Twilight Sparkle gazed out into a great expanse of swirling darkness. The entire area around her was pitch black, save for small area above her, alit with a blood red moon.
“So… this is death?”
Suddenly her last moments overcame her in a sudden current that was too strong for here to hold back…
It had started out as an average day, she took up one of her usual spots on a roof overlooking the RED base and got to work taking out as many RED team members as she could. She had just nailed the RED Medic to the adjacent wall with her bow when a sharp, icy pain swelled from the small of her back.
“I finial found you, you impudent pony…”
The RED Spy chuckled as he dragged the dying unicorn’s body over to the edge of the roof.
“Enjoy death my dear,” he whispered in her ear as he kicked her off the roof’s edge.
Twilight could only let out a silent scream of fear as she fell. Her mind flashed back to the time where she had fallen in the Everfree forest. But then she had had Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy there to catch her. There would be no chance ether of them could save her this time though. Fluttershy was busy healing on the front lines and Dash was undoubtedly scouting the RED base or otherwise… distracted by Applejack, or she could even be watching over poor Scootaloo. No, there was nopony to save her now. With a heavy, grieved sigh, she tilted her head back just enough to view the ground, just in time to see it rushing to meet her. Twilight let out a single tear, regretting that she could no longer help her friends and how her death would hurt them, especially Spike. Twilight had been doubting insider herself from the beginning that this was all her fault, and maybe Princess Celestia’s punishment had finally come. Then she hit the ground and felt a sharp, agonizing crack in her neck and another at the base of her spine. And then there was nothing but darkness…
Twilight had begun to weep in her sadness when a voice rang out from the empty void around her.
“I am sorry Twilight, I never meant to cause this suffering onto you or the others, forgive me please…”
Twilight’s head shot up and peered in the direction of the voice.
“Princess… Princess Luna?”
A dark, be shadowed form rose from the innermost darkness. It was indeed Princess Luna, but in the form of Nightmare Moon. Twilight was both shocked and relived.
“Princess Luna… w-what happened to you?”
Luna/Nightmare Moon looked away. In a grieved voice filled with regret she answered.
“After what happened to you and your friends, I could not but blame myself… I withdrew from Tia’s side despite her protests and waited…”
Twilight moved closer to her depressed Princess and whispered,
“I don’t blame for what happened, none of us do, if it is anypony’s fault, it should be mine, if I had been more careful…”
She trailed off and jumped back as Luna wiped around to her.
“And if I had not sent you on that quest, none of this would have happened…”
Luna hung her head in self-pity and looked away.
“Perhaps the Elements of Harmony have not truly banished Nightmare Moon after all, and I am still under its influence even now…”
Twilight suddenly pulled Luna closer as she began to weep.
“Luna please don’t blame yourself, it was just a mistake. Just because it forced us to join this war doesn’t mean you are evil inside, you did not intend for us to go there.”
Luna looked from Twilight’s shoulder with a confused expression on her face.
“But how can you-”
Twilight cut her off.
“I can because you are my friend and I… I care about you too much to see you like this…”
She trailed off, blushing with embarrassment at how forward she had been with Luna, both with her supportive insistence and with her inner most feelings. Luna’s eyes widened in surprise as the revelations of what Twilight had said and meant became clear. Luna ceased her crying and drew the dead unicorn close in a tight embrace.
“Is… is that what you truly…”
Twilight nodded and held her breath, expecting to her the Princess scold her for admitting her hidden feelings so openly to her. Instead she felt Luna nuzzle her affectionately and whisper in her ear,
“I care for you too, Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight gasped and felt suddenly start beating wildly at the news. Luna leaned in and kissed her softly for a time before slowly leaning away and sighing.
“I fear now is the time for you to make a choice, though I am sure of your answer in any case…”
Twilight blushing and slightly out of breath asked,
“W-what is it Luna?”
Luna’s eyes were mirrors of sorrow.
“I can take you with me and you could join Tia and I and have a place at our side in Canterlot, you would become the Princess of the time of Twilight…”
Twilight’s eyes widened.
“You… you can do that?”
She smiled.
“Of course, I can Twilight, with Celestia’s approval which she would gladly give; you would be the first pony to be given the honor to become a Princess, you may even be changed into an alicorn should you wish it as well.”
Luna laughed briefly at Twilight’s expression before continuing.
