Chapter 9: Old Old Friend
Sunset didn’t know what to expect when Twilight had told her that her old castle had been converted into a historical showcase. Most museums she had known in both Equestria and the human world were dedicated to things like old bones and documents. Stuff that could be interesting to learn about but was mostly far removed from anything you were personally familiar with.
This made the Ponyville Museum of Friendship, as the banners hanging outside referred to it, all the more surreal. From wall to wall, pictures, and statues of ponies no different from the ones you’d see outside your own window decorated the halls. Several ponies she immediately recognized. Some she was able to place likely identities through conjecture. Then, there were ones she had absolutely no clue as to who they could be without reading the information written next to some of the exhibits.
Regardless, the castle felt like less of a museum and more of a palace of memories. An extremely elaborate scrapbook. Sunset knew that was understating it. The majority of the exhibits may have only recounted history from the last one hundred years, but there was no denying that those hundred years had been the most exciting century in over a thousand. It was certainly enough to easily fill an entire museum with. Still, most museums didn’t typically pay homage to things like, “Rainbow Dash’s first participant sticker”.
The contrast between Sunset and Twilight, walking through the halls of the castle, was night and day. Sunset’s gaze moved over every corner of the castle, doing her best to take in every detail of the repurposed castle, her eyes finding a new object of interest every step of the way. Twilight, just a few paces ahead of her, was unnaturally stiff. Her eyes never once shifting from directly ahead, as though she was forcing her body to remain locked in place, constantly battling the temptation to avert her gaze.
Sunset couldn’t claim to know every detail of Twilight’s old castle, but she was significantly more familiar with the layout than she had been with Ponyville as a whole. The memories of the times she had spent within these walls came surprisingly easily. Memories made from urgent visits and friendly excursions, back when the mirror had been easily accessible, and time made more sense.
In her mind’s eye, she could still picture the castle as it had once been. See the once overly spacious halls before they were completely filled with tributes to modern-day heroes.
Eventually, the two mares entered a large circular room. The chamber that had once housed the cutie map if she recalled correctly.
“Wow, they really went all out on this place, huh?” Sunset muttered upon seeing the chamber’s new centerpiece. Had Sunset not known better, the colorful recreation could have easily passed for the real thing. Taking up the center of the room, sectioned off by a number of guard walls and rails, was an exact recreation of the Tree of Harmony. Whoever designed the ornate sculpture had even managed to somehow produce an ethereal glow that cast a soft light over the room.
“This is my favorite part of the museum,” Twilight idly commented next to Sunset. “The Tree of Harmony still exists, of course, but I’ll always remember it this way. A symbol of harmony that connects all of the elements to one another.”
Sunset had to wonder if Twilight really meant to vocalize her thoughts, or she had simply been too lost in her own memories to stop them from coming through. Whatever the case, Sunset didn’t feel any need to respond as Twilight looked upon the tree, lost in thoughts, all alone.
The alicorn princess looked absolutely breathtaking in the soft light cast by the Tree of Harmony, her figure sparkling in the luminescence. Looking up at Twilight from her position beside her, Sunset had to wonder if this was how the rest of Equestria saw Twilight now. A divine and untouchable symbol of harmony.
Did anypony see any further than that, however? Did they even bother to look? Sunset didn’t think so. Perhaps it was a bit self-absorbed, but she was beginning to think she was one of the few ponies that could look beyond the majesty. One of the few ponies that cared enough to look in any case, because, once you did, it wasn’t very hard to see.
Her eyes. All you had to do was look into those brilliant violet eyes. They were constantly filled with sadness and longing. No matter the time of day. No matter her mood. Even her most genuine smile could not completely erase the ever-present look in her eyes. Always reaching out for something. Always.
Those eyes that were now longingly looking up at a tree that was now little more than a memory, more consumed in silent emotion than Sunset had ever seen them. Her mane ceasing to blow in the magical wind that carried it and falling over her as a light veil, almost as though it was too worn out to keep up the appearance.
In that moment, Twilight seemed more untouchable than ever, and yet, strangely, never more beautiful.
“Beautiful? Where did that come from?” Sunset wondered, broken from her own trance by the odd thought. Sure, Twilight was undeniably pretty. She always had been but calling her beautiful just seemed…strange.
“Are you alright, Sunset?” Twilight asked the now uncomfortable looking unicorn, who quickly diverted her face to hide the light blush upon her muzzle, with marked concern.
“I’m fine, Twilight. Please, don’t worry about me,” Sunset quickly responded while internally berating herself. “Just great. Like she doesn’t have enough on her mind as is.”
Sunset was brought out of her mental discourse by the warm sensation of Twilight gently nuzzling her back to reality.
“Gah! Twilight! I told you not to do that!” Sunset indignantly shouted at the offending mare, doing her best to extend her pitiful height in a failed attempt to be more assertive.
“No, you told me not to do it in the middle of Canterlot. We’re not in Canterlot. We’re all alone in a closed museum,” Twilight cheekily responded.
“Yeah, figures that’s the sort of place you’d want to get all affectionate in,” Sunset petulantly jabbed, her hoof gently rubbing the area Twilight had made contact with.
“Just follow me. The private wing we’ll be staying in is just through the Pillars’ hall,” Twilight chuckled as she moved to go through a set of doors conveniently labeled, “The Pillars of Equestria”.
“And, Sunset,” Twilight began once Sunset had moved to follow her.
“Yeah, Twi?”
“Don’t ever ask me not to worry about you.”
The room Sunset had been given was directly across from Twilight’s. Evidently, this was the same hall Twilight had stayed in when she had lived here. Carefully preserved and blocked off from the general public specifically for Twilight’s occasional stays in Ponyville.
Naturally, Twilight took her old room. Sunset’s own room was of a similar variety. Nothing too flashy, lacking any hint of a personal touch, but plenty adequate for the few days they would be staying.
Sunset had also found out where exactly Twilight had been sending the items they had been buying all day, or at least her portion of it when she had to practically blast her door open. The sizeable collection of books and equipment had been teleported directly into her room and barricaded the door closed.
To her credit, Twilight could still play the part of ashamed filly rather well, even as Equestria’s largest alicorn, and it stood to reason that even the element of magic could only be so precise. The fact that Twilight had landed their items in the proper rooms in spite of not having set hoof in the castle for some time was rather impressive. That didn’t change the fact that Sunset would now need to buy some new beakers to replace the ones she had just gotten.
None of that mattered at the moment though, as Sunset settled into her bed for an early night’s rest. The museum opened early in the morning and Sunset happened to agree with Twilight’s desire to set out before the building they were staying in was filled with random creatures, regardless of how private the hall they were staying in was.
More importantly, tomorrow would be the day they did what they had come to do in the first place. Sunset didn’t have the faintest idea of what to expect.
It made sense that this wasn’t something that could be put off for another day longer if the bits she had gleaned from the various conversations she’d been present for were any indication. Still, nothing could prepare her for this. She could only imagine what Twilight was feeling right now.
Pinkie only looked like one of her closest friends, but she actually was one of Twilight’s.
