Don't Stop Believing

by Seer

Don’t Stop Believing, Hold Onto That Feeling

Twilight teleported to the streets outside the entrance to the crystal catacombs, falling unceremoniously in a heap. The impact shook her from her unconsciousness and the flashback.

She wasn’t a monster.

She had done her best.

She hadn’t drained the world.

She had done her best.

She spluttered and coughed.

She felt like death.

She was dying.

Despite herself, she began to hack with coarse, wet laughter. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Celestia and Luna get destroyed in a supernovae blast while she lies dying in an empty street, with dirt in her hair.

She guessed she really was a mortal at heart.

She hadn’t drained the world.

But there was no getting it all back, it would seem this was one problem she hadn’t been able to solve. Rainbow, AJ, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Spike, Shining, Cadence, Mum, Dad… she’d never see any of them again.

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

The sun felt amazing. She forgot how incredible the sun could feel. It felt better now than it ever had before.

She pulled air into her lungs, she wasn’t so sure how much more of those she’d get.

“Twilight!” Screamed a voice, and suddenly dying didn’t feel quite as bad any longer. Rarity galloped up to Twilight, who shifted as much as she was able to see her in the finally unbowed sun. Behind her, confused and frightened looking ponies began to filter out into the catacombs. First ten, then twenty, then fifty, then a hundred, then more.

Rarity had done amazingly. She’d done such a good job.

Twilight loved her so much.

Maybe it was just that. Maybe it was just because of that love that it felt like her heart was about to stop beating.

Among the crowd, Twilight saw unicorns, so ripe for the feeding.

And when Rarity got close to her, and knelt down to kiss her and cup her head, Twilight’s eyes flicked over to that horn of hers, once again.

But it was short lived.

Because Twilight remembered now, and it was rare that the element of magic would fall for the same trick twice. Twilight looked her in the eyes. How could someone be so beautiful? Maybe some questions fell outside of the realm of problems to solve.

Maybe some problems couldn’t be solved.

“Ivory, give me your spear! DO IT!” screamed Rarity to the black pegasus stallion who had wandered over.

He startled, before handing it to her. Twilight watched as she took the sharpened end and used it to reopen the cut on her foreleg. Blood, laced with magic, began to spill from it. Rarity offered it to Twilight, who tried to squirm away.

She didn’t want to hurt her again.

“Twilight, you’re not going to hurt me… I can’t lose you again… just, please… do it for me?”

Twilight wondered whether this would work. Whether she’d be able to regain her strength the same way she had from Celestia and Luna. The principleal was the same, after all, but different in practice. And even if it did work, Twilight wondered if this would be sustainable. What if she wasn’t able to feed without hurting Rarity, without hurting any of the gathered ponies.

She opened her mouth and Rarity placed the wound over it. Twilight began to suck the blood, and she felt some strength fill her body. It wasn’t a lot.

But it would do.

There was a lot that Twilight knew could be wrong here. She wasn’t even sure whether she was awake. Now the sun and moon were restored, she should be able to dream again, rather than just experience flashbacks of memories. Maybe that’s all this was. Maybe she’d teleported her unconscious body to the catacombs and all of this was simply the kindness of a grateful moon, rocking her in infinity with a lullaby.

Twilight had always been a curious mare, a compulsive mare. It was hard for her to focus until she knew exactly what was right.

But then she looked past the white hoof in her mouth and up to those eyes, crying glorious, boring mortal tears as Rarity kissed Twilight’s head and cheeks over and over again.

That was something she could focus on for now.

So Twilight kept on sucking at the wound, listening to Rarity’s assurances that she was okay, that she wasn’t hurting her, that it was all going to be okay now.

This time, Twilight decided to believe.

Comments

[Octoskan]

Very nice, would happily read more entries in this universe.

[fluffytailmofu]

I was NOT expecting a happy ending from this story. You subverted my expectations, and did so in a way that worked, so good job.

[Wakijima]

amazing story thank you so much <3

[Bicyclette]

Twilight looked her in the eyes. How could someone be so beautiful? Maybe some questions fell outside of the realm of problems to solve.

well at least this part of Twilight’s brain isn’t addled by everything that has happened plus being an alicorn

This time, Twilight decided to believe.

and augh, what an end! i was horrified by this journey into this version of alicorn biology, then heartened that despite her biology, within the constraints of it, Twilight was able to hold onto and fight for her equinity in all senses of the word is a beautiful theme and so fitting for the character that Twilight is, coming full circle to reflecting her character arc in the canon. excellent work here, Sere!