The amber glow reflecting off of the ground was the first thing that told Rainbow Dash and Aaron that something was definitely off about their little town of the dead. The grass and dirt shimmered with a golden hue and the cloud dome that surrounded the town was shifting and moving a lot more than it normally did. The false sun hanging up in the sky began to move back and forth, creating a movement of shadows on the ground that gave the town an almost twilight feel.

"What the hell's going on?" Aaron asked.

"That's what everypony else is wondering," Gilda replied. "It's been like this for a couple minutes now."

"It means something," Rainbow breathed. "I just know it does.

Ridley ran up the side of the hill and proceeded to look in awe at the assortment of golden, flickering colors.

"This is one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen," he said.

"I have to agree on that one," Aaron chuckled. Suddenly, a mysterious whooshing sound began reverberating through the air. It sounded so familiar and yet so foreign that nopony could figure out what it was. Rainbow looked towards the edge of the cloud dome a few yards away from her and, for a second, saw something rush past it.

"What was that?!" she asked. Aaron, Gilda, and Ridley turned to face the cloud dome. It was at this moment that part of the clouds were brushed aside. For a few seconds, they caught a glimpse of a single tree standing in the middle of a golden field of wheat. The tree was tall, healthy, and had a limitless amount of green leaves hanging from its infinite branches. The clouds closed up again but were separated a few seconds later. The tree was closer now and its leaves were fluttering in a seemingly-powerful wind. The leaves broke free from the branches and transformed into little, blue birds. The birds flew towards the cloud dome as the clouds sealed up once again.

Rainbow, Aaron, Gilda, and Ridley waited for something to happen. The clouds began moving again and the sound of thumping and chirping began emanating from the other side of the dome.

"It looks like you have some other foreign visitors," said a familiar voice. Susie Salmon appeared next to Rainbow Dash. Her body was glowing with a crisp, amber light which made her seem to be something that can only be described as being not a solid but not a liquid or gas either. She was just there, existing in a form that only true spirits can appear in. She walked towards the cloud dome and pressed her hands against it. Instantly, a large opening in the clouds appeared and it reached all the way into the clouded sky. A sea of blue birds flew through the opening and began flying around the false sun that hung above the town. A vast, golden wheat field stared back at Rainbow, Aaron, Gilda, and Ridley from the opening. Rainbow tried to walk out into the field but found that, even though the clouds had temporarily been pushed away, a barrier of sorts still remained. "You'll be there soon."

Rainbow looked as the massive tree in the distance slowly regrew another set of leaves. Small, shadowy figures appeared in the distance. Rainbow could just make out the forms of other human spirits, similar to Susie.

"Who are they?" Rainbow asked.

"The others," Susie replied. "Those other souls who were slain by the same man who murdered me."

"They're all there."

"You and the others will be there soon as well."

Rainbow took another look and saw that there were more figures popping out of the wheat. She couldn't make out their faces but she knew that they all varied in size, shape, and appearance.

"Creatures from different planes of existence. Souls who have found their way to the true afterlife that awaits those who deserve it," Susie continued.

"How much longer do we have to wait?" asked an excited Gilda. Looks of longing and happiness were now etched into Rainbow, Aaron, Gilda, and Ridley's faces. The true happiness and calmness emanating from the field of wheat beyond the barrier made them long for Heaven even more.

"When the tortured soul is freed and the dark soul is judged, you shall all receive your long-awaited gift."

Aaron, Gilda, and Ridley were somewhat confused by Susie's statement but Rainbow understood it perfectly.

"We won't be free until she dies, will we?" Rainbow asked.

"Until they both die, you mean," Susie corrected. The opening in the clouds slowly began to diminish along with the amber light emanating from all sides of the dead Ponyville. Suddenly, five transparent images appeared on the other side of the barrier. The images were that of Twilight Sparkle, Sunkick, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Pinkie's dark twin Pinkamena Diane Pie. "Everything is on their shoulders now. Let us hope they fulfill their parts in the process of your true passing."

Susie then disappeared in a flash of golden light, the transparent images faded into nothing, and the cloud barrier sealed up again. The false sun stopped moving and the flock of blue birds orbiting it exploded into an aura of multicolored sparks.

"So what do we do now?" Ridley asked. Rainbow turned away from the barrier and sighed.

"We wait and try to help to the best of our abilities," she replied. Suddenly, something caught her eye. She looked behind Aaron to see the image of a familiar, yellow pegasus watching them. "Sunkick?"

The image disappeared, leaving Rainbow with an empty feeling in her stomach.