//------------------------------// // The Final Lesson // Story: Twilight Sparkle's Final Days // by MasterZero //------------------------------// Earth was once a blue and green planet, with scattered deserts and cities throughout it. Time had long changed it. It was now a rainbow of colors. Chrome streets and buildings could be seen from the cities on the nearby moon. Green forests and plains still littered the planet. Wild, new rivers and seas were scattered throughout. A beautiful aurora filled the air, melding with the night sky. Earth's people, humanity, walked down the stone and metal streets. They looked so normal to the unicorn. True, their bodies were different, but they smiled like ponies. Frowned like ponies. Talked and laughed like ponies. When they looked at her, some smiled, others looked indifferent, just like ponies. Different shells, same souls. It was hard to imagine that these beings were capable of recreating entire universes at the drop of a hat. Speaking of which, surely such powerful beings had no real need for walking anymore. Why, Lauren had returned Twilight to her youth with a barely a thought! The dull purple pony was now back to being a vibrant magenta, with her skin unwrinkled and smooth. "Lauren? Why are there people walking? I mean, can't your species teleport? Why are they walking around like...." "Mortals?" Twilight nodded. "Twilight, you are capable of teleporting. What's the point of walking?" "Because...teleporting is taxing?" "And?" "And..." The unicorn racked her mind. "To see my friends on the way?" Lauren smiled at her little pony. "You'll find Twilight, that something immortals sometimes need is some simply mortality." Twilight raised her brow in confusion to the strange statement, when another human, one of Lauren's friends, named Jayson, cut in. "Besides, some of us don't even exist in this plane." "What do you mean?" "A few millenniums ago, our species discovered a way to build structures in the fourteenth dimension.. A large portion of our race lives there now. Its roomy," he explained. "F-fourtteenth?" "Don't worry, you'll get used to it. Going from three dimensions to twenty is not an easy switch." "We can show you one of the other dimensions, after we visit Pinkie." Pinkie's home resembled Sugarcube Corner, but it had subtle differences. While it still resembled a giant gingerbread house, it had a bit more color to it. Red, orange, pink, purple, blue and magenta sprinkles decorated and caused the store to shimmer with a beautiful glow. Twilight took a deep breath and felt her heart race. How long had it been since Pinkie passed away? Years, she was the first, sadly. Twilight had attended her funeral for Celestia's sake! She had intended all of their funerals. Twilight strengthened herself. This was going to be the first of many strange meetings that the unicorn would have never expected having. Best to just get it over with. "Welcome to Sugarcube Corner! What can...?" Pinkie had been serving a pair of humans when the group walked in. She had thankfully put the meal on their table before looking to see who walked into the bakery. She would have no doubt dropped the plate in shock at seeing who walked in. Twilight expected a loud gasp, just like they had met long ago. She expected confetti and streamers to rain down upon her, with a 'About time!' She expected a 'duh!' and some sort of joke. But Twilight saw tears in the earth pony's eyes. She felt a hoof gently touch her cheek. The pink pony looked at Lauren, expecting something, her lower lip quivering like a lost foal in the cold. "Its her, Pinkie. We wouldn't insult Twilight by making a fake one to visit you. This is the genuine thing." "...Twilight?" "Its really me, Pinkie. I'm-OOF!" Twilight felt the earth pony's forelegs wrap around her body and hold her tight. She felt warm tears landing on her neck as the pony held her. "Twilight! Twilight Twilight Twilight!" "Ack!" The unicorn gagged at the tight hold, but smiled still. She tried to copy the strength of the hug to the party planner, though she was far weaker. Pinkie still got the message though and pulled away only to show her brightest smile. "You were picked too? Really?! That's great! I hope you weren't afraid? I was! First I was like, 'WOW! What's that?' then I was like, 'WOWEE! What's that?!' then-Oh, Twilight, its so good to see you again!" "Its good to see you again, Pinkie...I...I never imagined I could." Tears openly fell between the two friends, and the unicorn felt her heart soar. It was going to be wonderful to see all of her friends again! She was going to feel this breathtaking surge of joy at least five more times! "This is great! We need to have a party! We need to celebrate!" "Agreed! We can invite the girls over and we can throw a classic Pinkie Pie party!" "You bet we...can." Wait...Something was wrong. Twilight was overjoyed, but she could tell something was wrong. You're not friends with somepony for over sixty years without getting to know them well. Pinkie sounded sad. "Pinkie..." Twilight wiped a tear away with her hoof from the earth pony's cheek. "What is it?" "..." "Pinkie. Please, talk to me." "The others...we don't really hang out anymore, Twilight. I haven't seen any of them for over a year. We're not really friends anymore..." Pinkie looked away and, her mane 'popped' and deflated, reducing to a