Rising of Destruction

by Ivo

Ch.2 - A New Home - Pt.2 - Born to Live and Die

Chapter 2 – A New Home

Part 2 – Born to Live and Die

Black was omnipresent...

Black vests, black shirts, black hats, black dresses, everything was black. Even the sky was black…and crying - a special unscheduled order from the princess herself. It was sign of her commiseration, sign, that she was mourning too, even if she wasn´t there.

The Canterlot Cemetery was filled with ponies this morning. They all gathered around one single grave. The shining white burial case, creating a sharp contrast to the ubiquitous black, levitated above it held by the four pallbearers in their black suits. It was the sign of the innocent soul, which was going to find her eternal rest and which had left this world way too early…

Everywhere and in every pony´s face was grief and sadness.
They had come all. Her family of course in the first row, followed by Nevio´s family and her classmates, which were exempted from lessons this morning.
And, directly in front of the grave, were her best friends.
Nevio, her love, and Twilight and Bleach. Nevio wore an elegant black suit, a black trilby and a black umbrella because of the rain. His short black mane and dark brown fur seemed to be darker than usual, fitting his mood. He was, like his friends next to him, lost in thoughts and nostalgia.
Bleach only wore his black surcoat, already drenched from the rain. His gaze was fixated on the white casket in front of him, small tears leaving his eyes and mixing with the rain.
Twilight had a black dress with stylized stars and a crescent moon-formed brooch, a present Bleach gave her at her last birthday after Silverleaf had spied out what she liked and not liked. A white calla lily was attached in her hair. The rain ignored her. She knew a spell which let the rain flow around her and had cast it on her this morning. Her head was lowered to the ground and tears also streamed down her face, protected from mixing with the rain because of her spell.

At another end of the mourners, a certain pony with a matt black vest stared at the casket with a blank look, his thoughts unfathomable for the ones around him. And that was his blessing, together with the rain Celestia had ordered just as she wanted him to hide his tearless face. Otherwise, maybe somepony would have been very curious about his emotionless bearing.
He grinned inwardly. If they only knew that the one who initiated the need of this funeral was among them! Lost in devilish thoughts, Silverleaf´s murder just stood there and stared at the casket, his false raindrop-tears covering his feigned emotions.

One by one, the ponies now placed colorful flowers on the coffin, right beneath a photo of the deceased pony in a wooden picture frame. It showed the innocent silver filly wide smiling at a beach in front of a braking wave. Her silver coat and green-white mane shone in the sun, her golden eyes sparkling with youthful enthusiasm and joy.
Soon, the casket was filled with countless lilies, hydrangeas, roses and sundry other flowers, primary white ones. Nevio´s bouquet consisted of a big white rose, sign of evanescence and death, but also love, combined with five lilies in antique pink, standing for the victim´s pureness, some marguerites, the sign for his shed tears, and lilies of the valley, sign for youth and his pure love for her.
Being in love with a florist had caused that some of her knowledge about flowers and their meaning had rubbed off on him. She would have been proud of him.
The posy was just…perfect. Perfect for a pure loved innocent soul, that had left earth way too soon…

He shook his head. After everypony had placed its flower or bouquet on the coffin, or next to it after there was no more place on it, Nevio looked over the image in front of him over one last time…and frowned. One thing was unfitting…really unfitting!
Between the entire white flowers Nevio saw a yellow carnation, attached to a bunch of meadowsweet! He remembered: The yellow carnation signified ‘abhorrence’ and the meadowsweet…’uselessness’?
Frantically he looked around. Who had placed that unfitting bouquet on top of his filly´s coffin? And why? He thought back at the things Bleach and Twilight had told him the day before.
Silverleaf´s death should only cause a weakening of Twilight´s mind, a total shock for him when he heard the first time about it! And now, after her murder´s failed attack at Bleach, Twilight´s mind was restored. That, at least, would explain the ‘uselessness’ of the meadowsweet. And the yellow carnation? Maybe his emotion after his failed attack?

Anyhow, Nevio felt certain, that that bouquet belonged to Silverleaf´s murder! Oh, why he hadn´t watched better! He looked at his friends which only gave him an asking look. They didn´t notice the unfitting flower on the casket. He sighed and shook his head.
Maybe this hadn´t had been the murder. Maybe it had been just somepony without knowledge of the language of flowers and with a very bad taste.

He took a firm deep breath and emptied his thoughts, ready to go on with the funeral. He exhaled and his thoughts were back at Silverleaf. He looked at Octavia and her musicians and the pallbearers and nodded silently, the sign to take the final step.

And soon, the first tones of a song were played, proclaiming of grief, but also hope. New tears appeared in the faces of everypony as the melody permeated the mourners and the casket began to lower.

And with the melody, the thoughts of four ponies echoed in their heads…

You didn´t deserve this!

You didn´t deserve this!

Silvy, sweetie…just why…

Your death was completely useless!

I find it hard
Since you´ve been gone
In the shadows of the dawn
I keep holding on

How many times
Do I think of what we had
That beloved day
That rests in the past

Imagining how it all could be
You´re walking on the crossroads right beside me
My thoughts rotate since the day you´ve passed away
Wondering, where you may be

We´re born to feel alive
Under gracious skies
Recalling what you said
When you closed your eyes

We´re born to live and die
In the wonders of our time
So treasure every moment
And the love there is to find

You were the most innocent filly I ever met in my entire lifetime! Why? Why can´t I be the one lying in that coffin instead of yours…

I vow you Silv, I won´t rest until your murder is found and got the punishment he deserves! I VOW, do you hear me?

