• Published 4th Jan 2014
  • 6,618 Views, 448 Comments

Our Voices Carry Through The Hills - Surry



Twilight wakes up to find that she has lost her voice completely, and even worse, her magic. All the while, Ponyville is being absolutely annihilated by a unicorn that looks exactly like her.

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For My Cries Will Carry

Author's Note:

Please read:

I really hope this chapter will teach everyone to be better people towards one another, because I really think it can. This chapter came from the heart and I genuinely cried a few times while I wrote it.

Some readers might not think it's powerful stuff, but I do.


Thanks again, Raven. :pinkiesmile:


Now grab some tissues... :applecry:




For My Cries Will Carry


A silvery light flooded the mare's eyes as she gazed upon Twilight, rendering the unicorn speechless. It was the last thing she remembered before her consciousness was consumed by the blackness. She felt her body go limp for a moment as the process began, but the feeling in her legs soon returned. The world around her simply vanished in the blink of an eye.

The pain that had plagued her began to empty away.

Her vision was swallowed up.

She was now lost in a pitch black void, waiting for somepony to come find her. Her hooves now planted themselves firmly on an invisible, rough surface somewhere among the atramentous emptiness.

"Hello?!" she called out; her voice echoed for a while before she received a response.

"Hello, Twilight," said the mare behind her.

She quickly turned in response, yet her adversary seemed much more complacent in this dark realm. The blood that had plagued her face was now gone, yet her burns remained.

"W-where are we?" Twilight muttered, "And where's Rainbow?"

"She'll be joining us shortly, I think. However, you said you wanted to see, and for the pain I have caused you... I suppose that is the least I can do."

"But how--?"

"We don't have much time."

Before Twilight could even finish her question, a small house, probably only suitable to be home to a small family, began to silently sprout out of the blackness to her right and quickly caught her attention. There was barely any sound at all in the void; even her hoofsteps as she started to walk up to the home seemed to be deadened of all noise. She was followed closely by the mare, who was carefully noting Twilight's curiosity all the while. The home, a single building in a sea of blackness, was quaint by modern Equestrian standards. It was but a simple one-story, stone-foundation house, with a straw roof hanging off on all sides.

"I-is this...?" Twilight was still lost in thought.

"This is a memory of mine," the mare divulged, "It's simple, but it's all I have to offer."

They both found a window off to one side and peered within, to what Twilight guessed was the main living room, although there was hardly room for anything else in this minuscule home. A cream-colored filly with curly, red hair held a book out in front of her using a dull red magic. She was curled up by a modest fireplace to keep warm, but there didn't appear to be any adults around. Twilight noted just how much concentration it takes to read a book while simultaneously levitating it. It was simple for any adult unicorn, but for a filly, it would prove arduously challenging at such a young age.

She seemed happy enough; her scarlet eyes flickered in the firelight, carefully, yet quickly skimming the book. Twilight nearly gasped when she read the title upon the book's spine.

"Tier 51 Advanced Magic?!" she blurted, "B-but how?!"

The mare at her side stifled a giggle at her outburst, glad to have so deeply impressed her. She eyed her past self intently, as did Twilight.

"I was a spry, young filly, Miss Sparkle," she started, "I had few friends, for I never found them of much concern. My mother and father were always out, leaving me home by myself most of the time, alone with only that book. It was the only one my father ever kept around from his days at Celestia's school, and as such, it was my only reading material. I picked it up quickly enough, but I honestly didn't find most of the spells within its pages very challenging. It seems it was a skill I inherited from my parents, for they were both undeniably talented and powerful unicorns."

"I think I understand," said Twilight, "But... how come you lived here? Surely, you could've lived in Canterlot."

"We did, but it wasn't until after my mother found a job offer working as a librarian that we finally moved there. Honestly, it seems as though my family will always be plagued by setbacks."

As she finished speaking, the house before them began to break away, piece by piece, and fade like wisps of smoke into the blackness. The particles of what was left over dissipated into nothing as another building started to sprout from the blackened ground. It seemed to grow upward like a flower reaching for the sun, nearly two stories tall, when it suddenly stopped.

The mare nodded for Twilight to follow her, heading for the main entrance to the house. The experience did not seem to affect the unicorn, as she began to calmly accept what was going on around her.

"What do you mean by setbacks?" she asked.

Wordlessly, the mare continued up the house and creaked open the front door. It was similar to her old home, rather small in size, yet much more decorated. There was another fireplace currently in use, several sofas set around its perimeter composed of varying colors, and the same little filly, curled up upon one cushion and crying to herself while still clutching the same book within her hooves.

"My father... loved to travel, Twilight. He was always trying to better himself through challenge and hardship, and through his way, he had garnered a vast knowledge of magic and Equestria. But... he always wanted more. He wanted more for me and my mother, and he always used to call me his little princess, telling me about how one day I could stand out above everypony if I worked hard enough and truly became one. I began to believe it too, once my powers and abilities started to grow and improve."

She walked over to her younger self, who paid no attention to her presence. Being but a memory, they could not interact. Carefully, she placed a delicate hoof on the crying filly's head and lightly stroked her mane.

"Why...?" the filly whimpered to herself, "It's not fair..."

Twilight stood off to the side and simply observed the scene, feeling terribly sorry for the girl.

"My father left us to go on an expedition of some sort, saying he'd be back within a week, but my mother spared me the details... and he never returned."

The filly clutched the book even tighter.

"I-I'm... so sorry," Twilight sorrowfully admitted.

"Don't be," the mare responded, "After what I've put you through, Twilight... you don't have to be sorry for anything."

With a slight wave of her horn, the filly, the house, the furniture, and the fire all began to dissolve into the air as tiny particles into a much larger mist. She felt the filly's mane in her hoof fall away like the smallest of beads through her grasp, coalescing with the spectral wisps of the other objects. The floor beneath them gave out as well, until they once again stood upon only blackness.

"It was difficult for me and my mother after that. I spent most of my nights memorizing every spell within the book, while she would come home and cook and clean, things of that sort. I remained adamant about studying, and occasionally my mother would bring home books from the library, though they were much simpler than my first. I suppose I should've thanked my father for exposing to me to the more 'complex' uses of magic, especially when I was so young. I still loved and appreciated my mother, though. She worked so hard for me, Twilight, and I wanted nothing more than to make them proud and show that I could truly be a princess."

Twilight took a second to process the new information and then looked around, as if waiting for something new to appear out of the ground. Almost on cue, castle walls constructed of heavy stone began to surge from the blackness skyward. In the sanctity of her mind, she was able to create worlds like a goddess might, easily forming the interior of Canterlot's massive main foyer. Immense stained-glass windows protruded from the walls, the marble floor pushed up underneath their hooves as she willed it so, and a luminous chandelier descended from the ceiling until it came to its final resting place. The unicorn had never seen the interior so barren.

"W-what happened after that?" Twilight timidly asked.

Again wordlessly, the mare pointed to one corner of the grand hall and signaled for her to follow. Twilight complied, staying close behind her as she walked. They came to the main staircase and turned, allowing them to see two ghostly specters running toward each other, though the figures were completely silent. One was tall and whitish, whom Twilight immediately recognized as Princess Celestia, while the other was much smaller; she was the filly from earlier.

They stopped when they at last reached other and gave each other a loving embrace. Twilight's lips quivered while holding back her emotions, as she also knew the feeling of Celestia's hug all too well.

"I gained favor with Celestia early in my life, Twilight," she never looked away from the unfolding scene, "My mother recommended me to her, and she allowed me to take her entrance exam to enter the school. Needless to say, it was pathetically simple for me. In fact, I might have impressed her too much."

Twilight had never seen Celestia so happy to be holding a filly, at least not since she held herself. She was envious, but there was obviously a catch in the mare's words.

"It looks like she loved you," said Twilight.

"Perhaps at one point," she admitted with a sigh, "But nevertheless, I faced hardship."

The two mares faded away into unrecognizable fog, yet the landscape did not change. On the opposite side of the foyer, a similar, teenage looking filly appeared, more mature than before, and found the spectral figure of Celestia once again. The young, red-eyed pony tried to hug her, but the princess was hesitant now.