sad waterfall of hair. Twilight, on the other hand, was stupefied. "What?! But...Why?!" "Godhood." Twilight looked at Laura as the other humans stepped back and gave their leader the limelight. The redheaded human rubbed her forehead as she tried to form the words. "An entire omniverse out there to explore, and near limitless power to do whatever they pleased. I'm afraid your friends were a bit...overwhelmed. Not to mention, without you, their greatest link, they did not have the same bond." Pinkie felt Twilight hold her, protectively, and the earth pony nuzzled against the unicorn as Laura continued. "We've tried talking to them, Twilight. Pinkie has tried. We need you to try now." "You're gods! Can't you do something? I mean..." "We've tried words, and we refuse to use force. Friendship isn't friendship if its forced by gods." "...Pinkie." The pink pony looked at her old friend and she saw a face of sadness and melancholy. Those blue eyes had their tears wiped away as Twilight said, "Pinkie. Would you do me the honor of being my friend and helping me bring the others back?" "R-really? You think we can do it? I've tried talking to them! I've tried inviting them over! I've-" "I Pinkie Pie Promise! Cross my heart." "And hope to fly?" "Stick a cupcake in my-ERAAH!" "Heheh. Oh, Twilight. You always did have a hard time with that part!" Pinkie giggled. ---------------------------- "She made that?! Its beautiful!" Twilight admired. The pair found themselves sitting on a sun, after Lauren had teleported them, looking at a constellation being formed by their old friend. They watched the white speck, who had not noticed them yet, zip around the constellation, moving stars back and forth. "I almost feel like we should wait to talk to her...I'd feel awful taking her out of the zone," the scholar commented. In an instant though, the lines of stars vanished, cast away and thrown off into the distance. The two looked at each other in confusion. "Why did she do that? It was beautiful! Come on, Pinkie, let's go talk to her!" Twilight stood up on her legs, only to stop and look down for the first time. "...Were we sitting on a sun?" "Yepperoni!" Pinkie wrapped her forelegs around the intelligent egghead, not giving her anytime to truly think about her most recent revelation. The earth pony kicked against the sun, sending the two flying at the artist. "Rarity, catch us!" "Wha-Pinkie-!" The couple collided against the white pony, and the three spiraled out of control into a nearby pile of stars. Rarity was the first to escape the pile of hydrogen and helium gases. She pushed a star off of her and rose out of the pile. "Pinkie! What do you think you're doing?! I am trying to create a masterpiece!" "Rarity! Looky looky look!" Pinkie pointed to a purple butt sticking out of the pile. "Okay, now look!" The earth pony pulled the unicorn out of the pile and patted her back, helping her cough out a bit of star that might have fallen into her mouth. "Oh. Twilight, how pleasant of you to visit me." "Ack...That's it? No tears? No gasps? No fainting?" Twilight asked, looking at the fashionista "I expected your ascendance as soon as I was accepted, darling. Lauren would have had to be completely ridiculous NOT to accept you." "Oh, why, thank you," Twilight smiled. "But, I am afraid I must return to my work. Beauty never rests, and now, neither will I." "...What? Rarity, do you even remember the last time you saw Pinkie?!" "Of course I do...! What day is it today?" "Tuesday," Pinkie answered. "I believe I saw her last Fri-" "No! You haven't seen her for over a year!" "What!? That's impossible! I could have sworn I saw her...Oh...No, no, that was the Pinkie Pie constellation I made." The three looked off to the distance to the shining, pink light show a few light years away. "Wow, you made that for me!?" "Please, darling, I made one for all of us. Now then, I need to get back to work. My quality has been lacking as of late, and the universe is in dire need of something of decent quality." Twilight Sparkle teleported in front of the artist with a frown. "What are you talking about? That last constellations was gorgeous!" "Oh, Twilight, please, it was no where near as beautiful as your constellation. I need to be better. If I can just capture just an essence of the Applejack constellation's beauty, I know I'll-" "Rarity, listen to yourself! You miss your friends. That's why you refuse to believe anything you make is beautiful, unless it reminds you of us!" "Twilight, that's...sigh...true." The white unicorn morphed a nearby star into a sofa and fell upon on it. "I was so obessed with this new form of art when I found it! I didn't even help poor Fluttershy get used to the universe. Some best friend I was....And Applejack! Pinkie and Fluttershy went to go talk to her, but did I? NO! Because I was too obsessed with finishing a constellation! Oh, I've been a dreadful friend, simply dreadful!" Tears fell from her eyes and she would have cried into her new sofa had it not been for Twilight. She placed a hoof on Rarity's head and pulled her into a tight hug, nuzzling their cheeks against one another. "Rarity...Its okay." "No, its not...I owe all the girls an apology! Starting with you, Pinkie Pie. I'm so sorry for never going when you sent me invitations to your parties. Its just...at first I was busy with making beautiful