Finding Those Left Behind

“How in Equestria did I get in the land of the dead?” said Twilight Sparkle, confused and fearful, “This must be a mistake, now how do I get home?”

The dark stallion looked down on her solemnly, knowing that inevitably all ponies go through denial when they discover their fate.

“This is no mistake Twilight Sparkle.  Do you not remember the events that transpired before you came here?”  asked the ominous figure.

“Of course I do!  How could I forget one of Pinkie Pie’s parties?  We were celebrating Fluttershy’s birthday.  We were going to start eating the cake, but then…something happened and I blacked out.  Then I woke up here.”

As one of his eyebrows raised slightly, the black pony asked “And what is this ‘something’ you mentioned?”

“I-I don’t know, but something made me black out,” Twilight stammered, as she tried to recall what the event was that was evading her exceptional memory.  It agitated her that she couldn’t remember.  What happened?  Why didn’t she know what happened?

“Perhaps if you were to recall what happened prior to this ‘something’…”

“Why do you care so much?!” snapped the agitated lavender unicorn, “it’s not like it matters!”

“Ms. Sparkle,” replied the tall stallion with a sigh, “it is my job to bring peace to those leaving their old lives and to help ease passage into the next world.  Typically this is easier if the deceased understands how their life ended.”

“I am not dead!” screamed Twilight, unwilling to accept that she had passed, “I’m only nineteen, how can I be dead?!  I have a life!  I have a family!  That can’t all just be gone!”

“While the death of one as young as you may be unfortunate, it is not unheard of.  I am sorry this is so difficult for you, but you are correct on one thing.  The ponies in your life are not gone; you are.  Now please, Twilight Sparkle, try and remember the events immediately preceding your death,” stated the somber pony, this message having become far too familiar to him.

The agitated mare finally conceded with a, “Fine,” and closed her eyes, trying to remember.  She wasn’t doing it for his sake, but for her own.  She hated not being able to remember something that had happened so recently.

“Well,” she started, “as I already said were about to start eating the cake…”  All of a sudden, Twilight's eyes flashed white, as the events that had escaped her memory suddenly came to her, and she left the glowing white world behind.

***

Twilight was standing among her closest friends in Fluttershy’s cottage.  There were only six ponies there because Fluttershy, as her name suggests, was not prone to large gatherings and preferred a party with only her closest friends.  There were streamers and balloons on the ceiling and song birds chirping quiet tunes in the background.

“Thank you so much for throwing me this party Pinkie Pie.  All my animal friends were so happy with the special cake you made for them, and I’m sure this one you made for us will be delicious too,” said a quiet, pastel yellow mare as she gestured towards a cake that, while moderately sized, still looked delicious.

“Not a problem Flutters!” said a bouncy pink mare who was obviously having trouble withholding her enthusiasm, “It is my special talent to throw the perfect parties for all my friends after all!  Now let’s cut into this cake already!”

Pinkie bounced into the kitchen and came back with a knife to cut the cake with in her mouth and enough plates for everypony to have a slice balanced precariously on her back.  No pony understood how she managed to keep those plates on her back with all the up and down motion, but everyone had pretty much accepted by this point that the laws of gravity just didn’t work the same for Pinkie Pie.

“Come on everypony, let’s get some cake!” hollered Rainbow Dash to the other four ponies as she noticed Pinkie Pie had started cutting the cake.

As the pink earth pony started placing the first slice of cake onto a plate, her tail started twitching and she jumped under the table.  The other mares all looked up to locate the falling object, having learned long ago not to question the Pinkie Sense.

Twilight looked up and saw a black blur falling towards Fluttershy.  It was moving too fast to tell what it was, but, after everything she had gone through with her friends, they meant everything to her, so she wasn’t about to let one of them get hurt.  Not having enough time to charge up her magic, she shoved Fluttershy out of the way and then felt something strike her in the back of the head.  It hurt, it hurt so much.  The lavender mare collapsed to the ground, and for a second she saw the looks of horror on her friends’ faces, and then everything went black.

***

“N-no!” cried Twilight, “Pl-please!  Tell me it didn’t happen!  This has to be some kind of nightmare!”

The imposing black pony looked down at the purple unicorn sobbing before him solemnly and said, “I’m so sorry Ms. Sparkle.  I truly am.”