Twilight must release each of her friends from eternal torment and set her self free in the process. She has regrets, and so do they, but is it possible to release them? CAn things ever go back to the way they were?
Twilight's friends left her with many regrets. She has one chance with each of them to make it alright again. There is one thing that Twilight never said to them. There is even a special somepony who left her before she had the chance to admit that she loved her.
Alright, so I know that Twilight WONT outlive her friends, but I couldn't resist X3
Stars twinkled in the velvet black sky of Luna's gorgeous night. Nothing broke the horizon but a field filled with browning, dry grass. A movement ever so slightly caused the grass to cry out. A lavender alicorn was laying in the field. Her eyes fluttered open as she shakily got to her feet. Twilight quickly moved her head as she took in her surroundings. A small moan escaped her lips.
"H-help..." However, not a pony was to be seen in the icy air.
Twilight bowed her head, and a single sparkling tear trickled down her cheek. Another noise broke the pristine silence. A gray mare was trotting towards Twilight, who stretched open her wings in delight and began to tun to the figure.
"Hello! Hello! Oh I'm so glad I'm not the only pony here!" She and the gray mare met at the center. The mare had no features, she was just a solid gray figure, almost like a statue. When Twilight reached out to tap it's shoulder, it dissolved into a fine powder with a hiss.
Finding herself alone again, an enormous weight pressed down on her heart. Tears of frustration escaped her dimming purple eyes.
"Come back!" She yelled into the sky, "In the name of Celestia! Please! I need you!"
A wild wind began to pick up, swaying the grass and whipping Twilight's mane around her. It began to get stronger. "Bring them back! BRING THEM BACK!" But the howling wind's only response was to moan. "NO!"
Twilight snapped awake. She was in the Princess's castle.
"Why am I...?" But she answered her own question. Twilight was going through a period of extreme sadness and loneliness. It had been only a week. How was she going to get through the rest of her life? Carefully, she crawled out of the canopy bed, made up the cotton sheets, and glanced down to see Spike looking back up, bleary eyed.
"You were mumbling in your sleep again." He yawned.
"I was not!" Twilight objected.
"Yes, you were. You kept saying 'No! NO!'" the purple dragon retorted. The purple pony's face turned a bit red and hot for a moment, before she shook it off and said in a regal manner,
"I must go downstairs and join the princesses for breakfast, you may join me if you wish." Spike was confused at her sudden change of pace, but shrugged it off and climbed on her back and they headed downstairs.
A fantastic breakfast was laid out before them. It consisted of muffins, pancakes, eggs, a dozen and one kinds of juices, and various pastries. Twilight took a seat at the table, across from Celestia and Luna. Luna was sitting contentedly, munching on a blueberry muffin. Celestia was glancing around, and relaxed when Twilight approached.
"Good morning, did you sleep well?" she asked. Twilight shrugged and levitated a pastry towards her plate. Right above the plate, the magic flickered and blew out. The strawberry danish landed on the plate however, and Twilight began to eat. Silence ensued the morning meal, until Twilight set down the breakfast sweet and looked at Celestia.
"There has to be a way to bring them back!" she demanded, slamming a hoof on the table. Luna and Celestia looked surprised at her sudden demand.
"Twilight..." Celestia began.
"No! There has to be a way! There HAS to!" Hiccuping sobs broke through and Twilight heaved a breath.
"There is no way to bring them back, but you may see them one last time, if you wish." Celestia suggested. Luna objected just as fast,
"It may cause even more pain!" The rainbow maned princess spoke to Twilight.
"Meet me in the throne room. I have something very important to tell you."
The throne room was large and echoed every footstep the two princesses made. Luna and Spike were left in the dining hall, much to their disappointment. Celestia carefully removed a box from the wall and placed it on the ground.
"Twilight, these are not the real thing, simply copies, but something has changed." Twilight nudged the box open to see a replica of each element of harmony. Each one had a thin crack through it, including her own.
"Why?" Twilight pleaded, "Just tell me how to get to my friends again!" Celestia placed a hoof on her former pupil's shoulder.
"There is a spell, that will bring you to them. Say everything you did not say to them, and they will be at rest."
Twilight shivered in the unforgiving fall rain. She scanned the graveyard, looking for the semi circle of graves. Gray clouds sobbed with her as she trotted over. The day was slowly turning to night, and most ponies would be in their homes, preparing for sweet dreams. Twilight sucked in a lungful of bitter air, air infested with sadness. As she stared at all the stones, a memory flashed through her mind. Rarity, the gala dresses, Twilight still had hers. Pinkie, her birthday party that she had forgotten, Twilight cracked a small grin, a single ray of sunshine. Even in death Pinkie never failed to make a pony happy. Fluttershy, she tamed that huge dragon after she was terrified of the mountain. Applejack, the time when she admitted she never won a rodeo. Rainbow Dash, Twilight helping study for her Wonderbolts history exam. With a small sigh, Twilight placed a hoof on Rarity's grave. She muttered a few words and her eyes glowed a vibrant purple. She was getting sucked in! An over whelming panic drowned Twilight. Did I do it wrong? she thought? Darkness enveloped her as her conciseness faded.
