• Published 17th Sep 2020
  • 3,042 Views, 47 Comments

After Five Thousand Years Apart - SamSwordsman123



Alicorns live a lot lot longer than regular ponies, but they don't live forever.

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Reunited at Last

After Five Thousand Years Apart

Twilight Sparkle lay on her deathbed, something that would have happened a long long time ago if not the far greater lifespan of five thousand years she had acquired from becoming an alicorn. How she had been ready for this day for a long time, ever since the last of her friends had passed. The last of her pony friends at least.

“Twilight?” a male voice said her name.

The elderly alicorn looked toward the window of her tower. She saw a massive green eye looking at her through it.

“Spike,” she said. “You’re awake.”

There was a small descension of Spike’s eye, but it shot back up again. Seemed as though he were nodding through the window. The dragon had just woken up from another hundred year nap, probably one of the last he would take. He was getting old as well, being the same size as Dragon Lord Torch had been when they had first seen him.

“I’m glad I made it in time,” he said. “Seems every time I go to sleep I find everypony I last knew is gone, except you. I wasn’t here for Celestia and Luna when they both passed.”

Twilight nodded. Her former mentor Princess Celestia and her sister Luna were both now gone. Their longer lifespans had come to an end two millennia ago. They’d been there for Twilight when the times were dark, kept her company when her friends passed. Twilight remembered Celestia’s words.

We alicorns live longer lives, but eventually it will come to an end. All living things come to an end one way or another. But your friends wouldn’t want you to spend all the time mourning them. I know it hurts, but new happiness can come.

There had been happiness, but it had never been as strong as when Twilight had been through her first century. She’d had students, servants, and other ponies that looked up to her. But it was more being looked at as though she were a goddess of some sort. Not the same as having actual friends, but some happiness was better than none. It had been tough, and she’d watched many of other ponies pass afterwards. But their loss was nothing compared to the loss of her friends which still weighed on her heart.

Some ponies were capable of moving on, but Twilight’s circumstances weren’t so easy. All the ponies that came after did not have the same bond she had possessed with Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy. They had been connected by the elements of harmony, before most of them had even met. They had been comrades, fighting alongside each other in battle to save Equestria, that sort of bond was deeper than anything. Celestia might have been completely content with being viewed as a goddess more than a friend by everypony, but that was not Twilight.

Twilight smiled. “Soon, I will be with everypony else again.”

Spike blinked, Twilight’s vision was slightly blurry but she thought she saw him tearing up.

“I… I know its been hard for you Twilight. Some part of me wished you’d never become an alicorn so that you didn’t have to live with this pain all your life! But at the same time… I was… grateful. Because it meant I would not have to live thousands of years without you!”

Twilight nodded. “You were probably the biggest reason I decided to stay. I’ve wanted to be with my real friends for so long, to be free of this pain. But at least I had you… most of the time, as well as…”

The door to the bedroom suddenly opened. A servant pony entered followed by two alicorns. Luster Dawn and Flurry Heart, Twilight’s top student from her first few decades of running the school for Gifted Unicorns, as well as her niece. Flurry had been Twilight’s only family that lived on with her through the millennia. Cadence and Shining Armor had both been assassinated and left her as ruler of the Crystal Empire.

“Hello Twilight,” Luster said.

“Aunt Twilight!” Flurry exclaimed as she threw her hooves around her aunt.

“Hello, Luster, Flurry,” Twilight said. “I’m glad you could come.”

“We brought some ponies to see you,” Luster said.

“Auntie Twilight!”

Several foals entered the room. Twilight recognized each of them as decendants of her best friends. Crabapple and her sister Fastfruit, descendants of Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s children that they had adopted. Diamond, Rarity’s 48th granddaughter, and Partypopper, Pinkie’s descendant. Among the ponies of Equestria, the families of her friends, their legacy, were the only ones Twilight considered close to having true friends. Unlike the majority of ponies they had a bond with her rather than viewed her as a goddess.

The foals gathered around Twilight, looking up at her sadly.

Twilight just smiled. “Its okay little ones.”

“How can it be okay, you’re dying!” Crabapple said.

“We don’t want to lose you,”

“We all live, and when our time comes, we die,” Twilight said. “That is the way the world works. No pony or creature lives forever. Not even true immortals.”

She thought back to Discord and she said this, the Spirit of Chaos had been so in love with Fluttershy. After she’d passed, he had lost the will to live and allowed himself to fade away so as to be with her.

“I’m going to see all my old friends, your ancestors,” Twilight said.

