It’d been an entire day, and Twilight still hadn’t returned; neither had any of her friends payed a visit since they'd gone to investigate that pizza place.

Spike had never thought he’d feel the absence of the pony he'd always thought of as his mother, nor any of the other five who would frequently visited the library. But, he was feeling their absence now, and more profoundly than he could’ve imagined. But, it was more than just loneliness he was feeling. He was also beginning to worry that Pinkie Pie might be right, and that Twilight would never return alive to the library the dragon and the alicorn called home. But, he refused to let such feelings get in the way of his duties. Hope springs eternal, and Spike was going to make sure the library was in order for when Twilight did return.

In the mean time, as the spirits of Twilight and Pinkie Pie left the pizza place together, Twilight said to the pink earth pony, “After I was killed in that basement, I noticed that Fluttershy would come down and cut up some of my meat. Do you suppose she’s been using that in the pizzas now?”

Pinkie Pie sighed and answered, “I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what she’s been doing. At least she hasn’t been using your dead body as a display item in her theater.”

Twilight responded, “I”m thinking if that were her intention, she would’ve had me stuffed and mounted first, like she did with her bear, cockatrice, fox, and rabbit friends. Besides, even in her present state of mind, I’m thinking she’s smarter than that. Her critters are less well known than her closest friends are in Ponyville. She wouldn’t risk revealing to everypony that she murdered two of her closest friends, and imprisoned the other three in the basement of her pizza place.”

Pinkie Pie had to struggle a bit before she figured out for herself how Fluttershy putting Twilight’s remains on display would lead to everypony finding out that the bearer of the element of kindness had also kidnapped three of her friends, and killed one more. When it did finally dawn on her, she rolled her eyes with the significance and said, “Oh!” Then, taking notice of where the two of them were, she said, “Oh, and we’re at the library now.” Absentmindedly she reached out for the doorknob, only to find that the front hoof she reached out with passed right through it. Quickly she pulled it back and looked at it, then looked at Twilight and said, “Oh, that’s right. We’re ghosties.” And, she giggled, more at her mistake than at herself.

Twilight walked through the door, literally, as she said, “Let’s just go inside, Pinkie.”

The pink party pony followed her friend inside, saying, “Okie dokie lokie.” Then, once she was past the doorway, she asked, “Uh, how am I going to go inside myself? I may be dead, but isn’t that still impossible?”

Before Twilight could respond, they heard a depressed Spike ask, “Oh, Twilight, when are you coming back?” And, the two turned to see the depressed, purple dragon sitting over a feather duster, clutching his knees in his arms.

The purple alicorn spirit couldn’t help approaching her former assistant from behind before answering, “Oh, Spike, I’m right here.”

Startled, the dragon jumped up into the air and screamed before running upstairs and diving under Twilight’s bed.

As Twilight realized that she’d unintentionally alarmed her former dragon assistant, she covered her muzzle with her forelimbs.

On the other hand, Pinkie Pie giggled at Spike’s response.

Then, what happened dawned on Twilight, and she turned to Pinkie Pie and said, “I guess we don’t need to worry about Spike hearing me, at least.” She then galloped up the stairs to her bed, then looked under it to see a trembling purple hatchling dragon there. She asked, “Are you alright, Spike?”

The frightened dragon stammered, “Wh-wh-who’s th-th-there? Sh-sh-show yourself!”

Twilight answered, “I’m sorry, Spike. I didn’t mean to scare you. it’s me, Twilight Sparkle.”

Spike started to crawl slowly out from under Twilight’s bed as he asked, “Twilight, is that really you?”

Twilight answered, “That’s right. And, I need your help if I’m going to send a letter to Princess Celestia.”

Spike, hearing the voice he’d grown up with speaking soothingly to him, calmed down considerably. He crawled out from under Twilight’s bed and said, “Alright.” He then got a parchment and a quill from Twilight’s desk, then said, “Alright, Twilight, let’s get this letter written.”

Twilight replied, “Thank you, Spike. The letter goes as follows:

“Dear Princess Celestia,

“It is my sad duty to inform you by way of this letter that I’ve been murdered by Fluttershy while I was investigating her pizzeria. Pinkie Pie also investigated the Pegasa’s Pizzeria, and Fluttershy murdered her as well. Not only that, but Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity have been imprisoned by Fluttershy in the pizzeria's basement.

“During my investigation, I have learned that she has also killed four of her animal friends: a bear, a cockatrice, a fox, and a rabbit. And, she’s been using their meat, as well as mine, as ingredients in her pizzas. We don’t know but that Fluttershy also plans to murder the rest of the element bearers, and we need your help to stop her and free them.

“Please do what you can to help Fluttershy. I sincerely hope she can be saved. And, also, please free Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity from their captivity.

“Your faithful, former student, Twilight Sparkle.”

As the purple dragon wrote the letter, he either couldn’t or wouldn’t reign in his emotions. He simply let the tears flow down his cheeks. How, through all his trembling and sniffling, he managed to keep the letter readable will forever be a mystery, even to him. But, when he was finished, he inhaled deeply, then exhaled a green flame that consumed the rolled-up parchment and sent it to Princess Celestia.

Twilight, frowning with her eyes but smiling with her mouth, said, “Thank you, Spike.” She then turned to her fellow spirit, Pinkie Pie, and said, “Now, all we can do is wait.”

Finally, Spike let go of the quill he’d used to write the letter. He started to sob as he said, “Oh, Twilight,” then collapsed and continued to sob.

Together, Twilight and Pinkie Pie said, “Oh, Spike,” and the two pony spirits joined the dragon in mutual grief.