Counterclockwise

by AdrianJNovelle

Eight Hundred, Seventy-Six

1,850,168...

Three years ago, about, a strange-looking - and particularly ugly - unicorn claiming to be doing a report about her, visited Twilight in her suite in Canterlot Castle. She has hardly seen a face since. She's barely left her quarters, and prefers to spend her life in desolation.

For centuries now, ever since the death of her husband and the death of her daughter, she has been in mourning. It was one big hit to her soul after another, along with her many friends who she hasn't seen in years. They spend their days in the ground, also deceased, right alongside the graves of her other loved ones whom she will never see again.

The only time she even ventures outside is to maintain her life support, and perhaps pay her respects to her friends and family again. As she grew older, the need to take care of herself grew, too. She was spending more and more time keeping herself alive and less and less time attempting to move on with her life.

She still considers herself to be in mourning of the ponies whom she loved more than anyone. There was nopony closer to her than those two, not even the friends she grew up with in her teen years, before the Great Disaster.

Of all the things she has long forgotten in her centuries of acquiring information, her friends - her old friends - are one of the very few things which have never left her memory banks. She remembers them as if she had just spoken with them yesterday. Sadly, it has been over eight hundred years since she has seen them last. She can barely even remember her own name, or that the place beyond the Everfree Forest is named Anacornia, or that she is considered to be Equestria's most significant pony. She still remembers their faces, their manes, their eyes, and even their names: Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack.

Twilight, though secretive about her many miserable thoughts, made her husband a promise. If she could move on with her life: perhaps find a new husband and start another family of her own, and have the love she received from her old family be rekindled with her new one, she would be happy, and make do until her clock finally stopped ticking and she gave in. Perhaps even before her new family would pass away, so she wouldn't have to deal with the broken-hearted misery of losing another family.

Unfortunately, she was incorrect about that.

As a matter of fact, she had been incorrect...three times.

Dawn was only the first husband, and Aura the first daughter.

Then there was Moondust, and the two sons she had with him.

After their passing, she married Darkstar, and had a son and a daughter with him.

Finally, still going strong and desperate for love, she married Daybreak and had two daughters and one son.

They've all been dead for years.

But it is not Daybreak, Darkstar and Moondust she remembers well at all. In fact, she probably doesn't even remember remarrying at all. She remembers Dawn and Aura perfectly, however. She remembers the party at which they were first acquainted. She remembers the conversation they had that night when they first kissed. She remembers having Aura, and raising her and watching the family grow.

She also remembers both their deaths as if they happened yesterday.

And, unfortunately for Twilight Sparkle, it is these events which loomed in her mind and haunted her day after day. For some reason, they stuck with her like superglue. No matter how hard she tried, their deaths would not leave her thoughts, and she would spend her many years alone, wondering why they had to go in the first place. Why didn't she cast the age retardation spell on them? They could've been one big, happy, long-living family together.

Now they aren't even a family.

She is one.

She has given herself all this time - what feels like many eternities - to surpass her mourning period, and move on with her life. Between her overwhelming amnesia and memory loss, and the undefeated reminicences of her deceased original family, Twilight had failed to keep up with her promise.

Her next move, she knew, once someone realized that she was still breathing and to check up on her again - as a few of the doctors did from time to time - would have to look like an accident. Or it will go down in history that Twilight Acorna Sparkle did the unthinkable.

No one would understand if she could ever explain to them. They would barrade her with questions, and interogate her to death anyway. She cut out the middle man of that equation, weakily walked over to her desk, and wrote a long, heartfelt letter goodbye to everyone.

To whom it may concern,

By the time you read this, I will have already moved on. My body is failing me. And I believe that the next time I close my eyes, I will be closing them for the last time. I am sore. I am weak. My memory, my strength, my energy, and everything that I had when I was young has disappeared with time. And, as time moves on, I only grow more pain and suffer all the more. I cannot imagine anypony would want me to be suffering. So, it is with a heavy heart that I declare my death, and just wait for the time to come. But, in the few moments I have here before my anticipated passing, I would like to say a few final words to a loving few who have stood out in my life.