Not counting on any pleasant sleep tonight, Sunset could only steel herself for tomorrow. There was no telling what the next day would bring, but she knew what needed to be done.
Ordinarily, raising the sun gave Twilight a rush of energy that left her ready to face the very day she had just made. The magic that came from moving the heavenly bodies filling her being.
Today, the surge of energy felt like little more than a drop in the ocean of dread that was finally catching up with her. Today was the beginning of the end.
Once the sun was in place, Twilight turned from the window to look over her nightstand. Some flowers, balloons, and an utterly mangled piece of paper that was supposed to contain all the things she wanted to say adorned the surface.
Twilight probably should have known that putting the meaning of all their years onto a simple piece of parchment was going to be impossible, but she needed to try something in order to organize the thoughts that wouldn’t still inside her head.
This could very well be the last time she ever had the chance to tell her dear friend anything she had left to say. It almost certainly was. So, why did she have no idea what to say?
Twilight used her magic to dispose of the messy nervous scribbles in a small puff of fire and smoke. The evidence to the restless night she had, now gone forever.
Ready or not, it was time to depart. Taking the gifts in her magic, Twilight set out for the last thing she needed to grab before leaving the castle.
Sunset’s open door told Twilight that her friend had already risen from her slumber and was somewhere else in the castle.
Fortunately, Twilight didn’t need to worry about looking for the unicorn as they had promised to meet each other in the main hall before retiring last night.
Sure enough, Twilight caught sight of the amber unicorn as soon as she entered the area, staring intently at one of the more extravagant exhibits.
“She told me she was proud of you, you know?” Twilight said in order to both introduce herself to the oblivious mare and attempt to soothe the emotions she could see in Sunset’s posture. “I don’t know if I ever told you that. It was right after you destroyed the memory stone. I figured she deserved to know how it all turned out after she helped us fix everything, and it just slipped out once we started talking.”
Sunset looked away from the life-sized statue of Princess Celestia she had been boring a hole into, her attention now focused on the words Twilight was saying.
“I don’t think I ever said anything because I hoped you’d get to hear it from her one day,” Twilight finished, making certain to give Sunset her space for now.
Through their journal and the journal she had been given by Celestia, Twilight was likely the only creature that knew all the intricacies of Sunset’s strained relationship with the sun princess. It had taken some time, but eventually, Sunset had opened up to her about her feelings for their old teacher. Apparently, she had never talked about it with anypony else. Not even her human friends.
“I’ve been gone a long time, Twilight. Do you think she still remembers me?”
The vulnerable look in Sunset’s cyan eyes captured Twilight’s own. Sunset was a naturally guarded pony. Twilight knew that more than anypony. Fully willing to listen and help others as much as she could, but all too often holding her own feelings close to her heart. Seeing her drop those defenses let Twilight know exactly how much her next words could mean.
“I’m certain she does,” Twilight said with complete sincerity.
In truth, she had not been in contact with Celestia and Luna much herself these past years. An occasional letter being the usual form of communication between them. Ruling Equestria left her far too busy to make many visits and the former princesses seemed more than content to spend their retirement outside of Canterlot. Regardless, she couldn’t forget the interest Celestia had taken in Sunset’s activities after her first trip to the human world.
Twilight didn’t know what to make of it at the time, but, in hindsight, Celestia’s actions closely resembled those of an estranged mother. Never getting too close, but desperate to know if their child was still okay.
Sunset took one more look at the collection of tributes to the ponies of the recent past. “I hope at least one pony remembers me,” Sunset muttered under her breath so quietly Twilight barely heard it and it was likely she wasn’t supposed to.
“Are you ready to go?” Sunset picked up, her demeanor changing so quickly the shift in moods nearly gave Twilight emotional whiplash. Twilight was tempted to press whatever issue they had just soundly steered away from, but they did need to get going, and now that Sunset’s walls were back in place, it was unlikely she’d be able to get anything out of her without the proper amount of time.
“Yes, I think so,” Twilight responded, answering Sunset’s question with perhaps the biggest lie she had ever told. No, she wasn’t ready. She’d probably never be ready if she was given all the time in the world. Ironically, that was exactly what she had. It’s just nopony else did.
A gentle pressure on her leg alerted Twilight to Sunset’s presence. Twilight looked down to see the unicorn had placed a hoof on her in an attempt to steady her. Surprisingly, it worked.
“Hey, Twi. Whatever happens, I just want you to know, I’ll be there for you,” Sunset said with such conviction, Twilight could almost believe it. If only such a thing could be true.
“Thank you, Sunset.”
With no more time to lose, the two ponies made their way to the front entrance, a fated meeting waiting for them beyond the castle doors.
“Aunt Twilight!”
Sunset had thought Twilight to be the new unquestioned power throughout Equestria, but to be frank, when faced with the colorful curly-haired legion of earth ponies that had practically spilled out the front door of the eccentric modest house, she didn’t stand a chance.
Fearing for her own safety, Sunset quickly backed away from the bouncy herd of ponies that was completely consuming Twilight. Technically, she wasn’t breaking her promise. She was still there for Twilight. Just not in range of any danger. Emotional support and all that.
A tall and thin roughly middle-aged aged stallion with peach yellow fur, green eyes, and a curly light pink mane accomplished the, quite frankly, astounding feat of lifting Twilight off the ground in a backbreaking hug with strength that didn’t suit his otherwise lithe figure, the three other ponies surrounding them chipping in with embraces of their own.
Sunset let out a rather ungraceful snort at the sight of Twilight being manhandled by this small army of ponies that were clearly overjoyed to see the alicorn.
Apparently, alicorns also had super hearing in addition to their numerous other abilities, Twilight’s betrayed and vengeful glare quickly turning to her. Sunset probably should have been worried about some form of retribution for just how quickly she had left Twilight out to dry, only to laugh at her in the end, but it was remarkably hard to be intimidated by a pony that was being handled like an oversized stuffed animal. Besides, it was nice to see somepony else get thrown around every once and awhile.
“Hey,” a quiet unemotional voice said from just behind her.
Sunset nearly leapt out of her own fur at the unexpected monotone voice that crept up just behind her.
“Are you here with Princess Twilight?” the unexpected pony asked in a tone no different than before, his eyes looking her over with apparent disinterest.
Sunset could only nod an affirmation in response as she turned to look at this strange stout stallion. A dreary gray pony in a black sweater with a matching black bowl cut mane.
“My name’s Mudstone. It’s nice to meet you,” the odd pony said while extending his hoof.
“Oh, uhm, hey. You surprised me there. Sunset Shimmer, nice to meet you too,” Sunset responded, shaking his hoof. “So, do you know Pinkie Pie?”
“Technically, she’s my aunt. So, yes.”
The wires quickly connected in Sunset’s brain. “You’re Maud’s son?” Sunset gasped in astonishment. It made perfect sense. She knew of only one other person that was just that dry.
Mudstone gave a wordless response in the form of a simple nod.
Sunset vaguely recalled her Pinkie telling her about Maud getting a boyfriend at some point, though the bigger issue was how hard Pinkie took the news.