constellations, but then it was because of fear. I was so afraid you were all mad at me, I always told myself next time I-" "I forgive you, silly billy filly!" Pinkie giggled, before jumping over to the two, joining in the hug. "Does this mean we're friends again, Rarity?" The white unicorn couldn't have stopped her smile, even if she had tried. She wiped away a tear and nodded her head. "If you're willing to be friends with a work obsessed fashionista." "Well, duh! Course I am!" ------------------ Applejack waved her hoof in the air. Trees rose from the ground and over a hundred acres of apple tree filled the land. The apples were ripe, the trees strong, and the leaves were stunningly green. They were perfect. Over a hundred acres of perfection. Applejack hated it. Well...Honestly, hate was too strong of a word. AJ hated how easy it was. How any critters that tried eating her harvest could be shooed away by simply thinking about it. How now all it took was a simple thought to grow a tree. When she was mortal, it took hard work. Each tree was grown and tended to. Each one had a name. Here? They were mass produced by the thousands with ease. None of them were cared about as individuals. Care.... Applejack knew what it was liked to not be cared about . When she agreed to stop worrying so much about Apple Bloom, she was told she'd be visited by the others. Now here she was, away from Apple Bloom, but where were her friends? Nowhere. You're forgetting something, partner, she told herself. Okay. So she also promised she'd visit them. But she had responsibilities! Unlike them! Rainbow Dash was playing around, flying around stars, and Rarity was busy making the sky pretty. Fluttershy....Applejack wasn't entirely sure what Fluttershy did. The mare barely spoke about it, and she seemed so....distant. But AJ? AJ worked! She filled planets with food for the folks who needed it! They did visit at first, but ya brushed them off like yesterday's rotten apples. That's why they stopped. AJ sighed as she overlooked the fields. They reminded her of her home...She wondered how Apple Bloom was doing. Did she meet any nice colt? "Actually, Apple Bloom is dating Spike." "What?" AJ asked herself, before realizing the voice was behind her. She turned to look at the source and was flabbergasted. "Twilight? Twilight Sparkle?" "Applejack!" The farmer felt the scholar hug her and the orange pony toppled over. She laughed though, and hugged the unicorn back. She was about to say something, when something heavy landed on the two. "YAY! More hugs!" Pinkie cheered, laying on the two. "Pinkie?" "Applejack." "Rarity," AJ huffed, glaring at the white pony. "Twilight, Pinkie, ya mind getting off?" The two ponies obeyed and the orange mare smiled at them, and even at Rarity. "I'm guessin' those fancy human folk brought you here two, eh Twi?" "They did. How could I not, when they told me all of my friends were out here?" "Well, I'm happy to see you again, Twilight. But somepony may not be..." "Applejack, what are you talking about?" "Rainbow Dash was the last pony before you came around, and she's changed, Twi. All she cares about is flying around and exploring the universe. She doesn't care about us." "I can't believe that and you shouldn't either! Rainbow is the most loyal pony there is! I bet, if we just go talk to her, you'll see she's still her." "I don't know, Twilight..." Applejack looked at the ground, shaking her head. She closed her head and sighed, only to feel Twilight's magic lift her head, making her face the purple pony. "I made a Pinkie Pie Promise that I would get us back together. I intend to do just that, and I'm not the only one." Twilight looked to Rarity as she walked forward. "Applejack, we've both been a bit obsessed with our work. You feed young worlds, and I give them beautiful constellations. Both of what we do is important. I am sorry for insulting what you do, and I'm sorry for being a terrible friend. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, darling." "Rarity...Shucks, I'm sorry! I'm sorry I called your work easy, and I'm sorry I haven't tried to visit you." "We've both made mistakes. What do you say to starting over? Friends?" "Sugarcube, you gone and taken the words right out of my mouth!" Twilight smiled as the two hugged one another, before being knocked over by Pinkie hugging her. "Twilight, we're doing it!" She giggled. The unicorn beamed and embraced her pink friend back. "Of course we are, Pinkie. I promised we would." ------------------ "Wow, ya really made an entire constellations based on Sweet Apple Acres?" Applejack inquired, as the four walked through the forest of a another planet. "I did indeed, darling. Once we are done here, I would be happy to show you them." Twilight smiled as the two spoke. It was just like old time, and the smiles the two mares had showed they were well on their way of rebuilding their old bond. Suddenly a soft voice could be heard on the wind and Twilight closed her eyes as she listened to it. "Hear that?" "Yeah! It sounds like Fluttershy singing!" "Come on, girls. This way!" The four ran pass the trees, their hooves stomping on the lush, green grass beneath them as they followed the voice. It had not changed, if anything, it was even more enchanting. They found Fluttershy in a small clearing, sunlight raining down on her. Small, alien