The Fall of Twilight

by Ephraim Blue

Chapter 35 - Goodbye

Chapter 35 - Goodbye

Grazil Hospital September 1st 1001

"W- What are you two doing here?" Twilight asked.

Pinkie didn't waste any time talking. She immediately launched into the air and landed on top of Twilight.

"Oh, I'm so happy to see you again!" she said. There were several tears that trickled down her cheek and onto Twilight's back. "I- I thought I'd n- never see you again!"

"P- Pinkie! Y- Your... squeezing... too... hard!"

*Sniff* "Sorry, Twi. I'm just so happy to see you!"

"I'm happy to see you too Pinkie! But... why are you here?"

"We came to get you," Chrysalis said. "Pinkie insisted that she come out here to get you to return home."

"Really?" Twilight asked. "Why didn't you send me a letter?"

"If we did, then Spike would have known. Then he would have told the rest of us to come. Not everypony in Ponyville knows that Chrysalis is staying there."

Twilight nodded. "Oh! I forgot to introduce you. Pinkie, Chrysalis, these are two new friends I made ever since coming here, Blue and Graymayne." She pointed a hoof at the gray stallion, and then the black one. "Blue, Graymayne, this is Pinkie, the Element of Laughter..."

"Hey," Graymayne said.

"Hi Pinkie!" Blue cheered.

"And Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings."

"Blue..." Chrysalis growled.

"Chrysalis..." Blue growled back.

"Wait," Graymayne said, "do you two already know each other?"

"You could say that," Blue replied. "The Doctor and I have some history with her."

"Harsh history," Chrysalis agreed.

"Stop it you two," Twilight commanded. "This isn't the time to dwell on that subject."

"That's right!" Pinkie said. "Come on Twilight! We need to get you home!"

Twilight turned to Graymayne and Blue. "Are you two coming?"

"Definitely!" Graymayne said.

"Actually..." Blue began, "Graymayne, do you mind if I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure."

Blue turned to the three girls. "Go on. I'll catch up."

"All right," Twilight said. "We'll be at the library if you need us."

"They have a library here?!" Pinkie asked as the walked out. "Were you living there while all of us stayed in Ponyville wording about you?"

Twilight chuckled. "Yes, actually."

And that was all that they could hear before the door closed, leaving the two stallions to talk.

"So, what is it you want to talk about?" Graymayne asked.

Blue sighed. "Do you remember the first thing I said to you?" he asked.

"What does that have to do with anything? Of course I do. I was at the library looking for you when you came in the door and shouted my name."

"Hmm. Yes, that was the first thing I said to you..."

Graymayne shifted at the floor of Blue's bed. "Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Nothing much, actually," Blue confessed. "It's just that you never remembered it."

"What do you mean?”

"Do you remember how I said I met you before? About how I already knew all about you and stuff?"

He tilted his head in thought. "Now that you mention it, yes... I do remember you saying something about that."

"I see..."

"Blue, what does this have to do with anything?"

The gray stallion didn't answer. Instead, he got up from the bed he was lying on and stared out the window. "I said his name, didn't I?"

"What are you talking about Blue? Who's name?"

"Va-Korum."

That caused Graymayne to remain silent. "...Yes... you did."

"Hmm..." He stared at his hooves, which were mounted on the windowsill. "It's a funny thing, Time."

"Time?"

"That's right. To me, it's funny. You never meet everyone you're supposed to in chronological order."

"Huh?" Graymayne asked.

"Time order," he continued. "Correct order. Past to future. To me, that nearly never happens."

"What do you mean?"

"I almost never meet everyone in the correct order. Like you, for example."

"Me?" Blue nodded. "You mean... You really did meet me before we fought?"

"...Yes... That's right. I met you before."

"But what is all this talk about me not remembering?"

Blue stayed silent for a minute. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For what I'm about to do. I'm so sorry, but this has to happen."

He turned from the window, left hoof held out. In a sudden flash of light, his hoof glowed for a second, and then stopped. On his wrist was now his watch.

"Hey! Your watch is back! Where was it?"

"Nowhere, and yet, everywhere," he replied, turning the dials on it. "More specifically, someplace I'm going to in the future."

"But I thought you teleported it away."

