Words
Words are a funny thing. They have the power to create adventures, draw pictures in the minds of ponies, evoke emotion, and bring memories from the past. They have a certain simplicity to them, the letters having almost no meaning on their own. Its this creation of our language that put meanings to the sounds we hear and the things we talk about.
But what is truly remarkable is the power that words hold. In four words, you can come to remember everything you have ever done wrong. We need to talk. In three, joy can flow through your limbs as it purges sadness from your body. I love you. Two words can bring upon the saddest memories life has to offer. I’m sorry. While all of these are powerful in their own ways, there is one that can deconstruct everything you’ve ever know. it can destroy dreams, love, a spirit, and the passion of any pony.
Goodbye.
With the start of a new day, the birds flew about, their hymns of nature flowing through the ears of anypony lucky enough to hear them. The fresh spring grass, green as ever, covered the countryside as it swayed along with the gentle winds. There was one home that stood out from all the rest, its leaves dancing along with the wind, a pleasant rustling audible. Inside this home, a pony was fast asleep, her face flat in a book. It was common for this pony, Twilight Sparkle, to doze off during her wondrous journeys through the words of authors, the adventure often completing itself as her mind built the worlds in her slumber. It was a normal day in the treehouse as far as everypony was concerned. Spike had slept past his alarm yet again, and Owlicious was getting ready to rest after a rather long night of alphabetically sorting books.
There was nothing terribly important for Twilight in the up and coming day, just the usual run of the mill. There were a few ponies that she was expecting later in the day, as they had books that were far overdue, and if they didn’t have them in; well, they could expect to be fined for it. As it would normally happen, ponies would return the books as they didn’t want to pay for a book they weren’t going to keep.
Twilight’s ears twitched in her sleep, facial muscles following in suit as a tear rolled from her eye. Her imagination was working overtime, the latest Daring Do book that lie in her face being the source. It was one that she had gotten for Rainbow Dash as a present for her birthday, but she couldn’t help and read it. Daring Do: A Prequel it was titled, the author not yet having decided on an official title just yet. Twilight suddenly awoke, her head jerking in an upward fashion, more tears rolling down her face as she started to pant heavily. She closed her eyes tight, and opened them wide in hopes of clearing some of the gunk that had formed around her eyelids. A hoof rose to her eyes, drying the tears and wiping away all the crust around her eyes.
Owlicious turned his head in ways that would be deemed impossible, spinning half way around with little effort. He cocked his head, and gave a “Who?” to Twilight.
“I'm fine Owlicious, thanks for asking,” She replied back with a faint smile. Twilight looked down at the book on the desk in front of her, a few spots here and there wrinkled from her tears.
Swiftly closing the book, she brushed it over to her side before letting out a sigh. That was... intense, She thought to herself, I don’t think I’ve ever felt so touched by a fictional character. She began to think about how Rainbow would react reading what she just had, and a slight smile cracked across her lips. There was no doubting that Rainbow would act that way had she read the book even though she would clearly deny it to Twilight’s face. It was the typical Rainbow Dash, and frankly, if she didn’t do that, she’d be worried about who she really was.
She rose from her chair, clumsily walking to the kitchen almost as if she was in a drunken stupor. Pulling a kettle from the cabinet, she filled it with water and set it on the stove. After almost fifteen minutes of waiting, she finally came to her senses and remembered to turn on the stove, little blue flames erupting from the burner. Twilight took a few packets of jasmine tea out of the cupboard along with a ceramic cup and gently set them next to the stove. While waiting for the water to heat up, she walked through the library, picking up a few books here and there that had been misplaced and putting them into their rightful spots.
The kettle whistle echoed throughout her home, the telltale sign that her water was heated to the perfect temperature. Pouring herself a cup of hot water and letting the tea steep in the mornings was one of her favorite things to do in the mornings, mainly because it reminded Twilight of her mother. It was one of her only real habits she could ever remember, watching that light grey pony pour herself tea in the early morning. It was something that Twilight and her mother often shared together, those early mornings in Canterlot. They would each drink a cup of jasmine tea and just talk. Not about anything specific, but just fun talk with her mother. Nowadays, that was something that she wished she could do, but there was the factor of the distance that they now had between each other. It would have been nice to do drink with her mother, but the aroma of the tea was enough to bring the memories back.
In the distance, there were the audible cries of a pony with a slight lisp, but it was too far off to understand what it was calling to. As the voice came closer, it also became clearer.
“Twilight!” the resident mail-pony called, a lisp slurring the word. “TWILIGHT!!!”
Setting her cup of tea on the counter to avoid any possible mishaps with scalding hot water, she trotted over to her door. Cracking it open, she stuck her head outside to see what exactly was going on. Not too far off, Derpy was flying about in her usual zig-zag motion straight for Twilight with what looked like no clear intention of slowing down. Shutting the door and bracing for impact, Twilight waited for the pony to crash through the door as she had seen happen many other times. But this time, she was rather lucky to not have that happen to her. This time, there was a soft and hollow knock on her front door. Opening it, she found Derpy with her head hung in sadness while everypony looked onwards to all of the commotion. Usually she wasn’t this early, or this sad for that matter.
