AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow. Thanks a boatload for the reviews, y'all! I started working on this as quick as possible because of the warm reception, which I have to say... was pretty unexpected, but very, very welcome! Here's the next chapter. Again, please R&R!!
A rush of sound, and a brief flash of light. The forest vanished.
As the brief nausea from teleportation set in, Twilight found herself standing in the bedroom of the warm, familiar library that she and Spike knew as home. Though darkness filled every inch of the room save for those lit by the silver moonlight, the homely smell of well-read books and aged wood brought a slight sense of safety to her.
This was only a brief respite, however; Spike was bleeding heavily, and with his wounds, he wouldn't last long. She needed to get help for him as soon as possible.
"Why didn't I just teleport us to the hospital?! Stupid, stupid!" Twilight scolded herself. Her mind raced as she was thrown into despair once again.
Barely keeping her emotions in check, Twilight levitated Spike and gently put him on her back. She then took a deep breath, closed her eyes tight, and teleported them to Ponyville Hospital.
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Nurse Redheart yawned as she trotted down the dark hospital hallway, towards the lobby. The bitter aftertaste of cheap coffee lingered on her tongue. "Honestly, these night shifts are way too tiring," she decided, as she glanced at the clock mounted on the wall nearby. It read 3:25 AM. The white pony groaned. "Two more hours. Then, I can finally go home and get some rest..."
She pushed open the doors to the lobby and took a quick gander around the large, dimly-lit room. Aside from a janitor who was napping on a nearby row of chairs, the room was completely devoid of ponies. Redheart made her away to the large reception desk and took a seat. She glanced at the janitor, who was beginning to snore.
She frowned as she was reminded of her own fatigue. "Darn stallion seems to be enjoying that nap..."
She sat for several minutes, doing nothing in particular. Deciding that enough was enough, Redheart relaxed and began to doze off. "Come on, just for a few minutes..."
When suddenly, a flash of light and the sound of something landing with a thud startled her.
She looked up and gaped at what she saw; a familiar lavender-colored unicorn mare with a large, crimson patch on her back, as well as some smaller patches on her forehooves and chest. She was carrying something green, purple, and red all over on her back.
The nurse looked closer and her eyes widened in horror as she realized what it was; the baby dragon that she had seen following the librarian Twilight Sparkle around town almost all the time. Spike, was it? She barely recognized him now, though, as deep punctures and lacerations had marred his body and face. She discovered, to her alarm, that the massive amount of crimson covering him and the mare was his blood. She could see that it was flowing steadily from his wounds. He needed immediate medical attention.
She then realized that if that was Spike, then the mare carrying him must be...
"Miss Sparkle?! Wha- what happened!!?" she yelled.
Twilight turned toward her, and the nurse gasped at the look on Twilight's face. It was a mixture of overwhelming despair and guilt. Blood matted her usually shining mane. She looked as though she was barely managing to stay composed.
"Please help us!" she screamed, almost hysterically. "It- it was all my fault! Spike needs help, please!"
Nurse Redheart ignored the overwhelming urge to ask Twilight what happened, and nodded. "Follow me!" she said, and she began to dash towards the door leading to the ICU. A patient with Spike's injuries would need the best medical attention, and she was going to make sure that he got it. Though the doctors had no experience with baby dragons, they would have to do their best.
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Twilight paced around outside the operating room, with Nurse Redheart doing her best to calm her down. At this moment, the doctors inside the room were trying desperately to revive Spike.
The tears that Twilight had been holding in since she had first found him on the forest floor finally came out in full force.
"Miss Sparkle, listen to me. Doctor Stable and his team are doing their very best to help Spike. Please, just sit down and-"
She was cut off by Twilight. "No. I can't relax, nurse. Spike was hurt and it's all my fault. I decided that it was a good idea to stay at my friend Zecora's house for the night, a- and since Zecora lives in the Everfree Forest...." she paused, sniffling. "...There were... things there. Timberwolves, nurse. Spike got caught, and- and they...." she then broke off into a loud sob.
