Thump...thump...thump. That was the only sound that greeted the lavender mare as she stirred into wakefulness. Her steady heartbeat, ticking away towards eternity. It would never run its course. That was her curse to bear...her price for failing. When would this atonement end? When would she finally be able to rest?
As she pushed herself to her hooves, ready to begin the aimless walk towards nothing...she once again found her ancient thoughts creaking back to the time when everything had went wrong. Starlight Glimmer, a name she had cursed until her tongue could no longer bear to speak...had won. The twisted unicorn had warped all of Equestria, with magic and tongue she had sundered all that lay before her.
Her selfish ambition for an equalised Equestria had been realised. Only Twilight had stood against her, the one star shining in the blackest of nights. Even the wise Celestia, the one who had taken her in when others had feared her strength, had been broken by the honeyed words, so enticing, so false. They had squirrelled into the minds of every single Equestrian, except her. Forced to fight even her own friends, those she held dearest to her heart, had torn the beating organ in two. In the end, she had lost, becoming a broken exile only able to sit and watch as her home was drained of colour and hope.
Where there had once been a vibrant utopia, full of love and promise, Twilight Sparkle had only seen a dead land...devoid of life. Ponies were warped into faded shadows of themselves, with barely a name to differentiate them from their neighbour. Even the sun and moon had left them, no longer supported by the magic of love and friendship. Day and night were no more, only dark grey clouds looked down upon her, stagnant and uncaring. Just as Equestria had been back then.
Then the worst had come. The weakened Equestria, if one could call by that name any more, had become a tantalising fruit fit for only the vilest of monsters. Evil beasts that were whispered about in the darkest of nightmares, known only for their merciless and mindless destruction. They had crawled from the shadows, descending as a horde upon the undefended land. There was nothing to stop them, nothing to hinder the endless waves of death and destruction that ensued.
Twilight had tried, she had tried to keep her home from falling into the void. Even as she shadows clawed at her, she had clawed back. However, it had not been enough, even for a so called prodigy of magic. Her torn heart hindered her, giving the darkness an avenue, a weakness to exploit. Without the support of her friends and family, few as they were, she was nothing. Just a helpless filly, quivering as she stared down a terrifying nightmare. Desperate, and terrified...she could not have prepared herself for what happened next. For what she, had forced to happen next.
Equestria had been destroyed, wrenched from this world and thrown into the void. By her. She had been the one to cast the spell that had obliterated her homeland. No matter how much she had watched it change, watched it collapse into something unrecognisable, something wrong, it would always be her home. That was why she was here now...hundreds of years later, wandering the desolate wastes, having long given up hope but unable to stop searching. This was all she had left, a half life, surrounding by the nothingness she had created.
It had been her choice...with what should have been her last breath. Everything should have ended, it should have been over...yet here she was. Her method had been simple...to use the combined magic of every single cutie mark Starlight had stolen to fuel her final strike. For in the end, Equestria's last act would be to rid the world of the evil consuming it. A deadly burst of raw energy had swept over it, cleansing the land of all darkness...and light. The horrific magic had rendered the land completely uninhabitable, corrupting the soil and preventing life from ever returning. Only she remained, if only so she could remember her abhorrent action, and just how much damage the desperate hatred of one pony could do.
Centuries had passed her, too many years to accurately count. In life she had been obsessed with details, ever the great scholar, but now she could not care, her spirit had long since left her. Accuracy be damned, she just wanted it over. There was nothing left, nowhere to go, no words left to say, no tears left to cry. There was just, the wandering.
Hooves dragging, the lavender unicorn trudged her way through the stillness. In the first few decades, whipping winds had tugged and pulled at her mane, trying to command dominion over every strand. The restless dust had stung her face, long after her tears had ceased to fall. Now, the indigo hair hung across her shoulders, pink strand shrouding her eyes. There was no real need to see, after all her home had been static for the past several centuries.
It was all her fault...everything was her fault. That was the mantra that kept her searching, even if her hope had long since left her. Even if her tongue had long since failed her, the deepest recesses of her mind would never cease their restless taunting. Cruel words that lashed at her numb form, the only semblance of companionship she would ever experience. This was her punishment...and it would be eternal.
