Author's Note: Hey! How ya doing? I'm doing great, just saying.

I mentioned this was AU, right? Right.

*Spoiler

Warning: character death, and stuff.

Chapter 2

Time Skip 9 years: He is 9 years old

Spirit, now a young colt, followed behind his parents as they traversed the streets of Canterlot. His legs were long and slender, his mane was carefully brushed until instead of messy, it was stylishly tousled. His flank was still bare, but his emerald eyes and bone white coat cut a handsome figure.

That, or he looked like a miniature, ponified version of Malfoy. Either or.

Ever since his height reached Sapphire's shoulder, his parents have been taking him out on various outings around Canterlot to introduce him to his fellow 'elites'. Needless to say, Spirit did not speak very much on these outings. Luckily, instead of being offended at his short words, his parents decided he was 'regally stoic' and encouraged this.

To everyone else his parents were posh geniuses of business, but Spirit quite thought that all that status had addled their brains a bit too much.

Right now they were not, in fact, heading out to a get together. Instead his parents were taking him to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns to get enrolled.

It was a very high class school, to his understanding, a lot like Hogwarts in that regard. An academy, it catered to unicorns of the ages 9-18, with strict admission standards. Although most ponies when first enrolled weren't even old enough to have a cutie mark, they still tested difficultly so that only the naturally intelligent and magically gifted got in. Of course, an extra fee could get your foal in as well.

Rather than Hogwarts, Spirit thought it was closer to Durmstrang.

They entered the building that while classy, was a far cry from Hogwarts' mystical halls. As Spirit and his parents waited with the other prospective students and guardians, Sapphire sniffed derisively and scooted Spirit a bit further from the crowd.

One by one ponies were called in, until at last Spirit's name came up.

"Spirit Glade!" an examiner called out, and Spirit stepped forward to be tested, his parents following behind.

He was brought to a room where in front of him stood four judges. They looked at him impatiently as a yellow stallion rolled a cart in front of him, on top of which were three boxes.

"One of these has something inside it. Tell us which it is, and you will pass," an examiner, the red mare with a pink mane, spoke.

"You get three hints," she continued. "Only one of them is true. Think carefully."

Spirit was not overly worried of failing, as he knew his parents would just bribe the judges if that happened, but this test had his competitive side rearing up in challenge. If an actual nine year old could solve this, so could he.

He approached the boxes, and read the first clue stamped on the side of Box one. "It is in me," it read.

Spirit moved on to Box two. "It is not in me," it read.

Curious, Spirit read the inscription on Box three. "It is not in Box one."

Spirit thought about it for a moment, before reaching out towards Box two.

If it were in Box one, two of the inscriptions would be true. If it were in the Box three, another two of the inscriptions would be true. Only in Box two would only one inscription be true.

Spirit wasn't feeling very different about solving this so easily. Children were solving this. If he had failed to solve it, he would be more shocked.

As it was, he opened the second box and stared. Inside it was a small black snake, and as he watched her, she raised her head and opened her mouth to hiss sinisterly, revealing long fangs. -Touch me and I will bite you-

Harry hissed back in warning and picked her up, wrapping her around his neck in one smooth motion. -I'd like to see you try-

Glancing at the examiners revealed them staring at him in surprise.

"You were supposed to subdue it with magic, but I suppose this works too..." A stallion with a beige coat and green mane muttered thoughtfully.

The mare cleared her throat, nodding to him. "You pass. Feel free to keep the snake. She's an Atra Mors, from the Everfree Forest, and quite venomous. Though I say that, she's only here to scare the more well-learned students. We've neutralized her venom with magic, so she's quite safe."

Meanwhile, said snake had turned her hostility towards the examiners. -Stupid ponies, sealing my fangs. When Master frees me, I will bite you, just you wait-

Spirit hissed an amused reply to the snake. -I will free you, but only if you promise not to bite anyone without my say so. Also, call me Spirit-

She sulked slightly and burrowed herself into his mane. -Only because Master Spirit says so-

Spirit turned towards the examiners, and bowed his head politely. "Thank you. The classic level two pausing spell, yes?"

"Indeed," she affirmed.