“We’ll miss you though!” Partypopper said.

“I know, but we will meet again someday,” Twilight said.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because, I’ve felt your ancestors with me. They may not be here physically… but… I’ve heard them speak to me in my head sometimes. No one’s every truly gone. I will live in all of your hearts, as your ancestors have lived in mine for millennia.”

The foals all tearfully hugged her. Twilight smiled. Soon the room emptied. The servant pony, Loyal Care, tended to the Princess.

“Loyal Care, can you fetch me that book please?” Twilight asked, pointing her head to the book on her bedside table.

“Certainly Princess,” the servant said.

Princess, that’s what she was to most ponies and nothing else. A goddess or close to. A feeling of both appreciation and disgust filled Twilight. She liked being held in high regard by the ponies around her but also felt that they looked up to her a bit too much. As powerful as she was… or had been… she was no goddess, and didn’t want to be. She just wanted to be with her friends now.

Loyal Care set the book beside her bed, and Twilight opened it. This caused the nurse to widen her eyes.

“Princess you mustn’t use up to much magic! It will quicken your passing!”

Twilight shook her head. “I’ve been ready for the end for a long time now.”

She opened her book of memories, saw the moving pictures of her times with her friends in Ponyville. Rarity making them dresses for the Gala, Rainbow Dash teaching her to fly, working hard on the farm with Applejack, Pinkie throwing that party in the Golden Oak library the night Twilight had arrived. Twilight smiled as she turned the pages on the best days of her life. Her magic slowly waned, and her strength failed. She felt herself sink on the bed.

“Twilight?” Spike’s voice called.

“It’s time for me to go Spike. To join all our friends. Thank you… for being my number one assistant, royal advisor… and little dragon brother.”

The dragon looking at her through the window let out loud sobs. “I’ll miss you, Twilight! Thanks for letting me be your number one assistant. You gave me a better life than anything I could have had if I’d been born in the dragon lands!”

“And thank you Spike, you helped me become the Princess of Friendship and make such wonderful… friends. We will meet again someday.”

Spike nodded sadly. Twilight took one last look at the dragon that had marked the beginning of her path as Celestia’s student and eventual ascension. She closed her eyes and soon a white light appeared in her vision as her life finally ended. Then from that light emerged five familiar mares.

“Twilight!” A familiar voice rang through the ether and Twilight was tackled to the ground by a pink Pony she knew all too well.

“Pinkie Pie, oh I missed you so much!” Twilight said as she wrapped her hooves around the first of the friends she’d made in Ponyville long ago.

“We missed you too darling.”

Rarity spoke with a smile. Twilight returned it as she saw her other four best friends gathering around her. Tears filled the eyes of Twilight’s spiritual form which she noticed was the same the size as her friends.

“Been a rough time for you without us hasn’t it, Sugarcube?” Applejack asked.

Twilight nodded. “I just felt so incomplete. No pony could ever be as good of friends to me as you five were.”

They all gathered her in a group hug, Twilight smiled. She was back with her true friends after five thousand years. They would be together forever now, nothing could ever split them apart again.

***

Spike, Luster, and Flurry Heart all stood before Twilight’s gravestone. She had been buried in the spot toward the middle that had been reserved for her among her group of friends, between Rarity and Applejack. They all looked at the grave with teary eyes.

“I hope she’s at peace now, with all her friends!” Flurry said. “I still miss her though!”

Luster nodded. “Its… it’s only natural to miss someone when they are gone.”

Spike had to look down at the spot where the graves were. He couldn’t even see Twilight’s name on the stone since he was so big and couldn’t bend down without damaging anything like other stones.

“Goodbye, Twilight. Give Rarity and all the others my love. I’ll be with you again someday.”

Comments ( 47 )

Want me to make a critique? (I´ll edit this comment after you responded)
Now, let´s read this!:twilightsmile:

EDIT:
Hmm... Let’s see. First of all, I liked it. Not a fav, but I´ll put it in my custom bookshelve.
Oh, I might want to mention this: This is a warning to everyone who wants to read this story.
Spoilers ahead

I´ll shorten it dow to just the key moments so I can work with it better. Final spoiler warning.