"She began to doubt me, for I had frequent outbursts in class. The professors were imbeciles most of the time, and I did not agree with a majority of their teaching methods. Celestia told me that she could not teach me to my full potential unless I was willing to listen to the others first, but I loved our lessons together so much that I implored her to let me skip those trials. Yet, she always refused. My powers were growing too quickly, if I am to be honest, and I needed somepony to help me. I felt like my grip on reality was slipping away because of it, and that was why I needed Celestia to listen... but she just wouldn't, Twilight."

"I-I... don't know what to say..." she responded.

The mare continued to play out the scene, letting the ghosts of years past fade into nothingness once again, only to be replaced by a yet more mature version of herself and an ageless Celestia.

"By the time I had reached a certain age, the princess no longer looked at me like a pupil. She treated me like a common coworker, just like another cog in a machine."

Her past self walked calmly through the hall with her head down. There were no guards, for she did not feel as though conjuring them was necessary, even though Celestia was present. The princess strode down the opulent staircase, thinking over her royal duties. As she approached the bottom, she neatly and nonchalantly passed the familiar mare who was holding a stack of books within her fiery red aura, barely giving her any notice. The former version of herself let a small tear curtail at her eyelid and down her cheek as she watched Celestia go on as if she didn't exist.

When the princess was out of sight, her ghost dropped the stack of books into a loose heap upon the floor and began to cry more deeply. Then, she began to fade away, once again, into nothing.

"I don't want to sound rude," Twilight spoke up, "But perhaps she was just too preoccupied to give you the proper attention you deserved?"

"I am many things, Twilight," she said, "But foolish... isn't one of them. She purposefully ignored me."

Then, the oddest of things started to happen. A light snow began to drizzle down from the ceiling, passing through as though it wasn't truly there. The soft flakes were not cold to the touch, though they were powdery. They began to accumulate on the castle floor as the colossal walls around them started to disintegrate into mere atoms which calmly floated off into the black void. The windows were blown out, the marble floor was completely consumed by whiteness, and the ceiling lifted away as well to reveal a bright, yet cloudy sky.

Twilight knew this place.

These were the school grounds, deep in the heart of winter. She looked back to see if the mare was still behind her, but she had vanished.

"Hey," Twilight called, "W-where did you go?"

Then suddenly, she heard a faint whimpering off in the distance. She noticed the immensity of the school, but it was coming from elsewhere... from behind her. She turned to see a small patch of woods on the outskirts of the city, though the surrounding area was quiet, save for the wailing. Without giving it another thought, she galloped off for the sound, heading for the white-blanketed evergreens.

She passed the initial tree line, and the cries were gaining in volume, though she had little idea of where to go. Her breath left a vapor trail behind her as she ran, weaving in and out of the dense, dead thicket. She began to slow when a splotch of red in her peripheral vision caught her attention.

The trees surrounding the weeping mare were tall and looming, as she gathered by a frozen pond. Her scarlet locks obscured the sides of her face, reassuring Twilight of who this truly was. Watching from a safe distance, she was spooked when the girl suddenly peered up in her direction, her face covered with more tears.

"Who are you?!" the mare cried, "Just leave me alone!!"

Twilight was aghast, and slightly nervous as well. "I-I'm sorry!" she blurted, "I didn't mean to intrude, I swear!"

It was only after a split second that Twilight realized she wasn't talking to her, but somepony else entirely. Another familiar mare, about her age, suddenly appeared at her side and began walking toward the distraught unicorn by the pond. Twilight recognized those elegant, magenta tresses. She remembered that brilliant, opal-colored coat. She thought as well that she would recognize her voice, but she never spoke once.

This was undoubtedly a younger version of Lily walking up to her.

"Just go away!" the mare shouted antagonistically, "Leave me alone!"

Lily ignored her pleas and continued until she was by her side, though the mare remained distant. In a most subtle act, the quiet unicorn wrapped one foreleg around her cold frame and embraced her in a warm hug, to which she easily relented. Though still sobbing, the mare reciprocated and continued to weep into her shoulder.

"It's not fair..." she moaned.

Lily quietly hushed her and pulled her in close, gracefully letting her grief run its course.

Twilight's ear flicked to the side when she heard snow crumpling; it was the sound of a hoofstep.

"She's beautiful," said the familiar voice, "Isn't she, Twilight? My Lily just doesn't compare to anyone else."

"That's how I feel about Rainbow, sometimes," Twilight noted, "Even more so in the last couple of days."

"Having somepony to hold you in your darkest moment... is just something everyone should have."

The younger unicorn looked over to see tears welling up in her eyes, watching her past self cry as well. She was paying especially close attention to Lily.

"I had just told my mother..." her voice barely crept above a whisper, "... that Celestia was no longer interested in having me as her protégé. She told me that day she was looking for somepony else; somepony 'less volatile,' is what she told me. So, I came out here by my favorite pond when I needed to think, or cry, whichever came first. I had never felt so defeated or lost in my entire life... and yet Lily, despite her handicap, had come to me and showed me such compassion. It was the first time we ever truly met outside of school, for most of the time she sat quietly in the corner of the classroom. I never knew what she was trying to say to me, for she could not speak at all, not until a few years later, anyway."

"I spoke to Rainbow," said Twilight, "Even when I couldn't use my voice."

"Hmph..." she cocked an eyebrow at her, "Consider yourself fortunate, Miss Sparkle, for mute ponies are only able to communicate with one pony in their entire lives. They latch on to the one they love most and can only communicate if their significant other loves them equally as much."

"W-wait," Twilight stammered at the sudden realization, "T-that means..."

"Correct," the mare halted her, "Miss Dash does indeed love you, Twilight."

The unicorn felt like a train had just impacted into her side, causing her to nearly fall over. Instinctively, she collapsed to her hocks and knees and practically buried her head in the imaginary snow. It wasn't cold on her nose, but the light flakes acted as a sort of blanket for her. She pressed her forelegs over her head, covering her eyes and holding back tears, whimpering all the while to herself.

The older mare approached her side, standing over her greatly concerned.

"Why?" Twilight moaned into the snow, "Why does Rainbow love me? She has no reason to love me! I only bring her pain and misery, and she sacrifices so much for me! I have nothing to offer her, yet she offers me everything! She gives me everything! I don't deserve to be loved by her!"

It took a few minutes, but eventually her sobbing ceased and was replaced by softer sighs. The mare placed a firm hoof on her shoulder, coaxing her to lift herself from the packed snow, to which she gradually complied. She picked herself up and wiped away some tears, still sniffling occasionally.

"You know, Miss Sparkle," the mare said, "There's a funny thing about love that I learned from Lily."

"And... 'sniff'... what's that?" Twilight quietly whispered.

"You don't have to deserve it. Sometimes, it is just freely given by those who are better than us."





That statement...


It broke the unicorn's heart with its infallible truth.


Twilight was completely silenced by the profoundness of it, unable to even respond to her.


"And sometimes," she continued on, "All they want in return... is to know that they are loved as well. That's it."


The mare quietly turned back to the sight of her past self, who was still softly weeping and being gently held in Lily's embrace.

"In that moment, Twilight, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. I no longer cared about being a princess when she held me. I no longer felt the pain of missing my father or disappointing any of my peers. I only cared for being with her, even when my world was crumbling around me, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Even when I thought everyone would disapprove... I didn't mind it, not one single bit. She was all that mattered to me, and so I made it a habit of telling her that very thing every single day."

Twilight finally mustered the courage to speak through her tears, though her voice was shaky.

"I can't imagine having to go through that pain," she softly muttered, "But maybe... I could have if I had somepony like Rainbow by my side."

The mare simply nodded in agreement. "There are few things in life you cannot overcome when you have someone like that to go through it all with you."

When she had finished speaking the words, a soft breeze blew by the two and wafted through the trees. When it finally reached the pond, her past self and Lily faded away, breaking into small flakes of snow and wafting away in the wind. The tall evergreen trees began to follow suit, falling into the white powder, branch by branch. The ground began to shift slightly, though the snow remained, and suddenly they both found themselves along a barren path that had been carved out through the deep snow, leading directly to Canterlot. The sky remained mostly overcast, save for a few blue patches.