I was so happy… I should´ve been a happy father with a happy filly and foal at my side! And what am I now?... I miss you so madly, Silvy…SO madly…

Thanks to your effing friends and that damned bitch Celestia, I have to restructure all my plans! All the work, all my efforts, simply overthrown because of that darn fucking Bleach! Why he had to shout for help? Do you know what I did to calm myself?...

Here in this moment
I feel you from afar
As I mourn and pray
Standing by your grave

And it hurts
To conquer this grief
To have no remorse
Stranding on new shores

What would I give to allow myself to dream
To look into the future, without agony
I see a meaning since the day you´ve passed away
Still wondering, where you may be

We´re born to feel alive
Under gracious skies
Recalling what you said
When you closed your eyes

We´re born to live and die
In the wonders of our time
So treasure every moment
And the love there is to find

If I only had been weaker! If only my mind had been a little bit weaker… I would give anything to see you alive again! And I think, I´m not the only one… But all this has a sense, hasn´t it? All happenings always have a meaning, right? Right...?

Did you hear me? I swear it, in the name of the whole damn world´s sake! I vow your death wasn´t worthless!

But I´ll go on! For both of us! And our never-born foal! I swear to you, I´ll always live for all three of us! I promise! You´ll always have your special place in my heart! You left an unerasable trace in it, which I never could forget. You were my love! My everything! My world! My life…My one and only Silvy...

I burned half of the Canterlot City Park! The park you and your so beloved friends always liked that much! Pity that the forester´s family escaped the fire… Hmpf! Self-inflammation because of too much heat from the sun? At night? Ha! I never heard a better joke, Canterlot Times! Well, calming the citizen. Letting them in the dark that there´s now an arsonist out there, too! Ha, a murder and a torch… The citizen would panic instantly! What a beautiful scenario…
Oh, and that bouquet was a good idea, wasn´t it? You should´ve seen your beloved´s face! And nopony had noticed me! That was a masterstroke, wasn´t it?
Anyway, I think it´s time to say good bye! But don´t worry about maybe being alone! I´ll send you friends soon enough… Just stay and wait for it…

We´re born to feel alive
Under gracious skies
Recalling what you said
When you closed your eyes

We´re born to live and die
In the wonders of your time
So treasure every moment
And the love there is to find

Rest in peace, Silverleaf…

Rest in peace, Silv, dear friend…

Rest in peace, Silvy sweetie, my never dying love…

Rot in hell, slut!

The song ended and Silverleaf´s coffin was lowered to the ground completely and the pallbearers slowly began to fill the grave with earth. Excepting the scraping sound of the spades, the silence around was complete.
After that, Bleach softly nudged his love next to him and looked into her eyes, an unspoken question in his own eyes. She only smiled soft and nodded, knowing his desire.

He smiled back and nuzzled her cheek, and then he turned around and left…

______________________________________________________________________

Through big curious shining sky-blue eyes she looked him. Her coat had a pale pink and her shaggy mane and tail were dark blue. Wrapped in soft blankets, she bleary watched him silently.
She was a small filly.
She was a baby.
She was dead…

It was funny. She may was dead, but still the photo of her woke happy memories inside him. Memories of a hug…
…and a small kiss which made him fell for her.
But that was not the only reason, why the photo of his little sister meant so much for the young Auraknight. It supported him. It had pulled him out of a pool of deepest depression after his mother had died. It showed him, that his sister had lived, that she had had the chance to see the world! She died, sure, but just knowing, that she at least had been alive for some hours gave him a feeling of deep peace with himself and his feelings.
It was just funny…

“In the end, it´s just sad…” a voice behind him sighed low. He turned around from the light gray gravestone he stood in front of and faced the two sparkling purple orbs which meant so much for him.
He exhaled and lowered his gaze, the photo of his sister still levitating in front of him. The rain had stopped after he had left the funeral to see his mother´s and sister´s grave. Now, the funeral was over and the mourners on the other side of the graveyard dispersed.
“Yes it is…but still…” he looked at her with his two oceans, a grateful smile on his face “Thank you…”

She just smiled and nuzzled his cheek. “No need to thank me, Bleach. You already had done years ago!”
“And still…” he insisted, answering her nuzzling with a tender kiss “You gave so much to me in all these years of our friendship! With this one photo, you had pulled me out of deepest depression! You had brought happiness back to my life when I thought there was no more left! You are always there to listen to my sorrows! You give love and care to me, so much I think I´m drowning every moment! You just make me feel good! You-“
And one more time, he was silenced by the soft lips of her.
“And again, you are talking way too much…” she whispered softly after breaking the kiss. “And I think, your last words are mutual. You also are always caring about me, giving me all your love and are always making every effort to see me happy!”

After another few moments of silence and eyes-locking, Twilight chuckled.

“To be honest…” she began “I am surprised to see you carrying that photo still with you after all this years.”
He chuckled in response. “Why? It is my personal lucky charm and I´m always carrying it with me when I wear my surcoat, right in the breast inside pocket. You can´t imagine how I felt when Celestia had wrapped it in flames with her magic! I thought it would lacerate my heart! I was so relieved to see it unharmed, my favorite gift from my special mare!”
“Your father has a picture of her too, you know? It isn´t that unique!” she waved dismissive with her hoof.
“My father!” he snorted with disappointment “I can´t believe he never got the strength to tell me about my sister! He lied at me all these years!”
“He only wants to protect you, Bleach! Can´t you see it?” the scholar argued. “Do you remember what happened after he had told you your mother had died? That she´ll never come back? Do remember what you did? What you tried? And what I accepted to s-“
“SHUT UP!” he snapped suddenly and regretted it instantly when he saw her stern look. He shouldn´t snap at his savior and love like that. It was thankless!
He lowered his head in shame and sighed. “I´m sorry…” he apologized. “It´s just…I don´t want to think about it right now. Not here…” his gaze went back to the gravestone.