1. Twi is on the edge of passing on
2. We are told Alicorns live for around 5000 jears.
3. Spike is with her. We are told he is nearing his end as well, but will live for a few more centuries.
4. Tia and Luna died two millennia ago.
5. Twi really misses the the others of the EoH crew.
6. She still has Flurry and Luster. Candy and Shiny were murdered.
7. The families of her friends, [...] were the only ones Twilight considered close to having true friends. (Also, Flutters had no kid?) She talks with them.
8. True immortals can die if they wish to. Discord let himself fade after Flutters passed on.
9. “She just wanted to be with her friends now.”
10. Memory book, Twi uses her magic which speeds up dying.
11. Twi says good bye to Spike and passes on.
12. She meets the spirits of her old friends.
13. Spike, Luster, and Flurry look at Twi’s grave.

Now, I´ll break dow the parts one by one.
1. + 2. Nothing interesting here.
3. So dragons live longer than alicorns? Huh.
4.+5. As expected.
6. So an alicorn lives 5k jears, but only gets weaker in the last few, just as a normal pony would? Since Flurry and Luster appear to be just fine. Also, the murder feels unnecessary. Shining wasn’t alicorn in the first place, and Cadence’s death would´ve , in my opinion, been more effectfull if she´d only died a few jears ago(she was only a decade jounger than Twi).
7. Of course she is closer to them, but her only true friends? Doesn’t seem right.
8. Huh. So he is god and not a manifestation of chaos.
9. I´d wish for the same.
10.+11. As expected.
12. Spike is not there, ‘cuz he´s not ded yet. But why only her friends? Sure Candy and Owlowhatshisname and others could wait a bit, but where is her mother or Shining? This is a bit confusing.
13. Nice little extra.

Just so you know: ‘m just saving this comment as-is, but I´ll come back to it. (Or rather, I´m still writing on it, ´m just slow.) Feel free to answer/comment on anything I write, I´ll check for ‘em once a few minutes.

Oh, and Sam(I am allowed to call you that, am I not ?), just edit your already existing response, it´ll take up less space. That is ... if it´s okay with you...:fluttershysad: :twilightsheepish:

Status: paused

Dang 500 years She have to wait till the time comes It must be very painful to wait for this long Again and I know that I said this so many times I can't even imagine living this long while your friends and family die But she didn't want to leave spike alone in this world I almost forgot that dragons can live a little bit longer I wonder if smolder have to gone through like spike it makes me sad to hear that she has to see her friends go as well before her but anyway twilight can finally rest and see her friends may her r.i.p. Anyway this was a pretty good story better sweet but Good 😢

I did mention About dragons live longer like spike it makes me wonder how smolder felt like when she has to see her friends go 😔

This song kinda reminds me of this story kinda

How twilight will meet them again

10438922
Oh I like that song. Been a while since I heard it.

But seriously you kind of overdo it with your comments.

10438926
Usually that happens when I want to say something then one time as long I don't put any Spam hates comments

Something I don't always think that about isn't just how Twilight might feel being alive thousands of years, but how Spike might feel about his naps. When he takes those hundred-year naps, he'll wake up with someone he cares for gone and he wouldn't be able to be by their sides during their final hours.

I would have a hard time going to sleep if I had to go through that. The only possible upside is that he wouldn't be grieving as much as Twilight would, since he'll spend much more time asleep than her

10438852
Yeah Fluttershy and Discord weren't compatible to reproduce here. Though its possible with Discords magic he could alter his body or something. Or maybe Fluttershy would be too scared of the pain of giving birth.

10439110
Or far more likely, neither of them had a romantic interest in the other. In The Last Problem, for all of its problems, only Pinkie being married to Cheese was ever confirmed as canon.

Everything else, romance wise at least, was nothing but inuendo. For those who aren't fused to the AppleDash and Fluttercord ships.

10439225
I would definitely say Discord was in love with Fluttershy. The writers left it up to us whether it was canon. Discord did let Fluttershy use his portal and he was transporting a lot animals, Fluttershy even said love during her part of the song last episode.

Good story.

I will say this is an interesting way to look at alicorn and how they age. They live X amount of years before they too pass on, hence why Celestia and Luna passed their roles onto Twilight, and I assume Twilight onto Luster and Cadance with Flurry Heart.

To paraphrase the Sith Rule of Two: "Two, there are. One with the power. The other, to one day, take it."

That's not the actual quote. But it's close.

Cool story, though 5 thousand seems a bit long for this story.

10439799
A master to embody the power and the apprentice to crave it.

10439875
But she would probably have at least a couple more decades. I hate to think that the Alicorn dying process takes years with them all trapped in their deathbeds, if it is alicorns having long lifespans that is. Twilight's age was never said in the show as I recall. She was... what? A teenager when she moved to Ponyville? She did refer to herself as a grown up in growing up is hard to do. I was kind of focusing more on other things rather than that in this story such as the feelings rather than how close the other characters might be to the end of their lifespan. I left it vague with Spike here, we don't know long dragons live either. Heck, Flurry might even live longer than five thousand years as she was a naturally born alicorn, I've heard some say they live even longer than turned ones.

