//------------------------------// // I. Prologue // Story: The Passings of Twilight // by Pencil Neck //------------------------------// "Twilight…it's you! Hehe, oh it's been a long time…" Applejack greeted The room was dark, and dusty. The sun was peaking out of the window and showed all the dust particles passing the ray of light. In the room was a bed, and next to it were two drawers. Applejack was tucked in the bed, her eyes glowed with a green radiance. She was tired, but not from work. Applejack never gets tired from farm work. She was tired because age has reached her, Age was the true Iron Pony. The ray of light coming out of the window touched Twilight's face. She wasn't wearing her Royal Cloths or crown. Her eyes spoke for themselves and showed a great deal of sadness. Twilight was standing next to the doorframe. She had a weak smile, but was still happy to see her old dear friend. But what made the moment more saddening was the fact that there was only one old mare. "Hey Applejack…it's really great to see you." Twilight said as she got closer to Applejack's deathbed. "You looked just as young as you were before!" Applejack complemented. "Thank you, Applejack." thanked Twilight. "It's really great to see you too. So, how have you been?" asked Applejack. "I've been…alright." Twilight informed. "Oh, Twilight. You know you can't keep all those emotions bottled up." "I can if I try, Applejack." "No pony can." The two mares were silent for a moment. "So, how long has it been? Forty, fifty years?" asked Applejack. "Forty five…to be precise." replied Twilight. "Hehe, it's been a long time, hasn't it?" "Too long for me, Applejack." "How did you get here sugarcube? I'm sure the guards wouldn't just let you leave without their permission…" "Nothing could keep me from seeing my friend, Applejack." "You snuck off, didn't you?" "I had to Applejack." "There was no need. I don't want you to feel any more pain as it is." "But never seeing you is already as painful as it is…" "…were you there when everypony else left?" "Yes, I bring flowers to them every week." "And now we're here…" They stood in silence again, looking down at the wooden floor beneath them. Applejack broke the tension when she began to cough. "…so I'm guessing you already know of my situation?" "…" "And by the looks of your eyes, I'm guessing you spend all night looking for a cure?" At this point, Twilight broke down and began to tear up. "I–I just…I can't stand t–to lose y–you too!" she sobbed. "I know Twi, I know." said Applejack calmly. "I tried everything I–I know! I j–just…" Applejack lifted her weak hoof over Twilight's mouth and both hugged each other. Twilight began to sob more, she was shaking because of her sadness. "I–I don't w–want to l–lose you!" sobbed Twilight. "I know Twilight…I know." the two continued to hug each other as Twilight continued to sob. "I tried e-everything! DNA modification, M-Medicine treatment, M–magic treatment! I did everything I could do!" cried Twilight. "You try to much." replied Applejack. "M–maybe I–I can c–cast a spell, o–o–or–" "–Twilight–" "–Ask C-celestia for h–help o–or-" "-Twilight, look at me…" Twilight stopped rambling and looked at Applejack. She had her arms on both of Twilight's shoulders. Tears kept falling from Twilight face, and her vision was blurry by her tears. Applejack just smiled at Twilight. She was perfectly calm and wiped some of her tears. "I know that you want to help me, but we know you can't." Applejack said. "M–maybe if…" "Twilight, please. It ain't natural for ponies to live forever. It's not right, Twilight." "…I miss everypony." sobbed Twilight. "Me too…" replied Applejack. "…I'm g–going to miss you Applejack, so m–much." "I'm going to miss you too, Twilight." "I–if y–you see Rarity, Rainbow Dash, F–fluttershy, and P–pinkie Pie, promise me that you'll say I miss them!" cried Twilight. "Cross my heart, and hope to fly…" "Stick a cupcake in my eye…" said Twilight. "I promise, Twilight." Twilight and Applejack hugged once again. Twilight's tears continued to fall, and drip on the ground. "And one more thing Twilight…" Applejack continued. "W–what?" "Remember us, remember everything that lead to this point, and remember that we will always be with you. Even when you are at your lowest point, because that's what friends do. That's what we do…" "I–I–I w–will, I promise I'll always remember!" sobbed Twilight. "…" "…Applejack?" "…" "Applejack?!" Applejack didn't respond. Her breath was gone, and her skin was getting cold. Her eyes were closed, and the only thing left was a tear rolling down her cheek. "APPLEJACK, PLEASE!" cried Twilight. Applejack no longer had support of her own body. Twilight continued to cry out her name, again, again, and again as more tears continued to rolled down of her cheeks. She prayed to Celestia that this was all a joke. She prayed for her own salvation. She wished for her friends back. She wished that she never became a princess. She wished she could go back home and wake up with her friends waiting for her at the door. ____________________ "She didn't need to die!" yelled Twilight. "I'm sorry, Twilight. There was nothing I could do." replied Celestia dryly. "I was up all night! For the past four years! Trying to help them, and you weren't there to help me!" sobbed Twilight. "Twilight, there was nothing I could do. I'm also sadden by what happen to them, I also loved them." "But not the way I loved them!" "…Twilight, the natural order of things is that everypony dies at some point." "But we