Kaidan's Short Stories: Vol. 1 - Teen

by Kaidan

21. You Don't Remember? E/Tr

{Everyone}{Tragedy}

Cover art:
http://dragmodnotloc.deviantart.com/art/Old-Friends-365135647?q=gallery%3Adragmodnotloc&qo=1

Short: I have known her for a thousand years, but for a thousand years she has not known me. I regret few things in my life, but one of them is not saving Twilight from her element. Each time she wore that tiara, another piece of her slipped away.

Based on Adventure Time's Marcy and Simon.

---

I often reminisce about my adoptive mother, sister, and best friend Twilight Sparkle. As we aged and grew apart, my memory of her brilliant smile and love of learning never faded. It is almost like she can sense the pain of my loss when I dwell on the past. She no longer remembers raising me from my infancy, naming me Spike, or spending that first century together.

If I could go back and change things, I wonder if it would have made any difference. The first time she called upon the Element of Magic, it had seemed like nothing changed. The power of the tiara transformed her into something greater than the alicorn she would later become, and it planted the seed of desire in her mind. Slowly, like a fox patiently waiting outside the hen house, it sunk its teeth into her.

I now sit inside a cave deep in the Everfree. I have spent my life studying ponies, traveling the world, and learning about my race, yet somehow she always finds me.

Twilight stumbles into the cave, almost as if she is lost. Perhaps she is lost somewhere inside herself, looking for the way out.

“Spike, I was trying to write you a song, but I couldn’t remember what it was about. I thought maybe you would help me with the lyrics,” Twilight explained.

I smiled as I lowered my head down to her level. “Twilight Sparkle, it has been too long. I see you brought your element with you.”

“Of course! It’s so stressful ruling Equestria, especially after Celestia and Luna passed. It is hard to imagine they could only live a few thousand years. I wonder how old you and I will get.”

I tried not to get my hopes up as I asked the question on the tip of my tongue. “Do you remember me?”

“From where? We’ve only known each other a little while.”

“Perhaps a story then, of a unicorn named Twilight long ago.” I got comfortable leaning against the wall of the cave, and gestured for her to sit. “I know how much you love hearing my stories.” Even if she never remembers them, I thought.

“I’d love to! Maybe then we can work on that song.”

“When I was still a hatchling I grew up with a beautiful mare named Twilight, who was the only pony I ever truly loved. I befriended many other ponies, even started a family with a unicorn once, but always in the back of my mind I knew I would only have one friend for eternity.

“She was always by my side, and was even coronated an alicorn. Shortly after that we headed into the Everfree to visit Zecora. By now, she always carried her element with her. On the way a wyvern attacked us. I begged her not to put the element on. She seemed distant and emotionless when she wore it, like a machine designed only to restore harmony, and not a pony.

“Twilight assured me she would be okay, that she would only wear it for a minute. After scaring the Wyvern off, she heard a rustling in the bushes. She turned her magic and blasted it, yanking out a deer. With the Element of Magic empowering her, she couldn’t prevent her magic from lashing out and killing it. She had perceived it as a threat, and I did not knock the tiara off her in time to save the deer.

“She apologized profusely as the tiara fell to the ground, and I made her swear never to use the Element of Magic again. Surely there would never be a need for it if we didn’t go looking for trouble. Twilight agreed, appalled at how she could lose control when that power was flowing through her.

“It was twenty years after Twilight became an alicorn that Discord sensed the declining health of Celestia, who had worn herself out raising and lowering the sun. He poisoned her with his magic, speeding her demise, then moved to overthrow Equestria.

“Twilight, Luna, and the other elements went to stop him. Neither Luna nor the other elements would be enough to stop him unless Twilight used the Element of Magic. I reminded her of our agreement, warning her that I didn’t like how she changed when wearing the element.

“She promised to only break her promise only this once, for the good of Equestria. She set me down behind the shelter of an oak tree as she marched forward to banish Discord. Her smile and the laughter in her heart faded once the tiara touched her head.

“By the time they had banished Discord into an unbreakable tomb, I saw the true depths of what the element had stripped from her. Twilight’s mane now radiated a purple light and sparkled gently. She had grown a foot taller, and her face showed no emotion as her friends celebrated their victory.

“She came over to me and took her tiara off, but her eyes were emotionless. Twilight hugged me mechanically and forced a smile. She tried to tell me it was okay, yet I could see she had become just like Celestia. She was cold, logical, and calculating. There was no room for friendship anymore, or a baby dragon.”

Twilight wiped a tear from her cheek. “Spike, why are your stories always so sad?”

I smiled and patted her mane. “Twilight, they are sad because you can not remember them. They are sad because I must remember for the both of us.”

“Did. . . did this Twilight from your story live a happy life?”

“She lived a good life,” I explained. “Surely you remember the funerals as each Element of Harmony passed?”

“Of course, I gave the eulogy for each one.”

“And do you remember my final words to them?”

“But, Spike, you weren’t at any of them,” Twilight said.

I frowned from having my hopes dashed once again. Despite remembering my name, and being inexplicably drawn to me, I could never truly make her remember our friendship. That was the most painful part of her visits.

“The Twilight from my story. . . did live a happy life.” I wiped a tear from my eye as I lied to my only friend’s face. “She distanced herself from her friends and subjects to rule more effectively, and not feel the pain of their deaths. Eventually she had no friends, yet she remained just as happy because it was her duty.

“She was very happy to protect her ponies, and even once Luna passed and her only friend left was Cadence, she remained happy. Cadence and Twilight ruled together, as the Princess of Dawn, and the Princess of Twilight. They were happy, just like I know you are.”

I reached down and lifted up her chin to see her smile. She gave me her usual facade of regal composure and dignity, but finally let a genuine smile through. It was as wide and warm as my own, and that one moment made her visit worthwhile.

“Thank you, Twilight, for visiting. Even though you won’t remember, your smiles are the happiest memories I have of you.”

“What about our song? I have some lyrics started,” Twilight explained. She handed them over to Spike.

I used to wonder what friendship could be,

then you all came and showed it to me.

With my faithful assistant Spike,

each one of you showed me what it was like.

I could see several pages with lyrics scribbled on them. Each one contained a lost memory of hers, as if the act of writing them down had been what removed them from her. One of them contained a photo of the six elements and me at a picnic.

“Here, Twilight, remember this photo?” I asked.

“No, that was a long time ago. How’d you get in it?” she inquired.

I yawned loudly and stretched. “How indeed. . . promise me you’ll frame that photo for me. Try to remember. I believe I’m due for a nap. Perhaps after I’ve slept a few decades I can tell you another story.”

“I’d like that, Spike. Thanks. You’ve always been my number one. . .” Twilight looked at me with a faint glimmer of recognition, then the Element of Magic glowed a faint purple. “I forgot what I was going to say, silly me. Until next time, Spike.”

I watched as she left my cave to allow me my rest. Perhaps given a few more centuries of study, I could find a way to undo this curse. The mare that had raised me was every bit as qualified to run Equestria as the robot the Element of Magic had turned her into.

If only I could find a way past the element, to some fragment of her former self, then I would not have to bear the sorrow of our loss for the both of us.

Author's Note:

Been sitting on this for a long time to make it longer and better. Decided to put it out as I doubt I'll ever get back to it.

Request/Prompt by: TypewriterError
Edited by: Abcron
Part of my one-shot week.

Comments

[Neko Majin C]

Chapter twenty-one: You Don't Remember?:

That was a nice, melancholy story. It was strangely refreshing to read a story without any sex in it. I feel... rejuvenated.