//------------------------------// // The Weight of the World Will Lean Against You // Story: Dying Flame // by Kaptein //------------------------------// Court had been cancelled. Every appointment, scheduled meeting or even public hearing had been postponed indefinitely. No activity had been seen inside the tree-castle for almost a week. In fact, nopony had heard from Princess Twilight at all recently. They had assumed that Twilight Sparkle had simply important business to attend to; after all, that’s what Princesses did. Rainbow Dash was the first to notice something was amiss. Being a part of the weather team meant irregular shifts and being awake during the odd hours of the morning tending to rogue weather from the Everfree, which is why a certain purple egg-headed alicorn not sticking to her schedule started setting off a few alarm bells. Rainbow Dash had become very familiar with some of her early morning habits - specifically the smell of food coming out from the kitchen area of the castle, or in this case, the lack of it. Also, the fact that Twilight hadn’t summoned her or any of their friends for Friendship Court was a dead giveaway. Five ponies gathered around the entrance to the tree-castle, each verbally stating their varying degrees of annoyance and discomfort. “Are you certain, dear?” Rarity asked. It was still the early hours of the morning and Celestia’s sun had barely risen over the horizon. She was wearing her sleeping robes, her mane still tied up in curlers. “There could be a reasonable explanation we haven’t seen her.” “Yeah, I am,” Dash replied. her wings fidgeted for a moment before she turned to Pinkie Pie. “Tell them, Pinks.” The pink earth pony held a placid look on her face. “I - well, I haven’t felt...anything from Twilight. No doozies, no pinchy knees or even twitchy tails. Just…nothing!” she declared, her demeanor deflating slightly. “Oh, my, that does sound serious,” Fluttershy commented meekly. Her eyes darted between the other four ponies, a terrified look of uncertainty behind them. “I mean - I think it does.” Applejack remained silent, digging her hoof into the ground a few times as she stared off into the distance. “That still doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong, dear,” Rarity added. She waved a hoof nonchalantly at the door. “Sometimes a lady does need her privacy.” Rainbow Dash glared at the white unicorn heatedly, before pointing her own hoof. “I haven’t heard from Spike, either. And I know for a fact that Twilight has him scheduled to collect a new shipment of quills and inks every Wednesday. It’s Friday, Rarity.” There was another marked silence as the five friends shared glances between themselves. Finally, Applejack took a step forward towards the hovering pegasus. “And how exactly do you know so much about Twilight’s schedule?” Applejack asked, raising a curious eyebrow. Rainbow Dash’s eyes narrowed slightly, her reply cutting into the air like a blade. “Because I’m her friend.” “And what exactly is that suppose’ ta mean?” the farm pony shot back, her eyes narrowing as well. Rarity’s sharp voice cut into the argument before it even began. “Girls. This is getting us nowhere.” She motioned towards Twilight’s door. “Let us just be sure that Twilight is okay before we jump to any conclusions.” Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement. “Yeah. I don’t like barging in any more than the next pony but we seriously need to find out what’s going on.” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Well, what’re you suggestin’? That we knock?” The sarcasm behind her words made Rainbow cringe slightly. There was a slight creaking noise, causing the five ponies to fall into a hushed silence. Four sets of heads turned slowly towards the large double doors with wide and terrified eyes. “Oh hey, it’s unlocked!