Twilight followed his gaze and also lowered her head a bit. “I´m sorry. I shouldn´t have tormented you with old memories. I should have known how you react on them…”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Nonsense. It has been nearly ten years now. I really should be over it. It´s just…events like these leave a scar that never wants to heal completely. And my scar still aches if you touch it too strong…” he sighed and turned his attention back to his sister´s photo. “Anyway…you are right. I shouldn´t be bad with my father. Nopony can be bad with him for trying to pretend me from depression and myself. After all I had tried to kill myself! I was such an idiot! I am so glad that you and Silv had saved me from drowning. I owe you my life! Nothing can make up to this!” he meant decided and pecked her.

Now, Twilight giggled. “Oh, don´t say that! You more than made it up! You also saved my life in the library…“
“After I implicated you into that threatening situation.” he commented dry but the purple filly ignored it and went on.
“…and cared for me so lovingly while I slept! Do you know that this was the sweetest thing somepony, excluding my family, ever had done for me?”
“Thank you…” he whispered smiling, looking into her eyes, before he turned back to the photo.

“But anyway…” he then continued “I wished I at least would know her name…”

Twilight shrugged. She once had found the picture of Bleach´s father by accident whilst she had visited them. He had explained it to her and she had to promise not to tell Bleach about it - a promise she couldn´t keep. Who could have known that seeing his little sister would pull him out of his depression instead of drowning him in it? Anyway, his father never had mentioned her name…

“Hope…”

“What did you say?” Bleach asked his love, still staring at the picture and the grave.
“Me? I thought it was you speaking.”
“I haven´t said anything.” he frowned and looked around, just to find a chuckling pony standing behind them.
“Guess I really should stop sneaking at ponies from nowhere like that, huh?” Bleach´s father asked and approached the duo.

“Yeah…you really should…” his son answered, trying awkwardly to hide to photo behind him. “So…what did you say?”
“Hope.” he repeated and explained, noticing the asking look on the white youngster´s face “The answer you have asked for, you know? The name of the filly you are trying to hide awkwardly behind your back. Her name was ‘Hope’.”

Bleach just sighed and stopped hiding the photo, levitating it in front of him.
“So finally the cat´s out of the bag…” his father sighed too, looking stern at the purple filly, who had slowly and nearly unrecognizable withdrawn herself a few steps from the duo.
“Twilight?” the elder stallion stopped her in her track. She looked up at him sheepishly smiling.
“Um…yes?” A cocking eyebrow of the stallion was enough to make her explain herself. She sighed. “I´m sorry I broke my promise. I shouldn´t have done that, but…I just had to do it! I just hadn´t been able to stand and watch by Bleach´s dejection anymore! And I knew that the knowledge of his sister´s existence, had been it ever so short, would cure him! So I had asked at the hospital if they have another copy of it and after they had given me one, I presented it him. Please don´t hate me now…”

A giggle was the only answer after a while. “Don´t worry, Twilight. I won´t hate you. You may have acted way more intelligent than I had with hiding her existence…”
“But you only wanted to protect me!” Bleach interposed. “No pony can blame you for that!”
He waved a hoof in response. “Enough of that. What´s done cannot be undone.”
“One question…” Bleach asked.
“Fire away.”
“Why did you call her ‘Hope’?”
Now, the gaze of the elder Auraknight went to the grave and began to explain: “After your mother had died, you surely can imagine how I felt. It was just…I can´t describe. It was horrible! My brain just hadn´t wanted to accept the truth. Anyhow, after she had passed away, the nurses tried at least to save the baby - your sister. They said it would be difficult and the chance to save her slim. But they made it, as you know. At the moment they showed her to me, I was just happy. I called her ‘Hope’, because I knew I could get over your mother´s death with her.”
A joyless chuckle. “When she died four hours later, I just thought: That´s fate´s sarcasm. The dying hope…”

Suddenly, somebody behind the trio coughed slightly and they turned around to face the new one.
“I really don´t want to disturb you…” a small purple dragon with a black smoking began “…but our train goes in about one hour and I don´t want us to miss it.”
Twilight giggled. “Do you know that you´re better than every schedule book, Spike? You are moveable!”
“Um…Thank you?” he answered, unsure how to feel about this comment.
“Haven´t you ever heard about pocket calendars?” Bleach´s father asked.
“You don´t know what she defines as a pocket calendar…” Bleach only replied, earning a chuckle from his father.

“Anyway, can we go now? It´s still half an hour to the station, so let´s get moving!” the baby dragon pushed them.
“All right. We´re coming.” Twilight replied eye-rolling, placed the small dragon on her back with her magic and waited for her love. “Are you coming, Bleach?”
“Just give me a minute. I´ll catch you up, okay?”
“Whatever you say…” she answered and pecked a kiss on his lips before she left with his father.

Bleach was alone one more time and turned back to his mother´s grave one last time. His horn began to glow and out of his saddlebag levitated two white lilies. He placed them gently on the grave beneath him, one for his mother and one for his sister.
Hey mom! Hey sis!
We might won´t see us for a while… he thought …but don´t worry. I´ll keep an eye on me. And on Twi of course! After all, she´s now, somehow, my fillyfriend! I promise I won´t let anypony of us get killed by that murder! We´ll see us again, whole and unharmed! He sighed. Well, I have to go now. The others are waiting…Bye mom! Bye Hope…so that we´ll see us back soon…

He stood there for another minute and then, he reluctant trotted off to catch up with the others…

______________________________________________________________________

A train, huh?
He looked at his watch.
Shoot. Nearly twelve o´clock. And half past, lessons continue and I have to be back at school to not make myself conspicuous. Impossible, even with teleporting! Damn! Why couldn´t they just say, where they´re going!
He snuck a peek from his stash behind a big tomb and looked at the three ponies with the purple dragon in the distance.
It was predictable that Celestia would evacuate them. And I´m sure, they also have my pretty dark ones!
He growled.
But don´t worry, my beloved cravings! Soon, I´ll reunite us and th-

“Oh, here you are!”
He snapped out of his dark thoughts when he suddenly heard the mare´s voice behind him and turned around.
“What are you doing here?” his elder twin sister asked frowning. Like his own also her coat was light gray and her mane and tail dark gray, just a little bit longer and straighter than his. She wore a simple black dress and on her back she carried a big black box, nearly as big as herself, and her cello inside.