Lifting her head to survey the landscape, Twilight froze rigid, blood hardening to ice in her broken heart. For the first time since she had started her ceaseless journey, the uniform deadness was broken. The crack was small, insignificant, barely a black dot on the landscape...but it was there.
An instinct clicked within Twilight, temporarily dulling the mantra still ringing behind her ears. With laden, shuffling step she moved towards the speck. There was no way it could be an apparition...one had not plagued her for several decades. Unless of course this was just one last prank, her reward for enduring the centuries of loneliness.
After what was only a few seconds compared to the eternity stretching before and behind her, Twilight was close enough to identify the mar in her lonely world. Her eyes widened, wonder drawing her ever closer. It was impossible, yet here she was, staring back at another pony. By her height, Twilight could tell that she was looking at a mare, but no other features were discernible behind the thick black cloak she wore. She was deathly still, but her bowed head and sagging stance spoke of insurmountable regret. Twilight found herself able to relate...
Elation filled her, and she opened her mouth to speak. As quickly as it had come, the feeling vanished, crushed by the weight of her pointless reality. The mysterious figure quickly shushed her with a sharp gesture of a pale hoof, though this was unnecessary. Twilight's voice had still not returned to her and not even a whisper would escape her throat. Her legs would not allow her to move any closer to the figure, to touch her. Even in the face of company, she was more alone than ever.
Her thoughts were once more interrupted by the hooded pony, as she gestured with a hoof once more, commanding her to follow. Finally, Twilight found herself able to move once more. Swallowing, she followed after the stranger, not daring to hope that this would lead to something. The imminent disappointment would only be unbearable otherwise. Her mechanical walk dragged her through the wastes in absolute silence. Her torn heart throbbed loudly, filling her ears with the one sound that would never leave her. A snarl twisted her features, the first sign of true emotion that had cracked through her mask of never ending pain in a long time.
Just as before, the emotion was quickly crunched underfoot and trodden into the dead dirt around her. She had nothing left, even the magic that still surged under her veins provided no strength...only pain. It kept her alive, kept her going, even if she would have long since given it up if it meant she could just stop.
The hooded pony lead them forwards, enforcing a rapid pace that Twilight struggled to emulate. Together, yet apart, they moved through the static landscape, neither slowing nor hastening their pace. For half a day, though without the sun and moon the term was worthless, they moved; never speaking, never interacting. Once more Twilight had rocked back into her routine, just moving forward because it was all she had. Whatever hope she might have been granted was merely a candle to the impenetrable darkness, which mercilessly snuffed out the weak, flickering light.
Suddenly, the figure stopped, sharply raising a hoof to signal their journey's end. Twilight halted her movements and watched as her strange companion mill around in the dirt. She offered no explanation, simply searched the decaying earth for what Twilight did not know. As abruptly as she had started, the pony stopped and stood bolt upright. Extending a hoof through the inky blackness of her cloak, she pointed downwards.
At first Twilight saw nothing, simply more dead earth. A strangled sigh escaped her, the only sound she was able to utter. This really had all been for nothing. Nevertheless, she kept staring, and finally spotted what she was looking for. The colour was faintly...off. It was not quite the same shade of brown as the surrounding dust. Realising that Twilight had finally noticed the disparity, the hooded mare silently backed away. This was Twilight's part, she could not interfere.
Approaching the odd ground, Twilight reached out towards it. An electric surge seemed to crackle within her, almost rattling her bones with the immense pressure. This was nothing new, her growing magic often experienced surges, as she had long since had a need to expel it naturally. Now though, it seemed excited, almost...alive. The thought scared her, true chilled fear crossed her aching heart. With a trembling hoof, she brushed away the brittle soil. What lay beneath it, almost made the endless ticking screech to a halt.
Small and fragile, still coated in a thin layer of what was previously barren earth, was a flower. A small humble orchid, green and purple against the expanse of brown. It dared to be different, had the audacity to say no...just as she had all those years ago. Laying down, she pressed her belly against the cold lifeless surface below her, relishing in the tiny crack that had appeared in her doomed reality. Too afraid to touch it, for fear of destroying the fragile glimmer of life, she merely observed...watching as it reached weakly towards the sunless sky.