It had only just now hit Sunset. Here she was meeting the descendants of the pony counterparts of the humans she knew in another dimension. In a way, perhaps giving her a preview of her friends own fates. What a life she was living.
“We should reconvene with the others soon. The greetings generally only last three minutes. Although, as it has been a longer than average gap since our last family gathering, my cousins may exceed the normal timeframe,” the dull earth pony informed her in a dialect that was somehow both verbose and stagnant.
Lack of emotion aside, Mudstone’s assertion was remarkably accurate as the crowd of ponies finally backed away from Twilight who looked noticeably more ruffled than before. Apparently, being sparkly and in an eternal breeze didn’t stop a mane from getting frizzy.
“It’s good to see you too all too, Cheese,” Twilight sincerely replied once she had gotten steady, even affectionately ruffling his already messy hair with her hoof, her wings extending to drape over two of the ponies that had just been smothering her in affection. Sunset noted that the two bore a resemblance to the stallion Twilight was talking to, and the mare, in particular, was nearly an identical yellow copy of Pinkie Pike.
In fact, aside from the mare standing faithfully next to the pony Twilight had identified as, “Cheese”, every pony present bore a striking resemblance to the pink mare they had come to see. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that she was looking at Pinkie’s family. Her children and likely a wife, judging by how close the other orange mare was standing next to Cheese. One big happy family, including, “Aunt” Twilight. The alicorn seamlessly fitting in with ponies around her as though they were blood.
“Would you believe Mrs. doubty pants over here thought you were actually going to be late?” Cheese said while placing a foreleg around the neck of the mare next to him. “I told her, ‘Sweetie, Aunt Twilight hasn’t been late to a single thing in my entire life, there’s no way she’s going to start today.’”
The mare Sunset was now almost completely certain was the wife of this energetic pink-haired stallion playfully pushed him off of her in response. “Oh, stop. You know I just wanted to make sure the tea wasn’t cold by the time she arrived.”
“You should still know better than to question Aunt Twilight’s impeccable timing, dear.”
“Say, who’s your friend Aunt Twilight?” The yellow Pinkie questioned, bringing all attention to Sunset.
Ordinarily, Sunset wasn’t the shy sort, but the surrealness of the situation and the sudden shift in attention left her without much of a response.
“This is Sunset Shimmer. She’s a friend of mine that’s been accompanying me on my stay in Ponyville,” Twilight thankfully picked up for her, no doubt noticing her hesitation.
“Do you know our mom?” The young light pink, nearly white, pony still wrapped in Twilight’s other wing asked, not accusingly, but certainly curious as to why a unicorn he had never seen before was here.
Regardless of his intention, it managed to put Sunset in an awkward spot. “Well, kind of, I mean I met your mom in person this one time a few years ago, which I guess was a few decades ago here, but I know someo-er, I mean somepony that’s a lot like your mom…and now that I’m actually hearing everything I’m saying, I think I’m just going to stop talking,” Sunset finished rather pathetically. Her story wasn’t one you could skip the details of it seemed.
The awkward silence that followed couldn’t have masked the sound of a quill dropping.
“Weeeellll, I’m not going to pretend I understood a lick of what you just said, but any friend of Aunt Twilight’s is welcome in our family. Name’s Cheese Pie, but most creatures just call me Cheese,” Cheese introduced, bounding over to Sunset with an astounding amount of elasticity and showing off his pie-shaped cutie mark filled with cheese. “Those two over there are my little brother and sister, String Cheese and Lemon Pie, twins if you haven’t guessed, that beautiful mare over there is my wife, Pumpkin Pie, also known as Pumpkin Spice, and you’ve already met cousin Mudstone,” Cheese introduced with a surprising amount of agility for somepony his age, zipping around to each pony as he introduced them before coming back to Sunset with an extended hoof and a large grin. “If you stick around long enough, I can probably introduce you to the rest of the family!”
This pony was most certainly related to Pinkie Pie. Sunset took his hoof in greeting, now only slightly overwhelmed by the amount of energy in the area.
A few more hoof shakes and personal introductions filled the area shortly after before a foreboding silence overtook the area.
“How is she?” Twilight broke the silence, mustering the courage to ask the question everypony knew was coming.
“She’s…asleep right now. She sleeps a lot now,” Lemon Pie offered up as an ice breaker that both answered the question but didn’t tell Twilight what she had actually asked.
The oppressive feeling of sadness that blanketed the area and smothered the previously abundant joyous energy could be felt by everypony present. Even Mudstone seemed to sag slightly, his emotions for once showing through in reaction to the heavy conversation.
“The doctor says she’s got around a month left. Maybe more, maybe less. We can’t really say for sure. He says it’ll be peaceful,” String Cheese followed up, giving the definitive answer Twilight was likely waiting for, tacking on the last sentence in a rush, likely for both his own and Twilight’s sake.
“Can we go in and see her now?” Twilight asked, a hollowness in her voice.
“Of course you can. She’s…well she’s been waiting for you. I think she’ll be really glad to see you,” Cheese affirmed while moving over to the door to the house. “We’ll all wait out here while you see her.”
The stallion gingerly pulled open the door, which seemed to creak in every way imaginable as he beckoned them into a place that may as well have been Tartarus for how intimidating the entryway felt.
“Twilight?” Sunset prompted her friend, a series of unspoken questions filling the air.
Twilight looked down upon her with glassy pleading eyes.
Understanding the mostly silent conversation, Sunset took her place at Twilight’s side.
A shaky hoofstep towards the house marked the beginning of the end.
The inside of the house could only be described as quaint. The building was neither overly spacious nor overly cramped.
It was likely due to the countless movies she had been exposed to in the human world, but Sunset had expected the atmosphere of the house to be much drearier.
On the contrary, what awaited them was…just a house. The walls were almost overly colorful, no doubt due to the tastes of the pony who lived there. Every room appeared to be well kept, and the lighting was a far cry from the oppressive shadows that typically framed someone’s final moments in a dramatic movie or soap opera.
The only things that stood out at all were the various mementos scattered about the house. Pictures, ribbons, trophies, old drawings, and the odd rubber chicken.
Nothing gave away the fact that this was likely to be the location of a pony’s last breath beyond the unnatural silence of the building.
The floorboards creaked with each step, the only noise that filled the well-worn house as Twilight and Sunset moved through the halls.
For a brief moment, Sunset wondered if they were really supposed to simply wander around the house until they stumbled over Pinkie’s room, but even if Twilight didn’t know where she was leading them to, there was no missing the shrine that had been erected in the living room.
A mountain of flowers, photos, and mementos filled a corner of the living room. A monument to Pinkie Pie.
There were so many. Counting them all could take all day if anypony were to try. It was incredibly likely the entire town had been here at one point or another.
Sunset broke off from Twilight, taking their own gifts into her magic, and looked in wonder at the display that overflowed with sentimentality.
There was an old framed photo of a younger Pinkie Pie holding two newborn foals with a note at the bottom. To our all-time favorite foal sitter – Love, Pumpkin and Pound Cake
Several bouquets of flowers composed the body of the structure, each with their own notes.
