I was gazing at the gravestone before me. It was at the end of row with four others to one side. Actually my gaze was drifting between each of them. The service had ended hours ago. Everypony had left shortly after that.
“Hey, Twilight. Care to talk?”
Or so I thought.
“Hey, Sunset,” I barely got out as tears continued to fall down my face, “Thanks for coming to Equestria.”
“Celestia suggested that I try to talk to you.”
Why? Just leave me be. I thought as I locked my gaze at the gravestone before me. With all of them gone even my mind was as empty and hollow as I felt.
“She told me about your alicorn project.”
A memory immediately came to mind at those words.
“Sugarcube I’m sorry but I’m going to pass. I’d rather not see my family grow old and die.” Applejack had said with the rest agreeing with her.
“But I will offer it to everypony.”
“They declined,” I eventually got out.
“They didn’t want immortality?”
“No.”
“I can understand why. I wouldn’t want to see others that I care about grow old while I lived forever.”
“I was going to offer it to everypony!” I shouted as I looked at Sunset. For a moment I was caught off guard at how young Sunset still looked. That passed when the realization came to me that Sunset was aging at a different rate in the human world.
“You still can.”
My head dropped back to the gravestone before me, “but..”
“They didn’t need immortality to live. Did you not notice everypony’s stories?”
My mind went back to the funeral earlier today. The stories that the Crusaders had shared with laughter. Flurry Heart shared stories with laughter as well. Celestia and Luna joined in with their own stories. Even strangers that I couldn’t remember. Yet I couldn’t get away from the pain, the emptiness, the hollow feeling left inside at the loss of the last of my closest friends. While I smiled at the jokes and stories I knew it was more of a reflex than from genuine happiness or joy.
“They are also still alive if you want to come visit.”
I looked at Sunset and froze.
“Celestia’s idea. She wanted me to offer it to you.”
“I have duties.”
“Celestia said that she will take care of them.”
“They won’t be the same. My friends are dead.”
Sunset bowed her head and sighed. My gaze returned to the gravestones.
“No, they aren’t.”
I immediately glared at Sunset, “How can you say that?! How can you say that when their graves are right there?!” I shouted as I pointed to the grave before me.
Sunset looked at the Castle of Friendship in the distance, “From the moment I came through that portal I saw pictures and window paintings of them. While they may not still be alive they achieved immortality, just like you.”
My jaw dropped and I was confused at what I just heard. After a moment of silence Sunset looked at me.
“Twilight. They achieved immortality through you. Everypony will know of them. The more you tell Equestria of them and the longer you go through history they will go with you.”
I couldn’t help but smile at what Sunset had said. It was the first genuine smile I had for a few days. Sunset was right. Everypony I knew would live on through me even after they had left this world. I gave Sunset a big hug.
“Thank you. I forgot about that.”