“So you are really going to go through with this?” Spike inquired as he stood outside the library while Twilight was busy inspecting the wards she had placed over the building.

The unicorn nodded and turned to the guard. “Noone should be able to get in or out. Just don't let anyone try to open the door or they will get a nasty shock.”

“Not enough to actually harm someone, I hope?” replied the guard knowingly.

Twilight shook her head. “No, just enough to say ‘Hey, maybe you shouldn't touch that’.”

The guard nodded before taking a step back and seamlessly blending in with the deep shadow at the base of the tree.

With him gone, Twilight sighed and turned around to face Spike properly. “Yes, I really am going to do this and I don't know why you are so against it,” she responded.

Spike frowned as they began to walk in the direction of Rarity’s boutique. “It's just that the speak with dead spell isn't exactly reliable and you don't know much necromancy in general. If you are anything less than a master, then you won't be able to cast it on the same target ever again and it's one of the few ways to get any answers from a dead person. That's also assuming you can even bring them back in the first place.”

“I know it only allows me to ask three questions, but if we word them correctly, it will only take three. Besides, I studied some of the languages of power, and found some of old Twilight’s notes. I’ll be fine,” Twilight replied, though the mare’s confidence was beginning to wane slightly, her mind constantly reminding her of how little she knew of necromancy.

“I’ve heard that one before,” muttered Spike, whose eyes suddenly lit up. “Hey look, it's a theatre board. I didn't think we had one of these around here.”

“Neither did I,” admitted Twilight, who walked over to the board.

“They have quite the spread,” Spike remarked, the dragon glancing from one lavishly decorated advertisement to the next. “A Midwinter Night’s Dream, Angels in Equestria, and Death of a Salespony to name a few.”

“All produced by commander Dark Hallow’s theatre company and showing in the market,” Twilight added. “That makes sense, now that I think about it.”

“He did have quite the flare for the dramatic,” exclaimed Spike.

Twilight nodded. “Come on, those won't be for a while, in the meantime we got something important to do.”

“I wonder if this Sweetie Belle pony likes plays,” Spike whispered to himself.

Twilight pretended not to hear that particular comment, and continued on her journey, Spike quick on her tail. “So, did you enjoy the party last night?” she asked without looking.

Spike smiled sadly. “It was nice. Weirdly nostalgic too.”

“Oh? What do you mean?” Twilight questioned, her curiosity piqued.

“When Twilight and I came to Ponyville, they threw us a party much like that one. Same number of ponies came then too, though it wasn't a guard, just Twilight’s mom who was worried about her,” Spike explained, his voice wavering slightly.

“That's interesting. Did you have fun at least?” Twilight pressed.

“Yeah. Your friends are really nice and though it's hard to not compare them to Twilight’s old friends, they are definitely their own people,” Spike continued.

“Oh really, like how?” Twilight continued, the unicorn noticing how Spike remained a little sad, but was beginning to smile at least.

“Well for one, Applejack is very willing to get down and dirty while working, which is a total contrast. Let me tell you,” Spike began, the dragon standing a little taller.

“Huh, I would have assumed they would be equally as hard-working,” Twilight murmured.

“Oh they both worked hard, it's just Apple Turnover didn't like getting her hooves dirty and was convinced there was always an easier way of doing things,” Spike began, only to laugh suddenly. “That reminds me of this one time when her and-”

“Spike, that is the most ridiculous story I’ve ever heard in my entire life,” Twilight deadpanned, only to grin. “I loved it.”

“I thought you would like it,” Spike exclaimed with a wide grin. “One hundred percent true too!”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Even the part where the manticore did a dance number?”

“Maybe there were some creative embellishments… Oh look, we’re here,” Spike pointed out.

Twilight shook her head and straightened her saddlebags before trotting the last few feet and knocking twice on the large wooden door to Rarity’s boutique. Normally she would have just walked right in, but the large closed sign over the window made her rethink that action. When no one came to the door for several seconds, Twilight grew curious and leaned to her right, glancing through the window and between the partially closed drapes.

Looking past the rows of dresses and other racks of clothing, Twilight was able to see through the gloom, noticing an irritated Rarity who seemed to have her forelegs stuck together near the back of the store. She was repeatedly trying to pull her limbs apart, only for them to snap back together just as she was about to free herself. The white thread that bound them was thick, unyielding, and Twilight could vaguely hear muttered cursing coming from within the room.

“Just a second!” Rarity shouted, before groaning, and looking around for something.

“Is something wrong?” Spike asked, noticing Twilight’s strange expression.

“She got her hooves stuck together with string,” Twilight began, only to laugh aloud when she watched Rarity try to use a pair of scissors with her magic, only to not have the strength to do so, before trying to use two of her spider legs to do it. “And is failing at getting unstuck.”

“Like someone tied her up or what?” Spike asked, the dragon standing on his tiptoes in order to see over Twilight’s shoulder.

“No, it’s spider string, see?” Twilight pointed out, the unicorn bending down slightly to allow Spike to view the inside of the shop.

The dragon laughed. “A spider caught in her own web, how ironic.”

The pair continued to watch as Rarity struggled for a moment longer before walking over to the bottom of a nearby set of stairs and yelling something they couldn't hear. A few seconds later and a much younger arachne came skittering down from the second floor, a frown on her face and her forehooves crossed over her chest. What occurred next was a short and embarrassed conversation that passed nearly silently between the two spider ponies.

Twilight instantly recognized the face of Sweetie Belle, who stood a good head shorter than her sister, her horn just as short, though her mane had even more bounce than her sibling’s. Her two toned pink and light purple hair was in a slight state of disarray as it was too flat on one side while fine on the other. In one forehoof was a hairbrush, though that was placed aside when Rarity seemed to talk her into helping her get free of the webbing.

With a pair of scissors now in her grasp, Sweetie Belle began to slowly saw her way through the strands of spider silk that bound her sister’s forelimbs together. Leaning back around, Twilight noticed that Spike wasn't about to follow her, the dragon staring with rapt attention at something within the boutique. Raising an eyebrow, Twilight leaned back and followed his gaze to Sweetie Belle, who had managed to almost free her sister’s hooves at this point.

“See something you like?” Twilight asked with a smirk.

Spike leaned back, a hot blush on his cheeks. “N-no,” he stuttered.

Twilight raised an eyebrow, her smirk growing larger by the second. “Really? Are you sure?” she pressed.

Spike quickly schooled his expression and glared at the pony. “Shhh you. It’s weird enough that she's got mandibles, nevermind everything else.”

Twilight chuckled, only to take a step back when she heard the sound of skittering footsteps approach the door. When the wooden portal opened, it revealed a still slightly frazzled Rarity, who was also missing some sections of fur along her forelegs, which she did her best to hide by keeping her forelegs pressed together.

“Ahh Twilight, and Spike. So glad you could make it,” exclaimed the arachne with genuine relief.

“Of course. I gave you my word after all,” Twilight replied, only to point to the spider pony’s forelimbs. “Have some trouble in there?”

Rarity sighed, and let her hooved limbs flat against her body. “I’ve been trying to follow Trixie and her mother’s lessons, but it is more difficult than I anticipated.”

“Dusk was telling me about that. What exactly do you have to do, anyway?” Spike questioned.

Rarity blinked in confusion. “Dusk? You mean… oh that's right. Well you see, Spike, I need to stick to a very special diet first, and then I need to move and weave things just so.”

“You seem like a rather detail-oriented person. Surely it's not that hard,” Twilight offered.

Sighing, Rarity hung her head in defeat. “That I am, though this is beyond even me. But where are my manners? Do come in.”

Stepping aside, Rarity motioned for the pair to enter, something they eagerly did, with Spike leading the way and looking around expectantly. “Is Sweetie Belle here?” he asked while doing his best to not give away the fact that he already knew the answer to that question.

Rarity blushed lightly and pushed the door closed behind them. “She is just getting ready right now. I believe she should be out momentarily.”

“Why don't you go talk to her? She's upstairs, right Rarity?” Twilight offered.

The arachne gave her friend an odd look before nodding. “That is true, feel free to-” Rarity began, only for Spike to have already taken off, his footsteps audible as he ran up the steps. “...go and say hello. Wow, he sure is eager to meet someone his own age.”

Twilight smirked. “You have no idea.”

Rarity gave her friend one last odd look before turning away. “Yes, well. I have all the supplies we will need, as well as a new set of boots for you.”

Twilight blinked, and watched as Rarity scuttled away and retrieved some thick leather boots from a nearby pile of what looked like the supplies she mentioned. “You didn't have to do that,” Twilight exclaimed.

“Nonsense, darling. I know the forest can be a harsh place for most beings to tread and besides, you need to rebuild your wardrobe sooner or later,” Rarity pressed, the arachne presenting the boots expectantly. “You must admit they do match your colors quite well, no?”

Finding her gaze stuck on the black boots, Twilight hardly even noticed the grin on Rarity’s face, as Twilight’s attention was fixated entirely on the apparel presented to her. They were durable, rustic even and made of something thick and tough like leather, it was obviously not the leather Twilight was used to seeing. Though the majority was a dark, almost blackish purple, there were thin strips of bright magenta that went up either side, adding some nice accents to it.

“Well, they are really nice…” Twilight admitted.

“Besides, since you wouldn't accept payment for your help, I figured this was the next best thing,” Rarity concluded before pushing the shoes into her friend’s waiting hooves.

“Thank Rarity, I appreciate it,” Twilight remarked with a smile before pulling her friend into a tight, one-hooved hug.

Rarity smiled and hugged her friend back, squeezing the smaller being tightly. “It is no trouble, darling. This also served as excellent practice, so really I should be thanking you.”

Twilight gently released her friend before taking a step back. “Now that would be too much. I- oh look.”

Rarity looked down to her hooves, and her now perfectly uniform fur. “Well, would you look at that. I guess I do owe you one final thank you after all.”

Twilight chuckled. “Fine, but that's the last one you are allowed for the rest of the day.”

Rarity laughed along with her friend. “Fair enough. Now then, you were quite hush hush about what manner of spell we would be using to communicate with my erm, parents and I admit I’m rather curious as to the details.”

Twilight frowned. “It’s a spell called speak with dead, and it compels the last flickering remnants of a being’s soul to reform fully in order to answer three questions. After which their essence is released, and will likely leave this world altogether.”

“So this is our only shot then?” Rarity replied somberly.

Twilight nodded slowly. “It is. Though if I was more practiced, I could negate this or possibly hold them for however long we would need.”

“No, that's quite alright, Twilight,” Rarity quickly retorted. “They deserve their rest and I swore to myself that I would accomplish whatever business they had left in this world, so that's not necessary.”

Twilight pulled a pad of paper from one of her bags with her magic. “Then we should discuss our strategy intimately in order to ensure that we can get it done on the first try.”

