The Decision
Rainbow Dash sat in the chair next to Twilight's bed. They had only been at Ponyville Hospital for a half hour, though to her it felt like she had been there for days waiting for her friend to wake up. She held her head in her hooves, I never should have taken Twilight flying, she thought, I should have let Fluttershy do it. She would've been so much easier on Twilight.
Nurse Redheart walked into the room and handed Rainbow Dash the tea she had asked for, "So, Rainbow Dash," she said softly, "are you ready to tell me what happened?"
Rainbow Dash looked into the nurse's soft and eyes and sighed. She wasn't ready to tell Nurse Redheart. She wasn't ever going to be ready to tell anypony for that matter, but deep down she knew it would have to happen. "Yeah...yeah. It started when we went flying for the first time." She felt tears gathering behind her eyes, but she repressed them. "I was showing Twilight how to gain lots of speed in a vertical dive. Then she...well....The magic she used did its best but..." Rainbow Dash let her voice fade. She couldn't bear reliving that dreadful moment when she watched Twilight crash into the ground.
Nurse Redheart nodded, "Thank you Rainbow Dash." She stood up and began to walk out of room. "The rest of your friends are waiting outside Rainbow, should I send them in?" Rainbow Dash only nodded in response.
Pinkie Pie was the first to enter, her hair flat around her neck. Rarity followed her, who was in turn followed by Fluttershy and Applejack. Rainbow had never seen her friends as sad as they were at that moment. No pony spoke, they just sat down in the chairs around Twilight's bed in silence, waiting for their new princess to awake.
Twilight awoke to find herself alone. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw no floor below her, only sky, though she was still held aloft by some sort of magic. Her last memory was crashing into the ground; she had no recollection of appearing in the strange dream-like where she stood. She had never seen any place like it before; dark clouds floated above her head, and stars appeared to be floating beneath her feet. A tall golden gate stood to her right, and a large obsidian one to her left. Twilight was mesmerized by both gates, though the gold one in particular. She couldn't tell why, but she was drawn to the gate, like it was pulling her towards it. Her concern grew when she began to think of the amount of magic used to create the mysterious world. Only a strong unicorn could complete such a feat.
"Greetings Twilight Sparkle," said a familiar voice behind her.
She turned to see her brother standing in front of her. "Shining Armor!" she yelled as she ran towards him. Her heart grew warm as she approached him. She did not expect to see anypony but herself in this world.
Her brother gave a small chuckle, "Interesting," he said, backing away from Twilight, "you see me as your brother, Shining Armor." He shook his, "I'm sorry, but I am not your brother. I am The Gatekeeper. I stand watch over The Gates of the Afterlife, where all ponies go after passing on. You only see me as your brother because he is the one you love most in your world."
Twilight felt as if she had been bucked in the chest. Her heart sunk at the realization that her brother was not standing in front of her, and her spirit once again fell. "So, why am I here?" she said.
"You are here to make the most important decision of your young life. In the real world you are currently lying in Ponyville Hospital, being held to life only by this," he motioned the world where they stood, "spell."
"I...I don't understand." Twilight said. In all the books she had ever read, not once had she ever heard of a place that fit the description of where she stood.
"The reason you have not ever read about this world," he said, seemingly reading her thoughts, "is because no pony has ever left. Everypony who has come before you has taken my offer."
Now Twilight backed away from The Gatekeeper, "What offer would that be? Some kind of deal where I sell my soul to you in exchange for eternal life? I'm sorry, but no thanks."
The Gatekeeper's laugh boomed across the world where they stood. Even once he ceased, the sound still rang through Twilight's head. "No, no my dear Twilight. Such deals are only myths told to young fillies to teach lessons. Firstly, I must give you an explanation of The Afterlife." He began to walk away from Twilight, "Come with me."
Despite her best intentions, Twilight followed. There's no way out of this world, she reasoned, I might as well follow him and hear him out. The image of her brother lead her to the large obsidian gate, which made a chill run through Twilight's body; She only felt fear and despair coming from the gate.
