A Bitter Almond Cake

by Sparlight_Twikle

4. Ninety minutes in the oven

Tuesday morning

Twilight was woken up by shaking.

“Twilight, Rainbow Dash is here, she has some bad news.”

Twilight slowly opened her eyes. Her body was aching, as if she was heavily exercising the whole preceding day. She slowly rose from the bed and saw Spike, accompanied with her rainbow-colored friend.

“What happened?” asked Twilight, still half asleep.

“Twilight, please sit down and do not freak out.” Rainbow Dash cleared her throat “It's about Fluttershy.”

Twilight mind started to wake up. Some vague memories of the latest evening began to reappear.

“Fluttershy...” Rainbow's voice started to crack up, and tears came to her eyes “she has been murdered.”

“What...” a single quiet word escaped Twilight's mouth.

“She has been murdered!” yelled Rainbow Dash, releasing her emotions. “Somepony has snuck into the hospital and stabbed her with a knife!”

The pegasus wiped her tears with her hoof.

“Sorry, I gotta go. I need to tell Applejack. Bye.”

Immediately after Rainbow Dash finished talking, a loud filly yell could be heard from outside. The pegasus flew out to see what's happening. She saw Apple Bloom, running from the Sweet Apple Acres towards Ponyville.

When she got closer to the screaming foal, she heard what happened. Apparently, Applejack had an accident and her younger sister was frantically looking for help. Rainbow Dash grabbed the filly and flew with her to the hospital.

The hospital staff listened to Apple Bloom's story and immediately dispatched paramedics in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. Rainbow Dash immediately flew back to the library, leaving the young filly behind.

“Twilight! More bad news!” yelled the panicked blue pegasus. “Applejack had an accident, the paramedics just flew for her! She'll be in hospital soon! Gotta go to tell Rarity and Pinkie!”

Without single word of farewell, Rainbow Dash flew away. Twilight got up from her bed and trotted slowly down. She looked around in the kitchen, trying to find some kind of quick snack to eat before leaving.

A strong sense of déjà vu hit her. She has been in this kitchen, searching for something–for what exactly?–just a day or two ago.

She shook her head vigorously. It was not the time for this kinds of thoughts. The breakfast goes first. She opened the cupboard with her right hoof and grabbed tomato juice box with her left. She took some potato chips and ate them. The salty taste of chips instantly refreshed her mind, and her inner voices woke up.

‘Fluttershy's murdered, hmmm, I wonder who might have done it?’ sarcastically asked the pessimistic one. ‘Now you're in a much bigger trouble than you were earlier, miss.’

The usual optimistic voice in Twilight's head didn't respond. The intracranial silence struck Twilight with fear. She trembled and clenched her teeth.

“Twilight? Are you cold? Is there a draft in the kitchen?” asked Spike.

“What? No, it's perfectly warm here,” assured Twilight. “But it's still a little colder than in bed, you see...”

Spike shrugged his arms and walked away.

Twilight sighed, examined the juice again, poured it into a mug and quaffed it all at once. Then she left the library and directed herself to the hospital, the place she knew too well already.

In front of hospital, Twilight saw several guards and detectives, bossed around by some orange stallion wearing sunglasses. Twilight walked past them to the lobby and asked a nurse:

“Excuse me, is a mare named Applejack here? I heard she had an accident and the paramedics were sent for her.”

“Oh, I'm very sorry, miss.” said the nurse. “It was too late. She had already passed away when paramedics found her. My condolences.”

‘Already passed away’. These words resonated in Twilight's head while she stood motionlessly in the middle of lobby. She felt like if something extremely important had been ripped out of her very soul.

“Twilight!”

Rarity's voice woke Twilight from her trance. She turned around to see three ponies gallopping towards the hospital's entrance. All three of them looked out of breath. Pinkie Pie was crying, her cheeks and chin were soaked with tears.

“Twilight, darling, what happened? Did somepony really kill Fluttershy?” said the white unicorn, breathing heavily. “And what about Applejack? Is she okay?”

Twilight was never good with choosing appropriate words for situation, so she steered away from using any euphemisms: “Applejack... is dead.”

After receiving this information, Rarity fainted in shock. She immediately caught attention of a passing doctor, who quickly managed to put her on a stretcher and take her away. Rainbow Dash started to cry.

“What do you mean she's dead? After I helped Apple Bloom to get help? Why?”

