//------------------------------// // Future // Story: A Twilight Christmas Carol // by Aether Spark //------------------------------// Twilight walked over to the local bench and sat down. “I… I’m not selfish…. I just… have a dream…” She looked around “Well Future! It’s your turn to mess with me, so get it over with!” Twilight challenged. Nothing. “Just know that I’m not changing my ideas, magic is needed in this world and I will be the one who discovers it, maybe you're all right, maybe I need to be more sensitive about my friends, but you need to mind me too!” Twilight said. Nada “And I for one am sick…. Sick and tired of failing…. I get it, I made friends and now I’m losing them… I’ll apologize, maybe take some breaks here and there, will that satisfy you all?!” Twilight called. Nope… “....I won't-” ‘Will ya quiet down out there!” A disgruntled neighbor shouted at Twilight. “You quiet! I’ve had a rotten day filled with judgment, pain, and ghosts harassing me,” Twilight said and the guy waved her off and went back inside muttering ‘What a nutjob,’ After waiting for a few minutes for a response Twilight just sighed and walked over to the elevator, not feeling like taking the stairs… Not noticing the shadow of a pony was following her… and when she entered the elevator she laid back against the wall and pulled out her phone. She scrolled through the contacts and felt a wave of sadness… she just wanted today to be over… Not noticing her shadow transforming into a pony shape… but something was different this time… the shape was tall and bone thin. “I… guess I should call….” Twilight decided to call Fluttershy since she’d be the most understanding…. Before her phone cut out. “What? Oh, come on, stupid cell service!” Twilight said frustratedly.  “You need another lesson before you're ready…” something said, the weirdest part was that there was no voice, yet she knew what was said…. “AAAHH!” Twilight screamed and she spun and screamed again when she saw a tall Grim Reaper-like being. “Oh no… LET ME OUT!” Twilight ran to force the door open but when she did she found the elevator led to nothing. “Wh-what?” Twilight shivered. “It’s time to see, what horrible future awaits…” Future said looking at her and Twilight gasped. It was Fluttershy but… different… she was of course a pony but she was tall, spindly and bone thin, and her eyes were black. “What are you…?” Twilight wanted to puke. “I need not tell, what you already know…” Future said, noticeably her mouth moved but no words came out, like she was whispering too quietly to hear, and yet the words appeared as if they were thoughts in her mind. “So… there’s no getting out of this… great… Let’s just get it over with…” Twilight said and the elevator door closed and the elevator began moving. When it arrived, it opened and Twilight exited. And what she saw confused her. Applejack was sitting in front of an urn with Rainbow Dash there next to her. And AJ had a few tears on her face. “It’s alright AJ, Granny is somewhere better now,” RD said. “Ah know… ah’ve come to accept that… what gets me is how insensitive Twilight is…” AJ said. “Insensitive?” Twilight muttered. “C’mon, she got held up,” RD said unsurely. “Don’t lie fer her sake, it was that stupid research an you know it! She cares more about being known for something big than those who helped her get there…” AJ said. “I… get that, but we-” “Know what… no… ah can forgive but not this much…” AJ said standing up. “Where are you going?” Rainbow said. “Ah’m goin to go tell off Twilight once an fer all, ah’m done waiting fer that selfish ingrate!” AJ said. “Applejack, you’ll only make it worse,” RD said but AJ just shoved her aside. “Ah’m not as forgiving as you Rainbow…. Not after what she did to Spike,” AJ said before storming off. “What… What I did… to Spike?” Twilight’s eyes widened. Twilight stood in the descending elevator. “What did I do to Spike…?” Twilight asked… no response “TELL ME!” Twilight said loudly. “I’ll show you,” Future said and they arrived, when the door opened, Twilight wanted to cry at what she saw. Spike, as an old and depressed-looking dog, sitting in a kitchen as Fluttershy tries to get him to eat. “Eat Spike… you haven’t touched your food in days,” Fluttershy said worriedly. “...I’m good….” Spike muttered. “No you're not Spike, you’re depressed, I know you miss Twilight, but when she did nothing after hearing about that coyote attack… I think it’s time to move on,” Fluttershy said. “Coyote attack?... No…” Twilight said when she saw Spike turn his head and she saw a big scratch on his face. “I’ll wait for her… I’ll always wait…” Spike said. Fluttershy just burst into tears and hugged Spike. “N-no… I wouldn’t do this…. I’m…. I-I…” Twilight staggered back. “Curse you Twilight…” Fluttershy said quietly. “Huh?” Twilight said she’d never heard Fluttershy curse someone's name before. “How could you leave him to rot?