Love Never Fades
Magic Never Dies
By Game-BeatX14
Not many ponies know about the long-term storage properties of magic. When a unicorn dies, a small amount of magic in their horn can remain active for years after passing, sometimes even decades if stored properly. Spike had learned this little tidbit of information from none other than Twilight Sparkle herself. If only she knew about the bittersweet way her assistant would eventually come to apply that knowledge…
The time was 7:30 P.M. Spike entered his castle bedroom and locked the door behind him, sighing in relief. It had been a long and stressful day of civic duties, but the thought of what he planned to do tonight kept him vigilant. He scurried over to his closet, and gazed upon the small lavender box tucked in the back corner. The anxious dragon picked it up and carefully set the box on his empty bed. He was alone in his room, with only a small window to let the moonlight in and illuminate his treasure.
This box was his most prized possession. Inside it was something irreplaceable; a small piece of his long-lost friend that he held dear to his heart more than anything else. He had developed a ritual of some sort… Spike would only open this box once a year, to ensure the special object would last a great deal longer before its magical properties expired entirely. He slowly opened the box, revealing the most beautiful thing he owned.
It was a horn. Twilight Sparkle’s horn. Faded and chipped from time, but still intact.
The day she passed was a very difficult day to recall. His entire life changed so quickly; he still wondered if it was all a dream. But the horn in the box reminded him it was certainly real, and there was no going back to change it.
He recalled how she passed… It was an unfortunate accident. Truly hearth-breaking, but there was nothing anypony could have done to prevent it. Twilight had been practicing dark magic, combing through the archives of Starswirl the Bearded for the most advanced and powerful spells she could possibly perform. Extended teleportation, bodily transformation, instantaneous healing… He couldn’t even begin to remember all the crazy spells she had been insistent on perfecting. But one fateful spell turned out to be more volatile than she was prepared for.
All Spike remembered was coming home and finding Twilight motionless on the floor, as Owlowiscious remained perched atop her still body with a worried look in his eyes. Spike frantically got the help of Nurse Redheart and Twilight’s friends, but it was far too late. She had died hours before Spike arrived home, presumably from some sort of magical backfire during a particularly intense spell.
It was later that night when Spike visited the hospital and had a long talk with Nurse Redheart in private. Twilight’s friends had been forced to leave for the night, and the medical professional was performing an autopsy. He interrupted her duty to tearfully explain to her how magic reserves remained in a unicorn’s horn after death. The nurse didn’t quite seem to understand what he was getting at, until he asked her the most difficult favor he could ever request of anypony.
“N-nurse Redheart, p-please. I need you to remove her horn before it’s too late. I want to save every bit of her that I can!” He sobbed.
Although she seemed apprehensive of the idea, the nurse reluctantly agreed to cut the deceased mare’s horn off with her surgical tools, if only because she knew how incredibly valuable this little piece of Twilight was to Spike.
Ten years had passed since that mournful night...
Snapping back to reality, Spike removed the horn from its container and held it close to his chest, feeling the ridges press against his scales. He took a deep breath.
“Hello, Twilight… I missed you.”
Silence. He sighed loudly.
“You know, they always say that time heals everything… But sometimes, I don’t think that’s the case.”
Spike gently rubbed his claws back and forth over her horn, just enough to release a miniscule tendril of magic. The shiny lavender aura tickled his body as it gradually wafted over his chest. It felt lukewarm… the same kind of warmth he used to feel when she hugged him.
There was something incredibly special about magic. Sometimes he felt like its properties were yet to be fully understood, even by the most knowledgeable ponies. When her magic touched him, it wasn’t just a nostalgic feeling. He could hear her voice in his head, and feel her heartbeat. But what made him tear up the most was, he could catch a glimpse of her memories slipping into his mind. It was such a strangely invasive feeling, but he hoped she wouldn’t mind. The world seemed to go black around him, and he was encircled in a sea of foggy dreams and memories. Every notable event of their times together replayed in the cloudy air, suspended and projected in a surreal manner. All the hugs, the long nights reading adventure novels together. All the pivotal trials and tribulations of their deep-rooted relationship. She had been like a mother to him.