“Oh, hi Tavi.” he greeted her with faked glee, hiding his darkest intentions from her. “I´m…um…Oh, yeah, I was just looking around. Thought I would find a familiar name on one of the gravestones…”
“I see.” she smiled. “And? Did you find something?”
He nodded. “Uh-huh! Shadow Star. A former classmate of me. Sad story. One day, they had found him dead in the school´s cellar and never found his murder. Rumors say that he practiced with dangerous spells and one of them had accidentally killed him. Others say he exported his soul out of his body into the world of dreams. You have to know: He was a dream magician and had always been some kind of dreamer. He could manipulate dreams into every direction. And not only his own dreams! While he slept, he had access to every dream of every pony in the world! Oh, I was always sooooo jealous at him!”

Octavia giggled. “You and jealous? Come on, kid brother! You also aren´t the worst magician out there!”
He giggled too. “Yeah…maybe you´re right…”
“Well, I have to go now. The band and I have practice today, so…bye! Oh, and I´m very glad I saw you here, even if you had separated from Silverleaf and her friends. We meet so very rare since you have your own chamber at the school…”
He nuzzled her. “I promise to visit you, okay?”
“Okay…” She smiled and giggled. “You´re drenched.”
“Oh, yeah…mislaid my umbrella…”
“Better you dry yourself or you´ll get a cold.” she said smiling while turning around and leaving. “Bye Lucy!” she sang and trotted off.

“Bye Tavi!” he cat-called at her smiling.
’Lucy’…If you weren´t my sister, the ‘kid brother’ would have been enough for a dagger in your throat! he thought grimly.
When Octavia was out of sight, he sighed. He hated to disguise his true self!
But not for much longer…

Casually, his horn glowed and the rain water poured out of his soaked vest, drying it instantly. He gathered the water in front of him, splitting it into two small bubbles.
Anyway, I have to figure out where they are going to! I have to get back the dark ones!
He smiled sinister. The bubbles formed into two long thorns.
Seems like I have to visit an old friend…Beware Bleach and Twilight! Soon, I´ll find you! And when I found you, I´ll take my dark ones back…”
The two water-thorns got colder and formed into ice…and suddenly shot out and speared the blossoms of a white rose and a purple tulip of a nearby grave.

…and crush your hearts…

______________________________________________________________________

Preoccupied, he sat on his bed in their stateroom of the train to Ponyville. The beautiful scenery of the cliffs of Canterlot and the sight over the Everfree Forest drifted by on the window. The metal of the dagger in his hooves, one of the pair his father presented him only a few minutes ago at the train station, was gleaming in a faint shining green.

Bleach was smiling wide.
“I still can´t believe he really had let them repair!” he mumbled and put the dagger with the stylized flowers back in the white leather sheath with the red rose.
“Seems that he really loves you…” Twilight commented absentminded from the bed above his.
“Or he just knows how much they´re meaning to you.” Spike meant next to him.
“Maybe…” the white stallion agreed chuckling. “They really mean very much to me. Just like everything that beautiful sweet purple mare above us presented to me.”
“You are such a sweet talker…” she responded giggling and eye-rolling.

“I felt really rough after they had molten in the library.” he simply continued “And that my father had let them made of a crystal-metal alloy! Sure, it somehow aren´t the origins anymore, but it still are the daggers you gave me. And the new alloy really is more practical.”
“Yeah…sweet aventurines…rubies…sapphires…” Spike panted, licking his lips and looking at the two pairs of daggers in front of the young Auraknight.
“Keep your claws away from my daggers, Spike!” the youngster reminded the purple dragon. “I warn you. You´ll be sorry if I find only one bite mark at them!”
He groaned and looked out the window. “Okay…”

“What are you doing up there anyway? You are unfamiliar quiet.” Bleach asked his love.
“Thinking…” Twilight replied.
“About what? Our activities when we´re finally alone this night?” he quipped with his habitual sassiness.
She snickered. “You´re such an idiot…”
“Just the idiot you love…” he hit back, climbing up to her and stealing a kiss from her lips, involving more pecks and giggles.

“Oh brother…” the baby dragon just sighed and rolled his eyes. “If love means acting like this, please spare me Celestia…”

“Anyhow…what are you thinking about?” he finally asked again serious now, lying down next to her and inhaling her beautiful rose-violet-scent.
“About the book, of course.” the purple mare replied, tapping with one hoof on the mysterious old tome in front of her Bleach´s father had given them at the station. “I´m trying to figure out, what these signs on the cover could stand for. I know, they´re standing for the cravings, but there are only six of them and twelve signs. That makes no sense!”
“Maybe they signify this Ariadne and her friends.” Bleach suggested.
“But the book is way older than them. It existed when they even hadn´t been alive yet!”
“And what is about these elements this lust-mare mentioned in your dream? These…’Elements of Harmony’? Maybe they´re an old power and reborn in these six ponies.”
“But what are these strange ‘Elements of Harmony’?” Twilight asked confused.
Bleach only shrugged. “I don´t know. But hadn´t that Ocean said something about being the ‘Element of Kindness’ and that he´s it no longer anymore?”
“Hmm…”

“Hey!” the black-maned youngster suddenly said and tapped on one of the twelve signs, the one next to a big flame. “Had you already noticed that this one looks a little bit like your cutie-mark?”
Twilight frowned and looked closer at the sign: a star with five prongs. He was right. Okay, the stars in her cutie-mark had six prongs and it wasn´t only one single star, but one similarity existed.
“Yeah…funny coincidence…And that is Odium´s and that the lust-mare´s cutie-mark…” she explained and tapped first on the flame next to the star and then the unmistakable-crossed Venus-Mars-sign.
“And that must be Gula´s.” Bleach added and pointed at a symbol that showed some kind of wide-opened maw. That the white stallion didn´t really believe, the similarity between the sign and Twilight´s cutie-mark would be just pure coincidence, he didn´t tell her.

