Dear Princess Celestia,
Rainbow Dash here again. I’m worried about Twilight. She won’t come out of her cabin and she won’t eat. When I go to try to talk to her, she’s lying on her cot and staring at the wall. Sometimes we can her crying through the bulkhead. We’re a week away from landfall, and I think she should be helping Pinkie Pie and I get the fillies and colts prepared. She’s not even teaching her classes in Practical Colonization any more. Let me explain what happened.
Three days ago, one of the catatonic unicorn colts died. His name was Sugar Smack, and his family had been confectioners in Ponyville. Pinkie Pie was deeply saddened; she knew the Smacks and had thrown Sugar his first birthday party. We had a burial at sea, attended by all except for a few of the nurses in the sickbay who were tending the remaining patients. Twilight said a few words about how happy Sugar was in Elysium, and then she used her magic to lower the shrouded form to the waiting sea ponies, who took him down to the seafloor and buried him under a cairn. That’s a big pile of rocks.
Pinkie was beside herself afterwards, so I brought Gilda over to her cabin to help cheer her up. The griffon chicks were a source of great comfort to many of the ponies who lost their families, and they were cute and funny and I know she’s not a pet she’s a baby, but Pinkie was also really missing Gummy. She did seem to perk up a bit as Gilda tried to fly around her cabin, bumping into things, and then when the chick was worn out, sort of made a nest in her mane and went to sleep.
So Pinkie asked me the same question I asked Twilight; would Gilda and the other griffons remember their earlier lives? And I told her what Twilight told me, only if she reversed the age spell. So basically they got a do-over on their entire lives, which was certainly better than being under cairns themselves.
Pinkie Pie may be random, she may even be a little crazy, but never ever think she isn't really smart, especially when it comes to magic. “So couldn't Twilight do the same thing with the catatonic colts and fillies? Just return them to being foals, and they won’t remember anything.”
I told her I thought that was an amazing idea and I ran to tell Twilight Sparkle about it. Pinkie stayed with Gilda in her cabin. I got back on deck and followed the clanging noises. Twilight was just finishing up a class on blacksmithing and she had set up a small forge at the front of the ship with a large number of water buckets around to deal with potential fires. I notice that Sweetie Belle of all ponies was still whacking away at a piece of metal, sweating in the heat under a thick apron.
So I got Twilight’s attention and she asked Sweetie Belle to take a break. Using her telekinesis, Sweetie racked her hammer and put the work into the hearth along the side where it wouldn't lose its temper, then closed the hood on the hearth. I gathered this meant she planned to come back to work soon. Not exactly the kind of work I would have thought her suited for, but these are unusual times. But in any case, Twilight gave me her attention when I said, “Twilight, Pinkie had this great idea!”
“Gilda cheered her up? I take it she’s doing better now. I feel awful about Sugar, but nothing I tried worked. Does she want to start a music class? I think that would do wonders for morale!” She seemed cheered at the thought of more classroom instruction.
“No Twilight, it’s a great idea!” Twilight seemed a little crestfallen. “Have you tried aging the catatonics back to foals? Won’t they forget what happened then?”
Twilight looked like she’d been hit in the stomach. “WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT?!” She almost knocked me down with the power of her Canterlot voice, but after all, I bust storms and I'm very aerodynamic. She disappeared, a sphere of light flashing briefly. I had a pretty good idea where she went, so I flew to the infirmary.
By the time I got there, Twilight was standing at the foot of the bed of one of the catatonic unicorn colts. The earth pony filly who was nursing him, Chili Spice, was trying to stand between Twilight and the colt, her eyes wide with fear. Twilight looked annoyed but didn't push her out of the way or raise her voice.
I intervened. “Please Chili, it’s OK.” I took Chili by the foreleg and easily pulled her away. “It’s going to be alright.”
Now with a clear view of the colt, Twilight concentrated and the purple glow from her horn licked out to cover the frail, sickly looking colt, staring unseeing at the ceiling. His flesh rippled and after a few seconds a foal was in his place. He turned his head to the nurse, and started crying, obviously hungry. Chili gasped and ran to pick up the foal, while Twilight backed away. “I can’t give him his old life back, but at least I can give him a new one.” Chili thanked her profusely, calling her “your highness” at least three times.
Twilight replied, “Go to the nursery and bring more ponies back. I think your duties are going to change.” Chili laughed in relief and ran off to the nursery on three legs with her wailing charge as Twilight headed to the next bed. Several minutes later a dozen colts and fillies came running into the infirmary to be greeted by the cries of 6 month-old foals. They were scooped up to cooing and soothing calls of, “There, there,” and such, and carried off to the nursery. Half a dozen young ponies lingered to watch Twilight reverse the age of the remaining three. Three fillies; a unicorn, an earth pony, and a pegasus.
Twilight paused. She looked at me, so I gave her my patented, “what are you waiting for?” look. Then she looked back at the catatonics, and still she hesitated. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom had been at the back of the pack; they pushed through and walked up to Twilight, eyes hard and cold as diamonds at midnight. Twilight looked down at Sweetie Belle, tears welling up in her eyes, and then Sweetie said her first words since losing her sister. “Do it.” Then she leaned her head against Twilight’s shoulder and Apple Bloom stood beside her and nuzzled her as shuddering sobs wracked her small body.
Twilight held her head up and gritted her teeth, and then cast the age spell on the three remaining fillies. Squalling babes were hurriedly picked up by the eagerly waiting nurses.
It was then I realized I would never see my friends Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy again.
My stomach turned upside down and I felt my body go cold with shock. I screamed in horror and flew out of the infirmary into the night. I don’t know how long I flew around aimlessly, tears blinding me but after some time Scootaloo intercepted me and led me back to the Ark. It was morning.
I know that they are far happier than we are. They are in a state of pure bliss with all their other friends, not knowing or caring about our troubles here. They were enjoying their reward, loving and laughing every day. But I miss them so! And I know Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom must be suffering as badly or worse than I. I suppose I'd been expecting Twilight to do the same for them as she did for Pinkie Pie. If the fillies were going to die anyway, it would have made sense. Then Pinkie had her great idea. I feel so horribly guilty for thinking like that, but I can't help it.
Of course, I realize that I will see them again, after I am back in Elysium. And maybe that's why I've been able to come out from under that feeling of black weight, with the help of Scootaloo and Gilda. Twilight hasn't been to Elysium, and when I tell her how wonderful it is and how happy they are, it doesn't seem to make much of an impression. Pinkie and the griffon chicks probably remind her of Gentle Breeze and how she (and I) misjudged the griffons and endangered the ship. She takes everything on herself and I don't know how to get through to her. Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy would be able to talk sense to her. Is that irony, your highness?
So now Twilight is stuck in a deep depression. She must feel like she killed her friends, or at least didn’t save them when she could. I can see that with myself and Pinkie Pie there was a necessity that excused her actions. Perhaps some of the fillies will take the roles of the elements of generosity, kindness and honesty. Whatever our destinies are, it isn’t going to be dying on this ship. I know that Twilight will get over it and take charge again. In the meantime, we’ll keep patrolling and looking for other ships.
There’s just one more week to go. I hope nothing else happens.
Your loyal subject,
Rainbow Dash