“I... I don't know... I simply came and asked about Applejack, and they told me–”

“Oh come on, Twilight, you never can get any stuff done!” the pegasus interrupted and pointed her hoof at another passing nurse. “You there!”

“Me?” she asked, surprised, when suddenly she was grabbed by Rainbow Dash.

“Yes, you! What happened to Applejack?!”

“I don't know! Leave me alone!”

The blue mare pushed the nurse away and ran to find the paramedics. After few minutes she returned with her head hung down.

“Rainbow–” started Twilight, but the pegasus interrupted her.

“It was a branch. It snapped, and fell down on her neck. They couldn't do anything.”

Pinkie Pie started weeping even louder. Twilight approached her end embraced her in a hug. Pinkie stopped crying and looked Twilight directly into eyes.

“Twilight,” she started “please don't die. I can't stand it anymore. Please tell me this is some kind of nightmare and I'll wake up in the morning and everything will be all right.”

Instead of responding, the unicorn hugged her friend even tighter and started to cry.

Wednesday afternoon

The library was closed since Rainbow Dash announced Fluttershy's death, so Twilight was very surprised to hear a knock to the door at this hour. She had barely any social interaction after she returned from the hospital, mainly she lay down on her bed and stared at the ceiling, deep in thoughts. She heard Spike opening the door, then some unknown male voice, then sound of tiny dragon feet on the stairs. The bedroom door opened and Spike said:

“Twilight, it's the police. They want to ask you few questions.”

Twilight's eyes became wide open. ‘They came for me!’ a panicked thought run through her head. ‘Nononono, Twilight, their just going through all victim's friends, it's a routine interrogation, calm down, calm down, calm–’

“Twilight, you should hurry, they wouldn't like if they had to wait.”

Twilight slowly rose from her bed and went downstairs. She saw the middle-aged orange earth stallion with sunglasses, the same one whom she saw day earlier, accompanied by a younger teal unicorn stallion.

“Good afternoon, madam,” said the orange stallion. “I'm inspector Cuttingimage and I have few questions for you.”

“Sure,” said Twilight, still unsure what would happen.

“I presume you are Twilight Sparkle, friend of late Fluttershy.”

“Yes.”

The teal unicorn pulled out a notepad and a pencil from his saddlebag. Cuttingimage continued.

“How long have you known her?”

“For few years, I think.” Every Twilight's word was written down by the inspector's assistant.

“Were you good friends?”

Twilight noticed that the inspector took off his glasses, which now were hanging from a chain on his neck, and started to circle her around.

“I guess so.”

“Okay, and what were you doing this Monday evening.”

Twilight froze in fear. One mistake and she's done. A single drop of sweat formed on her forehead and started to slowly drip. Fortunately, it couldn't be seen under the cover of her coat.

“I was in the library, the whole time.”

“Alone?”

Twilight felt the second drop forming. ‘Can't he just stop walking around, it's annoying!’ she thought, and answered:

“There was Spike.”

“Spike? Who's that?” asked Cuttingimage.

“That would be me.” Spike raised his claw.

“Oh,” said the inspector. “You were here the whole time. Hmmm... Listen, kiddo, go somewhere– go upstairs and don't come back until we call for you. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!” Spike saluted and went upstairs to the bedroom. Cuttingimage continued:

“So what where you doing here all the time?”

‘Quick, Twilight, make some stuff up!’ “Many thing. I was reading, eating dinner, cleaning, and later some stargazing. Nothing important.”

“Hmmm... okay. And did you visit your friend earlier, in the morning, when she woke up from a coma?”

“Yes, I did, with all others.” Twilight was happy to answer this easy question honestly.

“How did you feel?”

“Frankly? Relieved, shocked, flabbergasted... There was a lot of stuff happening about her, the situation kept changing every day.”

“It looks like...” the stallion put his glasses on, “it won't change anymore. That's all, miss Sparkle, please go upstairs and send that dragon down here.”

Twilight followed Cuttingimage's instructions. When she opened the door, she saw that Spike was walking impatiently in circles. He immediately stopped when he noticed that the uncorn had arrived.

“My turn now? Okay, I'm going!”

Spike ran downstairs to the policeponies. Twilight closed the door and again laid down on the bed. The memories of Fluttershy began to reappear. Fluttershy smiling. Fluttershy singing. Fluttershy cowering. Fluttershy flying. Fluttershy feeding animals. Fluttershy squeeing. Fluttershy screaming in terror when the knife rose above her...

