Some memories never die, and Twilight relives those memories, and uncovers mysteries, with letters.
After her friends disappeared, Twilight Sparkle must live life alone. She can relive her friends' lives with one thing: A single letter each friend had sent her before they all vanished. While reliving those memories, Twilight will discover and uncover mysteries leading up to the event and explaining why they all had vanished in the first place.
Twilight looked at the seven letters in front of her. They all reminded her of pain. Cold, bitter pain that she had endured for the past ten years. The letters were all addressed to her, by her five friends and wielders of the elements of harmony, Spike, and Celestia herself.
“Ten years,” She murmured, “Ten years since you've all been gone.” Twilight ran her hoof on top of all the folded and bent up pieces of paper. After sitting in her desk drawer for those ten years, they had become bent, stale and somewhat moldy, and the unicorn was careful to not act too harsh with them.
For the past week, Twilight had been having the nagging feeling to read them again. She resisted, for they would sink her into depression, and she didn't want that. But after having this feeling for this long, she had to read them. She carefully examined all the letters closely. The paper was made out of Cyprus leaves, and still looked and smelt like she had just received them days earlier. The letters were each sealed with a simple sticker. Each sticker was a pony’s cutie mark, signaling who the letter was from. There was one letter which had a sticker that looked like fire, and Twilight gingerly picked it up and placed it against her chest.
“Spike…” She whispered. “Spike… I love you…” She said as tears began trickling down her cheeks. Twilight lost herself in memories with her faithful dragon assistant. Everything from the day he was born to the day she found the letter in her mailbox. The lavender unicorn held nothing back as she let years of emptiness and sorrow pour from her eyes. After she had finished, she placed the letter directly in front of her and thought about the day she wanted to forget so dearly.
“At first, I thought it was a joke.” She said to no one in particular. “Then, I realized I was slowly losing the ones I cared for, the ones I loved. They were fading away like smoke from a fire, ash from burnt remains, memories from-“She choked back tears as she forced out this final statement. “A broken heart.”
Once again, past memories flooded her mind. Her moving to ponyville, the Best Flier’s Competition, Spike trying to find his “True dragon self”, and her becoming an alicorn. She jolted from her trance, and saw her salty tears were falling from her eyes on top of the letters. She quickly dried her eyes and the letters off, and went back to staring at them.
Twilight could fight it no more. She picked up the first letter, and began reading.
By the time you read this, I’ll be gone. It’ll be hard, but I have faith in you, Twilight. You raised me from when I was just an infant, a newborn. You loved me and cared for me like your own child, even though we are greatly different. I remember all of our times together, like the bad times, like when I was teased by the other colts, and you comforted me, and the good times, like when we first moved here to Ponyville.
I always thought that deep down inside, you didn’t like me. Most other ponies don’t like that I'm a dragon, because we usually grow up to be greedy and sneaky thefts, but you said different about me. You said I had a big heart, a kind of heart a dragon would NEVER have. You say it was because I wasn't raised around other dragons, who would teach me to be greedy, but raised around ponies, who mostly have hearts of gold. I say that it was you, Twilight. You helped me learn what it means to be kind, to be generous. You taught me not only the magic of friendship, but the magic of love.
You have the biggest and most beautiful heart out of all of the other ponies I know. Even Rarity can’t compete with your compassion. You never think of yourself, but for those you care for. That’s why everypony looks up to you Twilight. Everypony loves you for who you are, and so do I. You’re the element of magic, Celestia’s hoof picked student, after all. No pony else would expect less.
I never thought the day would come. When I was told about it, I cried and cried. Never in front of you, of course, because I was told to never let you know. But, eventually, I pushed it off to the side and forgot about it, living my life like nothing bad could ever happen. When I was told the day was near, I was so devastated that I couldn't do anything proactive, which also explains my “Unexplained sickness”, as you called it. Hehe, I can still imagine you running around the library, mane messy, and books everywhere trying to find a cure.
Anyway, I spread the word to the others, and they got prepared to… well, I can’t tell you what they prepared to do, but being the Twilight I know, you’ll figure it out sooner or later. All of the other girls wrote their letters to you, including Celestia, and, before we left, I put them in the mailbox. I put mine first, hoping you’d read it first.
I don’t have much time left. The end for me and the others is near, and I must go. Twilight, I love you. You are like a mother to me, and it hurts to leave you with many questions and a broken heart, but it is for your benefit. Please, never forget me. Never forget I love you, Twilight Sparkle.