“I…I am…afraid…” Twilight admitted, laying a hoof on the book.
Bleach just smiled, nuzzling her cheek to encourage her. “I know. But don´t worry. My father assured me that it´s safe to open it. Celestia´s and his seals are strong enough to keep them inside.”
“You´re right…” she smiled back and put the book back into her saddle bag. “…but…we may just should wait until tomorrow and brace our energies for the things that are ahead of us…”

Her lover´s answer was a low chuckle and a soft kiss.
“You´re really very unlike you today…

and I somehow like it…”

Placidly, the train slowly chugged through the beautiful landscape of the Canterlot Mountains. The three special passengers tried to bridge the time with chatting and little games like ‘I spy’. Occasionally, the three had a little nap, Bleach and Twilight huggling together in one bed.
Twilight also read in some of her own books she had with her in her saddle bags. She also quizzed Bleach about some simple offensive magic spells for emergencies and he unwillingly answered and explained some simple techniques to her, not really wanting her to fight against something. But in the end, it may wasn´t that bad if she could defend herself a little bit.
She also studied a small note her brother had given to her.
Her parents were still unaware of the true reason of Twilight´s departure and the things that truly had happened in the library. Otherwise, they never would have let her go. But her brother as one of the high generals of the royal guards of course had heard what had realy happened and had insisted her to learn the spell on the note. It was, unsurprisingly, a protect-spell. Shining Armor always had been a master at this kind of magic. He really lived up to his name!

In the late evening, the train reached the foothills of the Canterlot Mountains where the Hackney Plains began and soon, the first lights of Ponyville could be seen.
When the trio finally reached the station, it was nearly completely empty. Only a few single ponies also managed their way out the station into the quiet town.

The nightlife of Ponyville was very calm. They only saw one or two restaurants and a single unfrequented bar on their way to their temporary new home.
At a leisurely trot, they slowly approached the city library - their home - with the help of a small city map. After several minutes, they reached their target.
The first reaction of them was a frown.

The city library was built in a huge tree!
Well, it at least looked very quaint.

Inside, Twilight was the first one who felt comfortable with her new accommodation. The many books in the entrance room and the fragrance of the bright wood mixed with the scent of old and new books remembered her at Celestia´s personal library at home. If somepony had asked her a few hours earlier, she hadn´t been sure if she really would feel comfortable in a library again after the happenings of the past week.
But this was just perfect!
The first thing Bleach did was checking the firefighting equipment. One extinguisher in every room, easy escape route and, in the case of emergency, breakable windows - perfect!
The only thing Spike checked was his bed. Celestia had sent his favorite basket from Twilight´s chamber at school together with his favorite white pillow and a smooth red blanket - perfect!

After they had made their selves comfortable with the new accommodation, a rumbling in their stomachs led them into the eat-in kitchen of the library.
The princess had provided very well. The fridge and cupboards were filled with several foods for everypony´s taste.
Twilight and Bleach made themselves some sandwiches while Spike found some agates inside one of the cupboards. Happy with their new home and slightly exhausted from the long trip, they enjoyed their late supper with occasional yawns.

Spike was the first to finish his meal and let out a long final yawn, wishing the two youngsters good night. The couple wished him also good night and returned chatting to their meal.
After that, they washed the dishes together.
Bleach persistent took the opportunity to peck his love´s lips, cheeks and neck and teased her during drying the dishes, just to earn small giggles and halfhearted ‘Stop it’s and ‘Idiot’s from her.
After they finally had finished, they went upstairs to inspect the rooms there.

Well, to be exact, there was only one big room, next to a small bathroom…

There were also some filled wooden bookshelves like in the library´s main room and a huge window, where the silver gleaming moon could be seen. There were also some wooden chairs, a table and a desk with a quill, ink and some sheets of paper on it.
But what caught the youngsters´ attention in the end, was a huge marital bed on the room´s left side. And if Bleach was honest, considering that his father had helped with the arrangement of their temporary home, he could have expected something like that.
It was not that he was afraid of sharing a bed with the purple mare, they now were a couple after all and additional they knew and trusted each other since years of friendship, but it was a new experience for him though and he kinda felt uneasy about being forced to this. There was no couch, no armchair, nothing to avoid each other if one of them would feel uneasy with the thought of sleeping together.

Both chuckled and blushed slightly, Bleach mumbling a low ‘Typically dad’, before Twilight nuzzled him and slowly approached one side of the bed with the big soft dark red pillows and big sky-blue blankets.
The Auraknight smiled, happy that she seemed to have no problem with the thought of sleeping in one bed with him. He turned out the lights and both climbed on the smooth bed and snuggled into their bedcovers, wishing each other good night.

After a while, Bleach turned in his bed, searching a comfortable recumbent position, just to bump muzzles with his love.
The sight was simply mesmerizing!
Twilight lay in front of him, her sparkling eyes half-lidded and the beautiful face and her curves under the blanket highlighted by the silver moon light, which flowed through the big window.

