• Published 20th Apr 2012
  • 5,562 Views, 67 Comments

Fading Twilight - ObeySaturnGod



Spike and friends must confront Twilight and put the past behind them

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Twilight

The storm was increasing in intensity as a dark, shimmering field of magic announced the arrival of Twilight Sparkle’s final hope. The group appeared in a crumbled section of the castle while a thunderstorm boomed high above, and as Luna’s magic faded, they found themselves in an oddly familiar situation. They were in the section of the castle where Twilight had been teleported away from when they had confronted Nightmare Moon, but now the situation had been reversed. Applejack ran to one of the windows and knew immediately that Twilight had chosen the castle as her base. High above the ruined chambers of the central keep, dark storm clouds circled around the crumbling towers, much too quickly for them to be natural. Wherever they had come from, it was obvious that magic had played a part in it.

“It looks like Celestia was right!” She called to the others, pointing to the clouds. “We gotta get up there, now!” She took off running, heading up the same path they had used when they faced Nightmare Moon. The others followed her as an explosive crack of thunder filled the sky.

When they ran into the main chambers, they came to a halt when they saw what was waiting for them on the other side of the chamber. It was as if the storm had somehow made its way into the castle. A huge black cloud hovered above the same platform where Nightmare Night had made her final stand, and in front of it, a small figure sat, watching the intimidating spectacle. The figure was so small that it could have been in danger of being eaten by the storm.

The figure’s ears perked up and it turned around. Instantly, the friends knew that they had found Twilight. Her nightmarish eyes had become frighteningly familiar, and even from across the chamber, the dark chasms were all too distinctive. Spurned by the arrival of the others, Twilight stood up and took a stance in front of the strange storm. There was the faintest hint of a smile on her face, but it nowhere near matched the blood chilling smile they had seen before.

“T-Twilight?” Applejack stuttered, looking past her friend to the vortex that actually seemed to be growing bigger. “W-What is this?”

“Isn’t it great?” Twilight said, to the bewilderment to the others. “This,” she motioned towards the storm, “will fix everything I’ve done.”

“Twilight,” Luna said, methodically walking up to her, “you’re not well. Just let us help you, and we can end this madness…”

“You aren’t going to touch it!” Twilight yelled, her shriveled body hunkering down in a defensive position. Her horn started to glow as she threatened them. “How many times do I have to tell you!? This will solve everything!!” With an extremely impressive display of magic, a gigantic barricade of semi-transparent darkness rose up between Twilight and her friends, reaching up to the ceiling of the castle and effectively cutting the two parties off. Rainbow Dash, undeterred by the barrier, walked up to and put a hoof on it, pushing it with all her might. It didn’t budge.

“Damn,” she muttered, glaring at both the magic and its castor. Even in her current state-or perhaps because of it-Twilight was still more than capable of bending magic to her will. “Twilight! You have to stop this!” Rainbow wasn’t sure if she was listening, or even if she had the capacity to understand that it was her friend speaking to her. “You’re just going to hurt everyone if you don’t stop!”

“Don’t you think I know that!?” Twilight shouted, her voice starting to crack. “That’s the whole point of this spell!”

“What does that mean!?” Rainbow shouted back, desperately hoping that Twilight still had a shred of sense left in her withered form. “Just talk to us! All we want is for you to come back to us!”

Those behind Rainbow slowly walked up to the barrier as Twilight took a step back. She was dangerously close to the hulking mass of black behind her, but she didn’t seem to be concerned about it. She was entirely focused on the ponies and dragon facing her down, the friends that she so desperately wanted back.

“You don’t understand, Rainbow.” Twilight’s nightmarish eyes made contact with Rainbow’s magenta ones, causing her to flinch back from the disturbing unicorn. Her shouting had stopped, and it was replaced with a softer tone. “I can’t come back now. The spell,” once again she motioned to the vortex behind her, which had swelled to disturbing proportions. “It can’t be stopped now.” She was staring, emotionless, into the disbelieving faces of her friends as she spoke. “It’s too late for me.”

There was silence in the room, none of them daring to breathe as Twilight's words sunk in, and then…

“NO!” Everyone jumped at the sudden outburst. The timid, bandaged pegasus had flown straight at the barrier with no regard for her own safety. She slammed into the unforgiving magic, and everyone in the ominous throne room could hear a sickening crack as she collided.

“Fluttershy!” Applejack yelled out, running over to the now whimpering pegasus. Pinkie followed her over while Rainbow and Spike stayed close to Twilight. “Fluttershy! Come on, sugarcube, speak to me!” Fluttershy simply whimpered in response. Applejack stroke her mane while comforting her. “I’m here, Shy, it’ll be all right…”

Rainbow looked back and forth between Fluttershy and Twilight, her face contorting into rage and contempt. She was infuriated that Fluttershy would do something so stupid, infuriated that it was Twilight who was partly responsible for hurting her, and infuriated that Twilight had continually denied the help she so obviously needed.

“Damn it, Twilight!” Rainbow bucked against the shield with all her might, knowing full well that it wouldn’t do anything, but she was past the point of rational thought. “Hasn’t it gotten into that thick skull of yours already!?” Rainbow could feel tears stinging her eyes as she shouted at the seemingly impassive unicorn behind the barrier. “We just want you back!” Rainbow slumped to her flank, looking up at Twilight while tears ran down her cheeks. “Why can’t you see that…” Rainbow looked back at her one final time in disgust, then made her way over to Fluttershy, who had fallen silent.

