//------------------------------// // Alternate ending // Story: Countdown // by StarsketchDF //------------------------------// Alternate Ending It was hectic, Twilight couldn’t believe cattle could do so MUCH damage in only twenty seconds. “Nonononononono!” Twilight collapsed on the floor and started to cry. “I-I’ve failed…” TICK TOCK TICK TOCK TICK TOCK. “E-Excuse me?” A soft voice called out to her. Twilight looked up and tried to wipe away her tears, looking up at the yellow pegasus in front of her she began to cry again. “Fluttershy I’m so sorry!” Twilight's face became red and her cheeks covered in fresh tears. Fluttershy gently put a hoof on her shoulder. “Twilight I need you to listen to me...I-If you can.” Twilight looked at the seriousness in Fluttershy’s eyes. “This isn’t your fault Twilight, it’s not even the cattle’s fault. But we need to focus on how to get everything running again, right?” Twilight looked up at her friend, stood up and wiped her tears. “We still believe in you Twilight.” Flutters said with a kind smile. As Twilight looked into the element of kindnesses eyes her head began to clear. “Your right Fluttershy, I can still do this.” Just as Twilight uttered those very words she felt a coolness brush in her brain, as if all the stress had blown away. M-My headache is gone! Twilight put on a confident smile as she began to use her magic to repair the pillars that had fallen down. “Fluttershy can you go get Rarity so you both can try and repair the banners?” Fluttershy gave a wide smile. “Yes ma’am.” As Fluttershy flew out of the halls Mayor Mare walked in in a state of fluctuation and confusion. “What happened here!?” Twilight ran over to direct the other ponies on the tasks they were to perform to help make the situation better. “Don’t worry Mayor Mare I’ve got everything under control! I understand it may look bad, but trust me, you just worry about getting the rest of the catering here safely.” Mayor Mare gave a light and uncertain smile. “If you say it will work out then I trust you Princess Twilight, but can you handle this on your own?” Twilight looked at her with even more confidence in her smile. “Leave it to me.” Mayor Mare rushed out to get back to sugarcube corner to grab the rest of the food, the clever purple mare kept on directing and performing magic to repair the broken items. Within a time span of five and a half hours everything was back in place, as if nothing had ever happened. “Finally.” Rarity said as she snipped the last thread on a beautifully decorated green and blue banner. “I must admit Twilight I am quite impressed at the work you’ve done here.” Mayor Mare said as she delicately placed the soup and muffins on the picnic tables now decorated in yellow and blue. “I couldn’t have done it without the help of everypony.” She said looking back at her friends. “Well I thank you all, now go home and get some rest, I ran into Spike on the way to sugarcube corner and he told me you were sick.” Mayor Mare said. Twilight smiled as she walked out the door. “I’ll be sure to, thank you Mayor Mare.” The Mayor smiled and waved goodbye. The sun had fallen down and a blanket of stars covered the dark blue and purple sky. It wasn’t far from the main hall to her library, but it took a LONG time to clean up. As Twilight was walking she thought about Spike and how much he cared for her….Him AND Owlicious. “Owlicious….I’m sorry…” Twilight had to tell Spike and she had to tell him the truth. She used her magic to open the wood door to her home and was greeted with a pleasant surprise. “Hey Twilight!” Rainbow dash said with a wide smile on her face. “Rainbow dash?” Twilight said a little confused. Twilight looked around the room and saw Pinkie pie on the far right smiling with a party hat on her head, pink and purple streamers were hung up and two yellow balloons tied to a table with a bowl of soup on it saying ‘Get well soon’. “We’re sorry that you got sick so I made you my special kale and leek bean soup!” Pinkie pie said bouncing up and down. Twilight walked in and shut the door, as she did so Spike walked up also wearing a party hat, smiling. “Do you feel any better?” He said as he shoved a spoonful of soup in her mouth. Her eyes began to swell up in pain, not because the soup tasted bad it was quite delicious, she was tearing up because she had to tell the truth. “I’m sorry everypony, I don’t deserve this….” The three of them looked at her in confusion. “I….It started...What happen was I- It's really hard to explain.” Twilight felt a dagger lunge through her throat as she began to cry and had trouble fully explaining what had happened the past couple of days. As Twilight began to cry Spike, Pinkie pie, and Rainbow dash all comforted her until she could speak again. While all her friends were comforting her she felt another wave of cool relief inside her head. She spoke again, now somehow finding the proper words for her tale. They all listened in shock. Even though Pinkie pie knew that Twilight killed Owlicious (and so did Rainbow dash) Pinkie never knew of all the torment and stress she was put under from becoming a princess. When Twilight was done talking she stared at her friends, then Pinkie pie hugged her tightly tears streaming down her face. “I’m sorry you had to go through that...I know Owlicious meant a lot to you Twilight.” Twilight leaned in and cried more, hugging Pinkie pie tightly. “It was an accident...I’m so so sorry…” Twilight kept apologizing over and over, as she did so a heavy weight fell on her head once more. Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock… No…...No...I-It’s back. As Twilight was about to panic a baby dragon whom she knew well stepped forward, causing Twilight to break her embrace with her pink friend. “Twilight...I know you...You would never hurt any of your friends, Owlicious...On purpose, so I believe you but why didn’t you tell me sooner we could have worked through it together?” Twilight once again felt the weight on her head lift as she heard the forgiveness in Spike's voice, sadness was there but forgiveness...He forGAVE her. Twilight wiped her eyes and looked into Spike's eyes. “I didn’t want to trouble you with something you couldn’t understand. I thought maybe I could work through the stress myself. Th-The ‘Ticking’ kept me in one place though…” “I still don’t understand a lot about this ticking noise, but we could’ve tried anyway.” Spike hugged Twilight’s foreleg. “I know, you're right Spike, If I had told you sooner Owlicious might still be alive.” Rainbow dash piped up, eating biscuits that pinkie made for Twilight. “Why didn’t you send a letter to Princess Celestia? Maybe she might know something.” Pinkie pie shot a death glance at Rainbow dash for eating Twilight’s biscuits. “I tried to, but I didn’t know how to word it.” Pinkie pie looked at her. “Well you told your story to us pretty clearly.” Twilight smiled slightly thinking about the embrace Pinkie gave her a few seconds earlier. “When I’m with you all I could get over anything, even a lump in my throat.” Rainbow dash smiled. “Than what’s stopping you from writing a letter now?” Twilight put on a seriousness and levitated a scroll and quill to her. “Nothing, she needs to know what happened.” “How should I start the letter?” Spike said. “I’m writing this one myself.” Twilight said beginning to write. Within a minute spike was sending the letter to Celestia, vanishing it within his green flame. Twilight put on her honest happy and nerdy smile as she turned back to Rainbow dash Pinkie pie and Spike. “Isn’t this supposed to be a party? Get well or not let's dance!” They all smiled, Pinkie pie got out her party cannon. “Now that’s our Twilight!” The four friends all started to dance and laugh together, each of them catering to Twilight’s needs, whether it may be getting an ice pack or refilling her tea. They all had a great time. As Twilight hugged Spike and put him to bed she walked downstairs to roll out blankets and pillows for her sleepover. I don’t care if Celestia reduces my duties for past incidents, I trust her judgement. Twilight looked at her two friends Rainbow dash and Pinkie pie. As long as I have my friends, I can be ready for anything. Twilight smiled at her thoughts and felt a final cool breeze pass through her head. Everything will be just fine. As she said that, a scroll appeared behind her on the floor, on it was the royal seal. “Princess?” Twilight said picking up the scroll. END