Spirit exited the testing room with his parents. While they eyed the snake a bit dubiously, they consented to him keeping her.

"Owning exotic pets is always stylish," Sapphire mused. "I remember having a rare albino squirrel when I was your age. Noisy thing."

Later that night, Spirit rested on his bed and faced the black serpent. Concentrating, a dark grey aura covered his horn, before spreading over the snake. She squirmed before delightedly opening her mouth and sinking her fangs into his pillow.

-You need a name- He stated once the spell had taken effect and she had stopped trying to bite everything in sight.

-Whatever Master Spirit wishes- she hissed distracted, too focused on her returned venom.

Spirit though about it for a moment, before his lips quirked in wry amusement. -How about Keira? It means 'little dark one'-

Keira nodded, before she burrowed herself under the covers. Spirit sighed, his horn glowing as he flicked off the lights, and followed suit.

Time Skip 2 years: He's 11 years old

Spirit couldn't believe his eyes, heart thumping in his chest and breath shuddering in shock.

It was like any other day. His parents had visited him in his studies, and had dragged him off to socialize with the 'right crowd'. They were riding in a carriage, when at an intersection; another carriage came screeching suddenly around the corner. The stallions pulling it were wide-eyes in fear, snorting wildly as they ran at a neck-breaking speed.

Spirit had seen everything in slow motion when it happened. The two carriages collided, and Sapphire looked up from fixing her mane long enough to scream one long, bloodcurdling note. Then physics were applied and her body was thrown to the side, her mane got caught in the door handle, and her neck was jerked before the door opened and she landed on the road. The other carriage continued forward and finished her injured form with a wheel rolling across her stomach, crushing her spine.

As for Diamond, he lived long enough to see his wife's bloodied form splattered across the cobblestones when Spirit's own small form slammed into him and he fell out, landed on a broken plank from the carriage, and got stabbed in the gut from said plank, all the while cushioning Spirit from the fall.

Spirit gazed, transfixed as the light left Diamond Leaf's eyes. He felt more than saw a silvery mist leave him and his own hoof reached forward to touch it. In that moment, he wished for Diamond to move on, away from this pain. Perhaps he would be reborn in a new body, or live out an eternal dream of success and riches.

*Flashback

"You are the true master of death, because the true master does not seek to run away from Death. He accepts that he must die, and understands that there are far, far worse things in the living world than dying."

*Flashback end

Diamond's soul faded from the world, and Spirit felt the weight of wings settle on his back as his Cutie Mark, a circle within a triangle with a line drawn through it, appeared on his flank.

Spirit looked around, taking in the situation. Bystanders were screaming, and the carriage drawing stallions were being subdued by some of Celestia's guards. So far, no one had noticed his new alicorn status.

With only a thought, his wings disappeared from view, still there, but invisible. He was confidant no one would be able to see them now.

After all, the cloak was said to be able to hide from death himself, and he had inherited its powers.

Spirit remained tense, breathing shakily when he realized his parents were dead and he had used his awakened powers to send them to the afterlife.

Keira rubbed her head soothingly on Spirit's cheek, and he felt himself calm down slightly, only for his eyes to well up with tears as he started crying.

They weren't the best parents, but they were the only parents he ever had.

Everything after that was a blur to Spirit. They took him to a tall building, sat him down in a comfy seat, gave him hot chocolate, and told him they were "-calling your parent's lawyer, so just sit tight for a sec, okay?"

The lawyer arrived in what could have been minutes or hours, he wasn't sure. All Spirit knew was that he had stopped crying and was instead cuddling Keira and staring off into space.

The mare was a pegasus, with a pale green coat, purple mane, and light blue eyes. Her Cutie Mark was a balance scale, and she spoke in a professional, soothing voice.

"Tonight you will stay with a temporary caregiver, but after that you need to decide who you want to stay with. You have several options; you could stay with the Reynals from your father's side or-"

"Rarity," Spirit spoke up, finality in his tone. "I want to stay with Cousin Rarity." He had only heard of her from his mother, but anyone who could live in a small town like Ponyville without antagonizing half the population could not be the same as over the top nobles that seemed to make up all his other family members.