…. I’ll never forgive you…” Fluttershy sobbed. Twilight ran back into the elevator and broke down crying. After Twilight regained herself she sat beside Future. “I…I hurt him… I made him lose his will to go on… what kind of monster am I?...” Twilight asked. “One that still has a chance to correct everything…” Future said, the elevator arrived at its next destination and Twilight saw a birthday party. Held by Sunset, Pinkie, Rarity, and Rainbow. For her… “C’mon Pinkie, she’s not coming… again…” Sunset boredly said. “No, she’ll be right here, through that door, any second now, I mean, it’s her birthday and I sent her at least a dozen invitations,” Pinkie said. “Pinkie, we need to come to terms with the fact, human Twilight isn’t the person we thought she was,” Sunset said. “You're giving up too easily!” Pinkie snapped. “...I’m ready to leave,” Twilight said and the door closed. “Where too next?...” Twilight asked. “The final destination,” Future said. As the elevator arrived Twilight exited it, this time with Future and she saw they were in… A graveyard… “No…” Twilight said, seeing her friends and Shining Armor gathered by a tombstone. “Understand?” Future asked. “Whose…. Whose grave is that?... Spike’s?... wait where is he?!” Twilight ran over to the grave and her friends. Spike wasn’t there… “No… not Spike…” Twilight said, she also noticed AJ wasn’t present, and neither was Fluttershy. “I… broke it all…” Twilight said… before something walked past her and she saw Fluttershy with Spike. “Wait? Spike?!” Twilight gasped, he looked really old, like as old as a dog can get. “Spike… say something… now!” Twilight begged but he couldn’t hear her. “Even if he heard, he’s gone completely senile, he’s not going to talk to you,” Future said approaching from behind. “No… he- wait… if Spike’s here… then whose grave is-” Twilight turned… and saw her name on the gravestone “No…” Twilight said in horror. “Why didn’t she listen to us?” Pinkie sobbed catching Twilight’s attention and she turned to see her friends, minus AJ, looking sad. “Applejack sends her regards Twilight, even though she wanted nothing to do with you anymore…” Sunset said with tears in her eyes. “I knew I should have just broken in and taken away those accursed books…” Rainbow Dash said. “...” Fluttershy had an empty expression looking at the gravestone and Rarity put some flowers on it. Shining Armor put his own flowers there as well. “I failed you Twiley… I should have tried harder…” Shining sobbed. “No… NO! NONONO! Your lying, I can’t die, not now!” Twilight said standing up… only for the ground next to the grave to crumble inwards and she yelped, clinging onto the edge of the grave. “AAAAAHHHHH! HELP! Girls! Spike! Someone! HELP!” Twilight cried, but they continued to stand there, crying. “I don’t wanna die!” Twilight said, Future approached the edge of the grave and looked down at her. “Please…” Twilight said. The entity leaned down and spoke with a cold finality. “Then go live,” With a stamp the edge of the grave broke and Twilight screamed as she fell. “I can change! I can put others first! I CAN BE A GOOD PERSON, just please give me the chaaaance!” Twilight screamed as she plummeted into darkness. DING And Twilight fell out of the elevator still screaming. As she hit the ground she laid there panting before getting up and looking around. “Hey mam?” Twilight jumped a little and she turned to see an old lady “Are you alright? I heard screaming,” She said. Twilight panted and looked at herself before looking back at the elevator… and she smiled. “Yeah… I’m fine now…” Twilight said before turning and walking away. She made her way into her apartment and entered her room, but instead of sitting she gathered all her materials and books and she left. Afterwards, she somehow managed to squeeze it all into one backpack and she took off. She ran down the streets. Until she found where she needed to go. Sunset’s house. “Time to make everything right…” Twilight said with a smile.