“Not here,” Rarity replied quickly, pushing the paper away. “Sweetie Belle doesn't know about this little excursion of ours and I would like to keep it that way.”

Twilight glanced over her friend’s shoulder and found no one there. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, she's going to find out sooner or later and she may feel as though she was betrayed if you don't tell her.”

Rarity sighed. “I know, but it's just… She hardly knew our parents and after they passed, I raised her on my own. I feel like if I told her what I had planned that she might talk me out of it and that's something only I should be able to decide.”

“You don't own your parents’ memory, Rarity,” Twilight warned. “I know you may feel more entitled to do something in their name, but your sister should at least know what you have planned.”

Rarity nibbled on her hoof and seemed ready to retort angrily, only for the arachne to sigh once more. “You are right. I need to talk to her before we go anywhere. I’ll be right back.”

Twilight watched her friend skitter up the stairs, Spike coming down the same way a moment later with a confused look on his face. The unicorn smiled and sat on a nearby fitting couch before patting the spot next to her. Confused and curious, Spike sat next to the undead mare, a conflicted look on his scaly face.

“What happened? Are you two not going anymore?” Spike asked.

“I’m fairly certain we are going to go anyway. Rarity just needs to have a short conversation with her sister first,” Twilight explained.

Spike frowned . “Seemed like a pretty serious conversation.”

“And a much needed one in my opin-” Twilight began, only to be cut off by Sweetie Belle yelling something indecipherable.

Spike stood quickly, but Twilight grabbed his shoulder and forced him back down. “But Dusk, that sounded serious!” Spike exclaimed.

Twilight shook her head. “Trust me Spike, it’s fine.”

Spike frowned, and glanced to the bottom of the stairs, the drake nervously chewing on his lip. “But what-” he started to say.

Only for Twilight to shush him. “It’s okay. They are both a little dramatic and a little shock is to be expected.”

The dragon grumbled and drummed his fingers along his right knee. “Well, I still don't feel good about this.”

Twilight smiled. “Me neither, to be honest. But I trust Rarity and I trust that those two love each other enough to not let anything get in the way of that love.”

Spike couldn't help but grin despite his foul mood. “Where did you read that? In some store for old unicorn mares?”

“My mom had a bunch of those stupid sayings hanging all over the place,” Twilight admitted, prompting the two to both share a laugh.

“See, I told you they were fine,” Twilight exclaimed while elbowing the drake in the side.

The dragon jerked up and looked towards the bottom of the stairs where a teary-eyed Rarity stood, the arachne strangely makeupless. “Well, would you look at that,” Spike murmured.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting,” Rarity apologized while she used a hand towel to dab at her cheeks. “I’m afraid the conversation brought up some difficult topics.”

“Is everything alright?” Twilight pressed, the unicorn standing up and walking over to her friend.

Rarity sighed. “Yes, and no. We have some complications, but we are still going regardless of that.”

“Like what kind of complications?” Spike inquired, while stepping up next to Twilight.

“I need to ask my mother about how she chose Sweetie Belle’s name,” Rarity admitted with a sigh. “I know it sounds silly, but the memory of our mother telling that story was one of the few moments she remembered with any real clarity, though she’s forgotten how it ended.”

“And you weren’t there, which means you can't just tell her,” Twilight concluded with a frown. “That is a problem. We’ll only have two questions then.”

“Can't you just raise them both individually?” Spike questioned, only to face palm. “Wait, that’s right. That won't work.”

“And why not?” Rarity questioned.

“Because if they perished so close to one another, they will likely come back together, and if they do come back together, they will likely be compelled to answer any questions together,” Twilight explained.

The arachne sighed. “Well, still. I’d appreciate if you kept this entire thing between us, and Sweetie Belle. I don't want people to get the wrong impression.”

“That's understandable,” Twilight admitted.

Spike nodded. “Fine by me. I’m just glad you told Sweetie Belle.”

“Me too,” Rarity replied somberly.

“Well, are we ready to go?” Twilight prompted.

The arachne nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“I’ll leave you to it then,” Spike announced. “Best of luck.”

“Thank you, Spike!” Rarity exclaimed with a smile. “You and Sweetie Belle have fun. The money for pizza and snacks is on the counter by the fridge.”

“Awesome. Is there enough for ice cream too?” he inquired.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “I know you like this new kind of ice cream, but you can't spend someone else's money on that.”

Rarity waved a forehoof airily. “Pish posh, darling. Of course there are some extra gems for ice cream, but make sure to bring Sweetie Belle with you.”

Spike blushed and gave the spider pony a quick salute. “Yes, ma’am!”

Shaking her head, Twilight turned and began to load as many saddle bags onto her back as she could. “Right, well we should move quickly. I’d like to rest in my own bed if at all possible.”

Rarity draped a blanket over her arachnid back before laying the rest of her supplies upon it. “Same here, but don't worry. The new cemetery isn't far,” she pointed out.

“Well, lead the way then,” Twilight offered.

Pushing open the door with a hoof, Rarity strode outside, the spider pony’s body illuminated only by the soft light of the ever present moon. Holding the door open for her friend, Rarity remained outside before closing the portal behind her, and locking it with a weak spell. Twilight analyzed the spell before finding that it was simply meant to stop anyone from forcibly opening it from the outside.

“Ready?” Rarity asked.

“Ready,” declared Twilight, only to pause. “Though now might be a good time for you to fill me in on the details of your parent’s lives so that we may plan better.”

“I suppose I can't put it off any longer,” Rarity replied before turning and proceeding down a seemingly random street, walking in the direction of the other side of town. “My parents were traders, and good ones too. My father was a cobbler despite not having hooved feet, while my mother was a dressmaker by trade.”

Twilight nodded along as Rarity began to ramble on about her parents, the arachne face remaining grim and neutral nearly the entire time. Though she still looked quite distraught given what had happened only a few minutes ago, Rarity’s voice was relatively monotone. Her features still relatively expressionless even as she recounted more and more details of her parents’ lives.

And throughout it all Twilight walked quietly beside her, mentally recording every last detail should it become necessary later.

“And after that happened they thought they may be able to bridge the divide between the forest and the closest town, Ardentvale,” Rarity concluded with a sigh. “And we both know how that turned out.”

“Did you ever discover why they were attacked in the first place? They had evidently managed several sales, and even had a small list of returning customers,” Twilight pointed out.

“I…” Rarity pursed her lips and sighed. “A friend of mine went undercover in the town, looking for information about what happened. What she found was little more than lies, slander, and blatant misinformation.”

Twilight noticed well the look of disgust and rage that flickered over the mare’s features. “I know this is hard, but what exactly were these rumours about? Celestia usually builds on some nugget of truth in order to give her lies a bit of plausibility.”

Rarity gritted her teeth, but quickly schooled her expression. “They said my parents poisoned a child and claimed it was all part of some plot to destabilize the town and allow the night guard to take over,” the arachne scoffed. “As if the guard cares anything about some random village at the edge of our borders.”

“Did they use any special dyes, or perhaps utilized a fabric that someone might be allergic to?” Twilight questioned.

Rarity stopped and looked at her friend with confusion and anger in her eyes. “Excuse me. Are you insinuating my parents really did poison a child?”

Twilight hastily shook her head. “I’m just saying that there might have been something more at play here. I mean there are a lot of differences between those who call the forest home, and those who do not. For example, just about everypony I knew when growing up wasn't lactose intolerant, unlike here.”

“Lactose what?” Rarity questioned.

“They couldn't drink milk past childhood,” Twilight explained.

“Of course you can't. Noone can,” Rarity replied dismissively, only to pause. “I think I understand what you mean.”

“Exactly. There might be a nugget of truth at the center there, but it's going to be hard to cut through the bullshit and find it,” Twilight concluded.

Rarity sighed. “Still. It doesn't feel right to even entertain the idea. My parents were the most generous and kind beings I’ve ever met in all my life. To think they could do something like that even by accident is… unbelievable.”

“It was just an example of the lateral thinking we may need,” Twilight corrected.

“I know, darling, I know.” The arachne frowned deeply. “I hope we don't have to leave town. I would hate to have to bring Rainbow Dash into this.”

“Why is that?” Twilight asked.

“Rainbow Dash is a good person, but she can be a bit of a blabbermouth sometimes,” Rarity exclaimed.

Twilight gave her friend a look that made the arachne stop. “I think she can be trusted to keep a lid on the serious secrets. I mean, think of our little adventure not too long ago. Noone knows the finer details and all of us know that stuff.”

Rarity sighed. “You are right, of course. I just don't like asking for help, you know? I got by alone against the world all while caring for my sister without an issue for over a decade at this point. Yet here I am, relying on you and possibly even Rainbow Dash.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” Twilight exclaimed sadly. “When I got here I had nothing, and you girls gave me pretty much everything I needed. It chafed for a while, but I told myself that I would get you back one day, and eventually that feeling went away.”

“Maybe someday I’ll get that idea through this thick head of mine. Until then expect more whining,” Rarity remarked with a wink.

Twilight chuckled. “You are not so bad. Rainbow Dash complains more than you do to be honest.”

“Oh, I cannot wait to lord that over her next time we meet her,” Rarity announced giddily.

Twilight frowned. “Please don't tell her I said that.”

“I’m glad we aren't outside of town, but are you sure this is the best idea? Won't there be ponies there at this time of night?” Twilight questioned, the two females trotting down a well-worn path that wound its way between tall, imposing trees.

Rarity shook her head. “The forest is good for giving one the privacy they need, when they need it. See?”

Twilight looked around, noting that although they had entered the graveyard proper, few other beings were visible, all of whom were either coming or going. The tall, thick trees which surrounded them seemed to shift, and blend together at random, leaving Twilight feeling vaguely claustrophobic and confused. As she watched, Twilight noticed a duo of bat ponies appear only a few dozen feet away, the trees that had hidden them vanishing into the background as if they had always been there.

It was like a bizarre optical illusion, one so strange that it made Twilight’s head hurt just thinking about it. “Lead the way please. I can already feel a migraine coming on,” Twilight murmured.

Rarity chuckled at her friend’s expense and began to walk in a seemingly random direction. “I do hope the forest deems this an emergency requiring privacy,” remarked the spider pony idly.

“I sure hope so. I don't want to freak anyone out when I cast the spell,” Twilight replied in a low tone.

As the two beings walked, Twilight glanced over the rows of randomly placed graves, noting that although there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason upon first glance, there was a hidden symmetry to it all. For one there was always a path available for them to use, one that allowed them to give a wide berth to any grieving beings which may be nearby. It was also immaculately maintained, with wild flowers and small shrubs growing in places that would not put them in the way of anyone.

It was a stark contrast from the strangely sanctified graveyard Twilight had gone too not long ago. There the forest kept a respectful distance, never obscuring the sky, or marring the ground, yet here it was like they were in the heart of the forest. The sense of cooperation was palpable, and Twilight couldn't help but think that it was a rather symbiotic relationship given that they laid their dead to rest in such a place. Here their discarded mortal forms could be made into new life, as evidenced by just how vibrant every last leaf and blade of grass was.