Redheart felt deeply sympathetic towards Twilight, and reached over and gave her a hug, which was either not noticed or not acknowledged by the latter. She was now crying loudly, her pent-up tears finally releasing and flowing freely down her flustered cheeks. Redheart was still confused about some of the circumstances of the incident, as Twilight's explanation was lacking in both coherence and detail, though she could hardly be blamed.
What she did know, however, was that Twilight was not at fault for what had happened, but was taking full responsibility for it.
"Nurse...?" asked Twilight, who had finally managed to calm down after a few minutes.
"Yes?" asked Redheart readily. She would do everything in her power to make the lavender mare get over her sorrow.
"I... please, if it's not too much trouble... could you please go and... tell my friends? I- I need them to be here..." she choked in between sobs. The nurse nodded, understanding. She knew the five ponies that Twilight was referring to, having seen them hang around Ponyville and even tending to one, Rainbow Dash, as she remembered, in the past, after she wound up in the hospital.
"I will, Miss Sparkle. Nurse Coldheart!" she called to the another nearby nurse, who quickly made her way over to the pair. "I need to go run a very important errand. Stay here and watch her, okay?" she then whispered in Coldheart's ear. "Listen, she's in a very bad way. You know what happened to her assistant, you know, the baby dragon?" Coldheart nodded. "Okay, then try to be supportive of her. Say nice things, assure her. She needs comforting now more than ever."
"You've got it, Redheart. Just get back here quickly, okay? I'm a nurse, but comforting ponies isn't my strong suit," answered the other nurse.
Redheart didn't hear her. She was too busy deciding how she would break it to Twilight's friends; that one of their friends was severely wounded and in critical condition, while another was bordering on a terrible depression.
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Rarity almost broke out into wild tears at the news. She dropped the scissors and fabric she was holding, said a rushed goodbye to a breakfasting Sweetie Belle, and ran after Redheart.
Pinkie Pie's mane deflated. Her cheery demeanor was replaced by a worried, sad one. The cake she had put so much love and care into making was left to burn in the oven. Her usual, happy hop was replaced by a frantic run as she left Sugarcube Corner with Rarity and Redheart.
Rainbow Dash nearly fell off the cloud she was relaxing on as she was awakened by the shouting from below. Upon hearing what had transpired, her irritation at being awoken was replaced by panic. She sped off along with them, towards Sweet Apple Acres.
Applejack didn't need to hear much of an explanation. She stopped applebucking and made a beeline for Fluttershy's cottage as soon as she heard that harm had come to Spike and Twilight. Redheart and the others had a hard time keeping up with her.
Fluttershy didn't know what to say. She stared, speechless and disbelieving, as she was informed of the incident by her friends and Redheart. Angel shook her out of her trance and urged her to follow them, worry etched across his normally grumpy face.
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Inside the operating room, Spike was surrounded by Doctor Stable and his team, who were hard at work. Assorted machinery was linked up to his small form. They had already stopped the bleeding in multiple areas and closed the wounds, but were losing him to shock and the aftereffects of blood loss.
"By Celestia, get me a transfusion!" yelled Stable, as the ECG machine began to show a disturbance in Spike's heart rate.
Nurse Tenderheart, who was holding a defibrillator, gave a panicked response. "Doctor, he's a dragon! We don't have any dragon blood in the bank! Plus, we don't know about any complications that he could have regarding blood type or-"
"SHUT UP! Just shut up and let me think!" interrupted Stable, as the severity of the situation began to dawn on him. He didn't have many options here; without blood available for transfusion, there was little else they could do. Spike had mere minutes, if not less, meaning that they certainly didn't have time to get him the blood he needed. At this rate, he would be lost to a lack of oxygen flow throughout the body.
His brain brought up multiple other solutions, all of which were immediately deemed either impractical or impossible. He thought about using unicorn magic to temporarily sustain the dragon's life force, but that still wouldn't give them enough time. Healing magic was underdeveloped even during this age, mainly because it was almost never needed, given the relative safety of Equestrian civilization.
The sudden, ominous beep of a flat-line rang in everypony's ears. Stable looked up and, to his horror, saw that there was a single green line running across the machine's screen. Spike's heart had just stopped. The nurse quickly pushed the defibrillator against Spike's chest, and waited for Stable to give the order to shock him back to life.
"Clear!"
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"Twilight!"