“Why so surprised Twilight, surly you would know that being the lover of a Princess has its advantages…”
Luna winked at her and Twilight nearly fainted as her heart seemed to leap out of her chest. But before she could get her head together, Luna added in a pained voice,
“But know that I can also return you to your friends in the world of which you are currently trapped upon…”
A swirl of conflicting emotions battled fiercely in Twilight’s heart. On one side was her love for Luna, new blossomed in full with the knowledge that she returned those feelings. But on the other side was the thought of betrayal that it would mean to her friends. They needed her now more than ever; she couldn’t just forsake them for an offer of paradise with Luna. Twilight swallowed heavily.
“Luna I cannot thank you enough for your offer, and would love to join you and Celestia and… and be your lover but-”
Princess Luna held up her hoof.
“Say no more Twilight, I knew that this would be your choice, I could not love if you had chosen to abandon your friends for me, but I still had to offer the alternative…”
Twilight Sparkle nodded in understanding.
“And so, before you return to your friends, I shall bestow my blessing onto you.”
Twilight gasped as Luna touched her horn against her own.
“Your magic shall now be much stronger at the night, and be tenfold as magnified whenever you are under the full gaze of my moon. And your body’s reflexes have now been honed to a much sharper level, which should prevent that accursed Spy from backstabbing you from now on.”
Twilight hugged Luna close, she could not find word to express her gratitude.
“And I am also sending to you two… friends I met while imprisoned on the Moon. They may need some convincing, especially the…”
She paused a moment in thought before continuing.
“The Sagely, Industrious, Illustrious, and Incomparable Ben.”
Luna rolled her eyes at the lengthily and most likely exaggerated title. Twilight giggled.
“Wow, even Trixie’s title was not that long.”
Luna chuckled before leaning close and kissing her lover again. As the broke away a time later, she whispered.
“Are you ready to join your friends once more Twilight Sparkle?”
Twilight nodded, still out of breath. “
And if you ever get lonely, a death under the full moon will return you to my side…”
Twilight nodded and blushed slightly at the implications. Luna simply gazed at her for a time. Then, with her horn aglow, kissed her once more. Twilight’s eyes suddenly became alit with a shining white light and she started to hover above the ground. The blood red moon above them, which had before illumined the two of them in a red haze, was now a brilliant and pure white. Without breaking contact from Twilight, Luna extended her wings and together they rose until they eclipsed the moon’s light. With a sorrowful heart, Luna pushed Twilight’s spirit away from her and toward the rising warmth that was her sister’s sun. Luna felt weak and fatigued from the strength of the resurrection spell she had cast, but her gaze stayed affixed on Twilight and the sparkling trail she left as she drew close to the sun and then faded.
“The kiss of life is very taxing…” Luna whispered to herself.
She was now once again the normal form of Princess Luna, the spell not only rejuvenating Twilight, but also reviving Luna’s faith in herself, reverting her back to her true appearance.
“… but more than worth it…” She continued, with a small smile on her lips…
Twilight Sparkle slowly opened her eyes. Gathered all around her were her friends as well as the ones in the blue team, each wearing a concerned look on their face.
“Twilight, can you hear me?”
whispered Fluttershy, as she bandaged Twilight’s side. Twilight yawned.
“Yes, Fluttershy I can hear yo-”
Fluttershy abruptly hugged her, silencing the tired unicorn.
“We were so worried you were not going to wake up and…”
She started to cry softly and Twilight comforted her and assured her everything was fine. Her friends all cheered at the news that she was going to be ok and after wishing her a speedy recovery, filed out of the room, leaving her to rest for now. Rainbow Dash stopped at the door,
“Hey Twilight, what is death like?”
Twilight paused and considered it a moment.
“Death is… nice.”
She soon blushed in thought as her mind recalled what had occurred after she had died. Dash raised her eye brow when she noticed this, but just rolled her eyes and said,
“Well Twi, I am glad you had fun with the grim reaper, I just hope wherever I end up when I die, Applejack is there to…”
She trailed off before remembering they were still talking.
“… um anyway I hope you get well soon Twilight.”
With that she left the room, leaving Twilight to rest. Twilight laughed to herself.
“Yea, death was nice…” She gazed out at the rising sun above the horizon.
“But life… life is a blessing.”
Twilight slowly closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep…