All was calm in Canterlot Castle after Discord went through his portal. The guards were still picking themselves up after being flung away so easily. They retreated out of the chamber as they did so, either returning to their posts or going to the infirmary. This left the princess sisters to ruminate over what had just transpired.

“What was that all about? What could have possibly happened that would have made Discord act like that?” questioned Berry, asking the obvious questions. Neither princess had an answer, but they did not have to wait long. Into the room came a small wisp of smoke that formed into a scroll in front of Celestia. She wasn’t expecting any friendship reports or the like any time soon, so she was highly curious as to what it said. Celestia looked up and saw that her guests were interested as well and decided to read the letter aloud.

Dear Princess Celestia,

This is Spike. I am writing to you so that you will come to Ponyville as soon as possible. Something terrible has happened and you need to be here. Princess Luna and Pixel Berry should come too as this affects them as well. We need your help with Twilight, Princess. She is the only with the answers, but we can’t get her to come out of her room.

By this point, you are no doubt curious as to what has happened. Well here it is. It with a heavy heart and tears in my eyes as I continue to write that I must inform you…of the passing of one of our friends. Just come quickly Princess, it’s just too hard without the answers. It’s just not the same without him; we need you Celestia. I can’t believe I am writing this, but, it’s DJ, Princess. DJ has been killed. Come as fast as you can.

With Love, Spike

Celestia put the letter down slowly, not believing what she had read aloud. She looked over at her daughter and saw that her eyes were wide and tears forming in the corners. Luna, too, was feeling the sadness growing from deep within her. The sisters looked at each other and nodded, knowing what they must do. Celestia walked over to Berry and put her wing around her daughter, Luna walking up and doing the same. An instant later, they teleported off.

***Books and Branches Library***

The ponies and one dragon simply sat around the table where there departed friend lay. None of them could say a word, so they sat in silence. They had been like this for over an hour and just stared down at the corpse. None of them knew what to do or say.

Then, a bright a flash engulfed the room and two ponies and one human were in the library as well. The princesses looked around at the sight before her until her eyes landed on the body on the table, causing her eyes to widen. She then regarded the assembled ponies. “So, it is true?” The princess received solemn nods in return. Berry walked forward and knelt down at the edge of the table. The young girl looked upon her brother with tear-filled eyes. She put her head in her hands and cried, and soon felt Pinkie Pie hugging her, trying to make them both feel better.

Again, they all sat in silence except for Berry and Pinkie’s sobbing. But another sound permeated through the library. It was the sound of Twilight’s bedroom door opening. Not long after, the Princess of Magic was walking down the stairs, a dead look in her eyes. She walked right by her friends and mentor, not even noticing them. They hear her getting a glass of water in the kitchen, drinking it, and then walking back out, once again heading for the stairs.

“Twilight?” called Princess Celestia. She stopped in her tracks. “Please, Twilight, tell us what happened,” Celestia pleaded with her former pupil as she walked up behind her. Twilight couldn’t take it anymore and turned around, embracing her mentor and began sobbing into her chest. Celestia was surprised at first, but soon draped her wings around the young mare as she cried her heart out. After roughly a minute, Celestia asked her again.

Twilight’s crying began subside and she spoke something in a quiet whisper, “It’s all my fault.” Celestia didn’t understand and told her so. “It’s all my fault,” Twilight said a little louder. “I killed him, Celestia! Because of me, the man I loved is dead!”

Everyone was stunned at her revelation. Nopony said a thing, simply waiting for Twilight to continue. “I never should have said those things to him. I should have let him explain himself. It’s all because of me!” Twilight began to break down again. The others urged her to explain and she did, her sobbing continually rising as she retold everything that led up to the loss of their friend. When she was done, everypony was different in their reactions.

Big Mac was fuming from his seat, but Applejack was keeping him calm, even though she too was more than a little miffed at Twilight. Fluttershy and Rarity were sympathetic to her, while Rainbow was more confused than anything, choosing to be mad in the end. The princess was too able to sympathize with her former student. Then a weight lifted off her chest and she looked down to see Twilight approaching DJ’s body. She spoke as she drew closer.

