The train glided noiselessly over the tracks in the late morning sun. Three foals watched the landscape blur past outside.
"Thanks for paying for the trip, Spot Light," Apple Crisp said. "I don't have the money to run across Equestria on a whim."
"I wouldn't have minded paying for Sweetie too," he replied.
"No, Mom has the bits for this. I just had to tell her why I wanted to go."
"Must be one heck of a reason," Apple Crisp said, waving at the train car, "to be allowed to get on a train unsupervised. What about you, Spot Light? What'd you tell your parents?"
"They don't have any of their 'get-togethers' today. They don't care what I do when they don't need me." He didn't take his eyes off the window. "What about yours?"
"They don't know!" Apple Crisp responded joyfully. "Speaking of not knowing, where exactly are we going, Sweetie Belle?"
"I told you: Ponyville. There's something I have to show you. Something that explains why I sing." She watched the scenery slow as the train approached the station.
"You couldn't just tell us?"
"I could, but I have to see it too. If it's there."
The train glided to a stop. The Sweet Apple Acres magiponic farm loomed outside the window.
"Come on," Sweetie Belle said, walking out. "It's this way."
"I hope it's not the farm," Apple Crisp said. "Those buildings stink of fruit."
---
"The Cutie Mark Crusaders complex?" Spot Light asked. "What was wrong with the one in Canterlot?"
Sweetie Belle walked past the sign. "The Canterlot complex didn't have it."
He walked in front of her. "Have what?"
"The reason I sing."
Apple Crisp moved to her side. "I don't get it. I'll just follow you around. But we'd better not be going to every Cutie Mark Crusaders complex in Equestria looking for whatever it is."
"We won't. If it isn't here, it isn't anywhere."
The Ponyville complex was similarly built to its Canterlot counterpart. The complex was smaller, though, and lacked sports facilities or the large amphitheatre. It did have its own magiponic building, with a dedicated aqueduct.
Sweetie Belle led the other two around, weaving a convoluted path among the buildings. "Come on, Apple Bloom," she said quietly. "You had to have left something. Where did you put it?"
Spot Light tilted his head. "Um, who's Apple—"
"There it is!" She pointed at a gleaming brass statue, at an intersection near the administrative buildings. The three foals ran to it.
The statue was of a unicorn filly, life-size, rearing up with a smile on her face. Spot Light looked from the statue to Sweetie Belle. "She looks just like you."
"She is me. Look at the inscription." She read the text embossed on the base:
In memory of Sweetie Belle
Lost to us, but not forever
May you have a long, healthy and happy life
Wherever you are
Cutie Mark Crusaders for life
Apple Bloom
Scootaloo
Sweetie Belle
"But," Spot Light said, still comparing the brass Sweetie Belle to the flesh and blood one, "how can this be you? This looks like some kind of memorial."
"So you're dead?" Apple Crisp asked.
"No," Sweetie Belle answered. "I'm not dead. Even if I should be. Do you remember when I said I was a time traveller from the past? I was telling the truth. My heart was failing, and the doctors said it was incurable. My Mom found a way to take me to this time so I could be healed, but something broke and it can't be fixed, so I can't go back. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and I... we founded the Cutie Mark Crusaders. My Mom, Twilight—she isn't my real mother. She's a... I mean she was a good friend of my big sister's."
The foals stood in silence before Spot Light spoke up. "You know," he said, "when my parents take me to their little gatherings, I hear the rich ponies talk about her. I heard that she just appeared out of nowhere one day and the Princess made her High Magician on the spot. If they knew each other from the past... yeah. Yeah, I could see her being from the past. And with that statue, I could see you going with her."
Apple Crisp looked at the memorial. "So you showed us this so we'd believe you? All right, if you and Spot Light both say so, I can buy it. So you sing because you're from the past, huh?"
Sweetie Belle touched the statue's hoof with her own. "It's more than that. When I was in the hospital back then, I felt so weak. I could barely lift my head. I was going to die. I was going to die, and there was nothing I could do about it. The only thing I could do was lay there, and wait. I had to wait to die. I've never been so scared in my whole life.
"That's why I joined the troupe and decided to sing for the shows. I sing because I can. Because I didn't die in that hospital bed, back then." She looked up at the statue's eternally-smiling face. "I know that Apple Bloom and Scootaloo must have still cared, after I left. Sometimes I like to imagine that they kept the Cutie Mark Crusaders alive and started this whole thing, just so they could help me someday." She sniffled.
Sweetie Belle found herself pulled to the ground by a pair of yellow forelegs wrapped around her. "That's really sweet," Spot Light said.
Apple Crisp added, "They sound like awesome friends. Maybe as awesome as we are. Maybe."
Sweetie Belle smiled. "Thanks. Let's head home before we miss the next train. Let me tell you about the time we tried to take up river rafting. See, Scootaloo's wings were getting better at pushing, so Apple Bloom came up with a plan to get our cutie marks..."