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed brightly, startling the others. “Gosh darnit Pinkie, you scared the hayseed outta me!” Applejack cried. Her shoulders slumped from her tense stance, trotting over to the pink mare. “So...now what?” Fluttershy asked meekly. The five stood for a few moments, blank looks across their faces and at a loss for what to do. Rainbow Dash was ashamed to admit it but she was expecting more resistance than this. She was used to action and brute-force, and not just being able to waltz right in. “I...guess we should go in?” Rainbow tentatively offered, waving her hoof in the direction of the now-open doors. The rest murmured in soft agreement. The five friends carefully led themselves through the front door, an air of constant alert about them. Their eyes scanned about, ears perked and waiting for anything sudden or unexpected. What awaited them was almost disappointing. Nothing seemed out of place in the strangely quiet halls. They all looked around, searching for anything that could be out of place. “Twilight, dear?” Rarity called out. Her voice was gentle yet surprisingly sharp. Silence answered her, sending a shiver up Rainbow Dash’s back as she hovered deeper into the castle. “Twilight?” she called out as well. Again, there was no reply. “I have a mighty bad feeling about this,” Applejack said softly. Her eyes darted around and her whole body was tensed, ready to react. The group made it to the main throne room without incident. The residual lighting from the sun illuminated the room through special windows near the top of the chamber. Each pony stood in front of their designated throne. Rainbow looked at the remaining two seats, no pony (or dragon) next to them. “Ugh, when last did she have this place cleaned?” Rarity commented, wiping the tip of her hoof along seat. “There’s a layer of dust over everything!” Rainbow squinted before looking at the crystalline surface. Sure enough, upon closer scrutiny, a tiny and near-unnoticable layer of dust clung to it. “It’s only a week, Rarity,” Applejack said. “If she’s been away then it’s expected for things to get a little dirty.” Rarity shot the farmpony a dirty look but before she could open her mouth to say anything, Pinkie Pie’s head shot upwards, her neck straight and stiff. Her eyes widened and her entire body went stiff. “Pinkie…?” Fluttershy cautiously asked, taking a step towards her friend. “Pinkie, are you okay?” “That….” the pink mare started, her body loosening up again. “Was a doozy. A - a bad doozy.” She looked around at the others, her eyes wide and almost fearful. “My Pinkie Sense is telling me...that we’re not going to like what’s about to happen…” Rainbow Dash blinked a few times at Pinkie, the thoughts running through her brain. The look on her face sent a dark chill through the pegasus. During their friendship Pinkie had never looked scared. A sixth voice rang out in the chamber, sending a jolt to kick-start Rainbow’s heart. “Hi girls!” All five of them whipped around to see Twilight Sparkle entering the chamber. “Geeze, Twilight!” Rainbow called out, dripping at her chest. “You scared us half to death!” “Oh, sorry!” Twilight apologised quickly. “I didn’t mean to scare you. If I were expecting guests I would’ve tidied the place up a bit!” “Good gracious, dear!” Rarity said. She held a hoof out towards Twilight’s face, a worrisome frown forming on her face. “You look dreadful! What ever has happened to you?” Rainbow landed, walking up to the purple alicorn, allowing her to get a better look at Twilight’s face. She did a double-take at noticing the sullen look in her face. Dark rings were under her eyes and her mane looked like it hadn’t been brushed at all the past week. Streaks of fur were matted under her eyes and on her cheeks. But Twilight still held that calm smile. “So - what can I do for you girls?” she asked, circling and moving to take her place next to her seat in the Friendship Court. “Oh, excuse me - it’s so dreary without any lights on. Let me fix that!” A spark of magic later and several torches lit up, providing proper illumination. A marked silence filled the room. All five of them stared at Twilight in deep worry for their friend. It was Applejack who finally broke the silence “Twilight…? Are you alright?” “I’m…” she stumbled over her words for a moment before correcting herself, straightening her posture slightly. “I’m perfectly fine, Applejack,” Twilight responded. The corner of her eye twitched slightly. Rainbow Dash landed, taking a few steps towards the alicorn. “Twi, where have you been for the past week?” she asked, her voice thick with worry. “We’re all worried sick about you.” “Uh- princess duties!” she replied almost too quickly. “Twilight…” Fluttershy said. “Where’s Spike?” A cold silence filled the room. Everypony’s eyes slowly turned to Twilight, the alicorn freezing in place. Her face locked up in