Friends Forever
Written by DashieWashie
Princess Twilight Sparkle gently glided down onto her balcony. It had been a long day. Twilight sat back on her haunches and watched the sky. Night was just beginning to fall, and a golden hue was spreading across the sky like paint dripping down a canvas, staining the puffy clouds with a crimson tint. It was truly the most beautiful part of the day. Twilight breathed in the cool evening air with relish as she tried to clear her mind of her stressful day. There had been horrible days in Twilight's past before, sure. She had to deal with a boastful braggart, a scheming element of chaos, and more than one corrupted princess. She had always found the solution to her problems, though. That wasn't something she could do now. There was nothing she could do now. Twilight shut her eyes tightly and sighed in despair. The solution had been so easy before. A obstacle had come in her way, and she had always used the same thing to magically eradicate the issue. She had used... friendship. Twilight shut her eyes tighter, slightly gritting her teeth. "Princesses don't cry, Twilight. Keep it together." Twilight's cold inner voice of logic and reason fought with her emotions as she stared up at the now colorful sky. The bright orange light of the setting sun threw its light onto everything, and the sky went from a cheerful radiant yellow, to a melancholy dark blue, to a star-speckled and comforting black. Twilight wiped her eyes with her hoof, still battling to keep herself together, even during this rare private moment alone. Her lavender eyes were still wet as she allowed her mind to return to the day.
She had arrived at Fluttershy's cottage at half past two. Accompanied by her own set of royal guards, Twilight gingerly stepped out of her carriage. She didn't know how she could handle this again. She gave the word to the guards to block the entrance ways from prying, intruding eyes. This was her moment with Fluttershy. She knew it would be the last time. She stepped into the dimly lit cottage and met the eyes of three of her old friends. Rainbow Dash peeked out from behind her dulled rainbow mane, eyes bloodshot. Her face was plastered with tears, each wrinkle in the mare's face glistening with moisture. Pinkie Pie stepped up to greet her silently. Her mane was flat, and even grayer than when she had last seen her. Ever since she had lost the energy to party, Pinkie never really was the same. A faltering half-smile flickered across her face for a fraction of a second, before her face drooped back into a dejected frown. Applejack was sitting next to a small bed covered in various colorful quilts. They all looked hoof-stitched, with the utmost of care taken to sew each soft square into the next with perfect accuracy. Applejack didn't even look up as Twilight gently pulled away the covers, too proud to show her tears.
"Fluttershy?" Twilight had said quietly, taking care not to frighten the frail old mare. Fluttershy slowly looked up, carefully re-positioning herself on her mound of blankets and sheets. Fluttershy smiled lightly. Twilight noticed a glazed look in her friend's eyes that had not been there went they had went to Rarity's funeral.
"Twilight..." Fluttershy whispered in a wispy and fragile voice. It hadn't changed a bit. Twilight smiled tearfully, a mix of delight at seeing her friend and utter devastation at her condition. "Twilight, please... give me your hoof..." Fluttershy felt around the bedspread haphazardly, searching for any sign of her friend. With horror, despair, and a choked cry, Twilight realized Fluttershy had gone blind. Twilight clasped her friends hoof gently and saw Fluttershy's tiny smile of relief. "How's... being a princess, Twilight?..." Fluttershy asked.
"It's... It's... fine." Twilight stared into Fluttershy's face, studying every curve and bump like it was a particularly fascinating book.
"Twilight... I need to tell you...something..." Fluttershy's gentle smile slipped a notch as she used her failing energy to speak.
"Anything, Fluttershy." Twilight grasped her hoof tighter and sat back on her haunches on the floor. "Twilight, I wanted to thank you..." Fluttershy suddenly erupted into a coughing spell, in which Applejack finally rose with a glass of ice water. She gently placed it to Fluttershy's lips and tipped the cup. Fluttershy thankfully accepted the drink, finally settling down again.
"Thank you..." Fluttershy's voice was starting to waver. "Twilight... I know I don't have much time left..."
"No Fluttershy, don't say that!" Twilight almost shouted, her tears intensifying.
"Twilight... I know." Fluttershy let the silence hang in the room, attempting to convey herself. "I wanted to thank you for... your friendship. You helped me see that I had... a special place. I wasn't a doormat, I had real strength." Fluttershy broke into a prideful smile. "Yes, I used to doubt myself. But you..." Fluttershy paused for a moment. "You showed me magic. The magic I had in myself. You changed my life, Twilight. And, I can't thank you enough for that." Fluttershy smiled brightly. Twilight now had tears of joy streaming down her cheeks as well as ones of heartbreak.
"Fluttershy, I should be thanking you. Without you, without any of you," Twilight looked around the room at her friends. "I would still be a lonely student up in Canterlot. I owe you my entire life. We solved every problem, we triumphed over forces of evil... all with our friendship." Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash smiled the first sincere smiles that Twilight had seen in a long time. Applejack stood up and sat next to Twilight in silence. "Applejack?..." Applejack threw herself onto Twilight, bawling loudly into her shoulder. Twilight gasped in surprise, but then returned the hug. Pinkie and Rainbow walked over slowly and joined in the hug. Twilight gently pulled in Fluttershy, who felt for Twilight's shoulders and hugged them gently. "We are the Elements of Harmony... and nothing will ever change that."
And gently, just like everything else she did in her life, Fluttershy buried her face in Twilight's coat, smiled her last smile, and died in the arms of her very best friends.
The sun had slipped past the green hills of Ponyville and the thick carpet of trees that made up the Everfree Forest. The sky's vibrant hues had died down, and were all blending into the same black of the night. More stars began to sparkle brightly, and filled the black expanse of the sky with pinpricks of gorgeous diamonds. Twilight felt like she could sit on her balcony forever, but a cold chill began to roll in. She knew a storm was approaching. She dragged her hooves inside her spacious bedroom adorned with long bookshelves and desks. Twilight was about to fly up to her bed, ready for a sleepless night, went she passed her old desk from the Ponyville library. Before she could stop herself, she found herself in front of it. Just like before. Twilight gently felt the now rough texture of the old wooden desk, remembering the countless scrolls she had written to Celestia on it. She opened the creaky drawer and found a organized supply of quills, ink bottles, and empty scrolls, all sitting there, waiting for her. Twilight suddenly felt a powerful urge to write something. She needed to write a friendship letter. Twilight carefully levitated a quill and scroll. She didn't know what she was going to say, but she felt like she needed this right now. She started it out in the usual way.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Today I learned a very hard lesson about friendship. I learned that friendship isn't about keeping up with your friends (no matter how much you want to). Friendship is about learning that you aren't always going to be with your friends. But friendship is about quality, not quantity. So, if a friend ever leaves you, you shouldn't be sad about it all the time. You have to remember all the great times you had with them, and never forget that you will be friends forever.
Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle
Twilight put down the quill with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. "Fluttershy and Rarity will always be here. They will be in my heart, and that all anyone can really ask for." Twilight said out loud. Twilight flew up to her bed and settled down peacefully, remembering all the great times she had with Fluttershy, with all her friends, and soon she fell asleep in utter exhaustion. She had thought after she had become a princess, she wouldn't need friendship lessons anymore. But tonight, she had learned the greatest lesson of all.
Author's Note
Hey guys, this is not only my first fanfiction on this site, it's also my first MLP fanfiction I've ever written! If there are any errors, please let me know below. Thanks for reading ^^