"Your memories are becoming more vivid," Twilight noted succinctly.

"They are more recent," she added, "And I remembered things more clearly once I reached adulthood. Now, if you'd please follow me."

The lavender unicorn obeyed and followed along the trail, close by her side. She had only seen Canterlot covered in snow this torrential but a few times before, as it was extremely rare for the pegasi to bring the weather up to this altitude. Usually, this kind of accumulation meant it was near or around a holiday.

"Tell me," said Twilight as they walked, "Where, or I suppose I should ask when, are we now?"

The mare in front continued to trudge on, heading for some destination only she knew.

"This was nearly four years after Celestia denied me her tutelage; Hearth's Warming Eve, as I recall."

"So, where are we going exactly? Your home?" Twilight asked.

"You catch on quickly, Miss Sparkle. You always did."

Twilight wasn't quite sure what she meant by that, but decided that she might figure it out for herself soon enough. When they reached the walls of the city, she took note of just how barren the streets were; they remained completely lifeless, yet covered in powdery snow. The stone roads were cleared, and the street lanterns remained on as well with a fiery, magical glow.

"Where is everypony?" she asked this time.

"I didn't recall, for I was not there to remember it. I stayed indoors for this day... with Lily, no less."

They had come to a street corner when she made an abrupt right turn and stopped, peering up at the corner building. It was just like the home from one of the first memories she had shown Twilight, and just like before, she went up to the front door and opened it. When they stepped inside, Twilight saw that all the furniture had been rearranged to sit closer toward the fireplace, and quietly sitting upon it were two perfect recreations of Lily and her mare. They approached to get a better view of the happy pair enjoying each other's company.

Twilight eyed a small, colorfully wrapped package set beside Lily which held a purple, frilly bow on the top. Using her magic, she gently handed it over to her mare. A tag dangled down, from which Twilight could clearly read the name... 'Lady'.

"Lady..." Twilight muttered under her breath; she knew that name from somewhere.

"You may call me that, if you'd like," said the mare beside her.

Twilight pushed the thought away briefly and continued to watch the memory play out. Lady, in pure joy, had carefully unwrapped the present with her own magic, leaving a now plain, rectangular box sitting in her lap. She removed the lid with a steady hoof and pulled out a luxurious-looking, plaid scarf, woven from fine fabrics incorporating a majority of the colors found in a rainbow. Immediately, she fell in love with it, and began slowly wrapping it around her neck and shoulders.

"I-it's... so beautiful, Lily. I-I love it so much," said her past self, "Did you make it yourself?"

Lily gave a warm smile and nodded, more than happy to see just how much she actually liked it.

"My gift to her was not as grand," she noted, "Though I still slaved over it, Twilight."

The younger Lady took a smaller, similarly wrapped package at her side and handed it smoothly to her mare. Lily wasted little time in opening hers as well.

"I made yours too," said Lady, "I hope you'll like it."

Lily nodded while listening to her, but when she finally took the lid off of her small box, she simply gawked in utter disbelief. The first golden chains poured out of one side of the box, then Lily released her hold on the package, leaving only a dazzling, silvery pendant. Like a miniature sun, the locket Lady had crafted flickered in the firelight, picking up all of its gold and silver accents, its diamond encrusted opening, and most of all... its large, high-carat centerpiece. The diamond inlaid directly over its center was truly magnificent, and comparatively massive by the standards of most fine jewelers.

"You said you made that necklace?!" Twilight blurted.

"I am extremely powerful, Miss Sparkle," she responded, "Don't ever question that. Surely you know how diamonds are formed... I made that piece as well, and I assure you I didn't simply just 'find' it."

Still in shock, Lily placed the golden chains over her horn and back underneath her lovely, magenta mane. She had difficulty taking her eyes off of it.

"Um... I'm sorry if it's a bit much," said the younger Lady, "But I really wanted to make something special for you, Lily. We've been friends for a long time now, and only just recently began having a relationship... and I just wanted to let you know how much you mean to me."

Lily looked as though she were about to cry, for that was all she ever truly wanted from being with her mare. Their eyes calmly locked with each other and they each leaned forward slightly, when suddenly, Lady lightly gasped in disbelief. She clutched a delicate hoof over her heart, trying desperately to comprehend something that had just happened.

"It was the first time I ever heard her voice, Twilight. It was clear in my head, plain as day. She sounded so lovely and delicate to me, and at the time, I'll admit I thought I was going crazy... though I didn't really care. It was the most beautiful voice I had ever heard, and I think I ever will hear."

"I-I..." her past self whimpered, "I love you too, Lily. I love you... so very much."

Without so much as another word, Lily and Lady both scooted toward each other and embraced, softly locking lips and breathing light sighs of comfort and relief.

It was at this moment that Twilight noticed a quiet, dripping sound, like that of a droplet falling into a small puddle. She looked down at the floor, and indeed saw a small pool of water forming at Lady's hooves. When she peered back up at her, the mare's face was completely overrun by rivers of tears.

"That kiss..." she choked out, "That first kiss after you profess your love for one another... is so vastly different from any other kiss, it's as if your entire relationship has been given new life after a moment such as that. Your feelings change for the better. You become more sure of yourself. You just... let go and are free."

Then, all at once, the scene began to fade into ghost-like projections again, falling quietly away into nothingness, particle by tiny particle. Her tears fell away with the floor, the fire was extinguished, the furniture vanished, the mares disappeared, and the walls began to change. The wood surfaces around them grew taller and wider as the black floor was replaced by a more opulent, marble one. Desks took shape, a chalkboard formed where the fireplace used to be, and a massive, clear window opened upon the opposite wall.

"You two... were so beautiful together," whispered Twilight; she barely took notice of the changes.

"Maybe I was at one time," said Lady, running a soft hoof over her burns, "But not anymore. However, Lily will always be beautiful to me."

She suddenly stepped forward as the desks started to become occupied by ghostly figures, nearly lost memories of small fillies and colts. Twilight could tell they were all unicorns, though some of their faces were nearly blank or nonexistent. Most of the students looked to be writing something using magic and a quill on a piece of paper... all save for one. He was a young colt sitting at the back of the room, furthest away from the board. His features were much more well defined and vivid, and Twilight immediately recognized his bluish mane and bright, white coat.

"Shining Armor," she muttered.

Lady came and stood by his desk, watching the colt stare out the window, lost in a heroic daydream of some kind.

"Your brother didn't very much like to study, Twilight. In fact, he spent a majority of class time barely doing anything. He was intelligent, no doubt, but he lacked the discipline you had. I think it was only because of his natural talents and hardheadedness that he didn't fail, somehow. Though, I must say, becoming Captain of the Royal Guard is no small feat."

Twilight scratched a spot behind her head in slight embarrassment. "Yeah, that's my brother for you. I just... hope he's okay."

"I'm quite certain he will be," Lady assured, "He's more stouthearted than most stallions I've seen."

The blue-maned colt began to atomize into the air, drifting off into a cloud of particles which started to reform into a different, more feminine shape. The pieces started to come together in the very same seat in which he had sat, turning a light lavender color. Bit by bit, a small filly took his place, and she had her nose deep in a book. She seemed so very happy and full of optimism to be in the class.

"It's... me," said Twilight.

Lady held back a small giggle before speaking. "Yes, you were always very studious, Miss Sparkle. You reminded me so much of myself... which is probably why I felt jealous of you, sometimes."

"Why would you be jealous of me?" she asked.

"Because... I saw the way Celestia loved you... the way she used to love me."

Twilight looked up from her past self and peered into Lady's blood-red eyes.

"I... had no idea," Twilight pleaded, "I barely even remembered any of this because I was so young. I didn't know I was just the 'next in line' to have Celestia as my personal tutor."

"It's not as simple as that, Twilight. Celestia picked us out of the herd for our raw talent... but she saw something different in you. She saw something that I was oblivious to for the longest time; it was something that made you future princess material."