Twilight watched and contemplated in complete silence. Here were her friends, willing to throw themselves at her impenetrable magic, willing to hurt themselves to the point of breaking bones, and for what? A chance to help her? She was already past the point of saving.

Wasn’t she?

There came a soft tapping sound, snapping Twilight back to reality. In front of her stood Spike, his small form at odds with the gigantic barrier that he was tapping. He looked at her with a hint of fear in his eyes. Twilight, as ridiculous as it seemed, couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness at the sight of her assistant so frightened of her. “Twilight?” He managed to say as he stared into the black pits that served as her eyes. “Why are you doing this? Can you at least tell me that?”

As many times as her friends had already asked her these asinine questions, each time they were asked they struck a deeper and deeper chord within Twilight. She had expected these questions from her other friends, but now it was her assistant, the little dragon that she had raised since his birth, who now wanted an explanation for her actions. She realized that he was still waiting for an answer. “Spike…” she began, unsure of her next words, “this… this will be for the best.” Twilight wasn’t convinced that her words were correct, but what else could she say to him? She had taken from him the first and only love of his life, and the only way she could make it up to him would be to bring that love back. “You and Rarity will finally be together again, Spike. You’ll be together forever.”

“But… Rarity’s dead, Twilight. I only want you to stop this.”

Spike’s words took the breath out of her, stunning her into silence. This couldn’t be right! Here she was, offering Spike a chance to be with Rarity again, and he had just rejected the offer. Instead of his love, he had chosen her. Her, the pony who had killed Rarity! Her mind was a storm not unlike the one above her as she tried to comprehend why he wanted her more than his lost love.

“Spike… don’t you want her back?”

He maintained eye contact as he spoke. “Of course I want her back,” he said in anguish, “but she’s dead. How can she come back from that?”

Twilight had the answer to his question. She could tell him now about the abomination in the coffin, but to do that to him…

“Why can’t you just stop this and come back to us?”

“Spike,” she began hesitantly, unsure of her own convictions at this point, “I can’t come back.” She looked back to the black mass that was dangerously close to her now. “This spell can’t be stopped now.” She dared to walk closer to him, but he took a step back in fear. Twilight could feel her heart drop when he stepped back. “It’s too late for me.”

Spike said nothing. He looked up at Twilight with uncertain eyes, then walked to the group surrounding Fluttershy. Twilight put a hoof on her barrier, desperately wanting him to stay, though she couldn’t say why. The group ignored her, as if they had already lost her to the magic behind her. Twilight was so focused on her friends that she didn’t notice the tall, dark indigo figure of Princess Luna until she spoke.

“Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight jumped and turned to the princess. Luna’s face was impassive, but her voice held a tone of understanding, one that only Luna could hold for Twilight right now. “What happened to your friend was nothing short of a tragedy, but what you are doing now, you are only tainting her memory. Look at me!” Twilight had been avoiding Luna’s gaze, but at her command, Twilight reluctantly looked at the princess. “Do you honestly believe that this is what Rarity would want you to do? To endanger not only your friends, but all of Equestria?”

“But…”

“Twilight. You were the one who saved me from Nightmare Moon. You showed incredible courage in the face of danger, but more than that, you believed that there still existed goodness inside me.” Luna’s voice softened as she talked. “I know there is still goodness inside you, Twilight Sparkle.” Luna reached out for her, stopped by the magic that cut her off from her one time savior. “Please, stop this madness.”

Twilight waited for her to continue, but she fell silent. Without thinking, Twilight turned around and looked at the vortex. It was only a few feet away from her now, causing her to back up and take a seat against her barrier. She held her head in her hooves as she took in just how large it had become. The tome had said that the spell would activate when it reached its optimum size, and Twilight guessed that that time was dangerously close. In a few minutes, everyone in Equestria would be transformed into the same creature she had turned Rarity into, doomed to an unimaginable fate she alone chose for them. She would do to them what she had done to her, turn them all into unfeeling, vacant husks of what they once were…

“Luna?” Twilight couldn’t bring herself to look at the princess.

“Yes?”

“I…” Twilight could barely make out her next words, “I’m going to try and stop this.” Twilight heard Luna gasp slightly and take a step closer.

“How?”

“I’m sorry…” Twilight said, ignoring Luna’s question. She stood up, her back still facing the princess. “I’m sorry, Luna. For everything.” With that, she started towards the swirling black mass.

“Twilight, what are you doing?!” Luna cried out, putting both hooves on the shield. Her cries alerted the group next to her, and the ponies rushed up next to the barrier, though Pinkie stayed behind with the injured Fluttershy. “Stop! That magic will rip you apart!”

True to Luna’s words, tendrils of dark magic suddenly lashed out at Twilight, drawing blood as they struck against her small frame. She grunted, but kept walking to the center of the raging storm, undeterred by the pain she was in. The closer she got to the center, the worse the lashes got, until her dull and ragged purple coat was coated in crimson. She finally succumbed to the magic and fell to her back legs, causing the others to cry out for her. Even though she couldn’t make out what they were yelling, Twilight thought it was pleas for her to stop and come back to them.