By now her magic was crackling around her, a mass of energy that desired purpose, something it had been denied for so long. Finally, after being lost for an eternity, Twilight knew exactly what to do. Whatever happened, she had to help this small, fragile, beautiful thing, do what she, with all her power, could not. Equestria could not survive if there was no disparity...sameness was wrong. Differences were what bred strength, as every living thing interconnected intricately, turning dead rock and dust into a great thriving nation of love and friendship.
Drawing every drop of magical power she had in her reserve, she cast her final spell. No amount of practise could have prepared her for this, and no amount of disuse would stop her magic from completing this task. Without conscious knowledge of how, she weaved the spell. It flowed outwards, being lovingly sculpted into a delicate blanket of energy that wrapped itself tightly around the flower, becoming embedded in the bloom's very structure. Soon magic and life were indistinguishable from each other, becoming one on their course to right the future.
The new energy spread outwards rapidly across the land, as far as the eye could see and beyond, metamorphosing the dull cracked land into a glowing sea of vibrant green. Colour was once more seeping back into Equestria, bringing with it disparity and life. Where there had once been a single, solitary bloom there were now great trees rising up majestically towards the heavens. Grasses, so lowly yet so significant raced across the land, binding the recovering earth back together. From deep within the earth came water, long having receded, that now rushed through every available crack and crevice it could find. The damp wetness refreshed Twilight's skin, a welcome, soothing relief after several lifetimes of dryness.
Lastly, the dark, clogging clouds parted, allowing the sun to once more bathe the land in its light. For the first time in far too long, Twilight was embraced by a familiar warmth as the great guardian once again began its vigil over the land below her.
Just as she felt warmth, and joy, Twilight soon began to feel pain. However, this was a different pain. Unlike the cold, dark ache that had relentlessly plagued her meagre existence, this was hot, and stabbing. Each beat of her heart brought more of this wonderful pain, and it was then that Twilight realised that the never ending drumming...was beginning to slow.
A sudden weakness overcame her, dulling the warm agony that continued to stab away at her. Unable to hold herself up, she tilted towards the shimmering ground. Before she could reach it, a pair of warm hooves stopped her. The other mare had moved forward, catching Twilight and drawing her close to her chest. Her cloak was abandoned, having been discarded while Twilight was freeing herself from centuries of regret. There was no need for it any more, she had to play this part, as herself.
Twilight did not resist the comforting embrace, indeed she sank into it. Even in her faded mind, that just felt right, like it was as much for her companion's benefit as it was for hers. The hooves holding her were similar to her own, yet so pale...and familiar. The thought left her, disappearing into the comforting darkness that was patiently waiting to welcome her. Turning her eyes upwards once more, she beheld the beauty that she had finally been able to create. Her actions of destruction and doom would not be her last...as she had feared they would be.
As her vision began to fade, the colours swam and distorted. They were shapeless for a long quiet moment, before slowly forming into a set of very familiar faces...faces she had believed she would never see again. Her friends and family, Moondancer, Minuette, Lemon Hearts, Twinkle Shine, Lyra, Cadance, Shining Armour, her mother and father...all smiled at her. Their warm expressions calmed her, slowing her heart and intensifying death's gentle embrace. It was coming now, and she welcomed it.
Other faces, less prominent, appeared behind her close knit group. Though not as influential in her life, they were no less important to shaping it. As she slipped closer towards her end, the figures parted, revealing a tall white pony that she had loved and respected with all her heart.
Princess Celestia walked over to her, smiling as the others were. The loving expression was no longer tainted by the sadness that had been present in life. Laying down next to her fading student, the ancient princess leaned down and nuzzled her cheek softly. She alone knew the struggle of the never ending, and she alone knew when it was time to give it up. Equestria would regrow into the vibrant land they had both loved, they had done their part.
“It's time to let go now Twilight...you're finished...” she whispered gently, quietly pulling the small unicorn towards her. Twilight accepted the embrace eagerly, pressing herself into her mentors warmth. At that moment, everything finally left her. Her weak, shallow breathing slowed to a stop, and the endless ticking, that had haunted her for what felt like forever, finally silenced.
When Twilight finally sagged in her hooves, the other pony stayed completely still, simply holding the unicorn tightly. Perhaps she was simply delaying, or perhaps she was trying, desperately, to apologise to the one pony she had hurt the most...allowing her to enjoy the sun for as long as was possible. Only when the moon's cool silver glow replaced the golden warmth did she deem that now was the time.