The markers and gravestones were also numerous and varied, unlike the ones Twilight had seen in her youth. Some had small statues, others were simply carved into the trunk of a tree with little grace, while others had moon iconography prominently displayed across the front. There were many more interesting things to look at, like a petrified troll with an enormous black tree growing from its back, but Twilight forced herself to look away from all that.

Rarity had begun to slow, and Twilight had a feeling they were close, something made even more obvious by the many spiders the unicorn noticed. The things were numerous, crawling over every available surface like a shifting sea of tiny bodies, though they kept a short distance at least. Webs covered every available surface save for the path beneath their hooves, and Twilight had to wipe more than one of the things out of her face.

“I see we’re in the arachne section of the graveyard,” Twilight muttered bitterly as she spat out a spider she had nearly swallowed.

Rarity winced. “I’m sorry, darling. I should have warned you.”

“It's no problem. Just promise me none of them will lay eggs inside of me or something. I already have nightmares of maggots crawling out of my eyeballs,” Twilight grumbled as she swiped another cobweb out of her way.

Rarity meanwhile seemed unbothered by either the spiders or their webs, which seemed to either part for her, or simply slid right off of her without sticking. Which was good, as her attention was drawn forward to where she saw the twin gems that marked her parent’s graves. To reach the graves, Rarity had to bend down under a particularly large tree branch and sneak inside a small alcove of trees.

Inside, the light of the moon almost completely vanished, and no one else could be seen or heard, yet even as the trees pressed in close around her, Rarity did not feel alarmed. Kneeling down, the arachne brushed her hoof across the gems which sat atop a short bronze holder. One was a brilliant cerulean, while the other was a slightly darker shade of blue, both of which seemed to capture what little moonlight pierced the canopy above them.

A moment later and Twilight came stumbling and spitting into the small area, the undead mare wiping her tongue and trying to lose a web which had stuck itself to her lips. Rarity ignored her though, and merely used a little magic to cleanse the gems of what little dirt and dust had settled there. Once clean, Rarity took a step back and smiled a faint, sad smile before checking on her friend.

Who seemed to have freed herself at last, though Twilight was still a little green around the gills from the whole incident. “Are you alright?” Rarity questioned.

Twilight spat one last time. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just got some of it in my mouth is all.”

Rarity gestured down to the gems. “Well, we’re here at least.”

Twilight nodded. “So we are and it seems like the forest is cooperating as well.”

Both females glanced briefly at the wall of wood which obscured them from any outside observer. It also seemed to dull what little sound was audible, leaving them in an oasis of quiet, though for a moment Twilight swore she could have heard someone nearby swear angrily. After a quick scan brought up nothing, the unicorn shrugged and turned to the arachne standing expectantly nearby.

“Is everything alright, darling?” questioned Rarity.

Twilight shook her head. “It’s nothing, I just thought I heard someone is all.”

Rarity’s ears perked up and she stood quietly for a few seconds before shrugging. “Whatever it was, it's gone now.”

“So it seems. Do you have the questions ready?” Twilight asked as she bent down and unslung her bags before depositing them on the forest floor.

The arachne nodded, and retrieved a slip of paper from one of her bags. “I have it right here.”

“Good. Just give me a minute, this part is a little finicky and I’ve never done this before,” Twilight warned, as she pulled out several candles, and other seemingly random items from her bags.

As Rarity watched, Twilight gently pressed the candles into the ground around the parents’ graves, always making sure to not tread upon the sites themselves. Once done, she pulled out a stick of incense and lit it before levitating it all over the small grove, blanketing the area in a pleasant lavender smell. The scent of earth and trees was gone, replaced by something even more relaxing, which helped to put Rarity’s mind at ease.

When the incense had burned down to the halfway point, Twilight jammed it into the ground between the two grave sites before standing tall. “This may sound rather unnerving, but try to stick it out to the end. The languages of power are almost never pleasant on the ears,” Twilight warned.

Rarity raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, merely nodding along and taking a small step back.

Leaving Twilight with all the room she needed to lower herself close to the ground. Once low enough, the unicorn bowed her head, her lips nearly pressing against the earthen floor. Her horn glowed for a moment before that light vanished, and the mare’s very being began to radiate power.

To Rarity it felt like being in the room with a shadow that would not disappear even when the light fell upon it. A potent inversion of life itself now crouched next to her, power continuing to build inside her friend’s body until she began to speak. When she did, the hairs on the back of Rarity’s neck stood straight up, and the arachne had to resist the urge to take a nervous step back. For the sounds her friend made felt like nails in her ears, the unnatural words slamming into her brain and making her body shudder.

“Honorun vadokan, jiak beukeach avhausan preukence. Myukavaum abounduk agh your avhoughavuk iuk needun,” Twilight whispered, her voice rich, guttural, and containing power unlike any Rarity had felt before.

As she spoke, Twilight slowly rose, her body uncoiling in slow motion. “Ul progenausan ukavanduk, agh hauk queukavionuk. Queukavionuk avhaav kulknej aukk anukweruk for, afavas nalkrulji nauk-ukav iuk aukukurun.”

Twilight stood, her foreleg extending and her words growing more powerful by the second until their mere vibrations made Rarity’s muscles tremble. “Riuke, honorun vadokan, riuke, agh heun mausan urdan. Delivas julavo uuk avhe anukweruk kulknej ukeek!”

The last word which left Twilight’s lips was spoken with such fury and such will that Rarity felt her very soul shudder inside the cage that was her body. For a moment she feared the worst, and worried what her friend had unleashed, only for nothing to happen.

To her anyway.

For before them a mist rose from the graves, one that was both as dark as the night, and as vibrant as the moon. Twinkling lights could be seen here or there amidst the deep blue haze, lights which slowly grew closer to one another until two sets of eyes looked back at them. The cloud itself shifted and spasmed, as if trying to pull itself apart, until at last it seemed able to disentangle itself and formed into two vaguely arachne-shaped forms.

Though one was distinctly male, with a prominent jawline and a larger frame, most other details were lost, and their colors differed only ever so slightly. Their faces were expressionless, lacking any other obvious features save for their eyes which contained a deep ocean of calm and peace. Looking upon them made Rarity’s knees shake, her mouth to go dry, and all at once the arachne doubted if this was such a good idea in the first place.

“It's not too late to stick with our original plan,” Twilight whispered.

Shocked out of her stupor, Rarity looked down upon her friend in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“This is going to be hard enough as is,” Twilight murmured in a low tone. “And if we are going to use one of our questions on Sweetie Belle, this may be impossible.”

Rarity sighed and tore her gaze away from the featureless arachne shades which hovered patiently nearby. “She thinks of me as her mother, Twilight. I would never lie. Not to her,” Rarity retorted.

Twilight blinked, temporarily taken aback by the intensity in her friend’s voice, only to recover quickly and nod. “It's your call. Whenever you are ready.”

Rarity placed a hoof against her chest and breathed deeply before looking up, her gaze meeting that of the darker shades. “How did you choose Sweetie Belle’s name?” she asked, her voice clear and calm despite the fear she felt deep down inside.

One figure seemed to contemplate it for a moment before expanding and warping, its body twisting until the stars that had made up its eyes moved lower. The two groups of lights broke apart, and for a moment Rarity was certain something had gone wrong. Until the stars realigned, forming the image of a pregnant arachne lying on a bed, a male standing nearby.

The male stepped forward, revealing himself to be Rarity’s father, though like the shade before her, the star-made one lacked any obvious features. Still, Rarity knew her father well enough to understand that this visual representation was indeed him. As she watched, Rarity noticed the small star arachne’s mouth opened, and a speech bubble appeared above his head.

Have you thought of a name? was written inside the bubble.

The pregnant arachne shook its head. We thought it was a boy for so long that I can't even think of one now.

The male frowned. Well, we need to think of one quickly, it’s bad luck if we wait too long.

Rarity’s mother sighed. I don't suppose you’ve thought of anything either, have you?

The male’s shoulders slumped. No. I think we used up our best name on Rarity.

The female’s frown deepened. Well, it won't be long now. We need to think of something, and quickly, lest the child be cursed for our foolishness.

Rarity leaned over. “Is it supposed to be like this?”

Twilight shrugged. “It’s different for every being, some are more visual, while others aren't.”

Have you seen Rarity? asked the pregnant arachne, who looked around the room.

The male nodded, the action obviously dramaticized slightly to make it more visible. One of the nurses offered to keep an eye on her while we thought about this. She should be back any second.

As if on cue, a much smaller arachne scurried through the door, her forehooves closed before her, as if she were trying to hide something. Though small, and not overly detailed, the newest arachne bore a significant resemblance to Rarity and was no doubt meant to represent her.

“I don't remember this,” murmured the arachne in question.

Look what I found, mom! exclaimed the room’s newest arrival, the arachne lifting her hoof and displaying a small silver bell with pride.

“I do remember seeing that bell when I was packing up some of my parent’s things though…” Rarity quietly remarked.

Where did you get that? asked the father, his expression slightly stern.

A nice pony gave it to me. He said it looked like I needed some good luck, the star version of Rarity explained. He said if I rung it, then all your worries would go away.

Now I don't know about that- began the male, only to be silenced when the female lifted a forehoof.

Well, what are you waiting for? she asked.

The star Rarity grinned before lifting the bell and ringing it, a small silver note emerging from the instrument before disappearing. A pair of grins overcame her parents’ faces, and upon seeing this, the younger Rarity smiled as well and kept on ringing her little bell.

That is quite the sweet sound, admitted the father.

And to think such beauty could come from something so small… marveled the mother.

After listening to the sound of the bell for several more seconds, the parents turned to one another, a knowing sparkle in their eyes. Sweetie Belle! both parents exclaimed a second before the scene began to fall apart, and the shade reformed herself once more.

Rarity shook her head. “I can't believe I forgot that night,” she whispered.

Twilight reached up and patted the other being’s back. “Are you ready for the next question?”

“I am,” Rarity declared before breathing deeply and standing tall once more. “Why do you believe you were killed?”

The shades shared a glance at one another, a deep hurt and shame evident in their expressions. After a moment, Rarity’s mother shifted, beginning to recreate another scene with the help of the stars that had been her eyes. While this happened her father straightened, and stood a little taller, as if readying himself for something.

Just when Rarity was ready to ask Twilight what was going on, two arachne’s appeared in what looked like a moonlit forest within the female shade’s mass. “We had just finished another big order and were making our way back to Ardentvale when we crossed a patch of beautiful blue flowers,” announced the male shade in an unearthly voice.

Rarity instantly went stiff, the spider pony shocked to hear the sound of her father’s voice, distorted though it was.

