Ponywatching

by ThunderTempest

Prompt #566: Aftermath

It was raining. Somehow, that felt appropriate to Twilight Sparkle, as she trotted through the streets of Canterlot, her wings folded up against her side so tightly they almost hurt, her crown left on her bedside table, and her small guard trailing far, far behind, out of both respect, and fear. The respect had always been there. The fear was new. Twilight didn’t like it.

She hadn’t been to the Canterlot Barracks a whole lot-Shining had done a lot of his training outside Canterlot, so there was no real reason for Twilight to visit. But she needed to go, she needed to see, to know.

The guards at the entrance to the barracks pulled their wings aside and gave a head nod to the newest Princess, and Twilight entered the courtyard, where an older pony, clad in black robes stood in front of eight coffins, each with a helmet placed on top.

“We call upon Selene, the guiding spirit of the moon, to ferry the souls of these brave soldiers into the Eternal Feilds,” the preist intoned, “and we pray that they may find peace in the afterlife, knowing that their families are safe and sound.” With a solemn chant, the service entered, and Twilight Sparkle walked into the small gathering, rain thudding onto umbrellas, and soaking Twilight to the bone, but she didn’t care about that. She couldn’t care about that, not now. Not after seeing eight widows, eight families wrenched apart. Not after knowing that it was all her fault.

One of the gathered caught sight of Twilight, and approached her.

“Princess Twilight?” asked the young mare, “Do you know why my fiancée died? I mean, they just tell us that they ‘died in service of the Princesses’, but you must know something, right?”

“It was,” began Twilight, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, “a changeling attack. They were ambushed in the night. Your fiancée gave his life to ensure that the others lived.” The weeping mare threw herself forwards, hugging Twilight, thanking her for telling her, and then plodded off. Again and again, as the ponies departed the service, the mourners asked Twilight how their husbands, wives and betrothed had died. Each time, Twilight repeated the reason she had given the first.

All the while, she stared at the eight coffins, her mind seeing flesh stripped from bone, bones turned into ash and an all-consuming white light. She stared, and forced herself to remember until she could take no more. With a scream, she vanished in a blast of purple sparks.

Twilight Sparkle reappeared in her temporary room in Canterlot castle, and rushed to the toilet, where she retched and emptied her stomach.

‘I’m a monster,’ she thought, before passing out.

----

“Do you think that she is going to be alright, sister?”

“I don’t know, Luna. Twilight has always been strong, but I don’t know how she’s taking this. She needs time to come to terms with what happened. You, I and Cadence can all tell her that it wasn’t her fault until the sun goes out, but until she accepts it, she isn’t going to get better.”

“Perhaps it is time we taught her to control it. We can both agree that a repeat of it would be a bad thing. Perhaps it will give her mind something else to focus on. Keep her busy.”

“Yes, that would be best. Let her know that we are here to help as well, would you? If she needs to talk, our doors are always open for her.”

“Agreed, sister.”

----

Twilight stared down over Canterlot from her balcony, her eyes listless and lifeless. She hadn’t read a book in the last three days, not since the funeral. She got up, ate, and generally went through the motions. She was alive, but not living.

“I can guarantee that it won’t work, Twilight Sparkle,” said a voice from behind the newest alicorn.

“What are you talking about, Luna?”

“Trying to ignore your problem. It won’t work.”

“Go away.”

“No,” said Luna, bringing a touch of the Royal Canterlot Voice back, “Twilight Sparkle, do you want that to happen again?”

“Of course not! It was terrible, and then I lied to all those ponies about why their families or special someponies died, and I’m a monster, Luna!”

“Truly, Twilight Sparkle, thou art a fool. You are no monster. A monster would not care so much.”

Twilight was silent, and Luna took that as an opportunity to push on.

“Yes, it was your magic that killed those ponies. Perhaps we were lax in telling you certain aspects of your ascension to alicorn. Every alicorn gains a natural instinct over a certain school of magic. You, apparently, inherited the school of Destruction. You must learn to manage this if you do not want that to happen again.”

Twilight was silent for a while longer, then she turned around, and for the first time in three days, her eyes shone with a sign of life.

“Teach me, then.”

Luna smiled. It seemed that Twilight Sparkle would be okay, with time.

Author's Note:

Written for Prompt #566:“This Time Around”
The prompt:
“It’s getting colder in this ditch where I lie.
I’m feeling older, and I’m wondering why.
Well, I heard they told her it was tell and live or die.
I didn’t know her, but I know why she lied.
I didn’t know her, but I know why she died …”
(Hanson, "This Time Around")

A continuation of Prompt #185: Energy With Intent

Comments

[Themaskedferret]

Intriguing, but her change of mood feels a bit sudden. If you'd show her internal thoughts more, I think it would work well.

[Malandy]

Oh! I was right... this is sad, but a good sad...