In that moment, Spike was at peace. He could feel Twilight’s presence as though she were right there beside him. Nothing in the entire world could give him the same comfort as the magic of his best friend. It warmed his heart, and made his muscles relax. He was amazed at how such a tiny amount of aura could bring him such vivid feelings. Twilight’s magic was exceptionally powerful and concentrated, seeming to barely deteriorate at all each year. If he was diligent and resourceful enough, it could possibly last until the day he passed as well…
The clouds of memories gradually evaporated. Spike gripped the chipped horn with shaky claws. Just the sight of it made him happy again. Now drawing from his own memory, he recalled all the little things Twilight used to do to cheer him up. How she would tuck him into bed every night, even as he grew older. The delicious gem cake she would bake for him every year on his birthday. Even on the rare occasion when she was mad at him, it wasn’t cold or spiteful anger. It was a delicate form of love, helping him to learn from his mistakes and grow into the best dragon he could be.
Spike had more respect for Twilight than anypony he had ever known. For even in death, she still had the power to bring him comfort. It had been a lonely and difficult ten years, but each year she remained with him. Her soul lived on in a tangible form that would outlast her body for decades.
Despite holding the privilege of feeling her magic, he still wanted nothing more than to feel her physical form again. To be touched by her gentle, caring hooves and feel her soft fur against his face. But he came to accept that the magic from her horn was the closest he would ever be able to get. In a way, it was almost better. Spike could feel Twilight in his heart; her very soul caressing his body from the inside.
Minutes passed, and the magic continued drifting lazily around his body, until it eventually began to dissipate into nothingness. He looked around his lifeless room, feeling a bitter sting that his once a year ritual was already over. Truthfully, he wanted nothing more than to rub her horn one more time, just to indulge in the feeling even for another minute. The tiny amount of magic he had released barely satisfied his need, but he knew that conserving it would be the only way to make it last. It made him depressed just thinking about it. Another whole year without her; three hundred and sixty-five days filled with emptiness and lonesome misery until the time came again.
He sighed quietly, staring at her horn, taking extra care not to scratch it.
“I love you Twilight…”
He quivered in sadness, feeling a lump form in his throat.
“P-Please don’t ever leave me… I need you. More than you’ll ever know.”
Every year he promised himself he wouldn’t cry. And every year, that promise was broken. Spike felt his eyes start to water, blurring his vision. A single tear dripped off his face and landed on the tip of Twilight’s horn. It dripped down the ridges, until the droplet rolled off completely and onto the floor.
“My life hasn’t been the same since you left...”
He knew she couldn’t hear him, but he continued speaking out loud anyway.
“The day after you died, I didn’t even want to wake up. Opening my eyes upstairs in my bedroom, and realizing that you wouldn’t be downstairs waiting for me felt unnatural. To this day, it still does…”
He tensed up, clutching her horn with tender care.
“But I know you’re still here with me. And maybe one day I can be laid to rest with you in my hands.”
Silence. There was nothing left to say. Sighing, he carefully put Twilight’s horn back in the box and closed it. Spike carefully slid the box back into its hiding place at the back of his closet, to be left untouched for another year.
Nopony knew about the box. Not ever Redheart actually knew where he kept it. He vowed to protect that box to his grave.
The sun had finished setting. It was now 8:00 P.M… But he couldn’t go to sleep yet. He remembered that Rainbow Dash, Applejack and the others had invited him over for a night of board games and outdoor movies at Sweet Apple Acres after sundown. According to Pinkie, it was going to be a party he would never forget.
Not wanting to pass up some quality time with his remaining friends, Spike left his room, opened the front door to the castle and stepped out into the chilly night. He knew Twilight would want him to move on and keep having fun, no matter what. Leaving the piece of his companion behind, he began his trek to the outskirts of town where his friends were gathering. But even with all the promised fun ahead, and even with the other ponies there... It was still going to be a very long, lonely year.