All the ponies that came after did not have the same bond she had possessed with Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy.

What about Pinkie Pie?

Don't make my cry please.

Good job!! That was an enjoyable read

10495005
Thanks. I recall sharing my main theory on how Twilight wont outlive her friends in the forum. Hope you'll check out that story as well. Though I'd be good with her just having a longer lifespan like here.

Edit: Slipped my mind I had PM you on this. Sorry about that.

Not the first story to use this idea (alicorns live insert random number of years). Granted that one was done long before any of the Season 8 and 9 horseapples were even on the radar.

Not sure who did it better though. And I did read this one.

FEELS! SO MANY FEELS!

Pretty good, and I notice a lot of upvotes this time.

And anyone who dislikes, please just ignore this and go by your own headcanon.

10627535
Yeah, I'm glad for that. People are just more for Twilight outliving her friends. I'd be good with this though, just a longer lifespan isnt so bad to me.

Comment posted by teneluxes_ deleted Feb 9th, 2021
Comment posted by SamSwordsman123 deleted Feb 9th, 2021
Comment posted by teneluxes_ deleted Feb 9th, 2021
Comment posted by SamSwordsman123 deleted Feb 9th, 2021
Comment posted by teneluxes_ deleted Feb 9th, 2021
Comment posted by SamSwordsman123 deleted Feb 9th, 2021

Apologies for deleting the past comments but the person was not decent at all. He acted like a jerk in my opinion and tried to feed me a lie claiming Lauren Faust said alicorns were immortal, even of she said that it was never said in canon which he contradicted without giving proof.

10669692
What was his problem anyway

10682289
Thinking alicorns are immortal and being stuck in that idea, saying Lauren Faust stated it. As far as I know it's a lie, and he was not nice at all.

10682353
I mean didn't somebody in the writer staff talk about the Alicorn theory about their powers and how they're limited to lifespan yeah and whoever he was not a very good person at all I think it's one of those trolls who just signed up and try to spam hate

10682359
Yeah, I heard some people say it's just the sisters possess immense magic power to the point 50 years is like one something. The only thing that says they are immortal is a trading card thing according to the mlp wiki page on alicorns, and that was said to be "could be canon".

We alicorns live longer lives, but eventually it will come to an end. All living things come to an end one way or another. But your friends wouldn’t want you to spend all the time mourning them. I know it hurts, but new happiness can come.

would they though? Who is going to make the day and night happen? How can we have Pokémon Sun and Moon without the sun or moon? XD

10990908
Haha. Who knows? Maybe if there is no vessel for the power to rise those it will just go back to rising on their own.

Could someone, like, get rid of the onions? I'm really sensitive to them...

11136580
Might like Goodbye My Child as well then.

Came back here after G5 started. I think you got it right in that Twilight wasn't immortal. Whether it was 5,000 years is anyone's guess I suppose, and whether Equestria degenerating into what it did was Luster's fault...

Guess time will tell (not saying too much in case you haven't seen A New Generation).

11189091
Yeah. Anything could have happened. My main theory on what happened is that after Twilight gave Luster her power over the sun and moon which was the source of her immortality in my primary headcanon, Luster passed it onto another. Then the cycle went on with each princess doing the same until one became corrupt. If its not immortality though and the longer lifespan, while not sure. Though the corrupt princess could still apply in that view.

11189545
Except G5 has the sun and moon moving on their own. I refuse to think any alicorn would have ever let Equestria degenerate into what it did, and not fight to stop it. Which makes me think they're all dead. Killed, since we know they're not invincible.

Or something else. Corrupt alicorn is too easy, and I hope Hasbro has a better idea than that.

11189579
Hmm... interesting. Maybe if the intended successor killed the current wielder that would cause the powers to simply vanish and the sun and moon would then rise on their own. But who knows? I heard a rumor there was a corrupt Alicorn in the movie, or was that just that... a rumor?

Edit: I also recall that the sun was going down in the last FIM scene, but Twilight wasn't doing that. So either she found a way to automize it, I read one story where there is some wheel she made that does it. Or she gave someone else that amulet to do it when she's busy.

11189579
Well looks like I was right about the corrupt alicorn as we saw in Opaline. I still say it's an au though but whatever. :ajsmug:

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