It had been a whole month already since Twilight's sacrifice. Everypony was... trying their best.
Pinkie Pie was... not in the best condition. She didn't even look Pink anymore, practically lost all her color.
Both Rainbow and Rarity got through their mourning by burying themselves in work, with Wonderbolts and weather for Rainbow, and Rarity's fashion business for herself. Fluttershy refused to come out while Starlight was scouring the castle for some solution. She only allowed Trixie in to have a sort of social link, and occasionally Spike, in case he ever forgot something or needed to mourn. It was an early morning at Sweet Apple Acres, and Applejack stretched out her hooves and went to get everypony up. To her surprise, Applebloom was already up,
"Hey Applebloom, what's got you up so early?"
Applebloom was close to Twilight, and ever since then hadn't gone on any sort of crusader mission, and kind of just shrugged her sister off as she walked out to do some chores.
"Alrighty then, I guess I'll go wake up the boys..."
Applejack trotted up the stairs and knocked on Big Mac's door, a bit quietly.
"Hey Big Mac, time to get up."
Big Mac slowly got up and out of bed, he didn't know Twilight as well as the group but he was also close friends with Spike, and seeing him hurt, wasn't easy. Applejack hated doing it, but she had to get Spike up, with him on the farm Granny Smith could finally sleep in and relax a bit more, she wasn't too keen on it first until she got to relax a bit, after years of hard work she could retire from farmwork. She knocked on Spike's door.
"Hey, Spike..." Applejack blushed, she couldn't be doing this whole "blushing thing" now. Spike was still mourning. "Time to get up, we gotta package some jams and jellies today." Spike slowly rolled out of bed thinking back on when he first met Twilight.
(14 years ago)
Spike was always being teased by Garble and the gang for being a little shorter, but dragons are dragons. Dragons are supposed to be this way... right?
"Hey Pipsqueak, we're going on a raid, and we think you're ready to join us!"
Spike was elated, maybe he could finally be considered "one of the guys!"
"Yeah sure, just let me stretch my wings first." Garble chuckled, and pushed Spike down and gave him a noogie.
"Sure, whatever Shrimp, just don't be late." Garble and his friends snorted as they flew to the raid spot.
Spike sighed, got up and dusted himself off, and began stretching his legs.
"You know, Spike, they're all the same age as you, and you aren't that weak, you could take them, especially since you all got your wings early, I didn't get mine till I was around 13 or 14."
Spike looked up to see his one "true friend" Ember.
"Picking fights isn't going to get me anywhere, Ember," Spike monotonously said. "I just need to not treat them like shit, and they'll do the same."
Ember rolled her eyes and started to walk off. This is why Spike isn't really sure what to call Ember, she acts all nice to him but as soon as he gains his own groundings and morals, she storms off. Spike sighed and flew quickly to the raid spot. One of Garble's goons teased him and yanked him down by the tail.
"Bout time you showed up, runt," They all chuckled, "We almost started without you."
Garble took notice of Spike and grinned. Spike would be the perfect distraction and who cares if he got hurt, it wouldn't;t be on Garble's tail.
"Ah, Spike... glad you're here since you're new, you can be the distraction."
Spike stretched out his wings, cracked his knuckles, and stretched.
"Alright Garble, what do you want me to do." Spike paused... "We won't need to kill anything will we?"
Garble rolled his eyes and put a claw on Spike's back.
"Shrimp, it's simple. Distract those phoenixes while we steal its eggs, nodragon will be harmed."
Spike gulped as the other dragons got into position. Garble waved for Spike to go forward and he did.
"Hey phoenixes, I heard your fire is as hot as ice!" Spike shouted as he threw a rock at them. The parental phoenixes zoomed after him as Garble and the others went for the eggs.
"Aw man," One of the dragons said. Garble, taking the far point, just got there and didn't want any damn thing going wrong.
"What is it no- AW MAN!!" Garble threw his arms up in the air and shouted. "They're all hatched!"
"Well, we could still have... dinner," The one female goon said "We haven't eaten in days for a GOOD meal, just scattered gem scraps."
Garble thought to himself and mischievously gave a grin to his comrade.
"You're righ- OW!" Garble yelped, in pain as he got pecked and knocked off the tree by the baby phoenix.
This alerted the parents who rushed back to save their children, they also started pecking at Garble's gang. Spike ran back towards the group and slammed into the tree as the phoenixes fled to a safer location. A shadow fell from the nest right next to Spike, unharmed, it nestled in the grass.
"Wow, nice grab Spike!" Garble said looking down on Spike, surprised he got something. "What do you mean?" Spike asked confused. Garble pointed down next to Spike, where a phoenix egg lay. One of the goons fist-bumped Garble as Spike picked up the dragon egg. Spike was confused, they had the egg but...
"What do you want me to do with it?!"