The teary-eyed mare looked up and was met with a welcome sight: Applejack, flanked by Pinkie Pie and Rarity, with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash hovering above them. They stood in the hospital doorway, wearing anguished and worried looks. However, they smiled reassuringly at Twilight, and quickly rushed over to her, wordlessly. Before she could say anything to greet them, her five friends had already embraced her tightly.
Behind them, an exhausted Nurse Redheart struggled to stay on her hooves as she stumbled through the doorway, panting heavily from the sudden exercise. She looked up and saw a heartwarming sight:
The Elements of Harmony, hugging each other tightly, tears flowing from each of their eyes. They didn't say a thing, because words could not properly express the agony they felt, nor the amount of support that they were all willing to give to Twilight and Spike during their time of need. They just embraced, the quiet broken only by the odd sob or sniffle. Though it was only for a brief minute, it felt like an eternity to them.
Redheart smiled at the sight as she gestured Nurse Coldheart to follow her. They made their way back into the lobby.
Finally, Twilight's friends stepped back and released her from the group hug, though they all remained close to her. They stood by her sitting form.
"It's all my fault..." Twilight whispered. "I shouldn't have made such a stupid decision. He- he'd be okay right now if it wasn't for me..."
Hearing this, the others rushed to comfort her.
"Now listen here, sugarcube, and listen real good," began Applejack. She put her hoof under the grieving mare's chin and lifted her face up so that her violet eyes met Applejack's own green ones. "Neither you nor Spike coulda known that somethin' like this was going to happen. It ain't right that you're blamin' yourself."
"Applejack's got a point, Twilight!" Rainbow Dash chimed in.
"I agree completely," said Rarity, though she was visibly struggling with the ordeal herself. "Spike would never, ever blame you, darling. He- he did what he did... for the both of you."
She paused and bit her lip, unable to continue. Spike was a wonderful friend, and he had spent so much time with her, doing her dirty work and helping her with her designs.
And yet she never acknowledging his feelings for her, even though she knew of them.
Fluttershy trotted over to Twilight, intent on comforting her despite still finding it hard to accept the entirety of the situation.
"Spike's a strong dragon, Twilight," she stated, her usual meekness surprisingly gone. "He'll make it through, Twilight. I'm... confident that he will."
Pinkie nodded as she stepped up next to Fluttershy. Though her mane remained deflated, it didn't stop her from being supportive of her friends. She wore a sad smile. "That's right. You know what Spike would want you to do right now?"
Twilight looked up at the pink pony from her seat, her eyes still reddish from her earlier tears, her mouth curved in a pained frown. "...What, Pinkie Pie?"
"He'd want you to hope."
Though the others found this display by Pinkie as rather uncharacteristic of her usually silly behavior, they readily agreed and nodded eagerly. Twilight's eyes widened as she began to see what Pinkie was trying to tell her.
Pinkie's mane began to rise slowly as she continued. Her smile began to widen. "We can hope, because before you know it, Spike will be sending letters again and you'll be studying again and I'll be throwing parties again!"
For the moment, at least, Pinkie had chased away everypony's fear. They all looked to Twilight, who was visibly contemplating Pinkie's words. She seemed stunned.
".... Do you Pinkie Promise?" she finally asked. The somewhat out-of-place question from the distraught mare confused some of her friends, but they dared not ask. Though she spoke calmly, her voice sounded as fragile as thin glass, as if all of her life's hopes and dreams depended on this one answer from Pinkie Pie. In a way, they did.
Unlike the others' reactions, however, hearing the question instantly inflated Pinkie's mane back up. Her cheerfulness returned in full force, bewildering the others. Her bounce evidently returned to her step as she answered Twilight. She beamed, an expression which contrasted strongly with the grimmer ones around her.
"Cross my heart," she moved her hoof across her chest. "And hope to fly," she waved the hoof in the air. "...Stick a cupcake in my eye!" with that, she shoved her other hoof into her eye, apparently not affected by the action in the slightest. Instead she just smiled, and smiled.
And for the first time in what seemed like forever, Twilight smiled back. It may not have been as radiant as Pinkie's, but it was genuine, and most importantly, hopeful. The same expressions began to appear on the faces of the other Elements.