The scene shifted and showed the two spider ponies picking several of the flowers, and tucking them away into a bag. “We had gathered a bunch with the intention of giving them to our recent customers in hopes of brightening their days,” the shade continued.

The two arachne smiled to one another before continuing to town, the pair passing by the local guards without issue before stopping at a seemingly random house. “The first few deliveries went well. Some still feared us, while most tolerated us, or were beginning to warm up to our presence,” he continued.

Several scenes played out in rapid succession, with doors opening, and the arachne handing off several packages. Most smiled, some didn't, others were kind, some hesitant, but ultimately the majority seemed pleased with the result of their purchase. When the door opened once more and a young unicorn colt greeted them, the scene slowed and grew larger.

Upon seeing the two arachne his face lit up and he bounced from hoof to hoof excitedly. He only grew more excited when he was given a flower, which he sniffed before putting into his mane. Upon receiving his package he hugged each arachne in turn before eagerly tearing it open and donning the brightly colored vest found within. A second later and he was joined by two other unicorns who were a little more guarded than their child, but were nonetheless respectful.

The group chatted for a bit, before Rarity’s father bowed, and the conversation ended with the pair walking away from the waving colt who still had the flower in his mane. “We knew the flowers as Everfree delphiniums, not as the sun dwellers did. Not as poison joke,” the shade remarked sadly.

The scene continued to move, showing off an excited pair of arachne as they worked on their own projects, both speaking animatedly of the business they had done. More than that they also talked about the love they had hoped to spread, and tentatively discussed bringing Rarity on the next outing. An outing that was fast approaching, and as they continued to work, a clock behind them spun, signifying the passage of days in the span of seconds.

When finally it was time to return, the arachne family stopped a good distance from the edge of the forest, with Rarity’s father going on ahead, while her mother remained behind. “We told you to stay hidden, and safe, as we wanted to make sure it was safe before you came out,” explained the shade as Rarity’s mother slowly rose and left the young arachne alone in the woods. “We knew the forest would keep you safe long enough for us to return, though if I knew you would see what you did, we would have turned around and left right then and there.”

The scene shifted and showed the two arachne exiting the wooded area and making their way slowly towards the town. Without any guards to greet them, they grew worried, and their fears were realized when an arrow sprouted from the male’s shoulder. A second later and a trio of spells, as well as a dozen more of the wooden missiles emerged from nowhere.

Shielding his wife’s body with his own, the male covered their retreat, pushing the female on as they made a break for the forest. Behind them sprinted a squad of golden-armored troops who emerged from a nearby house and began to chase after them, yelling all the while.

“That sweet colt had died, all due to us,” the shade announced sadly, the scene falling apart shortly thereafter. “And the rest, you unfortunately know.”

Rarity wasn't sure at what point her legs had given out, she only knew that she was now sitting on the cold ground, tears crawling down her face. “N-no. That's not possible,” she whispered.

Twilight winced and gently lowered herself next to her friend, squeezing her shoulder with a gentle hoof. “There has to be more to this story. We need to think long and hard on what our final question should be.”

Rarity shook her head. “I know exactly what to ask.” Then, without warning, the arachne rose to a stand, meeting the shade’s gaze without flinching. “What was the name of this colt?”

The two undead shared a look, before they spoke in unison, their voices filled with shame and regret. “Blazing Corona,” they whispered.

With their final answer given, the shades’ bodies began to dissipate, rapidly disintegrating until within a heartbeat there was nothing left. Leaving the two beings alone once more, one confused, while the other maintained her confident expression.

“Come on. I know where we need to go and what we have to do to clear my parent’s good name,” Rarity declared before turning away, the tree wall which had hid them having vanished at some point.

Twilight tried not to think about that right now, and hastily gathered up her candles before snuffing out the incense and jamming it into a pocket. “Hold on. This wasn't in the plan!” she shouted.

Rarity merely nodded as she strode toward the exit of the graveyard, her head held high. “I know it wasn't, but don't worry, I have a new plan. We are going to ask this Blazing Corona pony three questions as well.”

“But he…” Twilight paused just as she had caught up to the spider pony. “I see where you are going, but he's likely to be buried near the town and I doubt we can just walk in there.”

“Which is why we are going to get Rainbow Dash’s help,” Rarity replied stiffly. “She is more stealthy than she lets on, and I believe that with her assistance, we can get in and out without being noticed.”

Twilight hummed thoughtfully, contemplating her friend’s words carefully. “Fine. But no more on the spot decisions, we are a team on this one.”

The arachne sighed and glanced down at the unicorn. “You are right. I’m too close to this to really think straight. You can ask the next bunch of questions.”

“Thank you for trusting me, Rarity. I won't let you down,” Twilight declared.

Rarity nodded, her smile fading. “Let's hope you are right…” she whispered.

“It was her day off today, right?” Twilight asked, as Rarity knocked on the heavy iron door for the third time.

“That's what she said,” Rarity replied with a hint of anger.

The two stood before a narrow metal tower that seemed to have sprouted randomly out of the ground, the structure reaching several stories up before tapering off. Windows could be seen at odd intervals across all levels of the thin five story building, all dark and empty. Something that wouldn't normally bother them, but without getting a response, the empty building began to feel vaguely foreboding.

“What the hell is this thing anyway?” Twilight asked, the unicorn banging a hoof against the metal structure. “It doesn't look like any tower I’ve ever seen before.”

“Apparently it was part of some flying machine the minotaurs were testing,” Rarity explained while peering through a nearby window. “It didn't get very far before crashing, and this piece was too big too move, so Rainbow Dash came along and hollowed it out before making it her home. Speaking of which, where is that girl?”

The sound of someone whistling made the two females turn to find an unarmored bat pony floating down the road, her forelegs filled with oddly sized books. Upon first glance it was obvious who the pony in question was, as her bright, colorful mane was a dead giveaway. Though even then, her identity was put right back into question when Twilight read a few of the titles from the books she was holding.

“Shingeki no Kyojin?” Twilight muttered in confusion.

The bat pony stopped in mid-air before peeking over the small mountain of paperbacks she was holding. Twilight abandoned all questions as to her identity when she saw the familiar teal eyes of Rainbow Dash, though some other questions remained.

“Hello, darling. Sorry to bother you on your day off, but I had hoped to ask a favor of you,” Rarity began, the arachne completely ignoring the tense atmosphere.

When no response came, Twilight waved a hoof in front of her friend’s face. “Uh, Rainbow Dash. You alright?” inquired the unicorn.

“F-fine!” Rainbow Dash shouted, the bat pony surging forward, brushing past the two other beings and making a break for the door. “Just let me put these inside and we can talk in a sec!”

Rarity nodded and stood off to the side, while Twilight watched the mare closely as she fumbled to find her key before putting it in the look and sweeping inside, leaving behind a rather brightly colored book that had what looked like a pink bat pony filly on the front who wielded a strange staff. The entire thing was dominated by pinks, reds, and whites, and seemed so unlike anything the usually deadly serious bat pony would even consider that Twilight found herself shocked and confused.

“Cardcaptor sak-” Twilight began, only to get the book snatched out of her hoof.

Rainbow Dash shot the unicorn a glare before vanishing into her home once more, leaving behind a confused pony and an amused arachne.

“I wonder what that was all about?” Twilight muttered.

Rarity shrugged. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”

“Right,” Twilight murmured.

The two stood in silence for a few minutes before Rainbow Dash re-emerged, now armored and with her sword belted at her hip. “Alright, what’s up?” she asked, as if nothing had happened.

“We aren't going to talk about what just happened?” Twilight questioned.

“What just happened?” asked Rainbow Dash with mock confusion.

Rarity sighed. “It doesn't matter. We have bigger fish to fry as they say. Namely getting into and out of a sunspawn village without being noticed.”

“Whoo, now that's a tall order,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Why in the world do you want to do that?”

“It's a long story. But before we get to that. Are you in?” Rarity questioned.

The bat pony nodded. “Of course.”

Twilight motioned for the trio to begin walking. “In that case why don't we talk and walk.”

“Excellent idea, darling. Now then, where to begin?” Rarity murmured while tapping her chin.

“Woah. That's quite a tale,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she ducked under a low-hanging branch.

“Now you see why we need your help,” Twilight remarked pointedly.

“No kidding. You two wouldn't make it more than ten feet without getting spotted,” Rainbow Dash announced with a smirk.

“Our own less than stellar stealth skills aside. I’m assuming you have a plan, right?” Rarity questioned as she avoided a small bush that had sprouted from the center of the path they trod.

“Of course I do. The guard used to run war games with Ardentvale and a few other small villages in case they ever captured a citizen or acted as a supply depot for an invading army,” Rainbow Dash explained.

“So it shouldn't be too hard then, right?” Twilight pressed.

Rainbow Dash waved a hoof dismissively. “Nah. They only have like ten guards for the whole town, and only five of which are on duty at any time. After we manage to sneak past the outer defences, it should be relatively easy to get you to one of the two graveyards.”

“They have two? Why?” Twilight asked.

“One for the members of Celestia’s cult, and another for everyone else,” Rarity muttered bitterly.

Twilight frowned. “That makes sense. In Canterlot it was just another section of the graveyard, but I never went there, nor was I interested in learning anything about her stupid fake religion.”

“We should start by checking out the larger of the two,” Rainbow Dash offered. “I doubt this child would have been buried with Celestia’s chosen.”

“Good thinking. It's probably less guarded as well,” Twilight exclaimed.

“And hopefully we can get there in good time. All this walking is making me light-headed,” Rarity commented.

“Are you alright, Rarity? We haven't exactly been at this for very long yet…” Twilight asked worriedly, the unicorn eying her friend carefully.

“It's nothing, darling. I guess I just haven't quite gotten over our little brush with the nightmare before,” Rarity explained.

“Oh hey, look. It's a bunch of those flowers you were talking about,” Rainbow Dash interrupted, the bat pony pointing off to the right of the path.

Following her hoof, the two other females were greeted by the sight of a veritable field of blue flowers that filled the bed of a dry ravine. Sniffing the air, Twilight found that the flowers didn't smell like much from here, and a cursory magical scan revealed they weren’t toxic. She was about to cast another spell when Rarity walked forward and leaned down, scooping up a small bushel of the plants.

Without warning the arachne all but shoved her face into the thing, breathing deeply. “See? Nothing happened. It couldn't have been their fault,” Rarity declared.

Rainbow Dash and Twilight both shared a confused look.

The spider pony didn't miss a beat though, and quickly discarded the flowers before walking away, leaving her startled friends to quickly catch up with her. “Hey, wait,” Rainbow Dash called out.

“What?” Rarity demanded, spinning around and crossing her forehooves over her chest.

“Don't you think your getting a little too heated?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I mean it sucks, but Twilight is probably right when she said it was likely just an allergy or something. Bad luck, ya know?”

Rarity snorted irritably. “I refuse to believe that bad luck killed my parents, and that foal. No, there has to be something bigger going on here. Some dark architect that mastermined all this suffering for some terrible purpose.”