The mare hesitated. Spirit would have asked for her name, but was pretty sure she had already introduced herself when he wasn't paying attention.

"Are you sure? She is quite young, and is already caring for her little sister..." she trailed off, examining the papers in front of her for more information.

Spirit nodded slightly, and Keira flicked out her tongue to brush his cheek in the semblance of a kiss.

"I'm sure," he whispered.

She conceded quickly, and instead focused on the specifics. "I'm not sure we'll be able to contact her today. She seems very busy. It says here that she runs her own boutique, without any employees. Any letters not related to her orders are likely to be put aside for later."

"I can get there by myself. If she refuses, I can just stay with the Apples for a night. They're always willing to host travelers," he said quietly.

She sighed, before rifling through a folder. "You will need to show her these papers and have her sign them..."

Spirit, with only a bag full of money, his papers, and Keira hidden in his mane, waited at the train stop. Ponyville wasn't a popular destination, so he stood alone, a long row of unused seats behind him.

At last the train came into view. It was long, with each cart uniquely colored and shaped. One cart in particular was lime green with blue roof shingles, and it was this cart Spirit boarded.

The ride took about four hours, with a few slowing moments as it ceded to other trains going towards Manehatten. Spirit took a light nap, his wings shifting as he was forced to rest on his stomach. Keira didn't seem to mind, slithering under his invisible wings and warming herself there.

When Spirit wasn't feeling so depressed, he was going to practice flying. It's been forever since he was last able to feel the wind ruffling his hair...

Now that he thought of it, he wasn't reacting as much as he thought he was going to. His parents just died, and here he was, already dreaming about flying on the wings he earned at his parent's death.

He cared for them, Spirit knew he did. Sure, they were arrogant, obsessed with appearances, and prone to foisting him off on the maids, but they were also the ones who taught him how to talk in high society, made excuses for him when his Potter luck inevitably caused something to blow up during schooling, and gave him everything he could ask for, materialistically. And they had just died.

But at the same time... They were only dead.

Spirit knew that was supposed to be bad, horrible, tragic even, but he also knew that they had died relatively quickly, had seen with his own eyes their souls pass on, had even guided the process.

Spirit knew death.

It wasn't some horrid unknown that had kidnapped them, some inconceivable torture. Theoretically, Spirit could summon them, or at least their shades, but he also knew that the dead preferred to stay dead, liked sleeping peacefully until they chose to be reincarnated. His parents were happier than they had ever been alive.

And that, Spirit mused, was all that mattered.

Spirit shifted slightly, working out the crick in his neck, and his wings twitched and flapped. -Move again and I will bite you, Master or not- Keira hissed, disgruntled from her sound sleep.

-Sorry- he hissed back, smiling softly at his companion's irritated grumblings.

Spirit thought carefully on his new alicorn status. Technically, he had just become royalty. He could go to the castle, be bundled up and worshiped until ponies realized he had death powers, than be feared in an obvious and dramatic way.

Kind of like what happened in his past life, just without the basilisk.

Spirit snorted at his own thoughts just as the train slowed to a stop, and he gathered his things, as well as Keira, and exited the train.

He walked and walked until he reached the town square, then walked some more. It was a small community, and Spirit noticed the curious gazes following him around, but largely ignored them. He finally reached a small boutique, and pushed open the door with a jingling sound.

"Coming," a high and ladylike voice drifted from the backroom, and out of it stepped a beautiful unicorn. Her mane and tail was amethyst purple and curled stylishly, her coat a silky white and her eyes a periwinkle blue. On her flank the image of three blue gems stood out, complementing her coloring.

Spirit decided that this was the most gorgeous pony he had ever seen.

He cleared his throat, and Keira remained stone still under his mane. "Are you Rarity? I'm Spirit. I've..." he trailed off awkwardly, summoning his papers from his bag. "I've come to live with you."

What did you think for the second chapter? Also, I mentioned this was AU? Therefore, any OOCness is just the AU? *cough*excuse*cough* Just saying. AU.

In case you couldn't tell, I totally killed off Rarity's parents. I just didn't like them enough to keep them, and they weren't very instrumental to the plot, so...