“I am so sorry I made you do this DJ. My heart just fell apart when I heard you say those words and I wasn’t thinking. I should have let you explain yourself, not sent you away.” The tears were falling fiercely from her eyes and her voice began to crack. “I miss you DJ! I need you! Please come back to me! PLEASE COME BACK DJ!” She threw herself on his chest and bawled. “I SORRY DJ! I AM SO SO SORRY! Just come back to me, DJ. Please come back.” Her outcries calmed, but her crying continued as her friends watched on, their anger dispersing after her display.

***Elsewhere in Ponyville***

The school day had ended quickly for Cheerilee, the news about Ponyville’s resident human taking its toll on the class. She dismissed them early and was on her way to a certain candy shop in the plaza district. Cheerilee knew it was going to be hard to tell them, but they were all close friends of DJ’s too, so they deserved to know. She walked in the front door and was surprised what was before her: everypony she had planned on visiting.

Inside the shop were five mares, all different kinds of ponies. There was the shop owner, Bon Bon, and her special somepony, Lyra Heartstrings. Three other customers were present as well. There was Vinyl Scratch and her roommate Octavia, just paying off their purchase. And then there was Ditzy and Dinky Doo who were browsing through all the different types of candies. Cheerilee cleared her throat to get the attention of them all. Lyra was the first to greet her.

“Oh hi there, Miss Cheerilee! Can I get you anything?” she asked with a perky smile.

The teacher mare sighed and spoke to them all. “I know this doesn’t make much sense, but I need all of you to follow me to the library. It’s very important that every one of you comes with. I’ll explain once we are there. Just know that has to do with our friend DJ.” They were all suspicious at first, but when they heard DJ’s name the complied with smiles, figuring it must be something strange or important.

Not too long later, they were nearing the library when they encountered to other ponies beginning to enter the library. It was Apple Bloom and Granny Smith. “Hello, Apple Bloom,” Miss Cheerilee greeted. “Have you told your Granny why she is here?” Apple Bloom shook her head no and allowed the grownups to enter first. When they did, Applejack stepped out of the back room and noticed them. When she saw her granny, she trotted over and hugged her hard, fresh tears beginning to fall.

“Now what’s all this youngin’? You’re actin’ like somethin’ terrible has happened,” replied Granny Smith. This caused the mare embracing her to cry even harder. Once AJ had composed herself a little, she spoke to the crowd in front of her.

“What y’all are about to see, is not to leave this house, not yet anyways. It’s not a happy sight, I can tell ya that.” With that, she led them into the next room. “See for yourself,” she stepped aside and raised a hoof, gesturing towards the table. What they saw, none of them seemed to understand. Vinyl was the first to speak up.

“Uh, so you brought us here to see a sheet? Are you waiting to pull it off of the thing underneath?”

“No, Vinyl,” said Pinkie Pie who appeared next to them. Pinkie then leaned forward and hugged Vinyl, hard. “It’s awful! That thing under there is DJ!” Tears began to stream from her eyes again as she spoke. “He’s dead, guys. DJ’s dead!” The others looked at her in shock, Vinyl even pulled off her sunglasses, still being held by Pinkie. Granny Smith looked at Applejack with a serious look.

“Is this true, AJ?” was all she said.

“It’s true, Granny. Our brother is with us no more.” Applejack was suddenly gripped tight by the elder mare, her tears falling strongly. She looked over and saw more sadness around her. Ditzy and Dinky were holding each other tight, tears evident on both of them. Lyra had approached the dead human and was stoking his head, while Bon Bon hugged her tightly. Cheerilee had gone to sit by Rarity and Sweetie Belle, unsure how to express her emotions.