She smiled slightly, blushing.

He did the same.

And the following kiss led them into a night filled with passion and love, the details treasured in their memories and never told to another pony…

______________________________________________________________________

It was nearly midnight and he was still working in his atelier beneath his cottage. The big grey printing machine was printing a huge poster at the moment, a new exemplar for his collection at the white walls, which are covered with several other posters made by him.
They showed landscapes like a beautiful sight beyond the cliffs of the Canterlot Mountains, wide plains or, one of his favorites, a romantic picture of a sunset at the Southern Beach, a young couple in the middle sitting together and leaning against each other, dreamily watching the golden sun.

And of course, there were pictures of her…
Everywhere was her sweet smile, on small pictures or big posters; everywhere he saw her beautiful face, her sparkling golden eyes, her shining silver coat and the waving green mane with the white streak.

Nevio smiled. Silverleaf would never really leave him. Somehow, she always would be present. The printing machine stopped and he took the new poster to find its special place on his wall.
He finally decided, because the picture had turned out very well, to pin it above the counter in the lobby of his small photo shop. With the rolled-up poster in his mouth, he left his atelier, paying attention to the many cables around and walking around a collection of different background images for the customers who wanted him to take special photos of them.

The brown stallion always had been a good photographer. His cutie-mark, a photo of a flying butterfly, was the first picture he had taken in his life. That day, he had been in the park with his parents and he had asked them if could also take some photos with their camera and when he finally saw the pictures he took, he had known that this would be his talent and his fate. And then, his cutie-mark had appeared.

Thinking at this old story, he took on the lights of the lobby and fetched his ladder. He already wanted to climb it and pin the poster at the wall when he heard a cautious knock at the door.
Nevio frowned and looked at the clock on the white wall to his right. The time-piece above the brown sofas for the waiting customers announced a quarter to eleven. Who wanted something from him at this time? And why would somepony knock at his shop while there was a big ‘closed’-sign on the door. Because of the lights?
Anyhow, whoever it was, because of the big glass window front and the glass door, the unknown customer could see him but Nevio could only see his own reflection.

Ignoring was useless, so he answered: “I´m sorry, but it´s closed. Please come back tomorrow!”
“Nevio? It´s me…Can we talk?...”
The photographer frowned even more, knowing the voice´s owner.
“Lucien?” he asked back with surprise and less glee. “What do you want here?”
“Just talking…please?” was the answer.

The brown stallion sighed and laid down the poster, trotting over to the door and opening it a little bit, just to peek outside and find the light gray stallion he once called a ‘friend’ standing there in the black vest he wore this morning at the funeral.
“What is it, Lucien?” Nevio questioned impatiently into the night.
“Well…How should I tell you…”
“Will you hurry up?” he urged him on.
“Well…I wanted to say sorry…for my behavior in the past, you know?”
Nevio made a disbelieving face. “You show up at my shop in the middle of the night just to say sorry? Excuse me if I won´t buy that from you!”
“But it´s true! I know, it´s a little bit sudden, but…” the stallion with the dark gray mane sighed. “Since she had gone, I´m all the time thinking about my life and the things I had with you as my friends and my behavior and all…I was such an idiot, Nevio…I can´t turn back things, but…I at least wanted to ask you if you could forgive me…”
He narrowed his eyes. “You offended me and the others, maligned us, spread rumors about us and now, I just should do so as if it was nothing? Can you hear yourself talking? You are ridiculous!”
“I know that all sounds ridiculous, but…please, Nevio! What can I do to show you that I´ve really changed?” Lucien asked with begging green eyes.

Nevio thought for a moment. Was he right? Had he really changed? Sure, Silverleaf had been an old friend of him after all. And he also had visited the funeral this day. What would have done his love? Silverleaf with her golden heart would surely have said, that everypony deserves to get a second bit at the cherry.
And so, he should do.
With a final sigh, he opened the door to his shop completely.
“Okay…Come in.”
“Oh, thank you Nevio…”
“I give you a new lease on life! That doesn´t mean I forgive you everything you did, got that? Show me that you deserve it to forgive you!”
Lucien nodded frantically. “Alright...”

Also the brown stallion nodded and gave Lucien a small smile before he went back to his poster. He took it and aligned the ladder to find the perfect place for it on the white wall.
“What are you doing there?” Lucien asked, sitting down on one of the couches.
“Adding a new poster to my wall. I took that picture during our vacation trip to the Southern Coast and it turned out great! A very good promotion to show my skills to the ponies!” he explained, climbing the ladder.
“Sounds interesting. Can I somehow help you pinning it on the wall? I´m controlling some magic, you know?”
“Yeah, I remember.” he chuckled. “And it sometimes had been very useful, if you hadn´t burned something during practicing your fire-spells.”
“Yeah, I remember too! Don´t worry, I won´t burn it. Just leave it to me…”

With that, Lucien´s horn began to glow and the poster in Nevio´s mouth was enveloped by a gray shimmer. Lucien levitated it to the wall above the counter and slowly unfurled it.
“Just say, where you want to have it, okay?”
“Okay…a little bit right…a teeny tiny bit higher…an inch left…perfect!”
Lucien followed Nevio´s instructions and unfurled the poster completely…

…and nearly had dropped it.

He went wide-eyed with surprise.
But how? What? Where? This is…impossible!
Lucien had to compose his thoughts while he stared at the picture the brown stallion in front of him pinned on the wall. It showed Silverleaf in front of some kind of stone altar. She was standing in a big dome with glassy blue walls, some fishes swimming behind the walls. In the altar´s socket, there was an old relief, showing a scene with twelve fighting ponies. And on top of the altar, there was a huge transparent crystal.
It was THAT place!