‘Why did I do that?’ Twilight asked herself. ‘That day, she said I was the only pony she could trust. And I betrayed her. Oh Fluttershy...’ Tear started to fill her eyes. She grabbed and squished the pillow. ‘Fluttershy, I'm sorry!’

She had been lying down for a while, when Spike came back. Twilight quickly released the pillow from her grip, not wanting Spike to see her like that.

“They're gone.” said the dragon. “They are very nice guys, Twilight, it's a shame we couldn't talk more.”

“What were you talking about?” asked Twilight, lying on her back and looking at the ceiling to hide her swollen eyes from Spike's view.

“They told me that the forensics have already determined the cause of death. It was a large kitchen knife and it looks like the culprit had a lot of strength. The most probable criminal profile, they said, is an earth stallion. Twilight, do you think they might suspect Big Macintosh?”

“I don't think so.”

“Do you think it was him?” asked the dragon.

“Don't be silly, Spike,” Twilight forced herself to chuckle. “he was mad in love with Fluttershy and he could barely stand when we last saw him.”

“But maybe he sobered up and did it? Ponies can do anything when in love. Are you sure it wasn't him?”

“Spike, I'm sure it wasn't.”

“How sure?”

“Pure 100% sure that Big Mac didn't kill her.” said the unicorn, moving her hooves in the air like if she was making a Pinkie swear.

“How do you know?”

Twilight was hit by a sudden realization that she involuntarily hinted that she was the culprit. A wave of heat passed through her whole body.

“Uhm, mare intuition. Spike, stop being paranoid. Big Mac was under observation in the hospital, they would notice him if he was sneaking around. And where the hay could he get a kitchen knife?”

The following few seconds of waiting for the dragon's answer felt for Twilight like hours.

“You know, I think you're right.” Spike said. “I'm gonna go prepare dinner, will you help?”

“Not today.”

“You keep saying this for two weeks already.”

“Maybe. But I don't feel like working.”

Spike shrugged his arms and went downstairs, leaving his boss lying down on the bed. Twilight's head was again filled with thoughts. Tears returned and she hugged the pillow once again.

Thursday morning

“Hello, Twilight. This... is today, so I brought you something.”

Rarity put down a bag she had levitated whole way from the Carousel Boutique to the library and pulled out a black coat.

“I've put something together quickly, I'm sorry it's not by best work, but...” the fashionista sighed, “I couldn't focus at all.”

She looked directly into Twilight's eyes, who didn't say a word since she opened the door for her friend.

“I still can't believe in it. It was so sudden. I simply went to sleep, and when I woke up, I mean, when Rainbow Dash woke me up...” Rarity suddenly sobbed. “I'm sorry... They were still young. Whole life was before them. And suddenly, they're both gone.”

Rarity couldn't stop crying. Her display of emotions didn't look at all like her earlier overly dramatic performances. This time, she was sincere and honest, the grief was taking her over. Twilight stood silent, not knowing how to respond. She shifted her look a few times, approached Rarity and embraced her in her forelegs.

“Thank you, Twilight. I'm sorry. I'll go home now. Remember, at noon.”

Rarity freed herself from Twilight's hug, turned around and slowly walked back home.

At noon. That meant there were two hours left. Two hours till the final farewell to Fluttershy and Applejack. Twilight suddenly realized that lately she was more thinking about the death of the pegasus, but almost forgot about the earth mare. Until this moment, Applejack's death was just a background incident that coincided with Fluttershy's death and Twilight's fear about her freedom, but now she realized that it's not one friend whom she lost, but two.

“Applejack... is dead...”

Spike overheard Twilight's whisper while passing by.

“What happened, Twilight?”

“All this stuff with police, the interrogation, the rumors, and I only kept thinking about Fluttershy. I totally forgot about Applejack.”

Spike stopped, looked at Twilight and shifted his gaze, not knowing what to respond.

The unicorn began to recall all memories of Applejack. Sure, the farmer pony was sometimes impulsive and greedy, but more than that she was a honest, hard-working, proud, reliable friend. During her whole stay in Ponyville, Twilight grew so attached to Applejack that she couldn't imagine her not being around any more. Applejack was for her a dearest soul mate, almost like family. Maybe that was why she pushed the thoughts about Applejack's death from her head: those thought were so against her perceived notion of reality that her brain simply rejected them as soon as it could.

But the reality was harsh. Fluttershy was gone. Applejack was gone. Twilight started feeling alone, as in the saddest times of her foalhood.