With the care one would display to a newborn foal, she gently laid Twilight down on the bed of flowers she had created.The unicorn content, almost happy, her great trial finally ended. Even now, the new life flooded across Equestria. In mere hours, centuries of death would be turned backwards. Time moved ever onward and life...life would endure, but not as a constant.
After arranging the lavender unicorn into a pose that made her appear to be simply sleeping, the mare stood up. The silver light that she now basked in illuminated her, rending the mystery she had cloaked herself in. Starlight Glimmer backed away from her fallen enemy, maintaining the silence. She had no reason to talk, she simply had to do. This was why she was here, why she had been wrenched from the grave she had indirectly placed herself in. Together, she and Twilight had to put their mistakes behind them.
With one last act of atonement still to complete, Starlight turned her eyes away from Twilight's peaceful resting pace, to the flower that had been used as the catalyst. What had once been a humble, yet beautiful orchid was now a rose, glassy, unnatural, and black as the night now above her. This was her turn. Twilight had given life, now she had to once more offer death.
Plucking the flower in her hooves, she shivered at the glassy, unworldly feel against her skin. That small movement was enough for a razor thorn to slice through her skin, drawing a small stream of crimson blood dribbling onto the leaves. The vile thing absorbed her life essence, drinking greedily. It demanded more. There was no going back now. In the end, this was what she had wanted. Equality, now she knew its true meaning... Nothing escaped death forever, all felt its grip eventually. Now it was her job to ensure that no pony endured what Twilight had, ever again. She owed it, to everyone...
For a long moment she hesitated, her body trembling, making every small movement more difficult. This was going to hurt, she knew that well. As little as she knew about their situation, she had inferred much from what she had seen. A single tear fell from her sapphire eyes, only to be again absorbed by the abomination she held in her hooves. Glancing back at Twilight once more, gave her the courage to proceed. This was her dream, her equality. Twilight had done her part, it was only fair that she do hers. She had been helpless before, she was not now, and she would choose to act. Raising the flower to her mouth, Starlight kissed one hard, stiff petal, allowing a sickening sweetness to coat her lips. That brief taste was all she needed.
Just as Twilight had, she felt her body begin to fail. The toxin raced through her, digging itself into her black heart. The pain was almost unbearable, as her soul was torn away from her. Magic was being wrenched from her body, bleeding out in a river as black as the equal sign emblazoned on her flank. When she began to lose control of her legs, she stumbled forward, crashing to the rejuvenated earth. Coughing and spluttering, she laid down next to Twilight, cold pain blurring her vision as every hacking cough drove her deeper into the writhing darkness she had willingly dove into. Close enough to feel her presence, but not so close that the other unicorn would be disturbed by her death throes.
For several agonising minutes, Starlight felt her grip on the world begin to slip. She struggled to hold it, being driven to do so even though she knew it was futile. Unlike Twilight...she never wanted to die. That was the point, that was what was needed. She had been wrenched from her grave, given a new life, only so she could surrender it for her sins. The excruciating pain never wavered, its glacial grip endured even as her body eventually began to still, her weakening convulsions growing less frequent. When only her heaving chest was able to move, she let out one final, pathetic whimper...this was the end.
Her final thought, her one grace that she had been granted, was at least only one of them had to die alone...that too, was part of this twisted duality. Her own mistakes were far greater than Twilight's, driven by selfishness rather than desperation. It was all she could do, her last gift. On her other side, away from the resting unicorn, she just barely saw the dark flower fade into a black cloud, before her own vision faded into nothingness.
Together, they laid there, side by side in peaceful repose, close, almost touching...yet so distant. Their deeds were done, their dreams fulfilled, their journeys ended. This was how it had to be, this was how it was supposed to be. Equestria would flourish without them, for as long as time could endure. Life would return, and ponies would once again walk under the guidance of the sun and moon.
Twilight they would remember, as the one who had stood the strongest, and lasted the longest. A unicorn who had shown them the best of what they could be. Starlight, they would forget, her misdeeds would be lost to the weathering of time. As their former home continued to grow and shape around them, the pair slept. Two ponies, two dreams, two mistakes, one heart and one love... Equestria.