//------------------------------// // Last Notes // Story: Stories in Stone, Last Dance // by TDR //------------------------------// Stories in Stone Last Dance By TDR Last Notes [ 16,410 years after the defeat of Tirek] The creak of a concealed door behind the bookcase echoed through the hidden room as the soft thud of hooves could be heard climbing the stairs. Ancient mage lights slowly lit up as the figure climbed the stairs stepping into the large room as more of the lights lit up , showing countless pictures hanging on the walls of the cavernous room hidden in the hollowed out top of the Manterhorn. Princess Twilight Sparkle, Goddess of the Moon, Magic, and Books stared across the massive room at the huge collection of memories before her. She moved into the room, passing by a pair of tables that featured prominently in the room. She paused by the first looking over the photo sitting there showing six mares and a small dragon posing for the picture, a smile crossing her lips, before her gaze was drawn to the other items on the table. The large stuffed Bunny that was still holding together, a surprise for something that was little more than a cheap fair prize. A memento of Fluttershy, her Element of Kindness. A mare who died in her sleep next to her loved one. On the bunny's head was a pair of cracked aviator goggles. A memento of Rainbow Dash, her Element of Loyalty. Who died after out racing death herself. Seated just above the goggles on the rabbits head was an old stetson hat, one protected by twice as many preservation spells as the other items. A memento of Applejack. Her Element of Honesty, who passed away looking over the fields of her beloved home. Draped around the bunny's neck was a gem stone and necklace,one that had nearly started a war in her effort to claim it from those who had it . Only the intervention of Dragon Lord Spike who first gifted it and the Regent of the Kirin kept it from escalating to such, as both of them could think of no where safer than with Twilight. After all it had already been stolen and recovered twice from the museum it had been in. It was a memento of Rarity, her Element of Generosity, who gave her life so others could live. Dangling from one of the bunnies legs and still floating despite the countless years it had existed was a red balloon. A memento of Pinkie Pie, her Element of Laughter, who passed on surrounded by loved ones. Seated between the bunny's back legs was a gold embossed book with a dragon scale binding. It told of her future and was there to keep her from worrying about what would happen when she her self finally passed. A gift and now a memento of her number one assistant Spike who had left for the Dragon grave yard long ago. These were the ones she paid the most attention to as she passed. Though the table next to this was empty save a double bladed straight sword laying across it. And a picture of four ponies a zebra and a dragon. In time she expected it too would have some mementos, though for now of the six that would go there, all of them were still worn by the two who still walked Equss. She moved on, passing deeper into the massive room. Pictures of lovers and friends covered everything, some times a memento was with the picture other times it was only the picture, and rarely just a name. She paused before each recalling their passing with sadness. Discord, who turned good at the end and married Pinkie Pie only to die and become a monument to her grave shortly after her death. Princess Celestia who gave up her godhood and married a guard, living out the rest of her life as a normal pony. Lyra HeartStrings , who along with Bon Bon died of old age in each others company. Trevor Lulumoon, Flail Lulumoon, Sunset Shimmer Kaisur, Berry Kaisur, and Beryl Kaisur, all of whom were lost in time and died far before any one they knew or loved had even existed. Pip and Scootaloo Kaisur a pair who died saving the life of a pair of foals. They had been well past their prime, but they still showed the world they were the best at what they did. Spitfire and Soarin a pair of former Wonderbolts who died helping ponies during a freak weather accident. Big Mac, who finally succumbed to the power coursing through him. Nightlight and Twilight Velvet Sparkle. Her own parents who died of old age. Dawn Kaisur, who died of age and a disease that Jer'rahd, Luna, and Rynthia had then gone to spend close to three hundred years to find a cure for. Rynthia Kaisur, who gave up her god hood and passed on surrounded by those she loved. Elusive Lionheart Reignolds, who also gave up his godhood to die of old age with those he loved. Shintaka Sparkle, another who gave up his godhood, only to die alone as those he loved had long since passed. But it was still with a smile as he knew they were waiting for him. Breezy and Dustina Mist. Both killed in an airship accident while helping the evacuate others. The captains had gone down with their ship literally in this case. Nothing like the Jupiter had ever been built again. Glimmer Sparkle Mist, died of old age. Talon Mist, killed himself after his wife Glimmer died. Applebloom Apple. Died of old age and was swiftly followed by the monster she had imprisoned, Tirek. Sweetiebelle Reignolds, died of a heart failure at the end of her last concert. Peach Blossom Silvertail. Killed defending a trainload of civilians from bandits. Starfall Silvertail, died after destroying the bandits that killed her husband. Rhederic