Twilight smirked as she felt the familiar rush of magical energy flow into her horn. Effortlessly bending the raw energy to her will with the skill only a master could possess, she directed the tamed the stream to her goal. Forcing the simple technique of telekinesis from her expansive repertoire and outwards to the target that lay so helplessly in front of her.

It didn’t react.

Frowning and bestowing a narrowed gaze to the object that dares to resist, she lowered her head to meet its defiant gaze with her horn that drizzled with the brilliant raspberry hues of magical aura. Stamping her favored hoof once, she struck back at the barrier with doubles of the amounts of forceful energies. To others, it would have been a struggling matter. To her, it was mere simplicity. She watched with her glaring gaze as the previously impenetrable wall became surrounded in her brand of magic. Then, with a slight and nearly unnoticeable shake, its movement increased in a steady, exponential rise as its resistance crumbled away under the might of the Princess of Friendship. In mere moments, the broken target was floating in the air.

Twilight smiled cheerfully as she floated the book to her eager reach.

“Alright, Fluttershy,” she said, “This should be the last thing I need to complete the spell to bring our spirits back to life.”

Fluttershy looked up from her awkward watching. As much as she’d like to help, Twilight was quite capable, and more than willing, to take care of everything to help. Much of Fluttershy’s “help” had simply been finding the spot of a book on a shelf. Of course, her careful nature had led her to seek out other ways of assisting her bookish friend but to no avail. Was this how Spike felt? Fluttershy couldn’t help but wonder.

Fixing herself into a standing position, she made a brief walk to her friend. Seeing only a jumble of scientific words of the cover of the book, she asked, “What will that do?”

“This is the part of the spell that will recreate our physical bodies. Our current ones aren’t… suitable anymore, to say the least.”

Fluttershy nodded, wincing at some fiery memories. She cocked her head in thought for a moment before asking another question. “What would happen if you brought us back without bodies to go to? Would we be alive but like this at the same time?”

Twilight put on her “thinking” face as a hoof came to her chin. “That’s a good question…” she drawled, “If I had to take a guess, I’d say we’d be stuck in some kind of limbo of our own consciousness. For how long? That’s anypony’s guess.”

“Oh, my…”

“I know,” Twilight agreed, “All the more reason to get this done.”

Fluttershy nodded again, content to letting Twilight use her non-magical prowess in intellect handle the delicacies. She backed away, mane-covered eyes hitting the floor out of habit.

“Spi—” Twilight started before cutting herself off with a shake of the head. “Heh. I’m calling him out of habit…” she amended. She frowned for a moment but it faded just as quick. “Hey, where is he anyways? I haven’t seen him since he was dusting us up.”

“Um… I think he went to throw the ashes… away… a while ago…”

Twilight sighed helplessly. “I’ll have to fix that later. Hopefully they’re just in a trash bag or something.”

Fluttershy didn't like the idea of them being carelessly dropped in the trash, but she continued. “I last saw him a little bit ago. He came in then went right back out after seeing floating books. I think he’s looking for you.”

"It's going to be hard explaining this one to him. I won't hear the end of it for months. Could you go look for him, please?" Fluttershy nodded, exiting the room.

The mare tried to get back to her studies, but it didn't last long. "Twilight?!" a voice suddenly shrieked, their tone in desperation, "Twilight?!"

The one being called so frantically shot her gaze toward the sound hurriedly. She recognized that voice. She took a careful step forwards, but it was unneeded; it came to her.

Phasing through the wall like a few ghostly companions she knew came the panicked form of Luna scrambling wildly on slippery hooves. Around her billowed a dark, tattered cloak matted with green, unsavory splotches. "Twilight!" she cried, "You have to help me!"

Twilight recoiled in shock at the sight of her princess reduced to such a quivering mess, but what caught her eye was her entrance. Her rather ghostly entrance. "Princess!" she gasped, "Did you die? Are you a ghost like us?"

Luna recovered herself enough to meet the fellow alicorn's eye. "No," she spat out worriedly, as if in a hurry, "I just have those abilities because I'm the Reaper of Death. But that isn't impor—"

"You're the Reaper?!" Twilight said, a shocked face appearing.

"Yes, I am. But I need—"

"Could you not reap my soul, please? I know this goes against the natural order, but I was just about to—"

"Twilight!" Luna yelled, "Listen to me, please! Your soul is the last thing I care about right now! I need your help."

Twilight blinked. "Uh... sure? What's going on?"

Luna merely threw back her hood. Twilight gasped as she saw the sight in front of her. What was once a royal, flowing, and starry night sky had been replaced by a plane of green, sturdy lines cut into a shapeless, edgy mass. It was very unbecoming for a Princess.