With love from your faithful assistant and son,
Spike
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After Twilight had finished, she realized that she had cried another bucket of tears. Spike’s letter was indeed the first letter she had read out of all seven, and was grateful she had. It warned her of what was to come, and what would come in the later years. She had read it over and over again until she memorized it, and cherished this letter in her heart. She would never forget that baby dragon, no matter what spell she would cast or what would be casted upon her. Her love for him was so deep and so wife, that is would be impossible to forget Spike.
Twilight wiped her nose with her hoof, picked up a letter with three apples as the sticker, opened it, and began to read it.
By the time you read this, I’ll be gone. I never considered myself a “Letter” type of pony, but this is the only way I could say goodbye, since I could not tell you personally.
Like the other girls, Twi, this is hard. I’m leaving behind everything I have ever loved and cared for. Applebloom, Big Mac, Granny Smith, Ponyville, the Farm, and so much more. It was also difficult hiding the truth, since you as well as I know that I can’t tell a lie or keep a secret that well. Every night, I had to go to bed late to cry. I didn’t want my family to hear me, so I had to do it late at night. I am a strong mare with a stubborn personality, (Not quite like Rainbow’s though).
I was in a room with the other girls, Spike, and a few others when the news was broken to us. Everypony was crushed, having to leave for good, but we all knew it was the best thing to do. We each had specific instructions, each given from [Word illegible]. She had hoof picked each pony to do something specific, but all we had one thing in common: We each had to write a letter to you if we so desired
I think everypony decided to write a letter to you, even if they had a lot to do. This would be the last time we would ever see you, so I would be surprised if somepony didn’t write one to you. We all love you dearly Twilight, and couldn’t think of leaving you like this. But what must be done must be done.
I am running out of time, so this is the end. With so much more I have to say to you, I can only say this:
This is the fall of [Word illegible]
With love, Applejack.
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Twilight put down the letter and sighed. Applejack was a good friend, and hated to see her go. She had so many fond memories with her. The Gala, Apple buck season, and so many more that a book couldn’t hold them all. She looked at the letter once again, and wished she could read those words that were too smeared to read. It would help her out greatly, but no matter what spell she used, those words were gone forever.
Twilight Sparkle looked over the letters, and choose to read Rainbow’s letter next. AJ mentioned her, so that was the first thing she thought of. She picked up the paper, witch had the mark of a cloud with a lightening bolt coming out of it, and opened it.
By the time you read this, I’ll be gone. Ok, I hate writing letters, because I have WAAAAAAAY better things to do, but because I’ll never see you again, I’m doing this, so you BETTER feel special! Anyway, I really don’t have much to say. Besides the fact of me having to get ready to [Words Illegible], I’ve been busy. Don’t worry Twi, I’ve still had time to take my morning, afternoon, and nightly naps, as well as continue my flying. But even those I had to cut down on. Well… ya. See ya, egghead.
-RD
Twilight scoffed at Rainbow’s letter. The least she could’ve done was written her an ACTUAL letter, instead of this. However Twilight looked at it, Rainbow was still the stubborn pony she always knew and loved, even if she was a bit cocky and selfish at some points. Twilight looked over and saw another letter, stamped with three diamonds on it. She picked up Rarity’s letter, and opened it without another thought.
by the time you read this, I’ll be GOne. Twilight, I wOn’t lie, i’ll be missing you THE most out of the entire group going to our destination. Before we had tO pack up, I remembered all of the times we had together, even if they weren’t that exciting. I remember when I first met yoU. I was shocked aT how your mane was! no surprise it was of rainbow’s doing, though. she had always given ponies a bad start, and i insisted of her she must aQuire the skill to be more thoUghtful and caring of other poniES she would come across, but alas, she wouldn’t listen. I hate to end so abruptly, darling, but just remember twilight: be yourself!
-rarity
Twilight read the ending again and smiled. Rarity was not afraid to ponies how things were, explaining the ending of the letter. She had always admired her charming attitude and the large vocabulary. Twilight laughed, seeing what Rarity meant by “being herself.” There she was, complimenting Rarity on her vocabulary.
However, what confused Twilight is why Rarity never capitalized proper nouns and the start of sentences, but randomly in the middle of the letter. She suddenly had a very strange idea, and got out a piece of paper. She took the capitalized letters in the paragraphs, and wrote them out in order. The ending result baffled her.