“Where is this coming from?” Twilight questioned. “You were calm a minute ago.”

“Luck changes the roll of the dice, or the outcome of a card game, not this,” Rarity declared. “I refuse to believe that it was just chance that killed them.”

“We can't rule that out-” Rainbow Dash began, only to have her hoof knocked aside when she reached for Rarity’s shoulder.

“You will soon enough,” Rarity corrected before turning and walking away.

Twilight frowned, and gently patted the bat pony’s back. “That was a good attempt, but I think we just need to grin and bear this until we get some answers.”

Rainbow Dash rubbed her hoof awkwardly and watched as the arachne stalked away, not even looking to see if her friends were following her. “I know, but still. This is Rarity we are talking about, ya know? She's the one being that remained composed when we all nearly died and now all that hate is messing with her head.”

“I’m sure it will be fine. Let’s just keep going,” Twilight whispered.

Rainbow Dash sighed. “Right…”

“This place is weird,” Rainbow Dash whispered from her spot on a low branch.

Twilight frowned as she peeked out from behind the trunk of a tree. “What do you mean? It seems normal to me.”

Before them was the small town which lay near a river, the closest side of which contained a good ninety percent of the buildings while the other had only a few, including what looked like a church. Most structures were simple, built from what looked like local wood, and had thatched roofs, while a couple more important buildings were constructed from dark, important stone. Those buildings looked like places of government, or were integral to the town’s defence like the large watch tower which stood at one corner of the village.

Due to the lateness of the night, there were few ponies out, and the few that were out seemed to be guards, as they all wore identical sets of armor, had a weapon of some kind and a lantern. From what Twilight could tell, they were all earth ponies, save for a single pegasus guard who was doing a lazy circle of the town. From the look of them they didn't expect anything to happen, and their slow, predictable pattern was proof of that assumption.

“So, what's the plan?” questioned the arachne who poked her head from a nearby bush.

“Well, I see the graveyard, and it's a fair distance from the town center, so we should be fine,” Rainbow Dash whispered, while pointing to their target. “We just need to wait for that pegasus to do one more circle, and we should be able to make a break for it.”

“Sounds good,” Twilight affirmed.

“Well, she better hurry,” Rarity murmured.

Rainbow Dash and Twilight both shared a worried look before glancing back to the town and scanning the sky for the familiar flying shape.

After another minute of waiting, the pegasus passed them by, and the three beings broke from their cover, with Rainbow Dash taking the lead. As they ran, the trio passed by several outlying houses before they managed to see the graveyard, which had likely been a pasture at one point. This was evidenced by the way fields pressed in around all sides, and the land itself was beaten and hilly.

Between the small natural hills, and the rows of evergreen trees growing at the borders of the graveyard, the trio had a considerable amount of cover. Hopping over the low fence, the three beings slipped out of sight and began to fan out, already knowing exactly what to do. Each one began to scan the many headstones, searching for a single name while also keeping an eye out for possible enemies.

They met no one however, and the guards gave the graveyard a wide berth, meaning they could search the area in relative peace, giving Twilight plenty of time to ponder what the strange symbols atop the grave sites meant. One was obvious, as it was Celestia’s sun, and marked the grave of those ponies who were members of her following. Others were less obvious, though as Twilight scanned the names, she realized that they were likely familial symbols of some kind.

Those were much less common, and after a few minutes Twilight’s mind began to drift as she scanned what felt like the hundredth identical head stone. That was until she heard the sound of crickets and her ears perked up, alerting her to the fact that one of her companions had found something. Stealthily moving in that direction, Twilight came upon what looked like a familial patch, as a small ring of orange stones surrounded a dozen grave sites.

Rarity stood at the center, her attention fixated on a slightly smaller headstone which was marked with a familiar name. Instantly realizing what that meant, the unicorn trotted over to the spider pony, all while being respectful of the dead and not treading on any of the graves. Rainbow Dash arrived a second after Twilight did, and the pair fell in on either side of Rarity.

“Is this it?” whispered the bat pony.

Rarity nodded. “It is. You both know what to do.”

Rainbow Dash pursed her lips and gave her ten-legged friend one last look before nodding and zipping away. Twilight watched her go, observing as the bat pony snuck up into the low lying clouds and all but vanished.

“Are you ready?” Rarity asked, her tone startling Twilight from her contemplation.

“Yes,” Twilight replied quickly, the mare drawing forth her candles and incense once more.

The pony hastily went through the now familiar motions, lighting each candle in turn before turning that flame on the stick of incense. Once done, she gave the area a quick once over, only to notice that every other grave other than Blazing Corona’s had a familial mark while his bore Celestia’s sun. She also noticed from the dates on the grave that the colt had only been twelve years old when he passed away.

“What are you waiting for?” Rarity hissed.

“N-nothing,” Twilight stuttered, the unicorn quickly spreading her legs, and resuming the same stance she had before, only to stop herself at the last second.

A strange urge kept her from starting the spell, and she shifted her body, pressing her nose against the ground while keeping her back end raised, bowing to the grave. When next she spoke it was not in the common tongue, and was instead the beastial language she had uttered several hours ago at a familiar scene to this one. The power and the guttural sound was there, but Rarity could also feel as though the words were different. This incantation was not a demand, but a suggestion, a request that contained a threat, though it was hidden.

“Jiak ukavand before lat wiavh nauk-ukpecav, wiavh ij hearav fillun wiavh ij worry, agh ij hugi fillun wiavh queukavionuk,” Twilight whispered, her foreleg extending as she spoke. “Kulknej nauk-quire anukweruk, avruavh, agh honeukavausan. Thinguk kulknej liwo geav from lat.”

Rarity could sense that this was different, but it wasn't so different that it felt wrong, and so she stood there, confused and anxious.

“Jiak aukk avhee riuke agh delivas uuk your worduk uko juukavice maausan be done!” Twilight exclaimed, the pony bowing even deeper just as the last word left her lips.

A faint glow emanated from the small grave, the intensity of which barely eclipsed that of a single candle. Slowly, nervously, the spirit emerged from the earth, a tiny head poking forth from the plot and looking up at the pair expectantly and with great hesitation. The sight made Twilight’s heart fall as the spirit’s yellow glow and orange eyes managed to contain all the hurt one would expect from an injured child.

A pair of ethereal hooves gripped the ground, as if ready to duck back beneath the soil should things go poorly for the apparition. That would have to wait though as Rarity strode forward, all but glaring down at the diminutive spirit, though even the angry spider pony couldn't bring herself to truly be mad at the child in question.

“Describe the events which lead up to your death,” she stated confidently, though Twilight noticed there was a hint of pity in her voice.

The spirit cowered, but did not retreat, its eyes growing larger still. “I bought a cool vest with my birthday bits from the nice spider ponies and they gave me a flower,” it hastily began, the foal trembling with every word. “But then I got sick, and really really hot. I couldn't stop sweating, and I was sad I couldn't wear my vest anymore. Mommy even threw away my flower, and I had to spend a long time in bed.”

The spirit sighed and its gaze fell. “Then things got blurry, and a bunch of ponies came to see me. One was in all white and had a funny name, another wore a long red robe and lived in the church. They all tried to help me, and the white one made me eat a bunch of bad tasting water, but that didn't work.”

“What did the one in red make you do?” Twilight asked.

The spirit half shrugged. “I can't remember really. He made me go outside and then everything got dark,” whispered the spirit, who looked up at the pair nervously. “Am I really dead?”

Rarity, who had been ready to reprimand Twilight for asking a question out of nowhere felt her irritation die the second she looked into the eyes of the dead child. “You are, dearheart. I am so sorry,” Rarity whispered.

“Does that mean I’ll never get to see my mom or dad?” The child’s eyes grew larger still. “Or my little sister, or my class at school? What about Willow, my puppy? Will I ever see her again?”

“I-I don't know,” stuttered the spider pony.

“That's not fair,” blubbered the child as it clenched its ethereal hooves and glared at the ground. “Daddy promised to go to the big city with me and you aren't allowed to break your promises. It’s a rule.”

Rarity took a breath and tried to force another question out of her mouth, but the look of utter despondency on the foal’s face made her words die before they reached her lips. “There there now. I’m sure you’ll see them again one day,” she whispered as she leaned down.

“B-but I’m dead!” wailed the spirit. “I’ll never see anyone ever again!”

“Rarity, I-” Twilight began, only to be shushed by Rarity.

Without missing a beat, Rarity leaned down and wrapped her hooves around the child’s ghostly form. “It’s okay, darling. I know it's going to be lonely, but I promise you that you will see everyone again.”

“How do you know I won't be here forever by myself?” asked the child, who remained stiff and unyielding even as Rarity hugged its ghostly body against her chest.

“Because my parents are gone too,” Rarity admitted, tears dripping down her cheeks. “And they were the kindest, most generous people I have ever met and they would never leave me forever.”

The child looked up at Rarity with wide glowing eyes. “Is that really true? Were they really that nice?” it asked in a tone barely above a whisper.

“You already know the answer to that question,” Rarity replied, poking a hoof into the chest of the ghostly foal. “You met them after all.”

The child’s face twisted in confusion, and he looked up at Rarity with an odd expression. “Your parents were those nice trader ponies, right?”

“They were,” Rarity declared.

“Oh no. What happened?” asked the child, his eyes going wide.

“That doesn't matter right now,” Rarity stated sternly. “All that matters is that you won't have to wait here by yourself.”

The spirit’s face filled with a mix of sadness and relief. “Are you sure that's okay if I wait with them?” it asked hesitantly, the ghost twiddling its hooves as it spoke. “They are your parents, after all.”

“That's okay. They have to wait too, and this way none of you have to be lonely,” Rarity whispered back before nuzzling the child.

The child sniffed. “T-thank you.”

Rarity smiled even as tears continued to trail down her face. “So I have one last question. Are you going to keep being sad, or are you going to be the brave little colt I know you are?”

The spirit grinned, and it raised a hoof proudly. “I’m going to be brave!” he exclaimed proudly, before his body began to disintegrate, his essence all but exploding outward in a triumphant fashion.

As Rarity watched, the mix of red and orange light dispersed into the night sky until there was nothing left but a cold ache in the pit of her soul. Pulling a handkerchief from her bag, Rarity dabbed her cheeks and sniffed before slowly rising to a stand. As she did so, she noticed a pair of garden spiders sitting next to the grave, but upon seeing them they skittered away, vanishing into the night. Putting that thought aside, Rarity deposited her cloth back into her bag, turned and found herself looking down upon a bound and gagged stallion who looked to be in his mid-seventies.

“What is he doing here?” Rarity asked.

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “I don't know how, but he managed to sneak past me and saw you talking to the kid.”

“He also heard everything,” added Twilight.