The two walked through the gate and the world changed around them. Suddenly they were standing on a rock overlooking a wide, empty plain. Upon further inspection, Twilight found that it was not empty, but that it was filled with the remaining spirits of deceased ponies. The ponies she saw closely resembled herself, though they were deprived of all color, with the exception of their eyes. The eyes of the ghosts tore into Twilight's soul, making her squirm with discomfort, even at the great distance.
"This," The Gatekeeper said, "is The Afterlife. This is where almost everypony goes upon departing the living. They are condemned to an eternity of floating over these plains, searching for something they will never find: happiness." The Gatekeeper leaned in close to Twilight and whispered into her ear, "This is where you will live, and this is where you will die. Every. Single. Day."
Twilight walked towards the edge of the rock and looked over the plain. Her thoughts suddenly filled with thousands of images of deaths and darkness. She could feel her knees begin to buckle as the images took effect on her mental and physical health. She shook her head, "No...no...no it can't be. It just can't be..." She backed away from the edge and felt every memory of death exit her mind.
"I'm afraid so Twilight," The Gatekeeper said with a smile, "this fate it unavoidable. Unless..." he trailed off as he took a look at Twilight. "No, there's no way you would ever do it." He began to walk away from Twilight.
Twilight perked up at the prospect of avoiding the bone-chilling plains that stood before her. "I might!," she called after, "What do I need to do to avoid this fate?" Her eyes gleamed as she began to follow The Gatekeeper.
"First you must follow me Twilight." Twilight could see the glow in his eyes, but followed him as he lead her back to where they came from.
Pinkie Pie was the first to speak. "So...now what?" Her voice was so distant that Rainbow Dash felt as if Pinkie was talking all the way from Canterlot.
Rainbow Dash just shook her head, "I don't know Pinkie. I just don't know." She leaned back in her chair and looked at the faces of her friends. Pinkie's eyes told Rainbow Dash what her voice did: she was distant. Rarity sat with her head next to Twilight on the bed, her eyes closed. Applejack stood looking out the window, her hat off out of respect. Fluttershy cried silently next to Rainbow Dash. She hadn't ever seen Fluttershy cry as much as she was then, even after the death of her favorite bird.
Nurse Redheart and Doctor Stable walked through the door in silence. Rainbow was the first to turn and face the doctor, "So Doc," she said hopefully, "is Twilight going to be okay?"
Doctor Stable took a deep sigh, "Well...we don't know." He paused before continuing. "I'm afraid Princess Twilight is in a coma. Her body as all but shut down, and is on the verge of death. Something inside her is keeping her alive though. We don't know what, or why, but something is giving her a fighting chance." He paused again. Rainbow Dash thought she saw a tear on Doctor Stable's cheek as he excused himself from the room.
"What Doctor Stable was going to say," Nurse Redheart continued, "is that we don't know how long the princess will be like this. She could be in a coma for the next thirty seconds, or the next thirty years. I'm sorry, but it's impossible to tell."
"Thanks Nurse," Applejack said from her spot next to the window, "We'll give you a holler if we need." The nurse left, leaving the six friends to themselves.
Rainbow Dash had been repressing tears ever since Doctor Stable had left the room, but she could feel herself beginning to crack. She considered excusing herself from the room when she felt herself beginning to cry, but she decided to stay. Twilight needed her there by her side.
"Rainbow Dash," Rarity said, "Are you crying?"
Rainbow Dash wiped her eyes, "No. No I'm not." She was determined to hide her emotions from her friends.
"Oh..." Rainbow could sense the disappointment in Rarity's voice, but she didn't care. She couldn't wear her emotions on her sleeve. She was, after all, Rainbow Dash. "I would be able to understand, given our situation."
Rainbow Dash nodded and put her head down again.
"So Twilight Sparkle," The Gatekeeper said upon their return to the first room, "you wish to avoid the fate of being a prisoner of The Afterlife, but you don't wish to live forever."