Thanks for teaching us all how to laugh – Love, Smolder and Ocellus
To the best party pony to ever live in Ponyville – With Love, Apple Bloom and the entire Apple family
Thank you, for all that you’ve done for the creatures of the world – Thorax and the Changeling Kingdom
There were far too many to read them all and many of them said the same things in different words, but each one radiated with genuine gratitude and love. Words of adoration from various ponies, words of commendation from other kingdoms, and even a number of awards for a life well-lived. As many as there were, however, some stuck out more than others.
A hoofmade scrapbook with a picture of an adorable newborn foal on the cover. I’ll love you forever and always, Aunt Pinkie – Flurry Heart
Some sort of strange giant horned helmet with a note attached to one of the horns. Pink Pony will always be official honorary yak. – Yaks of Yakyakistan
What appeared to be a potted flower, but upon closer inspection, somehow had petals made of balloons. To the only friend who could make me look boring in comparison – your friend, Discord
Most elaborately, a golden necklace that contained a crystal balloon. The jewelry’s design reminded Sunset of Twilight’s crown. In honor of the Element of Laughter. Thank you for showing us both all of the little things there are to do in this world – Celestia and Luna
Even the retired Princesses had come out to pay tribute to the humble party planner it seemed. Sunset had recognized Cadenza’s hornwriting and signature among the cards as well. What a life a pony must have lived, for every alicorn in Equestria to pay their respects to them instead of the other way around.
Realizing she was getting sidetracked, Sunset placed the flowers and balloons into the pile and pulled herself away from the mound of remembrance. The dead silence of the room standing out now that her attention was no longer lost in countless tokens of love and gratitude.
Twilight was sitting by what appeared to be a bed, moved into the living room for ease of access. She was perfectly still, only the motions of her breathing giving any indication that the alicorn was more than a statue. The sunlight of the early day casting a ray of light over the quiet scene.
Tentatively, Sunset approached the bed to sit next to Twilight, still unmoving in her dutiful post. Sunset’s breath hitched upon finally taking in the sight. More accurately, the lack of a sight.
If a pony were to take a quick glance over the room, they may have very well missed what laid in the most prominent piece of furniture. Buried so deeply in the covers and cushions of the bed, only the top of their head was visible.
The pale pink pony laid mostly still, lost in a light sleep, the only movements being her slow shallow breathing, accompanied by a faint wheezing sound.
Sunset had only properly met the Pinkie of this world once before. She had served her and her ponified friends chocolate fondue. It was a short and unimpactful interaction, but it was how she knew for certain what the Pinkie Pie of this world was meant to look like.
The pony she was looking upon now was both undeniably Pinkie Pie and yet looked nothing like how Pinkie Pie should. The small amount of curly hair and pink fur was all it took to identify the resting figure, but it was all just…off. Her coat was still pink, but also thin and dull. her mane was still its unmistakable shape, but lacked the barely restrained energy and color that defined it, now droopy and gray, only a few strands of hair daring to cling onto their color.
In all the years she had known her, Sunset had never known something that could take the life out of Pinkie Pie. Certainly, she was just as capable of becoming sad or disappointed as anypony, or anybody in this case, but even those rare fits had a certain unique energy to them that only Pinkie could achieve. Here it seemed that there was just no energy at all, and with a heavy heart, Sunset found the one thing in the world even Pinkie Pie could not weather forever. Time.
“Shouldn’t we wake her up?” Sunset ventured out to the still motionless Twilight. Coming all the way to Ponyville would be rather pointless if all they did was watch her sleep, but Twilight didn’t seem prepared to do anything more than look down on the sleeping old mare with a strangely blank face.
Twilight seemed to come back to her senses with a start that indicated she had only just remembered where she was and that she wasn’t alone in the room. “Right…you’re right. I just…need a second.”
Twilight felt a sudden warmth and pressure just above her hoof. She found Sunset’s fetlock intertwined with her own. Sunset’s eyes locked on hers as she looked down at her.
A small, wordless, gesture, and yet it gave Twilight the strength to move forward.
“Pinkie…Pinkie Pie,” Twilight gently called out to the sleeping bundle she had been so focused on.
It took several attempts, and a steady rise in volume, but eventually, the slumbering mare’s eyes fluttered open.
Sunset noted that even Pinkie’s eyes looked duller than they ought to have.
“…Twilight? Is that you?” Pinkie Pie gently called out in a hoarse voice that gave away the old earth pony’s age by sound alone.
Twilight noticeably gulped. “…Yes, Pinkie. It’s me. I came to see you.”
Pinkie Pie finally shifted around to face them, revealing more of herself from under the blanket, her body shaking with the effort.
Out from under the blanket, Sunset could tell that Pinkie’s body was thinner than it should have been. Skinny and sunken in at places in a way that was typical of old ponies, but so bizarre to see on Pinkie.
Her Pinkie Pie had always been the biggest personality in any room, and she had no reason to believe this Pinkie was any different. yet, the wrinkles and sagging skin made her look so incredibly small. Smaller than she had probably ever been.
Once Pinkie had managed to fully turn over to face them, she extended a shaky hoof in Twilight’s direction.
Twilight gingerly took Pinkies hoof into her free foreleg, as if reading exactly what the pink pony meant by the gesture.
At the contact, Pinkie’s eyes seemed to regain some of their lost color and a surge of energy previously lost seemed to pulse through her, a smile slowly stretching across her face.
“It really is you, Twilight. Sorry…I just kind of have this dream a lot. I wanted to make sure. I guess I kind of figured. Usually…the rest of the girls are here too,” Pinkie said with a contented sigh.
“I’m so sorry it took me so long to get here, Pinkie.”
“Don’t be silly, Twilight. I know you’re a really busy pony. You’ve got a lot more to do than spend all day worrying about me,” Pinkie Pie said before ending her sentence with a yawn.
“Don’t say that, Pinkie. Nothing is more important to me than you. Nothing in the entire world,” Twilight said with a sincerity that was as certain as saying the sky was blue.
“Aw, thanks Twilight. I love you too. I’m really glad you came. I wanted to see you…just one more time,” Pinkie sighed, turning onto her back and closing her eyes.
The peace and stillness that overcame Pinkie nearly caused Sunset to worry that the old pink pony had passed on right there.
Fortunately, at the cost of a small heart attack, Pinkie suddenly began to stir, struggling to pull herself into a sitting position.
Seeing the obvious difficulty, Twilight lifted Pinkie into her magic and gently laid her into a more upright position against her bed’s headboard.
Pinkie finally managed to get a broader look at the room from her new position. “Woah, maybe I’m dreaming after all. That or the doctor was right about not eating cupcakes at my age. You see Sunset Shimmer here too, right Twilight?”
The somber atmosphere around Twilight was finally broken as Pinkie’s innocent comment brought her to giggles. “Don’t worry, Pinkie. She’s real.”
“Uhm, hey there,” Sunset awkwardly introduced herself, figuring that she needed to say something after the attention had shifted to her.