She sighed and took a better look at Rarity's creation. The coat was nicely cut, but she could easily spot proofs of hasty hoofwork. She put the coat on, stretched few times to see if it is comfortable, and went to see herself in the mirror. What she saw shocked her. She saw a unicorn who in the last 48 hours didn't brush her mane and hardly slept. Twilight decided that she can't show up like that, so she ran upstairs, grabbed a brush and furiously tried to make her mess of a mane look at least slightly better.

After a long time, spent on improving her looks, Twilight heard Spike calling from downstairs:

“Twilight, are you ready? We should get going, so we arrive early.”

Twilight tossed the brush on the floor and trotted downstairs. Spike was standing in the middle library, wearing a black suit and a black bow tie. Not speaking anything, the unicorn opened the door and led the dragon towards the cemetery.

The cemetery was already full of ponies, standing in two large groups separated by two coffins situated in the middle. Next to the coffins stood black-and-white pictures of two mares. On the left picture, there was smiling Fluttershy, looking as shy and modest as she was. On the right, there was Applejack, proudly raising her head.

The right side was somewhat crowded, due to many members of Apple family present, so Twilight and Spike walked towards the front and joined Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash on the left side. All of them were wearing black dresses, presumably made by Rarity. Rainbow Dash stood with her head down, trying to hide her tears. Pinkie Pie was sitting on the ground, her eyes were already out of tears. Rarity could barely stand, visibly shaken by all recent events. Next to them there stood two pegasi, probably Fluttershy's parents. The mare was sobbing uncontrollably, and the stallion was trying to comfort her, while crying himself.

On other side, Twilight could spot the residents of Sweet Apple Acres. Apple Bloom was wearing a black ribbon. She looked as if she couldn't fully comprehend what was happening around her. Big Mac was crying and looking nervously at the coffin every now and then. Granny Smith looked weaker than usual. Twilight thought that the death was too cruel with taking the granddaughter before the grandmother.

On the very edge of cemetery, Twilight saw inspector Cuttingimage with his assistant, who were observing the funeral from afar. She suddenly remembered that the criminals frequently show up on their victim's funeral ceremonies. Did she increase or decrease their suspicion by showing up today?

Rarity whispered to the purple unicorn's ear:

“Have you prepared a speech to say goodbye to our friends?”

“Speech?” Twilight asked, surprised. “No, I didn't. I think I'll improvise.”

The ceremony started. During it, many ponies walked up to the front and presented their eulogies. After several members of the Apple family spoke, after Fluttershy's father ended his speech with words “goodbye, sunshine”, Rarity stepped up and began:

“Fluttershy and Applejack were my dearest friends. I still remember how we used to spend time together. They were both kind and sincere. You could always depend on them. I couldn't dream that I would have to say goodbye to them so quickly.”

A tear flowed down on Rarity's cheek. Her voice started shaking.

“If I could relive past week, I swear to Celestia, that I would do everything I could to help them and save their lives. But I didn't. Maybe...” Unicorn's voice started cracking up, turning into sobs. “Maybe I wouldn't be able... I'm... I'm sorry!”

Rarity run back to her friends and grabbed Pinkie to cry on her shoulder.

Twilight's mind was empty. She couldn't even think about what she should say. Only thing that she could think of was saying ‘I'm sorry I killed Fluttershy’, which she certainly didn't want to say. She looked again at her friends. Rainbow Dash raised her head and wiped tears with her hoof. The pegasus took a look at a piece of paper she hid in her sleeve, put it in again, walked forward to the platform, turned around and said:

“I... I was a friend of both Fluttershy and Applejack. We always supported each other, shared our laughs and sorrows. And.. uhm... if it wasn't for them, I probably wouldn't enjoy my life here in Ponyville as I did. But for the last few weeks, it looked like some malicious force tried to make them suffer in front of my eyes.”

Twilight's heart suddenly skipped a beat. She felt as if these words were about her. She hung her head, thinking about her recent deeds. The pegasus continued.

“Fluttershy was always kind and polite. She always tried to bring smile onto other ponies' faces. She cared for everypony and always resented any violence. She always protected her friends. Maybe she wasn't the bravest pegasus, but she was the nicest.” Rainbow took a breath. “Applejack was always honest and hardworking. She always wanted to help everypony. She never wanted anything in return. She was always fair, and even very generous. She was a very dependable friend and I'm glad I could meet somepony like her. I'll miss them.”