What they didn’t understand was that she was doing exactly that.

She turned her head one final time to look at them, and despite everything that was happening, she managed to give them a small smile. The others didn’t have time to say anything as Twilight, ignoring the serious injuries inflicted upon her, rose in blistering pain and ran directly into the center of the spell. Black tendrils whipped across her body as she ran into the spell. Her figure was lost in the darkness, the seconds dragging on for what seemed like an eternity as her friends waited for some sign that she was still alive.

Suddenly, there came a blinding flash of purple from within, and in a deafening crescendo, the swirling mass exploded outwards at a terrifying speed.

They barely had time to acknowledge the wall of evil magic heading towards them before it engulfed everything.

*********

Spike groaned as he rubbed his stunned head, opening his heavy eyes to find himself in pitch blackness. He got to his feet and nearly stumbled in the darkness. He waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but his eyes couldn’t pierce the dark shroud, no matter how long he waited. He felt a surge of panic run through his body. “Hello?” He called out, hoping that someone was around to answer him. “Can anyone hear me?”

As if activated by his words, a small dot of purple light appeared in the distance. Without any other point of reference, Spike couldn’t tell how close or far away it was, but at least there was something else in this bleak landscape with him. In lieu of any other option, he started towards it, hoping that he would find his friends at the light and, against all odds, Twilight.

He had walked for what he guessed was a few minutes when he bumped into something in the dark, sending him to the ground. Before he could sit up to figure out what he hit, the object wrapped its front legs around him and gripped him in a tight hug.

“Spike!” Despite having his lungs crushed by the hug, Spike recognized the voice. It took him a little by surprise, as Rainbow Dash usually wasn’t this friendly.

“Rainbow… you’re… crushing me…” Spike gasped as she released her hold, Rainbow backing up to give him room to catch his breath and stand.

“Sorry,” she said, rubbing her neck, “it’s just that I was worried I was all alone in here. Wherever here is.” She took a moment to look at the purple light before speaking. “Have you seen any of the others?”

“No. You’re the first thing I’ve run into here.”

“Well,” Rainbow said, looking around, “I guess we don’t have any choice.” She nodded towards the light started towards it, Spike following behind her.

Their footsteps echoed out in the strange, bleak landscape. For all they knew, they were completely alone in this suffocating place, and no matter how long they walked, the purple light never seemed to come any closer.

“Geez…” Rainbow sighed, looking to the light. “Why don’t we rest here, Spike? My wings are killing me.” She flopped down on her legs, Spike sitting beside her. The light was still as far off as when they began walking.

Rainbow reached back and unwrapped the bandages around her wings, unfurling them to their full width. She grimaced and quickly retracted them. “Guess they’re still healing…” she said, more to herself than to Spike.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you have any idea where we are?” Spike glanced around the area as he spoke.

“I have no idea.” Rainbow ran a hoof through her multicolored hair and shook her head. “All I remember is that huge storm cloud and Twilight…” she trailed off as her thoughts turned to her friend. Spike’s eyes shifted to her own, then away. He buried his face in his arms. “Hey, don’t worry. I’m sure she’s alright.” Spike ignored her. She sighed and rested her head on the ground. “We’ll find them, trust me.” He mumbled something under his breath. Rainbow closed her eyes and tried to empty her mind, but the thought of her friends kept her from having any kind of rest.

“Hello? Rainbow? Spike? Y’all out there?”

Rainbow’s eyes shot open and frantically scanned for the source of the noise. “Hello!?” She shouted and shot up. Spike fell to the ground when she did so. He regained his composure as the accented voice cut through the darkness.

“Rainbow!? That you? Where are ya?” The unmistakable voice of their cowpony friend was growing louder and Rainbow took off towards it, Spike in hot pursuit.

The two groups came closer and closer, their voices growing louder with each step, until the leaders of the groups collided and crumpled into a heap of blue and pink. Rainbow untangled herself from Pinkie Pie and helped her friend up, grabbing her in a hug that she gratefully returned. She caught sight of Applejack and let go of Pinkie when she noticed a mass of yellow on the cowpony’s back.

“How is she?” She asked, walking over and stroking Fluttershy’s mane.

Applejack adjusted herself, making sure that Fluttershy wouldn’t fall off. “She’s knocked out, but ah think she’ll be okay...” She looked around, as if something was missing. “Hey, have ya met up with the princess?”

“No.” Rainbow replied. “It was just me and him.” She pointed at Spike.

Applejack frowned at her friend, Rainbow shrugging in response. “Well, we gotta find both her and Twilight.” She looked over at the light that still seemed to be some distance away. “We were following that strange light over there when we ran into you.”

“Us too. You think she’s over there?”

“There’s only one way to find out.” Applejack again adjusted Fluttershy and started walking towards the light. Rainbow, Spike, and Pinkie followed behind her.

After walking for a few minutes, Spike spoke up. “Is it just me, or is that light getting brighter?” Sure enough, the longer they walked, the closer and brighter the light was.

“About time,” Rainbow grumbled. “I’m sick of this place.” She took lead of the group, leading them to the light. It only took a few minutes to reach it.

The light was radiating so brightly that the group had to shield their eyes as they approached. When they were only a few feet away from it, the light reached a crescendo, and the area was filled with it as the purple burst outwards. The group was taken by surprise and dove for cover as the light retracted and dimmed. When the stunned ponies regained their composure, they looked to its source. They gasped as it was finally made clear.

