The Bonds of Friends
As the sun began to rise over the highest towers that line the canterlot walls, Princess Twilight was making a slow and, arguably depressing journey across poniville. A trip that brought back memories of days gone by, friendships that had blossomed in the sunlight her mentor, Princess Celestia, graced all of equestria with every day.
Today like most days started out as they have for some time now, she walked down the through the middle of the town, greeting her subjects, and stopped at a local flower shop. She paid for a single red rose, four white tulips, and carefully placed it in her saddlepack. She thanked the salespony politely and went on her way.
All the people bowed as she passed by, even after all this time she still doesn't seem used to the attention. She never wanted anyone to think she was better than they were, she was the princess of friendship after all. As she walked through town her memories came flooding back to her as they always did.
She stopped a moment and recalled the day she first met A strange pink mare with bubbly hair and spoke. "Uh....Hello."
The pink mare gasped with such enthusiasm it startled both her and her faithful assistant before the pink pony took off in a blur.
Twilight smiled softly to herself as she could feel the warm feelings welling up deep within her. She glanced longingly at the buildings as she trotted along the dirt path bustling with business.
A couple of guards with wings and shiny golden armor land beside her. "Princess Twilight." they spoke as they landed near her. She blinks a moment and focuses on the guards and speaks. "Princess Celestia sent us to ensure your safety, she was worried for you."
Twilight sighs in quiet annoyance. She gentle calms herself, she understood her mentor and teacher was only looking out for her, but she could take care of herself especially on this day of all days. "She always sends Guards when I request of her that this be a private thing." she shook her head lightly. "I don't suppose asking you to leave will work."
The guards stood up proudly and saluted. "We are sorry your highness, but we are under direct...."
Twilight cut them off with a soft "Fine, but as usual when we get there you are to remain outside."
They both saluted again. "Yes your highness."
She never understood why Celestia always insisted on the guards. She was far from incapable of handling herself, She began her walk again, one hoof in front of another. Her eyes cast upward as she watched the pegasi clearing the clouds from the sky. Not as efficiently as one rainbow maned pony could clean it.
Her memory began to slide back once more as a soft smile played on her lips. " 'THE' wonder bolts? the most talented fliers in all of equestria?"
Twilight spoke aloud to a very brash cyan mare with a confidence in her voice. "That's them!" They mare declared.
Twilight responded, "They would never accept a Pegasus that couldn't keep the sky clear for one measly day!"
Rainbow Dash perked up. "Hey I could clear this sky in ten seconds flat!"
Twilight answers back with a simple "Prove it!"
Her eyes drift lazily along the sky for another moment or two before she stops at a small cafe at the corner. She realizes she hasn't eaten yet today and looks to the guards. "I'll just be a moment, I've been so busy preparing I didn't get any breakfast, Can you two wait her a moment."
The guards nod in silence after glancing around the cafe to ensure no trouble makers were about.
The patrons and passerby's all notice the guards and take no heed to their presence as if they had grown used to them. Twilight enters the cafe and proceeds to the counter to place an order. "One daffodil and daisy sandwich please." The soft cream colored mare behind the counter nods happily. "Certainly Princess, will there be anything else?" Twilight hastily responds with a simple. "No thank you!" In a cheery voice. Her ear swivels as she hears three familiar voices. She picks up her sandwich in her aura and she turns her head and sees them entering the cafe. She says with happily to them. "Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, How are you girls doing today?"
Upon seeing their friend they smile and crowd around her a little speaking softly so as not to disturb other patrons. Scootaloo the first to talk. Her voice deeper and more mature, "We're good twilight, just taking a break from helping the weather team clean up a nasty weather spill from the everfree forest, since it makes it's own weather, from time to time we need to keep it in check. This job isn't as easy as it used to be like when I first joined after my wings finally grew in."
Sweetie belle was the next to speak, her voice much more mature then before but still soft and kind. "Yea me and applebloom were helping down at the fair and we all decided to take a break, since we heard you were visiting today from some of the other ponies."
It seems the crusaders had become quite the corner stone in poniville, they have taken up many of the responsibilities their elder siblings had once had. Twilight had never really noticed before, she was always so concerned about her friends that she had watched pass before her eyes.
Applebloom was last to talk, Twilight by this time had taken a bit more time to look over the three friends and realize she was nearly looking all of them eye to eye, they were even beginning to show signs of more advanced aging themselves. Had her alicorn magic not made her taller herself, she would have been level with them, the only difference is she herself still looked young and vibrant, while they were showing their own age. "Are you here to see fluttershy?" Applebloom asked.
Twilight nodded softly, her soft smile fading gently. She began to feel her depression setting in. "Yea I wanted to see how she was doing. It has been a little longer than I intended since my last visit. My royal duties keep me busy." She said with a soft sigh, unable to contain her overwhelming sadness.
"Don't worry Twilight." said Applebloom, "She knows you care and we have been visiting her as much as we could as well." Applebloom's ears fold back. She then looks as if she has something she wants to say but is afraid of the very truth it entails. The same look Applejack used to get when she had something hard to say but knew that speaking up was the right thing to do. It's amazing how much she looks like her big sister and acts like her. Sweetie Belle too. She herself was adorned in a beautiful gown that seemed perfectly made just for her body, tailed with love violets and soft cream colors that matched her mane and body perfectly to bring out the very essence of her natural beauty.