“Fascinating, huh?” Nevio asked him proud, recognizing his stunned face.
Lucien swallowed hard, trying to maintain his composure.
“What is this place?” he managed to ask with a calm voice.
“I don´t know, to be honest. We found it during our trip one day. Seems to be some kind of old temple.”
“Where have you found it?”
“We one day decided to explore the cliffs in the east of the town where we had our accommodation. It was pure luck. We found an old cave inside the cliffs and Silverleaf wanted to explore it. And after a while of wandering, we found this dome.” He climbed down the ladder and took it back to its place, signalizing Lucien to follow him into his atelier. “Luckily, I had my camera with me that day. I took more photos of the dome, but this one was the best.”
“Can you show them to me?” Lucien questioned with anticipation, joining him in the adjacent room.
“I´m sorry, but I haven´t printed them, yet. But I have a map of the place where we found the cave.”
“You have a map? I know it´s a little bit brash now, but…could I borrow that map from you?”

It was unbelievable! He had searched for this place! He had researched thousands of books for it and these two lucky devils simply found it? And he had a map that could lead him there? This was the best day ever!
“Why?” Nevio asked frowning, searching some nearby black cupboards for the map.
“Uhm…Oh, there´s this one project at school: ‘Historical places in Equestria’. And all I have is the old castle of the royal sisters in the Everfree Forest. But this place really would spice up the whole thing!”
“Oh, if it´s only that…sure you can borrow it if you only need it for school.”
“Speaking about school: I was missing Twi and Bleach today. I saw them walk off with Bleach´s father after the funeral. I wanted to apologize by them too, but they aren´t at their chambers. You don´t know where they are, do you?” he questioned the brown photograph casually.

“Nope.” was the lied answer.
Lucien gritted his teeth.
“Well, I heard rumors they left with the train for a town far away from here. Allegedly at Celestia´s order. You are sure you haven´t heard something?”
Nevio frowned about the gray stallion´s persistence and the urge in his voice, but didn´t say anything, except of another “Nope.”
Lucien growled low. If he hadn´t something he wanted, he almost would have used the ‘unkindlier’ way to hear what he wanted to know.

“Ah, here it is!” Nevio suddenly said and closed the cupboard with a white folded sheet of paper in his mouth.
“Great!” the gray stallion jolted and made a few steps towards his old friend…and suddenly tripped over a pair of cables. With a gasp, he sprawled and landed with a low thump on the ground.

And then, there was a low metal clanging.

Lucien slowly rose back to his hooves, chuckling.
“He. I´m still the clumsy one, huh?”
Nevio´s response was a frightened face.
“Hey, what is it, Nevio? Don´t worry, I´m not hurt.”
The only answer, he got, was a wide-eyed frightened stare and a slight shiver. He frowned and followed the brown stallion´s gaze. He was looking at something beneath Lucien´s hooves.
“Oh, there´s the problem!” he chuckled with a wide grin and levitated the item of his old friend´s attention in front of him.
It was a dagger!

Nevio mumbled something, the map falling out of his mouth. It was too low for Lucien to understand.
“What did you say?” he asked, still levitating the dagger.
“You…”
“Oh, come on Nevio! You don´t really think what I think now, do you?”
“You…”
“Come on, that´s ridiculous! Since that murder´s out there, nearly every pony at school has some daggers to defend itself and-“
“LIAR!” the photograph burst out suddenly.

Lucien didn´t answer. He only watched Nevio.

“YOU KILLED HER!” he shouted at the gray stallion with tearful eyes. “You are the one who attacked Twilight and Bleach with these shadows, you killed my sweet Silverleaf in this painful and torturing manner, you took my love and my foal away! And you tried to get back my trust just to sound me out where Twilight and Bleach are hiding their selves now!”
“You´re making quiet serious allegations, Nevio…” Lucien meant blank.
“So what? I know it´s true!”
“And where are your evidences?”
“Your hoofmarks? They´re on the book? You wanna bet? And the yellow carnation and the meadowsweet surely have some fibers of your vest and your saddle bag on them, right?”
“He! You should have seen your face when you saw them on the casket! Unpayable!”

Nevio gritted his teeth and gave the odious stallion a look filled with hate.
Lucien only chuckled sinister at the sight. “Oh, are you bad with me now? Did I mess my new lease on life up?” he scoffed and answered Silverleaf´s friend´s gaze with a piercing glance. “Okay, and now serious, and I´ll ask you friendly only one time: Where are Bleach, Twilight and my beloved dark ones?”
Nevio didn´t answer. He wouldn´t betray his friends!
He swallowed.
Even if it means my death!

“No?”
Nevio remained silent. Lucien sighed.
“Well, at your desire. I secretly hoped to get this over without the ugly part, but…your decision!” And then, his horn began to glow in a faint yellow light.

Nevio instantly jumped to the side.
One second later, there was a loud thunder and a bright flash of light as a lightning streaked through the air and stroke the floor where he stood before.
He tackled Lucien after his failed attack, sending him to the ground and fled through the door into the lobby of the shop and towards the entry. He had to get help or he´d die!
He heard Lucien behind him rising back to his hooves, cursing him and casting a new spell. He nearly had reached the door, when he heard a loud swoosh behind him. Instinctively, he sprawled to the ground. The next thing he felt was an incredible heat on his back, when the elementalist´s raging blaze swept across his head. After it had ended, he rose back to his hooves, not caring about his singed coat, only to realize, that the front door was sealed with ice!