The spider pony blinked and looked down upon the irritated earth pony stallion curiously. His coat was a dull brown, and his mane was a deep, vibrant black while a pair of bright teal eyes stared up at her from under a red watch cap. He was old, though he certainly didn't appear frail by any stretch of the imagination, and he had a pair of headstones for a cutie mark. His bindings were tight, but not so tight that they looked painful, and Rarity quickly recognized the silk rope Rainbow Dash had used as one of her own creations.

“Did he say anything?” Rarity inquired, turning to Rainbow Dash.

“Didn't have the chance,” replied the bat pony confidently.

“And we shouldn't give him the chance, either,” warned Twilight.

“Blazing spoke of a red-robed pony that tried to help him right before he passed away. Do either of you know this pony?” Rarity pressed.

Both Twilight and Rainbow Dash shook their head.

“I don't know any names, but they sound like a member of Celestia’s cult,” exclaimed Twilight.

The spider pony tapped her chin. “That's not good enough. He may have moved away by now, we need a name or something more to go on.”

“Well, we could just take this guy back to town and get the information out of him there,” offered Rainbow Dash, earning her a fresh glare an a few garbled curses from the stallion.

“No time,” interrupted Rarity. “It won't be long before someone notices he's gone, and then we’ll never get to the bottom of this.”

“You sound like you have a plan,” Twilight remarked.

“I do,” Rarity declared, the arachne standing a little taller. “We question him here, and then take him with us, releasing him when we get to the bottom of this whole thing.”

“Are you insane?” Rainbow Dash all but shouted. “He’ll start yelling the second that gag comes out! I mean I’ll be able to kill him no problem, but if the whole town comes after us, that's gonna be an issue.”

“Plus I don't want to have to hurt him,” muttered Twilight, who gave the stallion a pitying look. “He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Rarity nodded. “We aren't going to hurt him. We are just going to ask him a few questions.”

Rainbow Dash blinked. “You cannot be serious.”

“I am,” stated Rarity, who kneeled before the earth pony. “He saw that child, he knows something strange has happened, and if he's even a halfway decent person, he’ll want to get to the bottom of this as well.”

“We can't know that,” cautioned Twilight.

“He's a sunspawn!” hissed Rainbow Dash. “He’d kill us all if he could!”

Twilight cleared her throat and tapped a forehoof, an expectant look on her face.

“Oh, you don't count,” muttered Rainbow Dash.

“We are getting off topic here,” Rarity cautioned. “And it isn't up for discussion.”

Before Twilight or Rainbow Dash could react, Rarity removed the stallion’s gag, and took a step back. For a moment nothing happened, Rainbow Dash’s hoof remained on the hilt of her weapon while Twilight readied a spell. While this happened, the stallion eyed all three of them in turn before spitting a stray thread from his mouth.

“There’s a dry creek that runs just behind the graveyard,” remarked the male in a deep, rumbling tone.

“What?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“That's how I snuck past ya,” offered the male. “The soft ground is easier on my knees and I’m nearly invisible against the mud.”

“Err, okay?” Twilight murmured weakly.

“And as fer yer question, Ardent Proclamation is who yer lookin’ fer, but he's been dead for over eight or so years by now,” he continued.

Rarity smiled. “I knew you would do the right thing. Oh, and I am terribly sorry about all this, by the way.”

The stallion shrugged as much as he was able to. “Don't mention it. I never knew the little one, but seeing you talk to him like that…” His voice trailed off and he shook his head. “You remind me of my wife.”

“I told you this was a bad idea,” Rainbow Dash hissed, the bat pony gripping her blade tightly. “She's probably looking for him right now.”

The stallion snorted. “Not likely, she's been here the whole time.”

Rainbow Dash managed to almost pull her blade before Twilight stopped her. “Think about what he just said for a second,” warned the unicorn.

The bat pony opened her mouth to say something, only to frown, and put her weapon back. “You are off the hook. For now.”

Rarity smiled. “You wouldn't happen to know where he is buried, would you?”

The male eyed her closely. “You wanna raise him too. Dontcha?”

“That isn't a problem, is it?” Twilight questioned.

The old stallion shook his head. “After seein’ how you dealt with that poor scared foal? Not even a little bit.”

Rarity breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you. Now I would very much like to be able to release you, but I’m afraid I can't do that until I’ve got what I came for.”

The stallion nodded. “So long as you untie me, I’ll go right along with ya.”

Rainbow Dash snorted irritably. “Don't do it. This is a trick.”

“This does seem a little too good to be true,” cautioned Twilight.

“My knees can't take this position much longer,” complained the male. “Any longer and I’ll end up back in the wheelchair and if that happens you may as well kill me.”

Rarity stared at the male for several seconds. “Release him.”

Twilight and Rainbow Dash shared another look, only for the unicorn to shrug, and the bat pony to mutter bitterly as she moved to follow Rarity’s command.

After he was freed from his bindings, the male gave his right knee a rub before looking up at Rarity. “A word of warning. The truth is a lot of things, but it ain't never pleasant.”

“What do you know?” pressed Twilight, who studied him closely.

The stallion shrugged. “All I know is that life is messy and no one livin’ gets what they want.”

“I’m prepared for that possibility,” stated Rarity.

“You ain't, but your gonna have to be,” murmured the stallion who stuck out a hoof. “Name’s Dirge by the way.”

“Rarity,” replied the spider pony and shook the offered limb.

“That's great and all. Now can we get going already? We’re burning moonlight,” whispered Rainbow Dash, who motioned towards the exit.

“Wait. What were you even doing here this late?” Twilight asked suddenly.

Dirge sighed. “Most folk don't like seeing me around and I ain't a big fan of their pity.”

“Why is that?” Rainbow Dash inquired.

The stallion shrugged. “Was never much a fan of it, is all.”

Rarity sighed. “Come on, Rainbow Dash, let's just get moving.”

The bat pony gave their guest another glare before taking to the air. “I’ll be watching you.”

Dirge merely snorted. “If you want to reach the other graveyard, you are going to want to use the mid-river crossing.”

“Thank you,” Rarity complimented before gesturing towards the exit expectantly. “Lead the way, Rainbow Dash.”

The guard grumbled, but did as she was told, though only after putting her helmet on her head.

Falling in behind them, Rarity took position to the stallion’s right, while Twilight walked on his left, the three beings all trodding the same path in silence. Upon leaving the perfectly manicured graveyard, the three made a left and proceeded towards the river side. Here the undergrowth and small hills were enough to give them a small measure of cover, allowing them to hide from the patrols with ease.

Throughout it all, the stallion never once cried out, though that didn't stop him from commenting about how much all those sloped inclines were doing to his poor joints. In time even Twilight’s lingering fear of this strange pony began to dwindle, and when they neared the bridge that fear was gone completely. There they found a different problem entirely, namely a guard who was taking a break near the stone pass, a flask in one hoof and a pipe in her lips.

The guard herself seemed almost as old as the stallion they had been walking around with, though she was taller, fitter, and had a horn. Her fur was white, her mane grey, and upon her flanks was a sharp blue whistle the same shade as her eyes. The armor she wore was minimal, and consisted of little more than a helmet, a breast plate and a leather cloak which was tossed over one shoulder.

With a grunt, she inhaled on her pipe, drank a mouthful of whatever was inside her flask, and then exhaled a long gout of smoke. Once complete she grinned, and her muscles relaxed, the pony leaning on the cold stone of the bridge and looking out over the town idly. Rainbow Dash frowned and motioned towards the bridge before making a punching motion with her hoof.

Rarity however shook her head, and pointed towards the river itself, only to be cut off by Dirge shaking his head and making a drawing a line over his throat. Twilight was ready to try and teleport them across, but the stallion had other things in mind, and pointed down before stepping out of the bush. Immediately Rainbow Dash moved to stop him, but a well-placed hoof kept her from breaking cover. Leaving her glaring at Rarity, the spider pony unable to help feeling oddly compelled to trust the stranger.

The arachne quickly motioned for Twilight to stay alert, the unicorn having kept her horn glowing brightly, and her gaze fixated on the back of the stallion. The unspoken threat was enough to make Rainbow Dash relax slightly, the bat pony glad that her friends weren’t that trusting. With little else to do though, the three sat in silence, watching as Dirge made his way up the bank and approached the other pony.

“Morning, Watch,” greeted the earth pony.

Upon hearing the other pony, the guard sputtered mid-puff and knocked her flask from the bridge. A scrambled casting later and a long string of coughs, and the guard had her flask back, as well as her breath.

“Dirge?” she asked breathlessly. “You damn near scared the piss out of me.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I didn't ‘cause I noticed something strange floating down the river,” Dirge remarked,gesturing to the other side of the bridge. “It shouldn't be far.”

“In the river? What was it?” asked the guard, who hastily gathered up her things and stuffed them into unseen pockets.

“Dunno,” muttered Dirge. “Looked like a piece of a small fishing boat to me.”

“A piece of a fishing boat, but mine was parked…” the guard began, only to turn and sprint away.

With her gone, the stallion motioned towards the bridge before following after the guard. “Yeah, it was right in the middle, I bet it's halfway to Canterlot at this point.”

The trio of friends could hear cursing from further down the river, as well as the crash as something large and heavy smashed her way through the underbrush. Knowing this opening wouldn't last, Rarity sprinted up the bank with ease, Rainbow Dash and Twilight close on her heels. Upon reaching the stallion she nodded in thanks, and in turn he began to trot along with them, easily keeping pace with the three younger beings.

As they sprinted across the stone bridge they noticed a light bobbing down the edge of the river, an equally irritated and panicked unicorn occasionally visible through the vegetation. None stopped to stare however, each being only giving her a single glance before continuing on. When they had finally put the bridge behind them, and stood before the imposing stone church, they realized that something was off.

A barely visible gold field behind the church shimmered into existence one second, only to disappear the next. Dirge didn't miss a beat though, and made a beeline for the right side of the church, his captors quickly catching up with and overtaking him. Beside them the place of worship rose into the sky, briefly hiding the moon while also making a large stained glass window visible.

Refusing to look, Twilight kept her head down and silently ground her teeth together, the pony knowing full well that a stylized version of Celestia was no doubt looking down on her right now. Her irritation was quickly replaced by confusion when she neared the second graveyard, as the field she had noticed earlier was much more obvious back here. It also ended a few feet from where they now stood, stopping right at tall metal fence which had pillars placed every dozen or so feet that were topped with a golden orb of some kind.

Screeching to a halt outside of a rather imposing metal gate, Twilight raised a hoof, stopping her friends. “I should scan if there is some kind of defences in place.”

Dirge snorted. “It’s just meant to keep the smell in.”

“The smell?” Rarity asked.

Rainbow Dash blanched. “Oh. Right.”

Twilight frowned, her horn dulling. “Well, Dirge was right, this does seem to be designed only to keep in the smell, though I’m not sure why they would… bother?” asked the pony as her voice trailed off at the end.