critters surrounded her. The strange creatures were just as entranced by the mare as creatures from Equestria were. "You haven't changed at all, Fluttershy." The purple unicorn walked forward, revealing her presence to the pegasus. The yellow mare gasped at the sight of the four mares, stepping out from behind some trees. She placed her hooves to her mouth as she stared at them, before uttering a single word. "Girls?" "Howdy," Applejack greeted. "Darling..." "Fluttershy!" Pinkie Pie, for a lack of a better word, glomped the pegasus. The earth pony smiled as she hugged her blushing friend, as the others walked closer. "W-what are you doing here?" "We're here for you, sugarcube!" "Twilight's...joined us, for a lack of a better word, and she convinced Applejack and I to take a break from our work. We were hoping you would do us the honor of joining us?" Rarity smiled, before her eyes took a look of concern. "Fluttershy...I know Applejack and I have not been the best of friends. We have been nothing short of discourteous and boorish to you!" "Not to mention we were plain ol' impolite, sugarcube!" "Indeed." Rarity's face returned to a smile, though her eyes showed the regret and sadness within her soul. "Please, could you ever find it in your heart to forgive us?" "We're both real sorry, Fluttershy, and we want to make it up to you, hone-" Applejack and Rarity were silenced by a tight hug. Fluttershy ran out of Pinkie's hug and embraced the two, as tears silently ran down her cheeks. "I-I was so afraid you were mad at me! That it was my fault you didn't want to see me...I was afraid I did something wrong." "Fluttershy, darling, you did nothing of the sort. It was us." "Rarity's right. We're sorry for making you think that. Please, forgive us?" "I could never stay mad at any of you, you know that!" The three friends hugged it out as Twilight smiled and Pinkie looked at a nearby cloud. While Twilight was happy to see the old friends hugging things out, Pinkie was focused on something else. She leaned over to Twilight and whispered, "Rainbow's in a cloud above us." "What? Pinkie, are you sure?" "She's right, Twilight...I've noticed Rainbow watching me every few days. I...I think she just wants to make sure I'm okay." "What? " Rarity gasped, she spoke in a hushed tone, trying not to look for the blue pegasus. "I think she's spied on all of us. But she's too scared to actually say anything..." "Fiddlesticks," Applejack replied, before pulling away from the hug. "Rainbow! We know you're up there! Come down!" "..." Rainbow Dash peeked her head from behind the white cloud, looking down at the five. They saw her sigh, before jumping off the cloud and slowly descending down to the them. "Hey, guys..." "Rainbow, have you been watching Fluttershy and the others long?" Twilight questioned. "..." Rainbow nodded. "Well? Are ya gonna make us ask why?" "Just to make sure you're all okay..." "Why didn't you just come and talk to us, darling?" "..." "Dashie...?" "I was jealous, okay? I mean....All of you have some important tasks out in the universe and I...All I do is fly around. Fluttershy takes care of animals, Applejack grows entire forests, Rarity makes constellations, and Pinkie? Everyone practically begged her to stay on Earth and hang out with them! They haven't even given Twilight a job yet, but I know she's going to get some high honor! I mean...." Rainbow Dash sighed and closed her eyes, facing away from the five. "I was just afraid you all had better things than hang out with-" "Rainbow Dash, you should know better! Whatever happened to Rainbow Dash, the fastest pegasus in all of Equestria?" Twilight smiled. "You're the loyalest, fastest, and most radically awesome fliers in all of Equestria! You're one of the very few pegasus to ever earn a place in the Wonderbolt Hall of Fame! Foals looked up to you as an inspiration, and still do! More importantly than that, you are our friend!" "Best friend," Fluttershy added, with a soft smile. "The bestest, Dashie!" Pinkie shouted. "There shouldn't be anything more important than being with our friends. We're sorry we made ya'll feel that way." "It was wrong of us. No pony should think that their friends are too busy for them." Rainbow Dash was silent as the five looked at her. Her eyes shifted from each pony, before she spoke. "...Just like that? We're all...cool?" "If you're ready to hang out again, then yeah. What do you say?" Twilight inquired. "I say...I'm sorry for not visiting you girls! Pinkie, we need to have a party to celebrate, don't you think?" Rainbow grinned. "Duh! Streamers, punch, and cake! Lots of cake!" "I know a lovely planet a human told me about. He said, looking into the sky was like staring at the center of a comet, stretched across the sky, and that there are falling stars everynight!" Rarity sugested. "Oh, that sounds simply lovely," Fluttershy gasped. "Come on, girls! We have an entire universe out there to explore! Let's do it." "TOGETHER!" Out there, in space, there are endless possibilities, endless forms of beauty. But even paradise can be boring when you're all alone. Friendship has the magical power to change everything. Heaven itself can be a punishment without it, and Tartarrus can be turned into something wonderful. Friendship can change everything. For Twilight Sparkle and her friends, the adventure had only just begun...