Playing With The Dead
The sun was finally setting below the horizon, the sky's rich pink colors fading to deep blue as making way for Luna raise her moon high into the sky. The graveyard was quiet, save for an occasional breeze that rustled through the trees. To any normal pony, there would be no reason for them to be there, unless they wished to pay respect to somepony that had passed on. But then again, Twilight was no ordinary pony. She was an Alicorn, a pony who had out lived all of her friends and family.
But she was okay with that.
She had a huge grin plastered on her face as she walked (one would even say practically skipped) up to the gates of the cemetary. She flew over the tops of the gates and landed with a tiny thud. She preferred that over the loud creak of the heavy and rusty gates would've made if she opened them.
After all, she wanted to surprise her friends.
Her hooves slightly sunk into the soft dirt, occasionally stepping on a crunchy leaf, as she made her way to her destination. She was careful to not bump into any of the gravestones. She didn't want to disturb the souls that were resting. There was a strong gust of wind, that had a sweet scent laced in with it. Chills raced up her spine.
She had been discovered.
She broke into a furious gallop, barely able to contain her laughter as she did so. The cotton candy scented air swirled around her as she stopped to avoid smacking into a tombstone. She had a small smile on her face as she gasped for air.
"Alright Pinkie...you got me...I'll never...be able to...sneak up...on you..."
There was a sound of a wispy chortle, and the wind blew again. The cotton candy smell no longer hung in the air. She frowned a little at it's absence, before continuing her trek. Twilight shivered as the temperature dropped a little. A few clouds blanketed the moon, sending the world into a deeper darkness. Light radiated from Twilight's horn to adjust to the added blackness. Twilight didn't really need it though. The Alicorn had been coming here for almost 735 years. She could walk this path blind if she really wanted to. She looked around at some of the tombstones.
AppleBloom.
Sweetie Belle.
Scootaloo.
As she kept walking, she started to recognize more and more of the names etched into the stones.
Joleigh "Derpy" Doo.
Big Macintosh.
Trixie Lulamoon.
She had watched the entire generation she grew up with pass away, and their descendants do the same. Her pace slowed. Her eyes fell upon five tombstones which had two names on each of them. Names of the generation before her own. Names of the ones who had given life to the closest friends she had ever had.
Cloudy Quartz and Igenous Rock.
Rainbow Burst and Firefly.
Gentle Wind and Thunder Soar.
Ambrosia and Earligold.
Ribbon Wishes and Magnum.
She stopped. She stared at the names of the ones that had given her life and unconditional love.
Twilight Velvet and Night Light.
She leaned forward and kissed the tombstone. Tears slowly built up and fell.
"No more tears, Egg Head!" a raspy voice called out to her.
A rainbow streak shot by right in front of her. The wind that followed it dried her eyes and tear stained cheeks. She smiled and continued on. She knew she was close now. A few more minutes of walking and she came up to a tree. Five tombstones stood tall in front of it. As she got closer, she could make out the Elements of Harmony etched into them. Her smile nearly touched her ears as she looked at the names.
Pinkamena Diane Pie.
Rainbow Dash.
Fluttershy.
Applejack.
Rarity.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The scent of apples engulfed her, as she felt two strong forelegs wrap around her neck from behind. Something nuzzled her neck.
"Hey Applejack..."
She felt the forelegs slip away and opened her eyes. She turned around and was greeted with a warm smile.
"Howdy Twi..."
Twilight was about to speak again, but another rainbow blur covered her field of vision. The following gust knocked off Applejack's hat.
"Dang it, RD!" Applejack growled. "Quit yer foolin' around!"
The blur came back and skidded to a halt. Rainbow Dash gave a mischevious grin.
"Hey, just because I'm dead, doesn't mean I can't have a little fun."
Applejack shook her head, "Spendin' eternity with ya was never one of mah top choices of things on mah tah-do list." Applejack mumbled. Rainbow Dash ignored her little insult, and trotted over to Twilight to gave her a quick hug.
"Hey there, Princess! How are ya?"
Twilight smiled at the translucent rainbow maned Pegasus, "I'm doing very well actually. Had a pretty crazy day at work though."
Applejack placed a hoof on her shoulder, "Tell us about it, sugarcube."
Twilight shook her head, "It wasn't terrible. Besides, I want to wait for the others. Where are they anyway?"
As if to respond, the etching of Rarity's cutie mark on her tombstone glowed mysteriously. The earth around the grave took on an ethereal glow as a transparent white horn started to rise from the earth. Rarity appeared to be trotting up from a set a stairs as she gracefully exited the grave. She gave a whip of her mane and smiled at Twilight. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes,
"Leave it to Rarity to make such a fancy entrance."