panic as her eyes darted between the other five ponies. Rarity was the first to speak. “Twilight...where is Spike?” “I - I - I - ,”  Twilight stammered, taking a few steps backwards away from the group. “P - Please don’t hate me, girls.” “Twilight, dear, why would we hate you?” Rarity said, taking a few steps to keep up with Twilight. “He’s…” Twilight choked, her face scrunching up as her eyes screwed shut. “He’s gone.” Rainbow cocked her head slightly, a confused look on her face. “What do you mean gone?” Twilight looked liked she wanted to cry. Her face scrunched up and her eyes clenched shut, her jaw grinding. The dry sob escaping her throat told them her tears had dried up a long time ago. “Spike...is gone,” she croaked. “I - I don’t know if he’s alive or, or… or. Dead.” Twilight stumbled towards her throne, before collapsing onto it for support. “His - his furnace went out and I had to give him up to an elder dragon.” Applejack placed a comforting hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Furnace? Elder dragon? What the hay are you talking about, Sugarcube?” The alicorn looked up, her eyes slowly going through each of her friends before she drew deep breath and spoke. They all waited in a muted and shocked silence as Twilight explained what happened to Spike, from the importance of a dragon’s furnace to the fact that he could be dead. Several painfully long minutes passed, each caught up in their own thoughts. “T - Twilight…” Fluttershy whispered, finally breaking the silence. “We don’t blame you…” “B - But I blame myself, Fluttershy,” Twilight half-sobbed. “I should’ve known. I should’ve put more effort into it…” “Stop, just please stop,” Rarity’s voice cut in. Her eyes were bloodshot, tears brimming. “I know for a fact that you did nothing on purpose. None of us blame you for what happened Twilight, we just…” she paused, taking a deep breath. “We’re here to support you Twilight, is what I believe Fluttershy is trying to say.” “I - I’m sure the little tyke will be fine,” Rainbow added nervously. She didn’t want to admit that she was scared of Spike never coming back. None of them wanted to admit that - the mere concept was just too terrifying to try and deal with. Pinkie Pie’s mane had deflated slightly, losing a little of its colour as she stared sullenly at the small throne next to Twilight’s, picturing the small dragon that should be sitting there. Applejack held her hat over her chest, her eyes closed. Twilight looked around at each of her friends, taking in each one before her legs collapsed out from under her as she began dry sobbing. “Oh Celestia, what have I done?!” she cried out, burying her face into her hooves. She wailed softly into them, heaving a dry sob occasionally. Her five friends moved in to comfort her. They didn’t say anything - there was nothing any of them could really say. Twilight grew oddly silent as the other mares gently rested hooves on her shoulders and back. “Celestia…” she whimpered, before hiccuping. “Celestia doesn’t know yet.” “Sugarcube, you’re going to have to tell her eventually,” Applejack said softly. “Ah’m sorry. Ah really am.” “But...how am I going to tell her? I can’t - .” her voice choked up, dying before she could finish her thought. “I can’t even send a l- letter…” Rarity’s eyebrow rose as she resisted the urge to titter. “Dear, you can use the postal service. Or have a chariot take you to Canterlot.” Twilight lay motionless for a moment before speaking, her voice tired and weak. “I don’t think I can face the Princess right now.” “I understand.” “Look, Twilight,” Applejack began, “I understand you want to be on your own. We all do - but you can’t lock yourself away like this.” The alicorn looked up at the farmpony, her eyes bloodshot red. She didn’t make a sound, instead just giving a pleading look. “I…” Applejack hesitated, swallowing loudly. “I lost my parents as a filly. I know what it’s like to lose family. The last thing you need to do is keep it all in.” She cleared her throat, her voice becoming stressed and sad. “All it will do is hurt you more. We’re here for you, Twilight. We’re your friends and we’ll always be here for you.” The others murmured their agreement. “We can get through this together, Twilight,” Rarity half-whispered, her hug tightening warmly around the alicorn. Twilight remained silent, tears once again flowing from her eyes.