It was Twilight, her shimmering coat of beautiful fur, a perfectly set mane and tail, and shining purple eyes that no longer held any trace of the evil that so completely consumed them before. She was smiling at them, though it was more of a sad smile than a happy one. Her friends were gaping at the sight of her, unable to speak through the shock of seeing her back to normal, and their surprise didn’t diminish when she started speaking.

“Hi, guys. Are you okay?” They managed small nods. Twilight’s smile grew a centimeter, though her sadness was still very apparent. She caught sight of Fluttershy and gasped. “Oh no, will she be alright?”

Applejack shook her head, clearing her mind enough to answer Twilight. “Uh, yeah… she’s just sleeping right now..."

“That’s good to hear, I thought she was really hurt for a second.” Twilight's concern was genuine.

"So that light was you?" Rainbow asked.

"Yes. I wasn't sure if anyone else was here, so I figured I'd put that light up as a signal for you guys."

With the initial shock of seeing Twilight like this, her friends could really focus on her, and they noticed something strange about their friend. For some reason, while they looked nothing out of the norm, she actually seemed to be semi-transparent. If they observed carefully, they could actually see through her into the darkness beyond. Spike didn’t let this little detail go unnoticed.

“Twilight, why can I see through you?” Twilight looked down at her hooves inquisitively.

“I… don’t really know, to tell you the truth.”

“Does it hurt?”

“No, it doesn’t. In fact... I don’t really feel anything...” Her face scrunched in concentration for a few seconds until it suddenly lit up as if in revelation, but before she could say anything, a series of hoof steps could be heard behind her.

She spun around and immediately felt her stomach turn to lead. Three translucent figures, just like her, had walked into the range of her light, but it wasn’t their sudden appearance that surprised her, it was who they were. The three pegasi were wearing polished royal armor that shone in the dim purple light. Twilight immediately recognized them as the three guards she had killed within the Everfree Forest, though none of them bore the scars she had inflicted upon them. They remained motionless, their faces impassive as they observed their killer. Twilight opened her mouth to speak, closed it, opened it again, and closed it, all without saying anything. The utter shock of seeing her victims walking again was too much for her to process, and she watched in distress as they approached. For reasons she couldn’t determine, seeing them filled her with a sense of bone chilling dread. For all she knew, they were here to exact their revenge on her, and it was with reluctant honesty that she admitted to herself that she deserved whatever they did to her.

Their intentions weren’t at all what she expected them to be. The middle guard, the one she recognized as having killed with her horn, walked up to her, causing her to flinch involuntarily as he drew closer. He stopped a few feet from her and spoke. “We don’t blame you.”

“…What? But-”

“We don’t blame you.” He repeated. Without saying anything else, he returned to his comrades. They turned and left in sync, leaving behind a perplexed Twilight. They reached the edge of where her magic illuminated the area and were lost in the darkness. The others continued to watch, waiting for them to come back. Seconds passed, no one spoke, and when it seemed like they had departed for good, a figure could just barely be made out in the darkness. As the figure walked into the soft purple glow of the light, its image would be burned into the memory of those watching for the rest of their lives.

Her pearly white coat was tinged by the magic, and her mane, naturally purple, shone nearly as bright as the light emanating from Twilight. Not unlike the guards and Twilight, she was translucent. She walked out to her speechless friends, the friends that had lost her a year before. She wasted no time in approaching Twilight, smiling all the way.

The sudden appearance of the guards was enough to send shivers down Twilight’s spine, but now, with her here, Twilight had fallen into a nearly catatonic state, one that the others had fallen into as well.

Through sheer will power, she managed to gain control of her mind long enough to squeak out a single question.

“Rarity?”

Rarity said nothing as she walked up to Twilight and grabbed her in a crushing hug, one that she was too shocked to return. The two unicorns held their embrace while their friends watched, mouths agape. Twilight stuttered as she tried to formulate a response to this, but she settled for finally acknowledging her long lost friend, returning the hug tearfully. She buried her face in Rarity’s shoulder as she began to cry.

“I can’t believe it…” Twilight mumbled through Rarity’s tear stained coat. “I...I..."

"Quiet, Twilight," said Rarity's sophisticated voice, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was her. "You don't need to say anything."

"It's just... how?"

“Dark magic works in mysterious ways.” The ponies jumped at the voice. Out of the darkness walked Princess Luna, stopping just short of the group watching the two friends' reunion.

“Luna!” Applejack yelled. "We were worried about you!"

Luna responded without taking her eyes off the two unicorns. "I'm fine, Applejack, though I thank you for your concern. It's them I'm much more worried about." She pointed an accusing hoof at Twilight and Rarity, eliciting a variety of confused reactions from everyone present.

"No offense, but what are you blathering about, princess? In case you didn't notice, Rarity's back!"

If Luna was offended by Rainbow's remark, she didn't show it. "This is a forbidden place we are inhabiting right now. The spell you stopped, Twilight, its purpose was to bring the dead back to life, right?" Twilight nodded. "And a spell like that must have a very high cost for casting it." Another nod.

"Whoa, wait a minute, guys," Rainbow said, walking up to the two, "I'm not exactly an expert in magic, so you're gonna have to run that by me again."