Rarity huffed, "It's not like my manners died off with my body. One of us must continue to act as a lady should, to make up for the group of ruffians she places herself with." she sighed, "The only pony that comes even close to my level of sophistication, would be dearest Fluttershy."
Applejack snorted, "So we ain't sophic-...sostic...fancy enough fer ya, huh?" she stomped a hoof, "Maybe because some of us like the simple life! Maybe we don't need fancy, frou frou, frilly things tah keep us happy!"
"You tell her, AJ!" Rainbow Dash egged her on,
"Maybe we like good ol' loud music, an' havin' fun, an' workin! Maybe not RD-"
"Hey!!"
"But maybe good folk like mahself!"
Twilight smiled on as the trio bickered. A cyan and pink winged butterfly landed gently on her nose, giving her the sensation of a light kiss. She looked on as two matching butterflies flew past her. The third flew off of her nose to follow the other two. They disappeared behind the thick tree, and Fluttershy appeared from the other side. She slowly walked over to Twilight and nuzzled her face.
"Sorry, if I'm being too touchy." Fluttershy apologized in her usual soft tone. "I just get really happy when I see you."
Twilight nuzzled her again, "I already told you, you don't have to apologize. I'm always just as excited to see you, Fluttershy."
Fluttershy gasped a little, "That's right you did! Oh dear, I must've forgotten! I'm sorry!" she started a squeaky spew of apologies, to which the Alicorn silenced her by gently placing a hoof to her lips.
"Fluttershy, relax." Twilight calmly commanded. "It's okay. Like I said, I'm always excited to see you."
"BUT NOT AS EXCITED AS I AM TO SEE YOU!!" A voice shrieked out into the night. Twilight only had a moment to look up before a pink mass slammed into the side of her. She felt forelegs squeeze tightly around her waist, pushing out what little air was still left in her lungs after the impact. A poofy pink mane swatted at her face as Pinkie did a hard core nuzzle into her neck.
"Pinkie! You're gonna crush my lungs!" Twilight wheezed out. "Let go, please!"
The pink Earth Pony immediately released her grip, and proceeded to bounce wildly in front of her.
"I'm so glad to see you, Twilight! At first, I was wondering why you were sneaking around, but then when I got too close, you broke off galloping and smiling. And then I was like 'she knows I'm here!', so I started chasing you, and then I was like 'Oh my gosh, we're playing Tag!' , and it made me really excited because Tag is super duper fun! Especially when you haven't played it in like, a gazillion years, and I tagged you, and ran off, but I don't think you noticed. But that was okay, because I knew you were going to be here soon, so I went to my grave like a good filly-"
"More like a silly filly." Applejack interrupted.
"-and waited until you got here! It was hard though. Luckily, being dead for so long makes me be able to sit still for a little bit longer than I used to."
Twilight chuckled. Even in death, Pinkie had not lost any of her sugary hyperness. Her body may have lost it with age, but the excitement of any possible fun still sparkled in her eyes when she was laying in her death bed.
As a matter of fact, all of her friends seemed to have regained all of their youthful energy when they passed on into the next life. Even their bodies had turned back to the way they used to look when they were in their twenties. Although Twilight hadn't aged too much in the vastness of her lifespan, she still looked a good ten to fifteen years over her friends now. Their appearances had brought a bout of curiosity that, for some reason, she had not had before.
"If you girls don't mind me asking," Twilight began, "How come you girls look like how we did in our twenties, when you passed away in your eighties and nineties?" she looked over at Rarity, "And you didn't die until you were 113."
"Well, if you put a little makeup on and take care of your mane, one can manage to make herself look decades younger." Rarity replied jokingly.
"It's cuz we acted so dang young, right up until the very end." Applejack replied. "Ah can't really vouch fer everypony else though...Ah was the second to go." she looked over at Pinkie, "Ah'm surprised it took Pinkie as long as it did, even though she was still first."
"No kidding." Rainbow Dash agreed. "Considering she ate sweets all her life, her body put up quite a fight." she, along with the others, looked over at the pink pony, who was bouncing around on the tops of the tombstones.
"It's actually quite simple." Fluttershy started. "Our bodies may be gone, but because our souls were still young at the end of our lifespans, it decided what our spiritual forms would look like in the next life." she pawed sheepishly at the dirt, "But...if I didn't explain it well enough for you to understand, then I'm sorry."
Twilight chuckled, "You did fine." she trotted over to stand beside Rarity and observe the sight before them. While Rainbow Dash was conversing with Applejack, Pinkie had snuck up on her and latched onto her mane with her teeth. Rainbow Dash shoved her off, quickly sparking a wrestling match, which couldn't be ignored by Applejack, as she dive bombed into their rough play.