Her attention had been stolen by a ray of moonlight which had broken through the clouds and illuminated the space beyond, revealing a rather disturbing sight. Rows of corpses in various stages of decomposition filled the graveyard, lying out in the open for all to see. The bodies themselves were rested atop table-high slabs of stone, and had markers behind their heads which had their name, and how long they had lived inscribed upon it.

Suddenly the pony’s lifelong aversion to death and graveyards in particular made sense as repressed memories came bubbling to the surface. She couldn't help but think back to when she was young and witnessed something similar when she was a foal. Though not even that could prepare her for this, and her entire body recoiled in abject disgust.

Rarity wasn't faring much better, though her determination helped her not react quite as viscreally as her unicorn friend. She was utterly repulsed, that much was obvious, but she kept her mind focused on the task at hoof, her gaze searching the names she could see from here. Upon being unable to find what she was looking for, Rarity frowned and took a step forward.

“Are you sure you wanna go in there?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“If I want answers, I’m going to have to,” Rarity muttered.

Dirge snorted. “Don't suppose you can leave me out here by chance, could ya?”

Twilight tapped her chin, and forced her gaze away from the rotting corpses that lay only a dozen feet away. “Why don't you and Rainbow Dash remain here? We don't need any help for this next part,” she offered.

The bat pony frowned and looked at the stallion before sighing. “Fine. But you are sticking right beside me at all times and if you so much as-”

Dirge snorted again. “Yeah yeah, go ahead and get yer bluster out while ya can.”

Rarity merely shook her head. “Come on, Twilight, were almost done here.”

The unicorn gave Dirge and Rainbow Dash one last look before following after her friend. “Alright. Let's just make this quick,” Twilight murmured.

Rarity silently agreed before stepping forward and pushing open the grate, only to be punched in the nose by the sheer intensity of the smell. Fresh decay mingled with ancient rot, creating a veritable buffet of noxious, disgusting scents that assaulted the arachne’s nose. For a moment she swore she could even taste it, and it was only with monumental effort that she stopped herself from throwing up.

Twilight was also able to subdue that urge, the unicorn quickly giving up on holding her nose shut. “This is horrible,” she whispered in disgust.

“The quicker we find this Ardent Proclamation pony, the quicker we get out of here,” hissed Rarity.

The undead mare grumbled and turned to her right as Rarity moved to her left, the two beings fanning out in order to better search the area. Left alone, Twilight couldn't help but contemplate just how disgusting this practice was and how barbaric it was in comparison to the more private and normal graveyard across town. At least there it seemed like there had been some attempt to create a quiet and respectful atmosphere that was also open and oddly inviting.

Here the tall iron fence loomed from all directions, joining the over a dozen or so statues which also towered over them. Most were of unicorns, but Twilight could see one particularly large statue near the back of the graveyard that was of Celestia herself. She tried not to look at that though, and continued to scan the grave markers, while doing her best to not stare at the corpses.

Something that was easier said than done considering that there were a few that were very fresh, and very, very disgusting. Even the logical part of Twilight’s mind which told her this was part of the sun worshipers’ religion couldn't stop her stomach from churning. That cold, calculating part of her retreated from the scene and recoiled in disgust.

Thankfully this graveyard was much smaller than the last one, and it wasn't long before Rarity found what had brought them there in the first place. “Twilight, over here,” she whispered.

The unicorn tore her gaze from an eyeball that had rolled out of a dead pony’s skull and gulped down her apprehension before trotting across the graveyard. While she did this, she kept one eye on the Celestia statue which Rarity stood near, as if expecting it to come alive at any moment. A possibility which wouldn't leave Twilight’s mind despite how many times she dismissed it as impossible.

Upon reaching the site, Twilight found her gaze drawn to the skeletal corpse which rested atop a more ornate slab. This one had sun sigils inscribed around the top, and also a corona carved into the stone where his skull laid. The words Ardent Proclamation were carved into the stone which rose from the end of the slab, and indicated that he had lived until the age of twenty-six before passing.

After shaking her head, Twilight pulled forth her candles, and set them around the body, her mind whirling with possibilities. This summoning was going to be different, as they had all been so far, that much was obvious, but there was also a new element at play. This spirit would be strong, and the barbaric language she had spoken in order to steal a bit of that strength would not work here.

She would need something more than simple strength, she would need to borrow the power that could only be found in the darkest words and the most twisted of language.

Twilight stood tall and resolute, the words she needed to speak falling into place within the confines of her mind before exploding from her lips. “Dazzambuzüranr abgruz ruzuarz, U urzburdyuth nyzzuv zürbgaz. U urzburdyuth nyzzuv yrabvbgrohoth ärrz gödrzræmbgryzrüḧr. Grohruth ruzuarz, yuth ruzvohznyz U grohmärg uanr gzÿv gorzmuz!” she shouted in a language so dark and unpleasant that it almost broke Rarity’s will.

As the words washed over her, the arachne’s vision darkened, and it took a great effort to stay vertical. After several labored, half felt breaths did it clear, and she was able to watch as a radiant white form rose from the stone slab before her. Unlike the others, this one did not come easily, or without resistance, the spirit clinging tightly to the grave even as it was wrenched back into the world of the living.

A horn emerged first, followed by the rest of an anguish-filled face, and finally the top half of the pony’s body. Chains of the blackest night bound the spirit’s incorporeal form, having been brought into existence by Twilight’s dark words, and intense willpower. Looking into the spirit’s face revealed a pair of deep, hate-filled eyes which stared into Twilight’s own.

Who couldn't quite return such an intense look, given that she was sweating profusely, and trembling like a leaf. “Are you alright, darling?” Rarity asked, the arachne swift to prop up her friend, keeping her from falling over completely.

“It's fine. I’m just not used to this yet and that language...” Her voice trailed off and her gaze became haunted for a moment before she shook her head. “Just ask your questions, and hurry.”

Rarity nodded and turned to the spirit, noticing that his baleful gaze now settled on her. “What is it you want from me, monster?” spat the shade.

“What did you make Blazing Corona do on the day he died?” Rarity questioned.

The spirit recoiled and its lips curled into a snarl. “I did what any priest of the immortal sun would do. I treated the boy as best I could, and left the rest in the hooves of Celestia.”

Rarity’s brow furrowed and she turned to Twilight. “What does he mean by that?”

The unicorn wiped her brow of sweat. “That probably means he used sun exposure to try and cure him.”

The arachne turned to the spirit, and caught a faint glimmer of recognition in his featureless gold eyes. “So after the child came to him with a severe fever, he put him out in the sun of all places?” Rarity whispered.

Twilight shrugged. “They believe that the sun's rays will burn away corruption of the mind and body, but only if you bathe in them from dawn till dusk.”

“Which would have been more than enough to kill a foal already suffering from a bad fever. Though that doesn't explain why poison joke did nothing to us, but nearly killed that poor colt,” Rarity surmised.

The spirit’s lips remained sealed, though it was obvious from its movements that it wanted to speak.

“Perhaps we should ask him why that would be?” Twilight offered as she pushed her way into a stand.

Rarity nodded before turning to the spirit. “What are all the possible side effects of being exposed to poison joke?”

“To an adult? Nothing,” announced the spirit. “It can have side effects when the pony is particularly magically adept, but Blazing Corona could not cast a single spell. Which is why I trusted in the teachings of my order, for I had deduced there was some greater poison at work. One that was uncured by even my most potent healing spells.”

“Impossible,” Rarity spat, the arachne jabbing a hoof at the spirit. “They didn't even know how to make poison.”

“Then they bought it from someone,” replied the spirit. “In the end it hardly matters. The arachne poison worked, and I failed. Gloat all you want, monster.”

“I’m not here to gloat, you idiot! I was trying to figure out what happened. Now nothing makes sense!” Rarity shouted.

“The outsiders came, poisoned a child, and after every other spell failed, I turned to the grace of Celestia but even that didn't work,” muttered the spirit. “Though I don't know how it was that those wretched creatures acquired such a potent toxin, it matters little. That’s what happened, and in the end they earned the wages of sin.”

A vein bulged atop Rarity’s head and she was about to shout something back, only for Twilight’s eyes to suddenly snap open. “That's it. I’ve got it,” she exclaimed.

“Got what?” Rarity demanded.

“Why none of his spells worked,” Twilight remarked, pointing to the spirit. “He's a unicorn, and mentioned trying every spell he knew, but nothing ended up working. Ultimately resulting in his attempt to try and use some hokey nonsense to cure Blazing Corona of a mystery poison.”

“So? Where are you going with this?” Rarity questioned.

“This entire thing was hinged on the assumption that Blazing Corona wasn't magically gifted because he couldn't cast any spells despite his age,” Twilight continued, her eyes twinkling with barely contained excitement. “But seven years ago, a paper was published in Canterlot times that revealed that some unicorns might only be able to start casting spells when they reach puberty, which Blazing Corona had yet to do.”

“Because he was only twelve at the time he passed away. Meaning he would have likely survived had his fever not been complicated,” murmured Rarity.

“That’s… that’s impossible,” muttered the spirit, all its rage and indignation falling away in an instant. “I was at the top of my class. I was one of the finest healers the academy had ever produced. I should have known about this study.”

“It was widely considered to be an absolute fact that puberty had no bearing on magical ability. That was, right up until String Theory published his paper and changed everything,” Twilight stated.

“You mean if I had done nothing, that poor, innocent foal would still be alive?” asked the spirit in a hushed tone.

“Yes,” growled Rarity.

The spirit’s angrily glowing form faded, its colors shifting and changing until its body was an off-white, its eyes becoming the same shade as aged paper. As the rage and indignation fled completely from it, it fell slack against his restraints, head hung low. All the power and command the spirit possessed a minute ago was utterly erased, leaving behind a broken pony.

“I didn't know,” he whispered. “Gods above, I thought it was his last, best chance of survival, yet it was me who killed him. Not them.”

“You couldn't have known. The scientific community-” Twilight began, only for Rarity to stop her with a glare.

“Don't console him. He killed an innocent and got my parents killed because of it!” growled the spider pony.

“It's true,” he whispered. “And to think, over a decade of practice to become a healer and I still become that which I hated most in this world. Pathetic.”

“No. Don't you dare try and turn this around!” Rarity shouted, while jabbing a hoof into his chest. “You deserve to suffer for what you did! You can't just say you meant well and hoofwave everything away.”

“Rarity, he can't lie while under the effects of the spell,” Twilight exclaimed.

“No, your friend is right. I deserve all of this,” whispered the stallion as he lifted a chained hoof. “Feel free to send me to whatever hell you have no doubt prepared for me. I’m… I’m ready now.”

Rarity growled and slammed a hoof into the stone slab. “No, no, no, no!” she screamed. “You are supposed to be evil, you are supposed to be unrepentant! I’m supposed to hate you.”