"And what's that?" Twilight inquired.

"Humility... Miss Sparkle," she at last divulged, "You are much more humble with your fellow ponies than I ever was, or ever would be. Celestia knew this, loved you for it, and put all of her faith in you. Rainbow Dash might have helped you come this far, even through all the challenges I put you through, but I see now that her trust was not misplaced. Perhaps... that is something Rainbow loves about you too."

Crack!

She was suddenly cut off by a loud tapping noise at the front of the classroom and was clearly annoyed when she turned around to see her former self standing by her old desk. She held a ruler in her usual, red aura, and her scarlet mane was braided in an odd fashion down past one shoulder, possibly to appear more professional looking for her new role. She doggedly eyed the students, waiting for their full attention.

"I can't believe I used to have my mane styled like that," she admitted in embarrassment; Twilight let out a tiny giggle to herself in agreement.

The professor was briefly distracted when there a came a light rapping at the door. Obviously flustered, the mare turned from her students and quietly opened the wooden door to reveal Lily, standing there as always with a warm smile. It looked as though she had simply come to visit, yet she handed over a filled paper bag to her mare. She promptly took the bag and set it beside her chair, when Twilight suddenly noticed the scarf Lily had gave her was curled over the backrest.

Lady's past self heavily blushed when her mare reached in for a goodbye kiss, yet she played it off smoothly and with dignity. They gave each other a quick peck on the lips, then Lily simply turned and walked off down the hall. Lady eyed the lunch her mare had just brought, and closed the door behind her. The students had gone back to their assigned tasks while she was preoccupied, so she let them be.

"You probably could not tell right there," she said to Twilight, "But Lily had just read off to me a full list of groceries to pick up after the day was over. We had become so comfortable with each other, that her muteness no longer played a role in our relationship. She could tell me anything at all, and no pony around us would ever know. One day, she went off on a tangent for hours to me, telling me how hard it was for her that no one could ever tell what she was thinking... not unless she wrote it down or something of the sort."

"How long had this been going on?" she asked.

"Probably a year or two, by this point. I'm not entirely sure, for Celestia had offered me the position not too long before. To be quite honest, I think it was her way of apologizing to me."

"Well, I'd say you were undoubtedly qualified for the position," Twilight noted.

"It's true," she agreed, "I started by teaching the younger classes, but in only about two years time, I was teaching my first tier fifty-one students. I was practically the greatest authority on the subject, besides Princess Celestia and Princess Luna that is."

"That's seems a little odd," said Twilight, "Celestia never mentioned it to me until much later."

Lady suddenly cocked an eyebrow at her. "Tell me, Miss Sparkle... just how do you think I obtained your voice so easily?"

The unicorn wasn't quite sure how to respond, and she was almost afraid of the answer.

"I'm not sure," she finally muttered.

"Hmm," Lady rubbed a thoughtful hoof under her feminine muzzle, "It seems to me then... that you never mastered tier fifty-one."

Twilight wanted to be offended by that statement and come up with some sort of snappy comeback. Yet, try as she might, she could not argue with what she had said, and it began to aggravate her.

Lady continued. "Please, I don't mean to sound rude, Twilight. We simply came from two very different worlds."

Twilight agreed more so with that last statement, though she still felt pity for her situation thus far. They were both gifted unicorns, but gifted in different ways. As she continued to ponder her meaning, the floor once again began to crumble away underneath them, as did the surrounding walls. A familiar darkness was returning to the space around them. The children's desks began to dissolve away and so too did Lady's. All the fillies and colts vanished into thinning, incorporeal wisps as well, leaving only the two mares standing idly in the void.

Lady looked away from Twilight, as if still thinking about something, when she calmly waved a hoof skyward. With her godlike power of creation, thick trees and thickets began to surge upward from the blackness, flooding the landscape around them with lush, green vegetation. It reminded Twilight of the forest she had been wandering through only the day before with Rainbow Dash, though the sun showed much brighter through the treetops here. She also heard the faint sound of trickling water off in the distance.

"W-what happened here?" the unicorn quietly asked her.

Lady did not answer immediately. Instead, she glanced at her for only a second while pointing off to a nearby hillside adorned with several low-hanging trees. Sitting across a wildflower-riddled meadow amongst the protruding roots of one, rather large tree, two familiar mares enjoyed each other's quiet company in the shade. Lady coaxed Twilight to follow, and she confidently obeyed, crossing the small grassland in long strides. As they approached, they could hear the former Lady speaking aloud, talking about their future plans together.

"What about here, Lily? Isn't this area just impeccable? It's so quiet, and we would never have to worry about being bothered by anyone. We could adopt a little filly, or a colt, and raise them here, just the two of us. What do you think of that?"

Lady suddenly stopped, watching her former self make eye contact with her love. Twilight acknowledged her movement and halted as well, as the mare pointed up at them.

"Look into her eyes, Twilight. What do you see?" she asked.

Twilight squinted to get a better view, but from this short distance it was painfully clear.

"They're... cloudy," she finally muttered.

Lady continued forward, though at a slower pace now.

"This was when her blindness was first beginning to become apparent. She told me how it was harder for her to see from time to time. She said with each passing day her field of vision grew a little dimmer, or smaller. I never really considered it an issue, though. I told her it wouldn't matter, because I would always be there, at her every beck and call. Although... that didn't seem to comfort her much."

The pair reached the top of the hillside, watching Lily silently converse with the mare's past self. She stifled a giggle at her response, and they finally nuzzled their heads against one another in a loving sort of way.

"You two seemed so happy though," Twilight pointed out.

"Well, we were happy, Twilight. In fact, I had never been happier in my entire life. It was difficult for me not to shower her in gifts, and quite honestly, she told me to stop that. Yet, I feared that as we aged, so too would her blindness. I began to wonder if she would fall into depression because of it, Miss Sparkle. As I said before, my family will always be plagued by setbacks... and Lily was a cursed creature."

Her former self pulled away slightly from Lily's soft presence and turned to her once again, but she seemed to be having difficulty coming up with some words that were on her mind. She peered down at the open roots, the grassy meadow, and then down at Lily's hoof... she knew this was the perfect opportunity.

"Listen, Lily... I've known you for many years... and I just wanted to tell you that they've been the best of my life. Ever since you came to find me, my doubts have long since vanished. I no longer care what I do with my life so as long as you are in it, which is why I have to ask you something."

Lily's face began to turn red as she looked at her; Lady took her full attention now.

"Lily, I know we have something special, and I'll always be your voice for you," she took Lily's delicate hoof within her own, "But, I can't go on any longer unless I know we'll always be together, which is why I have to ask...



...





Will you marry me, Lily?"



Twilight's heart nearly gave out.

At those words, and in that brief moment, she remembered what Lily had last said to her in their meeting. It was about Leya, her adopted daughter, whom Twilight had just barely met ... but she knew what the mare meant now.

I only wish my wife could've met her.

It all made sense now, the reason why Lily had tried so desperately to help her; it was because she watching her own wife slowly destroy Equestria, and she had to find some way to help.

The startled mare had tears welling up as she happily accepted Lady's offer, eagerly nodding her head all the while. They looked as though they were moving in for a hug, when they passionately locked lips again. Lady's former self was hiding a small grin somewhere in their deep kiss, lost in pure bliss, and they each began to caress their significant other's face with a soft hoof.

"It was the happiest I had ever been, Twilight, just to hear her say 'yes'. You would not believe how nervous I was, but I desperately did not want to make a fool of myself. I wanted to be confident for her, just so she would have confidence in herself as well. I wanted to prove that I could take care of her and give her everything that she ever wanted, even if all she really wanted was me. Since she was losing her eyesight, she had no use for precious gems or opulent clothing and living arrangements. She just needed me to speak for her when no one else could hear."

"And you did that for her?" Twilight asked.

"Of course I did... But they never listened!"

With flames of rage building in her bloody eyes, she stomped angrily over to the two mares before her. Twilight stayed close behind, not actually sure of her intentions.

Her former self softly broke their kiss. "How about Canterlot, Lily? Doesn't that sound like a wonderful place to get married?"