"That spell was evil, Rainbow," Twilight said, staring at the ground. "Necromancy, the magic of the dead, requires a piece of the caster's soul for a spell. What I tried to do..." She tore her gaze away from the stunned pegasus, ashamed by what she had done. "Even though it didn't work, I still had to give something of myself to stop it, and given the sheer magnitude of the spell..." She couldn't finish. Twilight herself had come to the conclusion of what had happened to her when they were discussing the meaning of her translucency.

"You gave your life to save us." Luna said, finishing for her. Twilight bit her lip and nodded, hesitantly looking at her friends. They were too shocked to speak. "This place," Luna said, drawing attention away from Twilight, "I believe it is a sort of Limbo. Only a place such as that could support both the living and the dead."

"I think you're right." Twilight agreed. "The spell wasn't stopped completely. I might have prevented it from destroying Equestria, but I had to sacrifice myself to do it."

Rainbow looked at Luna almost pleadingly. “She’s kidding, right?” She chuckled nervously and turned back toTwilight. “That’s funny, Twilight. Really… funny…” The situation finally sunk in, and she whimpered as she realized that this wasn’t a joke. “No. No, you can’t! We already went through this!” She cast a teary eyed glance at Rarity as she yelled.

“I know, Rainbow. I don’t like this anymore than you do, but I chose this path when I picked up that book. I’m sorry.”

Rainbow was shaking from anger, from disbelief, but most of all, from a soul crushing sadness. She moaned, Twilight's figure blurred by her tears. “There’s nothing you can do?”

“No.”

Rainbow sighed shakily, her legs quivering so badly it looked like she was going to fall. Luna came over and supported her before she fell. A low groaning noise focused everyone’s attention on the pegasus lying on Applejack’s back. Fluttershy, still groggy from hitting the barrier, stirred from her sleep and gazed around. “Mmm… Applejack?”

“Yeah, sugarcube?”

“Did we save Twilight?”

Applejack shot a quick glance at the two ethereal figures. They both nodded. “Yeah… yeah, we saved her.”

“That’s good...” Fluttershy was unable to finish, as unconsciousness took her away from her friends. Twilight and Rarity were watching with concern as Applejack once again adjusted Fluttershy. She nearly dropped Fluttershy in surprise when Spike shouted without warning.

"Your bodies!" He yelled, pointing a claw at the two unicorns, "They're disappearing!" True to his words, they were beginning to fade out, more so than they already were. Twilight and Luna shared a glance.

"The spell's effects are beginning to wear off." Twilight said.

"I fear you are correct." Luna agreed somberly.

"And there's nothing more we can do." The princess nodded. “Then… this is goodbye.” Twilight admitted sadly, catching each of her friend’s eyes. She could tell by their distressed faces that they were all in denial. “I’m sorry, but it has to be this way. This whole thing started when I tried to bring Rarity back.” Her voice was starting to shake, but she tried to hold strong for the others.

No one spoke. The only sounds were the muffled sobs of Rainbow Dash. The tense moment was broken when Spike walked up to the two unicorns that had had the biggest impact on his life. He stopped just short of the two and looked up at them, the two regarding him with the kind of love only they could give him. “I’ll miss you.” He walked up and went to hug them, but instead of grabbing them, he stumbled right through them. His momentum carried him a few feet away. He turned around, mouth agape at the ghostly figures. He returned to the group, putting distance between himself and the unicorns. Even though passing through them hadn't hurt, it wasn't something he wanted to repeat.

Rainbow collapsed to the ground, everyone else following suit. Applejack carefully laid Fluttershy down next to her.

There they all sat, the ponies and dragon that would eventually return to Equestria and the two destined to move on to another life. Though they had only been together for a relatively short time, it had been the best time of their lives, and they wouldn’t leave each other unless they were forcibly ripped apart, which, they had come to realize, was exactly what would happen in just a few minutes.

Their last time together finally came to an all too soon conclusion when Twilight and Rarity began to fade out completely, their bodies becoming increasingly transparent. The others, knowing that there was nothing they could do, simply waited and tried to enjoy the remaining time they had with their departing friends. As Twilight grew fainter and fainter, her magical light began to dim. Sensing her time coming to a close, Twilight pulled Luna aside and quietly whispered something in her ear. Luna nodded to show that she understood and the two returned to the group.

“This is it, girls.” Twilight said apprehensively. “Before we go, I just wanted you to know…” she paused, looking each of them in the eyes. “I wanted you to know that I love you, all of you.” She extended her hoof, placing it in the center of the circle they had made with their bodies.

“We may have had our differences,” Rarity said with a small smile, “but you were the best friends I could have ever asked for.” She put her hoof out, next to Twilight’s.

“I will be forever grateful that I had the opportunity to know you both.” Luna put her hoof in.

Pinkie placed her hoof in without saying anything, but everything she needed to say was conveyed by the sad smile she gave Twilight and Rarity.

Rainbow was shaking her head, tears dripping down her nose and landing with a soft plop on the ground. She was staring at the ground, but raised her head long enough to give Twilight an emotionless nod and put her hoof in the circle. She lowered her head and continued glaring at the floor.

Spike put his hand in without hesitating. “I’ll always be your number one assistant, Twilight.” He looked at Rarity, fully ready to confess his love, but as the two locked eyes, the understanding they shared far surpassed any words they could convey.