The thought of immortality intrigued Twilight. Even though she was an Alicorn, she was not a natural Alicorn, an immortal Alicorn. "Well actually..." she began, but stopped herself when the thought of never dying crossed her mind. She wouldn't be able to live for thousands of years, losing friends endlessly. "That's correct Gatekeeper."
"Hmm...that's quite a predicament." He walked to the gold gates that had previously attracted Twilight's attention. "Come with me while I...come to a solution." The Gatekeeper walked through the gates, disappearing in an extravagant flash of light.
Twilight eagerly followed him into the gates, curious as to what they would hold. She felt her body dissolve as she entered the light that shined through the gates. She closed her eyes as the light engulfed her and took her to the distant land.
When Twilight opened her eyes, she was met with a city of gold. The Gatekeeper stood a few feet away overlooking the city. Twilight joined him, taking in the fabulous view. The two stood on a large platform overlooking the city of gold, which shined in what Twilight assumed was an artificial sunlight. Hundreds of ponies walked through the city, going about their usual days. Twilight thought she saw a glow of light coming from each pony she saw; a glow a pure goodness coming from each citizen of the great city.
"This," The Gatekeeper said, "is our great city. We have no name for it, because any name we give to this city would only diminish its greatness." He held up his hooves and basked in the glow of the city, "This, is true paradise."
"Yes it is." She hesitated before continuing, afraid to ask her question. "Umm...is there a library here?"
The Gatekeeper let out a another laugh, but this one was not booming like his previous laugh; it was a smooth and pleasant laugh. "Yes Twilight, there is, and so much more. Anything your heart could desire lies within this city, all you must do is wish for it and it will appear, such is the fate of all the greatest ponies who have ever lived."
Twilight didn't responded, only stared out over the city. All she ever wanted and more lay before her, and she knew it was tempting her. She resisted jumping from the platform and gliding to the city below, where she could enjoy the presence of the shining ponies. She turned to the face The Gatekeeper. "So your deal, it has to do with this city, doesn't it?"
"Yes it does Twilight. Come with me and I will propose to you my deal." The Gatekeeper exited through the golden gates, returning to the previous room. Twilight took a deep breath as she looked at the city one time before she stepped through the gates.
Spike burst through the door of the room. "Twilight!" He jumped onto the bed next to Twilight and started sobbing. He clutched Twilight, saying "Please, Twilight. Please don't go like this." The baby dragon held onto Twilight as tightly as he could as Rarity worked her magic to pull him away from Twilight.
"I'm sorry Spike, but Doctor Stable said we aren't allowed to touch her, it could damage her even more." Spike gave up and released Twilight. Rarity set him down next to her, where he promptly sat on the floor, sobbing.
Rainbow Dash sat watching her friend. Everything she had ever wanted in her life: to be a Wonderbolt, to be the greatest flyer in Equestria; they all paled in comparison to her desire for Twilight to live. The memories of seeing her parents lying on hospital beds came back and she could feel tears coming again. She stood and excused herself from the room.
Rainbow Dash rushed through the hospital trying to find somewhere she could be alone; she couldn't relive her worst memories in front of her friends. She eventually came to an empty room full of nothing but surplus supplies for the kitchen. She entered and closed the door behind her, ensuring that no pony could hear her crying. She sunk to the ground and let the tears freely flow from her eyes.
A flood of memories hit Rainbow Dash, and suddenly she was a young filly again. She sat in a chair between her parents's hospital beds, sobbing as her eyes flashed back and forth from her mother to her father. Only a week before, they had been trainers to the Wonderbolts. They had been injured in a freak-accident that Rainbow Dash wasn't able to understand, and didn't want to understand. Despite the doctors telling her otherwise, Rainbow Dash stayed by her parents side day and night. She barely ate, barely slept, and only left the room when the doctors had to perform tests.