The three foals left the memorial statue.
---
Twilight Sparkle walked through the Canterlot Gardens. It was a bright and sunny day. Every day was a bright and sunny day. Twilight felt that it should have been cloudy, perhaps raining, but the sun shone all the same.
She made her way to the rear of the gardens, through the back gate, past the standing stones, to where the Princess had told her. There, she found it.
A hexagonal platform, with a statue atop each side. Six stone ponies with six familiar faces. Twilight unsteadily approached the stone slab in front of the monument and began to read.
Equestria honors six heroes
who risked themselves to save ponykind
Here lie the bearers of the Elements of Harmony
who have found peace at last
Twilight shakily approached the monument, looking up at her friends' faces. "I'm sorry I didn't visit you all earlier," she told them. "I was planning on seeing you again, but, you know... not like this." She walked to the nearest side of the memorial.
Here lies Applejack
Bearer of the Element of Honesty
"Good hard work is always its own reward."
Rest In Peace
She looked up at Applejack's smiling face. "Oh, Applejack. You were going to show me your new north field, weren't you? You sounded so proud of it. I'm sorry I never got to see it. I should have had more of that cider you wanted me to try, too. I'm sorry, Applejack."
She dragged herself to the next side.
Here lies Fluttershy
Bearer of the Element of Kindness
"Be kind to everypony, because nopony deserves otherwise."
Rest In Peace
"Fluttershy. You had a new arrival of otter babies. I was looking forward to seeing them. And your bird choir, you had a new song you were teaching them. I'm sure you finished it at some point. I'd give anything to hear it, Fluttershy. I'm sure... it was beautiful."
Legs shaking, she walked to the next.
Here lies Pinkie Pie
Bearer of the Element of Laughter
"Don't cry when you read this. I want you to laugh instead!"
Rest In Peace
Twilight couldn't help but chuckle weakly. "You knew just what to put, didn't you, Pinkie Pie? You must have been yourself to the very end." She sniffed, trying her best to follow the epitaph's instructions. "You were going to throw me that big party when I got back, weren't you? I'm sorry I disappointed you, Pinkie."
Here lies Rarity
Bearer of the Element of Generosity
"No gift is greater than seeing other ponies happy."
Rest In Peace
"I did it, Rarity. I saved Sweetie Belle. She's alive, and she's happy. She even made some new friends. She got her cutie mark, too. Sweetie Belle's going to be a great singer. I bet she'd look stunning in one of your dresses. And I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to be her mother from now on. I know, I know, but she needs a mother more than anything else. Your sister is in good hooves, Rarity. I promise."
Here lies Rainbow Dash
Bearer of the Element of Loyalty
"Never abandon your friends. Nothing worthwhile can come of it."
Rest in Peace
Twilight exhaled. "How did you take it, Rainbow? Did you patiently wait by where the apparatus was for me? Did you zoom all over Equestria in the hopes that I simply came back in the wrong place? Did you ever stop to do anything for yourself? I hope you still became a Wonderbolt like you always wanted. And I'm sure you showed them the best flying Equestria's ever seen."
Twilight walked to the final epitaph.
Here lies Twilight Sparkle
Bearer of the Element of Magic
"With your friends, no obstacle is insurmountable."
Rest in Peace
"Sounds like something I'd say," Twilight said. "Of course there has to be six. It has to be complete and organized... just like how Twilight would have wanted it, right?" She looked up at the statue's face, her own face. "If I have a grave here, but nopony knows who I am... then how long has it been since anypony has even been here? Who was the last pony to see you girls? Your children? Your grandchildren? But after them... we've been forgotten, haven't we? Nopony even remembers us. Nopony knows what we did.
"It doesn't even matter if we're forgotten. Being remembered by you is enough. But I just want to see you all, to hear you all, one more time. Just one more time."
Twilight lay down on her own grave. "I miss you all... so much... I tried so hard. I did everything I could. I'm so sorry."
In a forgotten corner of the cemetery, where few ponies ever visited, a unicorn cried.
Glad I caught this, the site did not email me... grrrrrr. MOAR
Excellent job, my friend. You have thoroughly enjoyed this fic thus far, and you deserve credit for it.
Who cares if they complain? It's funny.
Very touching chapter, the feels leak from my eyes
This may be hoping for too much, and sorry if this spoils anything :P. But I'm sensing some Chrono Trigger things going on with Twilight's grave specifically... he he he
A much needed intermission! Well done!
2028070 Agreed
2028070 You don't have enough. We need every sadface Fimfiction offers.
2028124 Sweetie took it better than Twi did
Right in the feels
Wonderful chapter.
Feels, man...feels...
...
...
Okay, uh... something is terribly wrong if the saviors of the world aren't being remembered.
The saviors of the world Twice (possibly thrice) over.
Something is seriously wrong.
i have taps playing in my head
Okay, is the story over? This seems like the perfect way to END a story, not to just continue a chapter.