Rainbow Dash sighed as she walked over to Pinkie and put her hoof around her. "Pinkie Pie..." she sounded slightly exasperated, but very amused and relieved. "You are so random sometimes. And that's why we love you."
At this, Pinkie Pie beamed. "Well of course, silly! I couldn't imagine myself any other way. Just like I couldn't imagine a big scary Fluttershy or a dummy Twilight or a Rarity with no fashion sense-"
"That's enough, dear," Rarity interjected, though she couldn't help but grin at Pinkie. Still, though, the pain in her heart was not diminished in the least. She missed Spike's help. She missed his affection. She missed him. However, she was dragged out of her thoughts by a sudden sniffling from Twilight, which alarmed everypony. They went to her side.
Her head was now lowered, and it seemed as though she were on the verge of tears once again. Her friends readied themselves for them, but were surprised when she rose her head to face them. She was indeed crying, but at the same time, she beamed.
"Thank you all, everypony. So, so much."
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"Clear!'
"Doctor-"
"I SAID CLEAR!"
"Doc- stop! What're you-"
Nurse Tenderheart was cut off as the doctor wrestled the defibrillator out of her hooves and planted them against Spike's chest himself. Desperation was evident in the stallion's every move.
They had tried resuscitating Spike for over half an hour. The green line on the screen of the ECG refused to move. The telltale beep had continued endlessly.
Stable pressed the buttons and administered one more shock to Spike. To him, everything in the room seemed to move in slow motion as the baby dragon's limp body jerked and flopped on the table.
Stable felt the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he eyed the ECG's screen for movement.
Moments passed, and nothing changed. Spike's heart remained still.
Everypony in the room watched as Doctor Stable set the defibrillator down. He didn't say a word, because he didn't need to. He leaned over Spike's body, and did the final check for vitals.
Nothing.
Nopony spoke, nopony moved.
"By Celestia..." whispered Stable. "I failed."
He stepped back and stared at the small body, disbelieving. He knew deep down that there wasn't anything that he could have done from the start; they lacked resources. They lacked time. But he had tried. He had tried so hard to save the young dragon.
Around him, the other doctors moved, cleaning up the room and moving the tools to be sterilized. Doctor Stable continued to stand over Spike's body, silently. They let him be; they too were disheartened by the loss, and they grieved. All of the ponies in the room knew the baby dragon in passing, and knew that he was one of Twilight Sparkle's closest friends, alongside her other five.
None of them dared to imagine the agony she and her friends would feel.
Nurse Tenderheart observed the scene from the side with a heavy heart. She hadn't moved from there since Stable wrestled the defibrillator from her. She went to Doctor Stable and tapped him gently on the shoulder. He turned to her, slowly, and stared expectantly at her. Still, he said nothing.
She whispered, her voice laden with sympathy. "I'll... I'll tell them, doctor."
But to her surprise, he shook his head firmly.
"No. I will."
She blinked, somewhat shocked at his intention, but nodded reluctantly. She then turned and made her way over to the other staff, who were mourning over the recent death. Many of them had never had to deal with dying patients before, as ponies rarely sustained heavy injuries or suffered bad illnesses. This experience was too new, and too bleak.
Stable, his expression filled with guilt, looked back down at Spike. In death, the baby dragon looked almost peaceful; his eyes were closed, every muscle in his face was relaxed. The color of his scales were slightly paler, and much of his torso was covered in stitches.
But those served as the only blemishes on Spike's otherwise untouched appearance.
Sighing heavily, Doctor Stable shook his head slowly, recalling his failure again. He knew for a fact that he was going to take this memory to his grave.
He leaned close to the baby dragon's ear and whispered. "I'm so, so sorry, Spike..."
With that, he turned to leave the operating room, to do the hardest task he would ever accept.
-----------------------
The sound of the operating room door opening startled the six mares. Everything and everypony else in the world escaped their attention as they watched the doctor enter the room. The smiles and mutual assurances disappeared.
Doctor Stable walked over to them without a word, or any sort of greeting. His eyes were focused on the floor. Nopony spoke as he finally came to the group of mares, who were huddled closely together.