Lily clutched her tight and happily nodded again, then they returned to simply holding each other.

"Idiot!" she barked at her past self, despite her not being able to hear her shouts, "You imbecile!! Celestia would NEVER let you have a wedding in Canterlot!! She would NEVER care about your pleas!! No matter how much you scream!! No matter how much you shout!! Celestia would NEVER let you get married in her precious, little city!! Just go someplace else!! Forget about it, you idiot!! Idiot!!! IDIOT!!!"

She stomped the ground forcefully with every syllable she spoke, struggling in vain to let her know the agony she faced, the utter disappointment, the feeling of complete failure, yet her cries fell upon deaf ears.

Reaching her highest point of defeat, she collapsed, just as Twilight had not too long before. Her teeth were tightly clenched, but her will to shout was gone. So, with a swift wave of her hoof, the two mares before her were blown clear away, as though they were simply made of light smoke, gone to a forgotten realm. The rest of her conjured landscape remained intact, however, as did the surrounding forest area.

Twilight strode up to the distraught mare and placed a hesitant hoof on her shoulder, still not quite sure why she felt so sorry for her after everything she had done... though her sobbing made the unicorn pity her even more.

"I... don't know what happened to you, Lady," she quietly spoke, "But I can assure you, I know that feeling of helplessness. I've watched Rainbow struggle for me, I've watched her get hurt because of me, and I've even see her die... because of me."

"She's not dead..." the mare whispered in between sobs.

Twilight pulled away from her, afraid she had said something wrong or inappropriate, but Lady only wept for another minute or so. When she was done, she shakily stood and turned for another part of the forest. Not even signaling for Twilight to follow, she began to walk off deeper into the woods, uncaring if the unicorn stayed with her or not. Her next destination was surely close by.

"Wait a minute!" Twilight called, "Is this over?!"

Lady took a fleeting glance behind her.

"Hardly," she responded.

Not quite sure of her meaning, Twilight ran to catch up and came up beside her again at a slow walking pace. Her scowling, red eyes seemed intently focused on something as she eyed another nearby hill.

"Please," Twilight said, "Can you tell me how Rainbow is doing?"

"She's still here somewhere; I can feel her presence," she cocked an eyebrow, "I'm sorry I have not been able to bring her back yet, but I am doing my best, and my best almost never fails."

"I'm... very relieved," the unicorn admitted.

"I can't blame you for being worried about her. I'd apologize again, but I fear I would be getting redundant... not that matters anyway. Soon, I will pay for my crimes."

"W-what do you mean?" Twilight muttered.

"You'll see soon enough," she wanted to change the subject, "Tell me, Twilight, what do you know of Queen Chrysalis?"

Just that name alone brought back painful memories for her.

"The changeling queen?" she asked, quite startled, "Well, for starters, she kidnapped my sister-in-law and turned my family and friends against me, then she nearly destroyed Canterlot and took over Equestria."

"Hmm," Lady pondered, "It seems I've beaten her, then, in that aspect... though I wish I could I could take it back. I think you'd be quite surprised at how much she has changed since then. She actually... tried to stop me, Twilight."

The unicorn suddenly gasped at this.

"What?!" she yelped, "B-but... why?"

"I think it will all make sense in just a few moments, but I need you to see something first," Lady added.

Twilight remained hesitant about following her, yet continued anyway. She could not have left now even if she wanted to, for it seemed as though Lady's memories would have to finish playing out before she could return to reality. This time away from her body was much needed also, as she was allowed temporary reprieve from her previous physical pain.

They crested the tree-covered hill, allowing them a full view of a vast lake. Twilight thought it looked eerily familiar, but the sight of a tall, dark figure standing at the water's edge caught her eye. The being was colored a deep gray, nearly black, and her legs and horn were riddled with large holes. Yet, what was even more peculiar, is that she was standing with the two mares Twilight had seen not but a few minutes ago.

"It's her," she quietly noted, not trying to sound panicked, "Why was Chrysalis here with you?"

"I know you could never show me forgiveness, Twilight, so I won't try and bother asking for it. However, Lily and I were desperate to be wedded, and it might come as a great surprise to you that she was willing to officiate our marriage. Since we couldn't have ours in Canterlot, I suppose it was preordained that we met here where Lily thought it sounded the best."

They slowly descended the hill and began to approach the trio, and the day was clear and vivid in her memories as if it was actually happening right before them.

"Sounded the best?" Twilight skeptically asked.

"Lily's blindness was getting worse and worse with each passing day, and so too did she grow sick. I suppose it first started when I had trouble hearing what she was saying to me one night. Through our eye-contact, I could only hear so much now. Her words came in short bursts to me... and occasionally I would ask her to repeat herself. I could tell by the way she cried sometimes that it was breaking her heart, me not being able to hear her. Though I tried and tried again to piece together what she said, I was afraid it was becoming too difficult for me, to the point where I even lied to Chrysalis during our wedding."

They came to a point just a few yards away from the scene, along a sandy embankment, and they could now hear what Chrysalis was saying to the two of them. Twilight noticed that Lily's eyes were a much paler shade of burgundy than before, almost completely whited out.

"Please, Lily," said the queen in a regal fashion, "Profess and affirm your vows."

Lady watched her past self intently reading her mare's eyes, looking for the silent words that no one else could hear.

"She knew that Lily was mute," she explained, "I let her know that much beforehand, and yet she still agreed to wed us of her own free will. I never imposed it upon her, nor did I ever have any intention of forcing it. I simply asked the queen when she found me crying, and that was that. I have to admit, I knew Lily was just as hesitant as I was about letting her marry us, but we didn't really have much of a choice. She was getting weaker all the time... and I knew we didn't have much time left."

Her former self closed her eyes and began to cry when it was clear Lily had finished speaking, causing Chrysalis to ask her next question.

"Did she return your vows?" the queen inquired.

"Every last one..." Lady whispered, "And more."

Twilight turned to the mare beside her, who seemed to be letting her tears flow as well.

"What did Lily say to you to make you cry like that?" she lightly asked.

"That's the thing, Miss Sparkle..." she paused to swallow the lump of sadness in her throat.







"I didn't hear her say anything. I only heard...



... silence."





Chrysalis picked up where she left off and asked each mare if they accepted the other's vows, which they fully did. Lily looked especially happy when Lady said her 'I do', and in response to the queen's same question she gave her a grateful, yet silent nod.

"Then, by my power as Queen, I see no valid reason why you two should not be joined in eternal matrimony. You have each consented together in wedlock, made vows, pledges, and promises to each other, and now take your other's hoof in marriage. May no pony ever put this union asunder.

I now pronounce you both... as wives to one another.

Please, you may kiss each other now."

Twilight and Lady watched the now happily married couple share a deep, passionate kiss, which Chrysalis seemed to take great satisfaction in watching as well.

"You lied... for Lily's sake," Twilight noted, "You didn't even hear her vows, but you accepted them."

"Gah!" Lady grunted in anger, trying to force back her tears, "I, unlike most ponies, did not always need to be told how much I was loved. I knew Lily loved me by the way she had cared about me, from the first day we met until our last days together. I never once questioned it or doubted it. It was always the small things she did for me that let me know, and I would consider myself weak if I had to have her tell me everyday 'I love you'. Yet, I was afraid, myself. I was always terrified that I was never doing a good enough job of showing my love, so I forced myself to tell her everyday how much I loved her! Do you have any idea what it's like, Twilight, to watch the only pony you've ever loved slowly die in your hooves, and there's NOTHING you can do about it?! It was all my fault!! MY FAULT!!"

"Lady!!" Twilight cried out in an attempt to calm her down.

Not having any of it, the distraught mare angrily waved a hoof at Chrysalis, causing the memory of her to instantly vanish into thin air.

The kissing mares along the embankment seemed to be lost in their own world, in their divine kiss... when suddenly, Lily pulled away. She looked deeply saddened by something and calmly sat down by water's edge. Lady's past self seemed horrified and quickly came to her side, but then Lily started coughing too.