They all sat there for what felt like hours, again. The sadness they all felt thickened the air around them, all of them simply staring at the body before them, Twilight joining them at the head of the table, which was also where her love’s head was as well. Then the unthinkable happened: DJ’s body began to fade away. They entire group gasped as the body began to disappear, Twilight desperately calling out for it to stop. “No, NO!! Please don’t go DJ!” but her cries were unheeded and seconds later his body had completely disappeared. Only his lightsabers remained underneath the large piece of cloth. Twilight’s sobs began a new, no pony really understanding what had just happened. Luna trotted over to speak with her sister.

“Sister, what happened to the body?” she asked in a whisper.

“I do not know, Luna. I fear that because DJ was not from Equestria originally, that his body simply faded out of existence. I hope that is not the case, but it is the only thing that makes sense right now,” Celestia replied. They didn’t speak after that, allowing the silence to resume.

Another noise entered the library after a while. It was the opening of the front door and a stallion walking in.

“Hello?” he called out with a Braytish accent. “Is anypony here?” Spike got up and went to the doorway that led to the main lobby.

“Sorry, dude. Library’s closed today. Come back another time.”

“Oh, bugger. I really wanted to get that book today. May I ask why the library is closed today?”

“We lost a close friend, and we are in mourning,” was his reply.

“Oh, dear, I am so sorry to hear that. Could I perhaps join? I have been told that I am quite good at cheering others up when they are so dreadfully down. I will only take a few minutes of your time.” Spike thought on it for a moment and agreed to give him a chance. He led him into the next room where everypony was waiting. The stallion strode right over to Twilight and sat beside her, she never let her eyes leave the spot where DJ’s body once was. “I am dreadfully sorry for your loss. Would you mind telling me who this pony was?”

Twilight never looked up, even as she replied. “He was my coltfriend.”

“How awful! Losing a love one is not something that should happen to anypony. I have an idea, why don’t all of you say a few words about him, they say that always helps when in mourning. It helps for you to remember them.”

The others agreed and everypony said a few words. The Apples spoke of how hardworking he was and how he was a caring and honest brother. Rarity spoke of his generosity towards others. Rainbow mentioned how he was always loyal to his friends, never letting them down. Fluttershy talked of how kind he was to everypony he met. Pinkie Pie spoke of how he was always trying to make others laugh, especially when they were down. The others at the table gave their words as well, but Twilight’s resonated within them all.

“DJ was different than anypony I had ever met,” she said. “He was everything they all said, but he was so much more to me. He cared for me, Nyx, and Spike like we were already family. Every time the two of us were together, it was like magic. The magic of our love.”

The stallion nodded and waited a few minutes before speaking again. “Hypothetically, if he were to somehow return, what would you do?”

The question was directed at Twilight, so she was the only one who answered. “If DJ were to come back to me? The first thing I would do would be…to blast him through a wall for his stupidity! I would buck him upside the face for leaving me alone like that!! And after that, I’d…I’d kiss him. I would kiss him stronger and more passionately than we ever have,” said Twilight with a dreamy look.

“Well, then,” said the stallion, “mind if I take you up on that offer?”

“What?” was all Twilight said.

“I am not too keen on the flank kicking, but the kissing part sounded quite worth it. Especially from a mare who looks as good as yourself,” he said with a sly grin.

Twilight responded with a huff. “It's not very gentlecolt-like to hit on a widower in mourning, you know! That was just rude and I am offended highly by your comment. No matter how charming you are.”

The stallion only laughed at her answer. It was a hearty laugh, one filled with amusement. His next words were completely unexpected. Not just because of what they were, but also because of his voice. His voice suddenly changed, and it was very familiar.

“I’ll take that as a compli-sult!”

Twilight’s head bolted up and she looked wide-eyed at the stallion for the first time. The unicorn stallion had a dark blue coat, with a single, large snowflake for a cutie mark. He had a long mane and medium tail that were both dark brown, almost black, in color. His eyes, though. They were overly familiar to her. They were much bigger, but she would recognize those hazel-green eyes filled with love and understanding anywhere.

“DJ?” she asked with an uncertain voice. The entire table looked shocked at what she said, even more so when the stallion responded.

He looked at her with a loving smile and spoke. “Yes, Twilight. I’m home. I heard you missed me.”