“Wow, you sure wear a hundred years A LOT better than I do,” Pinkie joked
Sunset scratched her head with a hoof, trying to work out the easiest way to say it. “Oh, well, it’s a funny story actually. You see-”
“Time between the human world and the pony world are all mixed up because of Twilight’s fancy portal machine, so even though it’s only been a few years for you, it’s been a lot of time here, and now you’re back because you’re trying to work out what you wanna do with your life, but it’s super difficult because you don’t feel like you belong anywhere anymore?!” Pinkie quickly rambled off in a surprisingly energetic fashion.
“So, this Pinkie can do that too? Great. Guess that saves me the trouble of explaining. I could really do without having my deep-seated insecurities aired out though,” Sunset thought in surprise, but not as surprised as most ponies would have been, given this exact thing had happened to her before. “Uhm, yeah. More or less. You just guessed all that right off the cuff, huh?”
“Well, not ALL of it. Twilight talks about you, sometimes,” Pinkie replied with a sly smile.
“Oh? What sort of things does she talk about?” Sunset asked, curious to know what her oldest friend liked to say about her to other ponies.
Twilight felt alarm bells go off in her head at the direction this discussion was heading.
“Oh, lots of stuff really, like-”
“HEY! I have an idea! Let’s talk about something else!” Twilight interrupted in a manner that only made Sunset more curious.
“No, wait, I want to hear this,” Sunset asserted.
“Oh, don’t worry about it. It’s mostly good things, and only half of it is embarrassing for one of or both of you,” Pinkie waved off in a manner that only served to make Sunset far more anxious about the matter.
“Besides, right now we should probably be using this time to-”
Pinkie stopped; her sentence cut off by a sudden coughing fit. Her body wracked with each hack, looking as though her very being could collapse with each shock, and an unpleasant wet sound accompanying each one.
Twilight rushed over to Pinkie, and gently lifted her back with one of her large forelegs, holding her steady as the moment passed.
“Pinkie, I-!"
“It’s ok, Twilight. I’m okay, really.”
“Pinkie, you’re-!”
“I know. It’s okay.”
For the first time, Twilight allowed her grief to overcome her features. “Pinkie…please.”
Any future words Twilight might have had were silenced by a shaky pink hoof placing itself onto her cheek. “We don’t have much time left, Twi. I want to make the most of it.”
“Yes, of course. I’ll be in Ponyville all week. I’ll spend every day with you, I promise. Maybe I can even visit after I have to go back to Canterlot. I’m just a teleport away after all. Whatever you want, Pinkie.”
“I’d really like that, Twilight.”
Sunset believed she could feel the sorrow emanating from the princess as she brought Pinkie’s old body closer and gently nuzzled her before carefully laying her back down.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully after that. They just…talked. Going over stories both new and old, reminiscing about the past and talking about the present. Times of excitement and calm peaceful days of simple everyday fun. Sunset mostly listened, only rarely contributing the odd comment on occasion, content to let Twilight enjoy Pinkie’s company.
Sunset listened to the storied history of two of Equestria’s greatest heroes. She listened to the first time the two had ever met, Pinkie throwing Twilight an unwelcome welcome party. The time Twilight had made a fool of herself trying to disprove Pinkie’s ridiculous, “Pinkie sense”. The time the two banded together to solve a railway mystery. The tale of a trivia contest gone horribly wrong and then horribly right.
Sunset heard the story of how Twilight had officiated Pinkie Pie’s wedding to one Cheese Sandwich. The hectic birth of Pinkie’s first foal, Twilight having practically run herself into the ground to be there. The holidays spent together as a family.
Even after all this time, Pinkie Pie could still draw out the most genuine and heartfelt smiles from Twilight, her eyes lighting up in a way Sunset had never seen them. Stories of adventure, discovery, and particularly fun parties passed between the two old mares until the day itself grew old.
Pinkie Pie yawned, exhaustion finally catching up to her.
“I think it’s time for Mom’s nap,” Cheese said, coming into the room to check on the mares.
“Don’t be…silly, Little Cheese. I…could…go all…day,” Pinkie yawned, her body betraying her.
“It’s alright, Pinkie. We’ll come back tomorrow, I promise,” Twilight vowed, nuzzling the pony who was half asleep.
“That’s right. Come on, Aunt Twilight. I’ve got some tasty treats you can take with you before you go,” Cheese said, Twilight walking over to him to be led out.
Sunset got up and made to follow the ponies out but was stopped by a sudden noise.
“Sunset, wait.”
Sunset turned around at the sudden call to see Pinkie staring at her, a sudden burst of energy keeping her awake for a moment longer.
“Uhm, yes Pinkie Pie? Do you need anything?” Sunset asked in audible confusion, having no idea what the Pink Pony could want from her at the moment.
“Just wanted to give you some words of wisdom, from an old party pony,” Pinkie explained.
Sunset internally questioned the logistics behind receiving an elder’s wisdom from a pony that was most certainly born after her but didn’t bother to voice such trivial details.
“Life’s short, Sunset. Whatever you do, don’t let it pass you by. Keep the ponies you love close,” Pinkie Pie said in an almost cryptic manner.
Sunset wasn’t sure how to respond to that, but Pinkie wasn’t done.
“One more thing. I won’t make you promise anything, but please…look out for her. I may not be as smart as you or Twilight, but I know everypony needs somepony…even her. Especially…her,” Pinkie finished, her strength finally giving out as her eyelids began to close.
Wordlessly, Sunset walked over to the old mare and used her magic to tuck Pinkie in just before sleep finally overcame her.
“Keep the ponies you love close?” Sunset muttered to herself now that she was alone, wondering what exactly Pinkie was getting at. She honestly had no clue.
Eventually, Sunset found herself back in her guest room at the Castle/Museum of Friendship. The day was finished, and the night had come again.
Unlike yesterday, she had done very little physical activity, so it was somewhat surprising that she still found herself wholly exhausted.
The amber pony would have thrown herself upon her bed were it not for the faint glow emanating from her saddlebag, laying haphazardly across the floor.
Curious, Sunset trotted over to take a look at the cause of the sudden light show.
It only took a few seconds to determine the journal she had kept close to her person since her arrival was the cause of the disturbance.
Quickly, Sunset opened the book to see what sort of message she had received.
Hiya, Sunset. It’s your best party pal forever, Pinkie Pie here! Am I doing this magic texting thing right? I mean, I know I watched you do it a few times with Twilight, your Twilight, not our Twilight, or is our Twilight also your Twilight now? Actually, we were friends with your Twilight first, so maybe she’s our Twilight? But what does that make our Twilight?
Okay, now my head hurts. Well, I’m just going to assume I’m doing this right because you can’t exactly tell me if I’m not. How’s your first day back in magic pony land going? Did you learn any cool new magic tricks? Also, how’s pony Twilight doing right now? Tell her I said hi if you get the chance.
Anyway, we all really miss you, but also hope you’re having tons of fun.
Love, Pinkie Pie
“First day? what is she-” Sunset questioned before failing to stop herself from smacking her face with her hoof. As a side note, hooves are a lot harder than hands.
Somehow, she had completely forgotten the time imbalance between the two worlds despite being confronted with it every day. She had been back in Equestria for over a week, but to Pinkie and her friends, it hadn’t even been a full two days yet. To top it off, they had no idea of the fact.