As he looked up at them, the mares immediately knew that he was not a bearer of good news. His manner as he entered the room had already unnerved them, but what made it certain was the look they saw in his eyes; a look of great guilt and sympathy.
Twilight felt her heart hammering in her chest. She thought she felt herself being wrapped in a hug, but she couldn't be certain. It didn't matter much to her. She snapped out of her trance as she saw Doctor Stable's mouth move, and heard him speaking to her.
"Miss Sparkle... right?"
She didn't respond. She almost wanted to say no, wanted to escape the bad news. She knew that Spike was gone. She just knew. She stared back at the doctor, but didn't say a thing.
Next to her, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie began to panic. Pinkie's mane deflated instantly. Applejack hugged Twilight tighter. The others wore despairing looks, all previous comfort dissolved.
Doctor Stable found himself unable to look into the lavender mare's eyes. He looked back at the floor, and took a deep breath. He found himself wanting to run; wanting to just turn and hide from the sad gazes. But he had one more role to play in this tragedy.
"This is my burden to bear. Nopony else's."
He closed his eyes, and said it. "...Several minutes ago, Spike... passed away."
The six mares in front of him stiffened.
"I'm sorry," he said finally. Before he could stop himself, he turned and walked down to the lobby. He knew this was the most cowardly thing anypony could do, but he couldn't face them.
Behind him, Twilight and her friends sat in stunned silence. Spike was gone. They wouldn't see him again. Ever.
As the realization sunk in, they all began to weep. But that was nothing in comparison to Twilight.
Her whole world crashed down around her. That little baby dragon that she had hatched, that she had watched grow into a strong, loyal dragon was... gone. Just like that.
She would never hear his voice again, or see him walking about. Or hear him snore, or watch him sleep.
He was gone. And it was her fault.
The tears began to flow from her eyes, slowly.
She couldn't think. She found it hard to breathe.
Then, they began flowing freely from her eyes.
The reasonable part of her failed to surface. She didn't find solace in thinking, not at a time like this.
She could only mourn. She didn't know for how long, but she cried and cried. She heard wailing from somewhere, but didn't bother acknowledging it. Nothing mattered to her right now. She let her vision shift out of focus.
She never found out that those were her wails.
Finally, she felt somepony grab hold of her shoulders and shake her, roughly. At first, she didn't care enough to react, but then she finally looked up.
Her friends surrounded her, each of them looking distraught as well. Rainbow Dash had her hooves on Twilight's shoulders, and quickly drew her into a tight hug.
"No matter what, we'll- we'll be here for you, okay?" whispered the rainbow-maned pegasus.
Twilight didn't reply. Her cries, and those of the others drowned out any words.
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Above the extraordinarily large gathering of ponies, a sea of grey clouds blotted out any sunshine from illuminating the scene. It wasn't like anypony cared, however. They were far too focused on the tragic procession that was in progress. The majority of the attendees had donned formal, black suits and dresses.
It had been three days since Ponyville had lost Spike. Nothing had been the same since Mayor Mare made the somber announcement the day that Spike passed. Voices were hushed, business was done quickly, and the beautiful, sunny day was ignored in favor of returning home by the majority of the town's population.
Here, at the funeral, everypony in Ponyville was present, and even a few visitors were present, namely Twilight's parents, Shining Armor, and the Princesses Cadance, Celestia, and Luna. Twilight's family and friends stood by her side as they silently watched a group of stallions carry the small stone coffin, and lay it gently near the dark hole that would serve as its inhabitant's final resting place.
Princess Celestia stepped up near the coffin, in front of the massive crowd gathered in front of her. Though she tried desperately to keep calm, the pained look on her face betrayed the same sorrow that all of Ponyville was suffering.
"Mares and gentlecolts..." she began, pausing very briefly to find her next words. "Today... we gather here to mourn the passing of one of the greatest dragons ever known to ponykind."
Twilight's mother put her into a hug as Celestia spoke. Shining Armor put his hoof on Twilight's shoulder.
Twilight didn't seem to acknowledge them.
"Though much of his kind is feared throughout Equestria, Spike differed greatly from them. He showed loyalty, courage, and most importantly, friendship, throughout the entire course of his short life..."