The pegasus sighed and wiped a single tear that had formed in the corner of her right eye. She returned to her friends, looking which of them will speak next, but neither Pinkie Pie nor Twilight looked like they were able to muster enough willpower to step forward and speak.

After that, there were only few more speeches. The coffins with the earthly remains of two mares were moved toward their final destination and lowered into the ground. After few moments later, the crowd began to quietly disperse. Twilight, instead of joining her friends at a memorial meal in a nearby restaurant, returned home, leaving Spike behind. She didn't even care if anypony was looking at her. Feeling pangs of conscience even more than ever, she sneaked into her bedroom and hid under a blanket, trying to decide what she should do now.

The same Thursday, evening

The Sweet Apple Acres stood unusually silent. Big Macintosh looked over his shoulder to check if nopony is around. Luckily for him, both Granny Smith and Apple Bloom were in the living room, sitting idly and reminiscing their memories about Applejack. He trotted into his room with a pencil and a piece of paper in his mouth, put them on the table, locked the door and started writing.

Dear Grandma and Apple Bloom,

I am very sorry, but after everything that happened, I cannot bear it any longer. I know you all are gonna miss me, but I have already made my mind. I know it is very hard for you all, but so it is for me.

Big Macintosh sighed. It was a hard decision to leave his family alone, but he had already known for several days that he had to do it.

I hope you all will be fine, even without me. I have already prepared. When you will read this words, I will be far away from Ponyville. I cannot continue living here, I must start a new life, far away from the painful memories. I don't know where my hooves will take me, but all I want is to forget.

I love you very much.

Your Big Macintosh

Big Mac spit out the pencil and read the letter. He never was good with words, so he decided that there's no way he could improve it. He sighed again, sat on his bed, and waited for his family to fall asleep.

Friday morning

Although Rainbow Dash was supposed to clean the clouds this morning, all she could do was to disperse few smaller ones. She landed on a larger cloud and curled into a ball, trying to hide her presence from everypony on the ground and as many ponies in the air as possible.

Memories of Applejack and Fluttershy kept racing through her head. After the funeral, they became more vivid, as if the ceremony destroyed the final barrier in her mind. She didn't only feel sorrow, it filled her entire soul. The brash pegasus tried to hide it from others, because she still tried to keep up her tough image, but she felt that she couldn't keep up with it any longer.

Suddenly, a yell woke up the grieving pegasus from her thoughts. She took a peek down from her cloud and saw Apple Bloom running chaotically through Ponyville and looking around as if she was searching for something. Fearing the worst, the pegasus flew down to the panicked filly. Apple Bloom jumped in shock when Rainbow's hooves loudly hit the ground in front of her.

“Apple Bloom, what happened?”

The filly took a breath and said:

“Big Macintosh ran away!”

“What do you mean?”

Apple Bloom took another deep breath:

“Ah woke up and Ah saw Granny walking around and Ah asked ‘Granny, what happened?’ and she said ‘Apple Bloom, have ya seen Big Macintosh?’, so Ah ran into his room and found a letter from him and it said he ran away and won't come back!’

Rainbow Dash felt a surge of adrenaline. This time, she won't fail the Apple family.

“Listen, kid! I'll help you look for him!”

The pegasus launched into air, leaving the surprised filly on the ground. She flew in circles, trying to locate the red stallion, but she couldn't see him anywhere.

That was bad. She couldn't afford to fail Apple Bloom again, but on the other hoof she couldn't find her brother. Rainbow Dash stopped, looked back down and noticed that Apple Bloom was running and yelling again. Feeling a little guilt, Rainbow Dash flew back to her cloud.

“Sorry kiddo, maybe later” she muttered to herself.

Sunday afternoon

The feeling of guilt couldn't escape Twilight's head. They become unbearable, since they intensified after the funeral. The unicorn ditched all her responsibilities and spent most of that time alone in her bedroom, while all chores were on Spike's head.

She had recently heard that Big Mac went missing and Rainbow Dash was spending at least hour a day to look for him. She also heard that Pinkie had some problems at her job, caused by both diminished demand for sweets and Pinkie's lack of energy. Finally, Rarity closed her boutique and rarely came out.

‘It's all because of me,’ she thought. ‘If I said “no” that day, we'd never end up like this. Fluttershy would be alive. Applejack would be alive. Big Macintosh wouldn't start drinking and wouldn't leave Ponyville. Maybe...’ Twilight smiled, ‘Fluttershy would have a wedding now instead of the funeral. She'd give birth to that foal. Or rather adopt one. Pinkie would love it. She adores children.’ The unicorn sighed. ‘But it took one stupid Twilight Sparkle to mess everything up.’