Quickly rummaging around, Sunset found a quill to respond.
Hey, Pinkie. Don’t worry, you’re doing fine. All you have to do is write down what you want to say.
I’m doing good. I miss you all too.
Love, Sunset Shimmer
The message was bare-bones, to say the least. It contained nothing untrue, but if omission counts as a lie, then she was fibbing through her teeth. Sunset couldn’t even say why she hadn’t broken the truth to her best friend. Perhaps she was too tired to discuss it at the moment?
“No, I’m just doing what Sunset Shimmer does best. Running away from my problems.”
Sunset still had no idea what to make of the problem posed by the disconnect between her and her best friends. How should she respond to it? How would they respond to it? What would she even do about it once she acknowledged it?
Sunset had no idea, and, like a coward, she had skirted around the issue, gave a response that barely acknowledged Pinkie, and answered almost none of her questions.
Sunset knew that once Pinkie finally caught up to her, she’d have to give a better explanation, but how could she even begin to tell her about all that had happened?
About her life. About her studies. About Twilight.
Sunset’s thoughts hung on the last word. Twilight. Pinkie had asked about Twilight. How she was doing.
How was Twilight doing? She had seemed fine after they had left Pinkie’s house, but if Twilight was good at anything these days, it was burying her feelings.
Pony Pinkie’s last words to her echoed in her mind with startling clarity.
Shoving all her other numerous issues to the side, Sunset vowed to do right by at least one friend tonight. If there was ever a night where Twilight might need sompony to talk to, it was tonight.
It was a pitifully short walk from her room to Twilight’s. A few mere feet were all that separated their doors. Somehow, that short distance was all it took for Sunset to start coming up with second thoughts.
Twilight really had seemed fine. They had eaten dinner and come back together, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. They had bid each other good night not ten minutes ago. What if all Sunset was doing was bothering Twilight over nothing? Or worse. Opening wounds that didn’t need to be opened.
Standing before the princess’s door, Sunset realized she really had absolutely no game plan here. What would she even do once she got inside? Start dragging all these issues into the light in hopes of accomplishing something? Maybe she should just leave well enough alone?
Sunset’s doubts were interrupted by a strange faint sound. It was certainly coming from within Twilight’s room.
Sunset leaned her ear closer to the door to make sure she wasn’t simply imagining things. Now more clearly, she heard the frantic gasping sounds that could only come from a living being.
Sunset considered peeking inside to see what exactly Twilight was doing but remembered she had already made the mistake of violating Twilight’s privacy once already.
Twilight trusted her. She would never do anything to jeopardize that trust again if she could help it. Instead, Sunset steeled her nerves and gently knocked on the door.
Almost immediately a sharp and clearly audible gasp made its way to her.
“Hey, Twilight! Are you alright!?” Sunset called out shortly after making her presence known.
“I-I’m fine, Sunset!” Twilight called out in a shaky voice that immediately let Sunset know that statement was a load of pony feathers.
“You don’t sound fine, Twi. Do you want to talk?”
“No no, that’s alright. Just go back to bed.”
Sunset shook her head. “I’m not going to be able to get any sleep if I know something’s wrong, and I didn’t do anything about it.”
“I said, I’m FINE!” Twilight yelled back, anger now seeping into her voice in an attempt to mask the obvious uneasiness.
Sunset had vowed to respect Twilight’s privacy. She would not go behind her back to seek information about her without her knowledge. Now that Twilight knew she was here, that was no longer an issue.
“Okay, Twilight. I’m coming in now!” Sunset called as a fair warning.
“WHAT!? N-no, wait!”
Before Twilight had a chance to do anything that would prevent her from entering the room, Sunset flung the door open.
Twilight stumbled backward from her position on her bed, away from the uninvited unicorn, quickly turning to hide herself.
It didn’t matter in the slightest. Those brief few seconds were all it took for Sunset to see the tear marks marring Twilight’s face, moisture still present in her eyes.
“Get out!” Twilight shouted from her cowering position that did not at all befit the ruler of an entire kingdom.
“You’re crying,” Sunset gently said, barely above a whisper.
“…I told you not to come in,” Twilight muttered, fragile anger gone from her tone now that there was no hiding her secret.
“Twilight…please. Talk to me,” Sunset prompted, steadily making her way to the bed.
Twilight seemed to curl in on herself even further, waiting several seconds as though willing Sunset to go away.
“She’s…she’s dying, Sunset,” Twilight muttered under her breath.
With that, it was as though a dam had broken. “She’s dying and there’s nothing I can do about it. There’s NEVER anything I can do about it!”
Fresh sobs began to wrack through Twilight’s body with even greater intensity than before. “Every single day, I wake up and they’re even further away! First Starlight, then Mom and Dad, then Rarity, Shining Armor, Fluttershy, and Rainbow! Sunburst, Fizzlepop, Trixie, Star Swirl, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, Moondancer, everypony who used to live in Ponyville, even most of my old students! Th-They’re…They’re all just gone.”
Twilight didn’t say anything right after the barely audible declaration, too overcome with the tears she had been holding back for what must have been years now. Several minutes passed by as Twilight cried her aching heart out.
Sunset listened to Twilight vent, unsure of what to do that could make things better. Likely, there wasn’t anything that would make things better. Nothing that was within her power. So, Sunset listened as Twilight sobbed, her cries of anguish eventually turning into sniffles.
“Pinkie’s all I have left, Sunset,” Twilight eventually picked up, her tone completely defeated. “She’s the last piece of the pony I was. Soon, she’ll be gone, and I’ll still be here. I’ll always be here, forever. Only everypony else is taking the best parts of me with them and leaving nothing behind. Flurry was right. That stupid crown is all I have left.”
What could Sunset say? That she wouldn’t leave her? She couldn’t even say for certain where she’d be next year, let alone for the rest of her life, and if she could, it didn’t change that she was still as mortal as everypony else.
“Applejack…she passed away a few weeks before you started writing me again,” Twilight called out, interrupting Sunset’s thoughts. “I just couldn’t take being alone anymore. That’s why I tricked you into coming here…I’m sorry.”
Now Sunset was totally lost. “W-What, are you talking about, Twilight?”
“The portal machine. I could have told you everything before you came here. Don’t act like you haven’t thought about it. I knew you probably wouldn’t come back if you knew, so I didn’t tell you.”
Sunset paused at Twilight’s admission, a guilty plead tangled up in an emotional web of loss and sorrow.
“Would you stop me? If I said I wanted to go back, right now, back to my friends, would you let me?” Sunset asked, her face expressionless.
Twilight finally turned back to her, looking completely crestfallen. A far cry from the radiant leader she appeared as for the rest of Equestria, her large size now contrasted by her slumping shoulders and tear-stained face. Even her mane had given up the illusion and fell around her in a messy blanket.
“…Yes, o-of course. A-as soon as we get back to Canterlot, I’ll-”
“When you asked me to come back, did you really think I could be happy here? That it would be better for me to be here? Or was this always about you?” Sunset followed up, cutting Twilight off. Her question cutting but the tone still neutral.