Pinkie Pie began to cry, quietly. Her mane had remained deflated since that fateful day. Dash wrapped her in her forehooves, tightly.
"He was a true example of what it meant to be a friend. He took his flaws and rather than trying to escape them, he embraced them, and led an exemplary life nevertheless."
Far above them, a certain phoenix hatchling and an owl flew about, letting out shrill, desperate cries. A few ponies looked up, and after staring at the two birds, returned their attention to the somber sight.
The owl and phoenix circled above them, crying for a few more times, before the phoenix broke away from the owl and made its way over to the Everfree Forest, back to its home.
But Celestia heard him, and so did Luna and the Elements. They all looked up into the sky briefly, watching the orange and red speck continue to soar into the distance.
Rarity pulled her eyes away from the sky and looked to Dash, who was now focused on comforting Pinkie Pie.
"Rainbow Dash, was that-"
"Yeah. It's the phoenix Spike saved, and Owlowiscious" sighed the cyan mare. The loss of their friend had made her wearier than normal. "I guess they came to say goodbye."
Celestia quickly regained her composure.
"And... and from his example... I hope that we all learn something valuable. Not to better ourselves, but... to honor his memory."
Celestia, having finished the difficult speech, looked to Luna and nodded at her. The horns of the two alicorns then glowed together as their magic enveloped the small coffin that contained Spike.
As they lowered the coffin into the earth in front of the grave marker that would mark Spike's final resting place, Celestia whispered again.
"Rest forever, my dragon friend."
Twilight's friends and family firmly held her. They knew this part would be the hardest for her, because they were feeling the same pain.
But none of them loved him the way she had. None of them shared the lifelong bond with Spike which linked him to Twilight.
Up until now, Twilight had been completely silent. She had not said a single word since Spike passed, which had worried her loved ones greatly. Her parents had rushed over to Ponyville the moment Celestia informed them of the news, as did Shining Armor and Cadance.
Aside from a few greetings and curt answers, she said nothing to them all. Or anypony else.
But here, it was different. Watching his coffin descend into his final resting place reminded her that he was gone. He was gone, and would never, ever come back.
"Spike..." she whispered, suddenly. Her voice startled the ponies surrounding her, who quickly stood by her side to hear what she had to say.
They weren't important to her. Only the grave in front of her did. Memories of the happy, baby dragon began to flood her mind.
And again, heavy tears began to roll down her cheeks as equally heavy sobs wracked through her petite frame.
"Spike... No. Please..." she continued, sobbing. She fell back on her haunches, causing the others to rush to her aid.
Twilight's father shot a frantic look at his son, who returned it. Her mother wrapped Cadance in a tight hug.
Twilight didn't respond to the calls of her name. She looked on, still weeping, as the coffin was lowered completely and the hole was filled with earth.
It began to rain, just as Twilight hit another wave of cries.
The other Elements of Harmony huddled together right behind Twilight and her family.
Rarity, her own tears flowing down her cheeks, gazed at the grave as well, a deep sense of longing and regret tearing her from within. Sweetie Belle stood by her side.
Pinkie Pie continued crying into Dash's shoulder. She showed no sign of stopping.
Rainbow Dash absent-mindedly patted Pinkie on the back, her own face a mask of uncharacteristic sorrow. Scootaloo stared up at her role model, unsure of what to do.
Applejack sat on her haunches and stared into the sky, not wanting to see the tragic scene before her. Apple Bloom, Granny Smith, and Big Macintosh were all with her as well. Without a word, Granny Smith trotted over and gently hugged the orange cowmare.
Fluttershy's wet mane covered her face, her shoulders shaking from her quiet sobs. Angel Bunny patted her affectionately on her hoof, his face showing unusual sadness.
"Girls... what do we do? What do we do now that... Spike's gone?" asked Dash, mournfully.
"Ah don' know, sugarcube," answered Applejack, who took a brief break from her sky-gazing to look at her friends. "Ah've... none'a us have ever had to deal with somethin' like this before..."
Rarity turned to them. "..I think what we have to follow the Princess's advice, and remember him, not just for who he was..." she trailed off as she sniffled. "...But, what he meant to us, girls."
The others nodded, despondent.