She turned over onto her other side. Her neck hurt from lying down all day, but the feelings were more painful for her. She tried to cry, but she had already used up all her tears. The guilt was crushing her chest like a giant dragon claw. The images of Fluttershy and Applejack appeared again in her mind.

‘I'm sorry, my friends. All I brought you was suffering.’

The both imaginary mares smiled and disappeared without a trace.

‘Oh, what would I give to see you again...’

Sunday evening

Nopony ever wandered around this part of Ponyville at this hour. The bridge was dark and far enough from any buildings. The river in this part was deep. On the middle of the bridge there was a giant rock. Some ponies would recognize it as the rock that Rarity named “Tom”. An old Applejack's lasso, which she left once in the library, was tied around Tom, and the other end formed a loop around a purple unicorn's neck.

Twilight Sparkle made a decision. She caused enough suffering for other ponies and it was time to take a responsibility. She climbed the bridge barrier and started to levitate the rock. Her eyes slowly followed the rock as it moved through the air towards the edge of the bridge. It probably won't be a painless death, but she did deserve some pain for all the pain she caused. The unicorn closed her eyes...

“Twilight!”

Twilight immediately opened her eyes and saw Rarity and Pinkie Pie running towards her. She lost her focus and the rock rolled back onto the bridge.

“Hi girls. Don't bother, it all ends tonight.” she said dryly.

“Twilight, please don't do it!”

Twilight was surprised to hear a familiar soft voice behind her. She slowly turned around to see a pony she wouldn't expect to see in a million years.

Fluttershy smiled to the shocked librarian.

“But... but... you're dead! What are you... Aargh!” yelled Twilight, trying to back off from the yellow pegasus.

“It's a long story,” said Spike, appearing behind Fluttershy, “but I think it ends now. This prank was seriously getting out of claw.”

“What prank?” asked Twilight, turning her head back to Pinkie and Rarity. To her surprise, Applejack and Big Macintosh had already joined them.

“What's going on?” muttered the unicorn.

“It's Princess Celestia.” Rainbow Dash's happy voice could be heard from the above. “She got Spike, Fluttershy, Applejack and Big Macintosh to check how would you react to, well, everything that happened. Even Pinkie and I fell for this!”

Both the blue pegasus and the pink mare started laughing. Applejack coughed to interrupt them.

“Ah don' think it was that great of a prank. Now Ah got a lot of explainin' to Grandma and Apple Bloom. And the rest o' the family.”

“And if not for Big Macintosh, who hit you in the head to stun you, I'd be dead for real.” added Fluttershy.

Twilight focused for a moment. Indeed, she couldn't remember the very moment of murder.

“But wait! What about the abortion spell? I did cast it, didn't I”

Fluttershy smiled and looked at Spike. The dragon explained:

“Well, the Princess told me to swap few books on your shelves. The spell you actually cast was harmless.”

“But I saw it work!” yelled Twilight in disbelief.

Fluttershy laughed. She took a huge breath in and pointed at her belly with her hoof. It was visibly rounder. She released the air and the belly was flat again. Twilight blinked few times, as if disbelieving she fell for the cheapest trick in the book.

“How could I fall for that?” she whispered.

The unicorn nodded in admiration of Princess's thoroughness. Celestia had had to plan this prank for months, she managed to get support of many ponies, including the medical staff of Ponyville hospital, and she was prepared for any situation that could happen. If not for this reveal, Twilight would never notice that something was fishy.

“So... all of this was only a prank to test me?”

“Eeyup!” affirmed Big Macintosh.

Twilight let out a sincere laugh. She was relieved that everything she was worrying about had never happened in the first place. Her friends joined her in laughter.

When she looked again at her friends, she noticed that it became darker. It was a late hour after all. She suddenly felt very tired, her vision became blurry. Her field of vision was becoming narrower, with a bright point of light appearing in the middle. Everything else slowly dissolved into static, and a moment later everything went black.

Comments

[Simonekitty]

To the athuor: WTF YOU SICK BASTARD!!BUT I MUST SAY I FUCKING LOVED IT!!!! I was like when Fluttershy DIES CUZ SHE WAS "MURDERD" BY TWILIGHT also when Applejack "DIES". Seriously WTF man.

[Simonekitty]

Also please excuse my language I just didnt know what else to put