The female goon rolled her eyes, "Well what do you think," She punched his shoulder, "Smash it!"
Spike felt sweat beat down his face "I- I thought you said nobody would get hurt!"
Garble rolled his eyes and snickered with his gang "I said no DRAGON would get hurt, Peewee, now smash it or we'll smash the BOTH of ya-" All of the sudden, a boom shook up where they were as they saw a rainbow in the sky, one that pointed to the.
"Ugh that prissy pony rainbow or whatever is pointing to their capital, Canterlot, and they say we're egotistical!" The female goon rolled her eyes while saying it.
Spike looked up to that rainbow, as he lifted the egg high and shouted. "NO!"
Garble looked at him with shock and anger. He couldn't believe this... blatant disrespect!
"What did you say?!" Garble bellowed, stomping towards Spike.
Spike's eyes got deeper and greener, and his claws got sharper, as he spread his wings.
"I said... NO!" Spike shouted charging at garble, knocking him out, along with half of one of Garble's teeth.
The goon that hadn't spoken a word yet, slowly backed away saying "Let's get out of here!" They all flew back to the Dragonlands. Spike looked up at the slowly fading rainbow as he set the egg back in the nest. He had a gut feeling to go there, it felt like destiny. Spike took off, not leaving a note behind for Ember, and leaving the injured Garble at the riot.
Spike zoomed to Canterlot, he felt like he just... needed to be there.
He arrived at many aghast looks, he asked around about a rainbow but they all either were too afraid of him or didn't notice it. He eventually found a school like building but right before he could walk in the heard a high pitched gasp
"A DRAGOOOON!"
Spike saw a tiny lavender filly with dark navy mane, along with a purple and pink stripe in her mane.
"I get into Celestia's magic school, get my cutie mark, and now this?!"
Spike was taken aback, this little filly was "excited?" to see him? "Uhhhh-"
Her father, Nightlight, rushed in.
"I am so sorry about her, anything from her study books just fascinates her, and speaking of what's a dragon like you doing here in Canterlot?"
"Well you see I saw a rainbow boom of sorts, and my guts intuition told me to came where it led, and that was here, I don't get much..."
"I saw that too, and it gave me a magical surge which helped me pass my tests!" The unicorn beamed, hopping around the dragon.
Twilight Velvet gave a worried glance to Nightlight, who gave her a nervous glance in return. Velvet piped up and put a hoof on the dragon's shoulder
"If you have absolutely nowhere to go, I suppose you can... stay with us?"
Spike thought about it. He looked back, was this really meant to be? He couldn't go back now, Ember would probably hate his guts. He couldn't go back, even if he felt like this whole rainbow boom thing was stupid. He looked at the worried mother, the nervous father, and the excited filly.
"Sure, t-thanks for letting me into your h-home."
Twilight let out a squee and brought Spike into a tight squeeze. This took him aback and startled him.
"W-what is that?"
Twilight rolled her eyes and backed up from the embrace.
"it's called a hug, silly..."
Spike groggily opened his eyes to see Applejack shaking him.
"Silly dragon- you were staring off into space for a minute or two, you feeling alright?"
Spike didn't want to hurt Applejack, he knew she pulled a lot for him to be here.
"Hey if you're not feeling well we can keep you inside today, Sugarcube..."
Applejack put her hoof on his claw causing her to quickly blush and retract it. Why was she still feeling that? It was years ago, the timberwolf incident. It's made her feel-. She's just so-.
"Applejack it's fine, as soon as I get some of your homemade breakfast in me, I'll be fine."
Applejack nodded, rubbed his head, and went downstairs. For some reason, this felt nice when Applejack rubbed his head, not like when Garble used to. He blushed and headed downstairs to get some breakfast.
Rarity was in her shop, sewing, and sewing, and sewing. Her friend and assistant knocked on the door.
"R-rarity..."
Rarity kept sewing and sewing, bags under her eyes, sweat beading down. She had to just sew, seem the issues shut and they'd go away. Who was Twilight? Never met her-
"R-rarity..."
Just keep sewing, just keep- doing something just keep-
"RARITY!" The shrill voice shouted.
Rarity finally turned to her assistant, a paleish cream pony with cyan candy-striped hair.
"Terribly sorry Coco, today's been rough due to... Twi- THE number of outfit orders that came in!"
Coco sighed, she was elated when Rarity moved to Manehatten to work with her, Rarity showed her that being generous could work out, but when she learned why she had moved here, all she did was feel bad for feeling good.
"R-right. I just came in to tell you that the Midsommar Theatre Revival is being moved to next weekend, so we'll have extra time..."
Rarity let a sigh of relief, finally some good news, she could pace herself, a little bit, maybe even sleep.
"Thanks, darling, now I'm going to sleep for the first time in... days?"
Coco sighed, it had been almost a whole week since she slept at all.
"Mhmm, 5 days, better get some sleep Rarity."