“W-what? Sunset, I…yes, of course, I thought that this would be good for you. I never would have suggested it otherwise. I was selfish, Sunset. I thought of myself, and it was wrong, but please believe me when I say I would never do anything to hurt you. Never.”
The room was silent for a few seconds after that, the tension inside Twilight building.
“I know you wouldn’t. I think we both just needed to hear it,” Sunset sighed, finally approaching Twilight’s bed and pulling herself on top to be face to face with the alicorn.
Sunset’s horn shone red, and a small handkerchief materialized out of thin air. An old spell, one of the first Princess Celestia had ever taught her, for those first few nights in the castle when she was just a filly in a world she didn’t understand.
Twilight didn’t move away from the cloth as Sunset used it to clean her face of the remaining tears and fluids, but her visible flinch gave away her discomfort at the sudden intimacy.
“I can clean my own face, Sunset,” Twilight said, voice still shaky, but noticeably more relaxed at the change in atmosphere.
“Oh, zip it, Sparkle. If you want to parade me around town on your back like a little filly, then you’re just going to have to deal with it. Plus, I’ve seen your table manners. I have to strongly disagree with the assertion that you can clean your own face.”
The foal like pout did nothing to make Twilight look more mature, but she made no more complaints as Sunset meticulously cleaned her face.
“Things haven’t been easy for you, have they?” Sunset asked as she finished, returning the cloth back to the ether from whence it came.
“Is it that obvious?” Twilight asked in a valiant attempt at humor that lost its mirth halfway through.
“Yeah, yeah, it kind of was. You may look like Celestia now, Twilight, but you’re not half as good at pretending nothing in the world bothers you.”
Noticing the absolutely horrid state of affairs Twilight’s mane had become, Sunset performed a slightly more advanced spell and summoned a hairbrush into her magic.
Twilight gave the unicorn a look that said, ‘seriously?’ to which Sunset responded with her own look of, ‘yes, seriously’, and a quick motion of her hoof that said, ‘now lay down, you’re a wreck.’
Twilight adopted a prone position on the mattress, so Sunset could get to untangling the mess that was the carpet of hair Twilight now called her mane.
Sunset was making this up as she went along, but she knew what Twilight needed to hear next.
“So, I was thinking that when we get back to Canterlot, we could try some new modifications I thought up to the equipment we use.”
Twilight’s head swiveled to face her so fast, Sunset had to focus in order to keep the brush from getting lost in the sea of dark purple hair.
“Does that mean…?”
“Yes, Twilight. I’m staying. I’m not going to pretend I have it all figured out, but I know I like being here. I like using magic. I like learning about new magic. I like the new friends I’ve made here, and I really like spending time with you.”
“I really like spending time with you too. You’re probably-OW!”
Sunset violently yanked her way through a particularly tangled section of hair. A tangle that could not have possibly been formed from the last few minutes.
“Ok, seriously. What am I looking at here? Has nopony ever taught you how to brush your mane? This thing is practically its own jungle when you don’t have all the sparkles and impossible breezes distracting you.”
“Hey! Give me a-GAH!-break. It’s not easy-ECK!-keeping up this much hair. I don’t usually have to brush it all myself.”
“The great and powerful Princess Twilight Sparkle. Ruler of all Equestria. Keeper of the sun and moon. Embodiment of magic…can’t even do her own mane,” Sunset counted off, finishing her statement with a particularly rough brush that finally took care of the most difficult tangles.
“YAH! Ok, you’re doing that on purpose!”
“I might be enjoying it a little, but trust me, manes like this require a firm touch. Don’t worry, we’re almost done, your majesty.”
The brushing sensations got noticeably more pleasant after the tangles had been properly removed. The brush sliding smoothly through the remainder of her mane in a steady rhythm that felt remarkably like a massage. Twilight almost began to feel herself drift off before the sensation abruptly stopped.
“There, all done. You’re fit to rule again, Princess,” Sunset concluded, with a twirl of her tool for good measure.
“What? You don’t want to preen my wings too?” Twilight teased from her prone position, flaring out the wing behind Sunset.
“I think you’ve been pampered enough.”
A comfortable silence fell over the room, neither pony seeing any reason to break it until Twilight spoke up. “I really am sorry, Sunset.”
Sunset rolled her eyes at the sincerity. Twilight honestly worried too much. “Look, Twi. Whatever it is you think I should be mad at you about, it’s water under the bridge. If you can forgive me for literally trying to kill you, I think I can forgive you for a little underhanded coercion in a situation with no consequences.”
Twilight didn’t seem entirely satisfied with Sunset’s answer, but that was expected at this point. So long as she understood there were no hard feelings, nothing else mattered.
“I want you to promise me something, Twilight,” Sunset suddenly began.
“yes?”
“Clearly, we both have some things to work out, and I doubt either of us have any idea where to start, but as long as we’re together I want us to help each other to find out.”
“I…I think I’d like that, Sunset.”
“You realize that means no more bottling all this stuff up inside until it explodes, right? I can’t promise I’ll have all the answers, but I want you to talk to me when something’s bothering you.”
“You realize that goes both ways, right?” Twilight said, looking back at Sunset with a knowing glance.
“Yeah, it does,” Sunset conceded.
“Alright, I promise,” Twilight vowed, laying her chin across her crossed forelimbs in a resting position
“Good,” Sunset said, getting up from her seated position and walking over to give Twilight a nuzzle.
“H-hey! I thought you didn’t like that!” Twilight said in a surprised voice, blushing at the unexpected contact.
“Well, It’s different when I do it. Goodnight, Twi,” Sunset called, deciding to take her leave now that there wasn’t much else to be done tonight.
“W-wait!” Twilight called out in a pleading tone that even surprised herself.
“Yeah, Twi?”
“Maybe…maybe you could stay with me? Just for tonight. I…I don’t want to be alone right now,” Twilight confessed.
“O-ok, yeah, sure,” Sunset decided, surprised but happy that Twilight was already being more open with her. She’d just need a few minutes to grab some spare pillows from the other rooms.
Twilight’s sudden shifting to make more room on the bed immediately keyed Sunset in on how Twilight had something a bit more intimate in mind for sleeping arrangements.
“O-okay then. It’s only weird if you make it weird, Sunset,” Sunset internally coached herself, laying down next to Twilight.
Several seconds went by as both mares laid in the silent dimly lit room. Sunset suddenly didn’t feel so tired.
“So…do you have anything to read in here?”
“I thought you’d never ask!”
Gradually, the night passed, the two ponies passing the time with reading and casual conversation until sleep inevitably caught up to them, exhaustion overcoming any conscious problems with intimacy.
They had ultimately ended up curled against each other over a messy wrinkled bed with two or three books left in random places.
It was the best night’s sleep Twilight had in years.
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I both love and hate stories that can get tears out of me. Also nice to see Sunset is dense but not criminally so.
So many feels here. And the mood whiplash between Pony Pinkie and Human Pinkie was very effective.
Hopefully, Sunset's able to figure herself out, and be there for Twilight in a meaningful way.