Rarity would be proud of her little sister and how she has grown. Twilight looks to applebloom once more as she begins to stumble over her words. "The doctors told us yesterday it's going to be soon, You may want to hurry, It could be your last chance Twilight."
Twilight's heart sank, tears began to prick at the back of her eyes and she nodded and galloped off. She left so quick she forgot to pay for her meal. The patient lady behind the counter said nothing, merely frowned having overheard most of the conversation. She took a few bits from her own stash and put them in the till. She nodded to herself, a good deed done, after all the princess of friendship deserved it considering the circumstances.
Twilight rushed out the door and galloped down the streets, heads turned and the guards flew in close pursuit, they didn't know what was happening but they had a good idea. Twilight began to remember the day she first met Fluttershy and her birds, watching them perform before interrupting with a overly loud "Hello!" Twilight could feel a tear rolling down her cheek as she hurried, she spreads her wings and takes flight, the guards watch in awe as their princess takes off and leaves them in her wake. All those lessons with rainbow dash paying off. She lands at the front door of poniville hospital and hurries inside. Her nerves getting the better of her, a sick feeling building in her stomach as she can almost feel something is amiss now. She knew right where to go and needed no one else's permission to go there, her royal status good for something useful for a change besides paperwork and deligations.
She looked at the numbers on the doors and found the one she was hunting for, with shaky hooves she pushed the door open. As the door slid back a white sheet was being pulled up over top of a pale and thin yellow mare with a white mane that had hints of pink.
She stopped frozen in time for a moment and watched as it seemed to happen in slow motion right before her eyes over and over again. She moved on unsteady hooves over to the bed and laid her head on the figure beneath the sheet.
The doctor spoke softly. "I'm sorry princess, she just left." She begins to cry softly over her fallen friend and the entirety of her alicorn status is nailed home in her heart again, This time more painful than ever. She was still here and all her friends are now gone. She sobs for what seems like eternity, Her tears staining the sheets and her body feeling weak and helpless. After a few minutes of trying to compose herself she uses her telekinetic aura and takes the single rose out from her saddlepack and places it on her friends sheet and rises up.
She then pushes open the window. By now the guards are right on her heels as she leaps out and takes flight. They say nothing to her just stay by her side. She lands at a large stone structure built next to her castle in poniville. She looks to them and they take up post outside. She walks inside the building and inside are large stone tombs built into the walls, it was a mausoleum. There were 6 tombs in all 4 of them with covers and cutie marks etched into the stone.
She spoke in a sad voice. "Well girls, fluttershy will be joining you all....."she couldn't finish the sentence, her tears came rushing back and her words choked up in the back of her throat. She lifted the tulips out of her saddlepack and placed one at each tomb, she looked to the one at the head of the building with her cutie mark above it. She was always told by Princess Celestia that alicorns may live a lot longer, but they don't live forever.
She was looking forward to the day she could rejoin her friends. She sighed heavily and walked out of the mausoleum with a heavy heart. She lifted her gaze and was greeted by three very sad looking mares.
Scootaloo was first to talk once again. "We saw you flying away from the hospital and figured that....." she drew her ears back.
Sweetie at this time was crying leaning on applebloom for support. Applebloom spoke up. "Did she finally pass Twi?"
Twilight nodded softly and her ears folded back her expression gave a grim reinforcement to her nod as if to punctuate the moment. Then Twilight noticed something, a small bird began to flutter around and landed ever so gentle on Sweeties shoulder, it began to chirp and sing in a very familiar tune, the very tune twilight heard when she first met the yellow Pegasus, all of the mares stopped crying for just a moment, soothed by the tune and feeling a little bit better, almost as if being set at peace by some unknown force They watched and listened to the ltitle birds tune seemingly enchanted by it.
She then noticed the three mares before her. A soft realization struck twilight as she began to smile softly. Her eyes began to water once more but not in sorrow, but for the first time in a while, in a bit of joy. She had always put on a brave face for others, and it's not that she was unhappy, but she had always been thinking about her old friends, and how they wern't around anymore. She was content with her lift, but the joy of her friendships she made had been lost due to time, until now.
She watched the three mares before her and she knew it then and there. Her friends were not gone, they were right here in spirit. Also with herself. Twilight spoke once more. "Would you girls like to come to my castle for some tea?" The three mares perked up.
Scootaloo seemed excited. "Ya mean it? we can go into the castle? Awww yea!"
Sweetie spoke softly. "I've never gotten to really look around any of the castles before, just the dance floor when I went to the Gala that one time."
Applebloom sniffed a bit and smiled. "That sounds like fun, can ah sit in my sisters spot when we get there? Just for a bit?"
Twilight smiles softly and nodded. "Of course, come on girls lets go."
They all nodded as they made their way to spend some time, with their friends, each other. She looks back once more to her old friends. "I'll be with you girls someday, but thank you for all the memories, and the new friends." she said to herself as they all left together.