"No. I sent it into the future, where I'm going to go and send it back to this very moment. So that I can do what I'm about to do."

"And that is...?"

Blue tilted his head toward the ground and shook it to the left and right. "I'm so sorry for doing this, but it has to happen."

"What?"

There were no more words spoken. Blue's horn glowed brightly and landed on top of Graymayne's head. In nearly an instant, he moved away and Graymayne fell to the floor.

"You never did remember all this..." Blue said. "All you remembered about me is a failed assassination attempt. And I guess I truly know why now. It was because of me. I did it to you, and now I live with the consequences."

He brought his hoof down and placed it on Graymayne's limb back. Using his magic, he pushed the dial in, and they both vanished from the hospital.

Grazil Library September 1st 1001

Twilight, Pinkie, and Chrysalis were sitting at the library, conversing about what to do next.

"How are we supposed to get back?" Twilight asked. "There's a magical barrier that keeps out anypony that was banished, or isn't wanted in Equestria."

"We could try to sneak in!" Pinkie suggested.

"How do you sneak past a barrier?" Chrysalis asked.

"By being really sneaky!"

"That doesn't work Pinkie," Twilight told her. "They are meant to keep anypony out. That reminds me..." She turned to Chrysalis. "At the wedding, didn't my brother send you and your changeling hoard out of Equestria?"

"Yes, but please don't call them a hoard. They are a specific race, and we do not wish to be called that."

"Sorry."

"But back to the original question, yes, I was sent out of Equestria."

"Well, do you remember how you got back?"

"No, not anymore. I had thrown out the painful memories of The Outlands when I got back into Equestria."

"The Outlands?"

"Yes. This town here rests just on the edge of The Outlands. If you had gone any further, Twilight Sparkle, you would have had to find your own way to survive.

She gulped. "That bad, huh?"

"Yes, they were. Anyway, after I got back to Equestria, I did my best to forget anything outside of Equestria, including the barrier." Her eyes suddenly flashed for a second, and she tilted her head up. "You know, I believe you asked me that question before?"

"Huh? No I didn't."

"No, I remember clearly that it was you who asked me how to get back into Equestria."

"When was this?"

"About a week prior to today, I think. You appeared in front of me, asked me about how to get back into Equestria, and vanished without a trace."

"But, I've been here in Grazil the past week. That's not possible!"

"Don't talk to me if that's impossible or not, but that's what happened."

"Are you sure we can't sneak past the barrier?" Pinkie suddenly asked.

"What?" both Chrysalis and Twilight asked at the same time.

"Pinkie, we already told you, that's not possible," Twilight said.

"Have you tried it?"

"Well... no..."

"Then how do you know that it doesn't work?"

Twilight sighed. "We don't."

"Then lets go try it!" Pinkie said while bouncing out he door.

Twilight shook her had and looked at Chrysalis. "We don't have anything else to do. I say we at least try it. You go with Pinkie. I'll go see what Blue and Graymayne up to."

The two of them exited the library and went their separate ways. Twilight walked down to the hospital. On the way, she came across the town hall building.

I should probably tell Looker that I won't be working at the library anymore. She averted off her original course and entered the building.

"Looker!" she called. "Are you here?"

"In the back!" came a voice. "Come on in!" Twilight followed the direction of the voice and found Looker in his office. "Ah, Miss Sparkle. What can I help you with?"

"I wanted to tell you that I was going to be headed back home now," she said. "My friends came for me, and we might have found a way I could return."

"Really?" he asked, obviously intrigued. "Well the Miss Sparkle, I wish you good luck. And don't worry about the library. I'll head over there later and take care of it personally if nopony else will."

"Thanks Looker."

"Anytime."

She proceeded to exit the building and found herself on the same road she walked not five minutes before. She took a look at her surroundings.

You know, she thought, I might actually miss this place. It provided me with a home when I had none.

She eventually reached the hospital and told one of the recipients what she was doing.

"That's fine," they said. "Just make sure its quick. Visiting hours are almost over."

"Alright!" She then walked down the familiar hallway to the room Blue was supposed to be.

"Blue?" she called while knocking on the door with her hoof. "It's Twilight! I'm coming in."

She opened the door and looked at the empty room before her.

"Blue?"