"Ah love you too, girls." Applejack extended a hoof.

Fluttershy, to the surprise of those around her, put her hoof in, even though it didn't look like she was conscious. Whether or not she did it intentionally, no one would know.

Seven hooves and one hand, two spectral, six normal, all together. The darkness crept up, covering them, consuming everything in sight. The purple light had nearly faded away, and so too had the unicorns, their bodies just barely visible. Their hooves and hand, though two weren’t touching, were together to the end. The final wisps of light finally gave out, and the world was plunged into the darkness they had all become so accustomed to. The fleeting image of their friends’ faces would be the last time any of them would see either of the unicorns in the flesh.

It wouldn’t be until they awoke in the castle that they realized their consciousness had also been slipping away into the darkness. Broken and shaken from their goodbyes, it took everything Luna had left to teleport them away from the castle, away from the memories they would carry with them the rest of their lives.

*********

Under a heavy and drizzling overcast sky, the citizens of Ponyville gathered for the second time in as many years to say their final goodbyes to their friends. Two coffins, one for each friend, were laid to rest on Stargazing Hill. It had been argued that Rarity should have been returned to the original spot next to her boutique, but the remaining Elements had argued vehemently that the only thing to do would be to entomb their friends together. The unfortunate guards would be buried near Canterlot, but for now, all attention was on the funerals of the two unicorns.

The Elements and Spike sat away from the other ponies. The pain of having to repeat such a traumatizing event, while hard on everyone, was exponentially tougher on their souls. Fluttershy couldn’t bear to look at the graves, instead choosing to rest her head on Rainbow’s supportive shoulder and cry into it. Spike sat with Applejack and Pinkie had excluded herself from everyone with her silence. Occasional well wishes and supportive sayings, while thoughtful, did nothing to alleviate the unbearable pain they were in. It would be a long, long time before any of them were able to return to even a shred of normalcy, and even then, their lives would never be the same.

If there was any light in the darkness that surrounded them, it was that they had been able to say goodbye to the two before they left.

The coffins were lowered into the ground, and while muffled and sniffling sobs could be heard around the crowd, nothing came from the friends. Still in shock over what happened, or maybe just too tired to mourn, they only stared in silence as their friends departed from Equestria.

When the ceremonies finished, the ponies began to file out, until eventually only Spike and the Elements remained. They stood at the foot of the graves and looked down at the freshly dug patches of dirt. Applejack took her hat off and held it close to her chest as she spoke. “I guess this is goodbye, girls...” She said to her departed friends. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer for them, then backed away to let the others say their final goodbyes, one by one.

“You might have been an egghead,” Rainbow said with a small, forced chuckle, “but you were the best egghead anyone could ask for.” A smile had formed on her lips as she reminisced, but it quickly vanished as she came back to the present situation. "And you were the drama queen to end all drama queens, Rarity... but you were still one of my best friends." She clenched her wet eyes and stepped aside for Fluttershy.

The poor pegasus stared for a few moments before tearing her gaze away, unable to accept the fact that her friends were dead. “No, no, no…” She muttered as she walked away and into Applejack’s open embrace.

“Don’t worry sugarcube, we’ll get through this together.” Fluttershy sniffled and ignored her, but didn’t break away. Applejack squeezed tighter as Pinkie took her turn.

She opened her mouth and closed it repeatedly, looking for the words she hadn’t used in over a year. After searching unsuccessfully for a couple of seconds, she eventually chose to hang her head and say her goodbyes silently. She turned and started down the hill with Fluttershy, who had detached herself from her cowpony friend. Finally, Spike took his turn.

He sat down and stared at the two gravestones in front of him without saying anything. Applejack looked at him worryingly, but she was interrupted by Rainbow.

“Now what?”

“We go on living," she said, still keeping an eye on Spike. "It’s what they woulda wanted.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow said, looking up at the gray and soulless sky. “We should… for them.” She took one final look at the graves before turning to her friend. “But… do you think we can?”

“Ah don’t know, Dash.” Applejack tilted her hat down. “It ain’t gonna be the same without them.” She glanced at her other friends walking away from them. “You know what happened to Twilight when she was taken away. If we don’t get through this together…” She trailed off, not wanting to think about the past few days. She nearly flinched when she felt a hoof fall on her shoulder.

"I'm here for you, AJ. I couldn't help Twilight, but I can at least make sure you don't go insane." Her voice filled with contempt near the end, but it was more contempt for herself than her friends. Applejack placed her hoof on Rainbow's.

"It wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault." Rainbow was silent, but she at least seemed content with Applejack's words. "You did what you could, sugarcube."

"Thanks, AJ. That didn't make me feel better... but thanks." Rainbow released Applejack and walked down the hill, leaving only the cowpony and the dragon on the hill.

Spike was still silently sitting near the graves. Applejack walked over and stood behind him.

"Are you alright, Spike? Is there anything ah can do to help?"

"No. I just want to be alone."

Applejack rubbed the back of her neck. "You sure?" Spike turned and looked at her.

"I'm sure." His voice held no emotion.

"Well, alright, if that's what ya want." She turned to leave, getting halfway down before spinning around and calling out to him, "If you need a place to stay, you can always come back to the farm with me!" He didn't acknowledge her. She sighed and left him to the graves.