"I see that you girls will never change." Twilight said sadly, "It's for that reason that I miss you all so much."
Rarity sighed, "We miss you too, darling. But there's a reason that we're all still here in limbo."
Twilight arched an eyebrow, "Limbo?"
Rarity chuckled, "Surely you remember what Limbo is, don't you?"
Twilight shook her head, "If it has something to do with death, not really. That's more along the supernatural and religious, and you know me, always a pony of science."
Rarity arched a brow, "But...how can you be a pony of science, when you're the Princess of Magic? And you know, considering your magic is fueled by friendship, and you also being the Princess of that, that's also something that can't be defined by science..."
Twilight got a dead panned expression on her face, "Rarity..."
Rarity let out a tiny sigh, "Alright, relax darling. I only tease because you make it easy to..." she looked over at the tombstones, "Well, we got taught about it in Magic School, so I'm surprised it's not etched into your mind, and taken down in a book somewhere." she then looked on at the wrestling match that was still going on, "When a pony dies, they either go to the Heaven Fields, or to Tartarus. Sometimes, there is something, somepony, or some event, that ties a pony to the world, and keeping them from going to either of those places."
Twilight looked over at her, "Well, what in Equestria could possibly be keeping you all tied here? Especially a place like this."
Rarity looked over at her, no readable expression on her face, as if the answer should've been obvious.
"You, Twilight. You're the reason we are still here."
Twilight's heart slammed into her stomach as she took in the information. Was she unconsciously using magic and keeping them from being able to truly rest in peace? Had her own selfish needs to keep the friends she wouldn't and couldn't ever replace so long as she live, had caused them to be stuck in a place that always radiated death and sorrow? She unknowingly, had kept her friends in a states of unpeaceful rest for over three quarters of a millenium. The thought of the pain she was causing them brought tears to the edges of her eyelids. Fluttershy was instantly beside her,
"She didn't mean it in the way you may think." Fluttershy began. "You are not keeping us here, in the way that I know you're thinking right now."
Rarity nodded, "When I say you're the reason...I mean...that we don't want to leave until you have joined us. We have been together on so many journeys, adventures, and fought so many battles. What better way to finish the journey of all journeys, than with the Mane Six doing it as we should, with all six of us?"
Happy tears fell from Twilight's eyes. They were waiting for her to join them, so that they could make their last journey together as the best friends that they were. The Alicorn and the Unicorn shared a bonding moment rubbing horns, with Fluttershy placing a quick friendly peck on her cheek. The trio had stopped rough housing and joined them to form a group hug. Twilight sighed in content as she felt the love of her friends envelope her. She could practically feel their warm emotions pour into her, putting her heart and mind in state of peace. She sighed as she took in the power of their friendship, almost like a Changeling gorging on a love filled feast. After a minute or two of their bonding, they parted. Pinkie, a pony who's sole purpose was to break serious moments and turned them into fun, nipped at Applejack's ear, triggering another wrestling match between herself, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. Somehow, during it all, Rarity got pulled into the rumble, and proved that even a lady can scrap and exchange hoof blows if she needed too. Fluttershy and Twilight chuckled as they looked on. Eventually they tired themselves out and joined Fluttershy and Twilight. They caught up, telling Twilight about their days, and how exciting it was to actually meet some of the other ponies that were in Limbo too. Apparently, they had made it their job to help guide ponies to the Heaven Fields. For the ones that they could tell were going to Tartarus, they left them alone. No need to rush them to the land of despair and suffering. Twilight told them of her days as a Princess, recounting how she had an unscheduled meeting with the Changeling Queen. Rainbow Dash, forgetting that it had been centuries, asked why Twilight didn't just kill her off. Typical statement from her 'Brash Dash' as she called her. Twilight had to explain that It was a new Queen, a descendant of Chrysalis, and a Changeling that believed in diplomacy and using words instead of force. The girls nodded in understanding, and switched to another topic. They continued to do that until Celestia's Sun started to rise into the sky, and fatigue started to seep into Twilight's bones.
"It's time fer ya tah hit the hay, Twi." Applejack suggested. "Ah'm sure yer schedule as a princess keeps ya mighty busy an' all over the place. Ya need tah try an' get a few hours of shut eye before yer tasks come flowin' in."
Twilight yawned and rose to her hooves, "You're right..." she stretched out her wings to prepare for flight. She gave each of her friends a quick nuzzle, and started to turn away, "I'll stop by to see you girls again soon."
They smiled and waved at her, each fading and disappearing into the wind that flowed continuously through the graveyard. She took off, a happy smile etched into her face the entire flight back. For most ponies, the graveyard was a place for the dead to rest. But for Twilight, the graveyard was, and until she herself passed on, would be one of the most liveliest places in all of Equestria...