Twilight smelt fire. It was a smoky scent, quickly followed by shrieking. She shot up and opened her eyes. Smoke filled her nostrils and made her eyes water. After blinking, she saw Rarity's boutique, up in flames. The orange light danced across the front lawn, making shadows stretch and claw towards Twilight. Stumbling to her feet, she raced to the front door, then had a sudden pang of deja vu. This was the night Rarity had died.
Twilight already knew what happened. Using her magic to fling open the door, a wild inferno greeted the princess. Hysterical sobbing was merely background noise compared to the crackling, whistling voice of the flames, but she heard it. Rarity was laying, bawling on her couch. Memories flickered through Twilight's brain. All the times Rarity had seemed to pull it out of nowhere during one her, "episodes".
"Rarity!" Twilight called, "I'm here to save you!" The white unicorn, with tears glistening in her eyes, shook her head and let the flames swallow her up.
'No' Twi thought, 'I'm not losing you again!' and then bolted into the fire. It licked her flank and singed her, but she felt none of it. Upon reaching Rarity, the unicorn blinked up at her in surprise. Her once white fur was completely black with red patches of skin showing. Resisting a shiver, Twilight levitated Rarity up and ran out the door, the blaze hissing behind them. A loose board fell in front of them, but Twilight burst through the brittle wood, causing splinters to shower down.
"T-twilight!" Rarity stuttered as the boutique behind them fell apart and the beams cracked and cried out like wounded animals. Then it was silent. Not a sound was heard from the fire, and everything was turning a marshmallow white. Eventually, while the two ponies watched, it became a blank canvas.
"Rarity, I miss you so much." Twi bowed her head and recoiled, seeing that Rarity's cutie mark was glowing and all the wounds were healed.
"Thank you, for saving me. It could have been eternally that way, reliving the night I died, over and over. All because I left with regrets." A bolt of fear ran through Twilight's mind. Everyone else could be suffering?!
"There's something I have to tell you..." Tears sparkled in her eyes as Twilight helped Rarity to her feet. "Rarity... I" she burst into tears, "I loved every single thing you made and I wish I had never doubted you when you were making our gala dresses... I still feel guilty demanding so much of you." Twilight collapsed onto the white, now shining ground. Rarity put a comforting hoof around Twi's neck.
"Darling, it's alright, what a silly thing to feel regretful about." Rarity began to flicker in and out of view, her horn letting of a small glow. "Before I leave, I must tell you something." Rarity gave a motherly smile, "Make sure Sweetie Belle stays out of trouble. Ok?" Twilight nodded and tried to wrap Rarity's fading body in a hug, but she simply passed right through her. "Thank you, Twilight, for everything." and then she let out a soft sigh, and blew away, like dust in a storm. Newfound sadness gripped Twilight's heart, like she had just lost Rarity all over again. Then a flash of light blinded her.
Slowly raising her head, she realized she was back in the graveyard. The rain still tumbled down in sheets. A small glint captured her attention. On Rarity's headstone, was the purple diamond Element of Harmony. The crack in it was healed, and it let out a faint glow. Reaching out to it, it faded. Forcing herself not to cry any longer, she averted her gaze to Pinkie's grave, placed a shaky hoof on it, and felt like her head was going to pop. Darkness enveloped her once more.
Not one sound pierced the thick silence. The birds did not chirp, and the only true noise was grass rustling in the slight wind. Twilight glanced around the barren landscape and saw that not even the rabbits and snakes ventured from there holes. This was like the day Fluttershy was buried... Had she touched the wrong grave?
Another quick skim of the landscape revealed she was in front of Sugarcube Corner. Finally, when a loud noise did echo through the blanket of quiet, it startled Twilight, even though it was just slow hoofbeats on the cobble. The sound seemed amplified ten fold. The source was a pink pony with straight pink hair, dragging herself along with her head bowed and the occasional sniff.
"Pinkie Pie!" Twilight called out, reaching a hoof out to her. Pinkie paused, and lifted her head. Tears stained her cheeks and her face was red from crying. She acknowledged Twi with a small nod and continued on her way. The door slammed to the bakery as Pinkie strode inside.
A surge of memories rushed back to Twilight, this was Pinkie's death! Knocking proved to be useless, so she let herself in.