Twilight gently placed a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Rarity…”

“No it's not fair, Twilight!” cried the loving daughter. “My parents couldn't have been killed just because of a misunderstanding. They were good people, kind people. They couldn't have died for nothing.”

Reaching forward, Twilight pulled her friend into a tight hug, ignoring the brief bit of resistance Rarity put up before planting her face into the crook of Twilight’s neck and sobbing deeply. Her chest rose and fell as a fresh wave of tears cascaded down her face, hooves clutching tightly the unicorn’s shoulders.

“This isn't how it was supposed to be,” Rarity whispered between sobs. “I was supposed to get revenge. To be whole again. Yet I’ve been robbed of even that.”

“It’s okay, let it all out,” Twilight murmured as she patted her friend’s back.

The spider pony cried for several minutes before running out of tears and finally falling still, her body slack, and her eyes nearly lifeless. “What am I supposed to do now?” she asked solemnly.

“You should live,” announced the spirit suddenly. “Live with the knowledge that your parents loved you very much and were innocent in all of this. Live with the fact that in the end a wrong was still righted, and justice was still done. Live on knowing that there is no evil greater than ignorance and fear.”

With the last word spoken, the spirit began to dissipate, his shackles vanishing first, and allowing his essence to tumble apart and spill across the ground. In moments the spirit’s form vanished, swallowed up by the ground, and leaving no evidence of its passing. Save for the bitter knowledge that now rested firmly at the forefront of Rarity’s mind.

Pushing back from Twilight, Rarity looked down at the earth with an expression of confusion, anger, and disbelief. In the silence, Twilight quietly put out her candles, and stowed the stumps away before standing next to her friend.

“I know this is gonna sound dumb,” Twilight nervously began. “But are you okay?”

Rarity snorted. “No… but maybe one day I will be. Until then I guess I’ll just have to keep on living.”

“Sometimes that's the hardest thing you can do,” Twilight exclaimed with a sad smile.

“Y-yeah,” Rarity whispered.

“Are you two almost- holy shit, this reeks,” half shouted the familiar voice of Rainbow Dash.

“We’ll be there in a second!” Twilight shouted back.

“We had better get moving,” Rarity announced bitterly.

Twilight wanted to say something reassuring, to put her friend’s fears and worries to rest, but she knew nothing would fix what she felt. So Twilight merely remained quiet as they left the graveyard, silently passing by the rows of corpses and slabs without a second thought. In no time at all they left the disgusting, reeking field behind, and emerged back out into the fresh smelling world.

Rainbow Dash recoiled and pinched her nose as best as she could while still wearing her helmet. “You two smell horrible,” she exclaimed.

“Ya found what you were lookin’ fer, didntcha?” Dirge half asked, half stated.

Rarity nodded slowly. “I did. Unfortunately.”

The stallion sighed. “I figured as much. Life ain't the type a thing that us little ponies can understand.”

“So it seems,” Rarity murmured.

“So, what happened anyway?” Rainbow Dash asked. “‘Cause that was a whole lotta yelling and yet you two don't seem to be in a mood to kick some ass.”

“Let's just say there are no asses to kick,” Twilight remarked with a bitter laugh. “I’ll tell you the details on the way home, but the short version is this. Blazing was gifted, but was a late bloomer, which was something they didn't know and assumed was impossible. Because of this, when he reacted to the poison joke, he got sick and they assumed it was the work of a poison. Since it wasn't, their treatments did nothing, and in desperation they treated him with sun exposure, complicating his fever and accidentally killing him.”

“Thats uh… quite the tale,” Rainbow Dash muttered warily. “But how are we going to get home? It's nearly sun up and we still have to drag along this old geezer.”

Dirge snorted irritably. “Just take me back the way we came, and then leave me at the graveyard while y'all go out back and follow that dry ravine I mentioned. It’ll take you right past my place, and outta town.”

Rarity nodded weakly. “Come on, girls. Let's just go home already.”

Twilight hiked her bags up a little further. “Right. Rainbow Dash, you’ll take the lead again.”

The bat pony glanced at each of her companions before shrugging and turning back around. “Alright, stick close and try to keep up,” she announced before setting out.

The trip back to the first graveyard was much simpler the second time, as there were no guards around to catch them, nor any random ponies wandering the town at such an hour. By the time they had arrived back at their first destination, the sun had begun to rise, while the moon remained exactly where it always did. The sun didn't seem to care though, and continued its ascent regardless, slowly crawling into the sky and overwhelming the moonlight with its own natural brilliance.

Upon crossing the threshold to the graveyard, Dirge stopped and cleared his throat. “Safe travels on your way home,” announced the male, who awkwardly turned and left, trotting towards a small shed that no one had noticed until now.

The suddenness of his departure made the three females confused, but Rarity recovered first. “Thank you for your help, Mister Dirge,” she shouted after him.

The stallion merely nodded in acknowledgement before continuing on his way, leaving the spider pony strangely confused for a moment. The way the first rays of sunlight hit the top of the stallion’s cap made the female get an odd sense of deja vu. After all, only spider silk reacted in such a manner, and the longer she looked, the more Rarity was convinced that was indeed what the stallion’s cap was made of.

Rarity silently berated herself for not realizing it sooner. “No wonder he trusted me,” whispered the spider pony.

“Did you say something?” Twilight asked.

Shaking her head, Rarity turned to her friends, who were standing expectantly a few feet away. “It seems Mister Dirge has a better sense of style than I first gave him credit for,” Rarity exclaimed with a grin.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“It's nothing, darling. Now are you two ready to head back home? I think I have just enough energy left in these old bones to make it back,” Rarity proclaimed, while stretching her legs one at a time.

“That would be nice. You have no idea how much I’ve missed my own bed,” Rainbow Dash muttered bitterly, the bat pony’s back cracking audibly as she stretched as well.

“Not having to sleep outside during the day would be nice…” Twilight concluded.

“Well darlings, what are we waiting for?” Rarity asked with a smile.

“That certainly was something,” Rainbow Dash murmured as the trio came to a stop outside of Rarity’s boutique, the bat pony’s helmet now strapped to her side, as was her weapon.

“I’m just glad we were able to get to the bottom of it all,” Twilight replied optimistically.

“Yes, well at least it's over,” Rarity concluded, her voice a mix of pain and a tiny hint of lingering anger. “Thank you both for hearing me out by the way.”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “It's no big deal, Rares. We all got our own baggage and it's okay to let go of it every now and again.”

“Exactly,” added Twilight with a smile. “Knowing that all parties involved are now at peace has definitely made this all worthwhile.”

The arachne sighed. “Thank you, girls. Oh, and Rainbow Dash, I expect you to come to my shop sometime soon so I may create you something fabulous as thanks.”

The bat pony groaned. “I do not want anything. I was just doing my job as a guard, and as a friend.”

“I will not take no for an answer. Besides, I have an idea for something even you would wear with pride,” Rarity confidently declared.

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow and studied her friend curiously. “Really now? Like what?” she questioned.

Rarity winked. “That's for me to know, and for you to find out soon enough.”

“Heh. You know I love a good surprise. Well, I guess I’ll see you girls later. Good morning!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed before leaping into the air and speeding off.

The two females watched their friend go, something that didn't take long considering just how badly the bat pony wanted to get back to her own bed. Now with only Rarity nearby, Twilight let out a deep sigh, and wiped a stray bit of sweat from her brow.

“I’m gonna need a lot of energy once I wake up tomorrow,” the unicorn concluded bitterly.

“Thank you for that by the way,” Rarity began. “I could not have done this without you.”

“Don't worry about it. Now we’re just about even,” Twilight declared.

The arachne smirked. “Good, and here I thought I had a long way to go before I paid you back in full.”

Twilight snorted. “Regardless. I’m just glad I can sleep in my own bed, though I’m fairly certain Spike is already asleep.”

“Well, he is a teenager, so he may still be awake,” warned Rarity.

Twilight nodded. “You don't mind if I check on him before I go, do you?”

“Of course not,” Rarity exclaimed, before grabbing her key and unlocking the door.

Twilight followed after her friend, silently glad that she could escape the bright light of the sun and enter into the dark room once more. The relief felt strange to say the least, especially considering just how much the dark had unnerved her until fairly recently. It was enough to make the pony wonder if she could still be considered a sunspawn, given just how much the sun itself seemed to put her on edge.

Pushing those thoughts from her mind, Twilight looked around, and found the main area empty. Meanwhile Rarity was busy putting away all her supplies, and hanging up all the extra clothes she had brought along. Thankfully Twilight had been here enough times to get a good idea of the layout and she trotted toward the back room without waiting for Rarity to be done.

Sure enough, her first instinct was correct and before she even reached the door, she could hear Spike’s rather distinct snore. A smile spread across the unicorn’s face, though that smile vanished when she heard a second snore come from the same room. Then it grew much larger, and Twilight slowly pushed open the wooden portal before peering into the room beyond.

The usual piles of half assembled clothing, and mounds of raw materials were scattered about as usual, Rarity’s work space as messy as ever. The large reclining couch at the back of the shop was also where it usually was, the enormous plush furniture draped with random bits of cloth. It was also very large, given that it was designed for an arachne to sprawl out on and it was no surprise to see that both Spike and Sweetie Belle fit on it.

Sweet Belle’s main bulk rested on the right half, and Spike on the left, the arachne’s pony half draped over the dragon’s shoulder as a hoof lay on his lap, clutched tightly in one of Spike’s claws. Also on his lap was a half open book of plays, a bookmark haphazardly poking out the side of it. The sight made Twilight grin, and she couldn't help but shake her head, a little impressed that the young dragon had gotten that close to the other being in such a short amount of time.

Although it was all possible that Spike and her had simply fallen asleep together by chance, and that this was all an accident, that's not how Twilight chose to see it. Slipping back out the door, the unicorn all but skipped over to her friend, a grin on her face.

“Rarity, come look,” Twilight whispered.

The arachne raised an eyebrow. “What is it? Don't tell me Sweetie Belle ate all my bug medley ice cream again.”

“No, it's not that. Just come see,” Twilight continued, motioning towards the back door.

Rarity followed close behind and peeked over Twilight’s shoulder when the portal was pulled open a crack. “That is adorable,” she whispered.

“I know right? Check out the book,” Twilight urged.

“History’s greatest plays, a collection of modern and ancient stories,” Rarity read aloud. “What does that… Wait, isn't that one of Dark Hallow’s collections?”

“It is, and he's putting on a bunch of them during some celebration soonish,” Twilight explained.

“The mid-winter festival,” Rarity reiterated. “He must have asked her out.”

Twilight grinned excitedly. “You think she said yes?”

“If she didn't, do you think they would be like this?” Rarity replied.

Twilight giggled, and took a step back, closing the door soundlessly. “So I guess I’ll come pick him up tomorrow some time.”

“Good thinking. Good morning, Twilight.”

“Good morning to you too, Rarity.”

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