They watched as Celestia and Luna walked from Spike's grave to where they were all gathered. The pain on the two sisters' faces was very, very evident.
"Twilight, my faithful student..." said Celestia, as she leaned down to speak to the sobbing lavender mare. Twilight, despite her tears, managed to look into Celestia's eyes. The true, desperate, boundless grief in her young pupil's eyes broke Celestia's heart, but she continued. "You need to be strong. Spike would want you to remain strong. He would want you to be there for your friends-" she gestured towards the five young mares huddled behind Twilight's parents. "-just as much as they are there for you. His loss hurt us all, greatly..."
Twilight sobbed as she replied to Celestia's words. "B-but I don't know how, Princess! How do I forget him?! He... he was with me... there for me... all the time..."
Celestia grimaced and wrapped Twilight in her wing. Overhead, the Heavens continued to weep.
Just like Twilight.
Her sobbing gradually ceased. Celestia looked around. Aside from a few ponies who stood around to pay their last respects, most of the mourners had left, silently walking back to Ponyville, leaving Celestia, Luna, Cadance, the Elements of Harmony, and Twilight's parents near the grave.
It was almost as if they were the only ones in the world right now. Rain and sorrow blocked out anypony else.
"Princess...?" asked Twilight.
"Yes?" Celestia asked gently.
"Please... let me have a few final words to him."
Celestia nodded readily.
"Of course."
With that, she folded her wing back, and watched her student trot over to tombstone.
She heard movement behind her. Twilight's family and friends made a move to follow her.
"No. Please, leave her be," said Celestia quickly. They stared at her in confusion. "She needs to be alone for this," explained Celestia. Shining Armor opened his mouth to protest, but Cadance jammed her hoof in there almost immediately.
She whispered in her husband's ear. "She's right, dear. Twilight needs to be alone for this one."
Shining Armor looked at his young wife, contemplating her words, before nodding.
Twilight's friends and family looked on as she went, alone, to deliver her last goodbye.
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She walked over to the grave stone, and sat on her haunches in front of it.
It was simple enough; a smooth, stone marker with a simple epitaph on it, reading:
SPIKE:
LOYAL FRIEND AND #1 ASSISTANT
REST FOREVER HERE IN OUR HEARTS
Twilight knew that he would like it. He had a taste for the extravagant, but he appreciated the simpler things in life as well.
But then, it wasn't she that had made it up. Indeed, she hadn't been herself the last few days. Not since his death.
She teared up, yet again.
She knew that she would never be able to fully accept his death. Neither would her friends. Spike had been so... so important in all of their lives. She didn't even know where to begin.
From the moment she had hatched him as a young filly, Spike had been her only true friend aside from her brother, who was too busy with guard work to even talk with her most of the time. Together, they had sat through hours upon hours of boredom and fun. Studies, meals, sleep, play... he had been there with her for every single minute.
He had been, essentially, the light in her life; never failing to support her, just as she never failed to support him.
And now he was gone.
Her tears blended in with the rain. Crying felt almost tedious now.
Wordlessly, she produced a sapphire and a rose out of the air, and laid them on the ground. She levitated the sapphire and set it securely into the stone. It looked perfect.
She then levitated the rose on to the front of the marker.
She surveyed the grave's new appearance; a single, bright star illuminated his name for all to see, while the rose below was his reminder.
So that wherever he was, he would know that his friends loved him more than anything else in the world. In life and in death.
The pain was still there, and she knew that nothing could take it away. It would always remain there, a scar in her heart. But she knew that she had to push on. At the very least, she would try her hardest. Just like Spike would.
"Just like Spike would," she repeated.
With that final thought, Twilight Sparkle looked back at the grave, and ran her hoof across the words etched into it. The curves, the angular shapes of the lettering that spelled out who Spike was and how he would be remembered served as the only source of comfort that she knew.
She let the final tears flow from her eyes.
"Goodbye... Spike."
The rain continued to crash around her, sealing her off from the rest of the world.
TO BE CONTINUED
Excuse me! I'd like to thank my friend from Fanfiction. net, M306117 for his help in many aspects of this chapter. And for waiting patiently for me to update, just like all of you. You're all bloody wonderful!