Sugarcube was run down and cracks laced the drywall. Glass counters were shattered into pieces on the floor. Frosting glazed tables and chairs. Twilight saw a pink tail disappear up the stairs. A door slammed, shaking some of the plaster ceiling loose. The winding stairs didn't seem all that save, but logic pushed it's way into Twilight's mind. This wasn't real life, it's only her mind that occupies this space, so if she falls, it'll be fine. Using this to comfort her, she placed a hoof on a creaky step and raced up like a filly who turned the basement lights off. Upon reaching the top, she tripped over a hole in the floor and fell to the pink wood. Pain raced up her leg and caused her to emit a muffled scream. Dream or not, that still really hurt! Regaining her posture, she looked up and down the hall, searching for Pinkie's room. A bit to the left, was a door, marked with a peeling painting of three balloons. Being the polite pony that she is, Twilight knocked lightly on the door.
"Pinkie Pie? Please come out, I need to talk." There was no answer, in fact, the room was completely silent. Normally, Pinkie would have a least said go away or something along those lines. In a fit of panic, Twilight burst through the door. The room looked dusty in general, as if it hadn't been touched in a while. The sheets on the bed were faded from a vibrant pink to a sad gray. With one more sweeping glance, Twilight feel to her knees, shaking and covering her eyes. Pinkie was dangling three inches above the ground.
The pink pony's mane was in tangles and was pressed up against her neck by a worn rope. Her eyes were bloodshot and red from crying. Color slowly drained itself from her face. Like a fish out of water, Pinkie's mouth moved soundlessly, speaking words only she knew. The body slowly swung back and forth in a mesmerizing pattern. Twilight was running about in a frenzy, searching for stool or a chair, anything to get Pinkie back on her feet so she could cut her loose. Giving up when her search of the room was in vain, she closed her eyes and a light purple glow surrounded the rope. It disintegrated into a black powder, and there was a dull thunk on the carpet. Pinkie blinked a few times and coughed up some blood.
"Twilight? You... you're here!" Pinkie tapped Twilight's shoulder, who was still standing, staring blankly at the place Pinkie had dangled only seconds before.
"Pinkie Pie, I'm sorry... I didn't get here sooner on that day." Twilight finally turned towards the pink pony who was now looking at the remains of the rope. Just like with Rarity, the color began to fade and Sugarcube corner dissolved. There was a sharp woosh and Pinkie was bouncing around the blank area.
"I'm sooo happy you made it! You know, I've been waiting!?" Pinkie called out to Twilight. Twi shook her head and gestured to Pinkie to come back. She darted up and sat at Twilight's hooves. "You know, it's really lonely, I miss you guys!" Pinkie babbled.
"Hold on, listen for a second." Twilight interrupted. "There's something I have to tell you." Pinkie settled down in front of her and stared at Twilight expectantly. She took a deep breath.
"Pinkie, I wish I had trusted you more. Almost all the time you were right, and I never believed you. I was so lucky that you forgave me so easily..." Twilight hung her head and saw Pinkie jump up and down.
"You know I can't stay mad at anypony! You're so funny!" She stopped bouncing and landed hard on her hooves. She gave Twilight a serious face and got really close.
"Get Sugarcube back up and running. Ponyville is nothing without it's sweets. Ya' here me?" With that, she grabbed Twilight's face between her hooves. The pressure got lighter as Pinkie began to flicker in and out of existence.
"Bye! You silly filly!" Pinkie shouted. She emitted a giggle that bounced off the invisible walls of the white landscape. "Don't cry anymore, ok? It makes other ponies sad!" As a final farewell, she bit Twilight lightly on the ear, then her figure let out a slight pop and vanished, leaving Twilight shaking, fighting off a fresh wave of tears.
"I'll try Pinkie, I pinkie promise." Twilight raised her hoof and did the movements along with the chant. "Cross my heart," she drew an X over her chest, "Hope to fly," feebly flapped her hooves, imitating wings, "stick a cupcake... in my e-eye." Her hoove jammed in her eye, causing her to clutch it in pain. She could've sworn she heard Pinkie laughing in the distance, before everything faded to black.
Twilight slowly opened her eyes and blinked a few times. The bright blue element of laughter let out a soft sparkle on Pinkie's grave. It was completely fixed, devoid of any cracks. She let out a soft laugh as she imagined the pink coated mare hopping about in joy. The feeling subsided and dropped as Twilight remembered the shock of finding Pinkie there, devoid of life, and she covered her wet face with her hooves.
The gray clouds began to thin, very slightly. The pegasi must've thought that was enough gloominess for one day. Rain still came in a faint drizzle, but no so hard as before. No pony wanted to be outside in the current weather, or near the cemetery for that matter. A small sigh escaped Twilight's lips.
