Across the azure sky, cloudless today thanks to the work of the Cloudsdale populace, two pegasai of the purest white with shockingly bright manes pulled their princess. The carriage strapped to their backs was made of bronze, and seemed to shine like the midday sun. From afar, it looked like a giant star, but up close, it resembled the burst of magic that sparks from a unicorn’s horn at the beginning of a spell. The symbol couldn’t be more appropriate, for seated within the carriage on red cushions was the princess of magic itself.

Twilight Sparkle looked down on the blurred and minimised view of Equestria as it raced beneath her. Her mane was perfectly groomed, the violet and fuchsia falling straight over her lavender fur. A golden crown glittered on her head, symbolising her status of princess. The once awkward filly now held herself with agonising grace and confidence, and her violet eyes, which had been filled with innocence, now showed age and wisdom.

Once, she had been the new Princess, but after almost fifty years, she was now the youngest princess. And with that time had come the death of ponies she had loved dearly, and the birth of others that she was yet to meet. Each death struck her hard, bruising her heart. Her aged heart, too old for her body, and beating to an eternal rhythm that haunted her waking hours.

As a young filly, becoming an immortal Alicorn had seemed like the most magical thing that could happen. But it was not, and at times, she cursed her immortality through bitter tears. It was, however, trips like this that made everything she had achieved worthwhile. She couldn’t help but feel a thrill of excitement as the carriage swooped down, and her guard ponies sped toward the growing shape of Ponyville.

Her pegasai spread their wings and began cantering in the air, gliding a few inches off the ground before meeting it with their hooves. The landing was smooth and seamless, as was expected from a princess’s escort. As the carriage came to a still, Twilight stepped out and onto the grassy floor of her beloved city. Her lavender wings stretched out, and she trotted on the spot to work the circulation back into her legs. She turned to the white ponies and nodded her head.

“Thank you Wind Whistler, North Star. I will be fine from here on. You may stay near, if you wish, but there is no need to get too close.”

The mares bowed slightly and began unstrapping themselves from Twilight’s carriage as the princess walked away. She knew that once they were done, they would follow her at a discreet distance. She had learned long ago that trying to get them to leave her be was a futile effort.

Though she relished every moment of her visits, she often found that walking through the bustling streets of Ponyville brought forth a sort of sadness within her. The ponies she had once called her friends seemed alien, no longer viewing her as Twilight Sparkle, the young unicorn who lived in the library, but as Princess Twilight Sparkle of Canterlot, heir to the throne of Equestria. It wasn’t that she disliked the way they acted towards her, bowing and muttering humbled greetings. Her sorrow lied in the lives she had not seen and the distance her new rank had put between them.

She also loathed looking at Ponyville and seeing something new. A building may have changed, a pony may not live there anymore, a smell may not linger where it once did. Small things she had not been prepared for when returning to the town she loved so. She made a mental note to herself to try and have Ponyville restored to how it looked in her memory. Everything felt far too wrong when she came back.

But her ease returned when, in her sight, she saw Sugarcube Corner, untouched by time and still triggering all her senses as it did when she was young. She raised her snout to the sky and breathed deeply, her wings spreading out in delight. Cupcakes. Ah, the nostalgia.

No sooner had she walked to the door when it was pulled open by a pony with hair like bubble-gum, frizzed, bouncy and wild. A pink earth pony with wrinkled eyes and a big smile looked at Twilight, her blue, shining eyes taking her in.

“Twilight Sparkle.” She said, her voice aged, but still bright and joyful. “You haven’t changed one bit. C’mon in, I made cupcakes!”

Despite her seemingly old and fragile frame, she bounced across the room toward a kitchen, humming. Twilight smiled and walked in, closing the door gently behind her.

“You always make cupcakes, Pinkie. Wouldn’t expect anything less.” She called out into the house. She heard the sound of Pinkie Pie blowing a raspberry and chuckled. Not even old age could stop that dynamo of a pony. She was one of the few Equestrian anomalies Twilight just couldn’t solve.

As Twilight stepped into a large, couch-filled room, three other ponies looked up at her. They looked like they had fifty years ago, save for the few wrinkles and greying hairs. Rainbow Dash’s mane and tail were still vibrant rainbows, though the colours seemed duller than usual. Rarity looked younger than all of them, a circumstance she credited to daily spa appointments and careful attention to the needs of her body. Time had not been as kind to Apple Jack, though, who had aged into an orange, wrinkled mess and resembled the departed Granny Smith.

As terrible as it was, seeing her friends like this invoked more of a sense of superiority than pity or sadness. They would wither and fade while she lived on as ruler of Equestria, and though she would mourn their loss, it seemed only fair. After all, she had brought together the elements, and she had defeated the evils that plagued Equestria. True, they had helped, but in the end, didn’t their success all lead back to her? It seemed only fair that, as the element of magic, student of Princess Celestia and leader of their group, she should be the one to reap the rewards. Not that she would speak any of this aloud. After all, they were her friends.

Rainbow Dash nodded to Twilight, fanning out her wings. “You up for a race, Twi? You may be an immortal, but I’m still the fastest flier in Equestria.”

Twilight laughed, shaking her lavender head slowly. “Rainbow, I haven’t ever been able to beat you, and I doubt I ever will. Why do you keep tormenting me so?”

Rarity tossed her mane over her shoulder, smiling lightly. “Twilight, darling, you don’t have to be so formal with us. We’re your friends after all.” She said in her posh accent. Twilight smiled back bitterly, struggling to keep any kind of resentment out of her eyes. If anything, Rarity was the one in the wrong. Who was she to talk so informally with a princess, after all?