"Princess!" Twilight exclaimed, "Your mane!"

"I know." She ceded grimly, "It's horrible! It's dreadful! It's... green!"

"You sound like Rarity, no offense."

Luna's eyes widened. "Don't speak the demon's name! She is the one who has committed this act of atrocity."

The lavender mare looked at the other quizzically. "She did this? Why would she ever do this? She would call it a crime against fabulousity."

"I cut her mane off."

Twilight's eyes widened. "You did what?!"

"It was an accident, I swear!"

"Accident?!" Twilight repeated, "That doesn't matter! Do you realize what you've done? Remember the royal hair stylist, Lucky Stars?"

"No."

"Exactly!" She placed a hoof to her head, thinking quickly, "Okay, where is she now?"

Luna answered, "I don't know. I barely slipped away when she was..." She shuddered. "...getting out hair gel."

Twilight nodded. "Okay. I imagine Rarity will be checking all the places she'd expect you to go, first."

"Where do you think that is?"

"Mm... Probably somewhere you consider safe. Maybe where there's someone who could help you."

"Like here?" she squeaked.

"Yeah, here would be the most predictable place," she agreed, "...Oh... Well, she's not here yet, right? We still have time—"

"Right this way, Rarity," Fluttershy said, reentering, leading her sun hat-wearing friend into the room, "If I can ask, though, where are the others? We were supposed to stay in groups."

"Oh, they're a bit... tied up at the moment. I went ahead. Now, is Twilight here?" she asked.

Luna shared one look with her fellow alicorn. She discreetly pushed Twilight in front of her with a loud scoot across the floor.

Rarity looked up at the sound, her eyes narrowing at seeing her prey. She stepped past Fluttershy. "Hello Twilight, ...Princess," she said through gritted teeth.

The pure wrath in those eyes put a shiver through Twilight, but she stepped forward to meet her warpath-bound friend. "Now, Rarity, I need you to listen to me."

"Twilight?" she answered, "Don't get involved. This is between us."

"Rarity, there is no need to do this. Think about what you're doing. You would normally be horrified at what the Princess's mane has turned into."

The designer gave a dry, cynical laugh. "Oh, I've thought about this quite enough. In fact, I've thought about what I'm going to do to her. I was originally going to give her tail the same treatment, but I realized that would be cruel."

"Really?"

"Not cruel enough. So I'm going to dye her coat green as well."

Luna whimpered.

Twilight shook her head. "I can't allow you to do that. You just need to calm down and have a nice, pleasant talk."

"I already tried that. Then she tried to cut my head off!"

Twilight glanced back at Luna. She smiled guiltily. "Ugh... Okay, let's start over. Princess? Come here."

"I don't want to."

Rarity gave an unladylike "hmph."

"Just come here, please." Luna reluctantly did so, eyeing the white-coated mare. "Okay," Twilight said, "I want both of you to apologize."

"Apologize?" Rarity cried out, "I'm the victim here."

"I think you passed that line a long time ago. Do you really think turning her green is justified?"

"Yes."

Twilight facehoofed. "Just apologize, both of you. This was all just a big accident."

Rarity glared a moment longer. "Fine," she said, "But under one condition."

"What's that?" Luna asked hesitantly.

Rarity looked at her, a strong gleam in her eyes. "You let us come back to life."

"What?" Luna cried, "I can't do that! It's against the natural order!"

"It's the natural order or your mane. Take your pick."

Luna bit her lip before looking down. "...Fine. You all can live once again... But next time, you're all coming with me!" Rarity only shrugged. Luna shot another glare her way before spreading her wings and flying away, going through the ceiling.

The two watched for a moment before Twilight observed, "Neither of you apologized."

"It was implied," she dismissed.

Twilight looked unimpressed but let it slide. "So... She's really the Reaper?"

Rarity nodded.

"Since when?"

"Something about beating the previous one in limbo."

"The game where you go under a pole?"

"No, the game where you go under a pole."

"...What?"

"Oh, my bad. I just... never mind. Let's go round up the rest of friends, now."

"Alright. Ready, Fluttershy?"

Their silent friend looked up with wide, horrified eyes, still recovering from the scene. "Um... yes?" she said, her voice a sliver.

"Great, let's go. By the end of today, we'll be back to our old, living selves." As the two left the burn-streaked halls, followed by one stunned pegasus, Twilight added, "You know, threatening a Princess isn't very smart."

"It'll be fine," Rarity responded, "Besides, she didn't stand a ghost of a chance."

The doors suddenly swung open to reveal one pink mare standing in their place, a frown plastered upon her face. "Rarity," Pinkie said, "You've been making jokes all day... But that was horrible."

Rarity blinked.