"Only Applejack, Rainbow, and Fluttershy left. Then it's the last I'll ever see of any of them." she whispered to herself, fighting of a choking sensation rising in her throat. She glanced towards Applejack's grave and placed a hoof on the gray rough stone. A flash of white enveloped her, then it was raining again, but harder.
Blinking slowly and looking up, she saw that there were apple trees galore and quite a few looked to already be bucked, with lighter colored bark at the bases. The one closest to Twilight had the letter AB engraved into the side, Applebloom's first bucked tree.
Night had fallen on Ponyville a few hours ago, judging by the position of the moon. The barn of Sweet Apple loomed over the hillside, the Apple's home seemed tiny by comparison. In the windows, only one light was on, the window that was Applejack's room. Twilight saw the silhouette of a pony bustling about, before it fell dark. Taking a few tentative steps forward, her hooves squelched in the mud, causing her to cringe. When she finally reached the wooden door, she reached out a hoof to knock. Before she could however, a dark outline of a pony caught her eye from the orchard.
Twilight ran and hid behind a bush and watched as the intruder pulled out a lock pick of some sort and inserted the tip into the lock. She wanted to call out and stop the mysterious pony, but she felt as if her legs were rooted to the stop, unable to move. Upon looking down, Twilight saw that nearly half of her legs were being sucked into the mud. There was a soft click and the pony tiphooved inside.
When she finally managed to pry her legs from the hungry slop, Twilight heard steady hoofbeats on the steps leading to everyone's bedrooms. Memories came flooding back, all at once. She had to get up there! Shaking off the remaining goo, Twilight burst through the doorway. The intruder hastily flipped its head towards the princess, then galloped up the stairs, pounding down on the thick wooden steps. She caught sight of a red tail as it disappeared up the stairwell.
"Get back here!" Twilight shrieked, in hopes of waking the Apples. She trotted up the stairs, following the muddy hoofprints left by the shadowy pony. The hallway was a mess, pictures in frames were on the floor, cracked and the pictures inside faded. one of them was all six of them at the gala, sporting big grins and Pinkie frozen in a jumping stance, unable to stand still for even a photo shoot. Rainbow was levitating above them all, head cocked to one side in her signature, "cool stance." Twilight paused for a moment, remembering the gala, and the ticket disaster. She would give anything to go back and change it all, so that the argument had never started. Her trip down memory lane was interrupted by a hoarse yell coming from a little ways down the hall.
"Applejack!" Twilight shouted and set off in s swift run to her door,. She kicked it open and gasped in shock and horror. Standing above a bleeding Applejack, was a wide eyed Flim. His ear twitched and large dark bags under his eyes gave him the look of insanity. He pushed past Twilight and she heard the door slam, shaking the few photos left on the walls. Applejack was clutching at her throat, attempting to say something. Blood leaked in a slow drip from a thin incision in her neck.
"T...Twi..." Applejack choked out. Twilight began to frantically press sheets or any kind of fabric to the wound. The orange pony gave a large shudder, and her head flopped to one side. Twilight cried out and nearly dropped her.
"No! Applejack come on! Please!" she shook the pony, watching her glassy eyes roll about. Then a large chunk of the house fell away, not making a sound, then the rest began to peel away, revealing an endless blank landscape. Twilight heaved a sigh of relief . She hadn't failed. Applejack let out a small cough and lifted up her head to look at Twilight.
"What's going on sugarcube? Why are you holding my neck like that?" Applejack look curiously at Twi, but the answered dawned on her immediately. "You came to save me didn't yall?" she cooed, tapping Twilight's shaking head. Twilight took a step back and nodded.
"I need to tell you something." she muttered. Twilight stared the farm pony in the eyes, determined not to break down this time. Applejack looked expectantly at Twilight, in that way that only she could. "I truly never got to thank you." Twilight said, keeping her head held high. "You've done so much, for everyone, for me! Even we you didn't even know ho I was you opened up your heart and let me in." At this point, it was all becoming too much. Her breath cam in short gasps and the tears she was holding back poured forth.
Applejack placed a caring hoof around the princess's shoulder. "Now sugarcube, you've said thank you in more ways than any pony could've imagined. I have two things to say to you: Buck up, and all I want, is for you to bring that coward to justice, ya' hear me? Or I'll come back and haunt yoooouuu!" she waved her hooves about and imitated a ghostly wail. Twilight turned to Applejack and nodded firmly.
She stepped away and let out a wave, making Twilight wave back, and Applejack's figure wavered and disappeared with a faint, YEEE HAW The princess of friendship held her head high, tears streaking down her cheeks, giving away her inner emotions as the world began to spin and fade. "Buck 'em up" she whispered, a final tribute to the late farm pony.