No, Twilight scolded herself, they’re my friends. This is how friendship works. “Sorry, Rarity. It’s been a long day of political discussion. I’m still in royal mode to be honest.”

Rarity nodded sombrely, as if she understood what Twilight went through every day. Apple Jack said nothing, staring off into space with a hard expression. Twilight cleared her throat and looked around. “Where’s Fluttershy? Isn’t she coming?”

Everyone fell silent, looking down at the ground and fidgeting in their chairs. All except Apple Jack, who continued to look into the distance.

“You don’t know?” Pinkie Pie asked from the doorway. Twilight looked over to her and found that her mane had begun to droop slightly. She walked over to the group and put down a tray of cupcakes, each painstakingly decorated to look like the flanks of the five ponies, the icing perfectly dyed and their cutie marks forged from coloured sugar. The five ponies, Twilight thought after recounting. Five.

Rarity shed a single tear, her meticulously curled purple hair falling slightly over her face. “Oh, Twilight dear, I’m so sorry. I really thought you knew.”

“Knew what?” Twilight asked, becoming frustrated. She was about to raise her voice at Dash in hopes of getting an answer when Apple Jack finally spoke.

“She died, Twi.”

Apple Jack looked at her then, her eyes steady and hard, filled with an emotion Twilight couldn’t discern. Not annoyance, or anger. It looked more like… resentment. Or disappointment. Twilight eyes widened at the news, and her heart skipped a beat. Though she had come to terms with her immortality long ago, she was not yet ready to accept the reality of her friend’s eventual deaths. And to think the first death she would have to deal with was dear, sweet Fluttershy of all ponies…

Twilight screwed her eyes shut and shook her head. “What happened? How…”

“Sickness.” Rainbow muttered. “The doctors think she might have picked it up from one of her animals, and her immune system was too weak to fight it. By the time the disease was found, it was too late to do anything. All her animals have been quarantined. Even Angel.”

Twilight tried to stop herself from envisioning the snow white bunny, alone and scared in a medical lab, being tested and prodded by strange ponies. “When’s the funeral?” she asked. Apple Jack huffed.

“Five years ago.” She said bitterly. “We sent letters, invites, everything to get yer royal attention. I guess yall were too busy with yer political discussions to come to yer friend’s funeral.”

Twilight recoiled under Apple Jack’s harsh tone. Tears threatened to fall, but dignity kept her from letting them. “That’s not fair, Apple Jack.” Twilight spat back, trying to keep her voice steady. “I was busy. I didn’t-“

“Didn’t what? Have the time? Yer friend dies and yer main concern is what to wear to the next Gala. Do ya know how long it’s been since you last came ta see us? Ten years, Twi. Ten. Do ya even care about us anymore?”

“Of course I do! I’ve been busy learning how to rule Equestria. Do you honestly think I have time for..?”

Twilight stopped, realising what she was saying. Neither Rarity not Rainbow Dash seemed able to look at her, and Pinkie Pie had huddled closer to Dash, seeming to cringe away from the lavender unicorn. Apple Jack let out a weary sigh and shut her eyes.

“Twilight, Ah’m the element of honesty. Ah’ve never told a lie, and ah never will. So here’s what I have to say. Yer selfish, Twi. You’ve been spoiled all yer life, and now you’ve come to expect what yall want handed to ya on a silver platter. Do ya have any idea what you’ve missed in all the years ya haven’t seen us? Rainbow Dash’s married. Pinkie has two kids. Ahm a grandmother, soon ta be great-grandmother. Rarity’s famous now. Fluttershy had a colt. Everything’s changed, Twi. And ya’ll haven’t been here fer any of it. All ya think about is what ya want, and ahm sick of it. It won’t be long before we follow Fluttershy into the Great Pasture, so yah can either start investing in the lives of yer friends again, or ya’ll can just not come back.”

Twilight’s face flushed red with anger and grief. She raised her head up and fanned out her wings to their full length. As her horn and eyes glowed a fuchsia light, she screamed her frustration at the aged mare. “How dare you speak to me in that way! I am a princess! I am your ruler! Do not stand against me!”

Despite her fearsome and intimidating form, Apple Jack looked down on her, as if she were no more than a young filly throwing a tantrum. Twilight fond herself faltering slightly under the gaze.

“This is what I mean, Twilight,” the mare said as she turned and walked away. “As soon as ya’ll don’t get yer way, ya throw a hissy fit. Maybe Celestia should teach ya how ta be humble. And I ain’t afraid of ya, Twi. None of us are.”

The sound of a door slamming shut emphasised the pony’s exit, leaving Twilight to face the aftermath alone. As she turned back to her friends, she saw that Rainbow was staring at her sympathetically, while Pinkie Pie was crying into her lap. Rarity seemed unable to look at her, her purple hair creating a veil over her sapphire eyes. Twilight opened her mouth to speak.

“Twilight, dear,” Rarity interrupted. “I think it would be best if you left. Don’t worry about Pinkie, we’ll take care of her.”

Twilight looked anxiously at her friends, searching for any kind of love or forgiveness in their eyes. But she found nothing but sorrow, and left with drooping wings and a heavy heart.

Author's Note

I'm sorry if the dialogue seems a bit strained or out of character, dialogue isn't really my strong point... But overall, I'm quite happy with this chapter.
I just want the record to say that I have nothing against Twilight. In face, she's my favourite of the Mane Six. I did feel, however, watching the series that she was spoiled, becoming the Princess's student at a young age, living in a castle, being better at magic, becoming an alicorn etc, so it seemed like, with time, she would become severely spoiled.
This may seem like a filler chapter, but it's important for later in the story and for developing Twilight's character. I hope you enjoyed it!