Is there... something wrong with Twilight, doctor?” Rarity asked.

“That might be the understatement of the year Miss, but the problem is that I have no idea what it is!” the doctor explained.

“But you’re a doctor, you should know about-” started Applejack.

“I doubt ANYONE knows about what’s going on with her!” the doctor snapped, “Usually, if one’s heart ceased functioning for an extended period of time, they are dead. Plain and simple. But as clearly as the sun shines, your friend here is still alive, or rather seems to be. The only explanation that I could think of is that this phenomenon is magical in nature, rather than biological.”

“Wait, are you saying that Twilight is a ZOMBIE!?!” Spike said, eyes growing wide. He then jumped onto my bed, crying and prostrating himself saying, “Please don’t eat me! I have too much to live for!” I let out a disgusted groan.

The doctor looked like he was about to speak when a knock came from the door. “Is Twilight Sparkle in this room?” said a graceful and serene voice, one that I knew belonged to one pony only; Princess Celestia. However, hearing her voice filled me with dread, like I had done something horribly wrong. Of course, it was a rather irrational fear it seemed, after all, Princess Celestia is probably just as concerned about my health as my friends were... right? But then why did I feel the need that I had to escape?

“Yes, please come in.” The doctor said as he opened the door for her. As soon Princess Celestia was in my sight however, my entire body felt like it burning. Princess Celestia always had a soft glow, being the Princess of the Sun. But at that moment, she seemed like she was channeling the entire might of the sun through herself. I couldn’t see, and the room felt like it was on the surface of the sun.

“What’s wrong with her!?” Princess Celestia asked.

“I-I don’t know! I’ve never treated a patient like this before!” the doctor exclaimed.

“If I may, dear sister,” said a third voice. The curtain around my bed was moved, making it block the light from Princess Celestia. “Feeling better now, Twilight Sparkle?” I finally recognized that voice. It was Princess Luna. She didn’t seem to have changed very much from when I last saw her during Nightmare Night last year.

I tried to take some deep breaths. The pain lingered on my body, but at least now I could see. “Yes, thank you Princess Luna.” I said.

        Princess Luna hummed as she walked up beside me, “Twilight Sparkle, if you could be so kind, and open your mouth for me?” I did so, instinctively and without any question about if Luna really should be letting a professional look at me. Well... I guess the professional in the room doesn’t know what’s happening at all, so she probably as good as he is at the moment. Princess Luna looked into my mouth, making the same hum as earlier. “Doctor, did you take her temperature yet?”

        “Yes of course your majesty. Twilight Sparkle has a temperature of...” the doctor took a nervous deep breath, hoping that he was wrong, “a temperature of twenty degrees Celsius.”

        “What!?” shouted Rarity.

        “I’m at room temperature!?!” I shouted.

“I don’t get it, what’s so bad about that?” Applejack asked.

        “A pony’s normal body temperature ranges from 37 to 38 degrees.” I tried to explain.

        “So what you’re saying is that you’re cold?” Applejack said, not quite catching on.

        “Much too cold for normal life functions. But about right for an animated corpse.” Princess Luna replied.

        “Luna!” Princess Celestia said, her voice seemed to shake a little. “Please tell me that you’re wrong, please!”

        “Doctor? I need a blood sample.” Luna asked, seemingly ignoring her sister for a moment. The doctor produced a syringe. He inserted into my body, and took a some of my bodily fluids. The liquid was black. My friends recoiled in horror as they looked at it.

        “Eww! Now that for sure isn’t blood at all!” Applejack said.

        “What the horseapple is that!?” Rainbow Dash screamed.

        “In a way, it is blood.” Luna said, taking the syringe and examining it, “Just not the blood of any mortal. This is the cursed blood of a Vampire.”

        Then Princess Celestia fainted.