How long he sat there, he had no idea. The drizzling sky eventually settled down and patches of clouds opened up that allowed the sun to punctuate Equestria with its warm glow, a glow that was completely lost on the small dragon sitting on Stargazing Hill. He had been in complete silence as he reminisced on fond memories of both his surrogate sister and his first love. A smile found its way onto his face as he looked at the sky and remembered times when Twilight would read a book to him before he fell asleep, but it was quickly lost when his gaze lowered and fell on the tombstones.

An idea struck him that made him question his sanity, but it tugged incessantly at the back of his mind until he couldn't ignore it any longer. Shifting around to make sure he was alone, he moved closer to the graves and whispered to them. "Twilight... Rarity... if you can hear me, tell me that you're okay." He still couldn't believe he was doing this, but if it put his mind at rest, then he would do it.

He waited. And waited. And waited.

Nothing happened.

He sighed and mentally kicked himself for doing something so stupid. "What was I thinking? They're dead. They can't hear me." Somehow feeling worse than when he arrived at the funeral, he stood up and was about to leave when a patch of sky opened up and a pillar of light hit the exact spot he was in. He stared at the light on the ground before looking up at the sky in disbelief. He shook his head and tried to explain the phenomenon away. "That must have been a coincidence..." He started down the hill, still trying to disprove the light when he looked back one final time. "Just a coincidence," he said to himself, and yet...

He banished the thought from his mind and continued down, but because of that pillar of light that was almost certainly a random act of nature, he couldn't help but feel that there were two unicorns out there, somewhere, that were looking over him.

*********

Luna walked through the corridors of the Canterlot castle, her footsteps echoing loudly in the lonely rooms as she passed through the throne room and into Celestia’s private quarters. It had been a week since the funeral, and Celestia hadn’t talked with anyone since then. She caught a glimpse of a dying sun, a sun that should have gone down hours ago. The cloudless sky closest to the sun took on a light pink hue, while further out it turned to a very familiar shade of purple. The sun was just barely visible over the mountains that surrounded Canterlot.

Luna had been visiting Ponyville, too caught up with her business to notice the sun when a group of worried ponies approached her about its extended lifespan. She had rushed to finish her errands and quickly teleported back to the castle.

She walked through her sister’s bedroom, taking note of the pictures of ponies on various pieces of furniture. One photo sparked her interest, and she couldn’t help but take a closer look at it, carefully picking it up. It showed the six ponies that Luna had become so attached to and subsequently lost. They were stacked on top of each other and were smiling to their heart’s content, ignorant of the grim reality that awaited them. Luna felt her spirits drop as she looked at the two ponies that would never be in another picture. However, even though Luna knew that such a picture would never be taken again, she could almost feel the joy and happiness that radiated out from the mares’ faces, and she could’ve sworn she felt a little bit of that elation herself.

“Looking through my things, Luna?”

Luna nearly dropped the picture in surprise, swiftly setting it down with bumbling hooves and turning to find her older sister. She had been so entranced by the picture that she hadn’t heard Celestia enter the room from the balcony that overlooked Canterlot. There was something… off about the Princess of the Sun. The air of grace that usually accompanied her was gone, and the black rings under her eyes suggested that she had been awake for some time. Not to say Luna had been sleeping peacefully, but it seemed Celestia hadn’t had a moment of peace in ages.

“Sister…” Luna began hesitantly, wondering whether or not Celestia would be upset that she had been handling her possessions, and such a precious one at that.

Before Luna could continue, Celestia silenced her with a wave of her hoof. “Luna. I must speak, and you must listen.” She beckoned Luna to the balcony, the younger sister following obediently. The two alicorns ventured out onto the wooden balcony and were met with the brilliantly colored sky, made possible only by Celestia’s tampering with the natural order of time. “You must forgive me for keeping your moon from our subjects, dear sister,” Celestia said softly as she gazed up at the sky, “but I find this time of day to be the most beautiful.”

Luna turned her attention to the sky as she spoke. “There is no need to apologize, Tia. Wherever you find comfort is fine with me.” The two shared a quick, slight smile before looking back to the sky. “I assume you wish to talk about her?”

Celestia sighed wearily. “Was it that obvious?” Her eyes dropped, and her mouth followed suit. “In all our years in this land, she was one of the most extraordinary ponies I ever had the pleasure of meeting. The magic she wielded could have matched even our powers. She was one of the Elements of Harmony, part of the cornerstone that defines everything we stand for. The future of Equestria couldn’t have been brighter with her leading the way. And I let her die.”

Luna stared at her sister in shock as Celestia looked away. She caught sight of a growing wetness in her sister’s eyes before they were lost to sight. “Celestia… how could you say something like that? You know that’s not true.” She didn’t appear to be listening, and if she was, Luna’s words weren’t having any effect. “Why would you even think that to be true?”

Celestia avoided her sister’s gaze while she spoke. “I should have seen the danger she was in.” Her regal voice was nearing the breaking point, and it was as if speaking about Twilight was causing her physical harm. “When she was staying in the hospital, I should have seen that she was a danger to everyone.”

“You did everything you could-”

“No I didn’t! I didn’t do anything to help her!” Celestia snapped in cold fury, causing Luna to step away from her. Celestia glared angrily at her for a second before she could register what she had done. She gawked in disbelief before shamefully turning away. “Oh, Luna…” Before she could finish, she was wrapped up in the loving embrace only her sister could give her.