"It just wasn't fair, Twilight," Lady began to move in closer, "She was always healthy before all of this happened, before her eyes changed...

before I couldn't hear her anymore."

Twilight stayed close, watching Lily begin to struggle just to breathe while Lady gently embraced her in a hug. Her inhalations only became more labored; fear plagued her feminine features. She knew the end was near.

"Lady..." Twilight whispered to herself.

The pair came to stand right over the unfolding scene, both of them gazing upon Lily's silvery eyes. She was crying, and desperately trying to communicate something to Lady, but it was obvious nothing was getting across to her. Lily began to relax and slump into her forelegs like a baby might, and they each began to delicately caress the other's face.

"Lily," the past Lady muttered to her, "Can you r-repeat that... I-I... couldn't quite hear it."

Lily only winced sharply in pain and coughed again, not wanting to accept the fact that her love would never know what she truly said. Her tears began to flow freely.

"It had only been five days, Twilight," Lady started to cry even heavier, "The fastest five days of my life... and they were gone in an instant. We weren't even married for a full week before she finally fell away from me, and there was nothing I could do. Before we had met each other, Twilight, she could speak in her writing... but then I could hear her, and as such, I spoke for her. I was her voice. I screamed for Celestia to let us be married in Canterlot, yet she denied us. I failed her that day, and then I failed her again when I could no longer hear what she was saying. Even worse though, is that she could no longer write or safely use magic without the use of her sight, so I had become her last hope of having a normal life... and even that was taken from her as well.



It was breaking her heart, Twilight!



Her entire world was slipping out of her hooves, and she could only watch helplessly as it shattered into a million pieces!!


I WAS HER VOICE!! AND I FAILED!!


SHE DIED BECAUSE OF MEEE!!!"



As Lady said the final words, the beautiful mare laying within the hooves of her former self pulled on her and weakly reached up, begging her for one last kiss.


With both mares deep in their sadness, their lips calmly met, and they held it for an extended period as Twilight and Lady watched.


The unicorn clutched her tightly when she felt Lily's lips begin to weaken upon her own. She whimpered lightly as her beautiful wife began to pull away from her; her eyes were serenely shut, calm, and still. Lady cradled her and let her face glisten immaculately in the sunlight, but the world around her had stopped. Lily had long since ceased to continue breathing, about halfway through their final kiss.

"Lily...?" the mare whispered weakly, "Lily?!"

She shook her gently... yet her wife's features remained placid and peaceful.

"L-lily..." she whimpered, "No... please come back. Please come back... please... just please... please! Please! PLEASE!!!"




It was no use.



Lily had just as quietly died in her hooves as she had lived.



"She had gone without so much as one cry for help, Twilight," said the mare beside her, "She had not pleaded, nor begged, nor in any way ever asked to be remembered in some way. All she wanted was for one, single pony to hear her... and that was me. I failed her.

I failed her! And it was just so damned hard for me to accept it!!"



Her past self had lost all facial expression, as if her soul had just silently snapped in two. The memory of Lily began to fade away from her grasp, beautifully transforming one piece at a time into lovely orange flowers which floated away on some unnoticeable breeze. Twilight recognized the flowers as fire lilies and watched them calmly float over the surface the lake before phasing out of existence, once again taking part of the artificial realm Lady had created.

The mare now sat alone, staring emptily across the water's expanse.


"Lady, it wasn't your fault though," Twilight finally said, "It was out of your control!"

"How can you say that?!" Lady scoffed, "It was my fault she died, Twilight!"


Suddenly, as if her past self had just heard what she said, she stood up from the embankment with anger in her deep, red eyes and turned back to the forest. Swiftly taking off at a full gallop, the two witnessing mares bolted off as well.

"Wait!" Twilight yelled, "Where is she - or where are you going?!"

"I was furious, Twilight!" she shouted in reply.

They followed the mare through the dense thicket, as it became much harsher and heavier the longer they ran. They bobbed and weaved, narrowly avoiding new branches that seemed to appear spontaneously from nothing. Lady's past self was running away from it all. She only wanted to leave her life behind and never turn back. She wanted to forget everything that had ever happened to her. After they had chased and chased, the mare finally came to a dark clearing. Twilight had noticed the trees above them gave even more shade than before, keeping this low part of the forest dim and shadowy, almost as though it were night.

"Damn it!!" the red-eyed unicorn shouted, forcefully stomping her hooves into the mossy ground, "IT'S NOT FAIR!!!"

Her horn began to glow with her signature red aura, and Twilight feared it for some reason. She suddenly noticed Lady pull up beside her, quietly observing her former self with extreme intent. The mare brought a delicate hoof to the one, horribly burnt half of her face, reminiscing about the day they were witnessing.

The mare's power started to grow.

"I buried her amongst a quiet hillside, Twilight," she said to the frightened unicorn, "I covered her grave with every flower I could manage to find within a mile. I left no permanent markings and ran for my life, for nearly a full day. I felt as though I had nothing left to live for and that my mind was slipping away from me. Whenever my emotions grew too strong, so too did my power, and I was afraid I was going to destroy something. So, I went as deep into the forest as I could, trying to find the quietest place, just as Lily might have done, only so I could let it all out."

"LILYYY!!!" her past self screamed; the earth around her hooves began to smolder.

"But it wasn't your fault!" Twilight retorted.

"LILYYYYY!!!" her scream carried for miles.

"Don't lecture me, Miss Sparkle! When I lost my wife, all I wanted was to scream, and burn, and destroy... and let loose everything I had! It had to get out of me!"

"LILYYYYYY!!!!!"

An intense, red blaze started to churn at the base of her ankles and slowly work its way up her legs. Her face contorted in agony as her mind began to lose control, feeding the flame that was gradually consuming her body. Her horn became infinitely lustrous and bright, nearly blinding Twilight and her future self, though they continued to watch, despite this, from a distance. The earth buckled underneath her and began to collapse away, bit by bit, yet her immense power seemed to be reversing the effects of gravity itself, keeping her levitating and completely unhindered. Twilight simply gawked at the godlike display of might to which she bore witness, for she knew she might never achieve a state quite this advanced in her entire life.

"It was my fault she died, Twilight, and my heart could not bear it any longer."

The flames finally consumed the mare's face, singeing her flesh...


And then her power finally discharged with an impossibly loud clap of thunder, rocking the landscape with a massive detonation of her raw fury... and might.

It consumed Twilight's vision and she frantically covered her eyes... but she felt nothing. She never felt the heat, nor wind, nor the utterly torrential force behind the blast. In fact, everything became eerily still and quiet, save for the sound of her own nervous breathing.

She fell onto her back haunches and plunged her head further into her hooves, wiping away her tears that were now forming. There was a new fear seeping into her mind as she continued sobbing, and she wanted desperately to hide from it.

The sound of hoofsteps behind her snapped her out of her daze.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Twilight, but it's over now."

The unicorn slowly pulled away her hooves and began the arduous task of taking in the overwhelming sight before her.

Acres upon acres of forest... all flattened and burnt. Smoke billowed up into the sky in immense columns, shrouding the earth in nigh blackness. Only ashes remained, littering the wasteland around her with its ghost-like presence. Twilight had a hard time seeing though the air, for it almost seemed to be saturated with latent, red energy leftover from the aftermath.

"My power is too great for any unicorn to bear," she said to the distraught unicorn, "And I had to pay for my curse... with this."

As she finished speaking, she showed Twilight the burns across her face once again.

Then, just as quickly as the blast had come and gone, so too did the world around them. Piece by broken piece, every bit of ash, dirt, smoldered tree limb, root, rock, twig, and particle of smoke... all faded away into the blackness of her mind's void. Once the last atom of the memory phased out of sight, Twilight attempted to stand upon the invisible, black surface.

"Lady," the unicorn whispered, "I talked with Lily myself. She saved me from one of your clones, and I don't think she would ever blame you for anything."

"That's preposterous," she scoffed, "Even after everything that I've done..."

"But that's just it," Twilight interrupted, "Lady, you said that Lily died because of you, but from what you've shown me with your memories...









I would say...








That she lived... because of you."











The mare clutched her heart and lightly gasped at what she just uttered.



