Twilight Sparkle considered the past.
Some of her earliest memories first came to mind: of being cradled in the legs of her mother, and of her father singing to her on nights when she had trouble falling asleep. She recalled playing with her brother Shining Armor, of how happy she was when he returned from school each day, and how sad she was when he left again the next morning. She thought about her foalsitter and future sister-in-law Cadance, of how getting to play dress-up or make cookies with her was a wonderful and rare treat.
She recollected that fateful day at the magic academy, of how she was about to fail the entrance exam when her future best friend Rainbow Dash pulled off a Sonic Rainboom that spurred her into producing a powerful magic storm, and of her fear, then wonder, then excitement as Princess Celestia herself declared she would be her personal student.
She recalled fondly many nights spent cuddled up with a good book, snuggled under a blanket next to a toasty fire in the winter, or lying on her bed feeling the cool breeze drift in during the summer. She thought about how much she studied: math, science, history, the arts, and the most important field of all, magic. But she was lonely back then, only she didn't realize it. She wished she had. She wished so very much she could go back in time and tell her past self just how magical friendship really is.
She remembered being sent to Ponyville.
There was not time enough to think of all the memories she had made with her friends. There were simply too many of them. But some stood out.
Of course, she could never forget their very first adventure together: being united by Celestia's micromanagement with perhaps a dash of fate, and bonding together to rescue a royal sister and destroy an evil spirit, all on the same day.
She reminisced about reluctantly battling the narcissistic showmare Trixie, who always spoke in third person for some reason. She recalled the town getting eaten by parasprites, and she thought of her first Winter Wrap up in Ponyville, and her first Summer Wrap Up too. She giggled at the memory of learning to accept Pinkie Sense, even if she still didn't understand it. It was something that would forever puzzle her. She thought about when she gained another companion in Owlowiscious, her fine feathered friend. And of course she remembered the disaster that was the Grand Galloping Gala. Princess Celestia had been surprisingly understanding of their behavior that evening.
She remembered too, how she and her companions had been warped and broken apart by Discord, only for the magic of friendship to be reignited by her own friendship reports, and how they banded to together to defeat the draconequus.
She remembered (with a cringe) completely losing it in her effort to get one of those Friendship Reports to Celestia, breaking a few laws and hearts along the way. But let it never be said that she wasn't thorough in her endeavors. She recalled pretending to be the Mysterious Mare Do Well together with her friends, in a perhaps slightly misguided attempt to bring Rainbow's ego down a notch. She chuckled at that memory--Rainbow had toned down the show boating a little after that. She recalled the honor of getting to take part in the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant in Canterlot, and the reverence with which she played the part of one of her idols, Clover the Clever. Long after she was gone, she hoped the Fire of Friendship would continue to burn bright. She thought about meeting herself--twice. THAT was certainly an odd experience. She wished she had a time spell right now. That would be nice. She reminisced about tailing Spike as he set out to discover himself. Good ol' Spike, he was growing up so fast.
A tear flew off Twilight's cheek. No one had believed her. Her own friends had abandoned her. The mare, nay, the princess who was her idol, her role model, and her mentor, she had disowned her. And then evil bugs had tried to kill her. But in the end, in the darkest hour, the power of her brother and Cadance's love overcame all. And then her very own BBBFF got married. That was surreal.
She thought about her and her friends' train ride to the Crystal Empire, and of how by failing a test, and putting her faith in Spike, she had helped Princess Cadance save the Crystal Empire from the dark sorcerer King Sombra.
She remembered--with a shutter--the nightmare that was too many Pinkie Pies. She loved that mare, but one Pinkie was plenty. She recalled Trixie coming into town again, only this time she was possessed by an evil medallion. She reminisced about the time Spike got a bit overly noble and chivalrous trying to help Applejack, but also remembered she had almost lost two friends that day. She thought about the group's trip to the Crystal empire, and blushed thinking about the fact that nopony had actually thought to ask Ms. Peachbottom if she was the games inspector. But it had turned out all right in the end.
And after all this, she remembered--how could she ever forget?--the moment she somehow got wings. Earth-pony strength too, but she guiltily admitted to herself that she tended to forget that part.
She thought about her excursion to the human world. The experience had been... weird. It was best left at that.
Twilight Sparkle considered the present.
She thought about her injured wing, how she had hurt it doing what she enjoyed. She thought about the strain she felt when she executed that loop wrong, how immediately she knew something was off. She thought about how peaceful it was out here on the far side of Canterlot mountain, with nothing but herself, the crisp air, and the forest below. She thought about how exciting flying had become, how spiraling through the sparkling sky at a hundred miles an hour raised her heart rate, filled her lungs and pushed the adrenaline through her body. She thought about how much she had learned from Rainbow Dash, and how much she had yet to learn. Only a few months ago she could hardly achieve liftoff.
And yet here she was by herself, careening through the night.
Twilight Sparkle's thoughts turned to the future.
She thought about how she would never get married. In fact, she would never even have a coltfriend; that weird excursion to earth didn't really count. Was it sad that that was the closest she got?
She thought about how she would never have children. This saddened her--foals were the sweetest things in the world when they weren't throwing up on you. At least she had gotten to spend time around the Cake twins. And the Cutie Mark Crusaders, bless their souls. She hoped they got their cutie marks soon--she was rooting for them.
She didn't think about anything else.
Twilight Sparkle hit the ground.