Rarity got up and collapsed right there on the floor. Coco sighed, and threw a blanket over her, turning off the lights and attending to her duties. After all, it was barely 8 am, and she had to help keep the Revival.... revived.
Fluttershy hadn't told anybody but Twilight meant more to her than anypony could ever know. Now... she was gone. Fluttershy hadn't gone out in one whole month and planned not to ever again, she had her cottage, animals, Discord, and memories. That's all she wanted. But nopony, no creature, albeit Angel, knew about how she felt about Twilight. Ponies would always praise Rainbow for giving her confidence but nopony helped her more than Twilight. She'd known Rainbow since flight camp, but only really gained bravery since Twilight came to town.
Fluttershy sighed, laying down on the couch, she stretched her legs out. Then suddenly, Discord popped himself into existence with groceries.
"Y'nkow if you're just going to stay inside, why do I need to go out for errands for you?"
Fluttershy sighed and huddled up against her pillow, knowing he probably didn't need to but wanted people to know she was OK.
"You know Angel, he's very picky, he only likes the stuff from the stands, and the phoenix feathers I need for the medicine have to be bought, or they don't work right."
Fluttershy blushes remembering the antics she had with Twilight and the Celestial princess' pet, Philomena. That day was so chaotic... Discord sighs and makes himself a beanbag to relax on while sipping some black tea, which makes you turn a dark shade of the night, easy for late-night pranks and chaos... He wishes he could tell Fluttershy that- but he knew, she didn't think he knew, but god damn it, he's the lord of chaos. Of course, he knew.
Pinkie chipped away at a rock and sighed as it didn't provide much of a break. Maud approached behind her and put a hoof around her.
"Pinkie, it pains me to see you like this, I know Twi-"
"Please, Maud. Don't say her name right now..."
"Pinkie, this isn't going to go away unless you talk abou-"
"I don't want to talk about it right now Maud."
Maud backs off and frowns as she walks away. Maud knew Twilight was one of Pinkie's best friends. Pinkie remembers all her memories with Twilight, from her doubting Pinkie-Sense, to her being the first pony Twilight met in Ponyville. She couldn't believe how many moons it had been since then. She had been in so many exciting moments that day, she was so excited to help the POS but not as excited as the time she went "AUHHHHH" but really who could top that? Not the POS that's for certain, because that's how she lost... Pinkie just broke down over the next rock, she couldn't do this for much longer, she needed a party or any bit of joy.
Starlight was locked away in Twilight's old castle, trying to find a spell that can help get her back. Just like Rarity, she hasn't slept in several days, she's just about to crack.
"There's nothing in here..."
Starlight levitated it over to a small pile of books and heard banging on the library door only to see Trixie trip in and over a lot of books. A large cluttering and crashing noise is heard. Starlight teleports Trixie out of it.
"Trixie appreciates the assistance from, well, YOUR GIANT DEATH TOWER OF BOOKS!"
Starlight looked at Trixie with a frizzled mane and a face that screamed, ya got no sleep in at least two weeks.
"Sorry Trixie just.... trying to find.... a"
Trixie put her hoof around Starlight's neck, causing her to blush, and let out a small giggle in her tired state.
"Starlight, you're my best friend, and while this is important, so is your health, like Twilight would do the same thing in an alternate universe where discord asks for a bride, it ends up being one of you all and she tries to find a way for her back."
Starlight just stared at her in confusion, it felt like something Pinkie would say... would've said
"But not at the expense of her own health, that would make her thinking irrational, and her mind go nuts!"
"I think you need some sleep too dork." Starlight said putting her own hoof around Trixie's neck causing them both to blush and hurry off to their separate rooms. Both wanted Twilight back, Trixie felt like Twilight gave her a mora goal to be, and Twilight saved Starlight, and her from dooming Equestria. Starlight looked back on that moment and smiled. If she hadn't accepted, doom to Equestria, when she did? Eventual loss of a princess and mentor.
Rainbow Dash was in her mansion, she'd deny it being such but everypony's seen how damn huge it is c'mon now, just reading Daring Do. Twilight got her into this damn series, that egghead. That damn, stupid, nagging, great, amazing, and undeniably unquestionably unlike anypony shed known, and one of the damn best friends she ever had, was gone.
"Readings for eggheads like you Twi"
Now she felt bad for saying that, she had apologized sure, but now it hit different. Like if she hadn't have done anything brash to Twilight ever, she would've somehow survived. Rainbow continued to wail on her punching bag, she was a black belt after all.
Everypony had memories with Twilight but everypony had to move on. Twilight was presumed dead. Twilight was gone. Nopony could do much until Starlight, or somebody, found a possible way to somehow summon the portal to get the Pony of Shadows back, and then how do we get her out, with no sacrifice? Nopony knew, all they knew is that Twilight was gone.
"Hello?"