Pelt, killed buying Luna enough time to save everyone in New Canterlot from Tirek. Lion Heart Reignolds. Killed by Tirek while trying to save the Kirin and his wife and foal from the monster. Velkorn Pelt, died in child birth from injuries gained after trying to help civilians to escape Tirek. Granny Smith Apple. Died from a skiing accident. Gilda Griffon, killed at the start of the War of Gods by an assassin hunting Rainbow Dash. Lord Talon, Fred, Killed in the opening act of the War of Gods. Babs and Silver Sterling, murdered in a failed robbery. Sunshine and Starcloud, gave up their godhood and vanished into the world and presumed dead. Bleu Scale Kaisur, traveled to the Dragon Graveyard with her mate. Vinyl Scratch, died in a electrical fire in her late fifties. Nico Muse, died in the same fire as his mare friend. Orange Danish Kaisur, retired from the medical field and spent her remaining years in the Crystal Empire writing medical books until she passed. Octavia Melody Muse, passed on at her desk at the Platinum School of music after finishing the last page of what was now considered to be the great Equestian symphony. Jacob Muse, passed in his sleep a number of years before his wife. Trixie Lulumoon, died in a small hospital of pneumonia complications after spending nearly a hundred years back on the road with the Grand Pinkie Pie Fair. Wolf Pelt, died of old age in the Frozen north with his Windigo wife. Fox Pelt, died in the field during a particularly heavy applebuck season, in his early two hundreds. Butterscotch, Apple Blossom, and Dandelion. All married and lived normal lives before they passed on leaving behind several new generations of Cutie Mark Crusaders to terrorize the Ponyville district. Diamond Tiara Kaisur, died due to complications after a surgery in her later years. Paint Brush Lily Kaisur survived his wife's death , but was never quite the same after, his paintings taking a much darker tone until he passed some years after her. A.K. Yearling , passed on a expedition to the frozen north to find the source of the smooze. Though she died of the cold what she had found and documented lead the teams that followed to the source of the smooze, frozen in ice so it could be destroyed completely so as never to threaten Equss again. Emperor Shining Armor Sparkle. Died of complications due to his old age during a particularly vicious flu season. Empress Cadence Sparkle, faded from existence years after her husband died. Her last contact with Twilight had been her saying goodbye and a final performance of their shared ladybugs dance. Twilight paused there, not able to help herself from humming the old song before the picture of her sister in law. The pictures were in no real order at the moment save for those who had married or been foals of the others being near each other. She had long ago shaken her ocd, but every so often it roused again and she rearranged this entire room as she dusted it, despite the spells keeping dust away. The wall she was approaching was decorated with a number of those she had worked with and cared for here at the castle, as well as a host of those she had been much closer than that too like Steel Horn. Princess Sundown who gave up her God hood to retire after failing to make it through the black phase of immortality properly. Princess Geranium who up until a few years ago was a close friend. She had gone mad for some reason or another that Twilight never fully understood, though she had become obsessed with trying to dig something out of the ground to the point she worked a number of ponies and others to death trying to dig a hole. Even going so far as to try and crash the sun into Equss to crack the very land open. She had been killed by a earth pony she had enslaved named Astra who had some how taken in the former Princess' powers and moved the sun back to where it was supposed to be. She had become the new Princess of the Sun and was currently confused and still trying to deal with this revelation despite having been a Princess for nearly five years now. She had no relatives left, no loves or interests, Geranium had taken those away. She seemed to be in constant awe of Twilight, much like Twilight had been of Celestia. Jer'rahd and Luna had apologized for taking so long to come back, but they had been on the other side of Equss before they knew something was wrong. There were other things as well. The Windigo race was no more. When Tamberlane's power had finally dried up there was little to no real strife left in the world for them to feed on thanks to Twilight and the Kaisur family’s actions. And so the Windigo faded away leaving nothing behind but the Snow Ponies and Llinorm as proof they had existed. There were countless other loves and friends she had made, all of them whose names and faces were in this room forever. A wall of books was against the far side of the room, filled with the names and small pictures of ponies she had met or worked with but who she had known at least in passing, or had seen in the memories she had viewed through a sword so long ago. Twilight let out a soft sigh as she ruffled her wings. She desperately wanted to go join her friends and all her loved ones in her next life, but she couldn't. Not just yet. The Harmony project was still in progress, Astra had yet to find her own hooves to stand on and her successor had yet to even be born. In time though... She would see them all again in time. And she had plenty of that.