don't!" "That is because we are a reminder of what happens to immortals." "Why couldn't they be like us? They deserve better!" "That is because that would cause Chaos. Ponies would start noticing that we're granting ponies immortality. They too would also wish to be immortal, and if we refuse, peace in Equestria will fall." "Not if we explain it to them!" "They wouldn't listen, Twilight!" "An all powerful goddess, able to raise both the sun and moon, and able to defeat demons, monsters, and other gods, can't prevent the death of five ponies!" mocked Twilight. "I'm sorry Twilight. I know it's painful, but believe me I know the pain you're going through." "You'll never understand what I'm going through!" "Believe me, I do. I seen many of my friends die too. All the ponies I know died, and there was nothing I could do. I know your pain. It is why I stop making new friends, and it is why I could no longer wield the Elements." "So you became an emotionless jerk!" "Twilight please, just listen to me. No matter what you see or go through, it is important to forgive and forget." "Forget? FORGET! I'm never going to forget about my friends! I'm never going forget Rainbow, Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy! They are my best friends! How can I just forget about them? How could I just forget about all the amazing moments and adventures we had?" "…I don't know Twilight. You're going to have to figure that out…" Twilight stood there in the center of the Great Hall for a moment, tears dripping onto the long red carpet. She couldn't believe what her mentor was saying! All the moments they had and she was going against all of that. Twilight ran out the door, sobbing, and in despair. Celestia was left alone until Princess Luna came into the Hall, annoyed by what her sister has said. "She has a point you know…" Luna announced. "What are you talking about?" questioned Celestia dryly. "About her friends deserving better." "What was I suppose to do? Take them to the spa everyday?" "No, I mean that they deserve to be with Twilight." "You know very well that I ca–" "What I mean is that Twilight should have died with her friends!" "What? You're crazy," "I'm crazy? I'm not the one who locked up her sister, instead of talking about her problems. I'm not the one who made Twilight an Alicorn just so I don't have be alone for the rest of my immortality. And I'm not the one, who is going to let Twilight suffer with us." "…I don't know what what you're talking about…" "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about, Tia!" "…" "She didn't need to be like us. In fact, I think the only reason you did this to her was so you don't have to suffer alone, I wasn't enough company, was I?" "…" "And now she is going to suffer like us, because of you," "What about Cadence? Isn't she apart of this?" "No, because she choose to become immortal, and it was necessary for the Princess of Love to live on." "You just don't understand," "Really? I was also alone for a thousand years, but you had everypony else. All I had was a stupid giant rock." "…" Celestia walked out to the balcony and so did Luna. The wind blew through their mane and gave them both relief. Both Luna and Celestia looked down at Equestria, both looking out towards Ponyville. "Do you see what I see, Tia?" Luna asked. "I see a peaceful world that I created." Celestia replied coldly. "No, I see weak ponies. I also see peace but that's undefended. I see a land of weak ponies when if their peace is threaten, they would do nothing." "What are you getting at? That we'll force everypony to learn how to fight? It will be just like the Griffin Kingdom," "The Griffin Kingdom is strong, but blind. And no, I don't want everypony to learn how to fight. I just want them all to be prepared when their lives or peace is threatened," "That's why we have the Royal Guard, and the Elements of Harmony," "The wielders of the Elements are dead. Twilight is the only one left. What, are you going to force her to make new friends?" "N–no." "And the Royal Guard still won't be enough. It wasn't enough when the Changelings attacked. They weren't enough when Discord was released from his prison, or when King Sombra returned from his cold grave! And they weren't enough to stop me from casting eternal night all over Equestria," Luna headed back to the Great Hall and took a moment to see all the glass paintings. Celestia turned to her sister and watched her walk towards the door. Luna stopped for a moment and looked back at her sister, Celestia was the first one to speak. "So what was your point?" Celestia asked. "My point was that Twilight should have died peacefully with her friends, and not carry the burden of her friend's death." Luna replied. "…" "And sooner or later, the peace you've brought will come crashing down. It's time to think about the future, instead of the present. Without the Element, Equestria is endangered to Corruption, and Chaos. And I hope you're ready to fight for that very peace you brought," "The funeral's tomorrow, I hope you have a speech ready. Twilight's right, you really have become an emotionless jerk…" Luna opened the two giant marble doors with her magic and she slammed them both shut as she left the Great Hall! Celestia was alone but not just socially. Celestia was now left alone with her thoughts and in her mind she knew Luna was right. It didn't matter to her she was with Twilight now, Celestia thought. However, what Luna said still orbited her mind like a comet. Celestia was now left to deal with the future.