“Derpy?” Twilight asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’m sorry, Twilight...” Derpy whispered under her breath as she handed her a single letter.
Twilight could sense the pain in her voice, and for that matter she couldn’t understand why, until she looked down at the letter in her hoof. It was addressed to her, titled:
Canterlot Official Coroner
“May all the best wishes be
with you and your family.”
Her heart sank down into her chest as chills ran down her spine, unable to peel her eyes away from those very words. There were very few ponies that she knew in Canterlot: Shining Armor, Cadence, and her Mother and Father. Hairs on Twilight’s back stood on end, goosebumps running rampant underneath her lavender coat. Flipping the letter over, she tore it open using a pen that had been laying nearby, now engulfed by her purple aura. She tore the flap rather slowly, hoping with everything that she had it was addressed to a different Twilight Sparkle, and that it was all just a big mistake. Carefully slipping the paper out from the envelope, she began to subconsciously read it aloud.
Dear Twilight Sparkle - Personal student of Princess Celestia,
We regret to inform you that one of your family members, Twilight; wife of Nightlight, has passed on during the night of the 14th. She passed peacefully in her sleep, and is being held until funeral arrangements have been made.
With sincerest apologies,
Cloud Turner, Canterlot Coroner
There was no mistake; this was her mother. No other Twilight Sparkle was studying under Celestia, and there was no way any other pony had the same parents as her. Even with all she wished that this was just a coincidence, in her heart she truly knew that it wasn’t. With everything she remembered, everything she knew, her mother was a healthy pony. There were no complications with anything in her life, and when she saw her last, she seemed to be doing just fine. Dropping both the letter and the envelope to the floor, the corner of a piece of cream paper hanging out of the envelope caught her eye.
She picked it up with her hooves, having a faint idea on what it might be. For that matter, she was right.
Dearest Twilight,
If you are getting this, then something I wished to never have you live through has happened; I have passed away. Even though I am gone in my own physical form, I am here in spirit. Never forget that, and always remember the memories that we have. Those mornings of us drinking that tea, those are some of my best memories. I have enjoyed watching you grow up to be such a successful unicorn, and you have truly made me and you’re father proud.
If I can say I know you, that ‘you’re’ is bugging you, and now a smile has come across your face. Keep that smile, because you are, and always have been, that little foal I held in my hooves at one point. I love you Twilight, never forget that. You are going places in life, so don’t let a bump in the road like this keep you from getting to those places.
Love,
Mommy
Tears were now running down Twilight’s cheeks, and everypony outside was still looking at her, gloom taking their expression in hold as they turned their heads. She didn’t know what to do, or to even think at this point. She was gone, no coming back. There was still so much she wanted to talk about, to tell her...
“Twilight?” Spike called down to Twilight, with a tear in the corner of his eye, “Does that mean what I think it means?”
“I’m afraid so, Spike...” she whispered to him through her tears, the jasmine aroma making its way throughout the house.
He ran down the stairs, and right up to Twilight, wrapping his arms around her neck. “I’m so sorry, Twi...”
Five Years Later...
Twilight walked with purpose in her step, weaving through the open fields as the grass swayed in the cool spring winds. There was a hill just ahead of her, a spot where her mother would often come just to think, often times trailed by a small filly.
Twilight walked to the top of the hill, the tombstone of her mother resting peacefully as it overlooked the sunset.
Here lies Twilight
Mother, Friend, and Wife
Never Stop Smiling, Ever.
She smiled reading her mother's tombstone, a tear forming in the corner of her eye. Pulling a bouquet of flowers from her saddlebags, she placed it next to the dried flowers of the years before, nature taking over as they planted their seeds; little sproutlings of roses blooming.
“You know, Mom,” Twilight began, “There was always so much I wanted to tell you, so much I wanted to talk about. You were always there for me, no matter what. But in the end, I wasn’t even there for you...
“Every morning, I make a cup of tea just like we used to. I even sit at the table, the same side I used to. And sometimes, I even talk. Just to complete the memory, you know? I never actually thought I’d be doing this, but I’m sure you remember that lullabye you’d sing me here on this hilltop on those evenings we came out here, carrying me home after I fell asleep. I think that it’s time I sung that, to you.”
Twilight began to hum softly, swinging her head side to side as she caught the rhythm of the old lullabye she was sung as a filly.
Hush now, quiet now
It's time to lay your sleepy head
Hush now, quiet now
It's time to go to bed
Driftin' off to sleep
Exciting day behind you
Driftin'off to sleep
Let the joy of dream land find you...
Twilight’s eyes began to slide shut, as she lulled herself to sleep.
“I love you, Mommy... But I can’t say goodbye...”