The emotions Celestia had been hiding away for over a year finally burst forth from the dam she had constructed inside herself, and she began weeping into her sister’s shoulder like a foal that had broken its favorite toy. Luna held the embrace strong, not caring that her dark coat was being stained by her sister’s tears. She slowly stroked Celestia’s mane as she held her tight.

“I couldn’t even be there for her final moments…” Celestia managed to whisper between her raspy sobs.

“You may not have been there physically,” Luna said gently, still stroking her mane, “but she kept you close to her heart.” Celestia quieted herself at Luna’s words, looking up at her in confusion. “Her last words were, ‘Tell Celestia I love her.’”

Celestia couldn’t believe it. Her prodigy, the one she had abandoned to evil, wasted her final words on an idiotic pony that didn’t deserve them. How could Twilight have forgiven her for what she did and, infinitely more importantly, what she didn’t do?

Luna caught the look on Celestia’s face and tightened her grip. “Twilight gave her life so Equestria could live on. We can't forget what she did for us, but we must live on. Do you think she would want you to grieve while ignoring the needs of Equestria?”

Celestia, her cheeks stained with tears, looked at her sister. "No." She whispered.

“Tia… you don't have to let her go. But this isn't the way to remember her.” Luna said quietly, still stroking Celestia’s flowing mane. Celestia, with tears running down her cheeks, looked back and forth between her sister and the rays casted by the sun, in particular the purple rays located at the zenith. Luna nodded, and Celestia closed her eyes and focused her magic with all her might, her horn lighting up with her golden magic. Luna copied her, and in perfect synchronization, the sun finally fell below the horizon as the moon rose over the opposite side of the sky. Celestia just barely caught the fleeting image of the fading purple sky before it was extinguished and the darkness of the night blanketed Equestria.

She looked to the heavens before uttering a single, nearly inaudible phrase;

“Goodbye, Twilight Sparkle.”

Comments ( 20 )

Dang it, I told myself I wasn't gonna tear up, but I'm borderline crying right now. :pinkiesad2: At first I was afraid this would just be constant killing and no emotion(other than sorrow-filled rage), but now I'm glad I read this. It was beautifully written and wonderfully emotional.

well shit twilight.
I BLAME THE OTHERS
if they were faster they would have convinced twilight before she cast the spell but nooo
KILL THE OTHERS:flutterrage:
well whoes the others:facehoof:
everyone but me:yay:
*fine casts shield on fluttershy*:twilightangry2:
*casts Armageddon*:twilightangry2:
IT IS SUPPER EFFECTIVE:twilightblush:
*shield fails*:fluttercry:
woops sorry fluttershy bye!:twilightoops:

*nopenopenope*
screw manly tears...im close to crying like a foal.
this was one of the most beautifully written things ive ever had the pleasure of reading
and ...no no "and"s...thats it imma end with that
:raritycry::raritydespair::fluttercry:

Its storys like this that make me feel like a heartless bitch.
Why? Because I don't cry...it was sad yet I don't cry...

Dead Island theme and this.

Just fuck.

Very sad. Didn't cry though, but the heartless personality in me doesn't cry often, but you did get my feels though, so good job.

I read this the other day and cried so much in places, I almost had to stop reading til my vision cleared. That said, I kinda wish it'd been longer. Very well done.

519051 actually twilight gets really insane in Pages of Harmony by Shadowed Rainbow

Soo many tears were shed .:fluttercry::ajsleepy::raritycry::raritydespair:

I read Friends Forever, shouted "SEQUEL!" in the comments and now I`m excited to start reading this!

This made me cry hysterically. I loved this story, but I can`t help, but feel like it should`ve ended before. The craziness was perfectly evil and creepy. This ending makes far too much sense. I choose to think of these as two completely separate stories because this is beautiful, but we didn`t love the last one because it was beautiful. It was because it was evil.

no. No. NO you can't do this to me! You can't! No I will not cry! I will not! No! :fluttercry::pinkiesad2::raritydespair::applecry:

That ending hit me in the feels like a freaking freight train.
th09.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2012/257/8/c/manly_tears_by_dylandylan72-d4n7l51.png

But it could've hit so much harder. I shed manly tears when this should have had me blubbering like a chronically obese seal watching a chick-flick. Your grammar is generally good but you need some help with word choice. Get a couple good editors and this story could be one of the best grimdark tragedies on the site! Ask around here: Looking for Editors

I'm not saying that this story is bad, but this last part is the difference between a damn good story and a truly great one.

I nearly cried while reading end half of this. Ahem. Anyways, I did like it. I managed to read it all in one sitting, which is something I don't normally do. I'm up way too early in morning with a whole day ahead of me and I found this story fascinating in all the good ways. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

My god that was so terrifying and beautiful..

It was just so fucking beautiful

Damn it damnit damnit I can't stop crying!



Good job sir your fanfic was one of 10 to ACTUALLY make me cry so this is one of the greatest ones I have read and I dare say that nopony will ever be able to ready this with a dry eye at the end of it all.



I give this fanfic a 5/5 greatly written and more than capable of reaching into the heart of the reader and brining the emotion of choice to the surface.

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