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YOU SIR ARE A GOD FOR BEING ABLE TO DESTROY MY FEELS IN SUCH A WAY.
Sorry about the atomic gif bomb of the apocalypse, but seriously dude, this was amazing.
I must know, did they live full complete lives? Cause if not I might die.
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2028161
step away from the keyboard sir
2028178 IT'S ALL TOO MUCH!!!!!
*completely collapses into a quivering ball of sadness and weeping*
"Who was the last pony to see you girls?"
who it can be?
Hmmmmmmmmm...
I expect Sweetie Belle.
"Who was the last pony to see you girls?"
who it can be?
Hmmmmmmmmm...
I expect Sweetie Belle.
please tell me that at least she and sweetiebell get back in the end. please ?
Well done- not too sweet. I hope the plot resumes though- it seems a bit lost...
2028104 Someone get that Pony a Doppeldoll Stat.
You know, Twilight, are you absolutely sure that isn't actually your grave? It does say 'here lies', you know..
Raaaargh, gotta agree with the others on the feels bit. But I still think we're missing something that doesn't add up!
FEEEELIIIINGS
(wo wo wo)
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Lmao. But not what I meant. I'm saying the fact that her grave exists and mentions that her body is there ( lie or no ) instead of simply saying she was lost to the ages like Sweetie Belle....2028234
2028154 Not necessarily. I mean, do you keep track of all the 350-year-old heroes of your country in real life, or do you just remember a few particularly famous ones and leave the rest to the historians? Personally, while I know the generic list of heroes of America (All those early presidents, Benjamin Franklin, and maybe a couple others who I can't think of off the top of my head), I really don't know that much. I'm sure that for every big historical figure I know, there are at least 10 people who did equally great things and just haven't reached the same level of fame.
The basic point I'm getting at is that being famed in history, rather than only being about big accomplishments, also takes a good amount of public interest, not to mention a decent amount of luck. We already know from show canon that the general public doesn't seem to really recognize them much, so I don't find it at all hard to believe that they're pretty obscure by the time they're just the distant past.
Soooo sad....
you good sir have done the improbable not many fics can make me tear up. keep up the good work
Dear lord man, right in the feels.
Dammit; third time you've made me cry, &^(
Bravo Sir..... Bravo.
Very sad yet interesting. I wonder where Sweetie could get herself her cape back and what cutie marks her friends got.
Twilight may want to check if anypony is in that grave. Lets just hope that if Twilight can't figure out how to go back to her own time, she doesn't resort to trying to resurrect/clone her friends just to be with them again.
Poor Twi and Sweetie.
They needed to see the memorials, but somehow I have the impression that's going to focus Twilight that much more, and probably convince Sweetie she wants to see Rarity again.
R.I.P. x7... If Twilight doesn't think of something soon, things may become irreparable, and they may never go home. Staying wouldn't exactly be the worst thing, but what's a utopia with only one or two people to truly share it with? The rest of it is more or less irrelevant to Twilight and Sweetie.
2028253
Only the famous ones.
Except.... by restoring Princess Luna, defeating Discord, saving the country's collective flanks from the Changelings, stopping Sombre, and having one of their number go Once and Future Queen would propel them way up into that lofty realm.
Any ONE of those accomplishments (each of which might as well be single-hoofed) would be enough.
All of them together, with the Once and Future Queen bit? They should have a cult as big as the US's founding father's own. That they don't, on top of all the other insane things (NO TREES!?!, NO WEATHER!?!, LUNA REFUSING TO TALK TO CELESTIA AND STAYING ON THE MOON!?!) points to something very, very dystopian-grade wrong. Especially given Celestia's treatment of the donkeys, and her attempts to bury earth pony magic.
2028361
I'd hardly call it utopia when ponies are forgetting a third of their heritage, wiping out natural phenominon that add to the sponteity and joy of life, wiping out TREES, forgetting the ultimate national heroes, treating other nations like dirt, and sundering the royal sisters. That isn't utopia. That's "Oh Crap" in a can, with a utopia-looking shell to hide the nasty badness within.
I have been stabed by the dagger of feels
2028106
Wanderer, how many people do you think you made admingasm/commentgasm just because you left that little comment?
so sad I hope they make it back. no wait i want them to go back
I expected this to be sad, but not that sad!!!
2028415 Probably a lot less than you might think!
At this rate i'm gonna have to ask you to add a sad tag to this mister author.
Not sure if it was a bad idea or not for Sweetie to convince her friends she is from the past. I can't offhand think of a good reason not to tell, it just feels like need-to-know knowledge only for some reason.
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That's it, Twilight has to go back now. She has baby otters to cuddle!
The best stories always have sad parts, but they are always counter balanced with happy parts.
2028384 Eeee-yup. That's what I'm a-thinkin. Something's rotten! And it ain't just one bad apple!