Rainbow Dash saw a flash of light and she stood over what she recognized as her parents' graves. She felt guilty for the death of her parents. though she wasn't sure why. She had felt responsible ever since the doctors had told her that her mother and father had died in their sleep one night. Rainbow had always felt as if she wasn't trying hard enough to keep them alive.
The scene swirled and she stood at the same site, but this time she was surrounded by her friends, overlooking a very ornate looking grave. Rainbow Dash leaned in close, only to find that the grave stone read: "Princess Twilight Sparkle. A good student, and a better friend." Rainbow Dash let out a silent scream as she fell onto the grave. Pinkie Pie picked her up and forced her to stand again. Tears freely fell as she continued to struggle towards Twilight, but Rainbow Dash slowly gave up and collapsed to the ground.
Her head spun again, and Rainbow Dash sat in the storage room of the hospital again, covered in a cold sweat. She jumped up and threw open the door, all but breaking the hinges. She rushed through the maze of corridors and doors, winding her way back to the princess's room.
Rainbow Dash burst through the door and ran to Twilight's bed. "Please Twilight! Please come back to us, we need you!"
Twilight stepped into the first room and immediately felt a change in her physical stature. She no longer felt joyed, and she no longer felt in perfect health. The city had made her feel so perfect, and leaving it made Twilight sad, even though she knew it must be done.
"Okay Twilight," The Gatekeeper said with a smile, "now you will hear my deal. Firstly, you have seen both realms: a terrible fate, or a magnificent city full of wonder. Your decision will hinge on how you spend your time after death, and whether you will be miserable, or happy." Twilight felt the weight of the world on her back. She nodded, indicating she wished to continue the conversation. "I will give you a choice right now. You may live in the city of gold forever; enjoy an eternity of happiness, reading to your hearts content, but you must come now, and never return to the mortal world."
Twilight could feel the persuasion in The Gatekeeper's voice bringing her in, but she resisted from giving her answer before hearing her other option. "Or?"
The Gatekeeper's pupils narrowed, "Or you may return to the mortal world now, and be condemned to The Afterlife. You will die of sadness everyday, you will be subject to an eternity of nothingness." He stopped, letting Twilight soak in the offer.
Twilight's head was spinning. Half of her wanted to live the perfect life in the golden city, but half of her wanted to live in the mortal world with her friends, even at the prospect of being in The Afterlife forever. Her mind was split, and it started to take a toll on her. Twilight fell onto her knees from physical weakness. She tried to use magic to keep herself standing, but found that she was too weak. A panic set in at the thought of not being able to use magic, which only further stressed her mind.
"Please Twilight! Please come back to us, we need you!" came a voice booming through her head. It sounded like Rainbow Dash's voice to Twilight, but she couldn't be sure; her mental state wasn't letting her make a decision on even the simplest thoughts.
The Gatekeeper seemed to have also heard the voice and began pressuring Twilight. "Decide!"
Twilight could hear a panic in his voice and jumped onto the moment of weakness. "I've made my choice." She stood and approached The Gatekeeper, who began to back away from Twilight.
Rainbow Dash knelt next to Twilight's bed and began sobbing, not caring who saw her anymore. She felt a hoof rubbing her back. She felt good letting her emotions out, and even better that somepony accepted her for letting them be shown. A movement on the bed made Rainbow Dash's heart skip a beat, even though she did not look. She assumed it was Spike trying to make another attempt to revive Twilight.
"Where....where am I?" Rainbow Dash snapped her eyes to the bed as she heard Twilight's voice. She saw a confused Twilight looking around the room in confusion. A collective gasp came from the room as Twilight lifted her head and scanned the room. Rainbow could see Twilight's face light up as she saw her friends around the room. Spike jumped onto the bed and hugged Twilight, vowing that he would never let go of her again. Twilight saw Rainbow Dash by her side last. Their eyes met and they both gave very large grins. "Um...Rainbow Dash?" Twilight said cautiously, "Are you crying?"
Rainbow Dash wiped her eyes and nodded, "Yes I am Twilight. Yes I am."