Undead Waltz

I avoided another poke from Paige. “For the last time no, no I will not tell you.” She been annoying me for an hour now trying to know where I went.

        “Come on! Tell me!” She pouted and stomped her foot a little. “Please!”

        “It was a private matter, and I will not tell you something that doesn’t concern you.” I poked her on the nose. “So please stop bugging me.”

        Luckily that seemed to calm her, albeit by a little. “Ugh... Fine. I’ll stop bugging you.” She walked over to the other room muttering under her breath.

        Beth chuckled a little from her spot on the couch. “Heh... Kids.” Turning the page on her book she kicked her feet up. “They’re cute, but damn can they be annoying.”

        I rolled my eyes. “Tell me about it.” Sitting down in the armchair I sighed deeply. “I had a older brother who acted the exact same way when he was her age.” I chuckled a little bit before wistfully smiling. “He would constantly whine and moan about things... from what I remember.”

        Beth grinned and shook her head. “I was the younger sibling too.” She laughed. “I would bug my older brother about everything! Brother why are you annoyed, brother why are you avoiding me, brother why are locking the door.” She broke down into giggles. “Oh he was so easy to annoy.”

        I looked over at her. “Sounds like you two had a “Fun” time together.”

        Looking over she nodded. “Oh yeah we loved each other.” Looking amused she pointed at me. “What about you? How was your brother?”

        I shrugged. “He was alright. He was about.... Seven years older than me.” Tapping the armrest I looked up at the ceiling trying to remember him. “We didn’t really talk too much, but he would help me with various projects for school.” I closed my eyes and grinned. “He was a cool guy.”

        “What happened to him?”

        I opened my eyes and looked at her. “No idea. He just vanished one day.” I snapped my fingers. “Just like that. They couldn’t find hide nor hair of him anywhere.” I frowned a little. “That was what.... Five years ago I think.”

        She frowned and went back to reading. “Sorry for bringing up bad memories....”

        I laughed a little. “Bad memories? I don’t mind at all.” I waved a hand. “I haven’t thought of him for a long time now, and it’s nice to reminisce.”

        She stayed silent for a little while. “... What was his name?”

        I blinked. “Howard. Howard Lime Fritz.”

        She snorted a little. “Why’s his middle name Lime?”

        I smiled. “My dad says it’s because my mom was sour for a while after the birth, so they named him Lime because of that.”

        She threw her head back and laughed, rolling off the couch, and onto the floor. “T-that’s hilarious!” She grabbed her sides. “Oh god I can’t feel my sides!”

        I rolled my eyes. “Yeah yeah... I lived with him though, and he would take advantage of his name. As a matter of fact he made a one-liner out of it. “Taste the Lime!” As he would so eloquently put it.”

        She laughed even harder and rolled around. “300 out of 10, my sides have left the atmosphere.”

        Someone stomped on the floor, and caused us to look up. “Would you two stop laughing! I’m trying to sleep!”

        Beth stopped and frowned. “Sorry Gwen!” She looked at me. “We should probably go to bed.”

        I nodded. “Yeah....” Looking up I frowned a bit. “Wait... Why is Gwen sleeping up there?”

        Beth raised an eyebrow before realizing something. “Oh yeah you weren’t here for that. Paige cleared out some rooms for us, so we can use those as bedrooms.” She glowed a little. “I kinda forgot to tell you.”

        “Huh... That was nice of her.” Looking up I smiled. “Alright. Are there beds?”

        Beth nodded. “Yeah. She set up beds, dressers, and some mirrors.” Standing up she moved over to the stairs. “Want to see?”

        Getting up I raised an eyebrow. “What do you think?”

        She snickered and led me up the stairs with a grin. Stopping near the top she led me to a small hallway. “Here are the rooms.” Pointing to a door in the back on the lefthand side she said, “That’s the bathroom.” She pointed the the door across from it. “That’s Paige’s room. The one next to it is Gwen’s room, and the closet on the right is mine.” She pointed to two doors on the left. “Those two are both free, so you can have either one.”

        Walking over I stopped in front of the closet door. “I’ll take this room.”

        “Alright.” Yawning a bit she shook her head. “I guess I’ll see you in the morning.”

        I nodded. “See ya.” She walked over to her room as I opened my door.

        It was rather spartan. A bed near the back with a couple pillows, sheets, and blankets. A small dresser on the right hand side of the room, a mirror next to that, and a nightstand next to the bed. I nodded my head in approval. I like it... Just needs a couple things.

        Walking over to the bed I laid down and closed my eyes, sighing as I fell asleep.

        I looked around a bit as I appeared in a small dining room. Other me was sitting at the other end of the table eating a small croissant while looking at a small checklist. “Let’s see.... Don’t want to move that, or that.... Oh!” Noticing me he set down the checklist. “I didn’t expect you so soon. Here to talk again?”

        I shrugged. “Eh, it’s up to you really.” I tilted my head. “What are you doing?”

        He blinked and looked down at the checklist. “Oh this?” He picked it up. “This is a small checklist of everything in your soul. I’m trying to figure out what I can move around without damaging you too much. I don’t want to turn your soul into a broken puzzle.”

        I grimaced a little. “Yeah... It would be best you don’t make it like that....”

        He set the checklist down again. “So I saw that you remembered your brother.”

        I smiled. “Yeah. It’s been a while...”

        “Well it’s good that you remember him, but anyways.” He passed over a plate with a croissant on it. “Hungry?”

        I stared at him blankly. “I’m currently in my soul whilst dreaming, so I can’t eat.”