First, there's Princess Ellistar III. I met Dawn under her great-granddaughter. If I had the energy, I would walk up to her and give her one last hug. I would also like to extend my gratification to her mother and her grandmother, especially her grandmother. She was the one I owe my marriage to. She was the pony who introduced me to Dawn by encouraging me to participate with him at the party. To this day, I remember our first kiss. And I barely even remember my own name anymore. Goodbye Princess Ellistar III, and give your mother and especially your grandmother some love in my honor.

Second, there's Dawn. He meant the world to me. If I ever did remarry - and I don't even know - there is no doubt in my mind that no remarriage of mine would ever have been so perfect. No husband could ever be a substitute for such a loving, wonderful, caring stallion as Dawn proved himself to be. I am glad to have been there for his passing, but resentful that such an event ever had to happen in the first place.

Goodbye, Dawn...I know I've probably said that and gave your deceased cheek a kiss when you died, but, since I am no longer going to be around...I feel another goodbye is proper...I hope you find it in your large heart to forgive me for breaking the promise I made to you on your deathbed. And I hope that the next time I see you, you will be as welcoming and light-hearted as you were when I saw you die...I love you, Dawn.

Next, there's Anacornia, my precious daughter. Several generations of grandchildren of yours can probably be found and traced back to you. I want you to know that, even though you are gone, you have not been forgotten, and, more importantly, I haven't forgotten about you. You were the greatest thing to ever have happened to me. Even greater than me marrying the stallion you call Dad. I could not be prouder of you, and more pleased with what you have done with your life. And I'm sure right now - centuries later - you are the same happy, healthy little girl I gave birth to.

Goodbye, Anacornia...I know I told you that when I saw you pass...an experience I know most parents don't have to witness...but, like I said with Dawn, I think another farewell is proper, since I will no longer be here, and no longer inhabit the cruel world which took your life.

Lastly, there's my friends. And I don't mean Cloud, Fiji, Bounce, Ambrosia and Gracie - I mean my first friends: Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy. I don't remember the first five very well: my memories of them have disappeared with time. But I remember the second five like I was with them yesterday. After all these years, I have not forgotten about them. I still remember Applejack claiming victory over the Flim-Flam brothers and winning back her farm. I still remember the disasterous Grand Galloping Gala. I can still recall Rainbow Dash adopting Tank, Gummy's birthday party, our quest to restore the thousand-year-old Crystal Empire, our triumph against Discord, his later reformation with Fluttershy, my brother's wedding, and the greatest adventures of childhood and adolescence a pony could ever imagine.

I know you girls are probably looking down on me right now. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. You all love having adventures and saving Equestria from annihilation. Don't let my absence hold you back from your own adventures. There are no Elements of Harmony where you are, but there is still a spark. And that spark still glistens in your eyes, even years after you all have moved on.

To this day, the spark glistens in mine.

But it won't be anymore.

Because I'm afraid this is farewell.

Before I go, I just want you guys to know: of all the things I can still remember about my life as a young mare, my first acquaintanceship with the five of you, and the spark of our friendship is what I remember most, and what I will always remember.

Nothing can keep us apart. Not time. Not life. Not death.

As long as I remember, and I always - always - will.

They say the most important events in your life are the ones which you remember most.

You guys mean everything to me.

Farewell.

Signed and with love,

Twilight Acorna Sparkle

With her letter written, Twilight neatly folded it into a scroll, and left it wrapped on her desk.

She returned to the center of her bedroom. She took one last deep breath in, and closed her eyes.

Her weak, delicate horn - which withstood the test of time - turned white with a layer of magic which covered it. Several streaks of light went bursting from the tip of her horn. Twilight's whole body glowed, sparkles of magic and energy soaring around her. A bubble of magic formed at the tip of her horn.

In a moment, she had undone the age retardation spell which had kept her alive this whole while.

The magic immediately receded from her horn. She stopped glowing. The sparkles dissipated from view.

Her last tear was shed as her wrinkled eyes grew weary and lifeless. And she quietly collapsed to the ground.

Viewing the video below is highly recommended.

Comments

[Dusty Sage]

And the sound of heartbreak is heard throughout the land.

[AdrianJNovelle]

2231092 I know, man...wait for it...it gets sadder.