"Oh... Twilight," she whimpered, "Y-you're... so very right about that. I feel as though... everything I've been telling myself has just been a lie."


"I think it has been too," Twilight agreed, "But, I think I've learned something from you today. I've learned what love truly means to me. I've learned what my family and friends mean to me. I've learned what Rainbow truly means to me."

The mare before her simply turned away, gazing out into the void; her voice was soft and delicate.

"I know Miss Dash has suffered for you, Twilight, and I'm sorry for that as well. But, it seems as though I've made you both go through the same pain that Lily and I felt, and for that I will never be able to forgive myself... I was so intent on revenge when I found Chrysalis again that I forced her to aid me and show me how to use her abilities. She actually did try to stop me, but I think she still wanted revenge of her own in some way. Her abilities, combined with mine, allowed me to easily steal your magic and persona all the same, yet I see now that it was all a waste."

"Was it because you were jealous of me?" Twilight calmly asked.

"As horrible and unjust as a reason it was, Twilight... yes, that was why. But, I will still pay what I owe, and I have much to pay for."

Twilight saw the forlorn look in her eyes and saw her soul was genuine. The snippets of her life that she had seen only told a tiny fraction of her full story, and that much was obvious to her. She calmly approached the mare and placed a delicate hoof on her shoulder, causing Lady to avert her gaze back to her own.

"Lady," she spoke quietly, "This is one of the hardest things I've ever had to say to somepony... but I forgive you."

Another tear began to form at the corner of one of the mare's eyes. "But I am so... undeserving of forgiveness, Twilight."

"Well, you told me you learned from Lily that you don't always need to deserve love, and I believe in something similar to that. Because, as much as you might find it hard to believe, you don't always have to deserve forgiveness either...

Sometimes, it's just freely given by those who are better than us."



She gasped once more.




"Twilight Sparkle..." she weakly muttered in response, hanging onto every word, "I see now... I see why Celestia kept you. I know now why she loves you so. I now see why everypony loves you... and I also see now how you are more powerful than I could ever hope to be. You always shall be better than me, maybe not in strength alone, but in the way you carry yourself around your fellow ponies and show them compassion in ways I never did. I see that you are wiser than me also, which is quite impressive considering your youthful age. Just your utter benevolence makes me realize that...



... you would make a perfect princess."


"Lady..." Twilight whispered, "I never really cared about being a princess. I just care for the ones I love."

"It's funny you say that," the mare noted, "For I, too, stopped caring about being a princess the day my wife first found me, and held me, and... loved me."

Lady elegantly pulled away from Twilight, getting wrapped up in her own thoughts again.

"I-I... have a gift for you, Twilight," she said.

"It wouldn't happen to be my magic, would it?" the unicorn pleadingly asked.

"That will come soon, Twilight. But I think you want this more."

Lady stepped off into the blackness a small ways, and her horn suddenly flared to life. Deep in concentration, she lifted a hoof over the void and began to conjure something. The tiniest of red wisps sprouted from nothingness and grew.

Her flame twisted and undulated, taking a shape that was familiar to both of them. Four legs of equal length extended from its thin frame, a fiery tail formed at its rear, and at the neck a delicate, feminine head and muzzle began to take shape. Lady seemed to be harshly exerting herself, although she had pushed herself much harder than this before.

Once she was satisfied with her creation, she ceased her flow of magic, and the flames suddenly dissipated to reveal the frame of a tired pegasus whom Twilight knew all too well.

"R-rainbow," she muttered, "B-but... how?"

Lady backed away slightly, allowing Twilight to come and sit by her mare's side. She was breathing now, though unconscious, yet seemed to be slowly coming to.

"I can only spare you a few minutes," Lady said, "But then you two must make your escape, or else you will die."

"What?" Twilight asked with concern, "What do you mean?"

"My spell, Twilight... it is linked with me to the earth beneath us and has become unstable. If I do not act accordingly soon, then I fear the mountain and Equestria will be ripped in two, potentially killing many. I can assure you, though, that I will not allow this. I will correct my mistakes. There is time enough to undo what I have done."

"That's ridiculous!!" the unicorn retorted; her voice seemed to stir Rainbow Dash from her daze.

"It might be too difficult to explain, Twilight. Celestia tried to warn me, but for obvious reasons, I ignored her. Albeit, I knew what I was doing, but before, I had not been emotionally compromised. This is something that is key to the success of this particular spell, and now, because of my folly, I must fix this issue soon or else we will all die."

She backed away even further from Twilight and quietly nodded to her, as Rainbow's eyes began to lightly flutter open.

"I will give you a few moments to be alone," Lady's hooves started to dissolve into the blackness as she spoke, "Please don't waste them, Twilight. You'll never realize how precious every second together truly is... until they are all used up."

"Wait!!" Twilight cried.

It was useless, however, as Lady's entire body fell through the black floor, leaving only Rainbow at her side in the endless void. Realizing that they were now alone, she attempted to delicately scoop up the pegasus in a soft embrace. Rainbow seemed to respond to this and finally opened her eyes.

"Woah..." she whispered with a smile, "Hey, Twilight, you look like you're all better."

The unicorn stifled a giggle. "I don't know if that's what I'd call it... but I'm sure glad you're here with me now."

"W-where are we anyway?" she asked, taking a long peek around the vast emptiness.

"Lady... was showing me her memories."

"Who's Lady?" she asked again, "And how did you get your voice back too?"

"It's kind of a long story... but Lady has been the one doing all of this, Rainbow. She's the one who attacked Ponyville, and she just gave me back my voice not too long ago. Quite frankly, I'm surprised you seem so calm about being in this place with me. Don't you think it's dark here?"

"Well that's just it, though," she replied with another confident smirk, "It's... not so dark with you here."


Twilight's mouth suddenly fell open.

She was simply dumbstruck by that statement; it reminded her of Lily's blindness for some reason, and she instinctively pulled Rainbow into her, feeling the soft fur of their bosoms mingle. She started to cry, and Rainbow thought briefly that she had said something wrong, when Twilight unexpectedly began stroking the full length of her multicolored mane, from her head down to her shoulders.

"Twilight, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"Nothing's wrong..." whispered Twilight, "Just please... let me hold you, like the way you hold me. I thought I watched you die, Rainbow, right in front of me, and there was nothing I could do. You just stopped breathing, and I screamed for you in my head, but you couldn't hear me. No one could hear me. It was the most absolute, worst feeling I've ever experienced all my life... and all I wanted to do was hold you, and make you feel better, and just... stay with me."

"Well," Rainbow replied with a light chuckle, "I'm certainly not going anywhere now."



"I tried to kiss you too... Rainbow," she quietly admitted.


Her mare's face flushed red at the mention of her name, but she couldn't see it from the confines of their tight hug. Rainbow's eyes frantically glanced around the blackness of the void, trying to think of an intelligent response; however, she never hesitated in pulling the unicorn closer.

"I know, Twilight..." she nearly whimpered, "I felt it. I felt your lips on mine. It was the only thing that kept me from going over the edge, because I saw you fall too. I thought you were going to die. I thought we were both going to die."

"You felt me... kiss you?"

"Yes," she replied, "And I think it saved me."

Twilight continued to lightly stroke her mane, now somewhat relieved by what she just said.

"I-I... was so worried you'd hate me for it. I didn't know if you would approve. I didn't know if you'd ever speak to me again--"

"Twilight," Rainbow swiftly cut her off.

The pegasus lightly pulled away, but still clutched her tight. Their eyes met again, though this time Twilight only found soothing comfort in her mare's soft, magenta irises, and relaxed in her embrace. Rainbow still saw uncertainty in her features, so she forced her voice to remain calm and gave her another warm smile.

"I could never hate you, Twilight, and you'll never have to be sorry. We've both been through a lot lately, and I've enjoyed every minute that's been spent by your side. Sure, we've had some bad experiences, but do you honestly think that anypony else could have come this far besides us? What I guess I'm trying to say is... you had plenty of chances to give up, but you didn't. And here I thought I was the one with crazy determination, yet it always seemed like you kept up with me, even when your body couldn't... and I think that's the coolest thing ever."