I just couldn't stop crying. This really hit me. This was a great chapter. I really love this story. I look forward to even more chapters with bated breath.
I'm not a fan of the whole "compliment love interest and shake head in confusion over where that thought came from" thing. I don't think it's something that ever needs to be commented on, when it being a seamless part of her mental narration is enough to subtly showcase the density involved.
Other than that I liked the update.
Continuing to love this story. I just favorited the story, keep up the good work!
I think you did a fine job if this was your first such scene. In some ways that was actually good, because you were writing characters who had no idea how to handle the scene they were in, so any uncertainty on your part just fed that.
I don't know if tricked is right, though I can see how Twilight would call it that, but manipulated probably fits. Good that Twilight admitted it though, even if Sunset doesn't really care right now.
That's the kind of promise that both of them really need.
Looking forward to the rest of the story.
10099067
You know, I thought it was cliche when I wrote it.
Oh well, no one bats 1000. Probably the last time I'll use that particular cliche, but I wanted to make it clear Sunset is ironically out of touch with her own feelings, despite being so good at feeling others.
Agreed, heart breaking and giddy smile inducing at the same time. It's nice to see that even though these two are respectfully adults they still don't have it all together. Heh, like the rest of us. I'm curious if there is a time delay when Sunset replies in the book since the time dilation is faster in Equestria.
I can't but imagine Sunset jetpacking Twilight, and it's adorable.
Very nice chapter. Finally got to see Pinkie, her family, and more facets of Twilight and Sunset's budding relationship. The seeds are sprouting and thankfully not like that damn castle. Gotta have those slow burn relationships sometimes. Also glad to see the part where Sunset comforts Twilight in her own way not split into another chapter or this one broken into two. Would have felt rather incomplete.
Wonder how long it'll be before Sunny realizes the meaning of Pinkie's words. Just clicks one moment and realizes "yeah.... I want some of that."
I have a question about the ages of pinkie kids and grand-kids. Sunset has missed 80 years. So if pinkie was, lets say 20, last time sunset visited then she is 100 now. If she had a kid in that decade (which makes sense canon wise), her kid would be somewhere between 70 and 80. If he had a kid before 30, her grand-kid would be 50+, if the grand-kid had a kid before 30, her great grandchild would be 20+, which is entirely reasonable for her to have young great, great gran-kids. You describe her son as middle aged, but that would be he was 30-50, which means she had him at 50. Feel like her family should be older here. Just my thoughts though.
10099460
The ages of Pinkies kids were mostly based upon what I saw in the finale.
The amount of time that passed between the time the show happens and the finale is all guesswork really, but appearances of all the characters suggest it's been around 10-20 years. Rarity and a few other characters are getting gray hairs, so it's been a while.
At the time Pinkie's foal is shown to be a very young pony. Not even old enough to be left without a sitter, so I assumed Pinkie would have had him/her (I went with him, just because) in her late 30's early 40's.
With that in the context of this story, she would place her first kid at around his 60's right now. Certainly no spring chicken, but not exactly old yet. Plus, Pinkie's family has that earth pony longevity going on to take away the edge.
I would like to say I did some advance math to come to this conclusion, but really I'm just guestimating and throwing things at a dartboard, with the extra add in that Pinkie had two more kids pretty late in life. Some discrepancies may be present.
Ok the tears fell here
Beautiful writing
Poor Twilight.
You made me tear up.... For that I should hunt you down.. However... The mighty and majestic Ebonyknight will forgive you... After all he is impressed by your skilled writing and great character development... 😘
See, now I just have this mental image of Twilight and Sunset's eventual wedding. Naturally, they invite a half dozen or so particularly good friends of Sunset... and Pinkie's (or any of the others') pony family sees them. Jaws on the floor.
Now picture a foal walking up to one of them. "G-grandma?!!"
Now picture the faces of these 30-ish year old humans-turned-ponies. The shock. Pinkie vibrating like an overpressurized tea kettle about to blow. The sheer horror on Rarity's face.
And I don't know if Twi would be laughing or staring at her pony double with severe brain lock.
I’m so sad now.
10100200
I certainly haven't thought that far ahead quite yet, but in the event the humane six ever come to Equestria, it'd need to be kept pretty closely knit.
Who knows how Equestria would take all five of the element bearers coming back to life. Might accidentally start a few new religions.
10100627
Eeyup.
That would only encourage Pinkie, though!
It occurs to me that Sunset could offer pony-Pinkie an incredibly unique gift. She'd have to actually tell her friends, "Time is borked now," for it to be possible, but if she cleared that hurdle then she can basically offer deathbed-Pinkie the chance to say whatever she wants to her younger self.
Sunset feels better being able to help someone who's vaguely like the pony she used to be avoid making the mistakes she made, Pinkie Pie could have a chance, brief and text only though it may be, to help someone who's as close to the pony she used to be as it's possible to get (without actual time travel, that is.)
Lost In Thoughts All Alone
Is that a Fire Emblem reference?
10103915
Don’t remember the episode, tbh. At that point I was skimming episodes for effects on canon than actual interest in the show.
10104043
Nope, Twilight is in complete control now.
Jeez, Starlight died first?! Tough break. I always thought she was younger than the Mane 6. Did she go out in a blaze of glory or just get, like, pony cancer?
10349624
I bet one of her experiments blew up or a curse was placed that killed her. Go out with action and not old age.
media.tenor.com/images/41c7ea656986727773c64755caf576ad/tenor.gif
10479142
Yeah, these chapters get that a lot.
Screw you, I didn't sign up for this feels trip!
I should not be reading this chapter in public. :(
You, sir, are absolutely capable of breaking my tear dam. The notes part got me first followed by Pinkie's happy but tired demeanour and finally Pinkie's words with Sunset.
I think I need some time to recollect myself. Shit.
Man i would really like to know what happened to starlight since she died before Twilight parents
Would actually kinda like to know the story behind on how all of them died... And how star swirl lived for so much longer😅
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It'd be a pretty major spoiler to go into any detail, but expanding on all that isn't THAT far away in terms of my story structure. (granted, since every chapter at this point is taking 3+ months to come out... well, best not to think about it.
I've always had something special for Starlight (and it's arguably the cruelest thing I will do in this story given, yeah, I did get her first), but I probably didn't convey something super well. Twilight starts listing her loved ones in the order she lost them, but after a while, she's just kind of firing off whatever names come to her in grief. So, after Rainbow, they're not actually in any particular order. So, Starswirl probably didn't outlive everyone that came before him. Not really sure since it's not super important to any of the major plot beats. Maybe I'll define it all more clearly later or maybe it'll just be up to your imagination when and how some of the less major characters bowed out.
But hey, we'll be getting closer to that happy topic soon because the next chapter is finally in clean-up!
Knowing what was coming was enough to get me bleary eyed at the very beginning. Every paragraph kept pushing me closer and closer, and when it got to the reveal I couldn't hold back the waterworks. Most emotional fics aren't enough to make me cry, let alone that much, I have to commend you for that. With that said, I have one question: how dare you?
Excellent work. I'm excited to see where things go from here.
It let me cry,and I don’t know how to say