        He shrugged. “Well you can at least pretend.” He took a bite of his. “Also these are really good, but then again this is the first time I’ve had some.”

        “I’m glad that it’s enjoyable.” Looking around I noticed that everything was... Cleaner. “Have you been cleaning?”

        He nodded with a smile. “Yep! Your soul needed a small little tidying up.” He rolled his eyes. “I mean really, it was like a hurricane went through here.”

        “Well I couldn’t just enter my soul and go “Oh I’m going to clean this” now could I?” Shaking my head I walked over to a small door. “But asides from that... What’s behind this?”

        He looked over. “Oh that? That’s to your recent memories, or your brain in this case.”

        “But.... I thought the brain stopped working?”

        He snorted and laughed. “Stopped working? Oh nonono. If it did you wouldn’t be talking to me.” Other me cleared his throat. “The brain and the soul work together. When you became a wraith your soul began keeping your body from rotting, and your brain kept you thinking. The only things that are really necessary for you to be a wraith is your brain, soul, and maybe your lungs.” He paused. “But that’s only to talk.”

        “Huh... So I could, say, rip out my heart and it wouldn’t affect me?”

        “It would hurt a hell of a lot,” He said. “but other then that it wouldn’t affect you in any way.”

        “Alright, but if the brain or soul was affected.”

        “Then you could die again.” He raised a hand. “And you only got one extra life, and you’re living it.”

        I nodded. “Makes sense. It’s not like Death can stop someone from dying again.”

        He nodded. “It’s impossible. Once a wraith starts dying their soul starts burning energy to try and heal them.” He held up a hand. “But it spreads itself too far, and then becomes too thin to maintain a solid hold in the wraith.” He smirked. “Also that’s how you heal from wounds. Your soul produces energy that congeals in the location of the wound before patching it closed with new cells.”

        I looked down at my leg. “So then when I ate the sentiment soul...”

        “Your soul had a boost of energy, and it healed all of your wounds.” He smiled. “Same applies for when you eat a soul. Your soul burns off the energy, and it instantly heals wounds.”

        I smiled. “That’s actually really good to know.” Just in case I end up in a fight, and I need to heal really quickly.

        “Well it’s good to know, especially with your new job.” He stood up and walked over to me. “So... You want to talk about anything?”

        I paused. “Yeah... What do you think of the wedding?”

        He shrugged. “Confused. Why’d we get invited to it? And who is this Mi Amore Cadenza?”

        “I have no idea, but her name means I Love Cadence.” I scowled a little. “That name is retarded.”

        “If I’m correct the letter said Princess.” He smiled. “Maybe Celestia sent out invites to the other wraiths she knows?”

        I nodded. “It sounds like something that could’ve happened.”

        He walked back over to his spot at the table, and sat down in his chair. “Well do stay on guard. You’re sort of a stranger in their lands, and one wrong move could upset the world leaders.”

        I frowned. “That’s right... This is one country out of... I have no idea.”

        “Precisely, and if we make a bad impression then the other world powers might think us... Hostile.” He shrugged. “Or just think we’re idiots.”

        “Of course....” the dream around me began to fade. “And I’m waking up, I’ll talk to you tomorrow I guess.”

        He nodded. “Tomorrow.”

        The area around me faded and cracked as I returned to wakefulness.

        I blinked dazedly as I focused on my ceiling. “Oh god...” I yawned and cracked my back. “That was a good sleep...”

        “Michael get up!” I heard Paige shout from the kitchen. “Breakfast is ready!”

        Turning I cracked my neck. “Coming!” Rolling out of bed I got up and made my way to the door. “I’m coming....”

        Looks like it’s going to be another day....

In a small cave near the edge of Equestria

        A lone being paced around the small stone room with a frown on his face, staring into a mirror placed behind a few boulders. His face was set in determination. “Have you found anything?”

        A voice came from the mirror. “We haven’t found much, but we found something Emperor.” It was distorted, and quiet.

        He stopped his pacing. “What is it?”

        “We believe that the spell is in Canterlot, in the library there.” The voice paused. “We were unable to confirm this due to a lack of mirrors nearby.”

        “And what of the gnat? Michael?”

        “He knows nothing of our plans.”

        “Good.” The man smiled. “Keep it that way. You ar-”

        “Sir there is one more thing.”

        The man turned and glared. “What!?”

        The voice stayed silent for a second before speaking. “One of thembrought you a message.”

        The man froze, shaking slightly. “Which one, and what is the message?”

        “Is this reflection me? Is this the person I've become? Am I a product, created by this mirror? Or is this mirror created by me?” The voice recited. “That was given by Knowledge a few hours ago.”

        The man looked away. “He always had a thing for poems....” He muttered before returning his gaze to the mirror. “If any of them come by again let me know asap. Do you understand?”

        “Of course... Lǎohǔ.” The voice faded away after that, leaving silence in the cave.

        Lǎohǔ scowled and walked over to the cave’s exit. “I thought you would have simply come by earlier.”

        Another voice spoke from behind him, a male voice with a slight accent. “I do not think it too necessary to visit.”

        Lǎohǔ’s scowl got deeper. “Of course.” He lifted his head. “So did you simply leave me that little poem as a present Knowledge?”

        “You know the answer.” Knowledge walked by him, glancing back with grey eyes peering through a monocle. “You do not need me to reiterate.” He walked farther out before fading. “See you soon.” He completely faded after that.

        Lǎohǔ paused and nodded. “Very well.... Brother.”