"But, Rainbow... you've done so much more for me. I'm so s-sor--"

The pegasus cut her off this time by placing a gentle hoof over her mouth, but she quickly pulled it away. Her gaze steadily averted to Twilight's lips.

"Like I said before, you'll never have to be sorry...





...






because I love you, Twilight Sparkle."






Twilight's shuddered, and her tears grew heavier.



"Y-you... do?" the unicorn whispered.


Rainbow let out another light chuckle to try to lighten the mood. "But of course, isn't that obvious? I even used your full name, so you gotta' know I'm being really serious here."

This made Twilight laugh too. "I know you are; it's just that... I never knew if you felt the same way about me. I feel like I've gotten to see just what a wonderful mare you truly are, underneath that usual tough-pony persona that everyone knows so well. You're simply amazing, Rainbow, and I always want you to know that... because I love you too."

They said nothing for a few moments, letting the silence of the void encompass everything once again. It was all so calm and still, and yet they continued to gaze upon each without minding it too much.

A second or so was spent between them, taking glances at the other's lips, when they finally moved in and lightly brushed their soft noses against one another. They began to caress each other's cheeks with their delicate hooves while continuing their passionate nuzzling.

Then, in a most subtle fashion, Rainbow bit her lower lip and gradually turned her head to the right, leaning her upper body into Twilight's even more. The unicorn seemed to accept her advances by giving her a simple smile and began to tilt her head as well. The lips of the pegasus teased her own for a brief second as she whispered something barely audible to her.

"I... love you, Twilight," she said delicately.

"I love you too... Rainbow," the unicorn replied just as quietly.

They calmly closed their eyes, quietly anticipating the moment they had been so anxious for.

And then, their supple lips finally grazed over each other in one, full sweep, allowing slight hints of their mingling saliva to covertly enter their muzzles. They held this initial lip-lock for a few seconds, each of them filling their lungs once with the mellow scents of their significant other, before their jaws lightly contracted in a yet sweeter second kiss.

Twilight wanted to weep tears of joy now that Rainbow was finally kissing her back, for this was a far cry from the lifeless lips she had tasted earlier. In her state of elation, she wrapped up the pegasus even more tightly and kissed her slowly again, and again, and again. Rainbow happily accepted her every advance, and they each widened their firmly embraced maws, little by little. They each ran their hooves lightly over the other's face, around their shoulders, and down the lengths of their backs, as if only to make sure this was reality and not some kind of wonderful dream.

While the two embraced, they felt a slight breeze go by and the black surface beneath them take on a more natural feel. It turned into grass, and the sounds of a lively forest became apparent all around them. The warmth of the sun encompassed them as well; however, they were much too preoccupied with each other to notice the changes taking place.

With each slow, gradual kiss they relaxed further and further until at once they both let out a long sigh of content into the other's mouth, as if they had reached some perfect state of nirvana. The impossible weight of their burdens was lifted from their shoulders, and while still maintaining their heavy embrace, they fell over onto their sides amongst the tall, green grass. It took a small deal of effort for them to refrain from smiling the widest grins of their entire life, yet finally, they both simultaneously agreed to release their lips' hold.

As they opened their eyes, the first thing they immediately noticed was the bright sun, which forced them to lightly squint just to see each other. Despite this, the sunlight seemed to enhance their own natural beauties, and Twilight couldn't help but give Rainbow another light peck on the nose as she gazed into her magenta irises.

"W-where are we?" the pegasus asked lightheartedly, "How did we get here?"

Twilight took a swift look around them and recognized the vast, open meadow surrounded by woods, where Lady had earlier asked her wife for her hoof in marriage. The sight was as lush, vivid, and breathtaking as she had remembered it from before, though she kept this part to herself.

"This is one of Lady's memories..." Twilight quietly whispered, "I think... she wanted us to see it."

"It's so beautiful," Rainbow added, taking another quick look around.

Twilight suddenly thought of something in that moment to ask her, but she was somewhat afraid of Rainbow's response. Although, she supposed this would as good a time as any.

"Listen, Rainbow," she caught her mare's attention again, "I was just thinking... I don't want you to think this is happening too fast, and I know there are much bigger things we should be worrying about right now, but... if we make it out of this somehow, and things go back to normal, would you maybe consider... going on a small vacation with me? Just the two of us?"

Rainbow's trademark grin returned, and Twilight couldn't have been happier for it.

"Are you joking? How could I turn that down? Of course I'll go on a vacation with you! And I'll even-- Mmph!"

Hearing all she would need to, Twilight swiftly cut her off with another serene and blissful kiss. With that one question out of the way, they went back to their informal showing of love for one another, but under it all, the unicorn made a silent wish to herself that this relationship would never end in the same way as it did for Lady and Lily.

They continued to roll through the meadow, holding each other close, when Twilight felt a few blades of the tall grass fade away. She opened her eyes for only a second to see what was going on, and it oddly appeared as though the land was falling upward into the sky. Much like before, when Lady's memories faded away into nothing, the landscape dispersed into their basic pieces and then even smaller particles. But, it was different this time.

Rainbow quietly broke their kiss as she noticed the look of worry in Twilight's features, but she didn't have to wonder for long over what vexed her so much. The grass was rising from the meadow, trees were pulled from the ground skyward and instantly atomized, and the ground beneath them simply gave out. They once again found themselves on the invisible, black floor as the world around them was swallowed up by the blue sky. Even the sun itself seemed to be fading away.

"W-what's happening, Twilight?!" Rainbow asked frantically.

"T-this usually happened when she was done showing her memories, but this is very weird," she noted.


"Twilight! Miss Dash!!"

They heard a faint scream off in the distance, though it seemed to be getting louder. The landscape kept breaking away.

"Twilight!!! Miss Dash!!!!"

The last of the particles shot upward and simply vanished into the black. The blue sky was now gone, as was the entirety of the sun. The mares continued to hold each other, once again surrounded by only the empty void.

"It's Lady," Twilight divulged, "She's calling for us, Rainbow."


"TWILIGHT!!"

The scream came from directly over them.

"I'm not gonna' lie," said Rainbow as she clutched the unicorn, "But I'm kinda' scared, Twilight."

"MISS DASH!!!"




"I'm kind of scared too--"

CRACK!

She was cut off when they noticed the surface underneath them breaking like glass. Fear coursed through them when the small ridges only grew deeper.

CRACK!!



It all happened in a fleeting instant.

The glass pane finally shattered, and Twilight slipped out of Rainbow's embrace.


They both began to fall, and the pegasus reached out so save her, but it was useless. She once again saw utter dread and horror in her gaze and she tried her wings to see if they would budge, but they did not. There was no longer any feeling in either of their bodies.

"Twilight!! NO!!!" the pegasus cried.

"RAINBOWWW!!!"

They fell...








and fell...








and fell yet still.

They tried to reach for each other, but it was useless. Rainbow tried to hide the fear in her eyes when she suddenly saw a dull, red flame rapidly approaching from beneath them. Twilight twisted her body to catch a glimpse of the impending inferno. It continued to grow, second by second, until it engulfed nearly their entire line of sight. The sounds were growing louder... and louder.

"Twilight! Get up now! Miss Dash?!!

It was as if she was yelling directly into their heads, but they couldn't focus on her words with the immensity of the flames coming up at them. At the last moment, before they were consumed, Rainbow managed to touch a hoof to her mare, gained some leverage, and pulled her in tightly. Twilight's back pressed firmly into her sternum, and she pushed her nose into her purple mane, holding her like a frightened child might.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING?!!" the pegasus cried.

"I DON'T KNOW!!" Twilight screamed.


The first snakes of flames lick at their hides, though it only felt warm. They fell through the fire, and it wrapped around their bodies, engulfing all of their senses and rendering them useless. The redness turned white, undulating and twisting, growing brighter and brighter until it became as luminous as the sun.

Twilight suddenly felt Rainbow's presence leave her back...





... and she fell alone now.







"TWILIGHT! YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP!!! THERE'S NO MORE TIME!!!"