Author: LDSocrates
Prompt: Death
The autumn air was cold and crisp against Twilight’s mane and fur. The falling leaves each gave a little chorus of crunches when her hooves met the cobblestone while she cantered down the path, flanked on either side by trees withered by the season.
The tree line and narrow stone path eventually gave way to a clearing, furnished only by grass and populated only by tombstones. Each was very old by mortal standards, but the visiting immortal was their elder. Carved into each was a name and cutie mark very familiar to her, each one a unique, deep heartache unto itself, but she passed them by. That day was not their day.
Twilight reached her destination and sat herself down in the grass. Before her was an admittedly unremarkable tombstone. Not for lack of effort, but its owner had once refused to let Twilight commission a mausoleum like she deserved. Like all her friends deserved.
Pinkamena “Pinkie” Diane Pie
The best of friends and a friend to all; the best wife a mare could ask for, but wed to only one. She will be missed.
Twilight let out a shaky sigh, straightening her spine and sitting up straight. Her horn glowed for a quick scan of the area. She was alone. Good. No witnesses.
The alicorn charged her horn once more, for a very different spell. She closed her eyes with a deep breath, letting the magic of the graveyard and surrounding forest flow in and around her, letting herself become a conduit for life lost and life born anew.
She didn’t allow herself to open her eyes until she heard a cute and familiar yawn whisper in her ears. Before her sat the specter of Pinkie Pie, her transparent soul the shape of the bouncy young mare she always was at heart. “Wow, has it been a year already?” the ghost asked, rubbing her non-eyes as if she’d simply been dragged out of bed on a Saturday and not summoned from the grave.
Twilight giggled softly. “It has. Have a nice rest?”
“As far as I can remember!” the perky pink pony exclaimed.
“Still can’t remember the other side, huh?” Twi asked, nuzzling the phantom. Pinkie’s cheek felt colder than the grave itself, but Twi had learned not to shiver so Pinkie wouldn’t worry.
“Nope!” the ghost giggled. “But that’s okay. What I’m leaving could never compare to what I have right here.” She leaned forward and gave the alicorn a frigid kiss. “Besides, I’ll be going back there soon, right?”
“Not as soon as usual,” Twilight said with a loving smile. “I’ve been practicing, and I think I can hold the spell for another hour.”
“That’s great!” She wrapped her spectral forelegs around Twilight in a tight hug, the cold chilling Twi right down to the soul but comforting all the same. “More time to spend with the prettiest mare in the whole wide universe!” She let out another giggle as she pulled away from the hug. “And I can safely say that, ‘cause if there were anyone prettier than you on the other side, I’d remember them.”
Heat graced Twilight’s face along with a wide grin. “Haven’t changed a bit, have you?”
“Nnnnnope! And you know you love me this… way…” Pinkie’s brow furrowed and her gaze turned upwards. “Where’d your wedding ring go?”
Everything in Twilight’s body seized up. She tried to not look Pinkie in the eye as she admitted, “Well… it’s been a really long time, and ponies expected me to get remarried a long time ago, and there’s been this mare I’ve been thinking about proposing to…”
“You’re getting remarried?!” Twilight was pulled into a tight hug that probably would’ve knocked the stuffing out of her if Pinkie were still alive. “Twi, that’s great! Ohhh, I really hope she says yes!”
“Y-you’re not sad? Or mad? Or anything?” Twilight gawked.
“Of course not, you silly filly,” Pinkie said, pulling back to let Twi see her small, sincere smile. “Sweety, I’m dead as a doornail. No magic in the world can really bring me back, and I’m not exactly getting any deader. I’m happy with all those great years we were together, and I really hope you make your next wife as happy as you made me. Death hasn’t kept us apart so far, so no way I’m not going to let you moving on come between us! Besides, you can still come visit me on my death-day, right?”
Throwing decades of learning self control and dignity to the wind, Twilight smiled wide as tears came to her eyes and she pulled Pinkie into a tight hug of her own. “Thanks so much, dear. Never change…”
“Don’t plan to!” Pinkie chirped, hugging her wife back in an embrace that felt far, far from cold.
“…so, is she pretty?”
“Don’t ruin the moment, Pinkie.”
… I used to wonder what friendship could be...
'Til five good mares showed its magic to me...
There was Big adventure, we had Tons of fun...
Our beautiful hearts were Faithful and strong...
We shared our kindness. It was an easy feat,
and magic made it all complete~
You know you were all my very best friends...
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Hmm could be I guess. That is certainly better than the force Pinkie to love you plan...
3099276>>3099299
You would be correct about her changing herself into a stallion.
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This depressed me more than actually writing it did. Stop that. Please.
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Sorry... I... I just find it all too sad... it hurts...
Ooh, finally, up to LDSocrates' entry. Time for some vengeance in the form of feedback...
I'm joking, joking... But honestly, this story really struck me as interesting. I expected to be immediately down in the dumps when I saw the title of the prompt, so I was very surprised to see what you did. It was very clever and I applaud you for that. I think you captured the essence of Pinkie Pie--dead or alive--as well as Twilight. It seemed so... right. Every word. When Pinkie exclaimed "You're getting remarried?!" I flinched because I thought she was mad. But NOPE, you were pulling a fast one again. I was pleasantly surprised when Pinkie was actually happy for her. I thought it was adorable, and the thought that their love could transcend life itself was very awesome. I don't have enough words to do this entry justice, so you may have a mustache.
Though, you do have me curious. Any mare in particular Twilight was courting?
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Revenge? But overall I've liked your entries a lot! And thanks; initially I was thinking about going the expected route of Pinkie on her deathbed, or perhaps something more unorthodox like Gummy dying and Twilight dealing with a grieving Pinkie, but this idea came to mind and I ran with it. Glad I did.
And no, I had nopony in particular in mind for Twi to be courting. The implication was that every mortal in the show is dead by then, so that severely limits the options. Though... always had a story idea/headcanon that after a few hundred years and age difference becomes negligible, Twi and Cadence might give romance a shot. Certainly would have less potentially icky implications than Twilestia (no offense to Twilestia fans).
I love Pinkie-ghost, and I can totally imagine her meeting Twilight's new wife. But the way she got so happy when she heard that Twilight was moving on and loving the living was beautiful and wonderfully in-character. Now I really wanna see the year after, because Twilight could totally introduce new-wife to ghost-wife and it would be wonderful and deliciously awkward.
In the land of more serious things,
THIS made me shiver. I love it, and it felt incredibly right to both their characters. That Twilight would hide and Pinkie would worry .... I love it so very, very much.
TOO MANY FEELS! *grabs tissue box and starts wailing*
You know, this was a great shot of a story.
Though the title worried me to DEATH (get it?) and you pulled a fast one and reversed it into a good mood, which surprised me a lot.
Also the fact that Princess Twilight Sparkle is getting married to another mare is a great idea and the pinkie is not mad very much surprised me and also made me happy. (Any idea who this may be by the way?)