And then he was tackled to the ground and pinned with his back against the wall. Above him, he saw the gray stallion like he really was:
A maniac wide grin on his lips, blood thirst in his eyes and a dagger in his hooves.
So this was what Silverleaf saw when she died!
“I have to reclaim these dagger holsters. You only tumble a little bit and they drop out of them! Hmpf, garbage! But it somehow had quickened things a bit, don´t you think? And I was truly pissed off about that steady disguise, so I may have to thank them!” the dark stallion meant. “Anyhow, did you seriously think you could escape me? ME? The most powerful elementalist of Equestria? Very entertaining! You´re such a brave one, so you´ll get one very last chance before it gets dolorous: Where are your friends and the book?”
Nevio spit at him, defiance in his eyes.
“Never!”

Lucien only pinned him harder against the wall and raised his dagger.
“I warned you!”
And then, the dagger dug into the right shoulder of the brown colt.
The pain was nearly unbearable. Nevio screamed. He screamed as loud as he could, shouting for help. But, as always, Lucien had sealed the room with a spell of quietness.
“Yeah, scream! Scream out your pain! Nopony will hear you!”
He panted. The sharp stinging pain slowly subsided, but increased again instantly with every movement. Warm blood trickled down his coat. He looked back at Lucien.
“So? Are you now ready to cooperate?”
“No!” he panted. “I´ll never betray my friends!”
“Very sad…”

The dagger began to move in his shoulder, causing new pain. Nevio gasped and panted, clenching his teeth, denying his tormentor the screams he was craving for. His sight went blurry from tears, coming up in his eyes when the dagger continuous moved on, wandering to his armpit. More blood streamed out of him and he felt nearing unconsciousness.
“Well?”
“Ne…ver…”
“Tell me where your friends are or you can call yourself ‘Threehoof’!”
“N…Ni…ice na…me…” he smirked.

The devilish stallion´s face filled with mortal hatred and instantly, moved the dagger on, causing more pain inside Nevio.
“TELL ME WHERE THEY ARE!” Lucien shouted, moving the blade forward merciless.
Nevio couldn´t hold anymore and began again to scream.
“NEVER!”
And then, he lost the feeling of his right fore hoof.

He screamed and cried, wriggling himself in his tormentor´s grip, but there was no hope to escape anymore!
“Come on…” he bleary heard a voice near his ear. “Give in to your cravings! You want to end this as much as I will. Commit the treason at your friends! I know you just want to scream it out. Come on, Nevio, where are they?”
The stallion bit his tongue. Ponyville! he wanted to shout out. They are in Ponyville! But he didn´t. He couldn´t!
But he wouldn´t stand the torture very much longer! He brought his head up and made a decision.

“Still nothing? He, you´re a tough one, my respect to that!” he raised the hoof with the dagger again and aimed. Just when the blade came down, Nevio rapidly caught Lucien´s hoof with his left one and changed its direction.
“You lost…” where his last words before he guided the blade into his heart.
“NO!” Lucien shouted, but it was too late.

Nevio only sighed relieved and closed his eyes, happy to have kept his friends save from the demonic stallion. There was a tingling in his limbs, spreading out and reaching out for his heart.
He didn´t fight against it. He already had won.

The world went black.

And then white.

And the last thing, he saw, was a silver-coated angel with a waving green mane and generous golden eyes, kissing him with tears of happiness and sadness…

Comments

[Ivo]

To Chapter 2 Part 2:

Here is the origin german text of the song 'Geboren um zu Leben' by Unheilig

Es fällt mir schwer
ohne dich zu Leben,
jeden Tag zu jeder Zeit
einfach alles zu geben.
Ich denk so oft
zurück an das was war,
an jedem so geliebten vergangenen Tag.
Ich stell mir
das du zu mir stehst
und jeden meiner Wege
an meiner Seite gehst.
Ich denke an so vieles
seit dem du nicht mehr bist,
denn du hast mir gezeigt
wie wertvoll das Leben ist.

Wir war'n geboren um zu Leben
mit den Wundern jener Zeit,
sich niemals zu vergessen
bis in alle Ewigkeit.
Wir war'n geboren um zu Leben
für den einen Augenblick,
weil jeder von uns spürte
wie wertvoll Leben ist.

Es tut noch weh
wieder neuen Platz zu schaffen,
mit gutem Gefühl
etwas neues zuzulassen.
In diesem Augenblick
bist du mir wieder nah,
wie an jedem so geliebten vergangenen Tag.
Es ist mein Wunsch
wieder Träume zu erlauben,
ohne Reue nach vorn
in eine Zukunft zu schau'n.
Ich sehe einen Sinn
seit dem du nicht mehr bist,
denn du hast mir gezeigt
wie wertvoll mein Leben ist.

Wir war'n geboren um zu Leben
mit den Wundern jener Zeit,
sich niemals zu vergessen
bis in alle Ewigkeit.
Wir war'n geboren um zu Leben
für den einen Augenblick,
weil jeder von uns spürte
wie wertvoll Leben ist.

Wie wertvoll Leben ist.

Wir war'n geboren um zu Leben

mit den Wundern jener Zeit,
Geboren um zu Leben.

Wir war'n geboren um zu Leben
mit den Wundern jener Zeit,
sich niemals zu vergessen
bis in alle Ewigkeit.
Wir war'n geboren um zu Leben
für den einen Augenblick,
weil jeder von uns spürte
wie wertvoll Leben ist.

Wir war'n geboren um zu Leben
mit den Wundern jener Zeit,
sich niemals zu vergessen
bis in alle Ewigkeit.
Wir war'n geboren um zu Leben
für den einen Augenblick,
weil jeder von uns spürte
wie wertvoll Leben ist.

wir war'n geboren um zu Leben...

I used the english version in the story, because that was more fitting, somehow.
The english translation is by the band 'Gregorian' and called 'Born to Feel Alive'

I´m also sorry if there are some annoying commercials before the video in the story starts, but I couldn´t find an origin version on Youtube...